Overview
- The phased launch began December 8 in New Zealand, with wider regions to be enabled after initial rollout.
- Long‑distance exchanges unlock only for pairs who reach the new Forever Friends level above Best Friend.
- Participants tag eligible Pokémon with a Remote Trade label, select up to three wishes from each other’s lists, and confirm a single swap.
- Only one Remote Trade can be held at a time per Forever Friend, with a reported 90 friendship‑point recharge needed before trading again with the same partner.
- Remote trades exclude recent catches, previously traded, Shadow or Mythical Pokémon, buddies, gym defenders, fused or Mega‑evolved forms, crowned Zacian or Zamazenta, and Playground‑placed Pokémon, and Niantic plans to raise the friend cap from 450 to 650 over the coming weeks.