⚠ PRERELEASE STARTS JULY 4 – 9 DAYS FROM NOW. HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED.
Are you afraid of the dark? That’s the official question Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution, Pitch Black is asking, and the answer from collectors is already a resounding yes.
The fifth English expansion of the Mega Evolution Series releases July 17, 2026, and it has a single star: Mega Darkrai ex. The Pitch-Black Pokémon takes over set branding, booster artwork, both Elite Trainer Boxes, and three of the top seven chase cards. Alongside Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, and Mega Excadrill ex, this is the darkest and most atmospheric Pokémon TCG set of the year, and prerelease events at local game stores start in nine days.
Everything below is verified against official sources, Abyss Eye Japanese data, and pull rate tracking from SamuraiWordTokyo. Here’s your complete prerelease guide.
Set at a Glance, Pitch Black (ME05)
| 📅 | Release Date | July 17, 2026, worldwide |
| 🎮 | Source Set | Japan’s Abyss Eye (released May 22, 2026) |
| 📦 | Set Size | 115+ cards officially (~117 confirmed) |
| 🃏 | Secret Rares | 37 including 6 SIRs, 1 Hyper Rare |
| ⭐ | Top Chase Card | Mega Darkrai ex SIR, illustrated by Akira Egawa |
| 🏆 | Hyper Rare | Mega Darkrai ex #118 (gold texture, hardest pull) |
| ⚡ | Other Mega ex Cards | Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, Mega Excadrill ex |
| 🎁 | ETB Promo | Zarude Illustration Rare (PC exclusive has Pokémon Center stamp) |
| 🗓 | Prerelease Dates | July 4–12, 2026 at Play! Pokémon stores |
| 🎯 | Prerelease Promos | Dhelmise, Slowbro, Miraidon, Bastiodon |
| ⚔ | Tournament Legal | July 31, 2026 (2 weeks post-launch) |
What Cards Are in Pitch Black? The Full Breakdown
Pitch Black contains 115+ cards officially, approximately 117 in the English adaptation, drawn almost entirely from Japan’s Abyss Eye. Small set, concentrated quality.
Because Abyss Eye has no companion Japanese subsets to pull from, the English set follows the same compact structure as its predecessors Perfect Order and Chaos Rising. That means a smaller card pool, and meaningfully better pull rates on the cards that matter.
Official card breakdown confirmed by The Pokémon Company:
| Card Category | Confirmed Count |
| Mega Evolution Pokémon ex | 6 (including 4 headliners) |
| Pokémon ex | 4 |
| Illustration Rares (IR) | 11 |
| Ultra Rares (UR) | 18 (Pokémon and Trainer full-arts) |
| Special Illustration Rares | 6 (Pokémon and Supporter cards) |
| Hyper Rare (Gold) | 1 – Mega Darkrai ex #118 |
| Trainer Cards (total) | 20+ |
| Special Energies | 2 – Shadowy Energy, Voltaic Energy |
| Reverse Holos | 82 (one per common, uncommon, rare) |
New mechanic to know: the Hide ‘n’ Sneak Ability. Pokémon with this ability are immune to some of the most disruptive attack effects and abilities in Standard, including Dragapult ex’s Phantom Dive and Dusknoir’s Cursed Blast. A Hide ‘n’ Sneak archetype is expected to emerge as one of the set’s competitive innovations.
Top Chase Cards, Ranked by Secondary Market Value
Mega Darkrai ex is the clear #1 chase. Twice, as a Special Illustration Rare illustrated by Akira Egawa (#114) and as a gold-textured Hyper Rare (#118). Gwynn SIR is the surprise high-value pull behind it.
