2002 Pokemon Japanese Promo Spring Battle Road No. 1 Trainer PSA 10 GEM MINT

Spring Battle Road 2002 ran from March 9, 2002, to April 7, 2002, and consisted of nine regional tournaments hosted across seven Japanese venues around Japan. The top three finishers in each division at each of the nine tournaments were awarded customized trophy cards such as the No. 1 Trainer seen here. However, what sets this card apart from most of its ‘02 Spring Battle Road peers is that it was awarded to a female winner, as referenced in the card’s description text and artwork. It’s believed no more than two total female No. 1 Trainer cards were awarded across all nine 2002 Spring Battle Road regional events. That believed print run makes this card not only much rarer than the other coveted trophy issues from the tournament series but also one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time. Starting in 2002, Pokémon renamed their regional tournaments “Battle Roads”, doing away with the unique tournament circuit names of previous years. The Spring Battle Road and Summer Battle Road names were then used from 2002–09, after which the tournament series was renamed again. But the series name wasn’t the only thing changing. The ‘02 tournaments were held at a crucial point in Pokémon TCG history. A new reverse-side design was implemented for the Pokémon eSeries release. To help with this transition, competitors were allowed to use cards showcasing original and new backs with various restrictions and changes. Each 2002 Spring Battle Road trophy card showcases the winner’s name and the tournament in which they earned the card. But herein lies another change. The 2002 competitions were the last Battle Road tournaments at which winners were awarded customized cards, adding an extra layer of allure for collectors. To date, PSA has only graded 25 total examples of 2002 Spring Battle Road trophy cards, 13 of which are No. 1 Trainers. This is one of six to earn a PSA 10 grade. A male PSA 10 example sold in each of the last two Fanatics Collect Premier Auctions, further slimming the chances of obtaining one from either gender. While you can’t go back in time to bid in the September or October events or compete in Japan for this treasured No. 1 Trainer trophy, the November Premier Auction is giving you a chance to add one to your collection. Along with this 2002 Spring Battle Road No. 1 Trainer, there are also female No. 2 and No. 3 Trainers live now, the three of which share sequential PSA certification numbers. Considering their popularity and rarity, it’s likely to take a podium-worthy bidding performance to land them. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 11/11/2024.

This item was flash inserted on Nov 9, 2024.