Pitch Black Preview: Why Mega Darkrai ex Is Already Hitting $600 in Japan Before the English Release
Mega Evolution Pitch Black does not hit English shelves until July 17, but Japan's Abyss Eye is already moving Mega Darkrai ex near $600. Here is what the early numbers mean and why they usually soften after the English launch.
The English Set Isn't Out Yet, but the Prices Are Talking
Mega Evolution—Pitch Black does not hit English shelves until July 17, 2026, but collectors who want a read on the set are already getting one from Japan. The Japanese equivalent, Abyss Eye, is on the market now, and its top chase is behaving like a genuine grail.
On the secondary market, the Mega Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex is trading around $600, while the Mega Darkrai ex Special Illustration Rare sits near $400. Those are striking numbers for cards from a set that, in English, has not even released.
What's Driving Pitch Black's Top Card
Pitch Black is the fifth set of the Mega Evolution era, and its chase lineup is stacked:
- Mega Darkrai ex as the set mascot and headline pull.
- Mega Zeraora ex, with sought-after alternate-art versions.
- Mega Chandelure ex and Mega Excadrill ex rounding out the Mega ex tier.
Darkrai is one of the most popular dark-type Pokemon in the franchise, and a Mega treatment with premium art is exactly the kind of card that draws both players and pure collectors.
Read Japanese Prices With Care
Here is the important caveat: Japanese chase prices almost always soften once the English set lands. The wider print run, the flood of new supply, and a deeper English-speaking buyer pool tend to pull early numbers down rather than up.
A $600 Japanese Mega Darkrai today is a signal of demand, not a price target for the English card. Treat it as a hype gauge, not a buy order.
How to Approach Pitch Black
Pokemon Center pre-orders opened June 10 and prerelease tournaments start July 4, so interest is already running hot. If you want sealed product, pre-ordering at MSRP beats paying a launch-week markup. If you are after the Mega Darkrai ex specifically, the patient move is to watch English prices in the two to three weeks after July 17, when supply settles and the early hype premium usually fades.