Which Pokémon can‘t be traded in Pokémon GO?

As an avid Pokémon GO player and content creator, I‘m often asked which Pokémon can and can‘t be traded in Niantic‘s hit augmented reality game. With hundreds of collectible creatures, there are quite a few untradeable Pokémon to be aware of if you want to complete your Pokedex.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll cover all currently untradeable Pokémon and explain the reasoning behind GO‘s widespread trading limitations. Get ready for an in-depth look!

Trading Restrictions in Pokémon GO

Before diving into specifics, let‘s briefly go over the basics of trading limitations in Pokémon GO:

• You must be at least Level 10 to access trading features.
• Mythical Pokémon are almost entirely untradeable, with just two exceptions (Meltan and Melmetal).
• Legendary Pokémon are typically tradeable, again with certain exceptions.
• Pokémon that have been traded previously become untradeable going forward.
• Event-exclusive Pokémon sometimes have limited tradeability.

So in general, Mythical Pokémon make up the majority of untradeables, along with repeat-traded creatures. Let‘s explore why these restrictions exist in Niantic‘s mobile game.

Why Can‘t Certain Pokémon Be Traded?

When it comes to Pokémon GO, Niantic intentionally limits trading options far beyond the main series games. Especially for rare and powerful Pokémon, one-way trades are enforced.

My theory is that by restricting trades, Niantic hopes to encourage more gameplay and social cooperation. Completing your Pokedex requires finding Mythicals via events or coordinating special trades among friends.

For example, if Mythical Pokémon were freely tradeable, players could easily buy collections online rather than participate in real-world events. Limited trading forces more active participation and protects rarity/value.

It can be frustrating as a completionist player, but from Niantic‘s perspective I understand the design. Next let‘s get into the specifics of which Pokémon fall under trade restrictions.

Untradeable Mythical Pokémon

Mythicals are exceptionally rare Pokémon tied to promotion events. As mentioned, almost all Mythicals become permanently untradeable after being caught. The only exceptions are Meltan and Melmetal.

Here is the full list of Mythical Pokémon currently prohibited from trades in Pokémon GO:

That‘s over 20 different Mythical Pokémon spanning Generations 1-7 that cannot be traded in Pokémon GO! Only Meltan and Melmetal have escaped the restrictions so far.

To obtain these elusive creatures, you‘ll need to participate in the real-world events when they are briefly available. Or coordinate unlocking trades with trusted friends who caught extras. It‘s a challenge for sure!

Notable Legendary Exceptions

Beyond Mythical monsters, most Legendary Pokémon can actually be traded freely in Pokémon GO after catching. However, there are a select few Legendaries that become untradeable once acquired.

These special exceptions include:

• Mewtwo Armored – Armored Mewtwo was only available via raid events and research breakthroughs.
• Legendary Beasts – Raikou, Entei, and Suicune have limited tradeability if caught in research breakthrough encounters.
• Mew – Despite technically being Mythical, the special research Mew becomes untradeable.
• Celebi – Catching Celebi through special research also prohibits trading.

So if you spot a rare Legendary or Mythical encounter in research tasks, be sure to hold onto extras for special trading. Their value only goes up once locked to your account!

Why Meltan and Melmetal Can Be Traded

If you‘ve been paying close attention, you no doubt noticed that Meltan and its evolution Melmetal are exempted from the Mythical trade blockade. But why is that?

Well, Meltan first debuted uniquely in Pokémon GO itself during the launch of the Let‘s Go Pikachu/Eevee games on Nintendo Switch. It became a crossover promotion mascot of sorts.

My theory is that since Meltan originated in GO rather than the main games, Niantic felt comfortable allowing trades. Melmetal carried over that exception going forward.

Thanks to open trading, it‘s much easier to get both Meltan and Melmetal into your Pokedex! Just need to find a friend willing to give them up…

Workarounds for Untradeable Pokémon

While most Mythicals and certain Legendaries cannot be traded freely, creative workarounds do exist in Pokémon GO:

• Event Reruns – Keep catching extra untradeables during rerun events in case friends missed out!
• Special Trades – Use your guaranteed daily special trade to swap with a best friend who has the Pokémon registered.
• Alt Accounts – Some players use second accounts to hold Mythicals as trade fodder down the road.
• Remote Raiding – Raid remotely with friends to increase chances of catching extra Legendaries to trade.
• Community Days – Take advantage of bonuses during trading events and Community Days.

It takes effort and coordination, but with the right friends you can overcome almost any restrictions. Don‘t lose hope on completing your Pokedex!

The Bottom Line on Untradeable Pokémon

While the list seems daunting, remember that only about 13% of total catchable Pokémon in GO are completely prohibited from trades. That leaves nearly 450 creatures up for swapping!

For veteran players with stacked rosters, limitations feel more impactful. But new/casual users still have tons of trading options for boosting collections.

My advice is to focus on participating in every possible event, raiding daily with friends, and maxing out special trade allowances. With persistence and trading smarts, even Mythicals will join your squad!

I hope this guide gave you some clarity on which Pokémon can and can‘t be traded. Let me know if you have any other PGO topics you‘d like covered in future articles!