Morpeko ex
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare of Morpeko ex, card 117/084, Darkness type
- The set's strongest post-launch performer: $92 at the correction low to about $124 two weeks in, second among the six SIRs
- Appeal is driven by a genuinely funny image, not by rarity or competitive play
- A regular ex, not a Mega, with three prints in the set (055 base, 102 UR, 117 SIR)
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Pitch Black
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 117/84 · $62.71 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe set's one genuinely fun card, and its strongest post-launch mover
Pitch Black (ME05) landed July 17, 2026 as another Mega Evolution era set built around a single headliner, and almost all of its value sits with Mega Darkrai. The interesting exception is Morpeko ex at 117/084. It entered presale as the number two card behind the Darkrai SIR, crashed to about $92 in the first-weekend correction, and then rebounded to about $124 while the rest of the SIR tier drifted sideways or down — the strongest post-launch move in the set, and a surprising performance from a small comedic Pokemon.
“Special Illustration Rare of Morpeko ex, card 117/084, Darkness type”
What is doing the work here is the art rather than any competitive case. Morpeko is a Gen 8 Pokemon, the Two-Sided Pokemon that flips between a cheerful Full Belly Mode and a furious Hangry Mode, and the SIR catches it at peak Hangry: a tiny hamster caught mid-leap, absolutely livid. It reads as a joke in the best way, and collectors respond to that. Where the Darkrai SIR sells on drama, the Morpeko sells on charm.
Morpeko ex shows up three times in the set. There is a Double Rare base print at 055, an Ultra Rare full art at 102, and this Special Illustration Rare at 117. Note that it is a regular ex, not a Mega, so it carries a two-prize cost rather than the three-prize weight of the Mega cards. For collectors, 117 is the version that matters.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Two weeks after launch the SIR trades around $124, and the route there is the story: roughly $193 in presale, a first-weekend crash to about $92, then a 35 percent rebound that briefly topped $130 in late July. It sits second among the six SIRs behind only the Darkrai SIR, and third in the set overall once the gold Mega Hyper Rare ($189) is counted. The Japanese comp near $60 remains far below the English print — the divergence flagged at launch has narrowed but not closed.
The English print compressed a month of Japanese price action into two weeks, then wrote its own ending. The presale premium corrected violently, as launch research warned it might — but instead of converging on Japan's $60 level, the price found buyers at $92 and climbed back to about $124 while every other SIR in the set sat flat or drifted lower. A rebound against a falling tier is the classic signature of demand specific to the card, not the set.
The bull case half-proved itself: funny, well-loved character art found a hard floor within days and rebounded while everything around it kept fading. The bear case half-proved itself too — presale buyers at $193 are still down about 35 percent. The honest read now is that $92 was the gift window and it closed fast. At $124 the card is no longer cheap against its Japanese comp, so buy it because you love it; the market has shown plenty of people do.
A clean PSA 10 should carry a premium over raw, though at a lower absolute level than the Darkrai SIR, so the grading fee eats a bigger share of the upside here. Reserve submissions for strong gem candidates with good centering, and note that English graded comps are only starting to form at the two-week mark — give it a few more weeks before sending anything in.
TCGPlayer's count of just over 4,000 Pitch Black packs puts any Special Illustration Rare at 1 in 80 packs — a measured ME05 number now, not an era estimate. The catch is that 1 in 80 covers any of the set's six SIRs. Pulling this specific Morpeko works out to roughly 1 in 480 packs, so buying the single is the sane route if you want this exact card.
Within Pitch Black the SIR slot sits above every Illustration and Ultra Rare. Among the six SIRs, Morpeko is the clear number two by price at about $124, well behind the Mega Darkrai SIR but comfortably ahead of the rest of the field — and it is the only one whose price rose over the set's first two weeks. That is a strong showing for a card with no competitive draw and no Mega weight behind it.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
The illustrator credit for this print was not confirmed at the time of research and will be added once verified against the printed card. What is clear is that the composition is doing the heavy lifting: the appeal here is the idea and the expression rather than a marquee illustrator name driving the price.
