Pokemon GO: Exploring all special evolutions in-game

Pokemon GO special evolutions are an excellent way to evolve your favorite creatures into more powerful variants. Besides becoming more powerful, these creatures grow in size and broaden their move pool, with some also gaining new elemental typings. Thus, evolutions are almost always the way to go if you want new and improved creatures in your collection.

While some evolutions are simple and only require Candies specific to the species you are trying to evolve, others have more complex routines. In this article, we will walk you through all the special types of evolutions that you will encounter in Pokemon GO.

Gender-based evolutions in Pokemon GO

The gender of particular creatures determines the evolutionary line:

Male and female Snorunts evolve into Glalie. Female Snorunt can evolve into Frosslass with a Sinnoh Stone.
Male and female Kirlia evolves into Gardevoir. Male Kirlia can evolve into Gallade with a Sinnoh Stone.
Male Burmy evolves into a Mothim. Female Burmy evolves into a Wormadam.
Female Combee evolves into Vespiqueen.
Female Salandit evolves into Salazzle.

Evolutions based on regional forms in Pokemon GO

Depending on where the creature originates from, different forms have different evolutions:

Galarian Farfetch’d evolves into Sirfetch’d
Alolan and Kanto forms of Meowth evolve into their respective forms of Persian. Galarian Meowth evolves into Perrserker.
Unovan Yamask evolves into Cofagrigus, while Galarian Yamask evolves into Runerigus.
Hisuian Qwilfish evolves into Overqwil.
Johto Sneasel evolves into Weavile, while the Hisuian variant evolves into Sneasler.

Evolutions with Special Items in Pokemon GO

Certain creatures require Evolution Items along with Candies to undergo evolutions in the game:

Dragon Scale: Seadra to Kingdra.
King’s Rock: Slowpoke to Slowking and Poliwhirl to Politoed.
UpGrade: Porygon to Porygon 2.
Sun Stone: Gloom to Bellossom, Petilil to Lilligant, Cottonee to Whimsicott, and Sunkern to Sunflora.
Metal Coat: Scyther to Scizor and Onix to Steelix.
Unova Stona: Eelektrik to Eelektross, Pansage to Simisage, Panpour to Simipour, Pansear to Simisear, Minccino to Cinccino, and Lampent to Chandelure.
Sinnoh Stone: Aipom to Ambipom, Dusclops to Dusknoir, Magmar to Magmortar, Electabuzz to Electivire, Gligar to Gliscor, Misdreavus to Mismagius, Kirlia (Male) to Gallade, Lickitung to Likilicky, Roselia to Roserade, Yanma to Yanmega, Tangela to Tangrowth, Snorunt (Female) to Frosslass, Rhydon to Rhyperior, Piloswine to Mamoswine, Togetic to Togekiss, Porygon 2 to Porygon-Z, Murkrow to Honchkrow, and Sneasel to Weavile.

Evolutions with Lure Modules in Pokemon GO

You can evolve the following creatures with Lure Modules:

Rainy Lure: Sliggoo to Goodra.
Glacial Lure: Eevee to Glaceon and Crabrawler to Crabominable.
Magnetic Lure: Magneton to Magnezone, Charjabug to Vikavolt, and Nosepass to Probopass.
Mossy Lure: Eevee to Leafeon.

Weather and time-dependent evolutions in Pokemon GO

Ursaluna (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Certain evolutions can only be carried out during specific daylight and weather conditions:

You can evolve the following creatures during the day: Tyrunt to Tyrantrum, Yungoos to Gumshoos, Rockruff to Lycanroc Midday Forme, Eevee to Espeon, Hisuian Sneasel to Sneasler, Fomantis to Lurantis, and Cosmoem to Solgaleo.
You can evolve the following creatures at night: Amaura to Aurorus, Cosmoem to Lunala, Ursaluna to Ursaring, Rockruff to Lycanroc Midnight Forme, and Eevee to Umbreon.
You can evolve Sliggoo into Goodra during rainy weather.

Buddy task evolutions in Pokemon GO

Sirfetch'd (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Particular creatures require you to do specific tasks while they are set as your Buddy in the game. These tasks are as follows:

Walk 1 km with Woobat as your Buddy to evolve it into Swoobat.
Walk 7 km with Hisuian Sneasel as your Buddy to evolve it into Sneasler. You must evolve it during the day.
Walk 10 km with Eevee as your Buddy to evolve it into Espeon during the day.
Walk 10 km with Eevee as your Buddy to evolve it into Umbreon during the night.
Walk 15 km with Mime Jr. as your Buddy to evolve it into Mr. Mime.
Walk 15 km with Bonsly as your Buddy to evolve it into Sudowoodo.
Walk 15 km with Happiny as your Buddy to evolve it into Chansey.
Catch 30 Psychic-type Pokemon to evolve Galarian Slowpoke into Galarian Slowking.
Catch 30 Poison-type Pokemon to evolve Galarian Slowpoke into Galarian Slowbro.
Catch 32 Dark-type Pokemon to evolve Pancham into Pangoro.
Win ten raids to evolve Hisuian Qwilfish into Overqwil and Galarian Yamask into Runerigus.
Use 1 Incense (Normal or Daily Adventure) to evolve Spritzee into Aromatisse.
Feed 25 berries to Swirlix to evolve it into Slurpuff.
Earn 70 hearts with Eevee to evolve it into Sylveon.
Earn 20 hearts with Floette to evolve it into Florges
Make 10 Excellent Throws to evolve Galarian Farfetch’d into Sirfetch’d.

Trade evolutions in Pokemon GO

Usually, you will need Candies of a particular creature if you want to evolve it in the game. However, if traded, there are particular creatures that can grow without using any Candies from your stash. This is the only way to bypass the Candy requirement for evolutions. You can enjoy this perk for the following evolutions:

Haunter to Gengar
Machoke to Machamp
Shelmet to Accelgor
Pumpkaboo to Gourgeist
Boldore to Gigalith
Karrablast to Escavalier
Phantump to Trevenant
Alolan Graveler to Alolan Golem
Gurdurr to Conkeldurr
Kadabra to Alakazam

Unique Pokemon evolutions in Pokemon GO

Inkay evolution

This is the only evolution in the game that requires you to hold your device upside down. Once you flip your device, the Evolve button will activate, and only then will you be able to evolve this creature.

Wurmple and Tyrogue evolutions

Hitmontop (Image via The Pokemon Company)

There are some cases where you have no hand in determining the evolutionary tree of the creature:

Wurmple evolutions: This creature can evolve into Cascoon, Dustox, Silcoon, and Beautifly. The odds of either evolution are equal but random.
Tyrogue evolutions: Tyrogue can evolve into Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop. These evolutions depend on Tyrogue’s statistics. Every creature has attack, defense, and stamina stats. In this case, the highest stat will decide what Tyrogue evolves into. A higher attack stat will result in a Hitmonlee, a higher defense stat will result in a Hitmonchan, and a higher stamina stat will result in a Hitmontop.

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

Ditto disguises || Armarouge vs Ceruledge in Pokemon GO: Who should you evolve Charcadet into? || Is the Wonder Ticket worth it in Pokemon GO World of Wonders? || GO Battle League World of Wonders || Buddy evolution Adventure Together guide || Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO || Sierra counters || Cliff counters || Arlo counters || Giovanni counters