Trade

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Trading confirmation screen in Platinum

A trade (Japanese: 交換 exchange), also known as a Link Trade (Japanese: 通信交換 Link Exchange), is a process in which a Pokémon Trainer sends one of their Pokémon to another Trainer in exchange for one of the other Trainer's Pokémon. In every Pokémon game, trading is necessary to collect all Pokémon.

Starting from Generation II, items can be held by Pokémon, allowing indirect trading of holdable items. However, in Generation IV, the Griseous Orb cannot be traded, as it will automatically be put back in the Bag when a player with Origin Forme Giratina in their party enters the Union Room or Wi-Fi Room. Certain items, when held by the correct Pokémon, will cause that Pokémon to evolve when traded to another player. Mail may also be held to send a message.

Until Black 2 and White 2, all trading animations in the core series games used the standard Poké Ball, regardless of the types of Balls the traded Pokémon were actually caught in. This is corrected in Black 2 and White 2, in which trade animations show the correct Poké Ball the Pokémon was caught in.

Benefits of trading

Trading a Togedemaru for a Pikipek in Sun and Moon

Trading is necessary in order to collect every Pokémon in the Pokédex, as some Pokémon can only be found in certain versions. For example, because Meowth cannot be found in Red, the player must trade with someone who has obtained one from Blue, in which Meowth is readily found in the wild. Some Pokémon only evolve after being traded.

Traded Pokémon gain 1.5× the normal experience after a Pokémon battle. Pokémon traded from a game in another language will gain 1.7× experience.

Trading may also be used to transfer limited and rare items in games from Generation II onward, such as Master Balls or Soul Dews, from one game to another by giving a Pokémon an item.

In Generation VI, Trainers receive Poké Miles for every trade made with another player. In Generation VII, Trainers may receive Festival Coins instead.

Drawbacks of trading

A Pokémon with an original Trainer different from its current Trainer is referred to as an outsider Pokémon, and will only obey a Trainer with the sufficient number of Gym Badges or Stamps. The friendship of a Pokémon is set to its base friendship when it is traded from one game to another, unless returned to its original Trainer. In addition, a traded Pokémon's nickname cannot be changed by anyone but the original Trainer, even if it hasn't been given a nickname (however, in Gen VIII, outsider Pokémon without nicknames can be nicknamed).

Traded Pokémon are identified by the Pokémon's Original Trainer name and a five- or six-digit ID Number. Starting in Generation III, even if two games have the same name and ID number, each Trainer also has a secret ID number. The odds of two Trainers having the same secret ID numbers is 1/65536 or approximately 0.002%, making it extremely unlikely that an outsider Pokémon will be treated as a regular Pokémon on a different cartridge.

Limitations on trading

Trade-induced evolution cannot be canceled unless the Pokémon holds an Everstone. In Generation IV onwards, however, the Everstone fails to prevent a traded Kadabra from evolving into Alakazam.

Trading between game generations

Pokémon can be traded between Generation I and Generation II games using the Time Capsule feature. For compatibility purposes, the Pokémon to be traded from the Generation II game must be a species that existed in Generation I and cannot have any moves introduced in Generation II. The Time Capsule exploit can be used to trick the game into trading Generation II Pokémon back to Generation I as well, but they will become glitch Pokémon like MissingNo.. Additionally, the trade evolution learnset oversight can also be used to trade a Pokémon with a Generation II move back to a Generation I game, though it will become a glitch move. This is the only instance in the series in which Pokémon can be sent back to games from a previous generation.

It is not possible to trade between Generation II and Generation III games.

Using Pal Park, players can transfer Pokémon from their Generation III games to Generation IV games; however, Pokémon cannot be returned from Generation IV to Generation III. Additionally, Pokémon sent through Pal Park cannot know any Generation III HM moves. Similarly, using the Poké Transfer Lab, transfer is possible from Generation IV to Generation V, although as well as the limitation on HM moves, the Pokémon must not be holding any items. It is also possible to use a method called the Relocator to transfer specific event Pokémon before reaching the Poké Transfer Lab, although the same restrictions apply.

