Forbidden Light

What Forbidden Light is

Forbidden Light is the sixth main expansion of the Sun & Moon Series, released in English on May 4, 2018 under the set code FLI. It has 131 cards in the numbered set plus 15 secret rares, 146 in total, and combines the Japanese Forbidden Light expansion, released on March 2, 2018 with 110 cards, with the Ultra Force subset of January 19, 2018. The set is based on Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, visits the Kalos region and is built around Ultra Necrozma, the form Necrozma takes after absorbing a Legendary Pokémon.

The set carries Pokémon-GX and Prism Star cards, with Volcanion and Arceus among its Legendary and Mythical arrivals and Fighting the deepest type at 25 cards. Its 21 ultra rares include nine full art GX at 119 to 127, Palkia-GX, Greninja-GX, Naganadel-GX, Lucario-GX, Zygarde-GX, Yveltal-GX, Dialga-GX, Xerneas-GX and Ultra Necrozma-GX, and four full art Supporters at 128 to 131: Bonnie, Crasher Wake, Diantha and Ultra Recon Squad. The 15 secret rares run from 132 to 146 with rainbow rare prints of the nine GX, gold Beast Ring, Eneporter, Energy Recycler, Metal Frying Pan and Mysterious Treasure and a gold Unit Energy.

Forbidden Light also renamed the Prerelease Kit: from this set the four pack and Evolution pack box became the Build & Battle Box and reached retail after the prerelease weekends.

What makes Forbidden Light different

• Ultra Necrozma Ultra Necrozma-GX appears as the regular GX at 95, the full art at 127 and the rainbow rare at 140, and it fronts the Elite Trainer Box, the Collector's Album and the 9-Pocket Portfolio.
• Lucario and Greninja The full art Lucario-GX 122 and the rainbow rare Greninja-GX 133 and Lucario-GX 135 lead the set's pack pulled cards, with the rainbow Dialga-GX 138, Zygarde-GX 136 and Xerneas-GX 139 close behind.
• The first Build & Battle Boxes Prerelease Kits were rebranded as Build & Battle Boxes starting with Forbidden Light, still handed out at the prerelease weekends of April 21 and 22 and April 28 and 29, 2018 but also sold at retail from June 15, 2018 for players who could not attend.
• Kalos returns Greninja-GX, Zygarde-GX, Xerneas-GX and Yveltal-GX bring the Kalos Legendaries and starter into the Sun & Moon Series, with Bonnie and Diantha among the full art Supporters.
• Zygarde Complete Forme Complete Forme Zygarde appears on the Collector's Album and the 9-Pocket Portfolio alongside Ultra Necrozma, and a Legendary Pokémon stamped Zygarde 72 came as a GameStop and EB Games gift with purchase.

How Forbidden Light arrived

Forbidden Light released in English on May 4, 2018, three months after Ultra Prism on February 2, 2018 and three months before Celestial Storm on August 3, 2018. In Japan, Ultra Force released on January 19, 2018 and Forbidden Light on March 2, 2018, following the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon pair and preceding Sky-Splitting Charisma.

Prereleases ran on the weekends of April 21 and 22 and April 28 and 29, 2018 with the first Build & Battle Boxes, four packs and a 23 card Evolution pack carrying one of four alternate art promos: Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Malamar or Lycanroc. The boxes reached retail on June 15, 2018. Launch day brought the Tropical Takedown and Twilight Rogue Theme Decks with Cracked Ice Holofoil Alolan Exeggutor and Dusk Form Lycanroc, the Ultra Necrozma Elite Trainer Box with eight packs and 65 sleeves, blisters with Exeggcute, Rockruff, Garbodor and Regigigas promos and a Launch Display that returned after a two set absence with 36 packs and eight Theme Decks.

Three card Mini Packs reached Dollar Tree stores in late May 2018.

Forbidden Light products

Forbidden Light was sold in booster packs, booster boxes, blisters, two Theme Decks, the Ultra Necrozma Elite Trainer Box and Build & Battle Boxes. The sealed table above tracks the products still trading today.

Collecting and grading Forbidden Light

The General Mills Sequin Holofoil Cubone 57 leads the live list as a scarce cereal box variant. Among pack pulled cards the full art Lucario-GX 122 leads, followed by the rainbow rare Dialga-GX 138, Greninja-GX 133, Lucario-GX 135 and Zygarde-GX 136, the full art Dialga-GX 125, the rainbow Xerneas-GX 139, Palkia-GX 132 and Yveltal-GX 137 and the full art Greninja-GX 120. The live chase list above ranks every tracked card by PSA 10 value.

Sun & Moon rainbow rares are textured and scratch easily, so PSA 10 copies of the rainbow Lucario-GX and Greninja-GX carry a wide premium over PSA 9.

Sealed Forbidden Light is a mid priced Sun & Moon era box, and the sealed table above tracks what boxes, packs, blisters and Elite Trainer Boxes trade for today.