Why do they need the trade machine?

[Pikachu-dance!]

Why dont they just give eachother the pokeballs?

 

[professor plum]

Probably to make it official or something with the Pokemon League or something.
Do they even use it anymore? *can't remember* The last tiem I remember seeing it used was during that S.S. Anne episode XD;

 

[Wings Don't Cry]

The last time they used it was when Dawn and Ash traded Aipom and Buizel.

 

[RivalGator]

Probably just to make things difficult.

 

[Semidos]

To make pokemon obey for person who you trade with.

 

[Beldum]

My guess, when the balls go through the machine, it sends somehting into the ball to maker the Pokemon understand that it's being traded and has a new owner. That way, it wouldn't be like stealing and the Pokemon would rebel.

 

[Izanagi]

I guess to make it legal according to League regulations, so that no one can say "Hey, that's not your Pokemon!" Or something like that.

 

[PuNkSter]

I too had the same thought. But somehow it makes sense to trade using a machine. It makes the trade "complete".

 

[Ho-Oh]

To avoid trading the wrong sort of balls.

 

[xJordan360]

I'd assume the machine is used to transfer the Data of ownership, so the Pokemon can be claimed by the new owner. Can't be said stolen, or what have you.

 

[Bluerang1]

Yes, like others said, something to do with ownership. Like how adoption happens, you'll need papers and stuff. So like the Machine tells the Pokemon in the Pokeball that they have a new owner they should get used to.

 

[RainbowMunchies]

Most likely it's what everyone else has been saying. A lot of stuff in the pokemon world has to be registered, so it would make sense that the pokeballs would have to be registered under the name of the new owners.

 

[Guest123_x1]

some of the reasons make sense

I always thought it had to do with certain Pokémon that evolve by trading (such as Machoke and Graveler) and maybe also league rules such as what others here have been saying.
As for Pokémon that evolve by trading, that wouldn't happen by simply swaping the Pokéballs with another trainer.

 

[bwburke94]

Remember, Misty used Pikachu and Vulpix in the princess episode...

 

[Left4Dead]

My opinion is the same as a lot of peoples here. I think the machine will log that information and send it to the pokemon league or something. When you collect 8 badges and enter the pokemon league you have to register the 6 pokemon you're using don't you? If you have a Pokemon you stole then it obviously won't be registered to your name therefore you won't be able to use it (an would probably get arrested) but if you traded it using a machine it will appear in the database and it will be eligible to use. That's my theory anyway, I'm starting to speak as if Pokemon were real haha.

 

[Giratina ♀]

I was thinking that they switch the Trainer IDs on the Pokéballs so that the new Trainer legally owns the Pokémon and can't say that they traded it with a guy they stole it from or something. Also, it might work like WiFi - someone in Veilstone could trade with someone in Cinnabar, for example.

 

[kokopuffchan]

i don't think they really show it much in the anime, but i think a lot of things in pokemon are registered. you have to register to be a trainer, pokemon are probably logged by professors [and in the pokedex] and when inserted into your 18 storage boxes [probably designated to your name]. trades are logged. your team is logged every time you compete [with a gym leader, battle frontier, elite 4]. etc. just my theory, though.

 

[Zizi]

Omg I havn't seen that machine in ages O.o what happened to that epic machine..

 

[Vernikova]

Remember, Misty used Pikachu and Vulpix in the princess episode...

They didn't trade Pokgmon though.

Omg I havn't seen that machine in ages O.o what happened to that epic machine..

It was recently used when Ash traded Dawn his Aipom for her Buizel. I don't think that it's been brought up again though.

 

[dragontamerandrea]

In the older manga the Pokemon would have like a little electronic tag on them that looked like a little badge whenever they were caught that had the information that they were caught by such and such
I assume the machine is basically swapping the info on the tags that can no longer be seen in the anime