Pitch Black Pull Rates & Pack Odds — Philippines (2026)

What Is Pitch Black?

Pitch Black is the English-language Pokémon TCG set releasing on 17 July 2026, based on the Japanese set Abyss Eye (M5). It continues the Mega Evolution Series celebrating the Mega Pokémon from Pokémon Legends: Z-A — and Mega Darkrai ex is the undisputed headliner. For Filipino collectors, expect stock through local game stores and online marketplaces at import rates shortly after the global launch.

Like Perfect Order and Chaos Rising earlier in 2026, Pitch Black is a small-sized regular set adapted mostly from a single Japanese set. The base set is 81 cards, with secret rares extending the numbering up to 118/081 — a modest size that keeps the chase pool tight for collectors hunting the Special Illustration Rare Mega Darkrai ex.

Beyond Darkrai, Pitch Black introduces Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, and Mega Excadrill ex. Competitively, the set brings the Hide 'n' Sneak archetype led by Sinistcha, whose Ghostly Hiding ability sidesteps some of Standard's most powerful effects, plus Mega Excadrill ex (063/081) as a heavy multi-Prize attacker that can one-shot the ubiquitous Dragapult ex.

Box Contents & Pack Structure

Pitch Black is available in the standard English retail formats:

• Booster Box — 36 packs per box, 10 cards per pack
• Booster Bundle — 6 packs per bundle, 10 cards per pack
• Elite Trainer Box — 9 packs plus accessories
• Single packs & blisters — 10 cards per pack

Each 10-card pack contains commons, uncommons, a reverse holo slot, and a rare slot. The rare slot determines your hit — it can be a regular Rare (R), an ex, an IR, UR, SIR, or MHR, and a minority of packs deliver a shiny/holo energy insert instead. Not every pack guarantees an ex. In our 253-pack sample, 135 packs (53.4%) yielded only a regular Rare in the rare slot.

The Pokémon Company International has confirmed the set's full-art breakdown:

• 6 Mega Evolution Pokémon ex
• 4 Pokémon ex
• 11 Illustration Rare Pokémon
• 18 Ultra Rare Pokémon and Trainer cards
• 6 Special Illustration Rare Pokémon and Supporter cards

Sample breakdown

Our own 117 packs were opened across seven sessions in two rounds — including two complete 36-pack booster boxes:

• Round 1 — 31 packs (four early sessions): 8 ex (incl. Mega Chandelure ex), Mega Chandelure ex SIR, 3 IRs, 1 UR trainer
• Round 2, Box 1 — 36 packs (full box): 9 ex, 4 IRs, 1 UR trainer, and the gold Mega Darkrai ex MHR (118/081), plus 3 shiny energy
• Round 2, Box 2 — 14 packs (partial): 3 ex, 2 IRs, 2 shiny energy
• Round 2, Box 3 — 36 packs (full box): 9 ex, 4 IRs, 2 full art cards, 2 shiny energy

We've now folded in two large community openings (136 packs) to broaden the sample to 253 packs and three full boxes:

• Community box — 36 packs (full box): ~9 ex, 5 IRs, 2 full arts, and the coveted Mega Darkrai ex SIR (114/081) — the set's top chase, pulled from a single box
• Community opening — 100 packs (~2.8 boxes): ~25 ex, ~11 IRs, 3 full arts, ~5 shiny energy — and notably zero SIRs and zero golds across all 100 packs

Pull Rate Data: 253 Packs

This section reflects a combined sample of 253 packs — our own 117 packs plus two large community openings — spanning three complete 36-pack booster boxes. The ex and IR cadences are now firmly established: every full box hit ~9 ex and 4–5 IRs. The SIR picture is more interesting now — one community box hit the Mega Darkrai ex SIR itself, while a separate 100-pack opening produced no SIR at all, which is exactly the variance you should expect. Community counts are estimated from video openings, so treat the sub-percent rows as indicative.

