Trading is a core part of Pokemon Legends Arceus since it allows you to get preferred Pokemon and evolve Pokemon that can only be evolved through trade. We’ll show you how to trade in Pokemon Legends Arceus in this guide.
Pokemon Legends Arceus Trading
Despite its limited online connectivity, Pokemon Arceus has a feature that allows users from all over the world to trade with one another.
How to Trade with Other Players
After finishing the 4th mission of the main campaign, head over to Jubilife Village, and you should be able to enter the Trading Post.
The Trading Post, which can be found towards the northeast of Jubilife, allows users to connect with one another and exchange Pokemon. Note that you will need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to trade online.
But Pokemon Legends has the same confusing trading system as Sword and Shield, which means you’ll have to create a Link Code to interact with other players. However, the actual technology has been modified.
Connecting with Other Players
Pokemon Legends Arceus still uses Link Codes, but they’re now eight-digit codes, providing players greater opportunity to modify the code and potentially reducing the amount of times you’re linked with unknown gamers before your friends.
Upon connecting with another player, you are free to trade Pokemon as much as you wish. Just keep in mind that you can still match up with a random individual, so double-check their in-game name before you start trading.
Players can also trade items using points earned by finding other players’ items after they’ve been knocked out on the ground. This also includes several of the things required to evolve specific Pokémon species.
How to Evolve Pokemon Through Trading
Unlike previous games, you no longer need to actually give a trade item to a Pokemon and then trade it for it to evolve. Since there is no system in the game for the Pokemon to “hold item”, trading Pokemon with held evolution items is no longer possible.
While trade evolution items still do exist in Pokemon Legends Arceus, you don’t have to trade your Pokemon for them to evolve with that item. Simple use the item and the Pokemon will evolve.
Below is a list of all the trade evolution items and the Pokemon that evolve using those in Pokemon Legends
| Evolution | Required Item |
| Machoke to Machamp | Linking Cord |
| Graveler to Golem | Linking Cord |
| Kadabra to Alakazam | Linking Cord |
| Haunter to Gengar | Linking Cord |
| Dusclops to Dusknoir | Reaper Cloth |
| Sneasel to Weavile | Razor Claw (at night) |
| Sneasel to Sneasler | Razor Claw (during the day) |
| Gligar to Gliscor | Razor Fang (during the day) |
| Onix to Steelix | Metal Coat |
| Scyther to Scizor | Metal Coat |
| Rhydon to Rhyperior | Protector |
| Electabuzz to Electivire | Electirizer |
| Magmar to Magmortar | Magmarizer |
| Porygon to Porygon2 | Upgrade |
| Porygon2 to Porygon-Z | Dubious Disc |
To simplify the process of Trade Evolutions even further, you can purchase all these trade evolution items from Simona in Jubilife Town. To purchase these items, you need to use the Merit Points currency which can be acquired by retrieving Lost Satchels.
