You’ve finally caught that perfect IV Galarian Farfetch'd. You’re staring at the "Evolve" button, but it’s grayed out, mockingly out of reach. There’s a padlock. There’s a weird requirement about Excellent Throws. This is the reality of Pokémon Go special evolves, a mechanic that Niantic introduced to move the game away from the mindless "collect 50 candy and click a button" loop. It’s frustrating. It’s rewarding. It’s honestly a bit of a grind if you don't know the shortcuts.
Back in 2016, life was simple. You caught Pidgeys, you got candy, you evolved. Done. But as the game integrated regions like Kalos, Galar, and Paldea, the developers realized that some Pokémon needed a bit more "personality" to match their lore from the main series games. Now, we're dealing with walking requirements, Buddy tasks, and specific environmental triggers that can make or break your Pokédex completion.
The Buddy System Hurdle
Most Pokémon Go special evolves are tied directly to the Buddy system. It’s not enough to just own the Pokémon; you have to bond with it, or at least force it to hang out on your shoulder while you go for a jog.
Take Pancham, for example. You can’t just throw 50 candies at it. You have to catch 32 Dark-type Pokémon while Pancham is set as your Buddy. If you swap it out midway through? The progress stays, but you can’t trigger the evolution until it’s back in the active slot. It’s a flavor win—Pancham is a Fighting-type that learns from "tough" influences—but it’s a massive pain if you’re playing during an event that only spawns Fairy or Psychic types.
Then you have the distance runners. Eevee is the classic culprit here. Want an Espeon or Umbreon? You’re walking 10km. No shortcuts (unless you haven't used the one-time name trick yet). You have to earn two candies through walking, and then—this is the part that trips people up—you have to evolve it during the correct time of day while it is still your Buddy. If it’s night and you evolve it for an Espeon, you’re getting an Umbreon. Every time. No refunds.
Those "Weird" Requirements You Probably Forgot
Some requirements are just downright cryptic. Galarian Yamask is a standout in the Pokémon Go special evolves category because it demands you win 10 raids. Not participate. Win. For a solo player or someone in a rural area, that’s a multi-week investment or a heavy drain on Premium Battle Passes.
Galarian Farfetch’d is even more skill-dependent. You need to make 10 Excellent Throws. For veteran players, this is a Tuesday afternoon. For others, it’s a week of sweat and missed opportunities. The trick? Go for legendary raids or large-hitbox Pokémon like Wailmer or Furfrou. Don't waste your time trying to hit an Excellent on a Zubat. It’s just not worth the blood pressure spike.
Let’s talk about Primeape. To get Annihilape—one of the best additions to the Master League meta—you have to defeat 30 Ghost or Psychic-type Pokémon in battle while Primeape is your Buddy. You don’t even have to use Primeape in the fight. You can just have it sitting in the back of your party while you smash through a Team GO Rocket grunt or a friend in a friendly PvP match. Pro tip: find a friend with a team of low-CP Psychic types and just farm them. It’s cheesy, but it works.
Environmental Triggers and Lure Modules
Not everything is about walking. Sometimes, the world around you has to change. Magnetic, Mossy, Glacial, and Rainy Lure Modules act as stationary evolution stones.
If you want a Magnezone or a Probopass, you need to be within the radius of an active Magnetic Lure. You’ll see the special icon appear on the Pokémon’s detail page. Magneton is a powerhouse in certain cups, so it’s worth the 180 PokéCoins if you can't find a public lure at a local park. Goodra is even more specific. It needs rain. Real rain in the app, or a Rainy Lure. It’s a bit of a gamble because the in-game weather system is notoriously fickle compared to what’s actually happening outside your window.
The "Size Matters" and Adventure Effects
We are seeing more complex interactions now. Pawmo needs you to walk 25km using the "Let’s Go" feature in the main series, which translated to Pokémon Go as simply walking 25km with it as your Buddy.
But then there’s Finizen. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it evolves during multiplayer play. In Go, they’ve translated this to catching Pokémon while in a Party Play group. It’s a clever way to force social interaction, though it’s a bit of a barrier for the introverted grinders among us.
White Striped Basculin is another oddity. It evolves into Basculegion, but only after you’ve explored. This reflects the Hisuian lore from Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The game is increasingly leaning into these "Adventure Effects"—temporary buffs or triggers that change how the world behaves.
Avoiding the Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake people make with Pokémon Go special evolves is the "Swap and Forget." You walk the 10km with Eevee, you swap it out for a Larvitar because you’re hungry for Tyranitar candy, and then you hit evolve on the Eevee later that night. Boom. You just got a Vaporeon.
The Buddy must be active at the moment of evolution for almost all "walk-based" or "task-based" evolutions. If the button doesn't show the silhouette of the Pokémon you want, do not press it. It’s a random roll otherwise.
Another point of failure is the "Day/Night" cycle. The game determines day and night based on your local sunrise and sunset, but the map aesthetic doesn't always update instantly. Check the sky in-game. If it’s black, it’s night. If it’s orange or blue, it’s day. This is vital for Rockruff. Rockruff is a nightmare because it has three different forms. Dusk Form Lycanroc is only obtainable from a specific "Own Tempo" Rockruff, and even then, you have to hit a very narrow window of "Dusk" in the game world.
Why This Grind Actually Matters for Your Account
Special evolutions often result in some of the most meta-relevant Pokémon in the game. Ursaluna (requires a Full Moon in-game) is a master of the Master League. Annihilape dominates Great and Ultra Leagues.
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By locking these behind tasks, Niantic ensures that these powerful assets aren't just handed out to everyone who happened to play for five minutes during a Community Day. It creates a hierarchy of effort. When you see an Annihilape in a gym, you know that player put in the work—or at least knew the Psychic-type farming trick.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
Don't let these requirements sit in your quest log forever. You should be stacking your Buddy tasks to maximize efficiency. If you’re going for a long walk, don't just walk one Buddy. Switch them out as soon as they hit their distance goal.
- Audit your storage. Filter by "evolve" and see which ones have the "!" mark next to the button. That indicates a special requirement.
- Prioritize the "Capture" tasks. If you have a Pancham or a Swirlix (needs 25 treats), get those done during high-spawn events like Spotlight Hours.
- Use the Name Trick once. If you haven't used "Kira" for Sylveon or "Tamao" for Umbreon yet, save them for a Level 41 requirement. When you hit Level 41, you are required to evolve Eevee into every one of its forms. If you’ve already used the name tricks, you’re doing it all the hard way.
- Check the Moon Phase. Ursaluna can only be evolved during a Full Moon. These happen once a month. Mark your real-world calendar. If you miss it, you’re waiting 28 days for another shot.
- Party Up. If you’re struggling with Finizen or similar social-based evolves, join a local Discord or Campfire group. Most players are happy to host a party for 10 minutes just to help someone clear a Pokédex entry.
Keep your Buddy fed, watch the clock, and never hit that evolve button unless the silhouette looks exactly like what you're expecting.