Will's activated ability counts the total amount of life you gained without taking into account any life you lost during that turn
Another benefit of grading is protection, as most companies will send the Pokmon card back in a sealed slab of plastic
Search for that card on PriceCharting and you'll find the card is for Steam Siege set
Then add on how many key creatures in the format are fliers: Ledger Shredder (and almost all the other creatures in Phoenix), the demons, Slickshot, Aven Interupter and more
The ability to counter two spells in a turn with only three mana up was especially important in those pre-Force of Will days
Psychic and Lightning Energies, the most common, still feature in only one theme deck, but so does Fire Energy, one of the two rarest