How to trade Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet

Players who want to complete their Pokedex or share creatures with friends in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will need to know how to trade with others. Here’s all you need to know about how to trade in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Back in the day, Pokemon players had to connect a cable to trade creatures between games, but in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trading has become easier. With a connection to the Internet, things run smoothly when trading Pokemon, but accessing this feature might not be that easy.

In Pokemon games, trainers tend to trade between versions to get exclusives and complete their Pokedex. Scarlet and Violet maintain this tradition and to catch ’em all, you will need to trade with a player that has the other version of the game.

Here’s how to trade in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet trade types explained

To trade Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet, you will first need to choose between Local or Online trading, and then share a numerical code with the other trainer. Players will also need to have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to access Online features such as trading.

For Local trading, the Link Trade option is the way to go, and if you are not connected to the Internet once you set the Link Code you will be able to to connect to players in the same room. For Online trading, you can choose between the Link or Suprise Trade methods.

Link Trades are regular trades between friends or other trainers using the same Link Code, where you will be able to see which Pokemon you select, and which Pokemon the other trainer sends over. Suprise Trades, on the other hand, are random Pokemon trades with random trainers around the world.

In Surprise trades, you can select the Pokemon you want to send over, but until the trade is complete, you won’t be able to know which one you received.

How to trade with players in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

For any online trading method in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, players require an Internet connection, so once you’ve established one, you need to follow these steps to trade:

1. Open Pokemon Scarlet or Violet on your Nintendo Switch.
2. Open the game menu by pressing X, select ‘Poke Portal‘ on the right side menu, and hit the ZL button to connect to the Internet.
3. Select either ‘Link Trade‘ or ‘Surprise Trade.‘
4. For Link Trading, players simply need to coordinate with a friend and match an 8-digit Link Code.
5. Select ‘Begin Searching‘ and if the Link Codes match, you will connect.
6. If you Surprise Trade, simply choose the Pokemon you want to trade and wait.
7. After all these steps are completed, you will receive your new Pokemon.

For more on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, check out some of our other content and guides:

How to get all starters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to evolve Feebas into Milotic in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to get Phantump and Trevenant in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to get Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o and Kommo-o in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid Battles explained | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Terastal Phenomenon explained | How to get all Evolution Stones in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet