Pitch Black pull rates have not been published by The Pokémon Company, so the only official material is the structure: an English Pitch Black booster pack holds 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy and 1 TCG Live code card, and a Booster Display holds 36 of those packs.
Everything else in circulation is a sample or an opinion. The official English product pages on pokemon.com and tcg.pokemon.com, along with the April 30, 2026 announcement that set the July 17, 2026 release, give pack contents and set size but no rarity odds. The Japanese counterpart, MEGA Expansion Pack “Abyss Eye” (M5), came out on May 22, 2026 and is documented on pokemon-card.com.
We sell Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo. Store prices below are converted at ¥154/USD and link to the product page.
- Officially confirmed for English Pitch Black: release date July 17, 2026, set size “over 115 cards”, pack contents and 36 packs per Booster Display.
- Not printed on any official page: per-rarity odds, Mega Hyper Rare frequency, box guarantees, or a statement that English Pitch Black equals Japanese Abyss Eye.
- The only numbers are TCGplayer’s, published July 21, 2026 from 4,000+ English packs. They are reported, not official, and do not describe a Japanese box.
- The Japanese box we list is the M5 Abyss Eye Booster Box (No Shrink) at ¥8,603 (~$56).
As of September 29, 2026 there are three layers: what pokemon.com and pokemon-card.com print, what TCGplayer reported on July 21, 2026, and what nobody has published.
What Is Officially Confirmed
The official English page is https://tcg.pokemon.com/en-us/expansions/pitch-black/, and the launch announcement is the pokemon.com post dated April 30, 2026. Together with the individual product gallery pages, they support the table below. The name is “Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Pitch Black” and the set size is worded as “over 115 cards, including more than 20 Trainer cards and over 35 cards with special illustrations”.
| Product | Date | Contents as printed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booster Display (Box) | July 17, 2026 | 36 packs; each pack has 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy and 1 TCG Live code card | Official |
| Elite Trainer Box | July 17, 2026 | 9 booster packs and 1 Zarude promo, plus sleeves, Energy and accessories | Official |
| 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; collector’s box with 6 dividers; TCG Live code card | Official |
| Booster Bundle | July 17, 2026 | 6 packs | Official |
| Build & Battle Box | Sold at select Play! Pokémon Stores from July 4, 2026 | 40-card deck including 1 of 4 foil promos, 4 packs, TCG Live code | Official (June 8, 2026 post) |
Two dates in that table matter for reading pull-rate claims. The Build & Battle Box reached select stores on July 4, 2026, two weeks before the main release, so early “pack openings” may come from a different product than a Booster Display.
What Has Never Been Published
As of September 29, 2026 the official English pages do not state any of the following. Each row is a gap that pull-rate articles tend to fill with confident numbers.
| Question | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| What is the chance of a Special Illustration Rare in a pack? | Not stated. Only the count of special-illustration cards (“over 35”) is given |
| How often does the Mega Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex appear? | Not stated. The July 3, 2026 product showcase mentions the card but gives no frequency |
| Does a Booster Display contain a fixed number of any rare tier? | Not stated. The page prints the pack count only |
| What is the MSRP of each product? | Not stated |
| Is English Pitch Black the same set as Japanese Abyss Eye? | Not stated. Neither the announcement, the showcase nor the product pages mention Abyss Eye or Japan |
| How many cards are in the set exactly? | Worded as “over 115”. The July 3 showcase text also says “more than 80 cards to collect”, so the exact total is not given on one consistent line |
The two sets share Pokémon; no official source links them. The card-by-card matches we can support are in the Mega Darkrai ex section.
English Pitch Black Set Overview
Officially featured Pokémon are Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex and Mega Excadrill ex. The tcg.pokemon.com page also features Mega Slowbro ex, Mega Delphox ex, Hangry Mode Morpeko ex, Wailord ex and Rampardos ex. The product showcase of July 3, 2026 calls out “a jaw-dropping Mega Hyper Rare card featuring Mega Darkrai ex”.
The Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box lists “Launch: July 17, 2026” on its gallery page, with 11 packs against 9 in the standard box. Both boxes carry Zarude promos, and only the Pokémon Center version carries the extra promo with the Pokémon Center logo.
For pull-rate purposes the useful point is how many packs a buyer opens. A Booster Bundle gives 6 packs, a standard Elite Trainer Box 9, the Pokémon Center box 11, a Build & Battle Box 4, and a Booster Display 36. Any sample built from a handful of packs from these products is far smaller than the 4,000+ packs TCGplayer reports below.