Games from Generation VI onward are compatible with the Pokémon Bank online application that allows storing Pokémon in an online cloud. Its companion application Poké Transporter allows transferring Pokémon from Generation V, as well as Virtual Console releases of Generations I and II, to the same cloud. Pokémon transferred from Generation V can be retrieved in Generation VI and VII games, while Pokémon transferred from Generations I and II can only be retrieved in Generation VII games. Pokémon can be transferred from Generation VI to generation VII games via the Pokémon Bank itself, but once a Pokémon has been saved in a Generation VII game, it cannot be transferred back to a Generation VI game. Also, even within a generation, forms, moves and species introduced mid-generation cannot be transferred to games that predate them. In any case, HM moves or held items do not prevent Pokémon from being stored or transferred using the Pokémon Bank, but certain forms, such as fused forms of Kyurem, do.

International trading

Trading between Japanese and non-Japanese games is not recommended in Generations I and II, mostly due to the different memory locations within the RAM. While possible, these trades will result in the corruption of both save files, forcing both players to restart their games from the beginning.[1] To prevent this from happening in the Virtual Console releases of the Generation I and II games, Japanese and non-Japanese games do not detect each other. Trading between games released outside of Japan, such as between a Spanish Pokémon Crystal and a French Pokémon Yellow, does not result in any corruption, and as such is allowed in the Virtual Console releases.

These games do not track a Pokémon's language of origin, and Pokémon with foreign species names are treated as if they were nicknamed. Which means that in an English Generation I or II game, a foreign Pichu named "PICHU" will evolve into a Pikachu nicknamed "PIKACHU", but a foreign Charmander named "SALAMECHE" will retain the name "SALAMECHE" after evolving into a Charmeleon as if it were a nickname. If a traded Pokémon from Generation I or II is sent to the Pokémon Bank via the Poké Transporter, its language of origin is determined based on the game from which the Pokémon is transferred, not the game from which it originally came.

Trading became possible between all versions of the games in Generation III, where the English language text was programmed in even the Japanese games. Due to the relatively low chance of English and other language games coming into contact with Japanese games, however, precautions were not taken in the Japanese games to preserve a Pokémon or Trainer's name when traded in, as their maximum lengths are different. While games released outside Japan will display a Pokémon's OT and nickname fully, Japanese games will only display the first five letters.

In Generation III (except in v1.0 of English Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire), if a Pokémon originates from a different language to the current game, when it evolves its name will not be changed, with the old name treated as a nickname; thus, if a Pichu named "PICHU" from an Italian game is evolved in an English game, when it evolves it will be a Pikachu nicknamed "PICHU". In v1.0 of English Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, like in generation I and II games, if a Pokémon's current name is the same as its species name, it will be treated as unnicknamed regardless of game of origin, so its species name will change upon evolution.

Starting in Generation IV, if a Pokémon that is not nicknamed evolves, its name will be changed to the name of its species after evolution in its current game's language (regardless of its language of origin). In these games, there is a separate flag to indicate whether a Pokémon is nicknamed.

International trading became full-fledged in Generation IV, and was a much touted feature, with the linkage of the games to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Pokémon from foreign-language games would unlock international Pokédex entries if traded to a game of a different language; at first, only 14 Pokémon could do this, however, from Platinum onward, all Pokémon can potentially allow for foreign entries. Some special event Pokémon (e.g. Spiky-eared Pichu) cannot be traded.

In Generation IV, Korean games cannot trade with non-Korean games due to only the Korean games including Hangul. Starting in Generation V, all games were made to be fully compatible with Korean games.

In Generation VIII, foreign traded Pokémon that evolve in a game in a different language will change their name with evolution to keep their language of origin. For example, a French Bulbasaur without a nickname that evolves in an English-language game will evolve into an Ivysaur named "Herbizarre" rather than changing its name from "Bulbizarre" to "Ivysaur" as would have been the case in Generations IV through VII.

Hardware requirements

Trading requires two game consoles and two Pokémon games of compatible generations. Nintendo's intention is that players trade with friends, although some serious players purchase multiple consoles.

Prior to FireRed and LeafGreen, trading required a Game Link Cable. FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald can trade using a GBA Wireless Adapter or a Game Link Cable. From Generation IV onwards, trading uses wireless communication and does not require additional hardware. Although the Nintendo DS supports Generation III games, it cannot be used to trade between those games as the DS lacks hardware support for the Game Link Cable. Also, Transfer Packs can be used to trade in Generation I and in Generation II, via Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2.

The Pal Park feature of Generation IV games uses the GBA slot of the Nintendo DS, so unlike other trading requires only one game console. However, it is not compatible with the Nintendo DSi, DSi XL, or 3DS, which do not have a GBA slot.

