Is Surprise Trade Worth It in Pokémon? Yes, with Realistic Expectations
Surprise Trade can absolutely be worth your time if used properly – but go in with measured expectations. While you may have to wade through some lackluster trades, Surprise Trading provides exciting opportunities to obtain rare Pokémon you‘d likely never encounter otherwise. Let‘s dive into the pros, cons, risks, and best practices to master Surprise Trading!
How Does Surprise Trade Work? A Primer
Before weighing whether Surprise Trades are worthwhile, let‘s quickly cover what they are exactly.
Surprise Trade allows you to select any Pokémon from your collection and randomly trade it for a mystery Pokémon from another trainer online. It‘s like opening a surprise grab bag – you never know what Pokémon you‘ll get back!
To participate, you simply:
- Choose a Pokémon to offer from your boxes or party
- Open the menu and select Surprise Trade
- You‘ll automatically be matched with another player also Surprise Trading
- Your Pokémon is swapped for the Pokémon they offered!
The key points:
- Requires Nintendo Switch Online membership
- Totally random trades with no info on what you‘ll get
- Free to use as much as you want
It‘s unpredictability makes Surprise Trading exciting and addicting. Let‘s weigh the potential rewards and risks.
The Pros: Potential Rewards of Surprise Trading
While you‘ll likely receive lots of common early route Pokémon, here are some of the best possible rewards:
Rare Pokémon
Surprise Trading lets you obtain rare Pokémon with low spawn rates or that are version exclusives. Examples include:
- Starters like Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble
- Legendaries – Mewtwo, Lunala, Solgaleo, Jirachi
- Ultra Beasts – Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree
- Fossil Pokémon – Dracovish, Arctovish, Dracozolt
I‘ve personally received all Shield exclusives like Larvitar through surprise trades to help complete my Pokédex.
Shiny Pokémon
Any Pokémon can be Shiny, and Surprise Trade provides more chances to randomly encounter these ultra rare alternate colorations. Some received Shiny examples are:
- Gyarados
- Charizard
- Mimikyu
- Dragapult
- Celebi
Shinies only appear in approximately 1 out of every 4096 Surprise Trades (.02% rate). But the more you trade, the more rolls you take!
Perfect IV Competitive Pokémon
While incredibly uncommon, you may luck out and receive properly bred Pokémon with ideal max IVs, natures, egg moves, and abilities suited for ranked competitions. I was shocked to once receive a Libero Cinderace with Perfect IVs clearly bred for PvP.
Valuable Trading Commodities
Pokémon that are highly prized for trading can appear through Surprise Trades, often from kind strangers. These include:
- Ditto – especially foreign ones, which are useful for the Masuda Method of Shiny breeding
- Gigantamax Pokémon – rare dynamaxed forms like Snorlax, Centiskorch, and Duraludon
- Generation 1 Pokémon – many players love collecting original Kanto Pokémon
Trigger Trade Evolutions
Pokémon that only evolve by trading like Gengar, Machoke, Boldore and Gurdurr can conveniently evolve through Surprise Trade. No need to arrange complex trades!
Complete Your Pokédex
Surprise Trading is a speedy way to register Pokémon missing from your version to complete your Pokédex. You can rapidly obtain version exclusives from the opposite game.
I estimate that Surprise Trading can help you finish 10-20% of a Pokédex if done extensively.
It‘s Free!
As long as you have an online membership, it doesn‘t cost anything to Surprise Trade as much as you want. No strings attached!
Surprise Trade Drawbacks
However, Surprise Trading does come with some downsides to be aware of:
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You will likely receive lots of low value common Pokémon like Rookidee and Blipbug. Manage expectations properly!
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There is a risk of receiving hacked, illegal Pokémon. Make sure to promptly release them.
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You have no control over what Pokémon you receive. It‘s 100% random!
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It takes time to connect, trade, and restart the process. Sessions average 45 seconds to 2 minutes per trade.
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You can‘t request specific Pokémon that you need or want.
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Bad luck can result in one-sided trades where you give a rare Pokémon but receive a weak common one in return.
Tips to Maximize Your Surprise Trade Rewards
To tilt the odds in your favor, here are some pro tips:
Offer Valuable Pokémon
Rare, powerful, cute, or hard-to-find Pokémon are more likely to fetch something good in return. Don‘t waste legends, but bonus points for offering:
- Uncommon Pokémon – Fossils, pseudo-legends, interesting Pokémon like Mimikyu
- Foreign Ditto – Helpful for Masuda Method breeding, so players want these
- Shinies or special color variants like Unown
- Starters – Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble are in demand
- Version Exclusives – Offer the exclusive Pokémon from your game
I like to have a "Surprise Trade Box" with neat Pokémon ready to go.
Be Selective
Preview the Pokémon you are receiving before accepting the trade. If it seems unfair or one-sided, cancel and wait for a better trade. Don‘t settle!