Combined sample — 253 packs (our 117 + 136 community, three complete boxes)

*SIR and MHR rates rest on a handful of pulls across 253 packs — statistically shaky despite now including a live Mega Darkrai ex SIR and the gold MHR. A separate 100-pack run hit zero SIRs; comparable sets land any SIR roughly once every 5–6 boxes — a specific SIR like Darkrai is far rarer — and the MHR is rarer still. Community counts are estimated from video openings.

Key findings

• Hit rate: 41.1% of packs had an ex or better across 253 packs — remarkably consistent, and each full box landed roughly 15 hits (~42%)
• ex cadence: ~1 ex per 4 packs, and about 9 ex in every full box we have data on — a reliable ~9 per box
• IR cadence: ~1 IR per 9 packs, and 4–5 IRs per full box — a dependable ~4 per box
• SIR / MHR: 2 SIRs (including the Darkrai SIR) and 1 MHR in 253 packs — but a full 100-pack run hit zero SIRs, so the true rate is closer to 1 any-SIR per 5–6 boxes than the sample suggests
• Shiny energy: ~5–6% of packs deliver a shiny/holo energy insert (~2 per box) — a minor but frequent bonus

Three Full Boxes, Box by Box

We now have data on three full 36-pack booster boxes opened end to end — our own two, plus one community box. All three produced an almost identical ex/IR spine — a good sign that Pitch Black's ex and IR cadence is tight and predictable — while the premium hits landed unpredictably: a gold MHR in one, the Darkrai SIR in another, nothing in the third.

Box 1 (ours) landed the gold Mega Darkrai ex MHR — the single best card you can pull from Pitch Black — inside a completely ordinary-looking box. Box 3 (ours) was the "baseline" box: the same 9 ex and 4 IR spine, an extra full art, but no SIR or MHR. The community box was the "goated box" — it pulled the Mega Darkrai ex SIR (114/081), the primary chase, alongside a slightly hot 5 IRs and two full arts. That's the honest picture of opening this set — a steady, predictable stream of ex and IRs, with the premium chase cards being genuine lightning-in-a-bottle luck that lands in maybe one box out of several.

Rarity Breakdown

*Across 253 packs we saw 2 SIRs (Mega Chandelure ex and the Mega Darkrai ex SIR) and 1 gold MHR — but a separate 100-pack run hit none of them. These premium tiers are lucky hits, not repeatable cadences. Estimate the MHR as rarer than SIR.

The Chase Cards: Mega Darkrai ex SIR & MHR Odds

Pitch Black has a clear chase hierarchy driven almost entirely by Mega Darkrai ex. The Japanese versions of these cards are the most valuable in Abyss Eye by a wide margin, and AKIRA EGAWA's Special Illustration Rare artwork has made it one of the most talked-about chase cards since Arceus and Giratina VSTAR in Crown Zenith. Across 253 packs, both premium Darkrai cards have now shown up: we pulled the gold MHR in one of our boxes, and a community box coughed up the Mega Darkrai ex SIR (114/081). But a separate 100-pack run hit neither — the reminder that these are lightning strikes, not a cadence. Prices below are USD market estimates with an approximate PHP conversion at ~56 PHP/USD; local Philippine prices may run higher due to import costs.

PHP estimated at ~1 USD = 56 PHP. A booster box runs roughly ~$289 (~₱16,200) at import prices.

The "God Pack" Report: An All-Gold Error Pack?

A photo recently circulated on Reddit (r/PokemonTCG) of a pack a young collector reportedly pulled at their local card store — a so-called "god pack" said to be filled entirely with gold cards instead of the usual commons, uncommons, and single rare slot. If genuine, it would be one of the most valuable single packs imaginable: the gold Mega Darkrai ex MHR alone carries a ~$498 (~₱27,900) price tag, so a full pack of golds would be an extraordinary hit.

