The <em>Pokémon Trading Card Game</em>‘s new set, <em>Pitch Black</em>, is here. Beginning in prerelease on July 4, it’ll be available in wider release beginning on July 17, 2026. The product line-up for Pitch Black includes Build & Battle boxes with four distinct promo cards, Booster Boxes, and the always-popular Elite Trainer Box.
The Pitch Black set gives Mega Darkrai from Pokémon Legends: Z-A its chance to shine. The Mythical Pokémon is displayed on the Elite Trainer Box, as well as the card sleeves, booklet, and dividers included inside the ETB. Including secret rares, Pitch Black is made up of 120 new cards, a lot of which were taken from Japan’s Abyss Eye set that released earlier this year.
What’s Included In The Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box
Promo Card, Booster Packs, Card Sleeves, & More
Of course, the Elite Trainer Box is going to be what most collectors and Pokémon TCG fans are looking for. Ahead of Pitch Black releasing on July 17, ScreenRant was given the chance to sample cards from the new set, as well as the newest ETB. On the surface, Pitch Black sounds pretty intimidating, promising “mystery and malice” and “nightmares [that] become reality.” And while there’s certainly a darker edge to this set, there are plenty of moments of light as well.
The full contents of the Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box are:
- 9 Pitch Black booster packs
- 65 card sleeves featuring Mega Darkrai
- 40 Energy Cards
- 6 damage-counter dice
- 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
- 1 plastic coin
- 1 promo card featuring Zarude
- 6 card dividers
- 1 Player’s Guide booklet
- 1 code card for Pokémon TCG Live
- 1 collector’s box that holds everything
The card sleeves, dividers, and coin all feature Mega Darkrai. The black dice are also designed to mimic the Mythical Pokémon‘s look. However, the promo card features the Mythical Zarude from Gen 8. If you purchased the Pokémon Center exclusive version of the Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box, you’ll get a second Zarude promo card with a special stamp on it.
Pokémon TCG: Pitch Black Card Highlights
As promo cards go, this one for Zarude is okay. The artwork, fitting with the theme, is admittedly pretty dark and lacking in color, but it has some decent moves like Shadow Whip if you’re using it in card battles. Otherwise, most people’s attention will likely be on the new ex and Mega ex cards, which include Mega Delphox ex, Mega Zeraora ex, and Mega Excadrill ex.
In terms of chase cards, you’ll need to look at the various SIRs and Ultra Rares that exist in Pitch Black. The golden Mega Darkrai ex will likely be worth the most money, but the trio of Mega Zeraora ex (114), Mega Chandelure ex (115), and Mega Darkrai ex (116) all feel destined to be some of the most collectible. There’s also card #117, Misty’s Vitality, which has the fan-favorite legacy character on a full-art card.
Is The Pitch Black ETB Worth It?
Elite Trainer Boxes have become staples of the Pokémon TCG for a reason. They’re highly collectible while offering fans booster packs and pretty much all accessories they’d need to start playing. Plus, it all comes in a nice box. I’m still disappointed the Pokémon TCG pivoted to using plastic inside the boxes when the older cardboard ETBs felt more premium and a lot sturdier. Still, if you’ve been keeping up with the latest Mega Evolution releases in the TCG, you won’t find anything too different here.
Pitch Black is the smallest set of the Mega Evolution era, and despite having a cool premise, I wasn’t super impressed with many of the cards here. Granted, I adored the Chaos Rising set before it, and the same thing could be said for its cards. Some nice additions, but nothing earth-shattering.
It’s nice to see more Mega ex cards, but as a whole,Pitc hBlack feels a bit underwhelming. Regardless, fans of thePokémon Trading Card Game want to grab this Elite Trainer Box. It makes a great collector’s item and looks cool sitting on your shelf once you’ve torn through the booster packs.
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