The following ranking is based on early Japanese Abyss Eye secondary market data. English prices will differ and are subject to launch-day volatility, but this gives you the clearest preview of where collector demand is headed:
| # | Card | Rarity | Why It’s Hot |
| 1 | Mega Darkrai ex SIR #114 | Special Illustration Rare | Akira Egawa art, most beloved Pokémon artist in the set |
| 2 | Mega Darkrai ex HR #118 | Hyper Rare (Gold) | Hardest pull in the set (~1 in 45 boxes). Gold texture. |
| 3 | Gwynn SIR #117 | Special Illustration Rare | Key character from Mega Dimension DLC, second highest secondary value |
| 4 | Morpeko ex SIR #115 | Special Illustration Rare | Outpricing the secondary Mega ex SIRs, dark fan favourite |
| 5 | Mega Zeraora ex SIR #112 | Special Illustration Rare | Lightning attacker, competitive and collectible |
| 6 | Mega Chandelure ex SIR #113 | Special Illustration Rare | Psychic powerhouse SIR, rounds out the top tier |
| 7 | Misty’s Spirit UR #108 | Ultra Rare | Fan-favourite Trainer art, already generating secondary heat |
Three things stand out in the chase tier: Mega Excadrill ex is notably absent from the SIR list, the only one of the four headline Mega ex that tops out at Ultra Rare, with almost no secondary market heat.
Morpeko ex SIR is outperforming the secondary Mega ex SIRs despite not being a Mega Evolution. And the Gwynn SIR, a character from the Mega Dimension DLC of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, is the most significant Supporter SIR of the set, carrying the lore weight of the expansion.
Akira Egawa’s illustration on the Mega Darkrai ex SIR deserves a specific mention. According to TCGPlayer’s own coverage, the SIR is already being positioned as Egawa’s most beloved chase card since their Arceus and Giratina VSTAR from Crown Zenith — a card that has held its value for years. That artist pedigree matters.
Pitch Black Pull Rates – What Are Your Odds?
A specific Special Illustration Rare pulls at approximately 1 in 20 boxes. The Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex is the rarest pull at approximately 1 in 45 boxes. Small set = better overall odds than a standard 200-card expansion.
| Rarity Tier | What It Is | Approx. Pull Rate | Notes |
| Hyper Rare (HR) | Gold Mega Darkrai ex | ~1 in 45 boxes | Rarest pull in the set |
| Special Illustration Rare | 6 SIR cards | ~1 in 20 boxes (each) | Darkrai SIR is the target |
| Ultra Rare (UR) | 18 full-art cards | ~1 in 2 boxes | Includes Trainer full-arts |
| Illustration Rare (IR) | 11 artwork variants | ~3 per box | Best consistent value pulls |
| Reverse Holo | 82 base cards | 1 per pack | No reverse on secret rares |
Important context: these figures are estimated from Japanese Abyss Eye opening data compiled by SamuraiWordTokyo. Official pull rates are never disclosed by The Pokémon Company, and your actual results will vary. The small set size does work in your favor, with fewer card slots to distribute across the print sheet, heavy-chase cards should appear more consistently per box than in a bloated 200+ card set.
The practical implication: if you’re targeting the Mega Darkrai ex SIR specifically, a full sealed booster box (36 packs, 10 cards per pack) is the most efficient path. At 1 in 20 boxes per SIR, you’re looking at approximately one SIR across every two boxes opened, on average.
Prerelease Guide – What to Do Before July 17
Prereleases run July 4–12 at Play! Pokémon stores. Each Build & Battle Box gives you 4 booster packs, a 40-card ready-to-play deck, and one of four exclusive promo cards. Lower cost-per-pack than retail, and you get to crack Pitch Black before the general public.
The four prerelease promo cards are confirmed:
- Dhelmise: Grass-type Basic Pokémon
- Slowbro: confirmed promo
- Miraidon: confirmed promo
- Bastiodon: confirmed promo
These promos are exclusive to the prerelease Build & Battle Box format. Once the prerelease window closes on July 12, they are unavailable through standard retail channels. If you want them, you need to attend an event.
| Date | Event | What to Do |
| Now (June 25) | 9 days out | Find your nearest Play! Pokémon event at events.pokemon.com/EventLocator. |
| July 4–12 | Prerelease | Buy a Build & Battle Box. 4 packs + 40-card deck + 1 exclusive promo (Dhelmise, Slowbro, Miraidon, or Bastiodon). |
| July 16 | TCG Live | Digital release goes live one day before retail, test decks before physical launch. |
| July 17 | Launch Day | Booster Boxes, ETBs, Booster Bundles all available. PC ETB will sell out, don’t sleep on it. |
| July 31 | Tournament Legal | Pitch Black cards enter the Standard format, Mega Darkrai ex Dark-type aggro goes live. |
Find your nearest event: events.pokemon.com/EventLocator, search by postcode or city for Play! Pokémon stores running Pitch Black prereleases.
