Pokémon TCG Pocket to Revamp Trading System: Changes Coming Soon

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have finally shed light on major enhancements to the game's widely criticized trading system, which has been problematic since its launch. While the announced improvements are promising, their implementation will take considerable time.

In a detailed post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the upcoming changes:

Removal of Trade Tokens

• Trade tokens will be entirely eliminated, and players will no longer need to sacrifice cards to acquire trading currency.
• Trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust.
• Shinedust will be automatically earned when opening a booster pack and obtaining a card already registered in your Card Dex.
• Since shinedust is also used to obtain flair, the developers are considering increasing the amount provided to accommodate its new role in trading.
• This change should enable more frequent card trading than before the update.
• Existing trade tokens will be converted to shinedust upon their removal from the game.
• There will be no changes to how one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards are traded.

Additional Updates in Development

• A feature will be added allowing players to share cards they are interested in trading for via the in-game trading function.

The most significant change is the removal of Trade Tokens, which were specifically introduced for trading but have been a source of frustration. To trade a single ex Pokémon card, players previously had to discard five other ex cards to gather enough trade tokens, making the system highly discouraging.

The new system utilizing shinedust is much more favorable. Shinedust, already used in-game to purchase "flairs" for cards, is earned automatically from duplicate cards and through various events. Players who do not frequently use flairs likely have ample shinedust, and the developers are exploring ways to increase its availability to facilitate trading.

It's crucial for TCG Pocket to maintain some trading cost to prevent exploitation, such as creating multiple accounts to funnel rare cards to a main account. However, the trade token system was excessively costly, deterring average players from using it.

Another major improvement is the forthcoming feature allowing players to share desired trade cards. Currently, there's no in-game method to indicate what cards you're seeking in exchange, forcing players to rely on external communication or guesswork. This new feature should encourage more active trading with strangers by making the process clearer and more efficient.

The community has responded positively to these proposed changes, though there is a significant downside: many players have already discarded valuable cards to amass trade tokens, and there's no way to recover those losses. While existing trade tokens will convert to shinedust, the sacrificed cards are gone forever.

There's another challenge: the implementation of these changes is scheduled for the fall, meaning a long wait. During this period, trading is likely to stagnate further, as players will be reluctant to use the current system knowing a better alternative is coming. Several expansions may pass before the trading aspect of "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket" truly flourishes.

In the meantime, save your shinedust!