Trade Evolutions don’t work as you would expect in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, in that you no longer need to actually trade a Pokémon with another player to make them evolve.
This time around you will simply need to obtain the item that is required to trigger their evolution and use it on your pocket monster. In short, you still need the evolutionary items that you have always used but there is no longer a requirement to make your Pokémon hold the relevant item and send it to another player.
Whether it be the Reaper Cloth, an Upgrade or the elusive Dubious Disc, these items can appear as randomised rare item drops in Space-Time Distortions but can also be secured through exchanging Merit Points (MP) with Simona at her stall on Floaro Main Street in Jubilife Village.
There is a new evolutionary item that Game Freak has introduced in Pokémon Legends: Arceus which is called the Linking Cord. Described as “a string exuding a mysterious energy that makes you feel a strange sense of connection,” this item is “loved by certain Pokémon” and has been added to replace the mechanism where a pocket monster would evolve without requiring a specific item straight after it is traded.
The Linking Cord will set you back 1,000 Merit Points, but, as with the other Trade Evolution items, it may also appear as a random item drop in Space-Time Distortions. You will also receive one after completing Gastly’s Pokédex page for the request Getting to Know Ghosts.
Trade Evolutions in Pokémon Legends Arceus
Trade Evolution | Required Item |
---|---|
Dusclops into Dusknoir | Reaper Cloth |
Electabuzz into Electivire | Electirizer |
Gligar into Gliscor | Razor Fang (during the day) |
Graveler into Golem | Linking Cord |
Haunter into Gengar | Linking Cord |
Hisuian Sneasel into Sneasler | Razor Claw (during the day) |
Johto Sneasel into Weavile | Razor Claw (at night) |
Kadabra into Alakazam | Linking Cord |
Machoke into Machamp | Linking Cord |
Magmar into Magmortar | Magmarizer |
Onix into Steelix | Metal Coat |
Porygon into Porygon2 | Upgrade |
Porygon2 into Porygon-Z | Dubious Disc |
Rhydon into Rhyperior | Protector |
Scyther into Scizor | Metal Coat |
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is now available exclusively at retail and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide.