<p>Just like in previous entries of the franchise, Pokémon Go features some unique evolution methods that players must grasp to successfully complete their Pokédex.
Throughout the years, Pokémon evolution methods have become increasingly intricate. While most Pokémon evolve simply by reaching a specific level, newer games introduced various Pokémon that only evolve under specific conditions that the game does not clarify, such as Alcremie and Kingambit.
As the mobile game’s Pokédex expands, Pokémon Go has followed suit by incorporating additional evolutionary requirements that largely reflect those present in the main series.
Given that some of these requirements can be perplexing or challenging to accomplish, this guide will detail every special evolution method in Pokémon Go, identify which Pokémon utilize them, and equip you to catch ’em all.
Every Special Evolution Method & Requirement in Pokémon Go
While the bulk of Pokémon merely require a certain amount of Candy to evolve, many have additional criteria.
Trade Evolutions
Currently, there are 11 Pokémon that evolve through trading. Unlike other evolution methods in Pokémon Go, trading is not the only means to evolve these Pokémon. It merely eliminates the Candy requirement for evolution, although Stardust will still be necessary.
Here is the list of Pokémon that evolve via trading:
| Pokémon | Requirement | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Kadabra |
100 Abra Candy (Free after Trade) | Alakazam |
Machoke |
100 Machop Candy (Free after Trade) | Machamp |
Graveler & Alolan Graveler |
100 Geodude Candy (Free after Trade) | Golem & Alolan Golem |
Haunter |
100 Gastly Candy (Free after Trade) | Gengar |
Boldore |
100 Roggenrola Candy (Free after Trade) | Gigalith |
Gurdurr |
100 Timburr Candy (Free after Trade) | Conkeldurr |
Karrablast |
100 Karrablast Candy (Free after Trade) | Escavalier |
Shelmet |
100 Shelmet Candy (Free after Trade) | Accelgor |
Phantump |
100 Phantump Candy (Free after Trade) | Trevenant |
Pumkaboo |
100 Pumkaboo Candy (Free after Trade) | Gourgeist |
Item Evolutions
As seen in the games, some Pokémon require specific items to evolve. Note that these Pokémon also require Candy, and using the item for evolution will consume it.
Dragon Scale
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Seadra |
100 Horsea Candy & Dragon Scale | Kingdra |
King’s Rock
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Poliwhirl |
100 Poliwag Candy & King’s Rock | Politoed |
Slowpoke |
50 Slowpoke Candy & King’s Rock | Slowking |
Metal Coat
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Onyx |
50 Onix Candy & Metal Coat | Steelix |
Scyther |
100 Scyther Candy & Metal Coat | Scizor |
Sinnoh Stone
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Lickitung |
100 Lickitung Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Lickilicky |
Rhydon |
100 Rhyhorn Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Rhyperior |
Tangela |
100 Tangela Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Tangrowth |
Electabuzz |
100 Electabuzz Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Electivire |
Magmar |
100 Magmar Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Magmortar |
Togetic |
100 Togepi Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Togekiss |
Aipom |
100 Aipom Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Ambipom |
Do not burn |
100 Yanma Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Yanmega |
Murkrow |
100 Murkrow Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Honchkrow |
Misdreavus |
100 Misdreavus Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Mismagius |
Giggles |
100 Gligar Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Gliscor |
Sneasel |
100 Sneasel Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Weavile |
Piloswine |
100 Swinub Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Mamoswine |
Porygon2 |
100 Porygon Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Porygon-Z |
Kirlia |
100 Ralts Candy & Sinnoh Stone Kirlia must be male | Gallade |
Roselia |
100 Roselia Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Roserade |
Dusclops |
100 Duskull Candy & Sinnoh Stone | Dusknoir |
They snore |
100 Snorunt Candy & Sinnoh Stone Snorunt must be male | Frost load |
Sun Stone
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Gloom |
100 Oddish Candy & Sun Stone | Bellossom |
Sunkern |
50 Sunflora Candy & Sun Stone | Sunflora |
Cottonee |
50 Cottonee Candy & Sun Stone | Whimsicott |
Petilil |
50 Petilil Candy & Sun Stone | Lilligant |
You become Stone
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Grooming |
50 Pansage Candy & Unova Stone | We are sage |
Pansear |
50 Pansear Candy & You Become Stone | Simizer |
Panpour |
50 Panpour Candy & Unova Stone | Simipour |
Munna |
50 Munna Candy & Unova Stone | Musharna |
Minccino |
50 Minccino Candy & Unova Stone | Cinccino |
Electric |
100 Tynamo Candy & Unova Stone | Elektross |
Lampent |
100 Litwick Candy & You Become Stone | Chandelure |
Upgrade
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Porygon |
25 Porygon Candy & Upgrade | Porygon2 |
Lure Module Evolutions
Currently, there are 6 Pokémon that necessitate a Lure Module for evolution, in addition to one for which a specific Lure Module can facilitate the process. These Pokémon can only evolve in specific locations, as seen in at least one core series game.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Magneto |
