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Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Brings Trading & New Expansion Next Week

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket art of Dialga, Palkia, and new trade items.

Since its launch in October, many trainers have been enjoying opening booster packs and battling in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, though one notable feature — part of the game’s name, no less — has been absent: trading. But today, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have revealed that this highly anticipated feature will debut next week, on January 29th, one day before the game’s next expansion, Space-Time Smackdown (the trailer shows dates one day earlier, for their Japanese availability). Let’s look at the trailer and then get into the details!


Space-Time Smackdown Expansion

What a dramatic trailer for a children’s card game! Seriously though, as one of many RPGFan folk who has been collecting cards since the mobile game launched, it’s exciting to see some personal favorites coming in this expansion like Leafeon. While this is obvious for big Pokémon fans already, the Space-Time Smackdown expansion will focus on the Sinnoh region, introducing starters Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, alongside the Legendary pokémon Dialga and Palkia. Other highlights we can see so far include a Cynthia trainer card, Lucario, and Pachirisu. This expansion, as with Mythical Island before it, will also introduce new binder and display board covers featuring Dialga, Palkia, and Darkrai.

Personally, I’m one card short of having all the ‘regular’ cards in Mythical Island, but of course I’m going to shift gears entirely on the 29th and see what Sinnoh goodness the poké-gods will bestow upon me.

Trading Arrives!

A expansion is always an exciting time, whether we’re talking Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket or Final Fantasy XIV. But it’s hard to deny the appeal of trading finally coming to a game with trading in its namesake! As with other features like booster packs and Wonder Pick, trading will use new items — namely, trade hourglasses and trade tokens — to facilitate trades between friends. To keep trades even, trainers will be able to trade cards with a rarity of ♦1-4 and ★1 with cards of the same rarity. At launch, trading will be available for Genetic Apex and Mythical Island cards, with the options expanding in the future.

While The Pokémon Company mentions some restrictions will apply to trading, they could simply refer to the ★1 “rarity cap.” As long as trading doesn’t require being in physical contact with your friends like in Pokémon GO (seriously, Niantic, I have friends worldwide and I shouldn’t have to fly to Australia or Japan to trade), this all sounds fine to me.

Trading and the Space-Time Smackdown expansion land in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket — available for iOS and Android devices — next week, on January 29th and 30th in Western regions. Good luck with your future booster packs and trades, trainers!

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Mike Salbato

Mike Salbato

Mike has been with RPGFan nearly since its inception, and in that time has worn a surprising number of hats for someone who doesn't own a hatstand. Today he balances his Creative Director role with his Editor-in-Chief status. Despite the amount of coffee in his veins, he bleeds emerald green.

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