It comes with heavy caveats. Many commenters believe it is a printing or collation error — or possibly a fake — rather than an intended rarity, and no official "god pack" mechanic is known for the English Mega Evolution Series. We pulled nothing close to it across our 253 packs, and it is not reflected anywhere in the pull-rate math above. Treat it as an unverified one-off anecdote, not a repeatable outcome.

That said, error and god packs are a real phenomenon in the hobby — Japanese sets have long produced all-SR/UR god packs, and genuine misprints do escape the printing line — so the possibility that this is a real error pack can't be dismissed outright. If it is authentic, it's lightning-strike collation luck, not something to plan a purchase around. See the original Reddit thread for the photo and discussion.

Competitive cards to watch

Pitch Black doesn't bring a must-play Trainer staple, but it introduces a couple of exciting archetypes:

• Sinistcha (Hide 'n' Sneak): its Ghostly Hiding ability prevents all effects of attacks and Abilities from the opponent's Pokémon (damage is not an effect) — sidestepping Dragapult ex's Phantom Dive, Munkidori's Adrena-Brain, and Dusknoir's Cursed Blast. Attacks that scale with Hide 'n' Sneak Pokémon in the discard let the deck deal heavy damage while giving up only one Prize per turn.
• Mega Excadrill ex (063/081): the set's most impressive multi-Prize attacker — it can one-shot the ubiquitous Dragapult ex, though it gets one-shot back by Blaziken ex.

Buying Pitch Black in the Philippines

Pitch Black reaches Filipino collectors through both physical game stores and online marketplaces. The most reliable options are:

• Local game stores (Metro Manila): Neutral Grounds and Gaming Library stock sealed booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes, and singles around launch, and often run prerelease events.
• Online marketplaces: Carousell PH, Shopee, and Lazada carry sealed product and singles from local sellers — compare listings, since import pricing varies widely.
• Community groups: the Facebook group "Pokémon TCG Philippines" is active for buying and selling singles, including the Mega Darkrai ex SIR and MHR.

The Filipino collector's playbook: if you specifically want the Mega Darkrai ex SIR (~₱22,900) or the gold MHR (~₱27,900), buy them as singles. Chasing either through booster boxes at Philippine import prices costs many multiples of the single card — a booster box runs roughly ~₱16,200, and you would need to open several before statistically landing a specific SIR. That said, a box or two purely for the experience is perfectly reasonable: each full box reliably delivers ~9 ex and ~4 IRs, so you get a steady, predictable haul even without a jackpot pull.

Should You Open or Buy Singles?

Open if:

• You enjoy the pack-opening experience and are comfortable with the variance (over half of packs yield only a regular Rare)
• You want to build toward the full set including regulars, reverse holos, and IRs
• You want the consistent ex and IR experience — all three full boxes delivered ~9 ex and 4–5 IRs, a dependable pull frequency
• You want to try for the Mega Chandelure, Zeraora, or accessible Darkrai UR full arts — and dream on the SIR/MHR jackpot that landed in two of our three boxes (but not in a separate 100-pack run)

Buy singles if:

• You specifically want Mega Darkrai ex SIR (114/081, ~₱22,900) or the gold MHR (118/081, ~₱27,900) — even though both have now been pulled once in our wider sample, a full 100-pack run hit neither, and the expected cost to pull either through opening boxes far exceeds the single card price
• You want any specific SIR: with 6 SIRs in the set and each landing roughly once every several boxes, targeting one specifically through opening is extremely expensive
• You want competitive singles like Sinistcha or Mega Excadrill ex — buy them directly rather than chasing through packs

The numbers on chasing Mega Darkrai ex SIR

• Observed premium hits: 2 SIRs (incl. the Darkrai SIR) and 1 MHR across 253 packs (~7 boxes) — but a 100-pack stretch inside that hit zero, showing how uneven it is
• Estimated SIR rate: roughly 1 SIR per 5–6 boxes (comparable sets); the MHR is rarer still
• Number of SIRs in set: 6 — odds of hitting specifically the Darkrai SIR are very roughly 1 in 30+ boxes
• At ~$289 (~₱16,200) per booster box, chasing Darkrai SIR (~₱22,900) or the gold MHR (~₱27,900) through opening costs many multiples of the single
• Buying the single is the clear choice for the top two Darkrai cards