Pokémon that cannot be traded

As of Generation VI, Pokémon with certain Gift Ribbons (such as the Classic Ribbon) cannot be traded over the GTS or through Wonder Trade.

Additionally, some Pokémon's alternate forms cannot be traded. Specifically, the Spiky-Eared Pichu, the Black and White versions of Kyurem, and the Cosplay Pikachu are all unable to be traded.

Requirements for trading

Generation I

The player cannot trade Pokémon before getting a Pokédex from Professor Oak at Pallet Town.

Generation II

The player cannot trade Pokémon before transporting the Mystery Egg to Professor Elm. The Time Capsule cannot be used until the player has met Bill at Ecruteak City's Pokémon Center, and waiting until the next day when setup is completed.

Generation III

In order for the player to be able to trade from Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald to Pokémon Colosseum or Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness; they need at least two Pokémon in their party. To be able to trade from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen to Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, the player needs to help Celio upgrade the Pokémon Network Center to Link Level 2.

Ruby and Sapphire

The player cannot trade Pokémon before getting a Pokédex from Professor Birch at Littleroot Town. To trade, the player must have at least two Pokémon in the party. Trading with FireRed, LeafGreen or Emerald will automatically activate the National Pokédex.

FireRed and LeafGreen

The player cannot trade Pokémon before getting a Pokédex from Professor Oak at Pallet Town. The player must have at least two Pokémon in the party in order to trade.

In a departure from the main series' tradition, additional limitations on trades were put in place, which cannot be lifted before completing the game at least once:

  • At the beginning of the game, trades are only possible with other copies of FireRed and LeafGreen. In addition, trades involving Eggs or Pokémon not in the Kanto Pokédex are blocked. Pokémon that evolve into a Generation II Pokémon by trading will stop evolving.
  • Obtaining the National Pokédex unblocks trades for Pokémon and Eggs outside of the Regional Pokédex.
  • Bringing the Ruby and Sapphire Key Items to complete Celio's Network Machine allows trades with Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald versions.

Pokémon Emerald Version

The player cannot trade Pokémon before getting a Pokédex from Professor Birch at Littleroot Town. To trade, the player must have at least two Pokémon in the party.

Restrictions similar to those in FireRed and LeafGreen also apply to this version:

  • At the beginning of the game, trades are only possible with other copies of Emerald, as well as Ruby and Sapphire. In addition to that, trades that involve Eggs or Pokémon that aren't in the Hoenn Pokédex are blocked.
  • Obtaining the National Pokédex unblocks trades for Pokémon outside of the Regional Pokédex, as well as Eggs, and allows trading with FireRed and LeafGreen.

Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

The player cannot trade Pokémon with the GBA games in Colosseum until Evice has been defeated, while the player must have defeated Greevil in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness to trade. Trading any unpurified Shadow Pokémon is completely prohibited, as data for Shadow moves doesn't exist in the GBA games, nor the ability to purify them.

It is not possible to directly trade between Colosseum and XD.

Generation IV

A trade in Generation IV

Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum

The player cannot trade Pokémon before getting a Pokédex from Professor Rowan at Sandgem Town. Also, the player has to have at least two Pokémon in the party. Migrating Pokémon from the Generation III games through Pal Park cannot be done until the National Pokédex has been obtained. It is possible to obtain a non-regional Pokémon when trading Pokémon from another Generation IV game without having acquired the National Pokédex. In Platinum, the player is now able to press B to select the "CANCEL" button.

My Pokémon Ranch

Hayley will only offer to trade with the player after they have completed a wanted request, and will only trade specific Pokémon and only if she has already brought one of them to the Ranch.

HeartGold and SoulSilver

Similar to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, trading cannot occur until the player has obtained their Pokédex from Professor Oak at Mr. Pokémon's house. The player must have at least two Pokémon in the party; but no additional prerequisite is needed to trade with the Sinnoh games: this can be done at the very beginning of the game. Migrating Pokémon from Generation III games through Pal Park is also possible later in the game if the player has a Nintendo DS or DS Lite.

Generation V

Black and White

The player cannot trade Pokémon until they have obtained the Trio Badge from the Striaton Gym and completed the C-Gear sub-quest for Fennel. This prevents the player from trading for a Pokémon that knows Cut in order to access the blocked-off section of Dreamyard early, as HM usage is not restricted by Badge ownership in Unova.

