How to get and use Flair in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Pokemon TCG Pocket requires players to collect several different currencies, with some aiding you in battle, others allowing for more cards, and some just giving you a little more style. However, turning Shinedust into Flair isn’t easy and with so many currencies, understanding what it does is even harder.

Unlike the original, physical tabletop game, Pokemon TCG Pocket has a few special options for enhancing cards. While it takes time to access it, Flair is a great way to add personality to your cards while playing them in an active deck – but only if you unlock it and know how to use it.

What is Flair?

In Pokemon TCG Pocket, Flair is a special overlay that can be applied to cards. Depending on the card, Flair will add sparkles, elemental attack effects, or other special animations to the played card.

This animation can be set to play during a battle when the card is active. However, Flair has to be applied to every card for it to be used. If you have four Ponyta, for example, you’ll need to purchase Flair for all of those cards for each one to have an effect during a match.

How to get Flair in Pokemon TCG Pocket

To get Flair in Pokemon TCG Pocket, players need to trade in Shinedust (which is earned by opening packs and completing missions) and spare cards.

To get hold of Flair, follow the below steps:

1. Tap the card icon on the menu bar at the bottom of the app (it’s the second icon).
2. Select a card that you have at least five of.
3. Click “Obtain Flair”.
4. Select the type of Flair you want, and choose “exchange”.

It is important to note that players have to purchase the Gold cosmetic before accessing the other Flair options for a card. This always costs three extra cards and 50 Shinedust.

It is also critical to remember that extra cards exchanged for Flair are permanently removed from your inventory.

After purchasing the Gold Flair, three more options will become available. They will also cost three extra cards and have increased Shinedust cost.

These effects are purely cosmetic, and don’t do anything in battle. However, it can be seen as a bragging right on rare cards, as anyone who has Flair on the immersive Charizard has pulled enough to feel comfortable exchanging them for glitter.

How to equip Flair

The Pokemon Company

Once you’ve unlocked Flair for your cards, you’ll need to equip it to your chosen card. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Head into your Decks.
2. Build a new deck or edit an existing one.
3. Look for the list of cards added to the deck.
4. Tap the small Flair button on the card.
5. Select the Flair you want to apply.

Before you choose to place your Flair on a card, it’s important to note that they only work on one card, so you’ll need to buy more if you want your entire deck to look the same.

Is using Flair worth it?

Flair isn’t worth it early in gameplay, but can be a fun way to manage extra cards after playing for a while. Players will need plenty of cards to build decks for missions and battles. Burning them for a visual cosmetic isn’t something we would advise when first diving into the game.

If you choose to exchange cards for Flair, be sure that you don’t need that Pokemon in several decks, or that you won’t end up unbalancing a deck you may be using for Pokemon TCG Pocket battle missions.

To learn more about Pokemon TCG Pocket, check out our guide on the premium pass, or explore some of the rare cards that can be pulled when opening packs.