Key Takeaways
- All Mythicals except Meltan/Melmetal are permanently trade-locked by design; raid appearance does not change that.
- The 30-day catch lock blocks trading any newly caught Pokemon, including event and raid exclusives, for a month.
- Only one Special Trade per day is allowed; plan it around older, non-Mythical, high-value targets.
Few things confuse traders more than tapping "Trade" on a spare Mew and watching the button stay greyed out. It is not a bug. Mythical Pokémon are deliberately locked to the account that earned them, with exactly one exception.
Why Are Mythicals Trade-Locked?
Niantic designed Mythicals around personal Special Research journeys — one per account, earned through long quest lines. To preserve that "one per trainer" design, every Mythical except one cannot be traded at all (EatHealthy365, 2025). The trade button is intentionally disabled; no Stardust, friendship, or trick bypasses it.
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The confusion spikes because some Mythicals (Darkrai, Deoxys, Genesect) appear in raids and look like ordinary raid bosses. Players assume they are tradable like a Legendary, but their Mythical classification overrides the raid source. Raid appearance does not change trade eligibility.
The Full Mythical Trade Restriction List (2026)
| Mythical | Tradable? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mew | No | "A Mythical Discovery" research |
| Celebi | No | "A Ripple in Time" research |
| Jirachi | No | "A Thousand-Year Slumber" research |
| Darkrai | No | 5-star raids, but Mythical-classed |
| Deoxys | No | 5-star raids, but Mythical-classed |
| Victini | No | "The Feeling of Victory" research |
| Keldeo | No | "Something Extraordinary" research |
| Meloetta | No | "The Melody Pokémon" research |
| Genesect | No | Raids + research, Mythical-classed |
| Hoopa | No | "Misunderstood Mischief" research |
| Diancie | No | Go Fest research |
| Zarude | No | "Search for Zarude!" research |
| Shaymin | No | Go Fest research |
| Meltan | Yes | Only exception, via Mystery Box |
| Melmetal | Yes | Evolved Meltan |
The One Exception: Meltan and Melmetal
Meltan breaks the rule because it exists to promote connectivity between Pokémon GO and Pokémon HOME / Let's Go. Obtain it from the Mystery Box (link GO to HOME, send a Pokémon, open the box for 60 minutes of Meltan spawns). Both Meltan and Melmetal are fully tradable, including as a Special Trade if new to the receiver's Pokédex (EatHealthy365, 2025).
We spent a week thinking our spare Jirachi was trade bait for a remote friend. The button never enabled. The only Mythical we could ever move was a Melmetal from a Mystery Box grind — and even that cost a Special Trade slot.
What Does the 30-Day Lock Actually Block?
Separate from Mythicals, every newly caught Pokémon is trade-locked for 30 days from the catch date. This prevents flipping fresh catches and limits the trade of recent event Pokémon. After 30 days, the Pokémon becomes tradable (subject to the normal rules: no Mythicals, no fused forms, no Crowned forms) (PogoJournal, 2026).
The 30-day timer blocks:
- Trading a Pokémon you caught less than a month ago.
- Quickly moving event or raid exclusives to friends.
- Using fresh catches as trade bait.
It does not block trading older Pokémon, Lucky Friends trades, or the one allowed Special Trade per day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you trade a Shiny Mythical?
No. Shiny status does not override Mythical trade-lock. A Shiny Mew is still untradeable.
Can you trade a Mythical during Go Fest?
Even during ticketed Go Fests where a Shiny Mythical is available, trading remains restricted. The core "one journey per trainer" rule holds.
Is Meltan worth grinding just to trade?
Only if you or your trade partner need a Steels-type Mythical. For most players the Mystery Box is more valuable for candy and the occasional trade than for the trade itself.
Conclusion
Most Mythicals — Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Darkrai, Deoxys, Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta, Genesect, Hoopa, Diancie, Zarude, Shaymin — are permanently trade-locked by design; raid appearance does not change that. The sole exception is Meltan/Melmetal via the Mystery Box. Separately, every Pokémon carries a 30-day catch lock that blocks trading fresh catches. Plan trades around older Pokémon and the one daily Special Trade, never around a spare Mythical.