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Pokemon Legends Arceus Trade Evolutions: how to evolve Machamp, Kadabra, Graveler, and Haunter

by RPG Site Staff on 30 January, 2022

Trade Evolutions have undergone a major change in Pokemon Legends Arceus - and it's arguably one fans of the series have been waiting for. The change? Well, you don't need to trade Pokemon to evolve any more. That's a big change.

So, how's it changed? Well, it's pretty simple - all previous trade evolution Pokemon now have new evolutionary methods that replaces the traditional trading-based one. We explain how that works on this page - and how to evolve each of the trade evolution Pokemon that's present in the Hisui Pokedex of Pokemon Legends Arceus. 

For a full list of how every single Pokemon in the game evolves, check out our Pokemon Legends Arceus Evolutions guide. 

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Trade Evolutions in Pokemon Legends Arceus

This really is a very short topic to talk about. While trading still exists in Pokemon Legends Arceus and can be performed at the same store where you exchange Merit Points, the requirement that you have to trade certain Pokemon in order to have them evolve has been removed. It's been replaced with an all-new evolutionary item which universally works on all Trade Evolution Pokemon.

That new item is the Linking Cord, which is described in the menus as "A string exuding a mysterious energy that makes you feel a strange sense of connection. It's loved by certain Pokemon." 

As an evolution item, all you have to do is obtain a Linking Cord and then use it on the Pokemon you want to evolve. Which Pokemon love the Linking Cord and are forced to evolve by it? Here's the list of Trade Evolutions in Legends Arceus:

  • Kadabra evolving to Alakazam
  • Machoke evolving to Machamp
  • Graveler evolving to Golem
  • Haunter evolving to Gengar.

That means to evolve one of each of these, you'll need four Linking Cord items. However, Gengar can also spawn in Space-Time Distortions in the Obsidian Fieldlands - so you may want to catch it there instead of using a valuable Linking Cord.

Preparing to use a Linking Cord on Machoke, one of the Trade Evolution Pokemon.

How to get the Linking Cord for Trade Evolutions

In order to actually perform the Trade Evolutions in Pokemon Legends Arceus, you'll need the necessary item, as described above. Unfortunately, it's a rare item - but there are a few places you can get a Linking Cord:

  • The Linking Cord is available from the Merit Points shop in Jubilife Village for the cost of 1000 points. If you need help affording that, check our page on How to get MP by returning lost satchels.
  • The Linking Cord is a potential rare item drop inside Space-Time Distortions. These world events are a bonanza of rare items, including many evolutionary items and the trade evolution item. Any time you see a distortion forming, be sure to head to it.
  • You can get a single Linking Cord from the Eerie Apparitions in the Night Quest. This is the quest where you have to get the wisps; it's handed over after finding 50 wisps. We've got a guide to All Wisp Locations in Pokemon Legends Arceus if you're tackling that.
  • A Linking Cord is the reward for Quest #64: Getting to Know Ghosts. This one of the Pokemon Legends Arceus requests has a single Linking Cord as a reward, but it is of course a one-time deal.