Regional Pokémon are the final hurdle of the Pokédex. Tauros (North America), Mr. Mime (Europe), Heracross (Latin America), and dozens more only spawn in specific regions. Until December 2025 the only way to trade was in-person — now, with Forever Friends and Remote Trading, you can trade regionals with any friend worldwide without being physically present.
December 2025 update: Forever Friends unlocks Remote Trade — one remote trade for every 90 Friendship Points earned after Best Friends. This is a complete game-changer for regional Pokémon.
Major regional Pokémon (2026)
| Pokémon | Region | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| Tauros | North America | Trade with USA/Canada |
| Mr. Mime | Europe | Trade with UK/Germany |
| Farfetch'd | Asia (Japan/Korea) | Trade with Asia |
| Kangaskhan | Australia/NZ | Trade with Oceania |
| Heracross | Latin America/SE Asia | Trade with Brazil/Mexico |
| Corsola | Tropics | Trade with equatorial countries |
| Tropius | Africa | Trade with Egypt/South Africa |
| Relicanth | New Zealand/Pacific Islands | Trade with Pacific |
Players in your home region have the regionals others want — that's your 'trade bait'. Use them to acquire what you're missing.
How regional Pokémon trades work
Trades involving regional Pokémon are 'Special Trades' and cost 20,000 Stardust if you're Best Friends (vs 1,000,000 if you're just regular friends). Cost drops with friendship level:
- Good Friend: 1,000,000 Stardust (impractical)
- Great Friend: 800,000 Stardust
- Ultra Friend: 80,000 Stardust
- Best Friends: 20,000 Stardust
Practical takeaway: trading regionals is only worth it with Best Friends. Before that, the cost is prohibitive.
Where to find active international friends
Reddit r/PokemonGoFriends with country tags
Use [USA], [UK], [JP] tags to filter posts by region. Heads-up: most posts are spam or inactive accounts.
International Discord servers
Servers like The Silph Road and Pokémon GO Hub have members worldwide. International trades are organized in dedicated channels.
Services that connect active players globally
Platforms that add active international friends daily save the time spent filtering dead accounts. Ideal for players who want to focus on playing instead of recruiting friends.
Ready to stop hunting for friends?
Get friend requests from active players every day, automatically. Plans starting at $2.99.
See pricing →Strategy: 1 friend per region
You don't need 50 American friends — you need 1 active one. The goal is to have at least 1 Best Friend in each region where there's a regional you don't have:
- Identify the regionals missing from your Pokédex
- List the corresponding regions
- Find 1 active friend in each region
- Start the 90-day Best Friend cycle simultaneously
Lucky Trade: how to get a perfect regional Pokémon
Pokémon caught more than 2 years ago in a player's account have a higher chance of becoming Lucky when traded. Asking for a regional that's been in your friend's account a long time increases your chance of receiving high IV.
Remote Trade restrictions
Forever Friends enables Remote Trade, but with key restrictions — you cannot trade:
- Pokémon caught less than 30 days ago
- Pokémon previously traded
- Shadow Pokémon (Team Rocket)
- Mythical (Mew, Celebi, etc.)
- Active Buddy Pokémon
- Gym defenders
- Mega-Evolved or fused Pokémon
Conclusion
Before Forever Friends, completing the regional Pokédex was a social marathon that involved traveling or meeting someone in person. Today, with Remote Trade, you just need an active international Best Friend + accumulating 90 Friendship Points to unlock the trade — a complete shift for the global Pokédex.