Getting Lucky with It

Some weeks ago, Pokémon Go introduced a new kind of Pokémon. That new kind is called Lucky Pokémon, and it's a marvelous one indeed. It becomes an unusual case of a spinoff game introducing something completely new to the table, which seems to be made even more special because of Go's proximity and parallelism to the main series Pokémon games. Yet like other things in these games, it has its own details.

Unlike most Pokémon in Pokémon Go, Lucky Pokémon are not caught... at least, not initially. Instead, Lucky Pokémon are the results of trading Pokémon that have been caught. Any Pokémon that can be traded, including Legendary Pokémon, have the chance of becoming Lucky after a trade, though it's been suggested that older caught Pokémon have a better chance of becoming so. Lucky Pokémon are even counted separately in the PokéDex, and the entry for the Pokémon turns darker with visible glowing bubbles, while information for individual Pokémon superimposes the glowing bubbles on top of their "type backgrounds".

As for the advantage that "Luckiness" confers, there is but one: the Pokémon takes less Stardust to power up than others with similar CP. This is an advantage for those who are not extreme hoarders of Stardust, being able to power up Pokémon at a lower Stardust cost, though the Candies required are still more or less the same. As far as other things go, they are like other Pokémon with their variable stats, especially after the result of the trade. The advantage of a Lucky Pokémon is akin to that of Pokémon being boosted in experience when traded to and trained by someone else. The allure of a Lucky Pokémon is still too good to pass up.

I've only gotten one of these since they were introduced, and it happens to be an Eevee caught by a fellow player from the recent two-day Community Day. My other fellow players have obtained more, but that is most likely because they have traded more often. Even so, this still speaks to the chances of obtaining one, since I've traded older Pokémon to no avail, and yet my only Lucky Pokémon so far is a relative newcomer. To continue to trade (more often) is really the only option to try to get more.

Though Lucky Pokémon seem a minor thing based on their properties, they're also a major thing because of their esteemed status by appearance, as well as something that shows a parallel to the main series games in any case. They're unusual, but marvelously motivational too for encouraging players to trade to get one. With luck, they might just be a fine addition to the collection of Pokémon that any Pokémon Go player has.

One year ago: I Want to Splurge