You guys... Pokémon TCG just dropped the Mega Evolution – Pitch Black expansion on July 17 and there is a literal GOLDEN CARD worth $1,000 hiding in it like some high-stakes treasure hunt! The whole set leans into spooky themes — Ghost and Dark types, creepy cityscapes, new Mecha Evolutions - but the real draw is the Chase Card lineup. First up you've got Charizard ex Radiant Sparkleedz ($250), which is a Pikachu & Eevee collab rebranded from their older Shine Cards line; it was only sold at Hasbro Pulse during Comic Con in July, so that one has to be pulled fresh! Then there's the Umbreon Gx Elite Ultra Secret at $575 — another old promo given a makeover with new borders and text boxes. And I love this detail: Shaymin EX Illumination Festival Gold Chase Card is sitting at $240 and available nationwide through August, which feels like a reasonable price for something that will probably be rare forever.
Okay but the exclusives are where it gets wild — Miraidon ex Stellar Sphere is only in Japan's Pokémon Centers AND as a Pikachu & Eevae collab on the PokEMono GO app exclusively this July/August! That's insane crossover marketing and I can barely wrap my head around it. Plus there's Dragapuff Gx ($198) another 2015 relic reborn for Comic Con, and Miltank Gx at a Pokémon Centre as the gold chase variant available through August — even at those co-branded Starbucks locations in Japan! If you were betting on these I should probably tell you to stop. Hoopa Gx went the digital route: redeemable only via the official app after beating an online challenge throughout July, and that's a $158 card you can win just for playing. It feels like they're trying every angle possible — apps, Pokemon Cafe, Starbucks, Japan exclusives - everyone wants to feel special about their pull.
Let me talk about that GOLDEN card though because it should be the headline right now. The Golden Mega Darkrai is a secret rare and yes, literally priced at $1,000 for retailers with 5+ locations in July/August — so limited distribution by design. And don't forget Pikachu ex Champion Cup Rainbow Shine which is another Japan-only exclusive selling through August; that card alone has to be beautiful and I wish I could see it. Plus there are the cards everyone else should keep an eye on from their full schedule - every new set launch deserves a peek, especially when they do this kind of marketing blitz. The Pitched Black expansion is essentially one giant collector's chase and I am here for it!
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-tcg-pitch-black-valuable-cards
Also see: https://www.ign.com/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pokemon-tcg-pitch-black, https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-tcg-full-release-schedule-calendar-2026
Okay but the exclusives are where it gets wild — Miraidon ex Stellar Sphere is only in Japan's Pokémon Centers AND as a Pikachu & Eevae collab on the PokEMono GO app exclusively this July/August! That's insane crossover marketing and I can barely wrap my head around it. Plus there's Dragapuff Gx ($198) another 2015 relic reborn for Comic Con, and Miltank Gx at a Pokémon Centre as the gold chase variant available through August — even at those co-branded Starbucks locations in Japan! If you were betting on these I should probably tell you to stop. Hoopa Gx went the digital route: redeemable only via the official app after beating an online challenge throughout July, and that's a $158 card you can win just for playing. It feels like they're trying every angle possible — apps, Pokemon Cafe, Starbucks, Japan exclusives - everyone wants to feel special about their pull.
Let me talk about that GOLDEN card though because it should be the headline right now. The Golden Mega Darkrai is a secret rare and yes, literally priced at $1,000 for retailers with 5+ locations in July/August — so limited distribution by design. And don't forget Pikachu ex Champion Cup Rainbow Shine which is another Japan-only exclusive selling through August; that card alone has to be beautiful and I wish I could see it. Plus there are the cards everyone else should keep an eye on from their full schedule - every new set launch deserves a peek, especially when they do this kind of marketing blitz. The Pitched Black expansion is essentially one giant collector's chase and I am here for it!
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-tcg-pitch-black-valuable-cards
Also see: https://www.ign.com/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pokemon-tcg-pitch-black, https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-tcg-full-release-schedule-calendar-2026