For those immersed in the world of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), the rarities system in Pokémon TCG Pocket may present a slight learning curve. Designed to welcome casual gamers, the Pokémon Company has streamlined the card rarity framework, resulting in notable differences from the traditional game. Consequently, both seasoned players and newcomers are left to decipher the new symbols and categories that define card rarities.
Updated on March 29, 2025, by Mohsen Baqery: With the release of the Shining Revelry update, Pokémon TCG Pocket has added two exciting new Shiny Pokémon rarities. This guide has been enhanced to clarify how these Shiny cards integrate with the existing rarity charts, incorporating crucial statistics and drop rates for Shiny cards.
Identifying Card Rarities in Pokémon Pocket
Pokémon TCG Pocket categorizes cards into ten distinct rarity tiers: one-diamond, two-diamond, three-diamond, four-diamond, one-star, two-star, three-star, crown, one-star shiny, and two-star shiny. Each tier corresponds to a progressively limited selection of cards, with immersive, shiny, and crown cards capturing the highest rarity.
Card rarity in Pokémon TCG Pocket is represented by four primary symbols: diamond, star, crown, and rainbow star (octagon). These symbols can be found in the bottom-left corner beneath the illustrator’s signature. Additional design elements, such as full art and immersive art styles, further differentiate rarity.
Below is a breakdown of what each rarity tier signifies in Pokémon Pocket:
- One-diamond: Basic Pokémon
- Two-diamond: Basic or Stage One Pokémon
- Three-diamond: Stage One or Stage Two Pokémon
- Four-diamond: ex Pokémon
- One-star: Full art of a Basic, Stage One, or Stage Two Pokémon
- Two-star: Full art of an ex Pokémon
- Three-star: Special immersive card of an ex Pokémon
- Crown: Gold edition of rare ex Pokémon
- One rainbow star: Sparkling variant of a diamond-rarity card
- Two rainbow stars: Sparkling full-art variant
Understanding Shiny Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket
The launch of the Shining Revelry set on March 27, 2025, introduced players to a new lineup of shiny cards. These variants showcase a radiant artwork style featuring the Pokémon, available in two rarity levels: regular shiny and shiny ultra rare. Regular shiny cards display a non-full-art design, while shiny ultra rare cards shine with a comprehensive shimmering illustration.
Shiny Pokémon cards are identified by a unique rainbow-colored octagram symbol located in the bottom-left corner of the cards. One rainbow star indicates a regular shiny, while two signify its ultra rare counterpart, which naturally commands a higher market value.
Complete List of Shiny Cards in the Shining Revelry Set
|
One-Star Shiny |
Two Star Shiny |
|---|---|
|
|
Comparing Pokémon Pocket Rarities with Pokémon TCG
Following the Scarlet & Violet revamp in 2023, the physical Pokémon TCG employs three main symbols—Circle, Diamond, and Star—to denote card rarities, with higher rarity classifications like Hyper Rare indicated through variations of these symbols.
Pokémon TCG Pocket enhances this systems by omitting the Circle symbol entirely. While there are overlapping rare counterparts between the two games, not all physical card rarities are reflected in Pokémon Pocket.
The table below outlines how Pokémon Pocket rarities correspond to those in the traditional Pokémon TCG:
|
Pokémon Pocket Rarity |
Pokémon TCG Rarity |
|---|---|
|
One-diamond |
Common |
|
Two-diamond |
Uncommon |
|
Three-diamond |
Rare |
|
Four-diamond |
Double Rare or Ultra Rare |
|
One-star |
Illustration Rare (Full-Art) |
|
Two-star |
Special Illustration Rare |
|
Three-star |
N/A |
|
Crown |
Hyper Rare |
|
One rainbow star |
Shiny Rare |
|
Two rainbow stars |
Shiny Ultra Rare |
Rarities of Packs in Pokémon Pocket
Booster Packs in Pokémon TCG Pocket are classified as either Regular or Rare. Regular packs consist of five cards of any type but have a very slim chance of containing three-star, crown, or shiny cards. Conversely, Rare packs are guaranteed to include at least one card rated one-star or higher, though the likelihood of obtaining a Rare pack is just 0.050%.
