Quick intro
Trading in Pokémon GO is the grown-up version of handing your friend a creature and saying “you take it.” Since trades arrived in the game, you can either swap Pokémon with nearby pals or, under specific conditions, trade from afar. Below is a friendly, slightly sarcastic guide to how trading works, what it costs, and the sneaky rules you should know before you hit the transfer button.
How trading works (the basics)
To trade, both trainers must be on each other’s Friends list. There are two flavors of trade: local (you and your buddy are physically nearby) and remote (you trade across the globe—but only with your very bestie-level pals). Trades can move regular Pokémon, special Pokémon, and sometimes even evolve trade-exclusive Pokémon without spending Candy.
Local trades — the classic meet-up swap
Local trades are the usual method. Quick checklist: you need to be at least Trainer Level 10, have confirmed you’re over 13 on your account, and have added the other trainer as a friend using their friend code. You must be within roughly 100 meters of each other, and there’s a daily cap of 100 trades—only one of which can be a special trade (like a shiny or a Legendary).
Each completed trade awards you 1–3 candies of the species traded (and sometimes an XL Candy) depending on how far away the Pokémon was originally caught. Some rare or special Pokémon may only be tradeable after you’ve reached certain friendship tiers, and Niantic occasionally runs events that temporarily loosen these limits.
Remote trades — when distance (and dedication) win
Remote trading lets you swap with friends who aren’t standing next to you, but it’s more exclusive. Only friends at the highest friendship tier (the Unbreakable/Best friendship level) can trade remotely with you. Expect stricter rules: typically only one remote trade per day is allowed, standard requirements like Trainer Level still apply, and wild Pokémon must usually be 30 days old in your collection before they can be traded remotely.
Trade costs — Stardust (aka the real currency)
Every trade costs Stardust, and special trades can be seriously expensive. For Pokémon already in your Pokédex, normal non-special trades usually cost a flat, modest amount (often 100 Stardust). Special trades (shiny, Legendary, new-to-you species) cost much more, but the amount drops as your friendship level rises. For example, special trades might look like this: Good friends = very high cost, Great = slightly lower, Ultra = much lower, and Best/Unbreakable = lowest cost. If you’re trading a species not yet registered to your Pokédex, expect the Stardust tab to scream louder—these new-entry trades generally cost far more than trades of already-registered Pokémon.
Stats and IVs when trading (brace for randomness)
Don’t assume a perfect IV Pokémon will stay perfect after a trade. When a Pokémon is traded, its IVs (HP, Attack, Defense) are recalculated. The amount of IV quality kept tends to improve the closer your friendship is. At the lowest friendships the new IVs can be anywhere from very low to perfect, while higher friendship tiers progressively guarantee better minimum IVs. In short: better friendship = better odds of keeping good IVs. Also remember a Pokémon’s level will be capped by the receiving trainer’s level, so a super-leveled creature might get scaled down.
Sometimes traded Pokémon become Lucky Pokémon, which need less Stardust to power up and can end up with surprisingly great IVs — nice little rewards for swapping.
Trade evolutions — free Candy? Yes please
Some Pokémon evolve only via trade. In Pokémon GO, if you trade a creature that has a trade-based evolution, that evolution’s Candy cost is waived for the recipient. Translation: you get the evolved form without spending Candy—thank you, friend!
When to transfer to Professor Willow (and how not to cry later)
If a Pokémon is junky, a duplicate, or low-IV, and you don’t want it clogging your storage, send it to Professor Willow for Candy. To do this, open the Pokémon, choose Transfer, and confirm. You can mass-transfer multiple common Pokémon at once, but you must transfer Shiny, Legendary, or special event Pokémon one by one. And remember: transfers are permanent. No take-backs, no refunds, no do-overs—so double-check before you hit confirm.
Final tips (so your trades don’t turn into tantrums)
Aim to raise friendship levels before attempting expensive or special trades — it saves Stardust and improves IV safety. Use local trades for most swapping and save your single daily remote trade for something truly awesome. And finally, don’t trade away that 100% IV dream monster unless you enjoy gambling with your collection.
