You’ve probably been there. You catch a Machop with decent IVs, grind out the 25 candy to turn it into a Machoke, and then you see the mountain ahead. 100 candies for a Machamp? That's a lot of walking or Pinap Berries. But then you notice that little icon next to the evolve button—a tiny circle with two arrows. If you trade that Machoke to a friend, the evolution cost drops to zero. Literally nothing.
Honestly, the Pokemon Go trade evolutions mechanic is one of those features that players either ignore entirely or use to dominate the Master League. It’s a carry-over from the original Game Boy days where you needed a Link Cable to get a Gengar or a Golem. In the mobile version, Niantic made it a bit more flexible, but the core "social" requirement remains.
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The Cost of Staying Solo
If you're a solo player, you're basically paying a "loneliness tax." Niantic wants you out there meeting people. By trading specific species, you bypass the final evolution cost entirely. This isn't just about saving a few candies here and there. For a Pokemon like Roggenrola, you're saving a massive 100-candy investment to get a Gigalith. If you’re trying to build a competitive raid team of six Machamps, that's 600 candies you don’t have to farm.
It's huge.
The list of eligible species has grown since the feature first launched in 2020. You’ve got the classics: Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler (both Kanto and Alolan), and Haunter. Then there are the newer additions from the Unova and Kalos regions like Boldore, Gurdurr, Karrablast, and Shelmet. More recently, Phantump and Pumpkaboo joined the club. If you receive any of these in a trade, the button to evolve them to their final form turns green and costs 0.
How the Mechanics Actually Work
Trading in Pokemon Go isn't quite as simple as just handing over a monster. First off, you've gotta be within 100 meters of the person. No long-distance trading unless there's a specific global event happening, which is rare. You also have to be at least Trainer Level 10.
Here’s the kicker that catches people off guard: IVs.
When you trade a Pokemon, its individual values (IVs) reroll completely. That 98% Machoke you just caught? If you trade it to your friend, it could easily turn into a 12% "nundo." It’s a gamble. Most veteran players use a "mirror trade" strategy. You find someone else who has a high-level Machoke or Gurdurr, and you swap them. You’re both hoping for a high IV reroll, but even if the stats suck, you both get a free evolution out of the deal.
Wait, there’s a catch.
Once a Pokemon is traded, it can never, ever be traded again. It’s locked to that account. This means you can't just pass a single Haunter around a circle of five friends to give everyone a Gengar. You get one shot. If the stats come out poor, your only options are to keep it, evolve it for the Pokedex entry, or transfer it for a single candy.
Strategic Moves for Gurdurr and Beyond
Let's talk about Gurdurr for a second. Conkeldurr is a beast in raids. It’s one of the top non-Legendary Fighting types in the game. But Timburr is mostly locked behind 10km eggs or rare raids. Farming 125 candy the old-fashioned way is a nightmare. This is where Pokemon Go trade evolutions become essential for high-level play.
- Catch a bunch of Timburr during an event.
- Evolve the best ones into Gurdurr (costs 25 candy).
- Find a Lucky Friend.
- Swap Gurdurrs.
By doing a Lucky Trade, you guarantee that the IVs will be at least 12/12/12. Since the evolution to Conkeldurr is now free, you’ve just secured a top-tier attacker with great stats for a fraction of the usual resource cost. It’s basically the only way to build a functional Conkeldurr army without spending a year's worth of Rare Candies.
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The Karrablast and Shelmet Weirdness
If you played the main series games like Pokemon Black or White, you remember that Karrablast and Shelmet had to be traded for each other to evolve. It was a specific lore thing where Karrablast basically steals Shelmet's armor.
In Pokemon Go? Niantic simplified it. You can trade a Karrablast for a Pidgey, and that Karrablast will still qualify for a free evolution into Escavalier. They didn't force the specific cross-trade mechanic, which, honestly, is a relief. It makes it way easier to clear out your storage during a trade session.
Pumpkaboo Sizes: A Collector's Nightmare
Pumpkaboo added a weird layer to the trade evolution scene because of its four different sizes: Small, Average, Large, and Super Size. Each size has a different Base HP stat. If you're a completionist, you need to trade-evolve one of each size to get all four Gourgeist entries in your Pokedex without burning 200 candy per size.
Actually, it’s 200 candy if you don't trade. That is a staggering 800 candies just for one species. If you aren't trading your Pumpkaboos, you're playing the game on "Hard Mode" for no reason.
Dealing with the Stardust Hurdle
Everything in this game costs Stardust. Trading is no exception. If you're trading a Pokemon that your friend doesn't have in their Pokedex yet, it counts as a Special Trade and costs a lot more dust.
However, most trade evolution candidates are common enough that you'll both already have them registered. In that case, the cost is usually just 100 Stardust (at the lowest friendship level). It’s a negligible price to pay for a free 100-candy evolution. Just make sure you’ve at least reached "Good Friend" status to keep the costs down.
Why Some People Still Won't Trade
There's a segment of the community that hates trading. I get it. It requires physical proximity and a human interaction. Sometimes you're a rural player and the nearest PokeStop is three miles away, let alone another player. For these folks, the Pokemon Go trade evolutions mechanic feels like a gatekeeper.
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But look at the math. If you're trying to get a Machamp for the Great League or Ultra League, you often want low Attack and high Defense/HP. Trading usually raises the IV floor, making it harder to get those specific "PVP IVs" unless you're trading with a "Good Friend" (where the IV floor is low). It's a weird paradox where being better friends with someone actually makes it harder to get good PVP stats for certain leagues.
The Practical Checklist for Your Next Session
Don't just start trading randomly. You’ll run out of Stardust or mess up your best catches. Use a system.
First, tag your trade candidates. Use the "evolve" search filter combined with the specific species names. Label them "TradeEvo" so you can find them quickly when you're sitting across from your friend at a coffee shop or a park bench.
Second, check the levels. Trading a level 1 Machoke isn't worth the effort. Try to swap high-level, high-CP Pokemon. Even if the IVs reroll poorly, a level 35 Golem is still a useful budget attacker for someone just starting out.
Third, pay attention to the seasons. Occasionally, Niantic runs "Trade XL" bonuses where you get a guaranteed XL Candy for every trade. This is the prime time to do your trade evolutions. You get the free evolution and the rarest resource in the game simultaneously.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your storage: Search for "tradeevolve" in your Pokemon search bar. This will bring up any Pokemon you've received that are currently eligible for a 0-candy evolution.
- Coordinate a mirror swap: Reach out to a local Discord or Campfire group. Specifically ask for a "Gurdurr for Gurdurr" or "Phantump for Phantump" swap.
- Check your medals: Trading contributes to the "Gentleman" medal. If you're pushing for Level 50, you'll need these trades to count toward your platinum badge requirements.
- Save your 2016-2018 mons: If you have very old Pokemon, trading them triggers a "Lucky Trade" more easily. Don't waste these on a common Haunter unless you absolutely need a 100% IV Gengar.
- Focus on the Unova stones: Remember that some trade evolutions, like Boldore, still only require candy, but others might require items in the main series. In Go, the "Trade Evolution" bypasses the candy, but it doesn't bypass the level requirements if you haven't evolved to the middle stage yet. You still have to pay the first 25 candy to get from Machop to Machoke before the trade discount kicks in.