Four months after Pokemon-GX cards debuted in Japan, the format got its first real refinement. SM2+, officially the enhanced expansion pack “新たなる試練の向こう” (known in English-language reference material as “Let’s Face New Trials”), released on April 21, 2017 — and it’s why a PSA 10 Sophocles SR from this set is currently listed at ¥13,904 in our Tokyo stock.
SM2+ sits early in the Sun & Moon era’s Japanese release calendar, built around the Alola region’s trial-guide characters and headlined by a Tapu Legendary GX that became the set’s defining chase card. This guide covers what SM2+ actually contains, its HR and SR chase-card lineup, why it’s easy to confuse with a similarly-named later set, and the graded single we currently carry out of Tokyo.
SM2+ “Facing a New Trial” released April 21, 2017, with 230-yen packs and a checklist that runs to 049 in base numbering. Its Hyper Rare chase card is Tapu Fini GX [SM2+ 060/049], and the Trainer SR we currently stock is Sophocles SR [SM2+ 057/049]. We currently carry a graded PSA 10 Sophocles SR [SM2+ 057/049], currently listed at ¥13,904 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — a graded copy currently listed.
Stock prices below are current Tokyo secondary-market listings from our own inventory. Where a USD estimate is given, it uses the ¥163/USD conversion rate from July 2026.
What Is SM2+ “Facing a New Trial”?
SM2+ is an enhanced expansion pack (強化拡張パック) — a mid-cycle release that sits between Japan’s main numbered Sun & Moon sets rather than replacing one. It released on April 21, 2017, priced at 230 yen plus tax per five-card pack, with one basic Energy card guaranteed in every pack. That places it about four months after SM1 Collection Sun/Moon, the set that introduced Pokemon-GX cards to Japan in December 2016.
About a month before SM2+, Japan saw two other Alola-themed expansion packs release together on March 17, 2017: SM2K “Islands Await You” (キミを待つ島々) and SM2L “Alolan Moonlight” (アローラの月光). SM2+ itself arrived alongside the Tapu Bulu GX starter set on April 21, 2017, and its checklist leans into the trial-guide cast from Sun & Moon’s Alola region — SM2+’s “new trials” framing lines up directly with that game content. Card numbering in our source database runs to 049 as the base set count, with Hyper Rare cards numbered above that.
For the wider picture of how SM2+ fits into Japan’s Sun & Moon release sequence, see our Sun & Moon Era Japanese Pokemon Guide.
The Chase Card Lineup: HR and SR Highlights
SM2+’s secret-rare tier runs to 17 cards in total (8 SR, 6 HR, 3 UR). These four sit at the center of the checklist and our own coverage:
| Card | Number | Rarity | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapu Fini GX | 060/049 | HR | Set’s signature Legendary, top chase card |
| Salazzle GX | 059/049 | HR | One of six Hyper Rares, numbered one below Tapu Fini GX |
| Sophocles SR | 057/049 | SR | Trainer SR, our current graded stock |
| Acerola SR | 056/049 | SR | Trainer SR |
![Tapu Fini GX SR [SM2+ 052/049] full-art Secret Rare, Facing a New Trial Japanese card](https://samuraiswordtokyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/img_sm2plus_sm2p_52_r_jp_cd0814c9022f-1.webp)
Rarity abbreviations here follow the printed convention on Japanese Sun & Moon-era product: HR (Hyper Rare) sits above SR (Super Rare) in the set’s rarity ladder. The exact technical treatment behind an HR slot — foil texture, rainbow-style finish — isn’t something the card’s publisher documents directly in a form we could verify, so treat that part as community-reported rather than an official spec.
Tapu Fini GX HR 060/049: The Set’s Signature Legendary
Tapu Fini GX is the guardian deity of Poni Island, a Water-type GX card, and its HR printing is SM2+’s headline chase slot. It’s the card most collectors associate with this set by name, in the same way SM1 is remembered for its Solgaleo GX and Lunala GX pairing and SM3+ Shining Legends is remembered for its revived “Shining” Legendaries.
We don’t currently carry a graded Tapu Fini GX HR in stock. If you’re specifically hunting this card, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to flag it for sourcing, or check our PSA 10 card list for current graded availability across all sets.
