The long-awaited trade function in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has been the source of controversy since its implementation, but now the developers say one of its most annoying features will be going the way of Kabutops: extinct.
In a post shared on the official Pokémon forums, the developers state that “trade tokens will be completely removed and players will no longer need to exchange cards” for the necessary currency. Rather than relying on trade tokens, trades will now use shinedust for three- and four-diamond and one-star rarity trades.
Shinedust is already obtainable, and the post suggests the amount you earn will increase since it now has multiple uses. The developers say this update will allow players to trade more cards than they can currently. When trade tokens are removed from the game, any you currently own will automatically be converted to shinedust, although there isn’t any information on what the exchange rate might be.
As part of the changes, anytime you receive a duplicate of a card you own, you’ll receive shinedust. That said, no changes are coming to one- and two-diamond trades.
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An interesting new feature that’s on the way is the ability to flag specific cards you’re looking for through the in-game trading function. While not explicitly stated, this could allow players to browse for trades based on card type and take some of the footwork out of hunting down that one pesky card you can’t seem to get your hands on.
According to the developers, all of these changes are due to be implemented by the end of autumn 2025. They didn’t give a more specific date than that, but we expect it means by mid-November at the latest.
