Trade Evolution

Some Pokémon -- Machoke, for example -- requires to be traded with a friend before we're able to evolve them, and while others require to be held with a certain item alongside (such as Dusclops, which needs Reaper Cloth).

What are our thoughts on this particular method? Do we feel that it adds more value to those Pokémon, in any way?

It might slightly add of challenge to finish the pokedex. Way back before wireless come along it was bit hard to find a people with link cable and different/same game to the trading, now PSS and GTS is possible to do those now. But you can't just trust a stranger to return it to you and you must have a trusted friend to return the pokemon that evolved from trading so to get their and your dex completed.

I've always thought it was odd, to be honest. I suppose in a sense, it encourages you to find other friends who play the games? But I've never understood the reasoning behind trading it to another person triggering evolution. Lately though I've found it to be pretty useful, because I have 2 3DSs, so whenever I get a Pokemon that evolves via trade, I can always evolve it immediately.

i think it does provide a good challenge for people who want to evolve certain pokemon. it is a pain though if you don't have a second ds or a friend to trade with.

There's no one living close to me with a 3DS let alone another Pokemon game, so it's a bit of a hassle trying to organize evolution trades with other players. Pokemon like Machamp and Alakazam are a bit more valuable to me because of this.

I'm in the same situation as Draco, no one near me plays Pokemon so it explains why I've never bothered to get trade evolutions in most games and as a result I tend to avoid using them on my main team in the story.

Just think back to the days of link cables. Well, I guess this can't apply to everyone here.

Anyway, back in the original Gen. I and Gen. II games, using a link cable to trade was as high as technology got. People like me who played that time didn't know any better. That's all we had. Trading was fun because you literally sat next to the person you're collaborating with. I still remember sitting in the school cafeteria in my elementary school days and we'll have lines of kids sitting around with Gameboys all linked for battles and trades. It kind of carried on through the GBA days in middle school, but puberty set in and most of us had other priorities.

It's a mechanic that's been around since Day 1. I find it to be much more interactive than holding your 3DS upside down.

Remember, Pokemon is a social game through and through. It's not designed to be a game where you play while hiding underneath your blankets for hours in the dark locked in your room. Eventually you're going to have to interact with another player if you want to get the absolute most out of the game.

Then again, technically as long as you have access to the Internet nowadays, you can just trade with yourself via the GTS. Whatever floats your boat.

My thought was that I always hated that particular method.

But then again, I was someone without any friends who had pokemon as well so there was no way I was getting those evolutions back then. :| At least not easily.

I mean, it's kind of a neat way of doing things, I just...didn't like it much. Although I think I managed to get one of them once (I think it was an Alakazam), I definitely used that thing since I actually acquired it and would probably never acquire it again.

It makes playing a pain for me cause even though I have 2 ds's (one 3d one lite) I only have 1 game from gens 3, 4, 5. So I had to do it wirelessly and only had a couple of friends to do it with. And now Nintendo has ended any chance of having pokemon evolve via trade in those games by turning of the wireless connection for 4 and 5 effectively stopping anyone from playing them competitively and making them worth only playing for challenges.

Obsideon said:

It makes playing a pain for me cause even though I have 2 ds's (one 3d one lite) I only have 1 game from gens 3, 4, 5. So I had to do it wirelessly and only had a couple of friends to do it with. And now Nintendo has ended any chance of having pokemon evolve via trade in those games by turning of the wireless connection for 4 and 5 effectively stopping anyone from playing them competitively and making them worth only playing for challenges.

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I never thought of that being a consequence of turning off the wireless connection, that really sucks if you don't know anybody locally or can't do it yourself.

For me I wouldn't say it adds value to the Pokemon but I do like that some Pokemon evolve in different ways. Luckily I'm in the owns 2 devices camp so can do it quite easily.

Spoonacross said:

I never thought of that being a consequence of turning off the wireless connection, that really sucks if you don't know anybody locally or can't do it yourself.

For me I wouldn't say it adds value to the Pokemon but I do like that some Pokemon evolve in different ways. Luckily I'm in the owns 2 devices camp so can do it quite easily.

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Lucky I have to go buy a bw2 or hg/ss to do that (really like having an Alakazam cause it's cool and really good plus MEGA EVOLUTIONAWESOMENESS!!!!).

Trade evolutions became easier for me when I got a DS and played Pokemon Diamond. My sister plays Pokemon too, so naturally we work together in not just trade evolutions but also version-exclusive Pokemon or items. I personally liked this because it's quite a challenging way to evolve due to the happiness reset (or does that not happen? Not really sure on that one)... but that's probably me just saying that because I've been spoiled having a trade partner all my life, haha.

Since I couldn't find anyone to trade those kinds of Pokemon during the time before gen 4 and 5 shutdown, finding a wild Steelix was awesome.The only trade I got was a Vulpix for a Growlith trade.

I don't like it because it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me honestly. I get that they wanted to promote interactivity and sell more games as well, but to me it just seems very mundane and monotonous these days.

Sopheria said:

I've always thought it was odd, to be honest. I suppose in a sense, it encourages you to find other friends who play the games? But I've never understood the reasoning behind trading it to another person triggering evolution. Lately though I've found it to be pretty useful, because I have 2 3DSs, so whenever I get a Pokemon that evolves via trade, I can always evolve it immediately.

Click to expand...

At least Shelmet and Karrablast's trade evolution make sense. ;)

And on the topic, it's mixed feelings for me, in a sense it is convenient as you can get powerful Pokémon early. But then and again, not everyone has access to an another console/the internet.

I see link trade mentioned. For me to use a cable back then meant I had to go over to my cousins an hour and a half away to trade. Only did it once and it was for MaChamp. As for the GTS, sometimes I'll find someone offering a Machoke & I'll trade my Machoke.

Strange way to evolve Pokemon as it can sometimes leave people with no way to evolve Pokemon like Haunter. They should evolve by level/item too.

A cool display of the Pokemon games' features, an unfortunate setback for those lacking friends...

...such as myself. :'( (I blame the release of OR/AS.)

Okay, I'll be serious. The trading system and the trade-only Pokemon such as Graveler and Machoke exist purely to display one of the many features that make Pokemon games Pokemon games. Especially with the new PSS or whatever it was called now making trading much easier, trades can be seen as a way to connect people now...that's something I really like, and it's something I see as clever marketing to younger people seeking a Pokemon game.

On the other hand, I really disliked trading back in the day, as it either required those link cables (never had one since I began with the DS games) or close proximity to the other trader if you were unfortunate enough to lack wi-fi internet as I was. As for how these Pokemon trade, I'd much prefer alternate trade methods. For example, have Haunter evolve either by trading or by other ways such as leveling up at night, Dusk Stones etc. Trading's a nice idea, but it shouldn't be the only way to get a certain Pokemon.

I always wanted an In-Universe answer for Trade Evolution. Sabrina could evolve Kadabra at-will, no trade needed. In the Manga, a kadabra (i think) traded hands for the length of a race and evolved after returning.

So what is the deal?