Guardians Rising: the 2017 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon's Guardians Rising from May 2017: its 169 cards, 12 Pokémon-GX, a 15-card rainbow block with three earlier names, and the notice checked.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 6 min read
Guardians Rising is the second expansion of Pokémon’s Sun & Moon series, released May 5, 2017. Pokémon promised more than 140 cards, among them three full-art Supporters and 12 new Pokémon-GX, and presented Tapu Koko-GX and Tapu Lele-GX as the island guardians. The set has 169 cards: 145 numbered up to the printed total of 145, and 24 above it. One quirk sets it apart: its Rare Rainbow block runs to 15 cards against 12 GX in the main run, because three of its rainbow cards carry names from the set before.
When did Guardians Rising come out?
On May 5, 2017, the day it reached stores.
It came after the Sun & Moon set of February 3, 2017, and before Burning Shadows of August 4, 2017. Its set code is GRI, and it sits in the Sun & Moon series. Our guide to Pokémon card eras places the series in the longer history.
How many cards are in Guardians Rising?
- The number blocks run like this:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 115 | 115 | Pokémon, including 12 Pokémon-GX |
| 116 to 130 | 15 | Trainer cards: 8 Items, 4 Stadiums, 2 Supporters (Hala and Mallow) and 1 Tool (Choice Band) |
| 131 to 142 | 12 | The 12 Pokémon-GX again, in the same order, labeled Rare Ultra on Rip.fan’s page |
| 143 to 145 | 3 | Supporters Hala, Hau and Mallow, also labeled Rare Ultra |
| 146 to 160 | 15 | Pokémon-GX labeled Rare Rainbow: this set’s 12 and three names from the Sun & Moon set |
| 161 to 169 | 9 | Labeled Rare Secret: five Items, Double Colorless Energy and three basic Energy |
No Energy card sits inside the printed total. The Rare Ultra cards do, so the second Tapu Lele-GX reads 137/145. CGC defines a secret rare as a card numbered higher than the set number, which here means every card from 146 up.
The 115 Pokémon cards in the main run split into 40 commons, 23 uncommons, 40 rares and 12 Pokémon-GX, counting the GX cards by the GX in their name. On Rip.fan’s price pages 15 of those rares carry the label Rare Holo and the GX cards Rare Holo GX. A black star beside the number marks a rare, a black diamond an uncommon and a black circle a common; our guide to Pokémon rarity symbols shows where the symbol sits.
Where do the GX, Supporter and Alolan cards sit?
| Card group | Where they sit |
|---|---|
| 12 Pokémon-GX | In the main run, none with the name of a GX card in the Sun & Moon set |
| 3 full-art Supporter cards | Hala, Hau and Mallow at 143 to 145, labeled Rare Ultra |
| Tapu Koko-GX and Tapu Lele-GX | Tapu Koko-GX at 47 and Tapu Lele-GX at 60 |
| 7 Alolan cards | In the main run, none with the name of an Alolan card in the Sun & Moon set |
Sylveon-GX, Kommo-o-GX and Lycanroc-GX sit at 92, 100 and 74. The seven Alolan cards are Alolan Sandshrew, Alolan Sandslash and Alolan Vulpix at 19 to 21, Alolan Ninetales-GX at 22, and Alolan Geodude, Alolan Graveler and Alolan Golem at 40 to 42.
Why does the rainbow block hold 15 cards?
