Which products come with a promo card?

Elite Trainer Boxes: Zarude (MEP 088). Three-pack blister: Binacle (MEP 087). Checklane blister: Slowpoke (MEP 086). Build & Battle Box: one of Miraidon, Slowbro, Dhelmise or Bastiodon (MEP 082–085). Promos never appear in booster packs.

Guide · Trading Cards · 6 minute read

Pitch Black: What's in Pokémon's July 2026 Set

Q: Is Pitch Black the same as a Japanese set?

It's based on Japan's Abyss Eye (22 May 2026), with a few extra cards added for the English release, including Mega Delphox ex and Mega Slowbro ex.

Set 6 of 8 (English)Mega Evolution Explained

Other editions:

Abyss Eye (Japanese)

Published 6 Nov 2026Updated 10 Nov 2026

What's changed

10 Nov 2026, 08:21 — Added store promos and blister exclusives. Corrected the Pokémon Center ETB promos, tournament legal date and single-pack blister name.
7 Nov 2026, 05:51 — Promo section now shows the regular and Pokémon Center stamped Zarude separately. Checklane blister details corrected.

Pitch Black is the Pokémon Trading Card Game's July 2026 expansion, and the sixth English set of the Mega Evolution era. Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zeraora ex lead it, with six Mega Evolution Pokémon ex in all, and it arrived in shops on 17 July 2026. Here's what's in the set and each product, plus the promos and dates worth knowing.

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black key art featuring Darkrai — Pitch Black key art. © The Pokémon Company International

The set at a glance

Full namePokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black

Release date17 Jul 2026The full English release

Cards12084 in the main set, plus 36 higher-rarity cards

Headline PokémonMega Darkrai exLeads the set with Mega Zeraora ex

Based onAbyss EyeJapan, 22 May 2026. The card lists differ: 81 + 37 cards there, 84 + 36 here

Six Mega Evolution Pokémon ex

Mega Evolution Pokémon ex are the centrepiece of every set in this era, and Pitch Black has six. Mega Darkrai, Mega Zeraora, Mega Chandelure and Mega Excadrill each have their own booster pack wrapper.

Mega Darkrai exHeadlinerBasic · HP 280 · 048/084

Mega Zeraora exHeadlinerBasic · HP 270 · 027/084

Mega Chandelure exStage 2, from Lampent · HP 350 · 038/084

Mega Excadrill exStage 1, from Drilbur · HP 340 · 065/084

Mega Delphox exStage 2, from Braixen · HP 350 · 008/084

Mega Slowbro exStage 1, from Slowpoke · HP 330 · 031/084

Card images © The Pokémon Company International

The rare cards to look for

Beyond the main set, Pitch Black has four tiers of higher-rarity cards. Each tier links to its full list on our Pitch Black card list.

Primarina Illustration Rare, Pitch Black 088/084

11Illustration RaresPokémon shown in full-card artwork that runs edge to edge.Pictured: Primarina, 088/084See all 11 →

Mega Darkrai ex Ultra Rare, Pitch Black 101/084

18Ultra RaresFull-art versions of Pokémon ex and Trainer cards.Pictured: Mega Darkrai ex, 101/084See all 18 →

Mega Darkrai ex Special Illustration Rare, Pitch Black 116/084

6Special Illustration RaresArtwork that often tells a scene or story, featuring Pokémon and Supporter cards.Pictured: Mega Darkrai ex, 116/084See all 6 →

Mega Darkrai ex Mega Hyper Rare, Pitch Black 120/084

1Top rarityMega Hyper RareA gold version of Mega Darkrai ex, and the set's highest rarity.Pictured: Mega Darkrai ex, 120/084See the card →

Card images © The Pokémon Company International

More standout cards

Beyond the Mega Darkrai ex cards above, these Special Illustration Rares are the set's other headline artworks. We don't quote prices, because they change week to week.

Morpeko ex Special Illustration Rare, Pitch Black 117/084

Morpeko ex117/084 · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrated by NC EmpireMorpeko in its Hangry Mode, caught mid-leap. A fan favourite from the Galar region.

Mega Zeraora ex Special Illustration Rare, Pitch Black 114/084

Mega Zeraora ex114/084 · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrated by GIDORAThe set's co-headliner in its new Mega form, crackling with black lightning.

Mega Chandelure ex Special Illustration Rare, Pitch Black 115/084

Mega Chandelure ex115/084 · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrated by RENDA haunting ghost scene that suits the set's dark theme.

Gwynn Special Illustration Rare, Pitch Black 119/084

Gwynn119/084 · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrated by Naoki SaitoA full-scene Supporter illustration of Gwynn from Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Card images © The Pokémon Company International

The gold Mega Darkrai ex Mega Hyper Rare and the six Special Illustration Rares are the set's top rarities. Opening packs for them? Sleeve every rare the moment it leaves the pack.

Protect your pulls ↓

The products, and what's inside

The Elite Trainer Box is the usual choice for a collector who wants a good number of packs plus a promo and accessories. Single packs and Booster Bundles are the cheapest way to try the set.

Booster pack10 cardsFour wrapper designs: Mega Darkrai, Mega Zeraora, Mega Chandelure and Mega Excadrill.

Pitch Black sleeved booster packs, four designs

Sleeved booster pack1 booster packOne pack in a card sleeve, in the same four designs: Mega Darkrai, Mega Zeraora, Mega Chandelure and Mega Excadrill.

Booster Bundle6 booster packsOne of the cheapest ways to try the set.

