Card trading is coming to the Pokémon TCG app

A much-awaited feature is coming to the Pokémon TCG Pocket app sometime this month: Trading. In the game, which The Pokémon Company brought to mobile late last year, players can collect cards by opening digital booster packs. They can then use the Pokémon cards they get to battle each other. When the trading feature goes live, they'll also be able to improve their decks by trading with other people, though the feature will come with a set of limitations. 

Players will only be able to trade cards with their friends, and the cards must be of the same rarity. Both criteria potentially limit the cards players can obtain. To note, the game has eight rarity levels, and cards from the three highest tiers — the ones most difficult to draw — cannot be traded for now. In addition, The Pokémon Company has revealed that "items must be consumed in order to trade," though it didn't specify what those items are and how many will be expended per transaction. Finally, while only certain cards from the Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs can be traded at launch, the company said that it's planning to expand the pack selection players can trade from. 

There's no specific release date for trading yet, but the company seems to be open to suggestions when it comes to improving the feature. It's inviting everyone to try the feature and send in feedback when it becomes available, so that "the game can continue to evolve in an enjoyable way for everyone."