When Pokemon GO was announced in 2015, it promised the world (literally) to Pokemon fans- it would not only bring a unique brand of augmented reality Pokemon gameplay to smartphones, but also the series’ core pillars- catching Pokemon, battling Pokemon, trading Pokemon, and social play- to those platforms.
When Pokemon GO launched, very little of all that was true. You could catch Pokemon, and there was a very neutered form of battling- but trading, the core pillar of Pokemon, and social play, were missing entirely. Niantic has made improvements to the game since, adding in more social elements, and overhauling the battling, but trading has remained absent from the game. Until now.
Niantic has finally confirmed that Pokemon GO will be getting the ability to trade Pokemon this week. You will also have the ability to add players as friends, and send them special Gifts that you can get at Pokestops. Trading itself will be governed by a new Friendship level, with restrictions on your ability to trade at lower Friendship levels, and the costs per trade going down as your Level increases.
It sounds… uniquely convoluted, but I guess in a sense, that kind of thing is exactly what has made the game as much of a success as it is. Pokemon GO is available now on iOS and Android smartphones.