The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have finally unveiled significant enhancements to the game's widely criticized trading system, which has been problematic since its inception. These improvements are promising, but their implementation will take considerable time.

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

Removal of Trade Tokens

• Trade tokens will be entirely eliminated, removing the need for players 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 currently used to obtain flair, the developers are considering increasing the amount available to accommodate its new role in trading.
• This change should enable more frequent trading than before.
• Existing trade tokens will be converted to shinedust upon their removal from the game.
• Trading mechanics for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards remain unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

• A new feature will allow players to share cards they are interested in trading through the in-game trading system.

The most significant change is the elimination of Trade Tokens, the current trading currency, which has been a major pain point for players. Previously, acquiring Trade Tokens involved discarding valuable cards, making trading a costly and frustrating process. For instance, trading one ex Pokémon card required sacrificing five other ex cards to gather enough tokens, a system that discouraged most players from trading.

The new system using shinedust offers a much more user-friendly approach. Shinedust, already used for purchasing "flairs" (animations that enhance cards during matches), is earned automatically when players receive duplicate cards and can also be obtained through events. With shinedust, players are likely to have a surplus, and the developers are exploring ways to increase its availability to facilitate smoother trading.

Implementing some cost to trading is essential to prevent exploitation, such as creating multiple accounts to accumulate and transfer rare cards. The current Trade Token system, however, was excessively costly and deterred regular players.

Another crucial update is the ability to share desired trade cards in-game. Currently, players can list cards for trade but have no way to communicate their desired trade items within the game, leading to guesswork and minimal trading with strangers. The new feature should enhance clarity and encourage more active trading.

The community has responded positively to these proposed changes, although there is a significant downside: players have already discarded many rare cards to collect Trade Tokens, with no way to recover them. While existing tokens will convert to shinedust, the lost cards are irretrievable.

Unfortunately, these improvements won't be implemented until the fall of this year, according to the blog post. In the interim, trading activity may stagnate as players await the new system, unwilling to sacrifice more rare cards under the current setup. Several expansions may come and go before the trading aspect of "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket" truly flourishes.

In the meantime, players are advised to save their shinedust for the upcoming changes.