Release Hacked Pokémon
If you receive a Pokémon that is clearly hacked, release it. Indicators include:
- Website/streamer nicknames
- Impossible moves, abilities, held items
- Max EVs as a low level
Releasing them prevents any issues. Avoid Wonder Box trades as they automatically complete trades.
Persist and Be Patient
The more you Surprise Trade, the better your odds of getting rare Pokémon. Don‘t expect a legendary in your first few trades. Do it in high volume!
I like to Surprise Trade while watching TV or listening to podcasts. It‘s a background activity that slowly pays off.
Surprise Trade Rates Across Games
Surprise Trade rates and practices can vary across Pokémon games. Here are observable differences:
| Game | Surprise Trade Quality |
|---|---|
| Pokémon Sword/Shield | High, active playerbase |
| Pokémon Scarlet/Violet | Medium, many new players |
| Pokémon Home | Low, seen as storage by some |
I‘ve found Sword/Shield to have the most serious traders offering competitively bred Pokémon. Meanwhile Scarlet/Violet trends more casual currently.
Surprise Trade Community Trends
Surprise Trading connects you with the global community of Pokémon players. Analyzing what others trade reveals interesting behaviors:
- Many offer route 1 Pokémon like Rookidee or Fomantis almost sarcastically
- Players often trade away excess Pokémon like Eevee breeds
- Others advertise by attaching items like Rare Candy then trading weak Pokémon
- A few give away breeding rejects with 5-6 max IVs
- Unfortunately, some distribute hacked Pokémon frequently
There‘s an unspoken Surprise Trade etiquette around contributing fairly to the ecosystem.
Should You Surprise Trade Shiny Pokémon?
Is it worth risking shiny Pokémon in Surprise Trades? Here are my thoughts:
- Only trade extra shinies you don‘t need
- Hold most shinies for leveraging custom trades
- Remember 1/4096 is still low shiny odds
- Be ready to laugh if you get a Rookidee!
Personally, I find trading away an extra shiny here and there fun and a good deed for the community. But avoid mass Surprise Trading rare shinies.
Psychology of Surprise Trading
What drives the enjoyment and addictiveness of Surprise Trading Pokémon?
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Unpredictability – The unknown outcome is exciting like playing the lottery
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Variable rewards – Good trades give a rush, you chase the next high
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Progress – Filling the Pokédex and trade evolutions feel satisfying
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Social connection – Bonding with strangers through trading gifts
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Reciprocity – Giving good Pokémon encourages receiving them
Surprise Trading cleverly taps into multiple psychological motivations that keep you hitting "Trade Again!"
How to Spot Illegal Pokémon
Before using any Pokémon received in Surprise Trade, ensure it is legal and legitimate. Signs of hacked Pokémon:
- Nicknames like websites or streamers
- Impossibly high levels, stats, EVs for their level
- Unlearnable moves, abilities, held items for that Pokémon
- ribbons only obtainable through hacking
If you obtain an illegal Pokémon, release it immediately. Avoid online battles with hacked Pokémon to stay in good standing.
When is Surprise Trading Most Effective?
Given the risks and rewards, when is it best to Surprise Trade?
- Early game – Rapidly register Pokémon to fill new Pokédex
- Post-game – Better chance at rare Pokémon in the end-game
- Trying to evolve Pokémon that require trades
- Collecting Pokémon for your Pokédex
- Shiny hunting – Each trade is another chance at a random shiny!
- Bored – It‘s fun and addictive like playing the lottery
Just know it requires patience and reasonable expectations to maximize benefits.
Alternative Trading Options in Pokémon
While exciting, Surprise Trading depends heavily on luck. If you want to obtain specific Pokémon, consider:
- Link Trades – Arrange trades with friends or communities for exact needs
- Global Room – Public trade rooms to advertise and find trades
- Wonder Box – Automatically queues a Pokémon for timed trading
- GTS (Global Trade Station) – Create trade requests for wanted Pokémon
These alternatives sacrifice some surprise but allow you to seek certain Pokémon.
Surprise Trading Strengthens Pokémon Community
Beyond rewards, Surprise Trading has a social impact by connecting you with random players worldwide. It builds community and friendliness through small acts of generosity.
Seeing what Pokémon others value provides insight into playstyles. And receiving a neat surprise Pokémon from a total stranger simply feels good!
The shared spirit of trading is part of what makes Pokémon special. Surprise Trading exemplifies that.
Conclusion: Surprise Trading Is Absolutely Worth Trying!
Surprise Trading will not provide a constant stream of shiny legendaries – but it can deliver exciting rewards if used diligently. It helps complete your Pokédex, evolve trade Pokémon, and unlocks opportunities to obtain rare Pokémon.
Just make sure you:
- Offer neat, strong, and rare Pokémon frequently
- Release any clearly hacked Pokémon received
- Cancel lopsided trades
- Employ a give-and-take mentality
With realistic expectations, trading Pokémon blindly can be highly entertaining and rewarding. Partake for the sheer enjoyment of its unpredictability!
So set aside any expectations of perfection, and give Surprise Trading a spin. More often than not, you‘ll stumble upon welcome new additions to your Pokémon adventure.