2019 is the last year covered by Pokémon GO’s sourced permanent guarantee: a Pokémon that has been in a Trainer’s storage since 2019 is guaranteed to become Lucky when traded, until the Trainer reaches the announced limit of 35 guaranteed Lucky Pokémon. A 2026 event page separately mentions Pokémon stored since 2020; that event wording does not establish a permanent change to the cutoff.
Which Pokémon years qualify for the permanent guarantee?
Niantic’s February 18, 2025 announcement says that trading a Pokémon that has spent time in a Trainer’s Pokémon storage since 2019 guarantees a Lucky result, subject to the limit. The announcement calls the change permanent and raises the limit from 25 to 35. Read the rule as a storage-age condition, not simply a claim about the year a Pokémon was caught: the official wording concerns time in storage. Niantic’s 2025 announcement
The latest sourced permanent cutoff here is 2019. The Pokémon Company International’s page for the New Year 2026 event says Pokémon stored since 2020 can be guaranteed Lucky until the limit is reached, but it presents this in the context of that event. That page alone does not show that 2020 replaced 2019 as the permanent cutoff. New Year 2026 event details
What does the limit of 35 mean?
The 35 figure is the announced limit on guaranteed Lucky Pokémon, increased from 25 in 2025. It is a cumulative cap, not a promise that every subsequent trade involving an old Pokémon will be Lucky. Niantic’s announcement does not explain how to view a live counter for how many of a Trainer’s guarantees have been used. If the relevant guarantee has been exhausted, an old Pokémon may still become Lucky at random, but age alone no longer makes that result certain under this rule.
Do older Pokémon guarantee Lucky trades after the limit?
No. Pokémon GO’s support page says older Pokémon have a greater chance of becoming Lucky when traded, but describes this as a chance, not certainty. It does not publish an exact percentage for the age-based odds. A 2016 Pokémon, for example, is not an automatic guarantee just because it is old; the specific guarantee depends on the applicable year rule and remaining cap. Lucky Pokémon support page
Other ways to guarantee a Lucky trade
| Route | What makes the trade Lucky | Limit or caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Storage-year guarantee | A Pokémon meets the applicable permanent storage-year cutoff; the last sourced permanent cutoff is 2019. | Subject to the announced cap of 35 guaranteed Lucky Pokémon. A 2020 condition is also stated for the 2026 New Year event, not established here as permanent. |
| Lucky Friends | Two Lucky Friends complete their next trade with each other. | The Lucky Friends status clears after that trade. Niantic support |
| Lucky Trinket | Use the in-game item on an eligible friend to change that friend’s status to Lucky. | It is one-time-use, requires a Great Friend or higher, and does not change trade distance. Check the item’s restrictions in Niantic’s Lucky Trinket help page. |
| Ordinary trade of an older Pokémon | More time in storage increases the chance of a Lucky result. | Random chance, not a guarantee; no percentage is published on the support page cited above. |
How trading restrictions affect the guarantee
A Lucky condition does not remove normal trading requirements. Niantic’s standard trading help says players must be physically near one another for an in-person trade, already-traded Pokémon cannot be traded again, and some Pokémon require a Special Trade subject to a daily limit. Trading Pokémon help
Remote Trading is a separate eligibility route: Niantic says Forever Friends can trade remotely, and a completed remote trade between Lucky Friends still makes both Pokémon Lucky. Remote trade restrictions can affect whether a particular Pokémon is eligible, so check the current Remote Trading help page before planning a specific trade.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why do older guides mention different years?
Earlier announcements describe older, narrower versions of the guarantee rather than today’s complete rule. In 2018, Niantic announced a guarantee for Pokémon that had spent time in storage from July 2016 through August 2016, with a then-specific restriction involving both players having received 10 or more Lucky Pokémon. That is historical wording, not the current published cap. 2018 Lucky Pokémon announcement
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA 2023 event page records an intermediate increase from 15 to 25 guaranteed Lucky Pokémon. The 2025 announcement later raised that limit to 35, so the old 25 figure should not be treated as the current announced cap. 2023 event announcement
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