Sophocles SR 057/049: The Card in Our Stock
Sophocles is one of Alola’s trial captains, and his SR Trainer card at 057/049 is the Trainer SR we currently carry graded. We carry a graded copy — a PSA 10 Sophocles SR [SM2+ 057/049], currently listed at ¥13,904 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) (roughly $85 at the ¥163/USD July 2026 rate). It’s a graded copy currently listed rather than an open lot: once it sells, that specific slab is gone from our stock until we’re able to source another.
View Product → (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)
Acerola SR and Salazzle GX HR: More HR/SR Highlights
Two more cards from SM2+’s wider secret-rare tier round out the picks covered here. Acerola SR, at 056/049, is a second Trainer SR pulled from Alola’s trial-captain cast — sitting directly next to Sophocles SR in the set’s numbering. Salazzle GX (エンニュートGX), at 059/049, is one of six Hyper Rares in the set, numbered one below Tapu Fini GX in the checklist.
![Salazzle GX SR [SM2+ 051/049] full-art Secret Rare, Facing a New Trial Japanese card](https://samuraiswordtokyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/img_sm2plus_sm2p_51_r_jp_9e2eca032b17-1.webp)
We don’t currently hold graded copies of either card, so they’re listed here by number and role rather than as buyable stock. If either is what you’re after, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to check current sourcing.
SM2+’s headline chase cards sit close together in the numbering: Acerola SR at 056, Sophocles SR at 057, Salazzle GX HR at 059, and Tapu Fini GX HR at 060 — all above the set’s 049 base count, within a wider secret-rare tier of 17 cards (8 SR, 6 HR, 3 UR). Check the printed number in the corner before assuming which one you’re holding.
Don’t Confuse SM2+ with SM5+ Ultra Force
SM2+’s naming causes one recurring mix-up: it’s easy to conflate with SM5+, a separate enhanced expansion pack titled “Ultra Force” (ウルトラフォース) that released later in the Sun & Moon cycle. The two sets share the “SM○+” naming pattern but nothing else — different release dates, different checklists, and a different theme built around Ultra Beasts rather than Alola’s trial captains.
If your card lists as SM2+, it’s this set — April 21, 2017, Tapu Fini GX HR at the top of the checklist. If it lists as SM5+, it’s Ultra Force, a different release entirely. The number after “SM” and before the “+” is the detail to check.
Where to Buy SM2+ Cards from Japan
We ship graded and raw Japanese singles out of Tokyo with tracked delivery. Our current SM2+ stock includes the PSA 10 Sophocles SR [SM2+ 057/049], currently listed at ¥13,904 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — a graded copy currently listed, so availability changes as it sells.
- Browse our full graded singles lineup on the PSA 10 collection.
- See our visual, browsable graded catalogue on the PSA 10 card list page.
- For a mixed order across multiple sets, or for singles we don’t currently have listed — including Tapu Fini GX HR, Acerola SR, or Salazzle GX HR — our Quick Order page is the fastest way to build a shipment.
If you’re mapping out the broader early Sun & Moon checklist, our SM1 Collection Sun/Moon guide covers the set that started it all four months earlier, and our SM3+ Shining Legends guide covers the enhanced expansion that followed later that same year with its own revived Legendary lineup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SM2+ Facing a New Trial?
SM2+ is a Japanese enhanced expansion pack officially titled 新たなる試練の向こう, released April 21, 2017. It’s built around the Alola region’s trial-guide characters, and its checklist runs to 049 in base numbering with Hyper Rares numbered above that.
What is the chase card in SM2+?
Tapu Fini GX HR, at 060/049, is SM2+’s top chase card — a Water-type GX card featuring the guardian deity of Poni Island. Salazzle GX HR at 059/049 is one of six Hyper Rares in the set, numbered one below Tapu Fini GX.
What Trainer SR cards are in SM2+?
Two: Sophocles SR at 057/049 and Acerola SR at 056/049, both pulled from Alola’s trial-captain cast and sitting next to each other in the set’s numbering.
Is SM2+ the same set as SM5+ Ultra Force?
No. They share the “SM○+” naming pattern but are entirely separate releases — different dates, checklists, and themes. SM2+ is themed around Alola’s trial captains; SM5+ Ultra Force is themed around Ultra Beasts.
How much did SM2+ packs cost?
230 yen plus tax per five-card pack, with one basic Energy card guaranteed in every pack.
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