The launch of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was met with excitement, but it quickly faced challenges with its trading system. Initially, the trading feature was criticized for requiring hard-to-obtain Trade Tokens and imposing numerous restrictions on what could be traded and with whom. However, a recent update promises significant improvements to address these issues.
The most notable change is the complete removal of Trade Tokens. Now, trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will require Shinedust instead. You can earn Shinedust by opening booster packs and receiving cards that are already registered in your Card Dex. If you currently own Trade Tokens, they can be converted into Shinedust, which is also used to obtain flair. Further updates to Shinedust are planned, and an upcoming feature will allow you to share cards you're interested in trading through an in-game function.
Trading Spaces
As previously discussed, the initial implementation of trading in Pokémon TCG Pocket seemed half-hearted. The digital ecosystem necessitates more restrictions than real-life trading to prevent abuse, which has been a significant hurdle. While these changes are a step in the right direction, they won't be implemented until autumn at the earliest, leaving players waiting through the spring. This slow pace of addressing the issues has left many fans wishing for quicker action from the development team.
If you're hesitant to dive back into Pokémon TCG Pocket just yet, consider exploring some of the new mobile games featured in our latest article on the top five new releases to try this week.