Sun & Moon base set: the 2017 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon's Sun & Moon set of February 2017: its 172 cards, the first Pokémon-GX, every number block, and where its missing GX versions turn up.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 7 min read
Sun & Moon is the first expansion of Pokémon’s Sun & Moon series, released February 3, 2017, and the set where Pokémon-GX cards began. The set holds 172 cards: 149 numbered up to the printed total of 149, and 23 above it. Because the set shares its name with the whole series, this guide calls it the base set.
When did the Sun & Moon set come out?
On February 3, 2017. On August 19, 2016, Pokémon said the Sun & Moon Series and its new Pokémon-GX cards would arrive in early 2017, and that Lunala and Solgaleo would appear in the expansion as Pokémon-GX. On the list they are Lunala-GX at 66 and Solgaleo-GX at 89.
Guardians Rising followed on May 5, 2017, as the second expansion in the series. On Rip.fan’s price pages this set has the code SUM and appears as Sun & Moon under the Sun & Moon series heading. Our guide to Pokémon card eras places the series in the longer history.
How many cards are in the Sun & Moon set?
- The number blocks run like this:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 113 | 113 | Pokémon, including 11 Pokémon-GX |
| 114 to 135 | 22 | Trainer cards: 15 Items, 5 Supporters and 2 Tools |
| 136 to 137 | 2 | Special Energy: Double Colorless Energy and Rainbow Energy |
| 138 to 145 | 8 | A second card for eight of the Pokémon-GX, labeled Rare Ultra on Rip.fan’s price pages |
| 146 to 149 | 4 | Ilima, Lillie, Professor Kukui and Team Skull Grunt again, also labeled Rare Ultra |
| 150 to 157 | 8 | The same eight Pokémon-GX a third time, labeled Rare Rainbow |
| 158 to 163 | 6 | Four Items and two basic Energy, secret rares |
| 164 to 172 | 9 | One basic Energy card of each of nine types, commons |
The Rare Ultra cards sit inside the printed total, so the second Umbreon-GX reads 142/149. A secret rare is a card numbered higher than the set number, and the 14 cards at 150 to 163 are secret rares. The nine basic Energy cards break that rule of thumb. They are numbered 164 to 172, above 149, yet they are commons. In this set, a number above the total does not prove a card is rare.
How many cards of each rarity?
The 113 Pokémon cards in the main run break down by tier as 44 commons, 25 uncommons, 33 rares and 11 Pokémon-GX. On Rip.fan’s price pages, those rares split into 17 labeled Rare and 16 labeled Rare Holo, and the GX cards are labeled Rare Holo GX. All 24 Trainer and Special Energy cards at 114 to 137 are uncommons.
The small symbol beside a card’s number marks its tier: a black star for a rare, a black diamond for an uncommon and a black circle for a common. Our guide to Pokémon rarity symbols shows where it sits, and our guide to ex, EX and GX labels shows how GX cards fit beside the labels before and after them.
Which Pokémon-GX are in the Sun & Moon set?
Eleven, each with one card in the main run. Eight come back twice above the regular cards, and three do not:
| Pokémon-GX | Main run | Rare Ultra | Rare Rainbow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lurantis-GX | 15 | 138 | 150 |
| Lapras-GX | 35 | 139 | 151 |
| Espeon-GX | 61 | 140 | 152 |
| Lunala-GX | 66 | 141 | 153 |
| Umbreon-GX | 80 | 142 | 154 |
| Solgaleo-GX | 89 | 143 | 155 |
| Tauros-GX | 100 | 144 | 156 |
| Gumshoos-GX | 110 | 145 | 157 |
| Decidueye-GX | 12 | None | None in this set |
| Incineroar-GX | 27 | None | None in this set |
| Primarina-GX | 42 | None | None in this set |
The three single cards each follow a full evolution line in the main run: Rowlet, Dartrix and Decidueye at 9 to 11, Litten, Torracat and Incineroar at 24 to 26, and Popplio, Brionne and Primarina at 39 to 41. Each GX card sits right after the plain card of the same Pokémon.
Where do the missing versions turn up?
