The creator of the Pokémon Trading pocket card game, Creatures Inc., won’t say whether the contents of booster packs actually change depending on which player selects on the pack carousel, but that’s almost certainly not the case.
In an attempt to simulate the experience of opening a real booster pack, where players must focus intensely on the booster box to determine which package contains the glitters, Pokémon TCG Pocket provides players with a carousel of packs that they can spin before selecting the correct one.
These packets can be rotated, moved up and down, and analyzed for bent corners and creases (which has spawned an almost non-existent conspiracy theory among some players), but many believe it makes no difference at all.
By submitting this idea directly to the Pokémon Company, Polygon asked whether it really matters which pack players choose, or whether the content is predetermined when the Open Pack button is pressed. The Pokémon Company refused to give a clear answer.
“While Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket draws inspiration from the experience of opening physical Pokémon TCG booster packs, we are unable to share details at this time,” it stated vaguely.
However, some players claim that they already have solid proof that the selection in Pokémon TCG Pocket is entirely an illusion, and at the heart of such proof is the Wonder Pick system.
This additional method of acquiring cards allows players to randomly select one of five cards, with the selections coming directly from another player’s pack. If a player opens one that contains Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Charizard Former, and Blane, for example, there’s a chance that a friend of that player, or even a complete stranger, will see that pack in their Wonder Pick section.
They can then open this pack and receive a gift with Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Charizard former, and Blane, but each card is flipped over and players only choose one at random.
YouTuber PokéNin shared a clip of her opening the package while a friend checked out her Wonderful Choice. The moment PokéNinaa selected Open Pack and was presented with a carousel of boosters showing off her selection, her Miracle Pick appeared in her friend’s account.
The Miracle Selection contained a PokéNinaa pack that he had not opened before, containing Pyukumuku, Blitzle, Slowpoke, Kabutops, and Melmetal. She then selected a power-up pack from the countless options and received Pyukumuku, Blitzle, Slowpoke, Kabutops, and Melmetal.
Oher players shared the same findings with Wonder Picks, leading to a general belief among the Pokémon TCG Pocket community that pack selection doesn’t really matter. It certainly appears to be the case, especially since The Pokémon Company makes no claims to the contrary, but there’s a risk that it could be an unintentional bug or similarly unintentional mechanic that will disappear once the game becomes more than a few weeks aged.
Pokémon TCG Pocket launched in October on iOS and Android as a digital version of the beloved card game. It allows players to open packs, collect cards, build decks, and battle others. It’s a plain formula that’s already proven popular, considering it grossed $12 million in just four days and was downloaded over 30 million times in just nine.
Creatures Inc. keeps the interest high by providing countless events tailored to different playstyles. The first one offered players freebies in the form of Wonder Picks and, to provide entertainment not only to collectors, Creatures Inc. it soon launched battle events in both single-player and player vs. player modes.
The Lapras ex Drop event allows players to tackle several aquatic decks for a chance to win their beloved Pokémon, while the PvP event follows Pokémon lore by putting badges on the line.
When it comes to collecting, most players swoon over the Mythic God Packs, which give you five alternate graphics cards in one go, and there’s also a secret Mew card hidden in the game that isn’t too strenuous to get.
And in battles, two of the usual suspects, former Charizard and former Mewtwo, are currently dominating the meta, though former Pikachu isn’t far behind.
Ryan Dinsdale is a freelance reporter for IGN. He will talk about The Witcher all day long.
