Black & White—Dark Explorers

Status: Released (May 2012)

Explore the Darkness with Black & White—Dark Explorers

The shadows deepened in the Unova region with the release of Black & White—Dark Explorers on May 9, 2012. This expansion is renowned for reviving the Darkness type, giving it a level of support and power that reshaped the competitive landscape. Black & White—Dark Explorers brought back the "Restored Pokémon" mechanic but is best known for its incredible lineup of Pokémon-EX, including the fearsome Darkrai-EX, the watery powerhouse Kyogre-EX, and the fiery Entei-EX.

The Era of Darkrai-EX

For many players, Black & White—Dark Explorers is simply "The Darkrai Set." Darkrai-EX's "Dark Cloak" ability, which gave free retreat to any Pokémon with Darkness energy attached, became the backbone of winning decks for years. The set also introduced "Dark Patch," an item card that allowed players to accelerate energy from the discard pile, making Darkrai decks incredibly fast and consistent. Collectors also flocked to the set for the secret rare Shiny Gardevoir and the highly valuable full-art versions of the legendary explorers.