Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Shiny Gyarados Quest Feels Like a Grind Wall — Here’s the Real Issue

“Is this a joke?” Why this quest set off alarms

This caught my attention because Lake of Rage’s Shiny Gyarados used to be a guaranteed moment in Pokémon’s Gen 2-an iconic story beat everyone got to share. In Pokémon TCG Pocket’s new “Wisdom Between Sky and Sea” expansion, that same Gyarados is now the centerpiece of a quest that, for most players, translates into opening around 200 packs. The result? A Reddit thread full of frustration and a familiar mobile-gacha feeling creeping into a series built on collectability and shared experiences.

Key Takeaways

• The “Lake of Rage” mission asks players to obtain a Shiny Gyarados-cool reference, punishing execution.
• Shiny rarity cards aren’t tradable; crafting Shiny Gyarados costs 1,000 booster points at 5 points per pack-roughly 200 packs.
• The quest awards six tokens that are apparently the only way to unlock two expansion emblems, pressuring completionists.
• Players say earlier missions were attainable; this one feels like a grind wall designed to push spending.

Breaking down the “Lake of Rage” requirement

Here’s the flow. The “Lake of Rage” quest in Pokémon TCG Pocket (often shortened to Pokémon Pocket) asks you to obtain a Shiny Gyarados. Do that, and you receive six tokens. On paper, that sounds minor, but those tokens are reportedly the only way to unlock two emblems tied to the expansion. If you’re the type who likes finishing a set’s meta-goals, those emblems matter—even if they’re cosmetic, they’re part of the expansion’s completion checklist.

There’s no shortcut via trading: Shiny rarity cards aren’t exchangeable. That leaves “crafting.” The craft cost is 1,000 booster points, and you gain five booster points per pack you open. Do the math and you land at 200 packs to guarantee the card. Even if you’re opening the regular handful of free packs each day, you’re staring at weeks—more likely months—of play, unless you pay. And because you can’t control which packs spit out points fastest beyond just opening more, it’s basically a pure volume demand.

Players have pointed out that previous missions felt achievable with steady play; this is the first one that reads like a hard pay-or-wait wall. Sure, you could roll the dice and pull the Shiny naturally. But Pocket’s whole pitch is frequent pack opening with fast, snackable sessions. When a single quest becomes the bridge to finish-line emblems and the only sure path is 200 packs, it starts to feel less like a fun chase and more like a design lever nudging you to spend.

The gamer reality: great nod, rough design

I love the reference to the Lake of Rage—no notes on theme. The problem is the inversion of what made that moment special. In the classic games, Shiny Gyarados was a guaranteed encounter that told you “shinies exist, here’s a taste.” In Pocket, the same icon is slotted into a mission that’s only guaranteed if you grind to 1,000 points or get very lucky. That flips the feeling from celebratory to extractive.

This is textbook live-service friction: gate a desirable collectible behind a time-cost that’s technically achievable for free but realistically incentivizes purchases. We’ve seen similar pressure valves in card games like Hearthstone (achievement bait with pack incentives) and cosmetics-driven systems like Marvel Snap (variant FOMO). The difference here is the no-trade rule on shinies. By removing the community safety valve—“I’ll trade for it”—the design funnels everyone into the same grind funnel.

Some Redditors suggested the quest should have been a “secret bonus” instead of a checklist requirement. That’s the right read. Keep the lore nod for those who stumble into it, and don’t tie expansion progression trinkets to a gacha-tier hurdle. Let the moment be a wink, not a whip.

Context matters: trust is already shaky

“Wisdom Between Sky and Sea” isn’t launching into a vacuum. The expansion has already taken heat for illustration takedowns tied to rights concerns, which disrupted card availability and left a sour taste. When a set is already dealing with art-related removals, you don’t want your headline mission to feel punitive. That’s how you stack frustrations: a hit to the collectible appeal, followed by a grindy quest that puts completion further out of reach.

Players are hoping a future event will make Shiny Gyarados more accessible—after all, it was guaranteed in Gen 2—so it’s not wild to expect Pocket to eventually add a pity route or event distribution. But nothing’s announced yet. Until then, the message is: open packs, a lot of them.

What Pocket should do next (and what players can do now)

There are easy fixes that don’t nuke monetization. Add an alternative token track—weekly milestones that drip a few extra tokens, or a capstone that awards the emblems after completing a broad mix of missions. Introduce a limited-time event with a guaranteed Shiny Gyarados encounter or a reduced crafting cost. If the no-trade rule on shinies is non-negotiable, at least implement a “pity meter” for crafting that accelerates with play.

For players, the calculus is simple. If you’re a completionist for emblems, set expectations: even with daily freebies and mission packs, you’re in for a long haul unless you spend. If you’re not chased by 100% completion, skip the quest pressure and enjoy the new cards and missions that don’t lock you into a 200-pack commitment. And if you’re on the fence, wait—Pocket’s events often soften edges after the initial spike of difficulty.

TL;DR

Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Lake of Rage quest is a brilliant nod delivered with grindy execution. Tying expansion emblems to a non-tradeable, 1,000-point Shiny Gyarados effectively means “open ~200 packs” if luck doesn’t hit. The community’s annoyance is justified—and unless Pocket adds a pity path or an event, this one’s going to keep feeling like a joke at players’ expense.