Since launching in October 2024, Pokémon TCG Pocket has been a huge success, with millions of players having succumbed to the charm of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, albeit in a simplified, faster paced form. Given that Pokémon TCG Pocket is a free-to-play mobile title, it does mean that it contains numerous currencies with which to buy in-game items, or accelerate certain timers. In fact, there are so many of these different currencies that it’s incredibly confusing, even for players who’ve sunk more than a few hours into the collecting and battling that the game has to offer.
So let’s take a look at each of these currencies in turn, and explain what they do, as well as how to obtain them.
Hourglasses
Event Hourglasses
This type of Hourglass is not one you’ll see as a general item in Pokémon TCG Pocket; instead, it’s tied to specific events in-game, earned by completing missions or challenges for a time-limited event. Used to recharge event stamina, which itself is used to take part in event challenges (or solo battles, as noted in the above screenshot), the Event Hourglasses can recharge Event Stamina, with each spent Hourglass recharging one heart of Event Stamina.
Pack Hourglasses
Earned as a reward for levelling up (you’ll get 12 each time you level up in Pokémon TCG Pocket), Pack Hourglasses are used to reduce the time it takes to open standard card packs. These card packs are earned at the rate of twice a day at normal speed, and you’ll have a timer to countdown to the next free pack. Each Hourglass you spend will accelerate that timer by an hour.
As the timer to open a pack is set at 12 hours after you open your last free pack, you’ll need to spend 12 hourglasses to immediately open another pack. Hourglasses can also be earned by completing some missions, and can be purchased with regular Shop Tickets too.
Wonder Hourglasses
The final (for now) type of hourglass is the Wonder Hourglass, again earned as rewards through completing missions, and are also available to purchase with shop tickets. Wonder Hourglasses accelerate the time left on Wonder Stamina, which, when full, allows you to attempt better quality Wonder Picks. It does seem that explaining each type of Hourglass opens a new can of worms about what it actually does; to explain, Wonder Picks are card packs opened by other users, which you can choose one card from, using Wonder Stamina. The better the pack’s contents, the more expensive the wonder pick is in terms of its Wonder Stamina cost, measured in hearts.
Pack Points
These points are earned from opening card packs, at the rate of five Pack Points per pack opened. They can be spent in the Pack Point Exchange, and they’re used for unlocking any card that you want to add to your collection. This is particularly useful if you’re after specific cards for a deck you’re building, but it feels as if this, along with many other of the currencies in Pokémon TCG Pocket, is buried under almost certainly deliberate, obfuscating layers in the game.
To access the Pack Point Exchange, go to the booster pack menu. To the bottom right of the packs, you’ll see a small icon which shows a booster pack being opened, along with the current number of pack points you have. Press this icon and it’ll take you to the Pack Point Exchange, where you can spend those Pack Points on crafting cards.
Poké Gold
Used to quickly refill stamina levels (for events, packs, and wonder picks), Poké Gold is earned through levelling up, or it can be purchased with real money. As is pretty standard for mobile games that have items purchasable with actual cash, the more Poké Gold you buy, the better the deal.
Rewind Watches
We’re heading into the realm of the absurd now. If you were wondering why you see “expired” packs when you go to your current Wonder Pick page, it’s because you can spend Rewind Watches to access them. Paying the usual Wonder Stamina cost plus a Rewind Watch will access an expired pick. You earn one Rewind Watch every time you level up.
Shinedust
Used to give cards “flair” (which means to apply special cosmetic effects to cards), Shinedust can be earned in numerous ways. Completing missions, opening packs and even purchasable at certain times, or during certain events, are all ways you can earn Shinedust, and once applied to a card as flair (which also requires that you destroy a certain number of copies of the same card), the cosmetic effect is visible not just when you’re admiring your collection privately, but also when you take the card into battle.
Tickets
Advance Tickets
Though these can be seen in the game, there’s currently no use for them; at present, only one has been added to the inventory of all players, simply for logging in to the game. What purpose might these serve? We don’t know and can’t even speculate, given how much ground is covered by other tickets and currencies, but we’ll be sure to update this information once the purpose of Advance Tickets is revealed.
Emblem Shop Tickets
There are very specific missions which, when completed, will earn you Emblem Shop Tickets. Emblems are shown to other players as a battle begins, and are purchased using Emblem Shop Tickets in the shop’s Emblems tab.
Event Shop Tickets
Complete challenges or missions related to specific events, and you’ll earn a ticket (or tickets) for special items or packs. Note that Event Shop Tickets are tied to a specific event in general, so won’t carry over to the next event.
Premium Tickets
If you’ve purchased a Pokémon TCG Pocket Premium Pass, you’ll gain access to exclusive items and promo cards, which you can buy with Premium Tickets. Unlocking Premium Shop Tickets is a matter of completing the Premium-specific tasks that will also be accessible as part of the Premium Pass.
Shop Tickets
Used to buy all kinds of items, including Hourglasses, and other types of Shop Ticket (yes, we agree this is ridiculous), the “standard” Shop Tickets can be earned in a large number of different ways. You’ll earn them when a player thanks you after opening one of your Wonder Picks, if a player thanks you after a battle and from missions or other challenges.
Special Shop Tickets
Purchased with 300 standard Shop Tickets, you can also earn Special Shop Tickets by exchanging the rarest variant cards in your collection. The Special Shop Tickets themselves are used to buy fancy versions of accessories for you to show off to friends or potential opponents.
Which brings us to the end of the guide to all currencies in Pokémon TCG Pocket. We’ve also put together a guide to battling and building decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and a list of 10 features we’d like to see make their way into the game! Download Pokémon TCG Pocket on the App Store or Google Play for free today!