100 Magnemite Candy & Magnetic Lure | Magnezone |
Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & Mossy Lure | Leafeon |
| Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & Glacial Lure | Glaceon |
Nosepass |
50 Candy & Magnetic Lure | Probopass |
Sliggoo |
100 Goomy Candy & Rainy Lure Can also evolve when raining in the overworld | Goodra |
Charjabug |
100 Grubbin Candy & Magnetic Lure | Vikavolt |
Crabrawler |
50 Crabrawler Candy & Glacial Lure | Crabominable |
Gender-Specific Evolutions
Some Pokémon evolve in accordance with their gender, meaning they can evolve into different species or might not even be able to evolve depending on whether they are male or female.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Kirlia |
100 Ralts Candy & Sinnoh Stone Kirlia must be male | Gallade |
| They snore |
100 Snorunt Candy & Sinnoh Stone Snorunt must be female | Frost load |
Burmy |
50 Burmy Candy Burmy must be female | Wormadam |
| Burmy |
50 Burmy Candy Burmy must be male | Moth |
Combee |
50 Combee Candy Combee must be female | Vespiquen |
Salads |
50 Salandit Candy Salandit must be female | Salazzle |
Time & Weather-Specific Evolutions
There are 10 Pokémon that can only evolve at specific times of day, as well as one Pokémon whose form changes based on the time of evolution.
Keep in mind that many of these Pokémon also have other conditions to fulfill for their evolution.
Daytime
In Pokémon Go, daytime begins approximately two hours after sunrise.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & daytime Must walk 10 km with Eevee as your Buddy | Espeon |
Sneasel (Hisuian form) |
100 Sneasel Candy & daytime Must walk 7 km with Sneasel as your Buddy | Snowshoes |
Tyrant |
50 Tyrunt Candy & daytime | A tyrant |
Yungoos |
50 Yungoos Candy & daytime | Gumshoos |
Rockruff |
50 Rockruff Candy & daytime | Lycanroc (Midday Form) |
Fomantis |
50 Fomantis Candy & daytime | Lurant |
Cosmoem |
100 Cosmog Candy & daytime | Solgaleo |
Nighttime
In Pokémon Go, nighttime starts around 2 hours after sunset.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & nighttime Must walk 10 km with Eevee as your Buddy | Umbreon |
Ursaring |
100 Teddiursa Candy & nighttime Must be a full moon | Ursaluna |
Amaura |
50 Amaura Candy & daytime | Aurora |
| Rockruff |
50 Rockruff Candy & nighttime | Lycanroc (Midnight Form) |
| Cosmoem |
100 Cosmog Candy & nighttime | Lunala |
There is currently one Pokémon that only evolves under specific weather conditions.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Sliggoo |
100 Goomy Candy while raining Can also evolve with Rainy Lure active | Goodra |
Buddy Task Evolutions
Some Pokémon require you to have them as your Buddy and complete specific tasks before they can evolve. Many of these tasks involve simple walking, while others may require more complex actions.
Walking
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & walk 10 km with Eevee as your Buddy Must be daytime | Espeon |
| Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & walk 10 km with Eevee as your Buddy Must be nighttime | Umbreon |
| Sneasel (Hisuian Form) |
100 Sneasel Candy & walk 7 km with Hisuian Sneasel as your Buddy | Snowshoes |
Feebas |
100 Feebas Candy & walk 20 km with Feebas as your Buddy | Milotic |
Bonsly |
50 Sudowoodo Candy & walk 15 km with Bonsly as your Buddy | Sudowoodo |
Mime Jr. |
50 Mr. Mime Candy & walk 15 km with Mime Jr. as your Buddy | Mr. Mime |
Happiny |
25 Chansey Candy & walk 15 km with Happiny as your Buddy | Chansey |
Woobat |
50 Woobat Candy & walk 1 km with Woobat as your Buddy | Swoobat |
Pawmo |
100 Pawmi Candy & walk 25 km with Pawmo as your Buddy | Pawmot |
Other Buddy Tasks
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
First |
100 Mankey Candy & defeat 30 Ghost-type or Psychic-Type Pokémon with Primeape as your Buddy | Annihilape |
Slowpoke (Galarian Form) |
50 Slowpoke Candy & catch 30 Poison-type Pokémon with Galarian Slowpoke as your Buddy | Slowbro (Galarian Form) |
| Slowpoke (Galarian Form) |
50 Slowpoke Candy & catch 30 Psychic-type Pokémon with Galarian Slowpoke as your Buddy | Slowking (Galarian Form) |
| Eevee |
25 Eevee Candy & earn 70 Hearts with Eevee as your Buddy | Sylveon |
Qwilfish (Hisuian Form) |
50 Qwilfish Candy & win 10 Raids with Hisuian Qwilfish as your Buddy | Overqwil |
Yamask (Galarian Form) |
50 Yamask Candy & win 10 Raids with Galarian Yamask as your Buddy | Runerigus |
Floette |
100 Flabébé Candy & earn 20 Hearts with Floette as your Buddy | Florges |
Pancham |
50 Pancham Candy & catch 32 Dark-type Pokémon with Pancham as your Buddy | On the cart |
Spritzee |
50 Spritzee Candy & use an Incense with Spritzee as your Buddy | He smelled it |
Swirlix |
50 Swirlix Candy & feed Swirlix 25 treats as your Buddy | Slurpuff |
Farfetch’d (Galarian Form) |
50 Farfetch’d Candy & make 10 Excellent throws with Galarian Farfetch’d as your Buddy | Sirfetch’d |
Charcadet |
50 Charcadet Candy & fight 30 Psychic-type Pokémon | Armarouge |
| Charcadet |
50 Charcadet Candy & fight 30 Ghost-type Pokémon | Ceruledge |
Regional Variants
Regional variants have been a staple of the franchise since the Pokémon Sun and Moon titles, and were integrated into Pokémon Go early.
