Trade Evolution

Trade Evolution refers to the process of evolving a Pokémon by trading it to another game. This method of Evolution was introduced in Generation I. From Generation II onwards, several Pokémon evolve when traded with a held item. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the trade Evolutions are also available without the need to trade the Pokémon.
==List of trade Evolutions==
Previous Evolution 	Previous Evolution 	Trade Evolution 	Trade Evolution 	Trade Evolution
Introduced in Generation I 	Introduced in Generation I 	Introduced in Generation I 	Introduced in Generation I 	Introduced in Generation I
 	Level 16+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
 	Level 28+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
 	Level 25+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
 	Level 25+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
Introduced in Generation II 	Introduced in Generation II 	Introduced in Generation II 	Introduced in Generation II 	Introduced in Generation II
 	Level 25+→ 	 	+ Trade(holding King's Rock)→ 	
Slowpoke is the lowest in its line 	Slowpoke is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding King's Rock)→ 	
Onix is the lowest in its line 	Onix is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Metal Coat)→ 	
Scyther is the lowest in its line 	Scyther is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Metal Coat)→ 	
 	Level 32+→ 	 	+ Trade(holding Dragon Scale)→ 	
Porygon is the lowest in its line 	Porygon is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Upgrade)→ 	
Introduced in Generation III 	Introduced in Generation III 	Introduced in Generation III	Introduced in Generation III 	Introduced in Generation III
Clamperl is the lowest in its line 	Clamperl is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Deep Sea Tooth)→	
Clamperl is the lowest in its line 	Clamperl is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Deep Sea Scale)→	
Introduced in Generation IV 	Introduced in Generation IV 	Introduced in Generation IV 	Introduced in Generation IV 	Introduced in Generation IV
 	Level 42+→ 	 	+ Trade(holding Protector)→ 	
 	Level 30+→ 	 	+ Trade(holding Electirizer)→ 	
 	Level 30+→ 	 	+ Trade(holding Magmarizer)→ 	
 	+ Trade(holding Upgrade)→ 	 	+ Trade(holding Dubious Disc)→ 	
 	Level 37+→ 	 	+ Trade(holding Reaper Cloth)→ 	
Introduced in Generation V 	Introduced in Generation V 	Introduced in Generation V 	Introduced in Generation V 	Introduced in Generation V
Feebas is the lowest in its line 	Feebas is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Prism Scale)→ 	
 	Level 25+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
 	Level 25+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
Karrablast is the lowest in its line	Karrablast is the lowest in its line	 	+ Trade(traded for )→ 	
Shelmet is the lowest in its line 	Shelmet is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(traded for )→ 	
Introduced in Generation VI 	Introduced in Generation VI 	Introduced in Generation VI 	Introduced in Generation VI 	Introduced in Generation VI
Spritzee is the lowest in its line 	Spritzee is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Sachet)→ 	
Swirlix is the lowest in its line 	Swirlix is the lowest in its line 	 	+ Trade(holding Whipped Dream)→ 	
Phantump is the lowest in its line 	Phantump is the lowest in its line 	 	Trade→ 	
Pumpkaboo is the lowest in its line 	Pumpkaboo is the lowest in its line 	 	Trade→ 	
Introduced in Generation VII 	Introduced in Generation VII 	Introduced in Generation VII	Introduced in Generation VII 	Introduced in Generation VII
 	Level 25+→ 	 	Trade→ 	
==In the core series games==
In the core series games, the Pokémon evolves automatically after being traded. Several Pokémon evolve by trade without any additional requirement, but several other Pokémon need to be holding a specific Evolution item in order to evolve. The item is consumed after the Evolution.
The player who received this Pokémon obtains both the unevolved and evolved species as caught in their Pokédex.
It is not possible to press B to cancel a trade Evolution, unlike certain other methods of Evolution.
===Trading Pokémon with a held Everstone===
If a Pokémon is able to evolve by trade with no held item (such as into , or into ), it will not evolve when traded while holding a Everstone, except in some cases as explained below.
The Everstone is unavailable in several games that lack the held item feature (namely the Generation I games, , and ), and it does not prevent trade Evolutions in Generation III games due to a glitch. In all those games, if a Pokémon is able to evolve by trade with no held item, then there is no way to trade it while keeping it unevolved.
====Generation III trading glitch====
In Generation III only, the trade Evolutions are affected by a glitch: if , , , or is traded while holding any item, including an Everstone, this Pokémon will evolve nonetheless, and the item will be consumed.
