Chaos Rising vs Pitch Black ETB: Which to Buy (2026)
By Dexhaul Team · October 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Buy ME04 Chaos Rising if you want Mega Greninja ex or are building the ME series from the beginning. Buy ME05 Pitch Black if you want the most recent set before Delta Reign, or if Mega Darkrai ex is the draw.
Both ETBs launched in 2026, both sit at the same price floor right now, and both will stay in print alongside ME06 Delta Reign when it releases November 6, 2026. The decision comes down to which headliner you want and where you are in the series.
At a glance
| ME04 Chaos Rising | ME05 Pitch Black | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | May 22, 2026 | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Headliner | Mega Greninja ex | Mega Darkrai ex |
| Also features | Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, Mega Dragalge ex | Mega Zeraora ex |
| Standard ETB packs | 9 | 9 |
| Standard ETB promo | Full-art foil Fennekin | Foil promo card |
| Standard ETB floor | $59.99 (observed Oct 2026) | $59.99 (observed Oct 2026) |
| PC ETB packs | 11 | 11 |
| PC ETB floor | $129.99 (observed Oct 2026) | $128.98 (observed Oct 2026) |
| Mega origin | Legends: Z-A base game (Oct 2025) | Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC (Dec 2025) |
| Set theme | Urban chaos / nature forces | Darkness / night |
| Buy if | Greninja fan, completionist, new to the ME series | Darkrai fan, picking the current set, DLC-era collector |
On this page 6 sections
Where Chaos Rising wins
Greninja is one of the most searched Pokémon names across cards, plush, and games, year over year. That demand doesn't inflate ME04's ETB price above ME05, but it does something more useful: it holds the floor.
The standard Chaos Rising ETB starts at $59.99 across multiple independent sellers as of October 2026, and the Pokémon Center ETB (11 packs, two promos) hasn't slipped below $129.99 despite being five months on the market.
Older sets in other eras tend to soften once a new release replaces them. ME04 hasn't. The Greninja headliner is the clearest reason.
The standard ETB includes 9 booster packs, a full-art foil Fennekin promo, 65 card sleeves, 40 energy cards, a player's guide, 6 damage-counter dice, and a competition-legal coin flip die. Fennekin is a Kalos starter, and the Kalos region is where Mega Evolution first appeared in the main series games, so the promo card ties the product to its own lore.
Every headliner in ME04 debuted as a Mega in Pokémon Legends: Z-A (released October 16, 2025). Mega Greninja ex, Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex all appear in the base game, making Chaos Rising the "launch window" set for this generation of Megas. The Chaos Rising booster box has similar pricing dynamics if you're looking at a higher pack count.
Where Pitch Black wins
ME05 is the most recent set before Delta Reign. If you're buying one ETB to get your collection current before the November launch, Pitch Black is the more logical starting point.
The headliners, Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zeraora ex, both made their Mega debut in the Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC (released December 10, 2025). That detail separates ME05 from ME04 in a meaningful way: this is the DLC set. The base-game Megas arrived in ME01 through ME04; ME05 is where the expansion content starts showing up on cardboard.
Pitch Black is also the first ME series entry with a dedicated darkness theme. ME01 (Prismatic Evolutions) leaned into light and energy; ME02 was legendary scale; ME03 centered natural balance; ME04 is urban chaos.
ME05 is the first set in the line to place darkness and night as the core. For collectors working through the series, it reads as the thematic inverse of ME01.
The standard ETB price floor matches ME04 exactly at $59.99 as of October 2026. The Pokémon Center ETB is fractionally cheaper at $128.98 observed, vs ME04's $129.99.
The difference is negligible, but the direction is notable: a newer set at the same price or lower. That's the Greninja effect working in reverse.
The deciding question
Both ETBs give you 9 packs of the same booster quality at identical price floors. The format is not the deciding factor. The set is.
Completionists and series starters
If you're working through the ME series from the beginning, start with ME04. It released in May 2026, is still available at floor prices, and the sealed ETB supply across independent sellers remains solid. Waiting tends to make the older set harder to find at near-MSRP pricing, and ME04 has already held its floor longer than most sets at its age.
Players and current-meta buyers
Players entering the ME series before Delta Reign have a case for ME05 first. More Pitch Black cards are in current tournament circulation, the promo card is from the more recent release, and buying the newer set keeps your collection timeline linear when ME06 drops.
Buying both
The Pokémon Center ETBs for ME04 and ME05 are within $2 of each other right now, which makes the pair an efficient catch-up for anyone who missed both original release windows. If you're considering both, check out the comparison between Delta Reign and Pitch Black ETBs to see where ME06 fits in the stack before committing. And if you're buying from a seller you haven't used before, the guide to spotting fake Pokémon ETBs and booster boxes is worth a read first.
As a Q4 gift
Both ETBs are strong gift picks in the $60–$75 range. ME04 is the safer choice for a recipient who isn't deep into the ME series yet: the Greninja branding is more recognizable, and the Fennekin foil promo adds a visible extra to the box that reads well on unboxing. ME05 suits a collector who is already tracking the series and knows what the Darkrai theme means.
For anyone building a broader Pokémon gift around one of these ETBs, the 2026 holiday gift guide covers accessories, plush, and apparel picks across every price tier, including what pairs well with a sealed TCG product.
Frequently asked questions
Is ME04 Chaos Rising still worth buying in late 2026?
Yes. It is in print, available at the same price floor as ME05, and the Greninja headliner has held demand steady across independent sellers. Being older doesn't make it a worse buy if the cards you want are in the set.
Are ME04 and ME05 tournament-legal in 2026?
Both are legal in Standard format for the current season. ME06 Delta Reign joins the legal card pool at its November 6, 2026 release date.
What is the difference between the standard ETB and the Pokémon Center ETB?
Standard ETBs contain 9 packs and one promo card. The Pokémon Center ETB contains 11 packs, exclusive promo cards, and is sold through Pokémon Center and selected retailers. Both ME04 and ME05 PC ETBs are priced near $129 at current observed prices, a $55–$70 premium over the standard ETB floor.
Does Pitch Black connect to Delta Reign's Mega Rayquaza ex?
No. Each ME expansion is a standalone set. ME06 Delta Reign features Mega Rayquaza ex as its headliner and introduces its own card pool separately from ME05.
Which set has a bigger card count?
ME04 Chaos Rising and ME05 Pitch Black are both standard-sized expansions in the Mega Evolution series. For exact card counts, Bulbapedia's set index pages are the authoritative source once sets are catalogued post-release.
Browse current ETB listings for both sets, including the Pokémon Center exclusives and standard versions from independent shops, at DexHaul Elite Trainer Boxes. DexHaul is independent and not affiliated with The Pokémon Company.
Catch 'em all
More ME04 and ME05 ETB listings from independent shops.