In Guardians Rising, the next expansion. Its Rare Rainbow block holds cards with the same three names: Decidueye-GX at 146, Incineroar-GX at 147 and Primarina-GX at 149, all numbered out of Guardians Rising’s 145. A rainbow Decidueye-GX is therefore a Guardians Rising card, and its number shows it. A few other names carry over between sets:
| Card in the Sun & Moon set | Card with the same name in a later set | Label on Rip.fan’s page |
|---|---|---|
| Decidueye-GX 12, Incineroar-GX 27, Primarina-GX 42 | Guardians Rising 146, 147 and 149 | Rare Rainbow |
| Hau, a Supporter at 120 | Guardians Rising 144 | Rare Ultra |
| Lunala-GX and Solgaleo-GX, three cards each | Ultra Prism 172 and 173 | Rare Secret |
Hau is the one Supporter from the Trainer run with no second card at 146 to 149. The other four have two cards each: Ilima at 121 and 146, Lillie at 122 and 147, Professor Kukui at 128 and 148, and Team Skull Grunt at 133 and 149. Our guides to Guardians Rising and Ultra Prism map those sets.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
What else is in the main run?
Alolan forms of older Pokémon, eight cards in four evolution pairs: Alolan Grimer and Alolan Muk at 57 and 58, Alolan Rattata and Alolan Raticate at 76 and 77, Alolan Meowth and Alolan Persian at 78 and 79, and Alolan Diglett and Alolan Dugtrio at 86 and 87. None of them is a GX card.
The secret rares repeat cards from lower down. Nest Ball, Switch and Ultra Ball have regular cards at 123, 132 and 135 and secret rare cards at 158, 160 and 161. Psychic Energy and Metal Energy appear twice: as secret rares at 162 and 163, and as commons at 168 and 171. The card number is the quickest way to tell which is which in a listing.
How do you check Sun & Moon card prices?
The set has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, listed as Sun & Moon under the Sun & Moon series heading. It shows each priced card with its number, rarity and NM market price. Filter it by Rare Ultra or Rare Rainbow to see the higher GX versions, or sort it by card number to follow a Pokémon’s versions, such as Umbreon-GX at 80, 142 and 154. 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.
If you plan to grade a card, our guide to whether a card is worth grading covers the costs.
What should you check before buying a Sun & Moon card?
- The set itself. A listing that says “Sun & Moon” may mean any set from 2017 to 2019. The printed total settles it: a card from this set reads out of 149, and no other set in the series has that total.
- The version. Eight GX cards have three numbers each, so the card number tells the main card from the Rare Ultra and Rare Rainbow versions. Our guide to Pokémon card finishes explains holofoil, reverse holo and full art.
- A rainbow Decidueye-GX, Incineroar-GX or Primarina-GX. Each is a Guardians Rising card, numbered out of 145; this set’s cards read out of 149.
- Energy above 149. Psychic Energy 162 and Metal Energy 163 are secret rares; the same names at 168 and 171 are commons.
- Sealed product from 2017. Check the wrapper for what each booster pack held. Our guide to spotting resealed Pokémon packs covers the signs of a pack that was opened and sealed again.
- Genuine cards. Our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards walks through checks that leave a card unharmed.
If you plan to collect the whole list, our guide to completing a Pokémon set explains the difference between a numbered set and a complete set. The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage, and our guide to Burning Shadows covers the third expansion in the series.
Frequently asked questions
Which Sun & Moon card has the highest price?
Umbreon-GX (154/149), a Rare Rainbow, led Sun & Moon on October 21, 2026, with a Near Mint market price of $130.02. Umbreon-GX (142/149) followed at $56.86.
Which Sun & Moon Rare Ultra costs the most?
It was Lillie (147/149), at a Near Mint market price of $42.63 on October 21, 2026.
Which Rare Secret in Sun & Moon has the highest price?
Ultra Ball (161/149) had the highest Near Mint market price among the Sun & Moon cards marked Rare Secret on October 21, 2026, at $30.40.
How much is Umbreon-GX from Sun & Moon?
On October 21, 2026, the 3 Umbreon-GX cards in Sun & Moon had Near Mint market prices of $25.51 for 80/149 (Rare Holo GX), $56.86 for 142/149 (Rare Ultra) and $130.02 for 154/149 (Rare Rainbow).