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.
List of trade evolutions
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.
A Pokémon traded holding an Everstone is prevented from evolving except in Generation III due to a glitch. From Generation IV onwards, Kadabra still evolves into Alakazam while holding an Everstone.
Feebas evolves into Milotic when leveled up with its Beautiful condition high enough or when traded while holding a Prism Scale. For more details, see Feebas → Evolution data.
In the case of Karrablast or Shelmet, 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.
The player who receives this Pokémon obtains both the unevolved and evolved species as caught in their Pokédex. The player is unable to press B to cancel a trade evolution, unlike other methods of evolution.
Generation I
In this generation, a Pokémon will inevitably evolve by trade if it is able to, with no way to simply trade the unevolved Pokémon. This is due to the fact that held items such as the Everstone had not been introduced yet.
Generation II
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Confirm if a Pokémon holding the correct evolution item in GSC is able to evolve in the Time Capsule after it is traded to RBY and back to GSC |
In Generation II, any Pokémon (including Kadabra) traded while holding an Everstone will not evolve by trade.
Generation III
In Generation III only, the trade evolutions are affected by a glitch: if a Pokémon is able to evolve by trade with no item, but that Pokémon is traded while holding any item, this item will be consumed during the evolution.
If Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler, or Haunter is traded while holding an Everstone, this Pokémon will still evolve while this item is consumed by the glitch mentioned above. Therefore, much like in Generation I, any of these Pokémon will inevitably evolve by trade if it is able to, with no way to simply trade the unevolved Pokémon.
In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, 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 Onix into Steelix), it will attempt to evolve but fail.
Generation IV onwards
From Generation IV onwards, due to an explicitly programmed exception, Kadabra still evolves into Alakazam while holding an Everstone. Other trade evolutions are prevented if the Pokémon is holding an Everstone.
Generation VIII
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, 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.
In the side series games
Pokémon Stadium series
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: State whether or not it is possible to stop this evolution by pressing B on the N64 controller |
In Pokémon Stadium and Stadium 2, Pokémon are able to evolve by trade as in the core series games. The Pokémon trades are available by using trade machine in the Pokémon Lab, where Pokémon are traded between two core series games using Transfer Paks.
The earlier game Japanese Pokémon Stadium 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.
In the spin-off games
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, Scyther evolves into Scizor 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
- Main article: Linking Cord → Pokémon Sleep
In Pokémon Sleep, the Linking Cord item and certain amounts of candy 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.
In the anime
In the anime, 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 Keith's Clamperl. In Searching for Chivalry, Goh's Scyther's trade evolution into Scizor 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 anime
| First Trainer's Pokémon | Second Trainer's Pokémon | Episode traded | Notes | ||
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Bianca's Shelmet | 
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Professor Juniper's Karrablast | Evolution Exchange Excitement! | Evolved into Accelgor and Escavalier respectively. |
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Jessie's Pumpkaboo | 
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Count Pumpka's Mawile | A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell? | Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist. The trade is reversed the same episode. |
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
In Pokémon Adventures, few trade evolutions have occurred.
List of trade evolutions in Pokémon Adventures
| First Trainer's Pokémon | Second Trainer's Pokémon | Chapter traded | Notes | ||
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Red's Poli, Saur, and Pika | 
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Blue's Charmeleon, Scyther, Golduck Machoke, Pidgeot, and Porygon |
A Tale of Ninetales | Accident. Returned in the same chapter. Machoke evolves into Machamp from the trade. |
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Gold's Polibo (Holding King's Rock) |
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Silver's Seadra (Holding Dragon Scale) |
Ampharos Amore | Traded via Pokédex. Evolved into Politoed and Kingdra, respectively. Returned in the following chapter. |
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Blue's Rhydon (Holding Protector) |
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Silver (traded Pokémon unknown) | Prior to Raising the Stakes with Rhyperior | Traded via Pokédex. Rhydon evolved into Rhyperior. Rhyperior returned prior to Pinsir Glares. |
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Blake's Shelmet |
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Whitley's Karrablast | Abyssal Ruins | Traded via Pokédex. Evolved into Accelgor and Escavalier respectively. |
Trivia
- All trade evolutions introduced in Generation II and IV are cross-generational evolutions (evolving Pokémon introduced in earlier generations).
- Porygon is the only Pokémon to evolve twice via trading. Both evolutions require a held item, namely the Upgrade and Dubious Disc.
- Porygon2 is the only Pokémon to have evolved from trading that can evolve further.
- The Clamperl family is the only branched evolution in which both evolutions are achieved by trading.
- Out of all items used to evolve Pokémon by trade, King's Rock and Metal Coat are the only ones compatible with two Pokémon species, with all other items being exclusively used by a single Pokémon.
See also
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This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
