Pokemon GO: When Should You Evolve Pokemon?

This article is part of a directory: Pokemon GO: Full Game Guide | Tips, Tricks, and Events

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How to Evolve in Pokemon GO

Why You Should Evolve Pokemon in Pokemon GO (& Why You Should Not)

Should You Evolve 0-Star Pokemon?

Evolution is a mechanic in Pokemon that occurs when a Pokemon has reached a certain requirement to undergo change. Most Pokemon evolve by leveling up, and then there are Pokemon that are incapable of evolving. In Pokemon GO, evolution functions differently from the mainline games.

To evolve a Pokemon in Pokemon GO, players will need Candy. Each Pokemon capable of evolving will have a set amount of Candy required to trigger the evolution. Some can be as low as 12 Candy while others can be as high as 400 Candy. Since catching Pokemon is the main point of GO, it won't take long to have a storage full of Pokemon that are ready to evolve. However, it may be wise for trainers to be selective when it comes to Pokemon Evolution.

How to Evolve in Pokemon GO

Each time a Pokemon is caught in GO, trainers will receive Candy. The number of Candy can potentially be doubled if the Pokemon is fed a Pinap Berry or a Silver Pinap Berry. There are also in-game timed events that will double or even triple the Candy Rate for a certain amount of time. Candy can then be used to Power Up a Pokemon, learn a new Charged Attack, or evolve.

Players can evolve their Pokemon by accessing the Pokemon's summary page and selecting "Evolve."

Open the main menu by tapping the Poke Ball icon.
Select Pokemon (Pikachu icon).
Tap one of the Pokemon to view their summary page. If a Pokemon can evolve, it will have the required Candy amount next to the "Evolve" option.

Candy is key in evolving Pokemon, but there are some species such as Haunter and Graveler that evolve via Trading. Of course, once a Pokemon has been traded to another player, it will be impossible to get that Pokemon back. Thus, this method of evolution should only be done if players are getting a Trade Evolve Pokemon in return (i.e, trade Haunters, so they can both evolve into Gengar).

Other evolution methods include Adventuring with a Buddy Pokemon or completing Buddy Tasks. Some species will only evolve under weather conditions. If a Pokemon has additional evolution requirements, players can see what they need to do by tapping the dropdown arrow under the "Evolve" button.

Why You Should Evolve Pokemon in Pokemon GO (& Why You Should Not)

Most Pokemon that are commonly found in the wild are going to be easier to evolve. For example, trainers are more likely to see a Bidoof in the wild than they would a Snorunt, whose appearance is influenced by the weather. This means that it'll be easier to farm Bidoof Candy than it would Snorunt Candy.

While the decision is up to each person, it's generally recommended that Pokemon should only be evolved if GO trainers are trying to fill out the Pokedex, if they want a specific evolution, or if they have Candy to spare.

Pros of Evolving Pokemon	Pokemon generally receive a boost in their Combat Power (CP)once they've evolved. CP essentially functions like the Pokemon's "level" in GO. The higher the CP, the more likely they'll survive in battle. Some Pokemon can only be obtained through evolution or under very specific circumstances, such as Trading. Therefore, it's easier to evolve Trade Evolution Pokemon by feeding them Candy than it is to trade with someone else. Evolving a Pokemon for the first time will register its entry to the Pokedex. Filling out pages in the dex is how players can get more achievements/medals.
Cons of Evolving Pokemon	When a Pokemon evolves, its Fast Attack and Charged Attack may be changed. While this isn't always a bad thing, there are times when players may lose out on a swift-charging Charged Attack in favor for something stronger, but slower. Remember: Candy (and Stardust) is also used for Powering Up and learning a new Charged Attack. Sometimes it's better to learn a Charged Attack before evolving the Pokemon. Evolving too many of the same species can burn through Candy very quickly. It's recommended to only evolve a Pokemon that has high CP, or a 3/4-star Appraisal.

Pros of Evolving Pokemon

Pokemon generally receive a boost in their Combat Power (CP)once they've evolved. CP essentially functions like the Pokemon's "level" in GO. The higher the CP, the more likely they'll survive in battle.
Some Pokemon can only be obtained through evolution or under very specific circumstances, such as Trading. Therefore, it's easier to evolve Trade Evolution Pokemon by feeding them Candy than it is to trade with someone else.
Evolving a Pokemon for the first time will register its entry to the Pokedex. Filling out pages in the dex is how players can get more achievements/medals.

Cons of Evolving Pokemon

When a Pokemon evolves, its Fast Attack and Charged Attack may be changed. While this isn't always a bad thing, there are times when players may lose out on a swift-charging Charged Attack in favor for something stronger, but slower.
Remember: Candy (and Stardust) is also used for Powering Up and learning a new Charged Attack. Sometimes it's better to learn a Charged Attack before evolving the Pokemon.
Evolving too many of the same species can burn through Candy very quickly. It's recommended to only evolve a Pokemon that has high CP, or a 3/4-star Appraisal.

Should You Evolve 0-Star Pokemon?

pokemon go evolve pokemon 3 stars 0 stars

Players can sort out which Pokemon are ready to evolve by tapping the Search Bar on the Pokemon Storage screen, and then selecting Can Evolve under Recommended. They can add more filters by tapping the Search Bar once more, then choosing one of the options under Recommended or See More. If searching for a specific species, just start typing the Pokemon's name in the search bar on the line above the Filter.

Appraisals are a sum of a Pokemon's Individual Values (IVs). There's HP, Attack, and Defense. Pokemon can have their Appraisal checked by tapping the icon in the bottom-right of the Pokemon's summary page and selecting Appraisal.

Generally, most of the Pokemon that players catch in the wild are 0-stars. Pokemon that hatch from Eggs or obtained from completing Special or Timed Research usually have 2/3-star Appraisals. It's recommended to evolve the Pokemon with the higher CP or the better Appraisal.

So, if a 0-star Pokemon has 1000+ CP, it may be worth evolving instead. This is due in part to the Candy and Stardust cost to Power Up a Pokemon (i.e, raise its CP). However, if both Pokemon have low CP and one is a 3-star, it's better to choose the 3-star.

Pokemon GO is available for mobile devices.

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