How To Add Friends On Pokemon Sword

Like the previous Pokémon titles, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield let you trade your Pokémon with other trainers to complete your Pokédex. Some Pokémon evolve only after trading. Some Pokémon are just available in one version. Hence, trading is essential to take hold of them all. This guide is for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, as both games are ane side of the same coin.

How to Trade With Friends in Pokémon Sword

How to Trade Pokémon With Friends in Pokémon Sword

Cheque out the following steps to access the trading features. You tin skip Footstep ane if you already accept access to the Y-Comm menu when y'all press the Y button.

Footstep 1 – Get Access to the Y-Comm Menu

To be able to trade, start, you need to take admission to the Y-Comm menu. Y'all tin't access the Y-Comm screen right abroad, only it's possible to access it during early-game. Later progressing through the starting time stages, you will receive the Dynamax Band subsequently meeting with Professor Magnolia at her house located on Route two. Doing this will give you access to the Y-Comm.

If you just started, check out these steps to unlock the Y-Comm carte:

After finishing the game's intro, get the bag in your room and exit your house.
Go to Hop'due south house. Then, go out and get to "Wedgehurst" using Route 1.
Pick a starter Pokémon and reply with a "yes."
Win your battle against Hop.
As an extra handy pace, head towards your house. And then go to "Slumbering Weald."
In one case there, battle with "???" and render home to speak with "Mum" to get your free 5 Pokeballs.
Now you should run into Professor Magnolia. Finish her dialogue.
Go to Hop and talk to him for battle.
Yous'll obtain the Dynamax Band. The band unlocks the Y-Comm menu.

After receiving the Y-Comm, new icons well-nigh trading requests, invitations, events, and more will announced on the left side.

Step 2 – Trade Using the Y-Comm Menu

The Y-Comm has different trading options. Check out these instructions to access them:

To access the Y-Comm, press the Y push button of the controller.
Press the + button if you desire to connect to the internet. Y'all don't need the net to use the "Local Connection."
Select your preferred trade characteristic.

The Y-Comm menu lets you use features similar trading, exchanging "League Cards," and battling locally and even online. Specifically, the bachelor trading features are the Link Trade, Surprise Merchandise, and the Swap Cards.

Yous need a Nintendo Switch Online account to access Y-Comm online just, so doing trades using the internet requires a paid Nintendo membership. You don't need the Nintendo membership for trading via Local Connection.

Trade Pokémon Using the Link Trade

Link Trade lets you lot trade your Pokémon with other trainers. You can trade with a random trainer or through inviting a specific player via a Link Code. Check out these steps to trade:

Open the Y-Comm menu by pressing the Y button.
Printing + to connect to the cyberspace and select Link Trade.
Pick "Commencement trading" to trade with anyone or "Ready Link Code" to exchange Pokémon with friends.
If you tap "Set Link Lawmaking," you must enter the same code as your partner.
Once continued, select a Pokémon for trading.
Later on viewing your merchandise partner offered Pokémon, you tin can accept or refuse the merchandise.
The merchandise will be successful later on both parties' press "have." If not, you tin can retry.

You are free to roam effectually while the game searches for a trade partner, as the game volition inform you lot once it finds a partner. Annotation that traded Pokémon are immediately available for utilise.

Additionally, you lot can switch betwixt the Internet and Local Communication by using the + push button.

Trade Pokémon Using Surprise Trades

Equally the name implies, a Surprise Merchandise is not-standard trade that exchanges your chosen Pokémon with the called Pokémon of a random player. Neither political party knows what they will receive. Note that you will need an agile Nintendo Switch Online service.

Check out these steps to brand Surprise Trades:

Press the Y button to open the Y-Comm card.
Select Surprise Trades.
Choose a Pokémon for trading.
Press Start to brainstorm searching for a trading partner.

Since information technology's a Surprise trade, it can exist automatically completed in the background because you don't need to ostend it by press have. The game will notify you with "Trade Completed" afterward a successful merchandise.

Swap the League Cards

League Cards are used as profile introductions for players. You can obtain them from Gym Leaders and other trainers after defeating them. It's possible to create your own too.

Yous can swap your customized League Cards with other trainers. Follow these steps to trade cards:

Open up the Y-Comm screen past pressing Y.
Unless you lot want to trade locally, press + to connect to the cyberspace.
Choose "Swap Cards."
Select between "Link Merchandise" or "Gear up Link Code" to trade with friends.

Play Link Battles

Additionally, you can battle against a random trainer or a friend using Link Boxing. To do and then, select link battle in the Y-Comm menu and play either locally or online.

Trade to Catch 'Em All!

If y'all are a completionist, trading is a must for completing your Pokédex. Trading allows you to get exclusive Pokémon from the other version of the game. In other words, it is possible and necessary to trade between the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield versions to sometimes evolve and capture all 400 Pokémon available in the games.

As a bonus tip for your journey to take hold of them all, note that y'all tin can get all three starters by trading locally for costless. To do so, y'all need ii Nintendo Switches and two copies of either Pokémon Sword or Shield. To obtain the starters on your main account, keep restarting the game from scratch on the Nintendo that volition be sending the starter Pokémon to your master account via trading.

What's your platonic Pokémon merchandise? What Pokémon did y'all receive afterward a Surprise Trade? Let us know in the comment section beneath.