High Rarity Pokémon TCG Cards Fuel Black Market Trading Frenzy

In a surprising twist, the digital realm of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has birthed a controversial black market fueled by its recently introduced trading mechanic. Players are now buying and selling digital cards online, with eBay listings showcasing cards like Starmie ex being sold for $5 to $10. This illicit trade is facilitated through friend code exchanges, allowing sellers to send cards directly to buyers within the game.

A typical listing for a card such as Starmie ex requires the buyer to have 500 Trade Tokens, one Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" to swap for the desired card. This method, while a clear violation of Pokémon TCG Pocket's terms of service, which strictly prohibits "buying or selling virtual contents or data on the service," presents a peculiar scenario. The seller loses nothing in the transaction, as they gain another ex Pokémon in the trade, which they can then resell. The only restriction is that cards of the same rarity must be traded, perpetuating this cycle.

The eBay marketplace is flooded with listings for ex Pokémon and 1 Star alternate art cards, the rarest cards available for trading. Even entire accounts, complete with Pack Hourglasses and rare cards, are being sold, a practice not uncommon in online games despite being against the terms of service.

The trading feature in Pokémon TCG Pocket has been controversial since its introduction last week. It's part of a broader system designed to encourage real-world spending, including restrictions on opening packs and Wonder Picking. The addition of Trade Tokens, which require players to delete five cards from their collection to trade one of the same rarity, has drawn significant criticism for its high cost.

This black market would likely have emerged regardless of the trading restrictions. The main grievance among players is the limited nature of the trading mechanic, which requires players to be friends to trade, pushing them to use external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay to find cards they need. Players like siraquakip on Reddit have expressed a desire for a more community-friendly trading system within the app itself.

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Creatures Inc., the developer behind Pokémon TCG Pocket, has explicitly warned against the buying and selling of cards with real-world money and other forms of cheating. They've stated that any confirmed violations of the Terms of Use could result in warnings, account suspensions, or other actions. Ironically, the Trade Tokens mechanic, intended to prevent such exploitation, has failed to curb this black market activity, instead drawing ire from the community.

While Creatures Inc. is "actively investigating ways to improve" the trading feature, no specific plans have been disclosed 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 even introduced. The inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher further supports this theory, as it forces players to spend more money to complete sets. For instance, one player reportedly spent $1,500 to complete the first set, with the third set arriving last week.