Pokémon TCG Pocket's controversial trading mechanic has spawned a bizarre black market on eBay. Players are buying and selling digital cards for $5-$10 each, exploiting the game's friend-code-based trading system. Listings often require buyers to possess 500 Trade Tokens, Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" to facilitate the exchange. This circumvents the game's terms of service, which prohibit the buying and selling of virtual content, yet sellers essentially profit without losing valuable cards, as only same-rarity trades are allowed. Numerous listings for rare ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards flood eBay, along with entire accounts containing valuable in-game assets like Pack Hourglasses.

This online trading, while violating the terms of service, isn't directly linked to the initial player complaints. Those centered on the restrictive Trade Token system, requiring the deletion of five cards to trade one of equal rarity, and the lack of a public trading system within the app. Players criticized the high cost of obtaining Trade Tokens and the need to rely on external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay, to find trading partners. Many hoped for a built-in, community-driven trading system within the app itself.

The black market, however, would likely exist even without the Trade Token restrictions. The core issue lies in the game's limited trading mechanics, requiring friendships before trades can occur. Reddit user siraquakip, among others, expressed a desire for a safer, more accessible in-app trading system.

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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned against real-money trading and other exploitative behaviors, threatening account suspensions. Ironically, the Trade Token system, intended to prevent such exploits, has instead fueled the black market and alienated the community. While Creatures Inc. is investigating improvements to the trading feature, concrete solutions remain elusive despite complaints dating back three weeks.

Many believe the trading system's design is revenue-driven, considering Pokémon TCG Pocket's estimated half-billion-dollar revenue in under three months, prior to the trading feature. The inability to trade 2-Star or higher rarity cards further supports this theory; easy trading would reduce the need for players to spend significant sums on packs for a chance at rare cards. One player reportedly spent $1,500 completing the first set, highlighting the game's monetization strategy.