Some things in Pokémon GO take their time. MyMMO author Paul Kutzner waited almost a decade to achieve a special goal.
Impatience and Pokémon GO usually don’t go well together. While you often have to wait until certain monsters are available in the game or until you have enough candies to power it up, sometimes a long time can pass.
But other activities can also take some time. There’s one thing I had to wait almost 10 years for – and I was finally able to accomplish it recently.
A Friend, a Monster, a Decade
Different time, different game: When Pokémon GO launched in 2016, half of my friend circle was immediately caught up in the GO fever. Everyone was playing, and we often started joint rounds on weekends, spending hours outdoors. Since it wasn’t just us, this time was also the best time in Pokémon GO that ever existed for me.
Back then, Pokémon GO looked a bit different than it does today. Not only visually, but also in terms of functionality. Some things that are now indispensable in the game simply did not exist back then. This includes the trading feature, which was only activated in the game in 2018.
My best friend was also there right from the start. However, he had a bit less luck with catching, so by July 2016, I was already in possession of a monster that he had a special interest in: Gengar, his absolute favorite Pokémon.
Good Things Take Time
As a good friend, it was clear right away that this Gengar should transfer to him. Accordingly, it was marked as a favorite and got its name as a nickname so that I always knew: This monster wants to one day go to the trainer who deserves it.
As time passed and we collected monsters for months, earned experience points, and farmed candies, one thing was still missing: the trading feature. And as it sometimes happens, my friend lost interest in Pokémon GO.
When 2018 finally came around and we would have finally had the opportunity to transfer the Gengar, he was no longer interested in the game. But of course, I kept the Gengar. Because I knew that one day the trade would happen.
Over time, I also went through a phase where I didn’t play Pokémon GO – of course, exactly when he was active in the game again. And this process repeated itself several times over the years. When he played, I was on a break; when I played, he was on a break. As life goes, there was also a time when we hadn’t seen each other for a long while.
Finally – the Goal is Achieved!
But a few weeks ago it finally happened. While we met again, I asked him if he currently has Pokémon GO on his phone. After he confirmed, it was clear: Today is the day!
So we opened our games, he selected the next available monster to trade, and the trade took place – Gengar finally landed with the trainer it should have landed with for almost 10 years.
Since he had traded few monsters so far and Gengar was caught back in 2016, he was additionally happy as this triggered a lucky trade.
While I now have one more free slot in my Pokémon box, my friend finally has his Gengar. It remains to be seen which will be the next monster to find its rightful owner after such a long time.
Have you also waited so long for a trade? Feel free to let us know in the comments. If you want to know what content is waiting for you in the game this month, take a look at our overview where we summarized all events in August 2026 in Pokémon GO for you.
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