The TCGplayer Sample: Reported, Not Official
TCGplayer published “Pokémon TCG: Pitch Black Pull Rates”, written by Peter Day, on July 21, 2026. It states that the TCGplayer Authentication Center opened more than 4,000 booster packs. The table gives the per-pack rates TCGplayer reported, with its stated 95% margin.
| Pull | Reported per-pack rate | Reported as | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Rare | 21.02% ± 1.21% | 1 in 5 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| Ultra Rare | 8.30% ± 0.82% | 1 in 12 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| Illustration Rare | 11.01% ± 0.93% | 1 in 9 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| Special Illustration Rare | 1.25% ± 0.33% | 1 in 80 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| Mega Hyper Rare (Mega Darkrai ex) | 0.09% ± 0.09% | 1 in 1081 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| One specific Special Illustration Rare (for example Mega Darkrai ex) | 0.21% ± 0.14% | 1 in 480 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| One specific Ultra Rare | Not itemised | 1 in 217 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
| One specific Illustration Rare | Not itemised | 1 in 100 | Reported (TCGplayer) |
Two details from the TCGplayer article change how the table should be read. First, TCGplayer says the rates “appear to be identical” to those it reported for Phantasmal Flames, Perfect Order and Chaos Rising. Second, the margin on the Mega Hyper Rare row is as large as the rate itself, the plainest sign in the article that very rare cards are the least certain part of any sample.
The URL of the TCGplayer article is https://www.tcgplayer.com/content/article/Pok%C3%A9mon-TCG-Pitch-Black-Pull-Rates/069a5fda-2d1f-44a1-97de-b6dcdc5abfb8/. It is a retailer’s tally, and nothing on pokemon.com repeats or endorses it.
Why an English Sample Does Not Describe a Japanese Box
The rates above belong to English packs. A per-pack English rate cannot be scaled to a Japanese pack or box, and none of the TCGplayer figures apply to Abyss Eye.
That also rules out the shortcut of taking a rate and multiplying it across a box. The official English page says a Booster Display has 36 packs, and it stops there. The Japanese official page does not state packs per box at all.
- Name the outlet, the date and the number of packs opened.
- Check that the packs were English if the claim is about Pitch Black, and Japanese if it is about Abyss Eye.
- Look for an official page. If none prints the figure, treat it as reported.
Japanese Abyss Eye: The Printed Structure
The official page at pokemon-card.com/ex/m5/ presents ポケモンカードゲーム MEGA 拡張パック「アビスアイ」. It prints a release date of May 22, 2026, a recommended retail price of ¥200 per pack including tax, and contents of 5 cards per pack.
| Detail | English Pitch Black | Japanese Abyss Eye (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | July 17, 2026 | May 22, 2026 |
| Cards per pack | 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy, 1 TCG Live code card | 5 cards |
| Pack price | Not stated officially | ¥200 including tax |
| Packs per box | 36 (Booster Display) | Not stated on the official page |
| Set size | “Over 115 cards” | Printed /081; the official database lists 118 entries |
| Top card | Mega Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex | MUR Mega Darkrai ex 118/081 |
| Published pull rates | None from Pokémon | None from Pokémon |
The official card database itemises the secret rarities of M5: 12 AR (082–093), 18 SR (094–111), 6 SAR (112–117) and 1 MUR (118). Our Pitch Black Japanese card list adds the lower tiers, 8 RR, 8 R, 27 U and 38 C, for the same 118 entries. Those are counts of cards in the set. They are not odds, and no official page converts them into per-pack or per-box frequency.
M5 was also the first Japanese main set priced at ¥200 a pack, reported by kai-you.net, after earlier Mega sets at ¥180. No named outlet report of Japanese Abyss Eye pull rates was found as of September 29, 2026, so none is quoted.
Full-set detail is in the Abyss Eye M5 card list, and the M5 card list page shows the singles we list.
