What You Should Know About Pokémon GO Special Trade 2025

Trading has always been one of the core parts of the Pokémon GO experience. It helps Trainers complete their Pokédex, strengthen their battle teams, and connect with friends. But sometimes, you may try to trade a second Pokémon and suddenly see the message: "You've reached your daily limit."

And that's because of the Pokémon GO Special Trade mechanism, which is set to limit the flow of rare creatures. In this guide, we'll break down what is a special trade in Pokémon GO, its limits, cost, and how to do a Special Trade step by step.

Part 1. What Is A Special Trade in Pokémon GO

A Special Trade refers to a unique type of trade reserved for rare, powerful, or new Pokémon. Niantic created this system to keep the game balanced and discourage the unauthorized selling of valuable Pokémon.

Specifically, a trade will automatically be labeled as a Special Trade if either Trainer is offering a Pokémon from one of the following categories:

• Legendary Pokémon: Examples include Mewtwo, Rayquaza, and Lugia.
• Shiny Pokémon: Such as Shiny Charizard, Shiny Pikachu, and other shiny variants.
• Ultra Beasts: Like Nihilego, Buzzwole, and other Ultra Beast species.
• Unregistered Pokémon: Any Pokémon you don’t currently have in your Pokédex (New Species).
• Unregistered Forms: Forms or variants you haven't collected yet, such as specific Unown letters or Costume Pokémon.
• Purified Pokémon: Purified Pokémon comes from Shadow Pokémon. These always trigger a Special Trade, even if your friend already owns the species.
• Event Pokémon with Special Costumes: For example, Pikachu wearing limited-time outfits or accessories.

Part 2. How Many Special Trades Per Day in Pokémon GO

Under normal circumstances, you can only make 1 Special Trade per day in Pokémon GO. This daily limit resets at midnight local time.

However, during certain in-game events, Niantic occasionally increases this limit, giving Trainers more opportunities to exchange rare Pokémon.

Here're some ecamples of events that increase Special Trade limits:

• Trade Days 2025: On sundays from September 7 to November 30, 2025, you'll enjoy one additional Special Trade plus a 10% Stardust discount for all Special Trades.
• Community Days: Most Community Days, like November Community Days 2025, allows up to 3 Special Trades between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on November 30th.
• Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025: Ticket holders ($11.99) can enjoy up to 6 special trade per day.

You can always stay updated on future bonuses by checking event announcements in the Pokémon GO app or on the official Pokémon GO website.

Part 3. How Much Is A Special Trade in Pokémon GO

The cost of a Special Trade in Pokémon GO can vary a lot, and it mainly depends on two factors: your Friendship Level with the other Trainer and whether the Pokémon is Registered (already in your Pokédex) or Unregistered (new to you).

Below is the complete Stardust cost chart for Special Trades:

Friendship Level	Registered Cost	Unregistered Cost
Good Friend	20,000	1,000,000
Great Friend	16,000	800,000
Ultra Friend	1,600	80,000
Best Friend	800	40,000

3 Tips to Save Stardust on Special Trade

If you want to avoid paying the infamous "million-Stardust tax," here are three smart strategies to help you trade rare Pokémon without draining your resources.

Tip 1. Increase Your Friendship Level Before Trading

Patience is the best way to save Stardust. Reaching Best Friend status (which takes 90 days of daily interaction) cuts the cost of an unregistered Shiny or Legendary from 1,000,000 Stardust to just 40,000 - a massive 96% discount.

Unless it's truly urgent, avoid trading rare Pokémon as a Good Friend.

Tip 2. Wait for Special Event Bonus

Niantic regularly runs events like Pokémon GO Fest or select Community Days where trading Stardust costs are reduced, sometimes by 50%. Combine a "Best Friend" discount with an "Event Stardust reduction" bonus, and you can shrink the cost of an unregistered Legendary trade to just 20,000 Stardust.

Tip 3. Bet the Chance of Lucky Trade

Becoming Lucky Friends doesn't lower the trade cost below the Best Friend rate (800 or 40,000). However, Lucky Trades come with two major benefits:

• The traded Pokémon is guaranteed to have at least 12/12/12 IVs
• It costs 50% less Stardust to power up

This makes Lucky Trades perfect for Shinies or Legendaries - you use your one Special Trade slot wisely and avoid ending up with a low-IV Pokémon that costs a fortune to level up.

Part 4. How to Do A Special Trade in Pokémon GO

Executing a special trade follows the same process as a normal trade, but with extra confirmation steps.

Step 1. Meet Up: You and your friend must be physically close, within 100 meters Pokémon GO trade distance of each other, to start any trade.

Step 2. Initiate Trade: Open your Friend List, tap your friend's avatar, and select "Trade."

Step 3. Select Pokémon: Pick the Pokémon you want to trade. If the Pokémon is Shiny, Legendary, new to your Pokédex, or has a special form, the game will automatically classify it as a Special Trade.

Step 4. Review the Warning: A confirmation box will appear showing the Stardust cost and reminding you that this counts as your Special Trade for the day. Make sure everything looks right.

Step 5. Confirm the Trade: Both players must tap "Confirm". Your Stardust will be deducted, and the Special Trade will be recorded as your one allowed trade for that day.

Part 5. FAQs on Pokémon GO Special Trade

Part 6. Conclusion

To sum up, a Special Trade is triggered whenever you exchange Legendary, Shiny, new-to-your-Pokédex, or otherwise rare Pokémon. Typically, you can only make 1 Special Trade per day and the Stardust cost depends on your Friendship Level and whether the Pokémon is already registered in either Trainer's Pokédex.

Managing your trades wisely, reaching Best Friend status, taking advantage of event bonuses, and checking the Stardust cost before confirming, can make a huge difference. With a little patience and planning, you'll get the most value out of every Special Trade