A recently published Japanese patent has sparked speculation on a new feature coming to Pokemon Sleep.

The patent is labelled JP Patent No. 7703801, and popped up on the Pokemon Sleep subreddit. While the patent itself is describing mechanics used for the Cresselia vs. Darkrai event, it also contains a paragraph describing a different feature that is believed to allow players to trade or transfer Pokemon to other users. Poster nitoyon describes their interpretation of the feature as follows:

• Pokemon become eligible for trading after being befriended for a certain amount of time or reaching a threshold of Sleeping Time Shared
• You earn “trade points” each time you sleep, which are required to make trades
• Pokémon may change nature or sub skills after being traded (uncertain)
• You can pre-select Pokémon you want to offer and receive before going to bed
• You can’t choose who to trade with — trades occur between users who sleep at the same time
• Pokémon obtained through trading become more likely to appear again in future research
• The morning after a trade, your drowsy power gets a boost

While trading is a core part of the mechanics of mainline Pokemon games, we rarely get to see the feature pop up in spin-off titles. Previously, trading was implemented in Pokemon TCG Pocket, although backlash around the initial implementation eventually forced the team to rework it to be a bit more user friendly.

That said, we caution readers to take this information with a grain of salt. Language used in patents is often intentionally broad or vague, it is not fully certain whether the pargraph in question is actually describing a feature to trade Pokemon, or if it describes trading some other type of item. Furthermore, patented mechanics or features may not necessarily make their way into the actual game.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.