The Pokemon Pitch Black release date is July 17, 2026 for the English set, and the Japanese MEGA expansion pack Abyss Eye (M5) released earlier, on May 22, 2026. Two sets, two calendars, and one recurring source of confusion about which cards belong to which release.
The English date comes from the pokemon.com announcement of April 30, 2026 and from the official set page at tcg.pokemon.com. The Japanese date comes from the product page at pokemon-card.com. Both sets are on the market.
We sell Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo. USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
- English Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black: July 17, 2026. Japanese MEGA Expansion Pack “Abyss Eye” (M5): May 22, 2026.
- English Elite Trainer Box, Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, Booster Display and Booster Bundle share the July 17 date. The Build & Battle Box has its own early and wide-release dates.
- As of September 29, 2026, no official source says the English set equals the Japanese set. The Japanese box is the M5 Abyss Eye Booster Box.
- The M5 Abyss Eye booster box is currently listed in the Sealed and No Shrink options, and the Mega Darkrai ex MUR and SAR are offered as PSA 10 back orders.
- Set reference: Abyss Eye card list.
What Is Pitch Black?
The official name is “Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black”. The set page describes “over 115 cards, including more than 20 Trainer cards and over 35 cards with special illustrations”. The featured Pokémon are Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex and Mega Excadrill ex, and the July 3, 2026 product showcase highlights a Mega Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex.
Pokemon Pitch Black Release Date: English vs Japanese
| Detail | English Pitch Black | Japanese Abyss Eye (M5) | Source / status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | July 17, 2026 | May 22, 2026 | Official (tcg.pokemon.com; pokemon-card.com) |
| Official name | Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black | ポケモンカードゲーム MEGA 拡張パック「アビスアイ」 | Official |
| Cards per pack | 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy, 1 TCG Live code card | 5 cards | Official |
| Pack price | Not stated officially | ¥200 including tax | Official (Japan) |
| Packs per box | 36 in a Booster Display | Not stated on the official page | Official (English only) |
| Set size | “Over 115 cards” | Printed /081; 118 entries in the official database | Official |
The Japanese release came first. The official Japanese page does not print an announcement date. The M5 pack price of ¥200 followed earlier Mega sets at ¥180, according to kai-you.net.
Dated Timeline of Official Announcements
| Date | Event | Source / status |
|---|---|---|
| April 30, 2026 | pokemon.com announces that Mega Evolution—Pitch Black arrives July 17, 2026 | Official |
| May 22, 2026 | Japanese Abyss Eye (M5) released | Official (pokemon-card.com) |
| June 8, 2026 | pokemon.com post on the Build & Battle Box early sale | Official |
| July 3, 2026 | Product showcase describes the set, including a Mega Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex | Official |
| July 17, 2026 | English Elite Trainer Box, Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, Booster Display and Booster Bundle released | Official |
| July 21, 2026 | TCGplayer publishes English pull rates from 4,000+ packs | Reported, not official |
| July 31, 2026 | Build & Battle Box wide availability | Official |
What the English Release Contained
Four products share the July 17 date. Their contents are as printed on the official product gallery pages.
| Product | Release date | Contents as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Booster Display (Box) | July 17, 2026 | 36 packs; each pack has 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy and 1 TCG Live code card |
| Elite Trainer Box | July 17, 2026 | 9 booster packs and 1 Zarude promo, with sleeves, Energy and accessories |
| Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box | July 17, 2026 | 11 booster packs; 1 full-art foil Zarude promo with a Pokémon Center logo; 1 full-art foil Zarude promo; 65 sleeves; 40 Energy; player’s guide; 6 damage-counter dice; 1 competition-legal coin-flip die; 1 plastic coin; collector’s box with 6 dividers; TCG Live code card |
| Booster Bundle | July 17, 2026 | 6 packs |
As of September 29, 2026, the official pages do not state a price for any of these products. The Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box gallery page carries the label “Launch: July 17, 2026”, the same date as the standard box.
The Build & Battle Box Dates
The Build & Battle Box is the one English product with two dates. The June 8, 2026 pokemon.com post says it was sold early at select Play! Pokémon Stores starting July 4, 2026, and the official July 2026 release list gives July 31, 2026 for wide availability. The box holds a 40-card deck including 1 of 4 foil promos, 4 packs and a TCG Live code.
The four foil promos are Miraidon, Slowbro, Dhelmise and Bastiodon. The Japanese database lists Mega Slowbro ex only as a MEGA promo card, M-P 071 from MEGA Promo Card Pack 3, and not in Abyss Eye. Mega Delphox ex, which the tcg.pokemon.com page also features, appears in the Japanese database as M-P 096 from MEGA Promo Card Pack 4, again outside Abyss Eye.
What the Japanese Release Contained
The pokemon-card.com page for Abyss Eye prints the pack contents as 5 cards, the recommended price as ¥200 including tax, and the release as May 22, 2026. It does not print packs per box or a total card count. The numbered cards run to /081, and the official card database lists 118 entries once the secret rares 082 to 118 are included.
| Japanese rarity | Entries | Numbers / source |
|---|---|---|
| MUR | 1 | 118 (official database) |
| SAR | 6 | 112–117 (official database) |
| SR | 18 | 094–111 (official database) |
| AR | 12 | 082–093 (official database) |
| RR | 8 | Our Pitch Black Japanese card list |
| R | 8 | Our Pitch Black Japanese card list |
| U | 27 | Our Pitch Black Japanese card list |
| C | 38 | Our Pitch Black Japanese card list |
The Japanese set also holds an Art Rare that the English set does not repeat. Limitless lists the English Illustration Rare run as 11 cards (85 to 95) against 12 Japanese ARs, and Zarude AR M5 090 has no Pitch Black Illustration Rare counterpart. Primarina AR M5 085 pairs with Pitch Black 88 and Silvally AR M5 093 with Pitch Black 95. Zarude is the Pokémon on the English Elite Trainer Box promos, which are a separate product.