- Drop Rate for Regular Booster Packs: 99.950%
- Drop Rate for Rare (God) Packs: 0.050%
The term “God Packs”often refers to rare packs among players, though they share the same characteristics.
Estimating Card Prices Based on Rarity
In Pokémon Pocket, players can acquire cards of various rarities using Pack Points. These points are accumulated by opening booster packs, giving avid players, or “whales,”an assured method for obtaining rare cards.
The table below illustrates the number of packs required and the estimated real-world cost to acquire cards from each rarity tier:
|
Rarity |
Pack Points |
Estimated Price |
F2P Days |
|---|---|---|---|
|
One-diamond |
35 (7 packs) |
~ $5 |
4 days |
|
Two-diamond |
70 (14 packs) |
~ $15 |
7 days |
|
Three-diamond |
150 (30 packs) |
~ $25 |
15 days |
|
Four-diamond |
500 (100 packs) |
~ $90 |
50 days |
|
One-star |
400 (80 packs) |
~ $80 |
40 days |
|
Two-star |
1,250 (250 packs) |
~ $200 |
125 days |
|
Three-star |
1,500 (300 packs) |
~ $300 |
150 days |
|
Crown |
2,500 (500 packs) |
~ $500 |
250 days |
|
One-star shiny |
1,000 (200 packs) |
~ $180 |
100 days |
|
Two-star shiny |
1,350 (266 packs) |
~ $210 |
133 days |
Every booster pack opened grants you 5 Pack Points.
Card Drop Rates by Rarity
In Pokémon TCG Pocket, booster packs yield five cards, with varying drop rates that dictate the rarity of cards in each slot. The final two slots (four and five) present the highest likelihood for rare card appearances, while the initial three slots usually contain common Pokémon.
|
Rarity/Slot |
Slot #1 to #3 |
Slot #4 |
Slot #5 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
One-diamond |
100% |
0% |
0% |
|
Two-diamond |
0% |
90% |
60% |
|
Three-diamond |
0% |
5% |
20% |
|
Four-diamond |
0% |
1.6% |
6.66% |
|
One-star |
0% |
2.572% |
10.288% |
|
Two-star |
0% |
0.5% |
2% |
|
Three-star |
0% |
0.222% |
0.888% |
|
Crown |
0% |
0.040% |
0.16% |
|
One-star shiny |
0% |
0.714% |
2.857% |
|
Two-star shiny |
0% |
0.333% |
1.333% |
FAQs on Card Rarity in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Here are some commonly asked questions regarding card rarities in Pokémon Pocket:
What’s the Rarest Card in Pokémon Pocket?
The rarest cards within Pokémon TCG Pocket include immersive and crown cards, such as the Golden Pikachu ex, Golden Charizard ex, and Golden Mewtwo ex. While these cards are difficult to find in packs, you can acquire them from the Pack Point shop for 1,500 points (for immersive cards) or 2,500 points (for each golden crown card).
Are Promo Cards Considered Rarity in Pokémon Pocket?
Promo cards do not fall within a defined rarity tier in Pokémon Pocket. Instead, players earn them through special one-card packs available during limited-time events. Currently, there are 24 Promo cards from the Genetic Apex expansion, identifiable by their distinctive blue icon situated on the right side of their illustrations.
Are There Secret Rare Cards in Pokémon Pocket?
At present, Mew is the only designated secret rare card in Pokémon Pocket. The game does not include cards with serial numbers exceeding their respective expansion’s total enumeration, a departure from the physical Pokémon TCG. However, this format may shift in the future.
Do Rarities Influence Card Power in Pokémon Pocket?
As rarity escalates, a card’s HP, ATK, and abilities may improve, but artistic variants do not influence a card’s stats. In essence, rarities such as one-star, two-star, three-star, and crown generally impact the artistry rather than the card’s inherent capabilities.