Lugia headlines the box art, but the card collectors actually argue about is a Gym Leader.
SM8 超爆インパクト (Super-Burst Impact) released in Japan on September 7, 2018, built around a Johto-region cast — Lugia GX, Suicune GX, Tyranitar GX — alongside a “Lost March” archetype built on Hoppip’s evolution line and Natu. It’s also one of the Japanese sets whose cards fed into the English Lost Thunder expansion later that year. This guide walks through the set’s structure, its full chase-card list by rarity, and the two graded singles from this set we currently carry out of Tokyo.
SM8 Super-Burst Impact (超爆インパクト) released in Japan on September 7, 2018, themed around Johto-region Pokemon led by Lugia GX. We currently list two graded singles from the set: PSA 10 Suicune GX RR [SM8 028/095], currently listed at ¥12,360 (~$76), and PSA 10 Whitney SR [SM8 101/095] (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), currently listed at ¥41,200 (~$253).
Pricing reflects our own in-Tokyo stock listings, re-checked August 13, 2026. USD figures are approximate conversions at ¥163/USD (July 2026 basis). Pull-rate and print-run details are described in relative, community-reported terms only — we haven’t found an official Pokemon-published percentage for this set.
What Is SM8 Super-Burst Impact?
SM8, officially titled 拡張パック「超爆インパクト」(“Expansion Pack: Super-Burst Impact”) on Pokemon’s Japanese product page, released September 7, 2018 — roughly midway through the Sun & Moon era’s GX-card run. It’s one of the Japanese sets whose cards were folded into the English Lost Thunder expansion later that year, though we haven’t independently verified the exact card-by-card mapping beyond that general relationship.
Each pack holds 5 cards and retails at ¥150 plus tax; a box holds 30 packs. We weren’t able to locate the set’s official product page to confirm a pull-rate guarantee; community-reported box breakdowns suggest roughly one Super Rare-or-better pull per box, a structure common to Sun & Moon-era Japanese expansions, but we can’t verify that as an official guarantee.
The Johto Theme: Lugia, Suicune, Tyranitar & the Lost March Archetype
SM8 leans heavily into Pokemon tied to the Johto region — the setting of Pokemon Gold and Silver. The headline GX cards are Lugia GX, Suicune GX, and Tyranitar GX (Japanese: Bangiras), alongside two more GX Pokemon from the same set: Shuckle GX (Japanese: Tsubotsubo) and Blacephalon GX (Japanese: Zugadoon, not itself Johto-tied) — supported by a “Lost March” deck archetype built around Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff and Natu.
That Johto framing is also the angle that separates this set from its SM-era neighbors on our site: SM6a Dragon Storm leans into Dragon-type GX Pokemon, while SM8 is the Johto-legendary-and-Gym-Leader set of the run. We haven’t independently verified the specific competitive results sometimes cited for this set’s Trainer cards, so we’re not making tournament-usage claims here.
Pack Structure & Card Count
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | 超爆インパクト (Super-Burst Impact) |
| Japan release date | September 7, 2018 |
| Cards per pack | 5 |
| Pack price | ¥150 + tax |
| Packs per box | 30 |
| Total cards (basic set + secret rares) | 111 (per Japanese shop checklists: C×45 / U×32 / R×10 / PR×3 / RR×5 / SR×8 / HR×5 / UR×3) |
That 111-card figure comes from Japanese shop checklist sources. Limitlesstcg’s own database lists the set at 103 cards — a gap we believe comes down to differing counting conventions rather than a factual disagreement, but we can’t fully reconcile the two sources, so treat the exact total as approximate rather than definitive.
Chase Cards by Rarity Tier
Here’s the full chase-card list we were able to verify for SM8, card number and rarity confirmed against at least one independent source per card:
| Card | Number | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| Lugia GX | 072/095 | RR |
| Lugia GX (Special Art) | 100/095 | SR |
| Lugia GX | 108/095 | HR |
| Suicune GX | 028/095 | RR |
| Whitney (regular) | 087/095 | U |
| Whitney (Special Art) | 101/095 | SR |
| Tyranitar GX (Special Art) | 099/095 | SR |
| Tyranitar GX | 107/095 | HR |
| Utsugi-hakase no Lecture | 102/095 | SR |
| Tsubotsubo GX | 104/095 | HR |
Two smaller SR/HR entries round out the upper chase tier: Utsugi-hakase no Lecture (102/095, SR) is a Supporter-style Trainer card built around Professor Utsugi — the Japanese name for Johto’s Pokemon professor, localized as Professor Elm in English — and Tsubotsubo GX (104/095, HR) is the GX print of Shuckle. Neither has a confirmed price in our current stock, so we’re listing them here for identification only, not as buyable inventory.
