Pokemon Go Trading: A Beginner’s Guide

Two years after Pokémon Go’s release, the game has added a feature that fans have been waiting for, Pokemon Go Trading. Trading’s been part of the Pokémon games since Pokémon Red and Blue but it was missing in Pokémon Go.  Thanks to the Trading update, the game now supports a new “Friends” mechanic, allowing you to link up with other players. Trading is a part of that and since trainer battles are also now in the game, you must get the best lineup. So here’s a guide on how to trade Pokémon in the game.

Pokémon Go Trading

You can’t go into Pokémon Go and start trading immediately. Like most features in the app, it’s gonna need time and effort on you, the player’s part. Here’s what you need to do before you can start trying Pokemon Go’s Trading feature. Take note that you might have trouble making this function work when you’re playing Pokemon Go on PC.

Making Friends

Well, you can’t exactly perform the Pokemon Go Trading feature if you don’t have friends now, can you? To do this, you’ll need to find an in-game option that allows you to type in a friend’s code. The code has 12 digits and located under the Friends tab when you tap on your trainer’s portrait. Under Friends, press the Add Friend function to get the invite code.

From there, you can use that code or get it from people you would like to add as a friend. When someone adds you to their Friends list, you’ll get a notification. Accept the request, and you’re done. You can now see their progress, including the Pokemon they’ve caught recently. 

Growing Friendships

You need trust in friendships, and the same goes for Pokémon Go as well. Before trading, you need to increase your “Friendship Level” with a specific friend. You can do that in three ways, giving gifts every day, battling Gyms and participating in raids. Gifts are items that sometimes appear when you spin a Pokéstop out in the world and is one of the faster ways to build it. These gifts are something you would want to give to your friends often. Giving and receiving gifts increases your friendship with that person through four stages. You can attain various levels by consistently sending gifts and playing with your friends. Each tier becomes harder to attain but gives bigger rewards.

Here’s the good news. Despite all these friendship levels, you only need to be Good Friends start trading Pokémon. One gift exchange between friends is all you need to become Good Friends. However, there are still limitations to what Pokemon you can trade depending on your current tier.

Importance of Stardust

Trading isn’t free and it’ll cost you Stardust. It’s the currency you earn in many ways. This is by completing raids, catching Pokémon, winning gym battles, and performing other actions within the game. The cost depends on your friendship level with the person you’re trading with and the Pokémon you want to trade.

A Pokémon that is currently in your Pokedex will require the least amount. New Pokemon, Shiny, and Legendary will cost more Stardust. It is important to note that some specific Pokemon will need you to fulfill special requirements. One good way of getting more Stardust is with the help of a Pokemon Go! Plus device as it allows you to catch monsters with one click. Check it out on Amazon today and experience quality of life improvements in-game.

The reduction of Stardust cost in trading is an incentive to give gifts and interact with others. It also reduces the costs of certain trades with friends. Never forget to give gifts to your friends every day to increase your friendship level.

As a start, here’s a handy dandy, guide on how much Stardust you’ll need for trading Pokemon with friends.

Time to Trade

You can add any Pokémon Go trainer from anywhere in the world to your Friend list, provided you have their code. You can send gifts from your current location while playing the game. But trading with them? Well, you have to be physically close together. This is also applicable when participating in raids and gym battles.

To start trading you need to be near a friend (within 100 meters, or less). Then open the Friend tab and choose the player you want to trade with. Hit the Trade button, then wait for the other player to connect.

Pull up your Pokémon and choose who you want to trade, and Pokémon Go will tell you what it’ll cost you. You’ll also see the CP (combat power) range of the Pokémon change when the trade goes through. The range depends on your trainer level and the level of whoever you’re trading with. So if they’re a higher level than you, their strong Pokémon will sometimes get a weaker CP once you receive them. Other factors include your Friendship level with that person you are conducting a trade with. 

You’ll also get an item for trading other than a new Pokémon, candies. How many candies you receive from trade depends on the capture area of the traded Pokémon. The further away you are from the Pokémon’s home, up to 100 kilometers, the more candies the trade will dish out.

Pokemon Go Trading Benefits

Special trades are the most exciting for players because of their in-game purpose. These trades are where you receive a Pokémon that’s very hard to catch and may need requirements. These include Legendary Pokémon like Moltres or Zapdos and Shiny variants provided that they are available in-game. Special trades are more expensive than regular trades, and what’s more, you can only do them once a day. So plan well to take advantage of this.

You can cut the cost of your Special trades by increasing your Friendship level. With the best option being to build-up to the rank of Best Friends before trying to make any costly trades. That takes some time and consistent attention. But it’s no easier to earn the insane levels of Stardust you’d otherwise need.

For example, take two players who are on the Good Friends tier. They’re trying to trade two Legendaries that they have. To make the trade, they would need to pony up 1 million Stardust. In truth, that’s ridiculous, and it’s meant to keep people from trading legendary Pokémon the moment they meet.