The Pokemon Company / Niantic / DexertoIn Pokemon Go, a select group of ‘mon can evolve after being traded with other players, so it’s vital to know which ones you can use the Trade Evolution system for.
Trading (and Trade Evolutions) have been at the heart of the Pokemon series since the original Red and Blue games, where iconic creatures like Kadabra, Machoke, and Seadra required trading through a cable Link to evolve. While the evolution method for some Pokemon differs in Go from the main series, the core idea remains the same.
Since Niantic introduced the feature to Pokemon Go in 2019, the list of eligible ‘mon has slowly grown – so let’s take a look at all of the ones you can currently evolve by trading.
Pokemon that evolve by trading in Pokemon Go
Starting Pokemon | Evolved Pokemon |
|---|---|
Boldore  | Gigalith  |
Graveler  | Golem  |
Gurdurr  | Conkeldurr  |
Haunter  | Gengar  |
Kadabra  | Alakazam  |
How much does it cost to trade evolve?
When you trade one of the Pokemon from the list above, its Candy requirement is reduced to zero, making it a great alternative for creatures that have high costs (like Pumpkaboo and Phantump).
Here’s how much Candy it would cost to evolve it without trading:
- 100 Candy: Haunter, Graveler, Kadabra, and Machoke.
- 200 Candy: Boldore, Gurrdurr, Karrablast, Phantump, Pumpkaboo, and Shelmet.
Trading can be a little tedious and time-consuming, but it is worth it, especially if you don’t have the Candy needed. You will have to pay Stardust, which depends on the rarity of the Pokemon you’re trading (like whether it’s a Legendary or Shiny) and your Friendship Level with the other Trainer.
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How to trade evolve in Pokemon Go
Before you can trade in Pokemon Go, you’ll first need to make sure you’re friends with the person you want to trade with by sharing your Trainer codes. Both of you will also need to be at least Level 10, and you’ll have to be within close physical proximity (around 100 meters) of each other. You cannot currently trade with Friends remotely.
Related
As mentioned earlier, trading costs Stardust, with rarer catches being more expensive (Mythical Pokemon cannot be traded), but the cost is lower depending on your Friendship Level with the other player.
Once you’ve met all of the requirements, follow these instructions to get started with trade evolving:
- From the main map screen, tap your avatar icon at the bottom left corner.
- Slide to the right and go to your Friends’ feed.
- Select the Friend you wish to trade with and tap their avatar.
- Once their profile opens up, select the ‘Trade‘ option (shown in the image above) and wait for your Friend to do the same.
Niantic- Select the Pokemon you want to trade and wait for your Friend.
- The trade will start immediately.
Note: It’s important to remember that Pokemon can only be traded once, and a Pokemon’s CP and HP will change when traded, so think carefully before you make a decision.
That’s everything you need to know about all the Pokemon trade evolutions in Pokemon Go. For more tips and tricks, check out our guides on how to get Best Buddy status, how IVs & CP work in the game, and some of our rankings, like the best Pokemon in Pokemon Go, or the best Mega Evolutions.