Top Cards of Pokémon Pitch Black According to Abyss Eye Sales

With the release of Abyss Eye on May 22nd, the Japanese Pokémon market has given us a glimpse into what cards we should be on the lookout for when Pitch Black releases on July 17th. The Western market often follows the Japanese market on initial release, usually overtaking it in the process.

We’ll be looking at the top 10 cards as of June 11th, paying attention to trends seen in past sets. As with any set, the initial release spikes the value of a card with most returning to a more affordable range. That said, there are some great cards in this set so let’s get to it.

10) The Sleeper Pick: Slowbro

We’ll start with the lowest value card of the lot. The oddball sleeper pick for this set would be Slowbro. Being a first gen Pokémon with plenty of personality it has a decent number of fans. The artwork itself with its vacant stare gives the card a chance to be memed into the ground. It would not be the first time that a card was released at a lower rarity and shot up simply because the fanbase drove demand up. His current value floats around $20.

9) Gladion’s Showdown #116

While Silvally isn’t selling for more than $5, Gladion has steadily climbed the ranks and has had some inconsistent performance bouncing from $20 to $60 over the past week. I can see the two selling together for a premium. That said, I’m a sucker for the panoramic art so I won’t let my bias speak too loudly on these two.

8) Gwynn #111

Gwynn has the advantage of a great design. Ghost type trainers in general tend to lean into the cool factor (even Allister’s Shy Guy mask is pretty cool) and Gwynn’s stylish hat brings the whole look together. This particular variant of her card consistently hits $35, with a few sales jumping past $40. The only reason I expect this card hasn’t done as well as it could is because of one of the top contenders later on this list.

7) Mega Chandelure ex #113

For Chandelure, this is the first big ticket art for it and will give Chandelure fans a chase. It also has the benefit of Gwynn in this set which could draw attention to this card. Unfortunately, I don’t see this card breaking $50, because there isn’t much else going on in the art. Personally, I’m looking forward to finding a CGC Pristine 10 upon its release.

6) Misty’s spirit #108

Misty is always a safe bet, with her cards historically doing well. Being a main character of the anime has helped her to have broad appeal and that helps her here as well. Consistently selling for $45, she’s had sales go as high as $55. I can see this card going up if a Water type deck dominates the TCG.

5) Mega Zeraora ex #112

Comparing Mega Zeraora’s card to Zerarora V #166, V’s art can’t be beat. While it had been selling for $60, it will likely cool off faster than most but still remain popular with Sonic the Hedgehog fans. Similar to Chandelure, it lacks the dynamic art to really give it a boost.

4) Morpeko ex #115

Morpeko could go either way, its weakness is that it is a niche pick as far as popularity. However, it does have the benefit of very little competition amongst other cards in the set and is able to balance cuteness with dynamic artwork. It has steadily climbed past Zeraora and Misty but still can’t break the top 3. It’s highest sale so far was June 10th at $90.

3) Gwynn #117

Firmly in 3^rd place, we have Gwynn #117, an SAR by Naoki Saito. With over 300 unique arts under his belt, he has several (non-promo) cards that are well over $200. That said, trainer cards, especially female trainers tend to be more valuable in Japanese. There are several factors at play to create this trend, but it is certainly consistent. Everything great about the previous Gwynn card are amplified here with beautiful art and a sneaky Litwick. While she’s had great sales previously as high as $150, she’s begun to cool off and may soon be overtaken by Morpeko.

2) Mega Darkrai ex #118

As of June 11th, Mega Darkrai ex #118 is undoubtedly the top chase of the set. With its solid gold design its appeal is clear. It’s sold for as high as $1500, with most sales hitting $1200. That said, you may notice I have Goldilocks here as second place.

Mega Hyper Rares (the all-gold variants) always start off far more expensive and drop off within the first month. The exception that proves the rule is Charizard. Of the seven Mega Hypers released so far, only the ‘Zards have maintained their value while the Special Illustration Rares tend to overtake them. This very Darkrai has sold for as low as $700 already. That said, what could possibly surpass the Golden Darkrai in this set?

1) Mega Darkrai ex #114

Mega Darkrai as a Pokémon isn’t the most appealing to the (Non-abyss) eye. #114 does an incredible job of capturing the darkness of a Pokemon whose name translates to “Dark-Dark”. Akira Egawa is behind many beautiful pieces, including the gorgeous VSTAR quartet of Arceus and the Creation Trio (now that’s a band name) in Crown Zenith. A set of cards so iconic that there was a bit of speculation that Darkrai’s art could connect Giratina’s.

Overall, there isn’t much competition for the top three spots and there are plenty of contenders to bring up the rear. Personally, I’d like to see Gladion’s Showdown and Silvally climb to the top, but I’m not holding my breath. What cards are you looking forward to with this set? Do you agree with my assessment or am I way off the mark? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!