1 Every special evolution method & requirement in Pokemon Go Trade evolutions Item evolutions Lure module evolutions Gender-specific evolutions Time & weather-specific evolutions Buddy task evolutions Regional variants Special cases 2 Best ways to get special evolutions Like in the franchise’s other games, Pokemon Go has some unusual evolution methods that players will need to understand if they want to complete the Pokedex. Over the years, Pokemon evolution gimmicks have 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 on how to get all the Eeveelutions . There are currently 11 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 . 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 .
Related: 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 . Sun Stone To learn how to get Sun Stones, check out our guide .
Unova Stone To learn how to get Unova Stones, check out our guide . Upgrade To learn how to get Upgrades, check out our guide . There are currently 6 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. 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. There are 10 Pokemon that can only evolve at certain times of day , plus one 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. Daytime In Pokemon Go, daytime starts about two hours after sunrise . Nighttime In Pokemon Go, nighttime starts around 2 hours after sunset .
There is currently one Pokemon that only evolves during specific weather conditions. There are also Pokemon who need to be set as your Buddy and complete specific tasks before they can evolve. Many simply involve walking with the Pokemon, but others have more complicated requirements.
Walking Other Buddy tasks 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 that Pokemon 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. 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 need 25 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 to check 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 that requires 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 in Scarlet 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 on Pokemon Go’s event calendar , as some make it much easier to fulfill the requirements.
For example, the Psychic Spectacular event running until September 22 makes Psychic-type Pokemon far more common than they typically are. That means it’s the perfect time to get Galarian Slowking, as it requires you to catch 30 Psychic-types with Galarian Slowpoke as your Buddy . There’s also the Psychic Cup , which will help you defeat the 30 Psychic-types you need to evolve Charcadet into Armarouge .
Additionally, the Legendary Heroes event that runs from September 26 through October 1 will allow 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 on how to get Best Buddy status , how IVs & CP work , and how to beat Giovanni ..