====Kadabra holding Everstone====
In Generation II only, the Everstone works normally on . If a Kadabra is traded while holding an Everstone, it will be prevented from evolving.
In all other generations, there is no way to trade a Kadabra while keeping it unevolved. When a Kadabra is traded, it inevitably evolves into even if it is holding an Everstone.
In addition to the Generation III glitch mentioned above, the Everstone does not work on Kadabra from Generation IV onwards because this Pokémon is explicitly programmed as an exception.
===Feebas===
 originally evolved evolves into when leveled up with its condition high enough. From Generation V onwards, it can also evolve when traded while holding a Prism Scale.
===Karrablast and Shelmet===
In the case of or , they evolve specifically when one is traded by the other. However, if either of those Pokémon is holding an Everstone during this trade, neither will evolve.
===National Pokédex requirement in FireRed and LeafGreen===
In , if the player does not have the National Pokédex, when a Pokémon in the Kanto Pokédex meets its Evolution conditions but its evolved form is not in the Kanto Pokédex (including the trade Evolutions such as into ), it will attempt to evolve but fail.
===Linking Cord in Pokémon Legends: Arceus===
In , the trade Evolutions are available with no need to trade Pokémon.
The Linking Cord item can be used from the player's satchel to trigger the Evolution of Pokémon that would evolve by trade with no held item. However, those Pokémon can still alternatively evolve by being traded as is the case in other core series games.
The Linking Cord has no effect on Pokémon that evolve by being traded while holding an item. In this game, due to the absence of held items, those Pokémon are unable to evolve by trade. Instead, they evolve if the player uses the correct Evolution item from the satchel on the Pokémon.
===Availability outside of trades===
In some cases, the trade Evolutions are available outside of trades. 
* : Two of the in-game trades in this game involve Pokémon that evolve by trading. In one, the player gives away and receives ; the other one has them give away and receive . The Pokémon they receive this way will thus evolve into and respectively, allowing them to be registered without linking to another game.
* : One of the in-game trades in this game allows the player to give away and receive Machoke in return, which will thus evolve into .
* : Wild can be found directly in the lower floors of Iron Island, without needing to go through Evolution. Additionally, if the player has access to dual-slot mode with any Generation III game, wild can be found in one room of the Old Chateau.
* : Wild Steelix can be found at Mt. Silver, in the room where spawns. Alternatively, after the player defeats the , Jasmine can also give out a Steelix in an in-game trade where she will accept any Pokémon in return.
* : , , , (which has newly become a trade Evolution in this generation, with no means of increasing its Beauty), , and are all catchable in the wild using the phenomenon of rippling water in various places, though Huntail is version-exclusive to Black while Gorebyss is exclusive to White. 
* : With the exception of Slowking, the wild trade Evolutions that were available from Black and White's rippling water remain available here, with Huntail and Gorebyss retaining their version exclusivity for players who are unable to trade. In addition, wild are now available from the phenomenon of dust clouds in Clay Tunnel, and two in-game trades offer trade-Evolution Pokémon directly at their final stage, without registering the pre-evolved form first. One NPC requests and gives away (in Black and White, this same NPC asks for in a trade and gives away Emolga), while another asks for and gives away , though this trade does not become available until the player does a separate trade, as well as a battle, with the same NPC.
* : , , , and are all available as wild encounters on their respective routes, and once again Huntail and Gorebyss serve as version counterparts when obtained this way, with Huntail appearing in X and Gorebyss in Y. In addition, an in-game trade is available where the player gives away and receives Steelix.
* : Wild Gengar, Politoed, and have a small chance to appear in SOS Battles in which their respective pre-Evolutions call for help, allowing them to be obtained without trading. Wild can also be found using Island Scan on Mondays, and there is an in-game trade where the player can give away and receive , which will thus evolve into .
* : The Gengar, Politoed, and Trevenant helpers are still available here, joined by additional SOS helpers in , , and . Unlike in previous games, the Huntail and Gorebyss encounters are no longer version-exclusive, but instead depend on whether the battle started during daytime or nighttime according to the in-game clock. No trade Evolutions are available from Island Scan this time, and the NPC who offered the Graveler trade in the previous games now offers a different trade instead, in which both traders give away -- thus causing both to evolve into Trevenant.
