Pokemon za trade codes: what they are and how to use them
Trade evolution in Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a deliberate gate, not a bug. Several species refuse to evolve by level, by stone, or by friendship alone; they only finish their line when you hand them to another player and receive something back. Pokemon za trade codes exist because the simplest way to test that gate without a second human in the room is to type a four-digit pair into a trade request, trade with a bot or another trainer using that exact code, and watch your Haunter become a Gengar on the other side of the link. The codes themselves are short numeric strings, the system that reads them is the standard Link Trade, and the items some of them require are real, named, and in your bag or on the floor of Lumiose City if you know where to look.
This guide covers every trade code currently in the base game and in the Mega Dimension DLC, the items each one needs, the Link Trade flow that makes the code actually do something, and the small number of edge cases that explain why a trade sometimes refuses to evolve the Pokemon you sent. It is a working reference, not speculation: every code, item, and step below is taken from the verified trade-codes list maintained for the game.
How Pokemon za trade codes work in the Link Trade system
Every Pokemon za trade code is a four-digit number written twice, separated by a space. The duplication is not decorative. The Link Trade system reads the code as both a species identifier and a request filter, so 0066 0066 is a Haunter code in the same way that 0126 0126 is a Machoke code. When you set a code, the matchmaking system tries to pair you with another player or NPC partner who has the matching species ready to send, which is why some codes feel almost instant in busy lobbies and others take longer in quiet ones.
The code controls species, not the held item. The item is your responsibility, and the system only checks the item when the trade completes. If you send a Spritzee without a Sachet, you receive whatever the other trainer was offering, your Spritzee stays a Spritzee, and the held item slot is empty. The system does not warn you before the trade, so the practical habit is to check the held-item menu on the Pokemon you are about to send and confirm the right object is equipped.
Item-driven evolution is also the reason the trade list exists at all. In the older core games, the equivalent information was scattered across Bulbapedia, Serebii, and a dozen fan wikis. In Legends: Z-A, the trade-codes format is the simplest way to publish a single, copyable string that any player can paste into the Link Trade and use immediately, even if they have never touched a trade evolution before.
Full Pokemon za trade codes list (base game and Mega Dimension)
The table below is the working reference. It pairs each code with the Pokemon that must be sent, the evolution it triggers, and the held item the system checks. Items marked “Not required” still produce a successful trade and a successful evolution, but only because the species itself does not gate evolution on an object.
| Code | Send | Receive | Held item required | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0066 0066 | Haunter | Gengar | Not required | Base game |
| 0063 0063 | Kadabra | Alakazam | Not required | Base game |
| 0126 0126 | Machoke | Machamp | Not required | Base game |
| 0182 0182 | Phantump | Trevenant | Not required | Base game |
| 0204 0204 | Pumpkaboo | Gourgeist | Not required | Base game |
| 0176 0176 | Scyther | Scizor | Metal Coat | Base game |
| 0197 0197 | Onix | Steelix | Metal Coat | Base game |
| 0011 0011 | Porygon | Porygon2 | Upgrade | Base game |
| 0012 0012 | Porygon2 | Porygon-Z | Dubious Disk | Base game |
| 0137 0137 | Slowpoke | Slowking | King’s Rock | Base game |
| 0048 0048 | Feebas | Milotic | Prism Scale | Base game |
| 0096 0096 | Spritzee | Aromatisse | Sachet | Base game |
| 0098 0098 | Swirlix | Slurpuff | Whipped Dream | Base game |
The Mega Dimension DLC added three more trade-evolving species to the same system. They use the same code format, slot into the same Link Trade menu, and follow the same item rules as the base-game list above.
| Code | Send | Receive | Held item required | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0001 0001 | Boldore | Gigalith | Not required | Mega Dimension DLC |
| 0002 0002 | Gurdurr | Conkeldurr | Not required | Mega Dimension DLC |
| 0003 0003 | Duosion | Reuniclus | Not required | Mega Dimension DLC |
The numeric prefixes in the Mega Dimension list are the only reliable anchor for those species. There is no separate “DLC” trade menu, so the system treats the code exactly the way it treats a base-game Haunter code: enter the string, wait for a partner, send the right Pokemon with the right item, and the evolution triggers on receipt.
Items you need before trading
Held items are the only failure point in an otherwise straightforward flow. The Link Trade system does not prompt you to attach an item, and it does not check the item when the code is entered. It only checks the item the instant the trade completes. That delay is what causes most of the “I traded and nothing happened” reports.
