Pokemon GO (April 2023): All Pokemon that evolve when traded

In Pokemon GO, much like in the main series, evolution for the titular Pocket Monsters can be accomplished in many different ways. Depending on the Pokemon, evolution can be achieved with candies, trading, the use of special items, or even flipping your device upside down in one particularly interesting case.

In some circumstances, the older Pokemon titles in the franchise leaned heavily on trade-based evolution. That is to say, certain Pocket Monsters can only evolve after being traded, encouraging players to link up to collect every Pokemon in the game. Interestingly, Pokemon GO has taken a different approach, allowing trainers to evolve a species for free if traded, but still allowing them to evolve it with candy if they preferred that option.

As the Rising Heroes season continues, it isn't a bad time to re-examine which Pokemon can evolve for free through the trading feature in Pokemon GO.

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Every Pokemon that can evolve via trading in Pokemon GO as of April 2023

Phantump's evolution into Trevenant can be free if Pokemon GO players trade it first (Image via Niantic)

As of April 2023, there are 11 different Pokemon that can evolve for free when traded, including one Alolan regional variant. Immediately after being traded, instead of evolving outright like they normally would in the original Pokemon games, trainers will notice that the cost of evolving has been reduced to zero candy.

This allows fans to continue powering up a Pokemon or trade it back before it evolves so that the original owner can maximize their Pocket Monster's potential before it takes the next step in its evolution.

All Pokemon that can evolve after trading as of April 2023

• Kadabra -> Alakazam
• Machoke -> Machamp
• Graveler -> Golem
• Alolan Graveler -> Alolan Golem
• Haunter -> Gengar
• Boldore -> Gigalith
• Gurdurr -> Conkeldurr
• Karrablast -> Escavalier
• Shelmet -> Accelgor
• Phantump -> Trevenant
• Pumpkaboo -> Gourgeist

In addition to evolving into a more powerful form, creatures in Pokemon GO will retain their shiny coloration if applicable, so trainers won't need to worry about losing their shiny Pokemon if they evolve it through the trade feature. Once the trade has been completed, evolution carries out exactly as it would normally.

Considering the zero-candy cost of this process, trainers will want to take full advantage of it whenever possible. The only tricky thing is finding a fellow Pokemon GO player that's willing to trade, and having the required total of Stardust to facilitate the trade in the first place.

Fortunately, none of the Pocket Monsters that can be evolved through trading are particularly expensive to trade. Granted, this can change if players are trading a shiny variant, but otherwise, none of the Pokemon that evolve via trade are Legendary or Mythical, so they won't take too much Stardust to hand off.

Fortunately, in the current-gen Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, no Mythical or Legendary Pokemon can evolve through trading as of yet, so trainers won't have to worry about breaking the Stardust bank in upcoming updates, events, and content releases.