Pitch Black Store Promos Revealed: Primarina, Zarude, and Armarouge Carry a 30th Anniversary Stamp
The retailer promos for Mega Evolution: Pitch Black are official - and for the first time they carry the 30th anniversary logo stamp instead of a store stamp. Here is where to get each card, plus the Team Rocket rumor making the rounds.
Three Store Promos, One Anniversary Stamp
The retailer promo cards for Mega Evolution: Pitch Black are officially revealed, and there is a twist that makes this round more collectible than usual. The three promos — Primarina, Zarude, and Armarouge — will carry the 30th anniversary "What's Your Favorite?" logo as their stamp instead of the usual store stamp or set stamp. That makes these the first retailer promos folded directly into the Pokemon TCG 30th anniversary celebration, and anniversary-stamped cards have a strong track record of aging well.
Where to Get Each Card
- Primarina — Hot Topic, Barnes & Noble, and BoxLunch
- Zarude — GameStop (EB Games in Canada and Australia)
- Armarouge — Best Buy (JB Hi-Fi in New Zealand)
The requirement is the standard one: spend $15 or more on Pokemon TCG products at participating retailers, including their websites, while supplies last. Pitch Black itself launches July 17, so expect the promos to be live around that window — and expect GameStop's Zarude to disappear fastest, given how quickly that chain's previous promos have gone.
A Team Rocket Special Release on the Horizon?
Meanwhile, reports point to a Team Rocket-themed special release coming to the TCG — though early word suggests there is a catch in how it will be distributed. Nothing is officially confirmed, so treat it as a rumor for now. But between the Mega Evolution era's villain-heavy theming, the darker direction of Pitch Black, and 30th anniversary nostalgia running at full strength, a Team Rocket product would land in the most receptive market imaginable. The original Team Rocket set remains one of the most beloved in the hobby's history.
The Strategy
If you were already planning a Pitch Black purchase, routing $15 of it through one of the promo retailers is free value. The anniversary stamp is the differentiator here — when the 30th celebration era gets looked back on, the checklist of "What's Your Favorite?" stamped cards will be finite and these three will be on it.
Prefer to support a local shop? Many card shops price-match retail on new sets — find one near you in our directory.