A naming note worth flagging: Japanese retail listings (via netoff’s buyback pages) label the 008-style secret prints as “RR” and “SR,” while limitlesstcg’s own database labels the equivalent tiers “Double Rare” and “Secret Rare.” Both describe the same cards — it’s a difference in shop-convention terminology, not a disagreement about which card is which. We use the JP-retail shorthand (RR/SR/HR) throughout this guide.
Card Spotlight: Lugia GX, Whitney & Suicune GX
Lugia GX is the set’s headline chase by set-page billing, printed across three tiers — a regular RR at 072/095, a Special Art SR at 100/095, and a Hyper Rare at 108/095. We don’t currently hold a graded Lugia GX in stock, so we can’t give a currently-listed price for it here; our Quick Order page is the way to ask about sourcing one.
Whitney and Suicune GX are the two cards from this set we do carry, and both are detailed with pricing in the next section.
Suicune GX and Whitney: The Two Cards We Currently Carry
Of the SM8 chase list above, we currently hold graded copies of two: Suicune GX RR (028/095) and Whitney SR (101/095). Both card numbers and rarities were independently confirmed against limitlesstcg’s own SM8 database entries, matching our listings.
PSA 10 Suicune GX RR [SM8 028/095] is currently listed at ¥12,360 (~$76) — the more accessible of the two, and the set’s Johto-legendary alongside Lugia.
PSA 10 Whitney SR [SM8 101/095], the Special Art print, is currently listed at ¥41,200 (~$253) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). As with all our graded stock, each of these is a single slabbed copy — the product page is the source of truth on availability.
View Product → (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)
Who Is Whitney? The Akane/Whitney Naming Note
The card we list as “Whitney” is printed under the Japanese name アカネ (Akane). Akane and Whitney are the same character — the Goldenrod City Gym Leader from Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal, who battles with Normal-type Pokemon. “Akane” is her Japanese name; “Whitney” is the English localization used in the games and in English-language TCG releases, a correspondence confirmed via Bulbapedia’s character entry.
Both the regular print (087/095, Uncommon) and the Special Art print (101/095, SR) use this same character. If you’re searching Japanese listings or auction sites for this card, “アカネ” is the term to search alongside “Whitney” — the two names won’t show up in the same search otherwise.
Where SM8 Fits in the Sun & Moon Timeline
SM8 lands roughly midway through the Sun & Moon era’s main-set run, released two months before SM8b GX Ultra Shiny and three months before SM9 Tag Bolt introduced the TAG TEAM GX mechanic. Our SM8b GX Ultra Shiny guide covers the shiny-rarity high class pack that followed, and our SM9 Tag Bolt guide covers the next main set in the sequence.
For the full arc of the era — when GX started, when TAG TEAM GX and SSR rarity showed up, and where every SM-period set we carry stock for sits on the timeline — our Sun & Moon era collector guide is the hub page that connects all of them.
Where to Buy SM8 Super-Burst Impact Cards from Japan
We ship graded Japanese singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Right now our SM8 stock is two graded singles: PSA 10 Suicune GX RR [SM8 028/095] at ¥12,360 (~$76) and PSA 10 Whitney SR [SM8 101/095] (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) at ¥41,200 (~$253). We don’t currently carry an SM8 sealed booster box or a graded Lugia GX — both are things our Quick Order page is the fastest way to ask us about sourcing.
For more graded Sun & Moon-era singles beyond this set, browse our PSA 10 collection, or use Quick Order to build a mixed order across sealed product and singles in one request.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SM8 Super-Burst Impact and when was it released?
SM8 Super-Burst Impact (超爆インパクト) is a Japanese Sun & Moon-era expansion released September 7, 2018. It’s themed around Johto-region Pokemon led by Lugia GX, and is one of the Japanese sets whose cards fed into the English Lost Thunder expansion.
What is the best card in SM8 Super-Burst Impact?
Lugia GX is the set’s headline chase by official set-page billing, printed at three tiers: 072/095 RR, 100/095 SR (Special Art), and 108/095 HR. Suicune GX (028/095 RR) and Whitney SR (101/095, Special Art) are the two SM8 cards we currently carry graded copies of.
Who is “Whitney” on the SM8 card, and why is it also called “Akane”?
Whitney and Akane are the same character — the Goldenrod City Gym Leader from the Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal games. “Akane” is her Japanese name, printed on the card itself; “Whitney” is the English localization used in official translations.
How many cards are in SM8 Super-Burst Impact?
Japanese shop checklists put the set at 111 cards (basic set plus secret rares). Limitlesstcg’s own database lists 103 cards for the same set — we believe the difference comes from counting-convention differences between sources rather than a factual disagreement, but haven’t fully reconciled the two figures.
Does SM8 have a sealed booster box available?
We don’t currently carry an SM8 Super-Burst Impact sealed booster box in stock. Our Quick Order page is the way to ask us about sourcing one.
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