The 10 Most Expensive Pitch Black Pokémon Cards
While summer my typically be thought of for its warm, summery vibes, this summer we’re going to be getting a little darker thanks to the release of what’s gearing up to be a blockbuster Pokémon TCG set: Pitch Black, releasing on July 17, 2026.
While we already know what the general rundown of what the Pitch Black set list is likely to consist of, we’ve had an even more recent peek into the alternate art secret rare cards from the set.
Below, we’ll be diving into each of these epic secret rare cards and diving into what makes them more valuable than the rest!
#1 Mega Darkrai ex – Special Illustration Rare
The Mega Darkrai ex Special Illustration Rare spoiled for Pitch Black is one of the most terrifyingly cool SIR cards we’ve had ever. While its artwork leans heavily into the Pokémon’s lore, you don’t need to know a ton about this misunderstood Pokémon to recognize the potential value of a card like this. By defying expectations and going much darker than we’re used to, Mega Darkrai ex SIR raises the bar high for Pokémon TCG artworks, and should be worth a very decent amount when the set comes out – likely in the $400-$600 range upon initial release.
#2 Mega Darkrai ex – Mega Hyper Rare
While sometimes Mega Hyper Rare cards can outperform their SIR alternates (as we saw in Perfect Order), Pitch Black won’t be one of those sets. While the Mega Hyper Rare is pretty enough, it’s not got the kind of insane allure that causes you to do a real double-take the way the SIR does. It’s still an insanely difficult-pull chase card which will lend it plenty of value (think low hundreds). But the real top chase of this set is decidedly the SIR.
#3 Mega Chandelure ex – Special Illustration Rare
Mega Darkrai ex SIR may encapsulate the core meaning of Pitch Black. However, Mega Chandelure ex makes a strong, supporting argument for it. This spooky specter is shrouded in the same sort of pitch blackness as the former, appearing to almost be creeping towards you the longer you stare into its artwork. The realism of the Pokémon’s design itself is a stark contrast to the sparse background. This deft handling of darkness and light only draws the eye into the card more deeply.
Yet, for all that this card’s potential on the secondary card market is a far cry from that of the top chase. Indeed, the polarization that we’ve now seen in sets like Phantasmal Flames and Chaos Rising seems to be at play once again in Pitch Black. The top chase cards will fare very well on the secondary card market. Everything else will be worth for less.
#4 Mega Zeraora ex – Special Illustration Rare
I love the Pokémon Power of Us movie which features Zeraora prominently, so I can’t help but be very excited about this particular card entering the Pokémon TCG. In this particular card, the unique colors of the Mega form look really cool, and I especially like the blue lighting effects surrounding this Pokémon’s undeniably powerful-seeming form.
With that being said, Zeroara is not necessarily the most bankable Pokémon in the world. Yet, this set feels a little bit like a misfit set, filled to the brim with your not-so-typical cast of Pokémon characters, and being headlined by the very misfit Darkrai.
As such, it’s a little challenging to guess the potential value of this card. While it won’t be in the neighborhood of the two Darkrai chase cards, it could end up fairly high on the list. The main unknown factor here is just how beloved Zeraora as a Pokémon is.
#5 Morpeko ex – Special Illustration Rare
Morpeko always feels like a dark version of Pikachu, and as such gets some insane extra-cute boost to its value in my books. Indeed, despite not being a Mega Pokémon ex (just a regular ex here), I could see this card being among the most valuable even of the Special Illustration Rare cards just because of how well its cute/terrifying nature acts as a foil to the franchise’s biggest character overall.
And just in case you are tempted to overlook this Pokémon – don’t forget that Morpeko was one of the top chase cards of Paradox Rift simply because of its cute-but-devious nature.
#6 Misty – Ultra Rare
Misty cards are usually a safe bet. She’s one of the more popular trainers of all time, thanks in part to her involvement with the original Pokémon generation. Here Misty is decidedly in her gym leader form, however: not the iconic getup the anime gave her.
While her lesser rarity will have a direct impact on her overall value, you can bet that she’ll still be worth something on the secondary card market when the set releases this summer.
#7 Gwynn – Special Illustration Rare
Gwynn’s a recent trainer hailing from the Pokémon Legends Z-A game. She boasts a decently powerful effect for players, essentially letting you pick and choose the cards you discard while darwing up to six. However, the real draw for this particular trainer in this particular set is how well she pairs with Mega Chandelure ex. Chandelure is Gwynn’s partner Pokémon. Collectors will want to bag both of these SIRs to have the set. And honestly, given the captivating nature of this artwork, I would not be surprised to see it ending up the top SIR chase of the set.
#8 Gladion’s Fighting Spirit – Special Illustration Rare
Gladion’s the big brother to mega-popular trainer, Lillie. Too-cool-for-school and always aloof, Gladion’s Fighting Spirit boasts a powerful ability that could be a game changer in certain decks. And while having a connecting artwork with one of the Illustration Rare cards adds some mystique here as always, this character’s relative obscurity isn’t going to help its value much on the secondary card market. It’s still a top chase for sure, but towards the bottom of the heap of that list rather than at the top.
#9 Mega Darkrai ex – Ultra Rare
Pitch Black is as much a Darkrai set as Chaos Rising was a Greninja set, and Phantasmal Flames was a Charizard set. As such, you’re likely to see the Ultra Rare version of the show-runner itself end up as one of the most valuable cards from the set. It won’t possess insane value, but still enough to seperate it form the lesser secret rare cards out there.
#10 Goldeen could be the sleeper chase for Pitch Black
And now for that part of the article where I predict an upcoming set’s top sleeper IR chase. If you don’t know by now, you should know that just about every modern set tends to have an Illustration Rare card that punches above its rarity weight on the secondary card market. While there are several potential cards that could end up being that top IR chase from this set (for example Slobro IR could also be a strong contender here), my money is on this gorgeously simple Goldeen.
It ties in well with the Misty from this set (Misty famously had a Goldeen and there’s an early Misty’s Goldeen card from the earliest ages of the Pokémon TCG). Additionally, something about the maritime vibes here bring to mind the iconic sleeper IR chase of Ascended Heroes.
While not a massive set like some we’ve seen, Pitch Black is a decidedly smart set. It’s taking a bold risk with the likes of the decidedly dark Mega Darkrai ex, while including a solid mix of new faces with nostalgic favorites. You can expect these cards to be worth a decently solid amount on the secondary card market. Think higher than Perfect Order if not quite as high at the very top as Phantasmal Flames.
Stay tuned for more market data and insights and bookmark this page as I’ll be updating it as we get closer to the set’s release!