The player is also prevented from trading party Pokémon that know any HM move via Infrared Connection, most likely to prevent trading away a Pokémon whose HM move is needed in a certain area. An example of this would be trading away any Pokémon in the party who know Fly or Surf while on a patch of land surrounded by water.

The Poké Transfer feature allows Pokémon to be migrated from any Generation IV game. Pokémon can be migrated up to six at a time using a catapult minigame sent to another DS using Download Play. This minigame can transfer Pokémon from an inserted Generation IV Pokémon cartridge. Migrating with the Poké Transfer is one-way, requires both games to be from the same language, and cannot migrate Eggs or Pokémon holding items. There is no daily limit to use of the Poké Transfer.

The Relocator allows the transfer of Celebi and the Shiny Legendary beasts from a Generation IV game. It is available earlier in the game than the Poké Transfer, which requires the player to have acquired the National Pokédex and defeated the Elite Four.

Black 2 and White 2

Similar to Black and White, the player cannot trade Pokémon until they have received the Basic Badge from the Aspertia Gym and have received the C-Gear from Bianca. There is no prerequisite to trade with Black and White. The Poké Transfer is also available after obtaining the National Pokédex, allowing Pokémon from Generation IV to be transferred to Black 2 and White 2.

Generation VI

X and Y

The player may trade Pokémon as soon as they have at least two Pokémon in their party, which is the minimum requirement for conducting a trade.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

The player must wait until they have obtained the PlayNav from Wally after helping him catch a Pokémon. The player must have two Pokémon in their party to trade.

Generation VII

Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

The player must wait to trade Pokémon until they gain the Quick Link option in their menu upon their first visit to a Pokémon Center, which will allow them to trade with someone nearby. In order to trade over the Internet (GTS, Wonder Trade, or Link Trade), the player must use Festival Plaza, which is unlocked at the same time. The player may require at least two Pokémon in their party.

Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

The game's multiplayer features, including trades, are unlocked by delivering Professor Oak his Parcel and receiving Razz Berries from him. Trading requires having at least two Pokémon in the party and/or the Pokémon Box, Partner Pokémon and walking Pokémon do not count and cannot be traded.

Generation VIII

The game's multiplayer features, including Y-Comm, are unlocked once the player obtains a Dynamax Band from Professor Magnolia on Route 2.

Trading process

Generations I-IV

The actual trading interface remained largely the same throughout the series's first four generations: Each player selects one Pokémon from their party to offer for trade; once decided, they can review the stats (and, when applicable, Ability or item) of the other Pokémon before confirming or cancelling the trade. The player may perform multiple trades in a row.

It is not possible to trade Pokémon stored in the PC in these generations, so they must be placed in the party prior to speaking with the receptionist at a Pokémon Center.

Generation IV's Global Trade System utilized a separate trading process, in which players deposited one Pokémon at a time (requesting another Pokémon in exchange) and other players searched and traded for them at their leisure. Once traded, the original player received the Pokémon upon logging in to the GTS. If the Pokémon was not traded, the original player was able to cancel the offer by withdrawing their Pokémon from the GTS. Due to the Wi-Fi shutdown, this feature is no longer officially supported as of May 20, 2014.

Generation V

The trading process received an overhaul in Generation V: now called a Negotiation Trade (Japanese: ネゴシエーション交換 Negotiation Exchange), it allows players to offer and trade Pokémon from either their current party or directly from their PC's storage system.

During the trade, each player may select up to three Pokémon to offer the other player. Once decided, they may review the offered Pokémon (checking stats, Ability, etc.) and confirm one to be traded. Players may trade several Pokémon in a row if desired.

Players registered on each other's Pal Pad can communicate with live voice chat during the trade. A set of four emoticons (Smile Mark, Saddened Mark, Heart Mark, Surprise Mark) also allows for limited communication between players. In addition to showing the Pokémon on offer, the top screen also includes an abstract glimpse of the other player's Pokémon collection in the form of PC boxes with individual Pokémon represented by their Pokédex color.

The GTS, in addition to the deposit/search-based system introduced in Generation IV, receives a second trading mode ("GTS Negotiations") allowing two players to connect and trade Pokémon using this system. Like Generation IV, Generation V's GTS was shut down in 2014.

Generation VI

Trading functions (including the GTS) are no longer a service of Pokémon Centers, but are instead accessible at any time through the Player Search System on the 3DS's lower screen.

