Pokemon TCG’s New Pitch Black Set Launches With a $1,000 Mega Darkrai Card Topping Collectors’ Wish Lists

Pokémon Trading Card Game collectors are already chasing a handful of eye-popping price tags just as the franchise’s newest expansion, Mega Evolution — Pitch Black, hits shelves on Friday, July 17, with early secondary-market data showing one Mega Darkrai card commanding close to $1,000 in the set’s first week of release.

Pitch Black marks the latest entry in Pokémon’s Mega Evolution era of releases and centers on Dark- and Ghost-type Pokémon, with Mega Darkrai serving as the expansion’s headline creature across a set built around eerie cityscapes, new Trainer cards and additional Mega Evolution mechanics. According to early tracking data from the marketplace TCGplayer, several cards from the set have already generated significant buzz among collectors and competitive players, with prices climbing quickly in the days surrounding the set’s release.

At the very top of the list sits a Mega Darkrai ex card numbered 120/084, classified as a Mega Hyper Rare using the set’s signature gold-foil treatment. That card was trading for $996.69 on TCGplayer as of the latest tracking, making it the single most valuable card in the new expansion. Market watchers cautioned that early secondary-market prices for freshly released sets tend to be volatile, and that values for high-demand cards like this one often settle somewhat once more booster packs have been opened and additional copies enter circulation.

The second-most valuable card in the set is a different version of Mega Darkrai ex, numbered 116/084 and classified as a Special Illustration Rare, currently valued at $520.27. The artwork on that card draws directly from Pokémon franchise lore, depicting withered trees that reference the 2007 animated film “Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai,” specifically the garden of Alamos Town, where the film’s version of Darkrai finds peace.

Rounding out the top three is Morpeko ex, numbered 117/084 and also classified as a Special Illustration Rare, currently valued at $192.98. Morpeko, a small rodent-like Pokémon introduced in the franchise’s eighth generation, has proven to be a consistent chase card in past sets as well, having previously ranked among the most sought-after cards in the Paradox Rift expansion.

Just behind Morpeko is Mega Zeraora ex, numbered 114/084, another Special Illustration Rare currently priced at $171.34. The card depicts the Electric-type mythical Pokémon in its Mega Evolved form, with collectors drawn to the vibrant artwork showcasing its enhanced, electrified design.

Further down the list, prices drop off considerably but remain well above typical booster-pack value for several additional cards. Misty’s Vitality, an Ultra Rare Trainer card numbered 111/084 featuring the longtime franchise character Misty, is valued at $60.36. The card allows players to search their deck for up to four Basic Water Energy cards and attach them directly to a Pokémon, continuing a pattern of strong secondary-market demand for cards featuring the character, following past high-value Misty cards from sets including Unified Minds and Hidden Fates.

Primarina, an Illustration Rare numbered 088/084, is currently valued at $44.67. The card depicts the Generation 7 starter Pokémon’s final evolution and includes an ability called Enriching Melody, which allows a player to heal damage from one of their Pokémon when evolving into Primarina during their turn.

Gladion’s Final Battle, a Trainer card numbered 118/084 tied to the Alola-region character Gladion, is valued at $29.24. The card, which can only be used when it is the last card remaining in a player’s hand, boosts the damage of attacks from Pokémon without Rule Boxes by 80 additional points during the turn it is played. The card has reportedly already seen competitive success at the Indonesia Master Ball League, an early tournament following the set’s release.

Slowbro, an Illustration Rare numbered 090/084, is valued at $28.49, with its artwork depicting the Pokémon in an urban setting rather than its traditional beachside environment. The card’s primary attack, All Out, deals additional damage when the player has no cards remaining in hand.

Goldeen, numbered 087/084, rounds out much of the list at $26.87. The card marks the first time the Water-type Pokémon has appeared as a full-art Illustration Rare in the trading card game’s history, a milestone that has driven demand among longtime collectors of the franchise’s original 151 Pokémon from the Kanto region.

At the more accessible end of the chase list is the Ultra Rare Mega Darkrai ex, numbered 116/084, valued at $27.23. The card’s in-game effect grants an automatic knockout against any opposing Pokémon that is asleep or poisoned when the attack, named Pitch Black, is used, a powerful mechanic that has already drawn attention from competitive players evaluating the set’s tournament potential.

Pricing across the set’s most valuable cards illustrates the wide range collectors can expect during a new expansion’s opening weeks, with values spanning from roughly $27 for lower-tier chase cards up to nearly $1,000 for the set’s premier gold-foil rarity. Analysts who track the trading card market have noted that prices for newly released Pokémon cards typically experience their sharpest swings during the first several weeks after launch, as initial scarcity gives way to a steadier supply once additional booster boxes and cases reach retailers and online marketplaces.

Pitch Black officially becomes available at retailers Friday, with products including booster bundles already listed at major retailers ahead of the release. As with previous Pokémon TCG expansions, collectors and competitive players alike are expected to continue monitoring secondary-market prices closely in the coming weeks to see which cards hold their early value and which settle into more typical price ranges as the broader supply of the set catches up with early demand.