Pokémon Go Lucky Friends and Lucky Pokémon, including how to get Lucky Friends and guaranteed Lucky Pokémon

Pokémon Go Lucky Pokémon is a unique category of Pokémon that players should keep an eye out for, alongside Shinies and Forms like Alolan Pokémon. Unlike these other types that merely contribute to your Pokédex, having a Lucky Pokémon offers tangible benefits, allowing players to power up these creatures at a significantly reduced Stardust cost. Additionally, the game features Lucky Friends, which provides another avenue to obtain Lucky Pokémon.

How to Get Lucky Friends in Pokémon Go

Lucky Friends is a special status in Pokémon Go that guarantees a Lucky Pokémon after a trade. Here’s how you can become Lucky Friends:

• There’s a 1.1% chance of becoming Lucky Friends when you reach Best Friends status with another player.
• Once you’re Lucky Friends, your next trade will result in both Pokémon being Lucky.
• You can attempt to become Lucky Friends once a day by performing actions such as opening a gift, participating in Raids or Gym battles, or engaging in Trainer Battles.
• If successful, the game will notify you that you are Lucky Friends, and this status will show in your Friends list.
• After completing the trade, you will revert back to being regular Best Friends.

Additional notes on Lucky Friends:

• You can become Lucky Friends with a Best Friend multiple times, but only once per day.
• The chances of becoming Lucky Friends early on are estimated to be around 5%.
• This status lasts until you complete the next trade, so you can continue interacting without expiration on that same day.
• It’s possible to have multiple Lucky Friends active at the same time.
• Issues with Lucky Friend trades not resulting in Lucky Pokémon have been resolved.

What Are Lucky Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

Lucky Pokémon have a special status that is distinct from Forms or Shinies. When a Pokémon is designated as Lucky, the Stardust required for powering it up is reduced by 50%. This feature is particularly advantageous as Stardust is a valuable resource, especially for players at higher levels, making it easier to reach maximum CP.

The number of Lucky Pokémon you have caught is displayed in your Pokédex, along with the traditional ‘seen’ and ‘caught’ metrics, featuring a unique background to highlight their status.

How to Get Lucky Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Lucky Pokémon are obtained through the trading feature in Pokémon Go. When trading, there is a 5% chance that both Pokémon will become Lucky. This probability increases based on how long you’ve had the Pokémon in your storage—the older the Pokémon, the higher the chances of it becoming Lucky.

Pokémon caught before the end of 2018 have significantly better odds of becoming Lucky compared to more recent catches. If two Pokémon from different periods are traded, it appears that the game averages their ages for the calculation, determining if both will be Lucky or not.

How to Get Guaranteed Lucky Pokémon in Pokémon Go

As of December 2023, the number of guaranteed Lucky Pokémon you can receive through trades has increased from 15 to 25. Furthermore, any Pokémon that has been stored since 2018 is guaranteed to become Lucky when traded, provided you haven’t reached this new limit.

This change builds upon previous adjustments made in September 2018, which increased the chances of obtaining Lucky Pokémon by ensuring that certain older Pokémon would become Lucky after a trade, as long as you had fewer than 10 Lucky Pokémon at the time.

When trading Pokémon caught between 2016 and the end of 2018, both Pokémon will be guaranteed to become Lucky, as long as you haven’t reached the 25 Lucky Pokémon limit. After reaching this limit, you will need to rely on acquiring Lucky Friends status to get more Lucky Pokémon.

What Else You Need to Know About Lucky Pokémon

Here are some additional details about Lucky Pokémon:

• Lucky Pokémon have high IVs, starting from 12/12/12 for HP, Defense, and Attack, making them more competitive.
• There doesn’t seem to be a cap on how many Lucky Pokémon you can receive in a day, contrary to earlier beliefs.
• You can easily find your Lucky Pokémon by searching for ‘Lucky’ in your Pokémon collection.
• Lucky Pokémon can also be Shiny and Purified.
• Currently, Lucky Shadow Pokémon cannot be obtained due to changes in how Shadow Pokémon are treated in trades.

Happy hunting for Lucky Pokémon!