High Rarity Pokémon TCG Pocket Cards Fuel Black Market Trading

In the world of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, a curious black market has emerged, fueled by the game's new trading mechanic. Players are engaging in the controversial practice of buying and selling digital cards on platforms like eBay, with prices ranging from $5 to $10 per card. This trading is facilitated through the exchange of friend codes, allowing sellers to send cards directly to buyers.

For instance, a listing for a Starmie ex card is priced at $5.99, with the seller requesting that buyers come prepared with 500 Trade Tokens, one Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" card to trade. This setup, while clearly violating the game's terms of service, which prohibit the buying or selling of virtual contents, presents a unique twist. The seller essentially loses nothing in the transaction, as they receive another ex Pokémon card in return, which they can then resell.

This black market extends beyond individual cards. Listings for ex Pokémon and 1 Star alternate art cards, the rarest available for trade, are popping up with varying price tags. Additionally, entire accounts are being sold, complete with Pack Hourglasses and other rare cards, a practice not uncommon in the world of online gaming despite breaching service terms.

The trading feature in Pokémon TCG Pocket stirred controversy upon its release. Players have expressed frustration over the restrictions, including the need for Trade Tokens, which require sacrificing five cards from one's collection just to trade one. The mechanic also necessitates a friendship connection, limiting the ease of trading within the community.

Some players, like siraquakip on Reddit, had hoped for a more open trading system to foster community engagement. The current system's limitations have led to players using external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay to find the cards they need, rather than being able to list cards for public trade within the app itself.

Creatures Inc., the developer behind Pokémon TCG Pocket, has explicitly warned against trading cards for real money and other forms of cheating. Despite implementing the Trade Tokens mechanic to prevent such exploitation, it has not been effective, and has instead turned much of the community against the developer. Creatures Inc. is "actively investigating ways to improve" the trading feature, though no specific plans have been announced.

Critics argue that the trading system is designed to boost revenue for the game, which has already seen significant earnings. The inability to trade higher rarity cards like those of 2 Star or above suggests a strategy to encourage players to spend more on packs in hopes of completing sets, with one player reportedly spending $1,500 to complete the first set alone.

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