How to get lucky Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Lucky Pokémon are a rare occurrence in Pokémon Go. The only way to get them is to coordinate with another player in the game and have them trade a Pokémon with you. At the end of the trade, there’s a chance that when the new Pokémon arrives to you, it becomes lucky. How does a lucky Pokémon work, and can you increase your chances? There are a few things to know about how a Pokémon becomes lucky.

How to get lucky Pokémon

Any time a Pokémon is traded, there’s a chance it becomes lucky. You can increase the chances of a Pokémon becoming lucky by using older Pokémon. For example, a Pokémon you captured in 2018 has a much higher chance of being traded and becoming lucky compared to one that was captured in 2021 and then traded away. Any Pokémon captured from the early 2016 and 2017 days in Pokémon have the highest chances of becoming lucky.

You can also receive a lucky Pokémon by trading with a Lucky Friend. A Lucky Friend happens when you and another trainer on your friend’s list become best friends, and for that day, you both become Lucky Friends, guaranteeing that the next trade you do gives you both lucky Pokémon.

How do lucky Pokémon work?

Essentially, a lucky Pokémon is easier to power up. Each time you power up a Pokémon, you need to use stardust and candy. A lucky Pokémon’s stardust requirement is reduced by 50% permanently, making it much easier to make them stronger as you use them. It’s a complicated process using a Pokémon with ideal stats and having them become lucky. Whenever you trade a Pokémon to another trainer, their stats change. There’s a chance a perfectly suitable PvP Pokémon becomes nothing more than Pokédex filler in the event of a trade, even if they become lucky.

There’s a lot of random chance that goes into using lucky Pokémon. You don’t want to hedge all of your Pokémon Go Battle League Pokémon into becoming lucky, but if happens and the Pokémon has great stats, it makes your life a lot easier.