The trading process has been streamlined since Generation V, with each player showing only one Pokémon at a time (instead of three) before being prompted to make an offer. Chat emoticons have been removed, but voice chat is still available when the player trades with someone on their 3DS's Friends List.

The GTS has also been updated, now allowing the player to enter the species name of any Pokémon using a "What Pokémon?" option in the Pokémon selection list. This allows players to trade for Pokémon that they have not seen in the game.

A third trading method, called Wonder Trade, is introduced this generation: When performing a Wonder Trade, the player selects one Pokémon from their collection and it is immediately traded with another player using Wonder Trade, with no further confirmation or any communication between players; what Pokémon the player receives in exchange for theirs is a complete surprise.

Generation VII

The PSS has been replaced and split between the Quick Link and Festival Plaza options in the menu. Quick Link allows for players to locally trade Pokémon, while the Festival Plaza allows for trading through the Internet. The GTS and Wonder Trade are usable while in the Festival Plaza.

The GTS is similar to its Generation VI counterpart, though filtering has been adjusted and searching for a Pokémon by letter will now show that Pokémon's icon next to its name.

Pokémon that evolve when traded

Most of the Pokémon that evolve when traded can only do so while holding a specific Evolution item.

Previous evolution Trade evolution Later evolution
Abra
Abra
 Psychic 
Rare Candy
Level 16+
Kadabra
Kadabra
 Psychic 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Alakazam
Alakazam
 Psychic 
Alakazam does not evolve
Machop
Machop
 Fighting 
Rare Candy
Level 28+
Machoke
Machoke
 Fighting 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Machamp
Machamp
 Fighting 
Machamp does not evolve
Geodude
Geodude
 Rock  Ground 
Rare Candy
Level 25+
Graveler
Graveler
 Rock  Ground 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Golem
Golem
 Rock  Ground 
Golem does not evolve
Geodude
Geodude
Alolan Form
 Rock  Electric 
Rare Candy
Level 25+
Graveler
Graveler
Alolan Form
 Rock  Electric 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Golem
Golem
Alolan Form
 Rock  Electric 
Golem does not evolve
Gastly
Gastly
 Ghost  Poison 
Rare Candy
Level 25+
Haunter
Haunter
 Ghost  Poison 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Gengar
Gengar
 Ghost  Poison 
Gengar does not evolve
Poliwag
Poliwag
 Water 
Rare Candy
Level 25+
Poliwhirl
Poliwhirl
 Water 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + King's Rock
Trade
(holding King's Rock)
Politoed
Politoed
 Water 
Politoed does not evolve
Slowpoke is the lowest in its line Slowpoke
Slowpoke
 Water  Psychic 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + King's Rock
Trade
(holding King's Rock)
Slowking
Slowking
 Water  Psychic 
Slowking does not evolve
Onix is the lowest in its line Onix
Onix
 Rock  Ground 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Metal Coat
Trade
(holding Metal Coat)
Steelix
Steelix
 Steel  Ground 
Steelix does not evolve
Horsea
Horsea
 Water 
Rare Candy
Level 32+
Seadra
Seadra
 Water 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Dragon Scale
Trade
(holding Dragon Scale)
Kingdra
Kingdra
 Water  Dragon 
Kingdra does not evolve
Rhyhorn
Rhyhorn
 Ground  Rock 
Rare Candy
Level 42+
Rhydon
Rhydon
 Ground  Rock 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Protector
Trade
(holding Protector)
Rhyperior
Rhyperior
 Ground  Rock 
Rhyperior does not evolve
Scyther is the lowest in its line Scyther
Scyther
 Bug  Flying 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Metal Coat
Trade
(holding Metal Coat)
Scizor
Scizor
 Bug  Steel 
Scizor does not evolve
Elekid
Elekid
 Electric 
Rare Candy
Level 30+
Electabuzz
Electabuzz
 Electric 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Electirizer
Trade
(holding Electirizer)
Electivire
Electivire
 Electric 
Electivire does not evolve
Magby
Magby
 Fire 
Rare Candy
Level 30+
Magmar
Magmar
 Fire 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Magmarizer
Trade
(holding Magmarizer)
Magmortar
Magmortar
 Fire 
Magmortar does not evolve
Porygon is the lowest in its line Porygon
Porygon
 Normal 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Upgrade
Trade
(holding Upgrade)
Porygon2
Porygon2
 Normal 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Dubious Disc
Trade
(holding Dubious Disc)
Porygon-Z
Porygon-Z
 Normal 
Porygon
Porygon
 Normal 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Upgrade
Trade
(holding Upgrade)
Porygon2
Porygon2
 Normal 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Dubious Disc
Trade
(holding Dubious Disc)
Porygon-Z
Porygon-Z
 Normal 
Porygon-Z does not evolve
Clamperl is the lowest in its line Clamperl
Clamperl
 Water 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Deep Sea Tooth
Trade
(holding Deep Sea Tooth)
Huntail
Huntail
 Water 
Huntail does not evolve
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Deep Sea Scale
Trade
(holding Deep Sea Scale)
Gorebyss
Gorebyss
 Water 
Gorebyss does not evolve
Feebas is the lowest in its line Feebas
Feebas
 Water 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Prism Scale
Trade
(holding Prism Scale)

