Understanding Lucky Trades in Pokémon GO
Trading Pokémon with friends is a core feature in Pokémon GO, allowing players to exchange creatures and complete their Pokédex. One special outcome of trading is the chance for a Pokémon to become « Lucky. » Lucky Pokémon have several advantages, making them highly sought after.
Benefits of Lucky Pokémon
The primary benefit of a Lucky Pokémon is a reduced Stardust cost for powering up. This significant discount makes leveling up a Lucky Pokémon much more affordable. Additionally, Lucky Pokémon have a guaranteed minimum IV floor of 12/12/12, ensuring they have decent stats. Visually, Lucky Pokémon sparkle and have a distinct background in your inventory. They also receive a special Lucky Pokédex entry, allowing you to track your collection of these fortunate finds.
How to Get Lucky Pokémon
The chance of a trade becoming Lucky is based on several factors, and while there’s no guaranteed way to make every trade Lucky, you can increase your odds. The most significant factor is the age of the Pokémon being traded. Older Pokémon have a higher chance of becoming Lucky. This encourages trading those Pokémon you’ve been holding onto for a while.
Trading Older Pokémon
Pokémon caught between July and August 2016, considered « legacy » Pokémon, have the highest chance of resulting in a Lucky trade. However, even Pokémon caught a few months ago have a better chance of becoming Lucky than recently caught ones. Trading with a Best Friend also slightly increases the odds. While the exact percentages aren’t publicly released by Niantic, the general rule is the older the Pokémon, the higher the Lucky chance.
If you’re looking to obtain specific powerful Pokémon, you might want to learn more about how to get high IV Pokémon. It’s a great way to bolster your team even further. Check out our guide on the highest CP Pokémon in Pokémon GO.
Guaranteed Lucky Trades
There are a few limited scenarios where Lucky trades are guaranteed. Trading a Pokémon caught in July or August 2016 with any other Pokémon will always result in a Lucky trade. However, since these legacy Pokémon are extremely rare, this opportunity doesn’t arise often. A new player who has fewer than 10 Lucky trades will also have their first few trades guaranteed to be Lucky.
Limited-Time Lucky Events
Niantic occasionally runs events that increase the odds of Lucky trades. Keep an eye on official Pokémon GO announcements for these special events, as they can significantly boost your chances of getting Lucky Pokémon.
Boosting Your Lucky Trade Odds
While there’s no guaranteed method to force a Lucky trade outside the specific scenarios mentioned earlier, you can maximize your chances by focusing on trading older Pokémon. Sort your Pokémon by age and prioritize trading those caught furthest in the past.
Trading with Best Friends
Trading with Best Friends provides a slight increase in Lucky trade odds. While the effect is not as significant as trading older Pokémon, it’s still a worthwhile bonus. Building strong friendships in Pokémon GO has many benefits, and increasing your Lucky trade chances is one of them. You can learn more about the best Pokémon movesets to optimize your team for battles.
Maximizing Your Lucky Trades
Understanding how Lucky trades work can significantly improve your Pokémon GO experience. By prioritizing older Pokémon and trading with Best Friends, you can increase your odds of obtaining these valuable creatures and strengthen your team. Remember to check the age of your Pokémon before trading and keep an eye out for special events that boost Lucky trade odds. This will help you make the most of your trades and build a powerful collection of Lucky Pokémon. For more information on specific Pokémon and their optimal movesets, you can explore our guide on the best moveset for Charizard.
Trading During Events
As mentioned before, keep an eye on Pokémon GO’s official channels for news of events. Some events specifically increase Lucky Trade chances, making it a prime time to trade those older Pokémon you’ve been saving. This can often be combined with other bonuses, like reduced Stardust costs for trading, so you get double the benefit.
Lucky Friends
Occasionally, when interacting with a Best Friend (through opening gifts, battling, or raiding together), you have a chance to become Lucky Friends. This status guarantees that the next trade between the two of you will be Lucky. The Lucky Friend status is indicated by a sparkling icon next to their name on your friend list. Once you’ve completed a Lucky Trade with a Lucky Friend, you return to Best Friend status.
Identifying Potential Lucky Pokémon
While you can’t see if a Pokémon will become Lucky before trading, prioritizing older Pokémon increases your chances. Consider keeping track of when you caught certain Pokémon, especially those you intend to trade eventually. This will help you identify potential Lucky candidates when the opportunity arises.
Trading for Specific Pokémon
If you’re looking for a specific Lucky Pokémon, coordinate with your friends. If both trainers trade the desired Pokémon, even if they are recently caught, there’s a chance they’ll both become Lucky. This method is particularly useful for obtaining Lucky versions of Legendary or rare Pokémon.
The Value of Lucky Pokémon
Lucky Pokémon are more than just sparkly additions to your collection. The reduced Stardust cost makes them significantly easier to power up, allowing you to build a strong team without spending exorbitant amounts of Stardust. Their guaranteed minimum IVs also ensure a decent base stat level, even if they weren’t perfect IVs to begin with. Collecting Lucky Pokémon is a rewarding aspect of the game, adding a layer of excitement to trading and team building.