How does Mateo’s Route Gift Exchange work in Pokémon Go?

Routes are one of Pokémon Go’s biggest new features and Niantic is trying to make them a staple of day-to-day gameplay for its players. The next step in evolving that mechanic is adding an NPC named Mateo who will host a Gift Exchange for any player that sees him. 

Gift Exchange is a new mechanic being added to Routes specifically on Dec. 5 as part of Mateo’s debut during the Along the Routes event. Much like the new NPC himself, Niantic is using this to promote Routes to players by adding a way to collect and exchange Postcards and Gifts from “around the world.”

Pokémon Go Gift Exchange: How does it work and all rewards

Mateo is described as “a researcher who loves to travel” and his hobbies include “collecting and exchanging Postcards and Gifts from all over the world.” 

While exploring a Route, players have a chance to encounter Mateo at the end right before they exit. He should appear in the overworld as an interactable NPC, much like a Rocket Grunt, and will give you access to the Gift Exchange, which works as a hub for leaving Gifts for other players. Here is a full breakdown of how this feature works, according to Niantic. 

• Mateo might be waiting for players at the endpoint of a Route with Gifts he has collected.
  • These Gifts will be from players globally who have previously exchanged with Mateo.  
• Talking to Mateo will begin the Gift Exchange, where you can choose which of Mateo’s Gifts to exchange from the Route.
  • It is currently unclear if that means you have to leave a Gift you obtained while traveling on the Route or if you can leave any Gift with Mateo. 
• You can add a Sticker to your Gift before you select it to exchange, and don’t forget to add the Postcard you get from the exchanged Gift to your Postcard Book.
• Mateo’s Gift Exchange is only available to utilize once per day. 

This feature is a fun way for Niantic to expand the offerings from Routes while also adding a new way for players globally to exchange Gifts—without the need to add someone as a Friend. The fact this is also a good way to get Postcards from different parts of the world is great for helping you catch different forms of Vivillion too. 

More details about the Gift Exchange and how Mateo will be utilized in future Pokémon Go updates will be shared soon, along with more specifics on how this mechanic works.