It’s crucial to remember that Pokémon can generally not evolve into regional variants unless they are also of the same form. This includes Pokémon with only one regional variant and those that can evolve.
For instance, Pikachu cannot evolve into Alolan Raichu, Kanto Farfetch’d can’t transform into Sirfetch’d, and an ordinary Zigzagoon from Hoenn will never evolve into a Galarian Linoone or Obstagoon.
This means that catching specific Pokémon like Alolan Exeggutor or Galarian Weezing can only be done by capturing them in their final form, although events may sometimes lift this restriction.
Special Cases
A few Pokémon entail unique evolutionary methods or divergent evolutionary lines requiring distinct conditions.
Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan & Hitmontop
Evolving Tyrogue is straightforward, requiring merely 25 Candy. However, this Scuffle Pokémon can evolve into three different species: Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop.
The specific evolution depends on its stats. The highest stat will dictate which Pokémon it becomes, so be sure to appraise your Tyrogue before evolving.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Tyrogue |
25 Tyrogue Candy & Attack as highest stat | Hitmonlee |
| Tyrogue |
25 Tyrogue Candy & Defense as highest stat | Hitmonchan |
| Tyrogue |
25 Tyrogue Candy & HP as highest stat | Hitmontop |
Wurmple, Silcoon, Cascoon, Beautifly & Dustox
Wurmple can evolve into either Silcoon (which then becomes Beautifly) or Cascoon (which evolves into Dustox).
Unlike other branching evolution lines, there is no way to predict or influence which evolution Wurmple will undergo. If you aim for a specific one, you’ll need to catch many Wurmple, as luck plays a significant role.
Inkay & Malamar
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Inkay |
50 Inkay Candy & turn phone upside down | The teacher |
Rockruff & Dusk Form Lycanroc
We previously discussed how to obtain Lycanroc’s other forms, but Dusk Form Lycanroc deserves a separate mention.
To achieve this Lycanroc form, you must have a Rockruff that can evolve into Dusk Form. You can identify this ability by checking the Pokémon’s page—it will show only one evolution option instead of two like other Rockruff.
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Rockruff |
50 Rockruff Candy & Dusk Form capable | Lycanroc (Dusk Form) |
Gimmighoul & Gholdengo
Gimmighoul possesses a unique form in Pokémon Go. Unlike its appearance in *Scarlet and Violet*, Roaming Form Gimmighoul is a small Pokémon that carries a coin.
To obtain Gimmighoul, you must have either Scarlet or Violet on the Nintendo Switch and link your game to your Pokémon Go account. This action unlocks the Coin Bag, which is essential for discovering Gimmighoul and gathering the Coins necessary to evolve it into Gholdengo.
| Pokémon | Requirement | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
Gimmighoul |
999 Gimmighoul Coins | Gholdengo |
Best Ways to Obtain Special Evolutions
Trainers seeking a particular special evolution should closely monitor Pokémon Go‘s event calendar, as some events significantly ease the requirements.
For example, the Psychic Spectacular event running until September 22 makes Psychic-type Pokémon notably more prevalent than usual. This is an excellent opportunity to obtain Galarian Slowking, as it necessitates catching 30 Psychic-types with Galarian Slowpoke as your Buddy.
The Psychic Cup will also aid you in defeating the 30 Psychic-types needed to evolve Charcadet into Armarouge.
Additionally, the Legendary Heroes event from September 26 through October 1 will enable players to evolve Koffing into Galarian Weezing.
That covers everything regarding special evolution methods in Pokémon Go!
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