The Pokémon Company has teamed up with NME to give fans an exclusive first-look at a new special illustration rare card from the upcoming ‘Pitch Black’ expansion, as well as it’s evolution line – check the three cards out below:
The first wave of Pokémon cards were released in the UK back in 1999 and since then, The Pokémon Company has released new sets and expansions every couple of months.
In May, main set ‘Chaos Rising’ was released, following on from ‘Perfect Order’ and special holiday set ‘Ascended Heroes’. Next month, ‘Pitch Black’ will launch and introduce more than 115 new Pokemon cards to the game including Mega Darkrai ex “which emerges from the shadows with commanding presence” and Mega Zeraora ex “which strikes back with electrifying power.”
“The expansion also features Mega Chandelure ex and Mega Excadrill ex, each bringing dynamic strategies and powerful battles to the forefront,” explains a press release.
NME readers can get an exclusive look at the English-language special illustration rare Mega Chandelure ex (featuring artwork by Rend) alongside its evolution chain – Litwick and Lampent – below:
In total, the ‘Pitch Black’ expansion will feature six Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, four standard ex and 11 illustration rare Pokémon card. The set also includes 18 ultra rare Pokémon and Trainer cards as well as six special illustration rare Pokémon and Supporter cards.
Pre-orders for ‘Pokemon Mega Evolutions – Pitch Black’ went live yesterday (June 10) on the UK Pokemon Centre website and sold out within three hours. The expansion will be available to purchase from participating retailers on July 17.
However, from July 4 Pokémon TCG players will be able to explore the ‘Mega Evolution—Pitch Black’ expansion early by attending one of the many Prerelease tournaments held by independent retailers as part of the Play! Pokémon program. Find your local participating TCG store here.
Later this year, The Pokemon Company will release a special 30th anniversary set featuring a Pikachu card in every pack alongside cards from across the TCG’s history. The expansion will launch worldwide on September 16. You can check out some of the cards already confirmed to be included via this teaser trailer.
The Pokémon Company has also confirmed a pair of ‘Night Out’ EDM gigs headlined by Marshmello will take place in London and LA later this year as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations. Four “family-focused” and “immersive” ‘Day Out’ events in France, the United States, Germany and Mexico are also planned for this summer.
In other news, Nintendo has confirmed that a reimagined version of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time will launch later this year – and fans couldn’t be more excited.