Which Product Should You Buy?
The Pokémon Center ETB is the highest-priority purchase for collectors. All four previous Mega Evolution PC ETBs (Phantasmal Flames, Perfect Order, Ascended Heroes, Chaos Rising) sold out at source and never restocked. Pitch Black will not break that pattern.
| Product | Pack Count | Best For | Key Notes |
| Pokémon Center ETB (Exclusive) | 11 packs | Collectors | Stamped Zarude promo, sells out every time |
| Standard Elite Trainer Box | 9 packs | Collectors | Unstamped Zarude, Target, Walmart, LGS |
| Booster Box | 36 packs | Investors / Players | Best price-per-pack ratio for hunting SIRs |
| Booster Bundle | 6 packs | Casual buyers | Budget entry, better value than single packs |
| Build & Battle Box | 4 packs + deck | Prerelease only | July 4–12 only. Promo card: 1 of 4 at random |
| Single/3-Pack Blisters | 1–3 packs | Casual | Retail impulse product, lowest EV per pack |
The Pokémon Center ETB carries a foil-stamped Zarude Illustration Rare exclusive to that product. Standard retail ETBs at Target, Walmart, and local game stores include the same Zarude without the stamp. Two different collectibles from the same promo artwork, the stamped version is the one that carries a secondary market premium long-term.
If you’re a player hunting competitive staples rather than chase cards, the Booster Bundle (6 packs) delivers the best value per pack outside of a full Booster Box. The single blister packs have the worst EV per pack of any product in the lineup.
What Does Pitch Black Mean for the Standard Format?
Cards become tournament legal on July 31, two weeks after retail launch. Mega Darkrai ex is expected to anchor a Dark-type aggro archetype targeting Mega Greninja ex decks from Chaos Rising. The Hide ‘n’ Sneak Ability is the new mechanic to watch.
Mega Evolution Pokémon ex award 3 Prize cards when knocked out, the defining mechanic of the current competitive era. That makes deck construction decisions around when to commit to a Mega Evolution ex attack critical in every matchup. Pitch Black changes the dynamic by introducing Hide ‘n’ Sneak Pokémon that can dodge key opponent abilities, giving slower Mega builds defensive tools they’ve lacked.
Mega Zeraora ex’s moveset deserves attention: Thunder Fist deals 60 damage per Lightning Energy attached, and Zepto Turn deals 150 and switches back to bench, a hit-and-run attacker that exploits the 3-Prize mechanic by threatening knockouts while retreating before being knocked out itself. Expect Mega Zeraora ex to show up in post-July 31 meta discussions.
Mega Excadrill ex (HP 340, Stage 1 Metal-type) is the tanking option of the set, not a SIR chase, but likely to find a home in matchups that want to weather opposing attacks while building energy for a large hit.
Buyer Verdict
| Collector Type | Score | Verdict |
| Chase card hunter | ★★★★★ | Mega Darkrai ex SIR by Akira Egawa, one of the best arts in the Mega era |
| Set collector | ★★★★☆ | Small set (~117 cards) = achievable master set. Compact but dense on quality |
| Investment buyer | ★★★★☆ | Darkrai SIR has the Gengar precedent behind it. PC ETB is the sealed pick |
| Competitive player | ★★★☆☆ | Hide ‘n’ Sneak is the new mechanic to watch. No major Trainer staples confirmed |
| Casual buyer | ★★★★☆ | Small set = better odds on every pull. Good entry point before 30th Celebration |
The Clock Is Ticking – Are You Going to a Prerelease?
Prerelease events start July 4. That’s nine days from today. If you’ve never been to a Pokémon TCG prerelease before, Pitch Black is a strong first one, smaller set means fewer cards to learn, the Darkrai theme is atmospheric and exciting, and the Build & Battle Box gives you competitive value and exclusive promos in a single purchase.
The Pokémon Center ETB is the no-brainer collector buy. Pre-order it the moment it goes live, based on every prior Mega Evolution PC ETB, stock will be gone within hours.
Are you going to a Pitch Black prerelease on July 4? Hunting the Akira Egawa Mega Darkrai ex SIR or the Gwynn SIR? Building a Mega Darkrai ex aggro deck for post-July 31? Drop your plan in the comments.