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Why Do I Never Get Lucky Trades in Pokémon GO?

So, you’re feeling like the unluckiest Trainer in Pokémon GO? You see everyone else flaunting their Lucky Pokémon, with their shimmering animations and reduced Stardust costs, and wonder, “Why not me?” The truth is, getting Lucky Trades is a combination of understanding the mechanics, managing your expectations, and a healthy dose of good fortune. If you feel like Lady Luck has forsaken you, it’s likely one or more of these factors are at play: You may not be trading often enough with others, your Pokémon you are trading are too new, you have not achieved Best Friends status, or you haven’t initiated the daily interaction with your Best Friends that triggers the Lucky Friends status.

Understanding the Mechanics of Lucky Trades

The fundamental reason you might not be getting Lucky Trades boils down to how the game’s system works. There are two primary ways to obtain Lucky Pokémon: standard trading and the Lucky Friends mechanic.

Standard Trading: The Base Chance

Every trade you make in Pokémon GO has a base chance of resulting in both Pokémon becoming Lucky. The exact base percentage is around 5%. This chance increases based on the age of the Pokémon being traded. The older the Pokémon, the higher the likelihood of a Lucky outcome. The game prioritizes the age of the older Pokemon. Trading a Pokémon caught yesterday, even with a Pokémon from 2016, will not provide a higher chance of it becoming a Lucky Pokémon than two Pokémon caught recently.

Lucky Friends: The Guaranteed Route

The Lucky Friends status is the golden ticket to guaranteed Lucky Trades. To become Lucky Friends with someone, you must first reach Best Friends status with them. Once you’re Best Friends, each daily interaction (opening a Gift, battling together, or trading) has a small chance (approximately 1%) of triggering the Lucky Friends status. You’ll know you’re Lucky Friends when you see a notification and a shimmering aura around their avatar in your Friends list. The next trade you make with that person is guaranteed to result in Lucky Pokémon for both of you. This status is consumed after a trade, and you must again trigger it for the guaranteed outcome.

Maximizing Your Chances: What You Can Control

While luck plays a role, there are concrete steps you can take to improve your odds of getting Lucky Trades:

Trade Regularly: The more trades you make, the more opportunities you have for a Lucky outcome. Dedicate some time each day or week specifically for trading.
Trade Older Pokémon: Prioritize trading Pokémon that have been in your storage for a longer period, ideally a year or more. While the exact increase per year isn’t definitively known, it substantially boosts your chances. If you hoarded Pokemon from 2016 or 2017, you will be guaranteed a Lucky Pokemon.
Target Best Friends: Focus your daily interactions (Gifting, battling, etc.) on your Best Friends. This is your only avenue to trigger the Lucky Friends status and guarantee those coveted Lucky Pokémon.
Communicate with Friends: Coordinate with your friends to ensure you’re both actively trying to trigger Lucky Friends. Remind them to interact daily.
Patience is Key: Don’t get discouraged! The chances of triggering Lucky Friends are low, so it may take weeks or even months. Consistency is essential.

Managing Expectations: What You Can’t Control

It’s important to understand that despite your best efforts, luck is still a factor:

Base Chance is Low: Even with older Pokémon, the base chance of a standard Lucky Trade is still relatively low. Be prepared for many non-Lucky trades along the way.
RNG is Random: The Random Number Generator (RNG) that governs Lucky Trades is truly random. There’s no way to manipulate it.
Lucky Friends Trigger: The 1% chance of triggering Lucky Friends can feel incredibly frustrating. You might go weeks without a single trigger.
IVs Aren’t Guaranteed to Improve: While Lucky Pokémon have an IV floor of 12/12/12 (meaning all stats are at least 12 out of 15), this doesn’t necessarily mean the Pokémon’s IVs will improve. You could trade a Pokémon with higher IVs and end up with a Lucky Pokémon with lower IVs.

Additional Factors to Consider

Trade Distance: Being physically close to the person you’re trading with is essential, even with the occasional temporary increases in trade distance during events. You can’t get Lucky Trades if you can’t actually trade.
Trade Limit: Be aware of the daily trade limit (currently 100 trades per day). If you’re a heavy trader, you might reach this limit before getting a Lucky.
Special Trades: Legendary, Shiny, and Pokémon not in your Pokédex require Special Trades, which you’re limited to one per day (unless during specific events).

In conclusion, getting Lucky Trades in Pokémon GO requires understanding the game mechanics, actively increasing your chances through regular trading and interaction with Best Friends, and managing your expectations about the role of luck. Don’t give up! Keep trading, keep interacting, and eventually, your luck will turn around. And remember, while Lucky Pokémon are fantastic, the real fun is in connecting with other trainers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Lucky Trades

1. What increases the chance of a Lucky Trade?

The age of the Pokémon being traded significantly increases the chance of a Lucky Trade. The older the Pokémon (ideally a year or more), the higher the probability.

2. Why can’t I get Lucky Pokémon?

You might not be trading often enough, trading Pokémon that are too new, or not interacting enough with your Best Friends to trigger the Lucky Friends status.

3. Are Lucky Trades completely random?

While there’s a random element, the chances of a Pokémon becoming Lucky increase the longer you’ve had it in your collection.

4. What is the percentage of getting a Lucky Trade?

The base rate is approximately 5%, with an increased percentage for every year old the Pokémon is.

5. How do you guarantee a Lucky Trade?

Become Lucky Friends with another Trainer. The next trade you make with them is guaranteed to result in Lucky Pokémon.

6. How do you know if a trade will be lucky?

You’ll be notified when you become Lucky Friends with someone. Their avatar will have a shimmering aura in your Friends list.

7. Which Pokémon is best for Lucky Trade?

Sought-after Pokémon like Mewtwo, Metagross, Rayquaza, and Legendary Pokémon are excellent choices for Lucky Trades, as they benefit greatly from the reduced Stardust cost.

8. Do Lucky Trades give better IVs?

Lucky Trades are guaranteed to have IVs between 12 and 15 for all three categories (Attack, Defense, HP). This is an IV floor.

9. Can trading trigger Lucky Friends?

Yes, the first interaction of the day with a Best Friend has a small chance (approximately 1%) to trigger Lucky Friends.

10. Can shiny Pokémon be lucky?

Yes, a Pokémon can be both Shiny and Lucky.

11. Are Lucky Pokémon always 3 stars?

Not always, but the IV floor of 12/12/12 means they’re likely to be 2 stars or higher. Anything 82% or higher (13/12/12+) will be 3 stars.

12. Why are 2016 Pokémon guaranteed lucky?

All July-Aug 2016 Pokémon are guaranteed Lucky if the sender has been in fewer than 10 trades (as sender or recipient) where at least one party was guaranteed.

13. How rare are Lucky Trades?

Standard Lucky Trades have a base chance of around 5%, which increases with the Pokémon’s age. Lucky Friends is around a 1% chance triggered from the first interaction of the day.

14. Can purified Pokémon be lucky?

Yes, purified Pokémon can be lucky. Their IV floor after purification is even higher, making them more likely to have great stats.

15. Can Shadow Pokémon be lucky?

No, Shadow Pokémon must be purified before they can be traded, and thus before they can become Lucky.

For more insights into the intersection of games and learning, be sure to check out the resources available at the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.

Why do I never get lucky trades?