(since Generation V)
Milotic
Milotic
 Water 
Milotic does not evolve
Duskull
Duskull
 Ghost 
Rare Candy
Level 37+
Dusclops
Dusclops
 Ghost 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Reaper Cloth
Trade
(holding Reaper Cloth)
Dusknoir
Dusknoir
 Ghost 
Dusknoir does not evolve
Roggenrola
Roggenrola
 Rock 
Rare Candy
Level 25+
Boldore
Boldore
 Rock 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Gigalith
Gigalith
 Rock 
Gigalith does not evolve
Timburr
Timburr
 Fighting 
Rare Candy
Level 25+
Gurdurr
Gurdurr
 Fighting 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Conkeldurr
Conkeldurr
 Fighting 
Conkeldurr does not evolve
Karrablast is the lowest in its line Karrablast
Karrablast
 Bug 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Shelmet
Trade
(traded for Shelmet)
Escavalier
Escavalier
 Bug  Steel 
Escavalier does not evolve
Shelmet is the lowest in its line Shelmet
Shelmet
 Bug 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Karrablast
Trade
(traded for Karrablast)
Accelgor
Accelgor
 Bug 
Accelgor does not evolve
Spritzee is the lowest in its line Spritzee
Spritzee
 Fairy 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Sachet
Trade
(holding Sachet)
Aromatisse
Aromatisse
 Fairy 
Aromatisse does not evolve
Swirlix is the lowest in its line Swirlix
Swirlix
 Fairy 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png + Whipped Dream
Trade
(holding Whipped Dream)
Slurpuff
Slurpuff
 Fairy 
Slurpuff does not evolve
Phantump is the lowest in its line Phantump
Phantump
 Ghost  Grass 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Trevenant
Trevenant
 Ghost  Grass 
Trevenant does not evolve
Pumpkaboo is the lowest in its line Pumpkaboo
Pumpkaboo
 Ghost  Grass 
Link Trade icon SwSh.png
Trade
Gourgeist
Gourgeist
 Ghost  Grass 
Gourgeist does not evolve


In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, items can be traded through a link cableR/wireless communication from the main menu.

Pokémon GO

Trading in Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, players are able to trade with registered Friends. Both Trainers must be at least level 10 and have the required amount of Stardust to trade. Trades can only be initiated if both traders are within 100 meters of each other, and a player can make at most 100 trades per day.

In addition, the following Pokémon are ineligible for trades:

  • Mythical Pokémon (except Meltan and Melmetal)
  • Pokémon marked as favorites
  • Current Buddy Pokémon
    • Past Buddy Pokémon can be traded, but the player will receive a warning that all progress made in Buddy Adventure will be reset upon trade
  • Shadow Pokémon
  • Pokémon currently defending a Gym
  • Pokémon not at full HP
  • Pokémon that have previously been traded once before

With the trade, players also receive Candy of the Pokémon that was traded away. The greater the distance between the locations where the two Pokémon were obtained, the greater the Candy yield.

  • Candy1 for less than 10 km
  • Candy2 for 10 km up to 100 km
  • Candy3 for 100 km and up

The IVs of the traded Pokémon are randomly regenerated during the trade. If trading to a player with a lower Trainer level, the traded Pokémon's Power Up level will decrease to the player's limit (Trainer level + 2 or 5). A traded Pokémon's Power Up levels will also be rounded down, so a Pokémon that's been powered up to level 20.5 will be lowered to level 20 when traded. The minimum possible IVs for traded Pokémon slightly increase with Friendship level.

