5 Harsh Realities Of Trading Pokémon (& 5 Perks)

Trading Pokémon is beneficial to trainers in certain ways & frustrating in others.

You Are Reading :5 Harsh Realities Of Trading Pokémon (& 5 Perks)

Category : Pokemon

Trading Pokémon is an essential mechanic to the Pokémon franchise that differs depending on whether it’s being done in the anime or the games. Trading in the Pokémon anime doesn’t happen too often, as anime Pokémon have a lot more agency, and they’re typically good friends with their trainers.

In the Pokémon video games, however, Pokémon have almost no agency, and they’re essentially treated like assets, so there’s a lot less emotional attachment involved. But regardless of whether Pokémon trading is happening in the video game or between anime characters, there are some distinct downsides and benefits to consider before trading.

10 HARSH REALITY: Losing A Self-Caught Pokémon That Bonded With Its Original Trainer

Trading Pokémon requires trainers to give up a Pokémon that they’ve caught themselves and bonded with, meaning it can be a tearful farewell. In the Pokémon anime, Ash Ketchum had a hard time trading his Butterfree while aboard the St. Anne. He didn’t think much of the trade at first, but Ash raised Butterfree from its first form as Caterpie, and he bonded with it along the way, so he ended up missing Butterfree. Trainers who trade their Pokémon need to be prepared to say goodbye to a friend.

9 PERK: Gaining A Pokémon That May Be Hard To Obtain

Some Pokémon are notoriously difficult to get for various different reasons. It may be a Pokémon with a low encounter rate in the wild. It might be rare or legendary. Or, it might be a Pokémon that exists only in another region. In the world of Pokémon, traveling to a new region is not an easy feat. When considering only the Pokémon video games, most games have version-exclusive Pokémon, meaning they can’t be obtained without trading. Trading is essential for hardcore collectors.

8 HARSH REALITY: Traded Pokémon May Not Like Or Obey Their New Trainer

Anime trainers need to remember that Pokémon have minds of their own, and they might not appreciate being traded without their consent. Moreover, video game trainers need to be sure that they have the correct number of gym badges to earn a new Pokémon’s respect, especially if it’s a higher level Pokémon than what’s already on their team.

In the worst-case scenario, a newly traded Pokémon will act belligerently and refuse to obey its new trainer during battle, making it unusable unless the trainer can win it over.

7 PERK: Trading Fills Out The Pokédex Faster

The concept of “catching them all” is ingrained in Pokémon’s entire premise, so it goes without saying that completing the Pokédex is an option for enthusiastic trainers. Since some Pokémon are hard to get, exist only in other regions, or might be the only Pokémon that exists in a given region, trading is essential to completing the Pokédex. Outside of the world of the Pokémon video games, traveling the entire world to collect every Pokémon is a lifelong feat that only the most dedicated can accomplish. Trading makes this process infinitely easier.

6 HARSH REALITY: The Traded Pokémon’s Nickname Is Locked

As far as the Pokémon video games go, changing a traded Pokémon’s nickname with the Name Rater isn’t allowed. To respect the original trainer, a traded Pokémon in the games keeps its original nickname. Arguably speaking, it could be possible to change a traded Pokémon’s nickname in the world of the Pokémon anime, but it would surely be seen as disrespectful. There’s also no guarantee that the new Pokémon will want or accept its nickname being changed. Trainers are expected to leave traded Pokémon nicknames as-is.

5 PERK: Some Pokémon Only Evolve Through Trading

As part of completing the Pokédex, some Pokémon will only evolve if they’re traded. This is true in both the anime and the Pokémon video games, meaning trading is an essential tool to obtain trade-only Pokémon evolutions. For trainers who aren’t willing to lose their treasured partner, it’s even possible to trade that Pokémon just to trigger its evolution and then have it traded back. Pokémon like Gengar, Machamp, Alakazam, and Golem can only be obtained in trade evolution and may not appear in the wild.

4 HARSH REALITY: The Traded Pokémon May Evolve Without The Trainer Wanting It To

While a Pokémon traded in-game can hold an Everstone to prevent it from evolving or have the player press the B Button to prevent it from evolving, trade evolutions in anime circumstances might be more complicated than that.

There may be reasons that a trainer may not want their traded Haunter or Kadabra to evolve, but they might evolve to their final forms anyway. Pokémon growth tends to slow down as they evolve, and traded evolution Pokémon typically don’t learn any more moves after they’ve evolved.

3 PERK: Trading Spreads The Love & Helps Other Trainers Fill Out Their Pokédex

Any super-fan of Pokémon wants to catch ’em all, but they can also help others catch ’em all by sharing the Pokémon they have in their own Pokédex. Some trainers can even go out and catch region-exclusive Pokémon as a direct request from a friend or someone who’s looking to collect Pokémon from other regions. Spreading the love of Pokémon by trading is one of its biggest appeals as a franchise, so the idea of helping others complete their Pokédex is an enduring concept.

2 HARSH REALITY: The Traded Pokémon May Not Have The Best Moves Or Stats

When receiving a traded Pokémon, it’s not always clear what the traded Pokémon’s exact stats or movesets are. This is especially important in the Pokémon video games, where having good stats and functional movesets are essential to building a stellar team. It’s not entirely clear if traded Pokémon follow the same rules in the world of the Pokémon anime, so this harsh reality might only be for the games. Unless trainers are requesting traded Pokémon with specific stats and movesets, whatever the traded Pokémon comes with is what they get.

1 PERK: The Pokémon Didn’t Have To Be Self-Caught

Catching wild Pokémon in the games looks easy compared to what it must be like in the anime. Wild Pokémon in the Pokémon anime have been shown to be occasionally aggressive and protective over their environments, so trying to weaken and catch one isn’t for the faint-hearted. For those who aren’t too skilled in catching certain Pokémon, trading may be a good solution for them. They might miss out on the bonding opportunity some trainers get while proving themselves to wild Pokémon, but they can work on bonding with a traded Pokémon instead.

See more : PokemonWe