Because three of its names come from the Sun & Moon set. The block at 146 to 160 holds this set’s 12 Pokémon-GX plus Decidueye-GX at 146, Incineroar-GX at 147 and Primarina-GX at 149. In the Sun & Moon set those three have one card each, at 12, 27 and 42, with no Rare Ultra or Rare Rainbow version. In Guardians Rising they have no other card at all. Every version:
| Pokémon-GX | Main run | Rare Ultra | Rare Rainbow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decidueye-GX | None | None | 146 |
| Incineroar-GX | None | None | 147 |
| Turtonator-GX | 18 | 131 | 148 |
| Primarina-GX | None | None | 149 |
| Alolan Ninetales-GX | 22 | 132 | 150 |
| Wishiwashi-GX | 38 | 133 | 151 |
| Vikavolt-GX | 45 | 134 | 152 |
| Tapu Koko-GX | 47 | 135 | 153 |
| Toxapex-GX | 57 | 136 | 154 |
| Tapu Lele-GX | 60 | 137 | 155 |
| Lycanroc-GX | 74 | 138 | 156 |
| Metagross-GX | 85 | 139 | 157 |
| Sylveon-GX | 92 | 140 | 158 |
| Kommo-o-GX | 100 | 141 | 159 |
| Drampa-GX | 115 | 142 | 160 |
Read down the right-hand column and the rainbow block follows the main-run order, with the three earlier names placed among its first four cards. A rainbow Decidueye-GX is a Guardians Rising card numbered 146/145, and our guide to the Sun & Moon set covers the regular one.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Which other cards repeat?
Several, and the card number is the way to tell them apart:
- Supporters. Hala has cards at 126 and 143, and Mallow at 127 and 145. Hau has only the Rare Ultra card at 144; Hau’s regular card is in the Sun & Moon set at 120.
- Oricorio. Four cards with the same name, at 14, 46, 55 and 56, each by a different illustrator.
- Machop. Two cards, at 62 and 63.
- Lunala and Solgaleo. Plain cards at 61 and 87, with no GX.
- The secret rares. Aqua Patch, Enhanced Hammer, Field Blower and Max Potion have regular cards in this set at 119, 124, 125 and 128. Rare Candy and Double Colorless Energy have no regular card here, but cards with those names are in the Sun & Moon set at 129 and 136.
What products held Guardians Rising packs?
Each Guardians Rising booster pack held 10 cards from the set. For boxes and collections, check the box itself. If you buy sealed product from 2017, our guide to spotting resealed Pokémon packs covers the signs of a pack that was opened and sealed again.
How do you check Guardians Rising card prices?
The set has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, under the Sun & Moon series heading. It lists each priced card with its number, rarity and NM market price. Filter it by Rare Rainbow to see all 15 rainbow cards together, or sort by card number to see a Pokémon’s three versions in turn, such as Tapu Koko-GX at 47, 135 and 153. For a single card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing each price is for. The price changes page compares prices between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
Our guide to looking up a Pokémon card’s price explains how to read them.
What should you check before buying a Guardians Rising card?
- The printed total. A card from this set reads out of 145, and no other set in the Sun & Moon series has that total.
- Rainbow Decidueye-GX, Incineroar-GX and Primarina-GX. All three are Guardians Rising cards, at 146, 147 and 149 out of 145. A listing that places one in the Sun & Moon set itself, out of 149, has the set wrong.
- Which of three versions. Each of the 12 GX cards has a main, a Rare Ultra and a Rare Rainbow number. Our guide to Pokémon card finishes explains holofoil, reverse holo and full art.
- Hau. The regular Hau card reads 120/149 and belongs to the Sun & Moon set; the Guardians Rising card reads 144/145.
- Genuine cards. Our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards walks through checks that leave a card unharmed.
The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage, and our guide to Ultra Prism compares the first Sun & Moon sets side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable card in Guardians Rising?
On October 21, 2026, Sylveon-GX (158/145) had the highest Near Mint market price in Guardians Rising, at $185.11. Next came Alolan Ninetales-GX (150/145), at $83.99.
Which card numbered inside Guardians Rising has the highest price?
Among the cards numbered up to 145, Sylveon-GX (140/145), a Rare Ultra, had the highest Near Mint market price on October 21, 2026, at $71.54.
What is the top-priced Rare Ultra card in Guardians Rising?
On October 21, 2026, Mallow (145/145) led the Rare Ultra cards of Guardians Rising, with a Near Mint market price of $35.40.
What do the Sylveon-GX cards in Guardians Rising cost?
Guardians Rising has 4 Sylveon-GX cards, and on October 21, 2026, their Near Mint market prices were $22.75 for 92a/145 (Rare Holo GX), $23.83 for 92/145 (Rare Holo GX), $71.54 for 140/145 (Rare Ultra) and $185.11 for 158/145 (Rare Rainbow).