  • Good Friends are guaranteed at least 1 IV for each stat
  • Great Friends are guaranteed at least 2 IVs for each stat
  • Ultra Friends are guaranteed at least 3 IVs for each stat
  • Best Friends are guaranteed at least 5 IVs for each stat

Some trades are considered Special Trades, which usually require a lot more Stardust. Special Trades require the players to be Good Friends or higher, and only one Special Trade can be made per day. The following are considered special trades:

Type of trade Stardust requirement
Friend Good Friend Great Friend Ultra Friend Best Friend
If already registered in Pokédex Regular trade GO Stardust icon.png100 GO Stardust icon.png100 GO Stardust icon.png100 GO Stardust icon.png100 GO Stardust icon.png100
Legendary Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon*
Cannot trade GO Stardust icon.png20,000 GO Stardust icon.png16,000 GO Stardust icon.png1,600 GO Stardust icon.png800
If not registered in Pokédex Regular trade GO Stardust icon.png20,000 GO Stardust icon.png20,000 GO Stardust icon.png16,000 GO Stardust icon.png1,600 GO Stardust icon.png800
Legendary Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon*
Cannot trade GO Stardust icon.png1,000,000 GO Stardust icon.png800,000 GO Stardust icon.png80,000 GO Stardust icon.png40,000

Lucky Pokémon

Lucky Chansey

During a trade, there is a small chance that both traded Pokémon will become Lucky Pokémon. Lucky Pokémon guaranteed at least 12* IVs in each stat and require half the amount of Stardust to Power Up. A Lucky Pokémon is indicated by a shimmery effect in the Pokémon Box and the Pokémon's profile. Like with Shiny Pokémon, the Pokédex will record the number of Lucky Pokémon the player has obtained for that species.

The probability of obtaining a Lucky Pokémon depends on how long the Trainer has had that Pokémon in storage at the time of trade, and it is based on the older of the two Pokémon traded. The following is the observed probability of traded Pokémon becoming Lucky:[2]

  • 5% for Pokémon obtained less than 1 year ago
  • 10% for Pokémon obtained between 1 and 2 years ago
  • 25% for Pokémon obtained more than 2 years ago
  • 75% for Pokémon obtained between July to August 2016
    • Since September 5, 2018, these Pokémon are guaranteed to be Lucky, provided that at least one of the players has not already accumulated ten Lucky Pokémon

Since April 2019, players who are Best Friends have a chance of becoming Lucky Friends, which guarantees the next trade to result in Lucky Pokémon. This can possibly be triggered by performing a task that may increase Friendship level, such as opening a Gift or trading a Pokémon, on the first interaction of the day. After completing a trade with a Lucky Friend, the players will return to Best Friend status.

Trade Evolution

From January 11, 2020 onward, certain Pokémon that evolve through trading in the core series would cost no Candy to evolve if it was traded.[3]

The following lists the Pokémon eligible for trade Evolution, along with their Candy costs to evolve otherwise:

Previous evolution Trade evolution Later evolution
Abra
Abra
GO Psychic.png
Abra Candy25
Kadabra
Kadabra
GO Psychic.png
Abra Candy100 or GO Trade icon.png
Alakazam
Alakazam
GO Psychic.png
Alakazam does not evolve
Machop
Machop
GO Fighting.png
Machop Candy25
Machoke
Machoke
GO Fighting.png
Machop Candy100 or GO Trade icon.png
Machamp
Machamp
GO Fighting.png
Machamp does not evolve
Geodude
Geodude
GO Rock.pngGO Ground.png
Geodude Candy25
Graveler
Graveler
GO Rock.pngGO Ground.png
Geodude Candy100 or GO Trade icon.png
Golem
Golem
GO Rock.pngGO Ground.png
Golem does not evolve
Geodude
Geodude
Alolan Form
GO Rock.pngGO Electric.png
Geodude Candy25
Graveler
Graveler
Alolan Form
GO Rock.pngGO Electric.png
Geodude Candy100 or GO Trade icon.png
Golem
Golem
Alolan Form
GO Rock.pngGO Electric.png
Golem does not evolve
Gastly
Gastly
GO Ghost.pngGO Poison.png
Gastly Candy25
Haunter
Haunter
GO Ghost.pngGO Poison.png
Gastly Candy100 or GO Trade icon.png
Gengar
Gengar
GO Ghost.pngGO Poison.png
Gengar does not evolve
Roggenrola
Roggenrola
GO Rock.png
Roggenrola Candy50
Boldore
Boldore
GO Rock.png
Roggenrola Candy200 or GO Trade icon.png
Gigalith
Gigalith
GO Rock.png
Gigalith does not evolve
Timburr
Timburr
GO Fighting.png
Timburr Candy50
Gurdurr
Gurdurr
GO Fighting.png
Timburr Candy200 or GO Trade icon.png
Conkeldurr
Conkeldurr
GO Fighting.png
Conkeldurr does not evolve
Karrablast is the lowest in its line Karrablast
Karrablast
GO Bug.png
Karrablast Candy200 or GO Trade icon.png
Escavalier
Escavalier
GO Bug.pngGO Steel.png
Escavalier does not evolve
Shelmet is the lowest in its line Shelmet
Shelmet
GO Bug.png
Shelmet Candy200 or GO Trade icon.png
Accelgor
Accelgor
GO Bug.png
Accelgor does not evolve


