Pokémon TCG Pocket's Trading Explained: How Trading Works In The New Update

A lot of exciting new content is finally coming to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket later this month, and it will bring an exciting new way for players to obtain more cards. On top of a brand-new set of booster packs, the developers also revealed that trading is finally being included in the game. Finally, players will have the opportunity to exchange the cards they have obtained from the current sets with others from around the world, adding a whole new way to add to and finish giant card collections.

Currently, there are over four hundred available cards to collect in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and it can take a long time for players to obtain them all, especially if they don't wish to spend any money in the process. With multiple booster packs to collect from and some new ones soon to be on the way, players will need more and more ways to complete their collections. Fortunately, trading provides the perfect solution to that issue, though there is a lot that players will need to know before the new feature comes out.

When Trading Is Added To TCG Pocket

Trading Will Arrive Later This Month

Custom image by Christian Hoffer

As announced on January 23, trading will be added to Pokémon TCG Pocket very soon, on January 28, 2025. This means that players everywhere will only need to wait about a week for this long-awaited feature to finally become available. Considering how many cards there are across both sets and how long it can potentially take to find all of them without paying any real-world money, this feature has been coming for a long time. The feature will help players finally complete their collections. They can now finally truly imitate the experience of trading physical cards with other collectors but in digital form.

This date also means that trading will become available shortly before the new Generation 4 expansion set known as Space-Time Smackdown becomes available. However, despite how close these two dates are, the development team clarified that any cards from Space-Time Smackdown will not be eligible for trading immediately. As disappointing as this may be, there is still much to look forward to once trading becomes available.

Which Cards Can Be Traded In Pokémon TCGP

Not All Cards Will Be Able To Be Traded

Once trading finally becomes available in PokémonTCG Pocket, only a large selection of specific cards from Genetic Apex and Mythical Island will be eligible. Specifically, players will be able to exchange any card with either one star or one to four diamonds in terms of rarity. The only known requirement regarding trading these cards is that both cards need to be the same rarity to be able to be swapped between players, thereby ensuring that each trade is considered fair by both parties involved in the exchange.

The rarity symbols that are shown on the cards are as follows:

Unfortunately, such limitations completely exclude the possibility of trading any full art, such as illustrations, gold, or immersive cards. This means that, for now, players will need to continue opening booster packs if they want to get their hands on the rarest cards in the game. While many can only hope that these limitations will be lifted so they can finally obtain these cards, only time will tell if this will ever actually become the case, so at least many other cards can still be traded with players worldwide.

What New Items Are Needed To Trade Pokémon

Tokens & Hourglasses Will Be Required

Custom image made by Jessica Barthelt.

The developers announced via the official website that with the introduction of trading in TCG Pocket, players will be required to use brand-new items. Players will be able to obtain trade tokens, which can be spent to finally trade with other players. While there is currently no indication of how these tokens will work in the game, it can be implied that they will work the same as the tokens for Wonder Pick.

Furthermore, trading will utilize a stamina bar that will limit how many trades players can make daily. To recharge this bar faster, players can obtain new hourglasses known as trade hourglasses, which will be easily identifiable due to their bright green color. Although more information still needs to be revealed regarding these hourglasses and the limits regarding the frequency of being able to trade, it is clear that utilizing the same system will allow for both simplicity and cohesion with the game's other features.

Will Future Updates Let You Trade More Cards

Future Trading Updates Will Be Coming

Despite the current limitations, the development team has clarified that they are looking to make more cards eligible for trading in the future. They have stated that they will be looking to expand the selection of cards that can be traded between players, which hopefully means that much rarer cards will eventually be included in that collection. Furthermore, it is undeniable that cards from the upcoming Space-Time Smackdown set will be added as well, finally allowing players everywhere to get their hands on a bunch of new cards or complete their current collection.

It cannot be denied that the inclusion of trading in TCG Pocket has been a long time coming. Despite the limitations that limit the kinds of cards that can be traded, along with the frequency of the trading itself, players are excited by the fact that they will finally be able to exchange the cards they have in their collection, allowing them to potentially help others complete their sets while also in the process of finishing their own. Ultimately, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket players have a lot to look forward to with this new feature, and it will only be a matter of time before more cards from existing and future sets become eligible for trade.

Source: The Pokémon Company

Pokemon

Created by

Satoshi Taijiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda

Video Game(s)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Pokemon Snap, Pokémon GO

First Film

Pokemon: The First Movie

Latest Film

Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle

First TV Show

Pokémon

First Episode Air Date

April 1, 1997

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