Trading is the way two players swap Pokémon. It is how you fill gaps in your Pokédex, since some Pokémon only appear in one game, and in the main games it is the only way to evolve a few Pokémon. This page covers trading in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which we checked against Nintendo's support pages, plus trade evolutions and Pokémon HOME. Pokémon GO and the trading cards work differently and are not covered here.
What you need
Nintendo's support pages say you need a Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch, an active Nintendo Switch Online membership, an internet connection and the latest game update. Trading is part of the Poké Portal, which you open with the X Button during play. It unlocks when you reach the first Pokémon Center in Los Platos.
Link Trade
Link Trade is for swapping with a friend. Both players choose Link Trade and enter the same 8-digit code under Set Link Code. Then each checks the upper-right corner, where both consoles must show the same mode: Offline for players who are nearby, Online for players far apart. Press L to switch between them. After that:
- Both players choose Begin Searching.
- Each picks one Pokémon.
- Each selects Trade it, and both must confirm.
If you pick Begin Searching without a code, Nintendo says you are matched with a random player. If you only want to trade with someone you know, use a code.
Surprise Trade
For a Surprise Trade, you choose one Pokémon and select Trade it. The game looks for a random partner in the background while you play. A message tells you when it is done, or you can press the Y Button to check. You cannot choose who you trade with or what you get back. The surprise is the whole idea.
Union Circle
Union Circle is a way to play together in a group, and trading is one thing you can do there. One player picks Form a group and shares a Link Code, the others pick Join a group and enter it, and the host selects Set out together. Members can then trade, battle and join Tera Raid Battles with each other. The host can disband the group from the Union Circle menu.
Why trade at all?
The official Trainer's Guide says some Pokémon can only be found in Scarlet or in Violet, and trading with friends is a way to fill those gaps. It also gives a warning about levels. A traded Pokémon may be too high a level for you, and if you have not earned enough Gym badges, "your new Pokémon might not listen to you in battle."
The other reason is evolution. The pokee.si data has 26 evolutions that need a trade from regular forms. Of those, 8 need only the trade, 16 need the Pokémon to hold an item during the trade, and 2 need to be traded for each other. The first four, from the original games, are Kadabra to Alakazam, Machoke to Machamp, Graveler to Golem, Haunter to Gengar. For a held-item case, see Onix to Steelix: Trade holding Metal Coat. The full list is in Trade evolution Pokémon.
Pokémon HOME
Pokémon HOME is a separate app. Nintendo describes it as a cloud service for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and compatible mobile devices. You can store Pokémon, move them between compatible games and trade on the go. Serebii says it allows trades with friends and others around the world, either locally or online. Some features need a paid Premium Plan, and Nintendo's page does not say which ones.
Moving a Pokémon into a game has limits. The official Scarlet and Violet page says each game can receive only the Pokémon that can be found in that game. Serebii says Pokémon from Pokémon GO and Let's Go can go into HOME, but not back out again.
What parents should know
Nintendo's parental controls include a setting called Communicating with Others. It limits open communication, such as chat and messages, and it is on by default for the Child and Pre-Teen presets. On the console it can be set for specific games. Nintendo's page does not say whether the setting covers trading, so we cannot tell you. Test it with your child.
Some things we suggest, which are our own advice and not Nintendo's:
- For young children, use Link Trade with a code, and only with someone you know.
- Treat Surprise Trade as a lucky dip where you meet a stranger's Pokémon, never a way to talk to anyone.
- Check a traded Pokémon's level before you use it.
Trading cards are different again, and how Pokémon cards work explains them. For the rest of the family questions, see a parent's guide to Pokémon.