In the anime

A trade machine in the anime

Despite it being one of the key aspects of the games, trading is exceptionally rare in the anime. Only a few trades have been shown taking place, and only six of them thus far have been truly significant, often taking place in episodes featuring the Magikarp salesman. Fans have often speculated about the reason for this. Rather than simply exchanging Pokémon, most trades are carried out by placing Poké Balls into a specialized trading machine, with a monitor that displays silhouettes of the two Pokémon as they pass each other.

The trade machine used in the anime has seemingly been adapted into the game canon, with Professor Oak's laboratory in both Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 having this type of machine for trades. In the same way, when Game Link Cables were finally able to accept the data of two Pokémon being sent at once (rather than one at a time as in Generations I and II), the Pokémon are shown passing each other in the link space.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

A trade with the Pokédex in Pokémon Adventures

Like the anime, the Pokémon Adventures manga does not contain many trades despite being a major part of the games. Most are not shown to need a machine to complete them. Simply hand-exchanging Pokémon can count as a trade, though it is also possible to trade by placing Pokédexes opposite each other.

In the TCG

The following is a list of cards relating to trades.

Related cards
Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.
Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
Pokémon Trader T Base Set Rare 77/102 Expansion Pack Rare  
Base Set 2 Rare 106/130      
Legendary Collection Rare 103/110      
Trade Please! T       Unnumbered Promotional cards    
Deck Exchange T       Extended Sheet 3    
Bill's PC T       Extended Sheet 3    
 


Trivia

  • Porygon is the only Pokémon to evolve twice via trading. Both evolutions require a held item, namely the Upgrade and Dubious Disc.
    • In addition, Porygon2 is the only Pokémon to have evolved from trading that can evolve further.
  • The Clamperl family is the only branched evolution in which both evolutions are achieved by trading.

In other languages

Trade

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 交換 Gāauwuhn
Mandarin 交換 / 交换 Jiāohuàn
Finland Flag.png Finnish Vaihto
France Flag.png French Échange
Germany Flag.png German Tausch
India Flag.png Hindi सौदा Sauda
Italy Flag.png Italian Scambio
South Korea Flag.png Korean 교환 Gyohwan
Norway Flag.png Norwegian Bytte
Poland Flag.png Polish Wymiana
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Troca*
Transmissão*
Spain Flag.png Spanish Intercambio
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Byte
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Trao đổi

Link Trade

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 通訊交換 Tūngseun Gāauwuhn
Mandarin 通訊交換 / 通讯交换 Tōngxùn Jiāohuàn
連線交換 Liánxiàn Jiāohuàn *
France Flag.png French Échange Link
Germany Flag.png German Linktausch
Italy Flag.png Italian Scambio in link
South Korea Flag.png Korean 통신교환 Tongsin Gyohwan
Spain Flag.png Spanish Intercambio en conexión

Negotiation Trade

Language Title
France Flag.png French Échange par négociations
Germany Flag.png German Verhandlungstausch
Italy Flag.png Italian Trattativa
South Korea Flag.png Korean 네고시에이션 교환 Negotiation Gyohwan
Spain Flag.png Spanish Intercambio por negociación

See also

References

Pokémon training
CatchingNicknamingBattlingEvolvingTradingBreedingReleasing