Darkrai may be the mascot of the Pokémon TCG‘s brand new Pitch Black expansion, but he’s not the only chase card in town. Personally, I always find it interesting to see who claims that silver medal, and earns a place as the second most desirable card in the set. In the case of Pitch Black, it looks like that honor goes to Morpeko.
Morpeko is a Pokémon that knows two moods. It’s either smiling contentedly when it’s in ‘Full Belly Mode’ or frowning and glowering furiously when it’s in ‘hangry mode’. Since Pitch Black fully embraces grimdark vibes, it’s only appropriate that the SIR Morpeko ex card depicts it raging at the world while hangry as hell.
According to data from TCGplayer, the Special Illustration Rare card for this incredibly irate rodent is currently the 3rd most expensive Pokémon card in Pitch Black. At a market price of $135 (£101) it is, at the time of this article’s publication, trailing only the Super Illustration Rare Mega Darkrai ex, and also Darkrai’s Mega Hyper Rare counterpart.
Outside of the two Darkrais, Morpeko ex is also the only Pitch Black card that currently commands a triple digit price tag. The closest competitor, Mega Zeraora ex, is currently valued at $72 (£54).
Appreciation for Morpeko even crosses cultural barriers, as it’s also the most valuable non-Darkrai card in Abyss Eye, the Japanese counterpart to Pitch Black. It can be difficult to discern exactly why certain Pokémon cards are more valuable than others. It’s often tied abstractly to their perceived collectibility and desirability as pieces of artwork. In Morpeko’s case, it might have something to do with the brightly colored Pikachu cheeks dotting each side of its face, or perhaps there’s just something inherently relatable about Morpeko’s hangry frustration.
For future Pokémon sets, do you want to see more Morpeko, or less…peko. Let us know in the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
