You’ve been there. You finally caught that perfect IV Swirlix or a shiny Galarian Farfetch'd, and you click the evolve button, only to see a locked symbol or a vague prompt about "exploring." It's frustrating. Pokemon GO isn't just about hoarding candy anymore; Niantic has turned the simple act of evolution into a scavenger hunt that often leaves players scratching their heads.
Special evolutions Pokemon GO requirements are the game's way of making you actually engage with the world, but honestly, some of them are just plain weird. Back in the Red and Blue days, you just needed a stone or a trade. Now? You might need to walk 20 kilometers, catch a specific number of Psychic-types, or—my personal favorite—literally flip your phone upside down. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially when the game doesn't always spell out the "why" behind the "how."
Why Niantic Loves Making You Jump Through Hoops
Basically, it's all about retention. If you could evolve everything with just candy, you'd finish your Pokedex in a week and stop opening the app. By tying evolution to the Buddy System or specific tasks, Niantic ensures you're interacting with different features.
Take Umbreon and Espeon. They were the pioneers of this. You can't just hit evolve and hope for the best (unless you use the one-time name trick, which most veterans used years ago). You have to walk 10km with them as your buddy. But here is the kicker that still trips people up: you have to earn those two candies and evolve them while they are still your buddy. If you swap them out before hitting the button, you get a Jolteon. Or a Flareon. And nobody wants a surprise Flareon in 2026.
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The Buddy Adventure Bottleneck
A huge chunk of special evolutions Pokemon GO fans deal with revolve around the Buddy System. It’s become the primary gatekeeper for the more powerful or "rare" additions to the game.
For instance, look at Sylveon. While Eevee’s other forms are about walking or stones, Sylveon requires 70 Buddy Hearts. It’s a grind. You're petting, feeding berries, and taking snapshots for days. Then you have the "Adventure Together" requirements for Galar region Pokemon. Sirfetch’d is a classic example. You need to make 10 Excellent Throws while Galarian Farfetch'd is your buddy. If you’re not great at hitting that inner circle, that bird is staying a bird forever.
Then there’s Pawmo into Pawmot. You have to walk 25km. No shortcuts. Just pure distance. It’s a literal barrier to entry for casual players who might only open the app once a week at the grocery store.
The Weird Ones: Glaceon, Magnezone, and the Lure Problem
Not every evolution is about walking. Some are about geography—or at least, simulated geography. Remember the first time you tried to get a Probopass? You can't do it in the wild. You need a Magnetic Lure Module.
This creates a bit of a social tax. Either you spend 180 PokeCoins on a lure yourself, or you hang out at a local park hoping some other kind soul has dropped one. It’s the same deal for Glaceon (Glacial Lure), Leafeon (Mossy Lure), and Goodra (Rainy Lure or just actual rain).
Actually, Goodra is an interesting case. The weather-dependency is a throwback to the main series games, but in Pokemon GO, it can be a nightmare. If you live in a desert biome like Arizona or parts of Australia, waiting for "natural" rain to evolve your Sliggoo feels like a cruel joke. You’re essentially forced to use a Rainy Lure, which feels a bit like a "pay-to-win" mechanic for a Pokedex entry.
Walking isn't always enough
Sometimes the game wants you to do something hyper-specific. Primeape into Annihilape is a grind that catches people off guard. You have to defeat 30 Ghost or Psychic-type Pokemon in battle while Primeape is your buddy.
Does it have to be in the GBL (Go Battle League)? No. You can cheese this by battling a friend over and over or finding a Team GO Rocket grunt who uses those types. But the game doesn't tell you that. It just says "Defeat 30." Most players assume they have to wait for a specific event or climb the ranks in competitive play, which is way more work than necessary.
The Most Infamous Evolution: Inkay
We have to talk about Inkay. It’s the ultimate "did you check Reddit?" evolution. To evolve Inkay into Malamar, you need 50 candies and you have to hold your phone upside down.
Seriously.
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If your phone’s gyroscope is broken, you’re stuck. It’s a creative nod to the Nintendo 3DS mechanics from Pokemon X and Y, but in a mobile setting, it’s one of those special evolutions Pokemon GO players frequently think is a bug. They see the evolve button is grayed out even though they have the candy, and they assume the game is broken. Nope. Just turn the world upside down.
Regional and Form-Based Nuances
Don't even get me started on the regional variants. To get an Alolan Exeggutor or Marowak, you usually can't just evolve a standard Exeggcute or Cubone. Usually, these are locked behind raids or specific "Evolution Events."
However, Niantic occasionally flips the script. During certain seasons, you might be able to evolve a regular Koffing into a Galarian Weezing. If you miss that window? You're back to trading or raiding. It makes the timing of your evolutions just as important as the resources you've gathered.
How to Optimize Your Special Evolutions
Stop wasting your time. If you want to handle special evolutions Pokemon GO throws at you efficiently, you need a strategy. Don't just set a buddy and hope for the best.
- Stack your tasks. If you’re walking a Pawmo for that 25km, make sure you're also using that time to earn hearts for a different "Best Buddy" medal.
- Use the search bar. Type "evolve" in your Pokemon storage. It shows you everything ready to go. But more importantly, type "item" to see who needs a stone, or "explore" to see who needs buddy tasks.
- Check the "Evolve" button shadow. If the silhouette is a question mark, it's a random evolution (like Wurmple or Eevee). If it’s a specific silhouette, you’ve met the requirements. If it’s grayed out, tap the little arrow next to it—the game actually tells you what’s missing now.
The 2026 Reality of Evolution
The game has shifted. It’s no longer about "Gotta Catch 'Em All" as much as it is "Gotta Complete the Chore List 'Em All." But there’s a certain satisfaction in finally getting that Ursaluna during a full moon (yes, that’s another one—you literally have to wait for a real-life full moon in the sky).
It adds a layer of "realism" that, while annoying, makes the eventual evolution feel earned. It’s not just a button press; it’s a memory of that time you walked 20 miles or stood in the rain at a park just to get a slimy dragon.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
- Audit your "Adventure Together" mons. Go through your storage and tag everything that has an evolution requirement. Sort them by "Easiest" (Excellent Throws) to "Hardest" (Walking 25km).
- Save your Lures for Community Days. Don't waste a Magnetic Lure on a random Tuesday. Wait until an event where the lure duration is boosted to three hours. This gives you (and everyone else) a massive window to evolve all those Nosepass and Magneton backups.
- Use the "Tag" system. Create a specific tag called "Buddy Evolve." When you have a slot open for a new buddy, pick from this list. It keeps you from forgetting about that Galarian Slowpoke you need to catch 30 Poison-types for.
- Verify the Moon Phase. If you're sitting on a Teddiursa, check a lunar calendar. The game follows the real-world cycle. If you miss the full moon window, you’re waiting another 29 days. No exceptions.