Card 117 is the Special Illustration Rare print of Morpeko ex, a full-art composition catching Morpeko mid-leap in its furious Hangry Mode. We are keeping the description general since the printed art is the point and rewards being seen directly rather than recalled from a summary. The short version: it is a very small, very angry hamster, and it is funny on purpose.
Special Illustration Rare layout with a textured holo finish and art running edge to edge. Darkness type, Basic, 180 HP, card number 117/084 in the ME05 set numbering.
The SIR frame gives the artist room to build a full comedic scene around a Pokemon that is mostly known for being a gag, and the result is one of the few cards in Pitch Black that people share because it made them laugh. Against the Ultra Rare full art at 102 and the base Double Rare at 055, the 117 SIR is the version collectors point to when they want the funny Morpeko.
BackgroundAbout Morpeko ex
Morpeko is a Dark and Electric type introduced in Gen 8's Pokemon Sword and Shield. It is the Two-Sided Pokemon, defined by its Hunger Switch ability that flips it between a friendly Full Belly Mode and an aggressive Hangry Mode each turn, changing its type and its signature move Aura Wheel in the process. That gimmick, a small creature that visibly loses its temper, is the source of both its comedy and its recognizability.
- ›The Hangry Mode gag, which turns a small rodent into a running joke
- ›Strong presence in the Sword and Shield games and anime as a recurring, expressive character
- ›A design that reads instantly as cute-turned-furious, ideal for comedic art
- ›Broad affection for the little-guy Pokemon niche it fills
- ›Debut in Pokemon Sword and Shield (Gen 8) as the Two-Sided Pokemon
- ›Recurring anime appearances that leaned into its mode-flipping temper for comedy
Morpeko ex is a Basic with 180 HP. Wheely Draw costs a single Darkness Energy and shuffles your hand into your deck, then draws six cards, a hand-refill option. Hangry Blaster costs two Darkness Energy and hits for 40 plus 40 more for each damage counter already on Morpeko, so it scales up as it takes damage. That is a fun, self-referential kit that fits the character, but it is niche rather than a format staple, and the card's demand is clearly collector-driven rather than competitive.
Own it wellCollector guide
Special Illustration Rares show edge whitening and surface scratches easily because the art runs to the border and the holo layer catches light. Inspect the corners and the holo surface under good lighting, watch for the faint print lines common to modern full-art stock, and check for bowing — curled cards are Pitch Black's most-reported quality issue.
Worth grading on clean copies, with the caveat that the lower price point means the fee is a larger share of the value than it is on the Darkrai. Reserve submissions for strong gem candidates with 55/45 or better centering on both axes, and wait a few more weeks for the English graded market to establish real comps before sending a batch. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve plus a top loader or a semi-rigid holder, kept out of direct sunlight to protect the holo, and stored flat since full-art cards are prone to bowing — a live issue in this print run. If you are holding for grading, handle by the edges only from the moment it leaves the pack. See the storage guide →
Buy the single rather than gambling on sealed product — this exact SIR runs about 1 in 480 packs. On timing, the easy entry already came and went: the card bottomed near $92 in the first weekend and rebounded to about $124. Chasing a rebound is rarely comfortable, but waiting for a re-test of the low has cost buyers 35 percent in two weeks. If you want it, decide on today's price, not the one in a launch-week screenshot. See the singles buying guide →
Confirm the 117/084 numbering, the correct ME05 set marks, sharp text and holo pattern, and consistent full-art registration. Buy from reputable sellers with clear photos of front, back, and corners, and be cautious with listings priced well below market.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Reception on this card is warm and a little affectionate, which stands out in a set that is otherwise drawing a mixed response. Collectors fatigued by Pitch Black being the third small single-headliner set in a row still single out the Morpeko SIR as a card they actually want, usually because it made them smile — and two weeks of trading turned that warmth into hard numbers, with the set's only price rebound.
The Morpeko SIR gets shared as the funny card of the set — including single-pack miracle-pull threads that travel well beyond the usual TCG circles — a counterweight to the Darkrai talk that dominates the rest of the conversation. In a set whose chatter otherwise leans toward pull-luck complaints and 30th Anniversary anticipation, a card people post because it made them laugh is a notable exception.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Mega Evolution Pitch Black master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
