Pitch Black ETB Guide: 9 Packs, a Zarude Promo & Great Extras

The Pitch Black ETB is the all-in-one way into Pitch Black, the 17 July 2026 expansion led by Mega Darkrai ex. Inside you get nine booster packs, a full-art foil Zarude promo and a complete kit of play accessories, all packed into a collector’s box with Mega Darkrai ex on the front. This guide unpacks every item, explains the promo, compares the standard and Pokémon Center editions and helps you choose between an ETB and a booster box.

ETB is short for Elite Trainer Box. The idea is simple: packs to open, plus everything a player needs to turn those pulls into a deck. That makes the Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box a popular first purchase for new players and a tidy storage solution for collectors.

What’s inside the Pitch Black ETB

According to the official product listing, each box contains:

• 9 Pitch Black booster packs
• 1 full-art foil promo card featuring Zarude
• 65 card sleeves
• 40 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
• A player’s guide to the Pitch Black expansion
• 6 damage-counter dice
• 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
• 1 plastic coin
• A collector’s box with 6 dividers
• A code card for Pokémon TCG Live

If you remember Scarlet & Violet era boxes, the Pitch Black ETB follows the newer Mega Evolution pattern: 40 Energy cards instead of 45, a plastic coin in place of the two condition markers, and six dividers instead of four. The pack count stays at nine.

What each accessory is for

The 65 sleeves cover a full 60-card deck with five spares, and the 40 Energy cards give you a base to build around whatever Pokémon you pull. The six damage-counter dice track damage on your Pokémon during a game, while the coin-flip die and plastic coin handle the many attacks and effects that ask you to flip a coin.

The player’s guide walks through the expansion, and the code card is for Pokémon TCG Live, the current digital version of the game. Once everything is unpacked, the sturdy box and its dividers become a home for your growing collection.

The full-art Zarude promo

The promo in every Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box is Zarude, numbered MEP 088 in the Mega Evolution Black Star Promo series. It is not a plain reprint of the set’s own Zarude, which is a Rare at #056 illustrated by matazo. Instead, the promo uses the full-art illustration rare artwork by IKEDA Saki from the Japanese set Abyss Eye, where it was numbered 090/081.

That makes it a card you can only get outside English booster packs, which is a big part of its appeal. Bulbapedia’s entry for the MEP 088 Zarude also notes a second version with a Pokémon Center logo above the attacks, found in the Pokémon Center edition of the box.

Standard vs Pokémon Center Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box

Pitch Black was released in two ETB editions. The accessories are shared, but the contents differ in two ways:

• Standard edition: 9 booster packs and one Zarude promo
• Pokémon Center edition: 11 booster packs and two Zarude promos, one of them carrying the Pokémon Center logo

The standard Pitch Black ETB is the one most players will come across. If a Pokémon Center edition from this era appeals, the Chaos Rising Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box follows the same 11-pack, two-promo format with Fennekin promos, as covered in our Chaos Rising ETB guide.

Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box or booster box?

The right box depends on how you like to open and what you want left over at the end. Here is how the main Pitch Black options compare:

• Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box: 9 packs, the Zarude promo, sleeves, Energy, dice and storage. Best for players, gifts and anyone who wants accessories with their packs.
• Pitch Black Booster Box: 36 packs of 10 cards plus a Basic Energy each. Best for set building, group openings and anyone who already owns accessories.
• Japanese MEGA Abyss Eye M5 Booster Box: 30 packs of five Japanese cards from the source set. Best for fans of Japanese printing.

Put simply, a Pitch Black ETB gives you a smaller number of packs with a complete play kit and an exclusive promo, while a booster box gives you four times as many packs with no extras.

Chase cards to look out for

Nine packs is a fun sample of the set, but no box guarantees a particular card. The secret rares numbered #085 to #120 are the ones collectors hope for, led by the Mega Darkrai ex special illustration rare by AKIRA EGAWA (#116) and the Mega Hyper Rare Mega Darkrai ex at #120.

Other highlights include special illustration rares of Mega Zeraora ex (#114), Mega Chandelure ex (#115), Morpeko ex (#117), Gladion’s Final Battle (#118) and Gwynn (#119), plus 11 illustration rares and 18 ultra rares. Every number is listed in our Pitch Black card list, and the wider set is explained in our Pokémon Pitch Black set guide.

6 tips for getting the most from your Pitch Black ETB

1. Sleeve the promo first. Put the Zarude promo into a sleeve before you open a single pack, so it stays clean.
2. Plan your dividers. Six dividers work well as Pokémon, Trainers, Energy, ex cards, secret rares and duplicates for trading.
3. Build a deck straight away. With 40 Energy cards and 65 sleeves, you can sleeve a 60-card deck from your pulls on day one.
4. Keep the dice and coin together. Store them in the box so your play kit is ready for the next game night.
5. Read the player’s guide. It is a handy overview of the expansion and a good refresher for returning players.
6. Keep the box. An empty Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box makes a neat, labelled home for your Pitch Black collection.

Who the Pitch Black ETB suits

New players get everything they need to start, returning players get a fresh set of accessories, and collectors get a promo that is not in booster packs. It is also one of the easiest gifts in the range, because it arrives as one presentable box with Mega Darkrai ex on the lid. If you only want packs, a booster box is the better fit; if you want packs plus a kit, the Pitch Black ETB is the one.

Shop the range

• Pitch Black Booster Box
• Japanese MEGA Abyss Eye M5 Booster Box
• Chaos Rising Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box

Ready to explore more of the era? Browse the full Pokémon TCG range for booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes and collections from Pitch Black and the other Mega Evolution sets.

Pitch Black ETB FAQs

How many packs are in the Pitch Black ETB?

The standard Pitch Black ETB contains nine booster packs. The Pokémon Center edition contains 11 packs and a second Zarude promo with the Pokémon Center logo.

What promo comes in the Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box?

A full-art foil Zarude, numbered MEP 088. It uses IKEDA Saki’s illustration rare artwork from the Japanese Abyss Eye set rather than the set’s own Zarude art.

How many Energy cards and sleeves are included?

Each box has 40 Pokémon TCG Energy cards and 65 card sleeves, along with six damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, a plastic coin and a box with six dividers.

Is there a code card in the box?

Yes. The Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box includes a code card for Pokémon TCG Live, the current digital version of the Pokémon TCG.

Should I get the Pitch Black ETB or a booster box?

Choose the ETB if you want a promo and accessories with nine packs. Choose the 36-pack booster box if you mainly want to open packs and build the set.