Discover All the Hidden Evolution Methods in Pokémon GO!

In the world of Pokemon not every creature evolves by leveling up. Certain species require special conditions, trading is one of them, and then there are others that have even more unique evolution requirements. Naturally, this carries over into Pokemon GO, where Pokemon might require additional steps (besides eating lots of Candies) to be able to evolve.

Some of the species in Pokemon GO need to be assigned as a Buddy and walk a certain number of kilometers, but that isn’t always the case. Evolution methods can have bizarre requirements, and some take longer than others. Knowing and checking which Pokemon have special evolutions will help trainers complete their Pokedex faster. This guide holds all the secret tricks to evolve your Pokemon!

Updated on February 21, 2026 by Luke Simons: With the addition of the Mega Evolutions present in Pokemon Legends Z-A, Pokemon GO is steadily adding more and more species to the game. So far, there are 50 different Pokemon evolving using special conditions, and more are being added with every new Season. Find out all about the newest additions and their hidden evolution methods.

Every Pokemon that Evolves During Certain Weather or Time

Pokemon like Tyrunt and Amaura can only evolve at a certain time of day. It doesn’t matter if you have the right amount of Candy. If it’s not daytime or nighttime, respectively, then the “Evolve” button won’t work. Nighttime ranges from 20:00–7:59 Local Time in Pokemon GO.

Here are the current Pokemon that have weather or time requirements in Pokemon GO:

* Dusk Form Lycanroc made its debut on January 6, 2024. Rockruffs hatched from 2km-7km Eggs during this event would have the ability to evolve into Dusk Lycanroc. Since the event has ended, you can’t get Rockruff via the 2km-7km Eggs.

However, if you walk 50km in a week, you may receive a 10km Egg as an Adventure Sync reward on Monday. The Rockruff that hatches from this Egg can potentially evolve into Dusk Lycanroc. Unfortunately, the chances of getting Rockruff are randomized, and it also has to compete with other Pokemon in the 10km Egg pool.

Every Pokemon that Evolves with Buddy Tasks

For some Pokemon, there will be a tab beneath the Evolve button on the summary page. Tap the dropdown arrow to view the Evolution/Buddy Task and check its progress. Most Pokemon with this evolution method will need to be set as the Buddy Pokemon.

To do this, tap the trainer icon in the lower-left of the screen. Select Choose a Buddy or Swap Buddies. A Buddy Pokemon can be changed up to 20 times a day.

Unfortunately, Hisuian Pokemon such as Wyrdeer and Kleavor can only be caught in Timed Raids as of August 2024. Although they’re final-evolved forms, there are currently no ways to evolve Stantler and Scyther into Wyrdeer and Kleavor, respectively, in Pokemon GO.

The same applies to the Pokemon Legends: Arceus starters: Oshawott, Rowlet, and Cyndaquil. The only way to get Hisuian Samurott, Hisuian Decidueye, and Hisuian Typhlosion is through Raids. Thus, you’ll want to keep an eye out for GO‘s in-game events.

Every Pokemon with a Unique Evolution Method

Pokemon with Unique Evolutions are those that don’t need to be set as a Buddy, but they do have Evolution Tasks. For a Pokemon like Tyrogue, the silhouette of what it will evolve into will appear next to the Evolve button. Others may have question marks and offer little to no clues on how to evolve the Pokemon.

* You can view a Pokemon’s IVs by tapping the icon in the bottom-right of Tyrogue’s summary screen. Select Appraisal to see which one of its IVs is the highest.

In addition to this, there will be a silhouette (if you have not yet registered them) of either Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, or Hitmontop next to the Evolve button. If you want Hitmontop but their Tyrogue’s best IV is its Attack, then they should refrain from evolving it and save the Candies for the next Tyrogue.

Related

Pokemon GO: Best Pokemon For the Hisui Cup (July 2025)

Pokemon GO players looking to participate in the Hisui Cup can discover some of the best monsters for their teams in this guide.

Every Pokemon That Evolves Through Trade

Although they’re not part of the “Special Buddy Tasks” evolution bunch, there are several Pokemon in GO that can be evolved through trade. Trading can be done between yourself and a friend in-game.

To make a trade, you’ll need Stardust, but the amount of Stardust depends on a couple of factors:

• Your friend level with the person you’re trading with.
• The Pokemon. If it’s Legendary, Shiny, or Mythical, a trade will be considered a “Special Trade,” which you can only do once a day.
• Whether or not you’ve caught the Pokemon before. If you’re receiving a Pokemon that hasn’t been registered to your Pokedex, then you’ll need more Stardust.

Here’s the list of all Pokemon in GO that can evolve by trading:

Fortunately, you can still evolve these Pokemon if you don’t have anyone to trade with. The drawback is you’ll be required to spend Candy, whereas when you trade, the Evolve button on the Pokemon’s summary page will be clickable.

Gen 1 Pokemon such as Kadabra and Graveler only need 100 Candy to evolve into their final evolution. However, those from later generations such as Karrablast and Shelmet require 200 Candy. Thus, it’s better if you receive the Pokemon you’re trying to evolve in trade so you don’t spend 100-200 Candy.

Every Pokemon with a Random Evolution

Finally, there are Pokemon that have “random” evolutions. You’ll notice a “?” on the Evolve button on the Pokemon’s summary page. If you have the right amount of Candy, you can evolve it into one of the available evolutions. However, you can’t choose which one you’ll get, which can make things tricky when you’re trying to get a specific Pokemon.

As of now, GO has three Pokemon that have “random” evolutions: