Mega Zeraora ex
Quick take
- First Mega Zeraora in the TCG, from the fifth English Mega Evolution set
- Full art Ultra Rare by 5ban Graphics, secret-numbered above the 84-card base set
- Top ten of Pitch Black by market value, and it held firm after release day
- One of three Mega Zeraora ex prints in the set, below the GIDORA SIR at 114
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Pitch Black
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 98/84 · $5.38 — 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 full art face of Pitch Black's new Mega Zeraora
Pitch Black gave Zeraora its first Mega form in the TCG, and card 98 is the full art Ultra Rare version of it. The set is the fifth English Mega Evolution expansion, adapted from Japan's Abyss Eye, and it leans dark. Mega Darkrai ex headlines, with Zeraora as one of the stronger supporting acts. This print sits in the secret-numbered range above the 84-card base set, so master set builders need it whether they care about the Pokemon or not.
“First Mega Zeraora in the TCG, from the fifth English Mega Evolution set”
Zeraora carries real fan equity. It is the Mythical Thunderclap Pokemon from the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon generation, a fan favorite since its 2018 movie debut, and new cards for it come along rarely enough that each one gets noticed. A brand-new Mega form on top of that is an event. Early market reporting had Mega Zeraora ex as one of the few premium Pitch Black cards that firmed up rather than sagged in the first days after launch.
For collectors deciding between prints, the landscape is simple. The regular print sits at 27, this full art at 98, and a GIDORA Special Illustration Rare at 114. The SIR is the art chase. This Ultra Rare is the middle path, a proper full art hit that does not cost SIR money.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This print sits inside Pitch Black's top ten, in the set's middle tier of hits. It runs well below the Mega Darkrai ex chase prints and the Special Illustration Rares, but clearly above the Illustration Rares and the regular Zeraora at 27. Think of it as the affordable full art tier of the set.
Two weeks in, Zeraora remains the set's quiet outperformer: the SIR at 114 is one of only two cards in Pitch Black to gain since the first-weekend correction, and that firmness filters down to demand for this full art. Supply is still flowing while the set is in print, so expect slow movement rather than spikes.
Cautious. Release-week prices in modern sets usually drift down for months as product gets opened, and Ultra Rares sit in the rarity tier that softens most. The counterweight is Zeraora's fan base and the novelty of the Mega form. If you want one for the binder, waiting a few months typically works in your favor. If you are speculating, the GIDORA SIR at 114 is where the long-term art premium lives, not this print.
Too early for meaningful graded population data on this exact print. Modern full art Ultra Rares generally need a gem grade to return the grading fee, and even then the premium over raw is modest at this price tier. Grade it if you pulled a flawless copy and want the slab, not as a financial play.
Early community data for Pitch Black is thin and the samples disagree, so treat every number as provisional. The largest early sample, a bit over a hundred packs, plus a couple of published box breakdowns put Illustration Rares around 1 in 9 to 11 packs and full art Ultra Rares at roughly three per 36-pack booster box. Special Illustration Rares run far longer, with early reports landing somewhere between one per three boxes and one per six. Remember these odds cover any card of the rarity. Hitting this specific Zeraora rather than any Ultra Rare stretches well past a single booster box on average, so buying the single is almost always cheaper than opening for it.
Within Pitch Black, this print is meaningfully easier to pull than the six Special Illustration Rares and vastly easier than the gold Mega Darkrai Hyper Rare, which early reporting pegged among the toughest pulls in the modern game. Against recent Scarlet and Violet sets, the full art Ultra Rare odds here look broadly similar, a few per booster box, so the rarity feel will be familiar to anyone who opened product in 2023 through 2025.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
5ban Graphics is the CG studio behind a huge share of the TCG's main-rarity ex, V, and GX cards since the Black and White era. Their polished 3D renders are the house style of competitive-facing cards. In Pitch Black they handled both the regular print at 27 and this full art; the Special Illustration Rare at 114 went to GIDORA.
A full art CG treatment of the new Mega Zeraora form in 5ban's usual style, giving the debut design room to read clearly. Published sources confirm the print and the artist but do not yet describe the scene in detail, so treat this as a showcase of the new Mega design rather than a story piece.
Full art Ultra Rare, secret-numbered 098/084, with a holofoil surface across the card face.
It is the first full art of a brand-new Mega form. Debut prints of new forms tend to stay relevant in a Pokemon's card history even after later sets revisit the design. Within Pitch Black, it is also the accessible way to get Mega Zeraora in full art without paying SIR money.
BackgroundAbout Mega Zeraora ex
Zeraora is the Thunderclap Pokemon, a Mythical from the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon generation. It debuted on screen in the 2018 movie The Power of Us and built a fan base fast, helped by its feline fighter design, event-only distribution in the games, and a starring role in Pokemon UNITE's launch window. Its TCG appearances have been sparse compared to other Mythicals, which keeps each new print interesting. Pitch Black gives it something it never had before, a Mega Evolution.
- ›Feline fighter design that lands with both kids and adult collectors
- ›Mythical status and event-only game distributions built scarcity into the brand
- ›Relatively few TCG prints, so Zeraora collectors chase everything
- ›The new Mega form is a first, not a rehash of an old design
- ›Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018), its debut
- ›Pokemon UNITE, where it was given away during the game's launch window
- ›Event distributions in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon and later main series games
The card is a 270 HP Basic Lightning attacker. Thunderous Fist does 60 damage for each Lightning Energy attached, so it scales hard with energy acceleration, and Zepto Turn hits for 150 while switching back to the bench. The catch is the Mega Evolution ex rule: your opponent takes three Prize cards when it goes down. That risk profile keeps it in the fringe-playable bucket rather than a meta staple, but scaling attackers always attract deck builders.
Own it wellCollector guide
Modern full art cards show edge and corner whitening fast, especially against dark borders, and textured or glossy surfaces can hide light scratches until you tilt the card. Check the back edges under angled light before buying raw. Pack-fresh does not mean mint on modern product either, so inspect centering front and back.
Only grade a copy that looks flawless under strong light. Modern print quality means gem rates are decent, but the raw price of this print does not leave much room after grading fees. A gem grade makes sense for personal collection copies or if you pulled it pack fresh and sleeved it immediately. Anything short of gem will likely be worth less slabbed than raw. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve plus a snug toploader or semi-rigid, stored upright away from sunlight. For binder builders, use side-loading pages with the card sleeved. Full arts scuff badly with unsleeved handling, so avoid it entirely. See the storage guide →
This is a release-window card, so patience pays. Modern set hits usually get cheaper over the two to three months after launch as boxes get cracked. Buy the single rather than chasing packs. If you are choosing between prints, decide up front whether you want this full art or the GIDORA SIR at 114, because the SIR will always carry the premium. For master set purposes you eventually need both anyway. See the singles buying guide →
Counterfeit risk on a new mid-tier Ultra Rare is low, but the standard checks apply: the card should pass a light test showing the opaque black core layer, the holofoil should behave naturally as you tilt it rather than sitting flat, and the back should show the correct blue swirl gradient. Buy from established sellers during release windows, when fakes of new sets occasionally surface.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Positive for a supporting-cast card. Pitch Black discussion centers on Mega Darkrai ex and the Special Illustration Rares, but Mega Zeraora ex gets consistent mentions as the best of the rest. Zeraora fans are treating the debut Mega form as a must-have, and early price reporting singled this card out for holding firm while most of the set drifted.
Buzz has stayed steady past release week. Pack opening content highlights the SIR at 114 as the Zeraora pull, with this full art treated as the solid consolation hit. No controversy and no supply drama specific to this card so far.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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