Gladions Final Battle
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare of the Supporter Gladion's Final Battle, card 118/084
- A Trainer card, not a Pokemon, so the draw is the Gladion character art
- Regular Ultra Rare print sits at 108; this is the full-art SIR at 118
- One of the cheaper SIRs in Pitch Black and the more affordable of the two Supporter SIRs, below Gwynn at 119
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Pitch Black
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 118/84 · $23.20 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyA character SIR for Gladion fans, not a top-of-set chase
Pitch Black (ME05) landed July 17, 2026 as the English print of Japan's Abyss Eye, and the value in the set is stacked heavily on the Mega Darkrai SIR. Gladion's Final Battle is a different kind of card. It is a Supporter, a Trainer rather than a Pokemon, and its pull comes from the character on the art instead of a competitive-hitting attacker or a marquee Mega.
“Special Illustration Rare of the Supporter Gladion's Final Battle, card 118/084”
The card shows up twice in ME05: a regular Ultra Rare print at 108, and this Special Illustration Rare full art at 118/084. The English name is Gladion's Final Battle, which is worth stating plainly because the Japanese card gets translated a few different ways in fan coverage, usually as Gladion's Decisive Battle or Gladion's Showdown. Those are unofficial renderings of the same card. Gladion's Final Battle is the correct English name once you are shopping the singles market.
Where it fits: this is one of the cheaper SIRs in the set and the more budget-friendly of the two Supporter SIRs, coming in under the Gwynn SIR at 119. For collectors chasing an Alola-era character rather than a dollar figure, that is the appeal.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Two weeks after launch the SIR trades around $29, the cheapest of the set's six Special Illustration Rares. That undercuts even the Japanese comp — the Gladion SAR from Abyss Eye traded around 5,000 to 6,000 yen, roughly $33 to $40 — continuing the pattern of English Pitch Black singles trading below Japan. It opened around $31 in launch week and has drifted gently since.
The English print skipped the drama entirely. It opened around $31, never spiked, and drifted to about $29 over two weeks while the set's attention stayed on Darkrai and Morpeko. Japan's gentle 17 percent post-launch fade translated into English as a card that simply started cheap and stayed there — flat is the whole story.
This is a collector and completionist card more than an investment. SIR Supporters tend to draw less demand outside Japan than SIR Pokemon do, which is a big part of why this is one of the cheaper cards in its rarity tier here. The upside case rests on Gladion's character appeal and on any competitive relevance the Supporter picks up, not on scarcity-driven price growth. Buy it because you want the card, not as a hold.
At this price the math on grading is tighter than it is for the set's expensive chases. A clean PSA 10 will carry a premium, but with a raw card under $30 the grading fee eats most of the value, so it only makes sense on a copy that looks like a genuine gem. Centering is the usual full-art risk; hold submissions for 55/45 or better on both axes.
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. That is the odds of pulling any of the six SIRs; this specific Gladion card works out to roughly 1 in 480 packs, so opening product to hit a $29 card is a spectacularly bad plan. Buy the single.
Within Pitch Black the SIR slot sits above the Illustration and Ultra Rares and below the gold Mega Hyper Rare. Among the SIRs themselves, Gladion's Final Battle is at the value floor rather than the ceiling, sitting under the Mega Darkrai headliner and under the other Supporter SIR, Gwynn at 119. Outside Japan, SIR Supporters generally trade below SIR Pokemon, which is why this lands as one of the more affordable cards in its tier.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
The specific illustrator for the Gladion's Final Battle SIR has not been confirmed in the sources available before release, so we are not attaching a name to it rather than guessing. Character Supporter SIRs in this era are drawn by a range of artists, and we will update this once the printed credit is verified.
Card 118 is the Special Illustration Rare full-art print of the Gladion's Final Battle Supporter, built around Gladion himself in a dramatic full-scene composition. One detail collectors have pointed out is that the art reads as a companion to the Illustration Rare of Silvally, Gladion's signature Pokemon, the two sharing a sunlight motif. We keep the description general here since the printed art is better seen directly than recalled from a summary.
Special Illustration Rare layout with a textured holo finish and art running edge to edge. Trainer, Supporter subtype, card number 118/084 in the ME05 set numbering. The regular Ultra Rare version of the same Supporter is 108.
The SIR frame gives a Supporter the same full-scene treatment normally reserved for Pokemon, and the visual link to the Silvally Illustration Rare rewards collectors who chase both. For Gladion fans it is the definitive version of his card in this set, sitting a clear step above the Ultra Rare print at 108.
BackgroundAbout Gladions Final Battle
Gladion is a human character rather than a Pokemon, so there is no species history here. He was introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon as a member of Team Skull turned rival, and is later revealed to be Lillie's brother and the child of Professor Lusamine. He is closely tied to Type: Null and its evolution Silvally, the artificial Pokemon he uses through the Alola story, which is exactly the connection the SIR art plays on with its Silvally motif.
- ›A fan-favorite rival from the well-liked Sun and Moon Alola generation
- ›Family ties to Lillie and Lusamine that gave him a real emotional arc in the games
- ›His signature partnership with Type: Null and Silvally, which the card art references
- ›Broad appeal to character collectors who chase Supporters over Pokemon
- ›Rival character in Pokemon Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (2016 to 2017)
- ›Recurring presence in the Sun and Moon animated series as Lillie's brother
As a Supporter, this card competes for the one-Supporter-per-turn slot rather than sitting on the Bench, so its ceiling is about deckbuilding value rather than raw stats. Early read is that it looks promising for single-prize and lower-to-the-ground builds, including the Hide 'n' Sneak anti-Dragapult archetype, where cheaper prize trades and consistent Supporter lines matter more than big attackers. Whether it becomes a staple depends on how the Standard format settles, and the SIR is a cosmetic upgrade of a card you can also run as the cheaper 108 print.
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 corners and the holo surface under good lighting, and watch for the faint print lines common to modern full-art stock. Because this card is comparatively cheap, condition is what separates a nice copy from a filler one.
Optional and only worthwhile on a standout copy. With a raw price under $30, the grading fee is a large fraction of the card's value, so reserve submissions for clean, well-centered copies with 55/45 or better on both axes. Most buyers of this card are better served keeping a sharp raw copy than paying to grade an average one. 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. Handle by the edges if you are keeping it in top condition. See the storage guide →
Buy the specific single rather than opening packs — this exact SIR runs about 1 in 480 packs against a $29 price tag. At that level the English print already trades below its Japanese comp of roughly $33 to $40, so there is no premium left to wait out. Confirm you are buying the 118 SIR and not the cheaper 108 Ultra Rare, since both are the same Supporter. See the singles buying guide →
Confirm the 118/084 numbering, the correct ME05 set marks, the Supporter subtype line, sharp text and holo pattern, and consistent full-art registration. At this price point the counterfeit risk is lower than on the set's expensive chases, but still buy from sellers with clear photos and be wary of listings that swap in the 108 image.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Reception is warm among Gladion and Alola fans and quieter everywhere else, which fits a mid-tier character SIR in a set whose attention is on the Mega Darkrai chase. The broader Pitch Black mood is muted, with collectors tired of the run of small single-headliner sets, and a budget Supporter SIR is not the card that changes that. For its intended audience, though, it is a welcome pull.
Most of the chatter around this card is from the character side, with fans noting the visual link between the Gladion art and the Silvally Illustration Rare. A smaller thread of play-focused discussion flags it as a card to watch for single-prize and Hide 'n' Sneak style decks. Both conversations are modest next to the set's headline Darkrai SIR.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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