Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Why do some Pokémon glow in the trade box?

When trading with other people, players have noticed some unusual behavior. Some Pokémon glow in the trade box and bounce around for whatever reason. This visual effect has a purpose, and it’s far more useful than you may think at first glance. Here’s our guide on why some Pokémon glow in the trade box in Scarlet and Violet.

Note: For more information about the game, check out our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet guides and features hub.

Why do some Pokémon glow in the trade box in Scarlet and Violet?

In most trades with other players, you will notice some of your Pokémon will be glowing in the trade box. In addition to this, these Pokémon are jumping around as though they can’t wait to be traded. This feature is not just some random visual effect put in for no reason.

The reason that some Pokémon glow during trades is that the person you are trading with does not have that Pokémon registered in their Pokédex. This glowing Pokémon feature is new to trades in Scarlet and Violet and is a complete game-changer.

As an added bonus all traded Pokémon receive an EXP boost making them faster to train. Screenshot by PC Invasion

The biggest use of this feature by far is for helping others fill out their Pokédex. Completing the Pokédex is a classic endgame goal for a lot of players. Doing so will reward you with the Shiny Charm, a Key Item that greatly increases the chance of encountering shiny Pokémon. Having a Shiny Charm while using certain shiny hunting methods gives odds as low as 1/512 of encountering a shiny.

There are some limitations to the glowing Pokémon during trades feature in Scarlet and Violet. One is that only five Pokémon will glow at a time, even if you have more Pokémon that the other player doesn’t have registered. Also, unique forms of specific Pokémon will glow even if the person you are trading with already has a different form of that Pokémon registered.