The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has encountered an unusual issue with a black market emerging around its digital cards. Players are now buying and selling these cards online, exploiting the game's new trading mechanic. Listings for these cards have appeared on eBay, with prices ranging from $5 to $10 per card. Sellers are using the game's trading system, asking buyers to exchange friend codes and then trade a card in return for another.
For instance, a $5.99 listing for a Starmie ex card requires buyers to have 500 Trade Tokens, one Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" to trade. This practice blatantly violates the Pokémon TCG Pocket terms of service, which prohibits the buying or selling of virtual content. Interestingly, sellers face no loss in this transaction, as they receive another ex Pokémon card of equal rarity, which they can then resell.
eBay is filled with listings for ex Pokémon and 1 Star alternate art cards, the rarest cards available for trade, as well as entire accounts boasting Pack Hourglasses and rare cards. While trading in Pokémon TCG Pocket stirred controversy upon its release, this online trading issue is somewhat separate from initial player complaints.
The trading mechanic in the game restricts players from opening packs or using Wonder Picking too frequently without spending real money. Additionally, the introduction of Trade Tokens, which require players to delete five cards from their collection to trade one of the same rarity, has been heavily criticized. Despite these restrictions, the black market would likely have emerged regardless, given the basic nature of the trading system that necessitates a friend connection for trades.
Some players, like siraquakip on Reddit, hoped for a safer way to connect the community through trading. They have requested a feature to list cards for public trade within the app, reducing the need for external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay.
Every Alternate Art 'Secret' Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Space Time Smackdown
52 Images
Creatures Inc., the developer, has warned players against buying and selling cards with real money, stating that violations of the Terms of Use could lead to warnings, account suspensions, or other actions. Ironically, the Trade Tokens mechanic, introduced to prevent such exploitation, has failed to curb these activities and has instead alienated much of the community.
The developer is "actively investigating ways to improve" the trading feature, but specifics remain undisclosed despite complaints starting three weeks ago. Some fans speculate that the trading system is designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly earned half a billion dollars in less than three months before trading was introduced. The inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher further supports this theory, as it encourages players to spend more money on random chances to obtain rare cards. One player reportedly spent around $1,500 just to complete the first set, with the third set arriving last week.
