TCG Market Watch: Pokémon Pitch Black Raw Card Sales Netting Hundreds
*Pokémon Pitch Black (ME05) TCG Checklist and Set Details
Let the new Pokémon TCG card valuations begin!
Pitch Black released nationally on Friday, July 17, to an eagerly awaiting fan base. As soon as the fifth expansion set of the Mega Evolution era hit card shop shelves, the top-tier cards from ME05 were posted on secondary sales platforms.
The race to post cards for sale – and the race to acquire them – have brought fluctuating pricing ceilings that assuredly will continue for weeks and then start up again once graded versions make their way back to owners.
Pricing data for this article was compiled from recorded public transactions. Seller listings can vary significantly, often creating one-off valuations. Every effort was made to verify listings by matching the Pokémon Pitch Black set name, card number, character, and rarity to ensure accurate pricing.
TCG Market Watch: Pokémon Pitch Black
2026 Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black #120 Mega Darkrai ex MHR
The card making the most financial noise early is as expected – Mega Darkrai ex.
The poster Pokémon for the Pitch Black release – and the only card to receive the Mega Hyper Rare (MHR) treatment in the set – is illustrated by 5ban Graphics; this is the chase card above all others.
Its gold finish instantly signals rarity, prestige, and uniqueness, obscuring what is otherwise a downright frightening Pokémon.
On platforms such as eBay, valuations were being set for the MHR as early as July 6 at $250.
Rising premiums based on demand escalated valuations up to $300 the following day.
Also on July 7, a seller on eBay was the first to receive $400 for the MHR on a public platform. Since then, there have been two other transactions on eBay registering higher in value: $425 (July 11) and $470 (July 19).
The highest recorded public transaction of the Mega Darkrai ex was reportedly $750 on July 1.
The Next Tier
With reported 1 in 1,786 pack odds for the MHR, pulls for the six Special Illustration Rares (SIR) are the next tier chase cards. Fortunately for those rippers and flippers out there, strong premiums are to be found.
If you cannot land the MHR variant, the #116 Mega Darkrai ex SIR is a financially suitable option.
During an eBay auction on July 14, a Mega Darkrai ex SIR example was secured for $392.
As additional supply has hit online sales platforms, some of the pricing demand has dropped but still remains strong. On July 19, an SIR copy was purchased for $329.99 and the following day another example sold for $340 on eBay.
Mega Darkrai ex SIR as it was supposed to be seen – dark and menacing, ready to unleash a Dusk Raid or Abyss Eye attack. The SIR illustration by AKIRA EGAWA is amazing. The artwork alone could keep pushing valuations north, especially in high-grade examples.
Including the language variants, there are 28 different Mega Darkrai ex cards in the Pitch Black release – there are wonderful cards out there for collectors of all types.
Mislabeled – No Problem
A common theme in the hobby is the mislabeling of cards. Pokémon fans looked past a small, but important, technical error to land one of the other six SIRs in the set – #117 Morpeko ex SIR.
Two reported sales of the #117 SIR on July 6 for $165 and a third transaction on July 7 for $135 has pushed Morpeko ex up the premium leaderboard. Oddly enough, each of the three sold Morpeko ex SIR cards were listed as “#177.”
Higher numbered cards in Pokémon sets typically command higher premiums – buyer beware.
An “Ultra” Surprise
Was it the right time and place for a seller on eBay or a sale worth tracking in the future?
On June 25, a buyer made a direct purchase on eBay for a #098 Mega Zeraora ex UR at $79.99.
The Thunderous Fist attack of Mega Zeraora ex SIR is cinematically captured by artist GIDORA – it is truly a work of art… but that is a #114 SIR not a #098 Ultra Rare (UR).
A vast majority of the UR listings for Mega Zeraora ex UR come in under $20. The early asking prices for the #114 example ranges from $60 to $75.
The highest pricing realized on a #114 came via eBay on July 19 as a best offer for $99.99.
First to Market vs. Waiting to Buy
Waiting is not a virtue most of us are blessed with, and if you have money to burn, being the first to own a specific Pokémon among your peer group can be overly enticing.
Case in point: #115 Mega Chandelure ex SIR.
It’s a beautiful card and certainly worthy of paying a few extra bucks to add to the collection, but patience has rewarded those willing to wait.
Out of the gate, buyers were willing to put down $100 or more to own an example. A sale on eBay realized a #115 Mega Chandelure ex SIR at $120. Three days later, a seller on eBay got $5 more for their copy.
But values have dropped, more than half in some cases, for the SIR.
Tracking seven sales of the card on July 20 alone, the sold for pricing ranged from $46.92 to $65.
Market pricing suggests that a Near Mint Holofoil #115 Mega Chandelure ex SIR now ranges from $52 to $54.
Continued TCG Reading:
- Disney Lorcana TCG Hot and Cold List Attack of the Vine! Prerelease
- Star Wars: Unlimited Ashes of the Empire Chase Cards to Watch
- Is a Pokémon Pitch Black Booster Box Worth Opening? Here’s the Math
Protect Your Collection With:
- Penny Sleeves — Amazon | Target | eBay | Fanatics
- Top Loaders — Amazon | Target | eBay | Fanatics
- Binders — Amazon | Target | eBay