Our Pitch Black Japanese card list breaks down all 118 entries, and the Abyss Eye M5 card list gives the rarity order.
Are Pitch Black and Abyss Eye the Same Set?
As of September 29, 2026, no official source states that they are. Neither pokemon.com nor tcg.pokemon.com mentions Abyss Eye, and pokemon-card.com does not mention Pitch Black.
What the official sources do show is the same Pokémon in both.
| Pokémon featured in English Pitch Black | Appears in Japanese M5 as |
|---|---|
| Mega Darkrai ex | 046/081 RR, 099/081 SR, 114/081 SAR, 118/081 MUR |
| Mega Zeraora ex | 026/081 RR, 096/081 SR, 112/081 SAR |
| Mega Chandelure ex | 036/081 RR, 097/081 SR, 113/081 SAR |
| Mega Excadrill ex | 063/081 RR, 101/081 SR |
Card-by-card, Limitless’ English and Japanese lists pair the six Special Illustration Rares of Pitch Black with the six SARs of M5. The Mega Darkrai ex SIR 116 and SAR 114 share the same artwork (Limitless images). The gold Mega Hyper Rare and the gold MUR differ: the Japanese card carries an engraved Darkrai emblem, the English one a flat silhouette.
| English Pitch Black (Limitless) | Japanese M5 | Same artwork? |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Zeraora ex 114, Special Illustration Rare | 112/081 SAR | – |
| Mega Chandelure ex 115, Special Illustration Rare | 113/081 SAR | – |
| Mega Darkrai ex 116, Special Illustration Rare | 114/081 SAR | Yes |
| Morpeko ex 117, Special Illustration Rare | 115/081 SAR | – |
| Gladion’s Final Battle 118, Special Illustration Rare | 116/081 SAR | – |
| Gwynn 119, Special Illustration Rare | 117/081 SAR | – |
| Mega Darkrai ex 120/084, Mega Hyper Rare | 118/081 MUR | No |
The printed denominator is the quickest way to tell which release a card belongs to. Limitless records English Pitch Black cards as numbered out of 084, with secret rares running from 085 up to 120, while Japanese Abyss Eye cards are printed out of 081. A Mega Darkrai ex marked 114/081 is therefore the Japanese SAR, and a Mega Darkrai ex numbered 116 in the English set is the Special Illustration Rare. The two cards share artwork but come from different products released on different dates.
Limitless lists the English set as 120 cards, 84 numbered plus 36 secret rares, against 118 for the Japanese set. The Pitch Black chase cards article covers the pairings in detail.
Japanese Abyss Eye Box and Singles
The M5 Abyss Eye (Pitch Black) Japanese Pokemon Booster Box is currently listed with two options: Sealed at ¥9,818 (~$64) and No Shrink at ¥8,155 (~$53).
Among the Abyss Eye singles, these two are offered as PSA 10 back orders: Mega Darkrai ex SAR 114/081 at ¥40,194 (~$261) and Mega Darkrai ex MUR 118/081 at ¥68,387 (~$444) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms. The process is explained in Back Order a PSA 10 Card from Japan.
Related reading: the Abyss Eye booster box buying guide and what is confirmed about Pitch Black pull rates.
Where to Buy Japanese Pitch Black Cards from Tokyo
The Japanese version ships from Tokyo. The box is the M5 Abyss Eye booster box. Other Japanese boxes sit in the Pokemon card box collection.
For a graded card, browse the PSA 10 card list. Sourcing requests for a specific card go through Quick Order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Pokemon Pitch Black release date?
English Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black released on July 17, 2026, as announced on pokemon.com on April 30, 2026. That date covers the Elite Trainer Box, Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, Booster Display and Booster Bundle. The Build & Battle Box has its own dates.
When did Abyss Eye release in Japan?
The Japanese MEGA Expansion Pack Abyss Eye (M5) released on May 22, 2026, according to its official page on pokemon-card.com. That is the earlier of the two releases. The page also prints 5 cards per pack and a recommended price of ¥200 per pack including tax.
How many cards are in Pitch Black?
The official English wording is “over 115 cards”, including more than 20 Trainer cards and over 35 cards with special illustrations. The Japanese set prints /081 on its numbered cards, and the official database lists 118 entries when the secret rares are included.
Is Pitch Black the same set as Abyss Eye?
As of September 29, 2026, no official source says so. The English pages do not mention Abyss Eye, and the Japanese page does not mention Pitch Black. The same Pokémon appear in both, such as Mega Darkrai ex, and the SAR/SIR pair of Mega Darkrai ex is identical artwork. The gold cards differ.
How many packs are in a Pitch Black Booster Display?
The official English page says a Pitch Black Booster Display holds 36 packs, each with 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy and 1 TCG Live code card. The standard Elite Trainer Box holds 9 packs and the Pokémon Center version 11. The Japanese page does not state packs per box.
When was the Pitch Black Build & Battle Box available?
Per pokemon.com’s June 8, 2026 post, the Build & Battle Box was sold early at select Play! Pokémon Stores from July 4, 2026. The official July 2026 release list gives July 31, 2026 for wide availability. It holds a 40-card deck, 4 packs and a TCG Live code.
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