Release, Card List, and More

Even after almost 30 years, the Pokemon Trading Card Game continues to reinvent itself, and the new Pitch Black set is proof of that. With a focus on Dark-type Pokemon and the main antagonist and Mega Evolution in Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC, Mega Darkrai, Pitch Black is likely to combine fresh gameplay mechanics, striking visuals, and strategic depth. Not a lot is officially confirmed about the set just yet, as it is expected to be a close adaptation of the Japanese set Abyss Eye, which has not been revealed in full as of now.

The title of Pitch Black itself is an homage to Darkrai, as it’s referred to as the Pitch-Black Pokemon. With a mix of almost 40 cards, between unique Pokemon TCG cards dedicated to Darkrai and variants of those cards, this is not the first rodeo for the Dark-type Mythical Pokemon. Interestingly, though, it’s the debut of its Mega Evolution. Based on the current selection of cards revealed for Abyss Eye, Pitch Black centers on Darkness-type Pokemon, offering new cards that reward careful planning and strategic thinking. Unlike previous sets that leaned on high-damage attacks, Pitch Black seems to encourage players to manipulate energy, disrupt opponents, and time their moves perfectly.

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What’s Officially Known and Expected From Pokemon TCG’s Pitch Black Set

• Official: Pokemon Pitch Black launches in Summer 2026, specifically on July 17, whereas pre-release dates go from July 4 to July 12.
• Official: Pokemon Pitch Black is going to include cards from Abyss Eye, the Japanese set releasing on May 22, 2026.
• Official: Mega Darkrai Ex is the mascot of Abyss Eye.
• Official: Pitch Black will be an adaptation of Abyss Eye, which means that it will follow a similar pattern as the upcoming English Chaos Rising set, featuring Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Floette. This set is releasing on May 22, as well as the older set Phantasmal Flames. The result is that Pitch Black will most likely be small, with no subset additions to Abyss Eye.
• Official: The Abyss Eye set officially revealed nine cards so far:
  • Drilbur, Fighting-type
  • Mega Darkrai Ex, Dark-type
  • Inkay, Dark-type
  • Malamar, Dark-type
  • Zarude, Dark-type
  • Chi-Yu, Dark-type
  • Mega Excadrill Ex, Steel-type
  • Dark Bell, Trainer
  • Shadow Darkness Energy, Special Energy
• Official: Pokemon Abyss Eye features 81 cards in the base set, not counting special variants.
• Expected: Mega Darkrai Ex should also be the mascot of Pitch Black.
• Expected: Pokemon like Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Greninja and Mega Malamar may be featured, as they are Dark-types, and the same could go for other critters.

Every Pokemon TCG Pitch Black / Abyss Eye Card Revealed So Far

Set Number	Card	Card Name	Translated Effect and Description
44/81		Drilbur	Fighting Pokemon, 70 HP (Basic). (1 Energy) Search your deck for up to 2 Basic Pokemon and put them on your bench (3 Energy) 50 damage
46/81		Mega Darkrai Ex	Darkness Pokemon, 280 HP (Basic, Ex) (2 Darkness) 110 damage. If any of your benched Pokemon have damage counters on them, this attack does 110 more damage (3 Darkness) If your opponent’s active Pokemon is affected by a status condition, it is knocked out
49/81		Inkay	Darkness Pokemon, 60 HP (Basic) (1 Darkness) Search your deck for any card and add it to your hand (2 Darkness) 50 damage
50/81		Malamar	Darkness Pokemon, 120 HP (Stage 1) (1 Darkness) The opponent’s active Pokemon is now confused (1 Darkness) 130 damage. This attack only works if the opponent’s active Pokemon is confused
54/81		Zarude	Darkness Pokemon, 130 HP (Basic) (1 Darkness) 30 damage. This attack also deals 30 damage to one of your benched Pokemon (3 Darkness) 100 damage. If any of your benched Pokemon has a Shadow Darkness Energy attached, this attack deals 70 more damage
57/81		Chi-Yu	Darkness Pokemon, 90 HP (Basic) (1 Darkness) 20 damage. If this Pokemon has 2 or more damage counters on it, this attack deals 90 more damage. Don’t apply weakness for this attack
63/81		Mega Excadrill Ex	Steel Pokemon, 340 HP (Stage 1, Ex) (2 Steel) 90 damage. Discard the top two cards of your opponent’s deck (2 Steel) 200 damage. If you have 2 or more extra Energy attached to this Pokemon, this attack deals 130 more damage
70/81		Dark Bell	Trainer Card Both active Pokemon are now confused (except any Darkness Pokemon)
81/81		Shadow Darkness Energy	Special Energy Card Provides 1 Darkness Energy Prevent all damage done by your opponent to the benched Pokemon this card is attached to

These are only some of the cards coming with Abyss Eye, and most likely with Pitch Black, so fans will have to keep an eye on official reveals if they want to learn more about this set. If you’re a Pokemon TCG collector, you may want to pre-order the set through official channels as soon as it becomes available, as it may be targeted by scalpers.