Evolution
About 229 evolution lines are in the game, authored from Gen 1 to 5 canon and keyed by exact species name. An evolution can be triggered three ways: by level, by stone, or by a branch (a species that can become more than one thing). On evolve, the mon's species is overwritten by the new one.
Every evolution, all three ways, charges Dust: 100 to create a second form and 400 to create a third, at Common. The price rises with the rarity of the pokémon evolving, up to 1,500 and 5,500 at Divine. The full table is in Releasing pokémon and Dust.
By level (the default)
Most mons become ready to evolve on their own upon reaching the target level, with no item needed. You click Evolve and pay the Dust. Some well-known milestones:
| Line | Level |
|---|---|
| Caterpie → Metapod | 7 |
| Metapod → Butterfree | 10 |
| Magikarp → Gyarados | 20 |
| Beldum → Metang | 20 |
| Larvitar → Pupitar | 30 |
| Metang → Metagross | 45 |
| Bagon (line) → Salamence | 50 |
| Dragonair → Dragonite | 55 |
| Pupitar → Tyranitar | 55 |
By stone
When an evolution uses a stone, the stone replaces the level gate: with the stone in hand, the mon evolves at any level. The stone is consumed in the process, and Dust is charged on top of it. Level evolutions consume no item, only Dust.
Some of the stones and their users:
| Stone | Example users |
|---|---|
| Leaf Stone | Weepinbell → Victreebel, Roselia → Roserade, Eevee → Leafeon, Pansage → Simisage |
| Water Stone | Shellder → Cloyster, Staryu → Starmie, Panpour → Simipour |
| Thunder Stone | Pikachu → Raichu, Magneton → Magnezone, Eelektrik → Eelektross |
| Fire Stone | Vulpix → Ninetales, Growlithe → Arcanine, Pansear → Simisear |
| Sun Stone | Sunkern → Sunflora, Cottonee → Whimsicott, Petilil → Lilligant, Minccino → Cinccino |
| Metal Coat | Onix → Steelix, Scyther → Scizor |
| Reaper Cloth | Dusclops → Dusknoir, Lampent → Chandelure, Phantump → Trevenant, Pumpkaboo → Gourgeist |
| Moon Stone (the fairy stone) | Eevee → Sylveon, Clefairy → Clefable, Jigglypuff → Wigglytuff, Nidorina → Nidoqueen, Nidorino → Nidoking, Skitty → Delcatty, Munna → Musharna, Floette → Florges, Spritzee → Aromatisse, Swirlix → Slurpuff |
| Dragon Scale | Seadra → Kingdra |
| Up-Grade | Porygon → Porygon2, Porygon2 → Porygon-Z |
| Darkness Stone | Murkrow → Honchkrow, Sneasel → Weavile, Gligar → Gliscor, Misdreavus → Mismagius |
| Enigma Stone | Kirlia → Gallade |
| King's Rock (Heart Stone) | Slowpoke → Slowking, Poliwhirl → Politoed |
Branching evolutions
Some species can become more than one thing. Here there are two very different categories.
You choose
You supply the target (the stone or the desired form):
| Species | Level | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Eevee | 25 | Vaporeon (Water Stone), Jolteon (Thunder Stone), Flareon (Fire Stone), Espeon (psychic stone), Umbreon (dark stone), Leafeon (Leaf Stone), Glaceon (ice stone), Sylveon (Moon Stone) |
| Gloom | 32 | Vileplume (Leaf Stone), Bellossom (Sun Stone) |
| Poliwhirl | 35 | Poliwrath (Water Stone), Politoed (Heart Stone) |
| Slowpoke | 37 | Slowbro (level 37, no item), Slowking (Heart Stone) |
| Clamperl | 30 | Huntail (ice stone), Gorebyss (Prism Scale) |
| Kirlia | 30 | Gardevoir (level 30, no item), Gallade (psychic stone) |
The individual decides (you can't choose)
Here the final form is decided by the mon itself, not by your choice:
- Tyrogue at level 20, decided by Attack vs Defense (using trained stats, including IV/EV/nature):
- Attack > Defense → Hitmonlee
- Attack < Defense → Hitmonchan
- Attack = Defense → Hitmontop
- Wurmple at level 7, fixed at birth: every Wurmple is already destined to become Silcoon or Cascoon. It's fixed and never changes.
- Burmy at level 20, also fixed at birth: it becomes Wormadam or Mothim.
Baby forms
Seven Sinnoh species are the form that comes before a pokemon that already existed. They change nothing for anyone who already has the adult, but they become the base of that family, and the base is what decides the hatchling in breeding.
| Baby | Becomes | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Budew | Roselia | 15 |
| Bonsly | Sudowoodo | 15 |
| Mime Jr. | Mr. Mime | 15 |
| Happiny | Chansey | 15 |
| Chingling | Chimecho | 20 |
| Munchlax | Snorlax | 25 |
| Mantyke | Mantine | 25 |
Mega Evolution
26 species have a Mega form (Charizard has two: X and Y). Awakening is permanent, like a stone evolution, and takes three steps:
- Mega Stone Fragment: drops from Epic (1%) and Legendary (3%) chests. Common and Rare chests never give fragments.
- Forge at the Laboratory: fragments + gold + Dust become 1 Mega Stone.
- Awaken: on the pokémon's screen (Mega Evolution section), consuming 1 Mega Stone plus more Dust. Species with two forms pick which one on click.
Mega charges Dust twice, on purpose: the Mega Stone is tradeable, so whoever buys a stone from another trainer pays at awakening time.
What each Mega Stone costs
Every Mega Stone costs the same, whether it is your first or your twentieth:
| Fragments | Gold | Dust |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 300,000 | 10,000 |
The Laboratory shows the price before you forge. Holding a Mega Stone, or spending it on a pokémon, changes nothing: the price is always this one.
What awakening costs
Awakening is priced by the rarity of the pokémon doing it, like any evolution. It always costs well more than a third form: mega is the step above it.
| Rarity | Dust |
|---|---|
| Common | 3,500 |
| Uncommon | 5,000 |
| Rare | 6,500 |
| Epic | 10,000 |
| Prismatic | 14,000 |
| Mythic | 20,000 |
| Astral | 28,000 |
| Divine | 40,000 |
The pokémon's screen shows the number before you click.
A Mega form is a species of its own, with a dedicated sprite and stats. Mega forms also appear as raid bosses: awakening your own is the collection path.
See also
- The full per-species tree: Pokédex.
- Where stones come from: Chests and Items overview.
- How the base form feeds breeding: Breeding.
