• A new distribution has started in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
• It celebrates the community acquiring 40 billion cards.
• A free promo Pokédex card is available until 30th April 2025.

Pokémon TCG Pocket – the mobile app that allows players to collect and battle in the Pokémon trading card game under simplified rules – seems to be going from strength to strength. The game has just passed a milestone and players can pick up a free promotional card to mark the occasion.

That milestone is 40 billion cards acquired by players worldwide. The announcement in the game doesn’t state how these cards were acquired, so we have to assume it includes all the methods in the game to add new cards to your collection. While opening booster packs is the most straightforward, players can also craft cards using the Pack Points currency or they can also simply be given cards like with this promotion.

Given how rare free cards are, and the fact that it requires a ludicrous amount of Pack Points to even craft common cards, we have to imagine that the bulk of that 40 billion is from booster packs. As a reminder for those who are unfamiliar with the game: booster packs in Pokémon TCG Pocket only contain five cards each, and free players only get two boosters per day.

Those who pay real world money for the Premium subscription get one extra booster per day, and real money can also be used to buy Poké Gold which can buy more in-game boosters too. We would have loved if this announcement also revealed just how many boosters were opened by the community in the short view months that Pocket has been available.

To thank players, anyone can claim a free promotional card in the form of Pokédex, a relatively undesirable card from both a collecting and battling standpoint. This promo does feature some great art, however, featuring the three starter Pokémon of Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur, as well as series mascot Pikachu.

All players need to do claim this free card is log into the game and tap on the Gifts icon in the top right corner. The distribution period for this is quite generation with Pokédex available until 20th April 2025.

It will be interesting to see if free cards and other promos like Pokédex will be available to trade when that functionality is finally added into the game. Given all the restrictions revealed for that, however, we have our doubts.