How Many Lucky Trades Can You Do Per Day in Pokémon GO?
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The simple answer is: you can engage in multiple Lucky Trades each day. However, there’s a crucial distinction to understand. While there’s no hard limit on the number of Lucky Pokémon you can obtain through trades in a single day, the number of “Special Trades” you can perform is limited. And here is where things can become confusing: A guaranteed Lucky Trade earned through becoming Lucky Friends counts as a Special Trade.
This means you can participate in as many regular trades as you like, hoping for a Lucky Trade to trigger randomly (approximately a 5% chance, influenced by the Pokémon’s age). You can potentially get several Lucky Pokémon this way. However, if you’re Lucky Friends with someone, that guaranteed Lucky Trade is considered a Special Trade, and you’re limited to only one of those per day. Therefore, while technically you could get more than one Lucky Pokemon, with a friend, you are limited to one Lucky Trade that will grant you 2 Lucky Pokemon.
Understanding Lucky Trades and Special Trades
To fully grasp this, let’s break down the key terms:
- Lucky Pokémon: Pokémon that have become “Lucky” after a trade. They require less Stardust to power up and have a minimum IV floor of 12/12/12 (80% IV).
- Lucky Trade: The act of trading that results in both Pokémon becoming Lucky. This can happen randomly during a regular trade or be guaranteed when you’re Lucky Friends.
- Special Trade: A trade involving Pokémon that are considered “special,” such as Legendary Pokémon, Shiny Pokémon, Pokémon not yet in your Pokédex, or those traded using the Guaranteed Lucky Trade mechanic (Lucky Friends).
It is important to note the daily limit refers to one side of the trade. It applies to the person initiating the special trade and that person cannot engage in any other special trades that day.
Factors Influencing Lucky Trades
Several factors influence your chances of landing a Lucky Trade:
- Pokémon Age: The older a Pokémon is, the higher the chance it has of becoming Lucky when traded. Pokémon held for less than a year have around a 5% chance, with chances increasing dramatically for older Pokémon.
- Friendship Level: Reaching Best Friend status with another trainer opens the door to becoming Lucky Friends.
- Lucky Friends: When you’re Lucky Friends, your next trade with that person is guaranteed to result in both Pokémon becoming Lucky. However, this uses your daily Special Trade.
- Random Chance: Even without being Lucky Friends, any trade has a small chance of resulting in Lucky Pokémon.
Strategy for Maximizing Lucky Trades
Here’s a strategy for maximizing your Lucky Trade potential:
- Prioritize Best Friends: Focus on reaching Best Friend status with as many active players as possible. This significantly increases your opportunities to become Lucky Friends.
- Daily Interactions: Regularly interact with your Best Friends by sending gifts, battling together, or raiding. Each interaction gives you a chance to become Lucky Friends.
- Strategic Trading: When trading with non-Lucky Friends, try to trade older Pokémon to increase the odds of a random Lucky Trade occurring. Avoid trading high IV Pokemon that may have their stats reduced.
- Coordinate Special Trades: Communicate with your Lucky Friends to plan your Special Trades, ensuring you both get the Pokémon you want while maximizing your daily Special Trade allowance.
Conclusion
While you can participate in many trades each day, hoping for a random Lucky Trade to occur, remember that guaranteed Lucky Trades through the Lucky Friends mechanic count as Special Trades, limiting you to one per day. Understanding the nuances of these mechanics allows you to optimize your trading strategy and collect as many Lucky Pokémon as possible. Remember, knowledge is power – just as the Games Learning Society emphasizes the power of learning through play, mastering Pokémon GO’s trading system is a rewarding experience. More information about engaging gaming communities can be found at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Lucky Trades
1. Are Lucky Trades completely random?
While there’s an element of randomness, it’s not entirely random. The age of the Pokémon significantly influences the likelihood of a trade resulting in Lucky Pokémon. Older Pokémon have a much higher chance. You are guaranteed a Lucky Trade when you become Lucky Friends.
2. What is the IV floor for Lucky Pokémon?
Lucky Pokémon have a minimum IV floor of 12/12/12 for each stat. This means that the lowest possible IV percentage for a Lucky Pokémon is 80%.
3. How do I become Lucky Friends?
You become Lucky Friends randomly when interacting with your Best Friends. This can happen when you trade Pokémon, open a Gift from each other, team up in raids and Gym battles, or challenge each other to a Trainer Battle once per day.
4. Can I become Lucky Friends multiple times with the same person?
Yes, after completing a trade as Lucky Friends, your Lucky Friend status is cleared. You can try to become Lucky Friends again by continuing to interact with that person daily through gifts and other interactions.
5. Do Lucky Trades guarantee better IVs than non-Lucky Trades?
Yes, Lucky Trades are guaranteed to have IVs between 12 and 15 for all three categories. This means the IVs are guaranteed to be better than a trade with a random IV roll.
6. Can the IVs of a Pokémon go down during a Lucky Trade?
While Lucky Trades guarantee a minimum IV floor of 12/12/12, if the Pokémon had IVs higher than that before the trade, there is a chance they could decrease, but never below that floor. For example, a 15/15/15 IV Pokemon may have its IVs rerolled down to 12/12/12 as a result of the trade.
7. What increases the chance of a Lucky Trade?
The main factor that increases the chance of a Lucky Trade is the age of the Pokémon being traded. The longer you’ve had a Pokémon, the higher the chance it has of becoming Lucky. Being Lucky Friends guarantees a Lucky Trade.
8. Can Purified Pokémon become Lucky?
Yes, Purified Pokémon can become Lucky through trades. In fact, a lucky purified Pokemon may lead to an almost guaranteed 100% IV reroll.
9. Are Lucky Pokémon rarer than Shiny Pokémon?
It’s difficult to say definitively which is rarer. Shiny Pokémon have a known (though sometimes variable) spawn rate, while Lucky Pokémon rely on a combination of chance and strategic interaction. Many players find Lucky Pokémon harder to obtain due to the need for consistent trading.
10. Can a Lucky Pokémon have perfect IVs (100% IV)?
Yes, a Lucky Pokémon can have perfect IVs, but it’s not guaranteed. Only a small percentage of Lucky Trades will result in a 100% IV Pokémon. Only 1 in 64 lucky trades will result in a 100% IV.
11. Can you trade Legendary Pokémon in a Lucky Trade?
Yes, you can trade Legendary Pokémon in a Lucky Trade. However, remember that trading a Legendary Pokémon counts as a Special Trade, limiting you to one such trade per day, unless done with the lucky friend mechanism where you are able to engage in 2 special trades with your friend.
12. What happens if I trade a perfect IV Pokémon?
When you trade a perfect IV Pokémon, its IVs will be rerolled. There’s no guarantee it will remain perfect. It’s generally not recommended to trade Pokémon with high IVs, as they are very likely to decrease.
13. Do Lucky Pokémon always appear as 3 stars?
Lucky Pokémon don’t always appear as 3 stars, but they often do. This is because the IV floor of 12/12/12 is high enough to qualify for a 3-star rating. This is one benefit of trading with someone in order to increase IVs.
14. What are the chances of getting a Lucky Trade with Ultra Friends?
The base chance of getting a Lucky Trade with Ultra Friends, or any friendship level, is approximately 5%. The friendship level affects the ability to trade with someone, not necessarily the odds of them becoming lucky.
15. Can you become Lucky Friends after performing a Lucky Trade?
Yes, you can become Lucky Friends again with the same person after performing a Lucky Trade. The Lucky Friend status is cleared after the trade, and you can try to regain it by continuing to interact with that person daily.