Build a small pre-trade checklist before you enter any of the pokemon za trade codes:
- Open the party screen and select the Pokemon you intend to send.
- Check the held-item slot. It must contain the specific item the evolution requires, and nothing else.
- Confirm the species matches the code. Sending a Kadabra with the Alakazam code 0063 0063 evolves correctly; sending an Abra with the same code does not.
- Save before entering the Link Trade so a misclick or a wrong item does not lock you out of the evolution.
- Read the partner’s offer before confirming. The code pairs you with someone holding the next stage; it does not protect you from a bad trade if the partner offers something unexpected.
The items themselves are not hidden, but a few are easy to miss. Metal Coat is a slow-route reward, the King’s Rock is gated behind a specific encounter, and the Prism Scale is a fishing reward. The Sachet and Whipped Dream are sold in Lumiose City once you reach the right story beat, and the Upgrade and Dubious Disk are quest rewards rather than shop purchases. If you are missing one of them, the rest of the trade sequence still works, but the evolution will not trigger and the item will be consumed by the trade, so check the bag first.
How to use Pokemon za trade codes in Link Trade
The Link Trade is the only system in Legends: Z-A that reads the codes. It sits inside the standard online menu rather than the story progression, and it is reachable from any Pokecenter after the relevant story gate opens. The flow is short, but each step is necessary.
- Open the menu and select the Link Trade option.
- Choose “Set Link Code” and type the four-digit pair exactly as listed. For example, for Gengar the code is 0066 0066; for Scizor the code is 0176 0176.
- Confirm the code and wait for matchmaking. The system looks for a partner whose code matches and who has the corresponding species ready to send.
- When a partner is found, the trade screen appears. Check the partner’s offer, the species you are about to send, and the held item one more time.
- Confirm the trade. The evolution triggers on the receiving end, so the Pokemon you get back is the evolved form with the same held item attached if you sent one.
If matchmaking stalls, the most common reason is that no one is using that exact code at that moment. Switch to a more popular code, such as 0066 0066 for Gengar, retry after a few minutes, or post your code in a community trade channel so a partner can match it. A quiet code is not a broken code.
What to do when a trade evolution does not trigger
The most common failure is the missing held item, but it is not the only one. The table below walks through the symptoms in the order a player usually encounters them, with the most likely cause and the first thing to verify.
| Symptom | Most likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Trade completes but the Pokemon does not evolve | Held item missing or wrong item | Reopen the party screen and confirm the item slot on the Pokemon you sent |
| Matchmaking never finds a partner | Quiet lobby or wrong code format | |
| Trade screen shows the wrong species | Sent the pre-evolution rather than the trade stage | Use Kadabra for 0063 0063, Machoke for 0126 0126, Phantump for 0182 0182, and so on |
| Code is accepted but the offer on the other side is unrelated | Partner is not using a matching code | Cancel, re-set your own code, and wait for a matched offer |
If the held item is correct, the species is correct, and the code is correct, the next step is to save, close the menu, and re-enter the Link Trade. The system occasionally fails to re-read the held-item slot after a long session, and a re-entry forces a fresh check.
How the Mega Dimension DLC codes fit into the base system
The Mega Dimension DLC does not introduce a separate trade menu, a separate matchmaking pool, or a separate code format. The three new trade evolutions sit in the same Link Trade screen, use the same four-digit duplicated code, and follow the same item rules. The only practical difference is that you need the DLC installed and a save file that has reached the post-game segment where Mega Dimension content unlocks; before that gate, the species will not appear as trade offers and the codes will time out in matchmaking.
For players who already have a base-game save, the cleanest way to use the DLC codes is to set the code first, then queue the new trade-evolving species in the same party. The Link Trade treats both the base-game and DLC species as ordinary requests, so the only added step is making sure the Pokemon you are about to send is actually in your party before you enter the code. A code without a matching species in the party still completes, but the evolution will not trigger because there is no qualifying Pokemon to send.
Pokemon that evolve by trade but do not need a code
Some trade evolutions in Legends: Z-A can be completed without any code at all. Porygon2, for example, is a trade evolution, but it is also a reward for completing Side Mission 167, “Porygon’s Polygon”, so players who prefer a solo route can pick up a Porygon2 that way and then use the 0012 0012 code to evolve it into Porygon-Z with a Dubious Disk. The full set of code-free trade alternatives is small, but it is worth listing because it changes the order in which a player collects the items above.
- Porygon2 can be obtained through Side Mission 167 instead of trading a Porygon with the 0011 0011 code.
