X
nav logo

Hit enter to search or ESC to close

The Pokémon community has stepped up to help one another in a big way in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Version-exclusive Pokémon have always existed in the games, ever since Red and Blue back in the ’90s. The community has found a way to trade these valuable Pokémon with others with the new link code system.

Getting every Pokémon in the game and completing the Pokédex requires a player to get every Pokémon in that specific generation. This means that different Pokémon will appear in Sword than in Shield. Since many players don’t purchase both versions of the game, a player who only owns Sword will not be able to get Shield exclusives unless they know someone with the game.

The Pokémon community decided to work out a way for every player to get their desired Pokémon regardless of what game they have through a series of codes using the link code system introduced in Sword and Shield. Each link code can be used to trade a Sword exclusive for its corresponding Shield exclusive.

How to link trade in Pokémon Sword and Shield

To perform a link trade using a code, simply hit Y to open the Y-COMM menu and click Link Trade. Then choose to set a link code. Once the link code is set, the game will begin searching for another player who has entered the same code.

List of version exclusive link trade codes

  • Deino -7201- Larvitar
  • Jangmo-o -7202- Goomy
  • Galarian Farfetch’d -7203- Galarian Ponyta
  • Turtonator -7204- Drampa
  • Mawile -7205- Sableye
  • Gothita -7206- Solosis
  • Rufflet -7207- Vullaby
  • Sawk -7208- Throh
  • Seedot -7209- Lotad
  • Swirlix -7210- Spritzee
  • Scraggy -7211- Croagunk
  • Solrock -7212- Lunatone
  • Passimian -7213- Oranguru
  • Basculin (red stripe) -7214- Basculin (blue stripe)
  • Galarian Darumaka -7215- Galarian Corsola
  • Flapple -7216- Appletun
  • Stonjourner -7217- Eiscue
  • Zacian -7218- Zamazenta
  • Ditto -4448- Ditto (used to find foreign Ditto for shiny breeding)

Completing the trade

Once both players select a Pokémon, they will get the option to confirm the trade. Oftentimes while using one of these codes, people will find others looking for the same Pokémon. If this happens, simply hit the B button and exit the trade. It may be a good idea to wait a bit to try again as to not find the same trading partner.

If both players get what they are looking for, they can accept the trade and move forward with their new version exclusives. This is a great way for players to complete their Pokédex and help others do the same. Be sure to stay tuned for any future Pokémon link codes!