* : With the exceptions of , , and , all the Pokémon that appear in these games and that evolve by trading can also be found as wandering Pokémon, in either the Wild Area or one of its DLC counterparts (Isle of Armor or Crown Tundra), though is version-exclusive to Sword and is exclusive to Shield, and some Pokémon may only appear on days with specific weather conditions. They may also be obtained from Max Raid Battle dens--prior to the release of the Expansion Pass, could not be found as a wanderer and was exclusive to raid dens originating from Sword, while Accelgor was exclusive to raid dens originating from Shield. Finally, while the non- form of Slowking is not obtainable in the wild, it has a chance to be found in the Max Lair during Dynamax Adventures.
* : As noted above, the Pokédex in this game was designed to be completed without needing to connect to other players. The trade-Evolution Pokémon can therefore be obtained without trading, by using either the Linking Cord item or the item that the species would normally hold during a trade in order to evolve, as though that item were an Evolution stone. These species may also be found in the wild as Alpha Pokémon, or during massive mass outbreaks or space-time distortions.
* : All trade-Evolution Pokémon that exist in these games have a small chance to be found in their fully evolved stage in raid dens for Tera Raid Battles, as does which is not a trade Evolution but which does normally require connecting to other players in Union Circle to evolve. In the case of Pokémon that were first added to the game during the two phases of the Expansion Pass, only raid dens in the appropriate area (Kitakami or the Blueberry Academy) have a chance to spawn them. Gengar and in particular can also be found in the wild in specific DLC areas. Additionally, there is an in-game trade in which the player gives away and receives ; unlike in-game trades in Diamond, Pearl, and their remakes, this Haunter is not holding an Everstone, so it will evolve into Gengar.
==In the side series games==
===Pokémon Stadium series===
In Pokémon Stadium and , Pokémon are able to evolve by trade as in the core series games. The Pokémon trades are available by using trade machine in the , where Pokémon are traded between two core series games using Transfer Paks.
The earlier has no trade feature. Pokémon Stadium is compatible with Generation I Pokémon, which require no held item. Pokémon Stadium 2 is compatible with Generation I and II Pokémon, some of which require a held item to evolve.
===Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness===
In Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Pokémon are able to evolve by trade as in the core series games.
The only trade Evolution available outside of trades in either game is the in the Japanese version of Colosseum, which requires the e-Reader and the Pokémon Colosseum Double Battle e cards.
===Pokémon HOME===
In Pokémon HOME, trade Evolutions are not triggered by online trades, unlike in the core series games.
==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon GO===
In Pokémon GO, this is officially referred to as "trade Evolution". This feature was introduced on January 10, 2020.Trade Evolution and more Pokémon originally discovered in Unova are here! The (with no held item) in the core series can either evolve in Pokémon GO if the player spends or if the player has obtained this Pokémon from a trade. However, only a subset of those Pokémon can currently trade evolve in Pokémon GO.
Unlike in the core series, which requires Pokémon to be at a specific evolutionary stage to evolve via trade, Pokémon in Pokémon GO become eligible for trade Evolution if they were traded at any evolutionary stage prior to their trade Evolution stage. For example, trading a and then evolving it to makes it eligible to later evolve into at no Candy cost.
Notably, no in the core series can trade evolve in Pokémon GO. These Pokémon instead require Evolution items in addition to to evolve.
===Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series===
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Team, Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky====
In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, the Link Cable item is used to evolve the Pokémon that would evolve by trade in the core series games. If the Pokémon would evolve by being traded while holding an item, then both the Link and that same item are required to evolve this Pokémon. For instance, evolves into by using both the Link Cable and the Metal Coat. The items are consumed during the Evolution.
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX====
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, the evolutionary items (including the Link Cable and the other items that are specific to each Pokémon such as the King's Rock or the Dragon Scale) are replaced by the Evolution Crystal item instead.
===Pokémon Sleep===
In Pokémon Sleep, the Linking Cord item and certain amounts of are required to evolve the available Pokémon that would normally evolve by trade in the core series games. This item and the candy are consumed upon use.
===e-Reader games===
In Machop At Work, if the player character manages to smash all 100 rocks, it evolves into , and then again into . Although Machoke evolves into Machamp by trade in the core series games, it appears to evolve simply as a result of smashing rocks in this spin-off game.
