There are many reasons why you should evolve a Pokemon in Pokemon Go, one of which is higher CP and HP. The most common and easiest way to achieve this is to use Candies. However, there are Pokemon who need an enormous amount of this item to evolve. This is where evolving Pokemon through trades come in. But, there is still a catch — there’s a limited list of Pokemon that evolve by trade.
In this article, we list down all the Pokemon that evolve by trade in the augmented reality game. We will also explain how this method of evolution work alongside its caveats and restrictions.
Also read: Pokemon Go Tips and Tricks
Inside This Article
How Do Pokemon Evolve in Pokemon GO?
In old Pokemon games, you evolved your Pokemon just by leveling up. After a while, Pokemon evolutions began to branch out. Later games introduced evolution stones and evolution via friendship or affection.
In Pokemon GO, there are two major currencies. These are “stardust” and “candy”. Pokemon GO introduced a power system called combat power, or CP for short. The more powerful a Pokemon is, the higher their CP. You can spend a certain amount of candy and stardust to increase your Pokemon’s CP, or attempt to catch another one with a higher CP.
Evolving in Pokemon GO is quite different from other Pokemon games like Pokemon Masters Ex. Instead of leveling up to evolve your Pokemon, you must spend a certain amount of candy to evolve them. Naturally, Pokemon that have two evolutions instead of one will cost more to evolve. For example, evolving a Pokemon with two evolutions could cost 25 candies for the first evolution, then 100 for the second. Meanwhile, a Pokemon with one evolution typically costs 50 candies.
The primary method for evolution in Pokemon GO is by using candy. Although, some Pokemon have added requisites for evolution. Pokemon in the Unova region generally require you to use an Unova stone in addition to the candy.
In the past, using candy was really the only way to evolve your Pokemon. But in 2019, the game teased evolutions by trading. And in 2020, Niantic finally pulled through, and now there are Pokemon that evolve by trade.
All Pokemon that Evolve by Trade
As mentioned, not all Pokemon in Pokemon Go can evolve by trade — there are too few of them, to begin with. You would know if a Pokemon is eligible for evolution by trading if you see a trade icon (two Pokeballs with arrows pointing toward each other) next to its evolve button.
If you’re too bothered to check your Pokedex for any Pokemon that evolve by trade, then don’t worry. We have listed down all Pokemon that evolve by trade so you don’t have to check one by one. These Pokemon are separated in terms of their Generation and are as follows:
| Region | Evolving Pokemon |
Evolved Pokem | ||
| Kanto (Gen I) | Graveler |  |
Golem |  |
| Haunter |  |
Gengar |  |
|
| Kadabra |  |
Alakazam |  |
|
| Machoke |  |
Machamp |  |
|
| Unova (Gen V) | Boldore |  |
Gigalith |  |
| Gurdurr |  |
Conkeldurr |  |
|
| Karrablast |  |
Escavalier |  |
|
| Shelmet |  |
Accelgor |  |
|
| Kalos (Gen VI) | Phantump |  |
Trevenant |  |
| Pumpkaboo |  |
Gourgeist |  |
|
How to Trade in Pokemon GO
Maybe you already know that you have a Pokemon that can evolve by trade, but you don’t actually know how to trade. If that’s the case, we’ll help you out by saving you some time.
Trading Prerequisites
If you can’t seem to perfect an excellent throw on Pokemon Go to get a specific Pokemon, you may want to trade one of your Pokemon with the one you’ve been dreaming of. But before trading, you need to ensure that you have the prerequisites to trade. First off, to be eligible to trade with someone, you need to be level 10 or above. Of course, this goes for the person you’ll be trading with too.
The second requirement is that you should be friends with the person you’re trading, otherwise trading won’t work. If you’re not friends already, add them to your friends list. The last requirement is that both of you need to be in the same place at the same time. Once you’re in the same vicinity, you can begin the trading process.
There are restrictions to trading though. For instance, Mythical Pokemon and Pokemon that you’ve already traded before can’t be traded again. Something called special trades also exists, which means that a lot of Stardust is required for them to be traded.
The Trading Process
Upon completing the prerequisites to trade, you can begin the process. After reaching where the other person is, you need to go to Map View and then go to your Trainer Profile. From there, open your friends list and tap on the other person’s username. Tap on the trade button after that.
Your trade partner should receive a notification for a trade a few seconds after you tap on the trade button. After they join the trade session, you can both choose the Pokemon you want to use in the trade.
The Pokemon you’re trading to the other player will have different stats than usual on the trading screen because this represents the possible stats it will have once transferred to them. When you’ve both chosen the Pokemon you wish to trade, a confirmation button will come up.
Next to the confirmation button should be the amount of stardust required to complete the trade. Both players receive candy upon the completion of the trade. Overall, the trading process is quite simple. What’s not simple is calculating the cost to trade.
Calculating Trading Cost
In Pokemon GO, you can’t just trade with another person. There is a trading cost for both players, which can range from 4 to 100 stardust depending on your friendship level. Here are the friendship levels you’ll need to remember:
- Good Friend
- Great Friend
- Ultra Friend
- Best Friend
If you’re best friends with someone, you’ll only need 4 stardust for each normal trade. But as we said before, there are Pokemon that cost quite a lot of stardust to trade. This number can reach up to 1,000,000 for Shiny/Mythical Pokemon. You’ll need to take advantage and increase your friendship level to lower the cost for each trade as much as possible.
But how do you increase your friendship level? Well, one way to increase your friendship level is by trading. Other ways include sending gifts, participating in raids and gym battles together, as well as battling each other. Though, you can only increase your friendship level with someone once per day.
How to Evolve a Pokemon by Trade
After trading the Pokemon to your friend, they should see a checkmark on the trade icon. This means that they can now evolve the Pokemon for free. Unlike Pokemon that evolve with stones and candy, all Pokemon that evolve by trade can be evolved for free using this method.
However, you should note that traded Pokemon cannot be given back. Once you trade a Pokemon to another player, you cannot get that Pokemon back from them. You will need to catch another one. This is why players usually trade their more common Pokemon to their friends. Some even keep a stockpile of weaker Pokemon just to trade to their friends to increase their friendship level.
Is Evolving by Trade Worth It?
There are pros and cons to evolving a Pokemon by trading. The receiving end has the most to gain since they can evolve the Pokemon without using any of their candy. The gifter loses the Pokemon, but at the same time, they do increase their friendship level.
You need to think carefully about trading your Pokemon that evolve by trade. Pokemon can only be traded once and its stats will be changed once it’s traded. Knowing the risks will save you the trouble of potential regret. If you’re just giving your friend a gift just to increase your friendship level with them, then consider not giving them a Pokemon that can evolve by trade.
If you need the Pokemon, then just evolve it normally. Although, the amount of candy required for the second evolution is 200 instead of the regular 100. If you and your friend have the same Pokemon, and it’s one that can evolve by trade, then trade the same Pokemon to each other so neither of you has to pay. Just know that the stats of the Pokemon will be altered.
The Bottom Line
It’s important to remind yourself that your Pokemon can only be traded once. And even if you trade the exact same Pokemon with someone, its stats can be altered and you might receive an inferior version. It can be risky to evolve a Pokemon by trade, so sometimes the normal way is the best way to go.
Now that you know all you need to about trading and Pokemon that evolve by trade, go out there and have some fun! Download Pokemon Go on your mobile device now.