Mega Darkrai ex in Both Languages
Mega Darkrai ex is the Pokémon at the top of both sets, so it is the cleanest test of how far the English and Japanese products line up. Limitless’ English and Japanese card lists show the following matches for the Darkrai printings. The SIR 116 and SAR 114 share the same artwork; the gold cards differ.
| English Pitch Black card | Japanese Abyss Eye card | Same artwork? | Our listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Darkrai ex 120/084, Mega Hyper Rare | Mega Darkrai ex 118/081 MUR (illustrator 5ban Graphics) | No. The Japanese gold card has an engraved Darkrai emblem; the English gold card has a flat silhouette | PSA 10 back order ¥59,160 (~$384) |
| Mega Darkrai ex 116, Special Illustration Rare | Mega Darkrai ex 114/081 SAR (AKIRA EGAWA) | Yes, identical artwork | PSA 10 back order ¥32,538 (~$211) |
| Mega Darkrai ex 101, Ultra Rare | Mega Darkrai ex 099/081 SR (5ban Graphics) | Not verified | Not listed |
The MUR row is the one to remember when comparing a pull-rate article to a Japanese card price. The English Mega Hyper Rare that TCGplayer counted at 1 in 1081 packs is a different finish from the Japanese MUR, so its reported rate says nothing about the card in the picture above. The official database shows no Mega Darkrai ex outside M5.
The six Special Illustration Rares of Pitch Black (114 to 119) map one-to-one to the six SARs of M5 (112 to 117) by Pokémon and card name. Only the Darkrai pair is confirmed as identical artwork. Our Pitch Black chase cards article lays out the rest of that mapping.
Abyss Eye Products We List
As of September 29, 2026 the M5 Abyss Eye Japanese Pokemon Booster Box is offered in two conditions. The No Shrink option is currently listed at ¥8,603 (~$56). The Sealed option is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order.
Because no source prints Japanese pull rates, the box is best treated as a product with a known structure (5-card packs, ¥200 per pack officially) rather than a bet on a particular card. A buyer who wants a specific card has a different route: the two Mega Darkrai ex cards above are offered as PSA 10 back orders, SAR 114/081 at ¥32,538 (~$211) and MUR 118/081 at ¥59,160 (~$384) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms. How back orders work is explained in Back Order a PSA 10 Card from Japan.
Deeper reading on the Japanese side is in the Abyss Eye booster box buying guide and M5 Abyss Eye pull rates and best cards. For dates, see the Pitch Black release date comparison.
Where to Buy Abyss Eye from Japan
Japanese Abyss Eye product ships from Tokyo. The box is on the product page linked above at ¥8,603 (~$56) for the No Shrink option. All Japanese booster boxes sit in the Pokemon card box collection, and graded singles are in the PSA 10 card list.
Sourcing requests for a specific card or box go through Quick Order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards are in an English Pitch Black pack?
The official Booster Display page says each pack has 10 cards, 1 Basic Energy and 1 TCG Live code card, with 36 packs in a display. A Japanese Abyss Eye pack, by contrast, holds 5 cards, so the two pack types should never be compared per pack.
Are there official Pitch Black pull rates?
No. As of September 29, 2026 the official pokemon.com and tcg.pokemon.com pages give the release date, set size and product contents, but no per-rarity odds and no Mega Hyper Rare frequency. Any percentage you see for Pitch Black comes from an outlet’s own sample, not from Pokémon.
How reliable are the TCGplayer Pitch Black pull rates?
TCGplayer reported them on July 21, 2026 from more than 4,000 English packs, with a stated 95% margin on each rate. That is a large sample for common tiers but a weak one for the lowest-rate entry, whose reported margin equals its rate. They remain reported, not official.
When did Pitch Black release in English and in Japan?
English Pitch Black released on July 17, 2026, as announced on pokemon.com on April 30, 2026. The Japanese MEGA Expansion Pack Abyss Eye (M5) released on May 22, 2026 according to pokemon-card.com. The Build & Battle Box reached select English stores earlier, on July 4, 2026.
How many cards are in Pitch Black and in Abyss Eye?
The official English wording is “over 115 cards”, including more than 20 Trainer cards and over 35 with special illustrations. Abyss Eye prints /081 on its numbered cards, and the official Japanese database lists 118 entries once the secret rares numbered 082 to 118 are counted.
How much does the Japanese Abyss Eye booster box cost?
Our M5 box is currently listed at ¥8,603 (~$56) for the No Shrink option. The Sealed option is sold out at the time of this update. The official page prints ¥200 per pack including tax but does not print a box price or packs per box.
Can the TCGplayer rates be applied to a Japanese Abyss Eye box?
No. TCGplayer’s figures cover English packs only, and the English Mega Hyper Rare is a different finish from the Japanese MUR (engraved emblem versus flat silhouette). The official Japanese page prints ¥200 per pack and 5 cards per pack but no rarity odds, so no Abyss Eye rate can be derived from the English sample.
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