Pokemon Go special evolutions & how to do them all
Like in the franchise’s other games,Pokemon Gohas some unusual evolution methods that players will need to understand if they want to complete the Pokedex.
Over the years,Pokemon evolution gimmickshave become more common and complex. While most Pokemon can evolve after simply reaching a certain level, newer games have introduced various creatures that only evolve under very specific conditions that the game doesn’t explain, such as Alcremie and Kingambit.
As the mobile game’s Pokedex grows, Pokemon Go has replicated this by adding extra evolutionary requirements that, for the most part, mirror those of the main series.
Since some of these can be confusing or hard to pull off, this guide will go over all of Pokemon Go’s special evolutionary methods, which Pokemon use them, and how to catch ’em all.
Every special evolution method & requirement in Pokemon Go
While the majority of Pokemon simply require a set amount of Candy to evolve, many have additional requirements.
If you’re trying to evolve an Eevee, check out our guide onhow to get all the Eeveelutions.
Trade evolutions
There are currently11 Pokemon that evolve through trading. Unlike other evolution methods in Go, though, this isn’t the only way to evolve these Pokemon.Trading simply removes the Candy requirement to evolve, though you’ll still need to use Stardust.
Here are the Pokemon that evolve via trading:
For more details on trade evolutions in Pokemon Go,check out our guide.
Item evolutions
Like in the games, some Pokemon require the use of an item to evolve. Note that these Pokemon also require Candy, and evolving them consumes the item.
Dragon Scale
To learn how to get Dragon Scales,check out our guide.
King’s Rock
To learn how to get King’s Rocks,check out our guide.
All trade evolutions in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
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What is the best Eevee evolution in Pokemon Go? – All Eeveelutions ranked
Metal Coat
To learn how to get Metal Coats,check out our guide.
Sinnoh Stone
To learn how to get Sinnoh Stones,check out our guide.
To learn how to get Sun Stones,check out our guide.
Unova Stone
To learn how to get Unova Stones,check out our guide.
To learn how to get Upgrades,check out our guide.
Lure module evolutions
There are currently6 Pokemon that require a Lure Module to evolve, plus one where a specific Lure Module can help make things easier. These Pokemon are that, in at least one game in the core series, can only evolve when in specific locations.
Gender-specific evolutions
Certain Pokemon have evolutions based on gender, either evolving into different species or not being capable of evolving at all depending on if they are male or female.
Time & weather-specific evolutions
There are10 Pokemon that can only evolve at certain times of day, plusone Pokemon whose form is impacted by what time it evolves.
Note that many of these Pokemon have other requirements to fulfill before you can evolve them.
In Pokemon Go,daytime starts about two hours after sunrise.
In Pokemon Go,nighttime starts around 2 hours after sunset.
There is currently one Pokemon that only evolves during specific weather conditions.
Buddy task evolutions
There are also Pokemon who need to beset as your Buddyand complete specific tasks before they can evolve. Many simply involve walking with the Pokemon, but others have more complicated requirements.
Other Buddy tasks
Regional variants
Regional variants have been part of the franchise since Sun and Moon and were incorporated into Pokemon Go early on.
It’s important to note thatPokemon typically cannot evolve into regional variants unless they are also the same form. That applies to Pokemon lines that only have one regional variant and regional variants that can evolve.
For example, Pikachu cannot evolve into Alolan Raichu, Kantoian Farfetch’d can’t become Sirfetch’d, and a regular old Zigzagoon from Hoenn will never evolve into a Galarian Linoone or Obstagoon.
That means the only way to get Pokemon like Alolan Exeggutor or Galarian Weezing is by catching them in their final form, though events occasionally lift that restriction.
Special cases
There are also a handful of Pokemon with completely distinct evolutionary methods or branching evolutionary lines that come with their own conditions.
Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan & Hitmontop
Evolving Tyrogue is simple, as you only need25 Candy. However, the Scuffle Pokemon can evolve into three different species: Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop.
Which one Tyrogue becomes depends on its stats. Whichever state is highest will determine what it becomes, so be sure to appraise your Tyrogue in the menu before you evolve it.
For more details on Tyrogue’s evolutions, be sure tocheck out our guide.
Wurmple, Silcoon, Cascoon, Beautifly & Dustox
Wurmple can evolve into either Silcoon (which becomes Beautifly) or Cascoon (which becomes Dustox).
Unlike other branching evolution lines,there’s no way to predict or influence which one Wurmple evolves into. If you’re looking for a specific one, you’ll have to simply hope for the best and catch plenty of Wurmple in case luck isn’t on your side.
Inkay & Malamar
Just like in the other games, Inkay has a unique evolution method thatrequires players to turn their phones upside down. Simply turn your phone while looking at your Inkay, and you’ll notice the pink “Evolve” box get darker; the text will also flip – provided you have enough Candy.
For more details on getting Inkay and Malamar,check out our guide.
Rockruff & Dusk Form Lycanroc
We already went over how to get Lycanroc’s other forms, but Dusk Form Lycanroc is unique enough to discuss separately.
To get this Lycanroc form,you need to have a Rockruff that’s capable of becoming Dusk Form. You’ll be able to tell the difference by looking at the Pokemon’s page, as it will only display one evolution option instead of the two available to other Rockruff.
For more details on Lycanroc’s forms,check out our guide.
Gimmighoul & Gholdengo
Gimmighoul has a form that’s unique to Pokemon Go. Rather than hiding in a chest like inScarlet and Violet, Roaming Form Gimmighoul is a tiny Pokemon that carries a coin.
To even get Gimmighoul, you’ll need to have Scarlet or Violet on Nintendo Switch and connect your game to your Pokemon Go account. This unlocks the Coin Bag, which is needed to find Ghimmighoul and the Coins necessary to evolve it into Gholdengo.
For more details on catching Gimmighoul and collecting Coins,check out our guide.
Best ways to get special evolutions
Trainers hoping to get a specific special evolution should keep a close onPokemon Go’s event calendar, as some make it much easier to fulfill the requirements.
For example, thePsychic Spectacularevent running until September 22 makes Psychic-type Pokemon far more common than they typically are. That means it’s the perfect time to getGalarian Slowking, as it requires you to catch 30 Psychic-types with Galarian Slowpoke as your Buddy.
There’s also thePsychic Cup, which willhelp you defeat the 30 Psychic-types you need to evolve Charcadet into Armarouge.
Additionally, theLegendary Heroesevent that runs from September 26 through October 1 willallow players to evolve Koffing into Galarian Weezing.
That’s everything to know about special evolution methods in Pokemon Go! For more on the mobile game, check out our guides onhow to get Best Buddy status,how IVs & CP work, andhow to beat Giovanni.