The honest bottom line: Pitch Black is a solid opening product if you enjoy the experience — all three full boxes delivered a reliable ~9 ex and 4–5 IRs, one coughed up the gold Mega Darkrai ex MHR, and another hit the Mega Darkrai ex SIR. But those premium cards were luck, not math: a separate 100-pack run hit neither, over half of packs yield only a regular Rare, and the two headline Darkrai cards sit at ~₱22,900–27,900. This still isn't a product where the odds favour chasing the top cards through opening. Our data now spans 253 packs and three full boxes — check back as we add larger case samples.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every Pitch Black pack have an ex?

No. From our 253-pack sample, 135 packs (53.4%) yielded only a regular Rare in the rare slot — no ex or above. This is typical for English SV-era products. Expect roughly 1 ex hit per 4 packs on average, or ~9 per full box.

Has the Mega Darkrai ex SIR and gold MHR actually been pulled?

Yes — both. We pulled the gold Mega Darkrai ex MHR (118/081), the rarest card in the set, once in our first complete box, and a community box in our wider sample pulled the Mega Darkrai ex SIR (114/081), the primary chase. That said, both hits sit inside a 253-pack sample that also includes a full 100-pack opening which produced neither — so treat them as luck, not a repeatable cadence.

Is the Pitch Black "god pack" of all gold cards real?

A photo of an all-gold "god pack" reportedly pulled at a local card store has circulated on Reddit, but it is unverified and widely suspected to be a printing/collation error or a fake. No official god-pack mechanic is known for English Mega Evolution sets, and we saw nothing like it across our 253 packs — so it is not part of our pull-rate math. It remains a possibility worth noting, since genuine error packs do exist, but it isn't something to factor into normal pull-rate expectations. See the original thread for the photo.

Where can I buy Pitch Black in the Philippines?

Physical game stores in Metro Manila such as Neutral Grounds and Gaming Library stock sealed boxes and singles, and online you can find both on Carousell PH, Shopee, and Lazada. The Facebook group "Pokémon TCG Philippines" is active for singles and sealed product. For the Mega Darkrai ex SIR (~₱22,900) or gold MHR (~₱27,900), buying the single is far cheaper than chasing them through boxes — a box or two for the experience still reliably nets ~9 ex and ~4 IRs.

What is the MHR (Master Hyper Rare) in Pitch Black?

The Master Hyper Rare is the gold Mega Darkrai ex (118/081) — the alternate full-art version of the set's headliner, with a pre-release market price around $498 USD (~₱27,900). It is the rarest pull in the set. We pulled exactly one across our 253-pack sample, which is a lucky result at this rarity tier — always buy this one as a single.

How reliable is this sample now?

It's much stronger than our first update. 253 packs — including three complete 36-pack boxes — pins down the ex cadence (~9/box) and IR cadence (~4/box) with confidence, since every full box matched closely. The SIR, UR, and MHR figures still rest on only a few pulls, and community counts are estimated from video openings, so treat those as indicative. We'll expand the guide with case-level data as it becomes available.

Is Mega Excadrill ex good for competitive play?

Mega Excadrill ex (063/081) is the set's standout multi-Prize attacker — its attack can one-shot the ubiquitous Dragapult ex. The catch is that it gets one-shot in return by Blaziken ex, which has been showing up in Dragapult decks as a backup attacker. It's worth watching as the English meta develops.

Disclaimer: Pull rates are community estimates from 253 packs (three complete boxes), combining our own openings with two large community videos — a growing but still limited sample, and sub-percent rates remain uncertain. PHP prices are approximate conversions at ~1 USD = 56 PHP and local import prices may differ — verify current prices before buying or selling. This is not financial advice.