Pokemon Go trade evolutions: All Pokemon that evolve by trading

In Pokemon Go, a select group of creatures can evolve only after being traded with other players, so here’s the full list of every Pokemon that uses the Trade Evolution system in Niantic’s game.

Trading is at the heart of the Pokemon series, as many original players remember swapping Pocket Monsters between Pokemon Red & Blue back in the 90s through a cable Link. A handful of iconic ‘mon were featured as the first trade evolutions, including Kadabra, Machoke, and the Water-types Poliwhirl and Seadra.

Compared to the main series, Pokemon Go changed how some Pokemon evolved, however, it doesn’t mean the process is too different.

Word of Pokemon Go trade evolutions was originally mentioned back in September of 2019, a significant amount of time after the game‘s initial release. Let’s take a look at all of the ‘mon you can evolve by trading them with friends in Pokemon Go.

Pokemon that evolve by trading in Pokemon Go

The full list of Pokemon that can currently be evolved by trading is relatively small, so it’s worth utilizing this special feature whenever possible:

STARTING POKEMON		EVOLVED POKEMON
Boldore		Gigalith
Graveler		Golem
Gurdurr		Conkeldurr
Haunter		Gengar
Kadabra		Alakazam
Karrablast		Escavalier
Machoke		Machamp
Phantump		Trevenant
Pumpkaboo		Gourgeist
Shelmet		Accelgor

How much does it cost to trade evolve in Pokemon Go?

When you trade a Pokemon, its evolution Candy cost is reduced to zero, which makes it a great option for Pokemon like Pumpkaboo and Phantump which require a lot of Candy to evolve without trading.

You will have to pay Stardust, though. The amount depends on the rarity of the Pokemon you’re trading (whether it’s a Legendary or Shiny, for example) and your Friendship Level with the other Trainer.

We’ve listed the cost of evolving each of these Pokemon through Candies below, and you can see that the trading method takes out a lot of work.

• 100 Candy: Haunter, Graveler, Kadabra, and Machoke.
• 200 Candy: Boldore, Gurrdurr, Karrablast, Phantump, Pumpkaboo, and Shelmet.

Once you’ve found another player to connect with and trade, you’ve saved a lot of Candy and a lot of time trying to get that specific Pokemon evolution you want.

Trade Evolution system requirements in Pokemon Go

There are a few requirements you’ll need to meet before you can trade in Pokemon Go. Most importantly, you have to be friends with the person you want to trade with by sharing your Trainer codes. Both of you will need to be at least Level 10 in Pokemon Go, and you’ll have to be within close physical proximity (around 100 meters) of each other. You cannot currently trade with Friends remotely.

Trading Pokemon also costs a variable amount of Stardust, with rarer catches being more expensive. You can reduce this Stardust cost by increasing your Friendship Level. Keep in mind Mythical Pokemon cannot be traded.

How to trade evolve in Pokemon Go

Niantic

Once you’ve met all of the requirements, follow the instructions: 

1. While on the Pokemon Go main map screen, tap your avatar icon at the bottom left corner.
2. Slide to the right and go to your Friends’ feed.
3. Select the Friend you wish to trade with and tap their avatar.
4. Once their profile opens up, select the ‘Trade‘ option and wait for your Friend to do the same.
5. Select the Pokemon you want to trade and wait for your Friend.
6. The trade will start immediately.

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. You can’t go back once it’s done.

That’s everything you need to know about all the Pokemon trade evolutions in Pokemon Go. You can also 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 Competitive Pokemon in Pokemon Go, or the Best Mega Evolutions.