What are Lucky Pokemon in Pokemon GO, and how to catch them? (December 2022)

Pokemon GO offers a whole new perspective with regard to Game Freak's popular monster-taming series. Being an entirely different beast compared to the traditional console-exclusive franchise, it also brings fresh mechanics to the table. This includes the Lucky label for creatures.

While the title has been around for a while, not everyone knows what Lucky Pokemon are or how they are different from other entities. Moreover, how can players get their hands on one such Pocket Monster? Thankfully, this guide has all the answers.

---

Obtaining Lucky Pokemon GO requires stroke of luck

Finding a Lucky Pokemon is incredibly tough. They are not seen in the wild, but can rather emerge from the players' own roster of creatures. To put it simply, when trading entities with a friend, the resulting creature has a chance of becoming Lucky. This status is signified by the green Lucky Pokemon label between the Pokemon's name and the HP bar on the overview screen.

Such entities differ from normal monsters in the sense that they always boast a spectacular IV (Individual Value) spread. This determines the efficiency and effectiveness of a Pokemon over another one of the same species. In GO, they will have a minimum of 12/12/12 IVs, meaning they will often be three-star when gamers Appraise them.

They will also need 50% less Stardust than usual to power up, meaning they will become more powerful than normal Pokemon as well as quicker. Stardust is one of several resources in the free-to-play game and is used to increase a creature's CP (Combat Power) and also help it learn new moves.

There's only a five percent base chance that the traded monster will be Lucky. The status can be identified with the signature shimmering golden background on the overview screen.

A key factor affecting whether or not a trade will result in a Lucky tag is how long the critter has been in the trainer's party. As such, the oldest Pokemon owned by the player will have the highest chance of being Lucky. The value caps at a 20% chance for monsters older than three years, so start trading with your friends. If both critters that are being traded are at least a year old, the game will further increase their chances of being Lucky at the end of the trade.

Interestingly though, there is a way to get a guaranteed Pokemon of this kind. However, this may be a lot tougher than engaging in frequent trades with others. Basically, you will have to trade your creatures with a Lucky Friend. This is a tag given to a trainer as a special upgrade that sees them get the Best Friend label. However, there is a minuscule chance of this happening.

Developer Niantic offers another condition for obtaining a guaranteed Lucky. That said, there are a bunch of rules to consider here:

• One of the trade monsters must be caught between the years 2016-2017.
• Trainers (that send monsters that become guaranteed Lucky) must have less than 15 trades where a creature they either received or sent was a guaranteed Lucky.

Note that monsters can be Lucky and Shiny at the same time. Pokemon GO is available exclusively on Android and iOS platforms.