- Scyther and Onix can sometimes be skipped entirely if a player already owns a Metal Coat, finds a Scizor or Steelix in the wild, or receives one as a story reward.
- Several held items, including the Sachet and Whipped Dream, are sold in Lumiose City once the relevant shop unlocks, so a player who plans the order of visits can buy the item and queue the trade in the same play session.
The code is the fastest route, but it is not the only route. The trade-codes list is a shortcut, not a hard dependency, and the game still respects the older trade-evolution rules if you want to grind or collect the items first.
Editing the article for accuracy and reuse
Because pokemon za trade codes are short numeric strings, the most useful thing a working guide can do is stay copyable. The codes in the tables above are written in the exact format the Link Trade expects, and they are spaced the way the in-game input field reads them. If you copy a code from this page and the system rejects it, the most common cause is a missing leading zero. 0066 is four digits; 66 is two. The system only reads the four-digit form, so always paste the full string.
The held-item names use the same spelling the game uses. Metal Coat, King’s Rock, Prism Scale, Sachet, Whipped Dream, Upgrade, and Dubious Disk are all item names as they appear in the bag menu. If a search engine snippet shows a slightly different spelling, treat the in-game spelling as the source of truth and the snippet as a copy-paste artifact.
Frequently asked questions
What are pokemon za trade codes?
Pokemon za trade codes are short numeric strings used in the Link Trade menu of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Each one is a four-digit number written twice, such as 0066 0066 for Haunter, and it tells the matchmaking system which species you are trying to trade for. The same code also identifies the species you must send, and the trade only evolves your Pokemon if the held item matches the species requirement.
Do I need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to use the codes?
Yes. Link Trade uses Nintendo Switch Online for matchmaking, so the codes only resolve to a partner when the subscription is active and the system can reach the online service. Local trades and trades with a single second console on the same network do not require the subscription, but the trade evolution still triggers the same way.
What item do I need to evolve Haunter into Gengar?
No item is required. Haunter’s trade code is 0066 0066, and the evolution triggers on any successful Link Trade that uses the code. The same is true for Kadabra to Alakazam, Machoke to Machamp, Phantump to Trevenant, and Pumpkaboo to Gourgeist.
What item do I need to evolve Scyther into Scizor?
Scyther needs a Metal Coat. The trade code is 0176 0176, and the Metal Coat must be in Scyther’s held-item slot when the trade completes. The same item is also required for Onix to Steelix under code 0197 0197.
What item do I need to evolve Porygon into Porygon2?
Porygon needs an Upgrade. The trade code is 0011 0011, and the Upgrade must be attached. Porygon2 can also be obtained by completing Side Mission 167, “Porygon’s Polygon”, which is a useful code-free alternative if you prefer a solo route.
What item do I need to evolve Feebas into Milotic?
Feebas needs a Prism Scale. The trade code is 0048 0048, and the Prism Scale must be in the held-item slot. The Prism Scale is a fishing reward, so the usual route is to catch a Feebas, attach the scale, and trade.
What item do I need to evolve Spritzee and Swirlix?
Spritzee needs a Sachet under code 0096 0096 to evolve into Aromatisse. Swirlix needs a Whipped Dream under code 0098 0098 to evolve into Slurpuff. Both items are sold in Lumiose City once the relevant shop unlocks, so they are easier to source than the fishing or quest-only items.
What is the slowest part of using pokemon za trade codes?
Matchmaking for the less popular codes. The Haunter, Kadabra, and Machoke codes resolve quickly because those species are common. Codes for Porygon, Onix, and the Mega Dimension species can sit in the queue longer, so the practical habit is to set the code, set a timer for a few minutes, and switch to a different trade if no partner appears.
Do the Mega Dimension DLC codes use a different system?
No. The Mega Dimension codes use the same Link Trade menu, the same code format, and the same item rules as the base game. The new species are Boldore, Gurdurr, and Duosion, and they all evolve without a held item. The only added requirement is that the DLC is installed and the post-game gate is open.
Can I trade a Kadabra with the Gengar code by accident?
Yes, but the trade will not trigger a Kadabra evolution. The system matches you with a partner using the same code, so a 0066 0066 trade only pairs you with someone offering or requesting Haunter. If you send a Kadabra instead, the trade completes, your Kadabra is sent, and you receive a Haunter or Gengar from the partner. The Held-item check on your side will not run because Haunter does not require an item, so the trade will succeed but the evolution you intended will not happen.