==In animation==
In the , trade Evolutions have occurred several times. They have also been shown to occur if the Pokémon in question is transferred between Pokémon Centers while holding the correct Evolution item instead of being traded, as seen in Outrageous Fortunes with Misty's Poliwhirl and in The Evolutionary War with Nancy and 's . In Searching for Chivalry, Goh's 's trade Evolution into was triggered by it being transferred through a trade machine while holding a Metal Coat, without it leaving Goh's ownership at any point.
===List of trade Evolutions in the animated series===
First Trainer's Pokémon	First Trainer's Pokémon	Second Trainer's Pokémon	Second Trainer's Pokémon	Episode traded 	Notes
 	's 	 	Professor Juniper's 	Evolution Exchange Excitement! 	Evolved into and respectively.
 	Jessie's 	 	Count Pumpka's 	A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell?	Pumpkaboo evolves into .The trade is reversed the same episode.
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
In Pokémon Adventures, some trade Evolutions have occurred.
====List of trade Evolutions in Pokémon Adventures====
First Trainer's Pokémon	First Trainer's Pokémon 	Second Trainer's Pokémon	Second Trainer's Pokémon 	Chapter traded 	Notes
 	's Poli, Saur, and Pika 	 	's , , , , and 	A Tale of Ninetales 	Accident. Returned in the same chapter. evolves into from the trade.
 	's Poli, Saur, and Pika 	 	's , , , , and 	A Tale of Ninetales 	Accident. Returned in the same chapter. evolves into from the trade.
 	's Poli, Saur, and Pika 	 	's , , , , and 	A Tale of Ninetales 	Accident. Returned in the same chapter. evolves into from the trade.
 	's Poli, Saur, and Pika 	 	's , , , , and 	A Tale of Ninetales 	Accident. Returned in the same chapter. evolves into from the trade.
 	's Poli, Saur, and Pika 	 	's , , , , and 	A Tale of Ninetales 	Accident. Returned in the same chapter. evolves into from the trade.
 	's Poli, Saur, and Pika 	 	's , , , , and 	A Tale of Ninetales 	Accident. Returned in the same chapter. evolves into from the trade.
 	's Polibo(Holding King's Rock)	 	's (Holding Dragon Scale)	Ampharos Amore 	Traded via Pokédex.Evolved into and , respectively.Returned in the following chapter.
 	's (Holding Metal Coat) 	 	Unknown 	Prior to Forretress of Solitude 	evolved into
 	's (Holding Upgrade) 	 	Unknown 	Prior to Playful Porygon2 	evolved into
 	's (Holding Protector) 	 	(traded Pokémon unknown) 	Prior to Raising the Stakes with Rhyperior	Traded via Pokédex. evolved into .Rhyperior returned prior to Pinsir Glares.
 	's 	 	's 	Abyssal Ruins 	Traded via Pokédex.Evolved into and respectively.
==Trivia==
* All trade Evolutions introduced in Generation and are cross-generational Evolutions (evolving Pokémon introduced in earlier generations).
* is the only Pokémon to evolve twice via trading. Both Evolutions require a held item, namely the Upgrade and Dubious Disc.
** is the only Pokémon to have evolved from trading that can evolve further.
* The line is the only branched Evolution in which both Evolutions are achieved by trading.
* evolving into is the only case where a non-trade Evolution later gained a trade Evolution into the same Pokémon species.
* is the only Pokémon to have evolved from trading that can also be found as a wild Pokémon in the same games where it was introduced.
* Since Generation VII, no new Pokémon that evolve by trade have been introduced, other than a regional form.
** is the only regional form with a trade Evolution.
===Held items===
* Out of all items used to evolve Pokémon by trade, King's Rock and Metal Coat are the only ones usable by two Pokémon species each, with all other items being exclusively used by a single Pokémon each.
* Several items introduced between Generations and can not only trigger an Evolution when held by a traded Pokémon but also have other unrelated uses when held by Pokémon in . Other held items introduced from Generation V onwards are exclusively used for trade Evolutions.
** In Generation II, the Upgrade was the only item with no other use than triggering a trade Evolution, while the Dragon Scale, King's Rock, and Metal Coat also had some in-battle effects unrelated to Evolution. However, Dragon Scale actually had the in-battle effect intended for Dragon Fang as the result of an oversight. This was fixed from Pokémon Stadium 2 onwards, rendering the Dragon Scale with no effect other than being used for Evolution.
==References==
==See also==
* Pokémon that evolve through trading
** Pokémon that evolve by trading with a held item
Category:Methods of Evolution
*