Elite Trainer BoxCollector's pick9 packs + Zarude promoPlus 65 card sleeves, Energy cards, damage-counter dice, a coin and a player's guide.

Pitch Black Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box

Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box11 packs + two Zarude promosSold by Pokémon Center. Two full-art Zarude promos: the standard one and an exclusive version with a Pokémon Center stamp.

Build & Battle Box40-card deck + 4 packsPlus one of four foil promos. Sold first at prerelease events.

Three-pack blister3 packs + Binacle promo

Single-pack blisters1 pack + coin + promoPremium versions (Gengar and Luxray) add foil cards from one evolution line, reprinted from an earlier set.

Booster display box36 booster packsThe full box, for opening in bulk.

Product images © The Pokémon Company International

The promo cards

Promos aren't in booster packs: you'll only find them in the boxes and blisters that include them.

Card images © The Pokémon Company International

Store promos and blister exclusives

Some versions of Pitch Black cards came outside booster packs. Holo Armarouge (012/084), Primarina (020/084) and Zarude (056/084) with a “What's Your Favorite?” 30th anniversary stamp were free with a qualifying spend at selected stores in the US, Canada and Australia, not in the UK. A cosmos holo Marshadow (040/084) came in the Mega Evolution Enhanced 2-Pack Blister, and a cosmos holo Zarude (056/084) in the Mega Evolution 2-Pack Blister (Zarude). They keep their set numbers and aren't extra cards in the set.

What counts as the complete set? The official Pitch Black set is the 120 numbered cards. Our card list also tracks the 8 promos (including the Pokémon Center stamped Zarude) and these 5 variants, 133 entries in all.

Where to find Pitch Black packs now

Pitch Black's own products are the easiest way in, but its packs have also turned up in later releases.

Mega Evolution 2-Pack Blister (Zarude)1 Pitch Black pack + 1 Chaos Rising packReleased August 2026, with a cosmos holo Zarude (056/084) from Pitch Black and a Snorlax coin.

Key dates

From 4 JulPrereleasesAt participating Play! Pokémon stores, with Build & Battle Boxes.

16 JulPokémon TCG LivePitch Black arrives in the digital game.

17 JulRelease dayBooster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes and the rest of the range in shops.

Is Pitch Black tournament legal?

Yes. Pitch Black cards carry the J regulation mark, printed in the bottom-left corner of each card, and J cards are legal in the current Standard format, alongside H and I.

Pitch Black cards became legal for sanctioned tournaments on 31 July 2026, two weeks after release. Rotations usually remove the oldest regulation mark first, so check the official rotation notice before building a deck for the long term.

Protecting your pulls

A fresh pull is at its best the moment it leaves the pack. Five steps, from pack to slab:

Step 1 Sleeve it Put every rare in a soft sleeve the moment it leaves the pack. Shield Premium Card Sleeves →

VaultifyUK Shield Premium Toploaders, 35pt

Step 2 Toploader it Slide your best sleeved cards into a rigid 35pt toploader. Shield Premium Toploaders →

Step 3 Display it Show off a favourite pull in a magnetic holder. Shield Magnetic Card Holder →

VaultifyUK Shield 9-Pocket Trading Card Binders

Step 4 Store it File the rest of your pulls in a 9-pocket binder as you build the set. Shield 9-Pocket Binder →

VaultifyUK Shield Card Grading Submission Kit

Step 5 Grade it Sending a chase card to be graded? Each kit has the sleeve and semi-rigid holder graders ask for. Shield Grading Submission Kit →

Not sure which holder fits?

Measure your card with our Card Thickness Gauge to find the holder that fits.

Open the Card Thickness Gauge →

Pitch Black FAQ

When did Pitch Black come out?

Pitch Black was released on 17 July 2026. It arrived in Pokémon TCG Live a day earlier, on 16 July, and prerelease events began on 4 July.

How many cards are in Pitch Black?

120 in total: 84 in the main set, plus 36 higher-rarity cards. Those are 11 Illustration Rares, 18 Ultra Rares, 6 Special Illustration Rares and 1 Mega Hyper Rare. Promos are extra and sold separately. See every card on our Pitch Black card list →

What's the rarest card in Pitch Black?

The gold Mega Darkrai ex Mega Hyper Rare, 120/084. It's the only card in its tier and the set's ultimate chase. The Special Illustration Rares, including Mega Darkrai ex 116/084, are the next hardest to pull.

Which Mega Evolution Pokémon ex are in Pitch Black?

Six: Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, Mega Excadrill ex, Mega Delphox ex and Mega Slowbro ex.

Is Pitch Black legal in Standard?

Yes. Pitch Black cards carry the J regulation mark, which is legal in the current Standard format alongside H and I. No rotation affecting J has been announced.

Is Pitch Black the same as a Japanese set?

It's based on Japan's Abyss Eye (22 May 2026), with a few extra cards added for the English release, including Mega Delphox ex and Mega Slowbro ex.

How should I protect my Pitch Black pulls?

Sleeve every rare the moment it leaves the pack, then put your best cards in a 35pt toploader. For a chase card you want to grade, use a submission kit with the sleeve and semi-rigid holder graders ask for. Protect your pulls ↑

Next steps

Page one of the free printable checklist

Free printable checklist, plus £5 off your first order

Track the whole set: all 120 cards, plus the 8 promos

Every card in number order with a tick box, ready to print. Sign up and you'll also get £5 off your first order of £25 or more.