M Alzamora 
Players looking to spend all of their Shinedust in Pokemon TCG Pocket are about to enter the card cosmetics game.
Shinedust is one of the most abundant resources available in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Though it has less immediate utility than other currencies like Pack or Wonder Hourglasses, it leads in being relatively easy to get and use. Many are wondering how to spend the Shinedust that they’ve seemingly been accumulating without even realizing it.
Here are the ways that players can spend their Shinedust in Pokemon TCG Pocket and how to get more of it.
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Best use of Shinedust in Pokemon TCG Pocket: getting flair
The best way to use Shinedust in Pokemon TCG Pocket is currently by obtaining cosmetic or battle flairs for duplicate cards.
Players looking to add flair to their cards need two things; Shinedust and an excess of the desired card. Given that only two cards with the same name are allowed in a battle deck, this is currently the only thing to do with duplicates.
To unlock flair for basic cards, go to a specific card and click on the “obtain flair” button. Players should see a screen offering them a Sparkles Flair: Gold cosmetic. In exchange, they’ll have to trade between one and three extra cards as well as 50-500 Shinedust depending on rarity.
While each card has four possible flairs, the remaining three depend on the Pokemon type. Blitzle, for instance, can get a Lightning Energy Flair for three cards and 150 Shinedust. Whimsicott, meanwhile, has access instead to the Petals Flair: Red cosmetic for two cards and 240 Shinedust. Additionally, the flairs unlock sequentially and can only be applied to one card at a time, though multiple flairs can be on a card.
There are also two types of flairs: cosmetic and battle. Battle flairs can only be seen when using them in a battle deck, while cosmetic flairs can be seen on display boards as well. Both flairs are only available for diamond-rarity cards since most rarer cards have their own cosmetic animations.
Another thing to keep in mind is obtaining flair for gold star rarity and higher cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket. The first flairs available for these are Tiny Twinkles Flair: Yellow (Battle) and a type-specific battle flair. Given that these types of cards are much harder to come by, their flair is equally costly in terms of Shinedust.
Are flairs worth it?
Many players find that cosmetic or battle flairs aren’t worth the cost, given the number of cards they consume and increasing Shinedust costs.
To create a flair, there must be at least two cards remaining after purchasing. With over 280 cards in the set with varying degrees of rarity, this can be hard to achieve. Plus, some would rather save the Shinedust for other potential uses.
Are there other ways to use Shinedust?
Currently, the only use for Shinedust is creating cosmetic card flairs.
Despite how easy it can be to obtain, Shinedust is one of the less useful currencies currently in Pokemon TCG Pocket. As mentioned above, its main use is adding cosmetics to cards and relies on a player having a minimum of two extra copies to get one flair for one card. Additionally, cosmetics do not add a tangible benefit to combat. While cool then, no one needs to spend Shinedust like they might need to spend Pack Hourglasses to get more cards.
It is unknown as of now if the development team plans to expand the use of Shinedust to get other rewards. Pokemon GO uses an item called Stardust, gained through catching Pokemon, to let players power up their stored Pokemon as well as trade. With the January arrival of trading, this could be a potential second use for Shinedust.
How to get Shinedust in Pokemon TCG Pocket
There are several ways for players to get their hands on Shinedust just by playing the game.
The easiest way to get Shinedust is by opening booster packs and getting duplicate cards. Regardless of number of cards already owned, each new duplicate offers a small amount of Shinedust based on rarity to players. Many may have even gained a large amount of the currency without even realizing it, just by opening booster packs.
Without using Pack Hourglasses, players can open up to two packs every day. To open more and get more Shinedust this way, they should look into the Pokemon TCG Pocket premium subscription or buying Poke Gold.
Those that have more time can progress through the AI solo Step-Up battles against premade decks. Each of the four stages (beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert) offers several first-time completion rewards based on difficulty. These include:
- 1 Shop ticket
- 2-7 Pack Hourglasses
- 50-200 Shinedust
Completing all Step-Up battles grants the user 3,000 Shinedust alongside a few more pack openings. Coming into battle, players can either craft their own decks or use one of the starter decks provided. While each deck per level also has tasks to complete, these mainly earn a player more shop tickets.
Other ways to earn Shinedust in Pokemon TCG Pocket are either one-time events or widely considered to be a waste of other resources. These include:
- Purchasing duplicate trainer cards in the shop (10 Shinedust)
- Exchange one Premium ticket from the Premium Pass (50 Shinedust)
- Unlocking achievement tiers, such as open 100 or 1,000 booster packs (250 Shinedust for all four tiers)
- Completing advanced missions (450 Shinedust total)
- Completing event challenges (Shinedust amount varies)
Ultimately, the easiest way to earn Shinedust is just by playing the game regularly and getting lucky/unlucky in pack pulls. Those who have accumulated lots of Shinedust and don’t want to create flairs should keep their eyes peeled for more information about trading. The Pokemon TCG Pocket team has been making lots of updates and new plans, so Shinedust could be getting an upgrade soon, too.
