Most Pokémon evolve at a level, with a stone, or by trading. A few ask for something stranger: a spin, an upside-down console, 999 coins or a certain Pokémon in your team. This page groups every odd method in the pokee.si Pokédex, so you can find Milcery, Inkay, Kubfu, Gimmighoul, Applin, Pancham, Tyrogue and the rest in one place.
One rule helps with many of them. Pokémon Database notes that once a condition such as a move count or a damage total is met, the Pokémon still needs to level up once more before it changes. Items and the Milcery spin work on the spot. For the plain methods (levels, stones, trades, friendship) see how Pokémon evolution works.
Spin it, flip it or walk it
| Pokémon | Becomes | How |
|---|---|---|
| Inkay | Malamar | Level 30, holding the console upside down |
| Milcery | Alcremie | Spin around while holding a Sweet |
| Pawmo | Pawmot | Walk 1,000 steps in Let's Go mode, then level up |
| Bramblin | Brambleghast | Walk 1,000 steps in Let's Go mode, then level up |
| Rellor | Rabsca | Walk 1,000 steps in Let's Go mode, then level up |
Milcery holds a Sweet while your character spins. According to Serebii there are seven Sweets, two spin directions, a quick or a long spin and three times of day, and the mix decides which of nine Alcremie flavours you get. Hold the console upside down for Inkay, and for the three walkers, the steps have to be walked in Let's Go mode, with the Pokémon out of its Poké Ball.
Finish a job first
These ones count something. Each of them asks you to do a thing a set number of times, and the game keeps score.
| Pokémon | Becomes | How |
|---|---|---|
| Primeape | Annihilape | Use Rage Fist 20 times |
| Farfetch'd (Galarian) | Sirfetch'd | Land 3 critical hits in one battle |
| Qwilfish (Hisuian) | Overqwil | Use Barb Barrage 20 times in Strong Style |
| Stantler | Wyrdeer | Use Psyshield Bash 20 times |
| Basculin | Basculegion | Take 294 recoil damage in battle (a male becomes the male form, a female the female form) |
| Yamask (Galarian) | Runerigus | Take 49 damage, then walk under the rock arch, at Dusty Bowl |
| Bisharp | Kingambit | While holding a Leader's Crest, defeat 3 Bisharp that lead Pawniard groups (they hold one too), then level up |
| Meltan | Melmetal | Feed 400 Meltan Candy in Pokémon GO |
| Gimmighoul | Gholdengo | Collect 999 Gimmighoul coins |
In kid words: Galarian Yamask has to be hurt badly (49 damage in one battle) and survive, then walk under the rock arch in the Dusty Bowl. Gimmighoul in its Chest Form needs 999 coins collected from its Roaming Form. The "20 times" moves, Rage Fist, Psyshield Bash and Barb Barrage, simply have to be used in battle that often. For Kingambit, the three Bisharp you beat must be the leaders of Pawniard groups, and your own Bisharp needs to hold a Leader's Crest as well. Remember too that only Galarian Farfetch'd can become Sirfetch'd.
Not a stone, but an item
| Item | Pokémon | Becomes |
|---|---|---|
| Galarica Cuff | Slowpoke (Galarian) | Slowbro (Galarian) |
| Galarica Wreath | Slowpoke (Galarian) | Slowking (Galarian) |
| Black Augurite | Scyther | Kleavor |
| Peat Block | Ursaring | Ursaluna |
| Tart Apple | Applin | Flapple |
| Sweet Apple | Applin | Appletun |
| Syrupy Apple | Applin | Dipplin |
| Cracked Pot or Chipped Pot | Sinistea | Polteageist |
| Metal Alloy | Duraludon | Archaludon |
| Scroll of Darkness or Scroll of Waters | Kubfu | Urshifu |
| Auspicious Armor | Charcadet | Armarouge |
| Malicious Armor | Charcadet | Ceruledge |
| Unremarkable Teacup or Masterpiece Teacup | Poltchageist | Sinistcha |
Applin has three apples, so one Pokémon can become three different ones. Dipplin then needs to know Dragon Cheer to become Hydrapple. Kubfu uses a scroll, or trains in a tower in Sword and Shield: Single Strike Style Urshifu for the Tower of Darkness, Rapid Strike Style for the Tower of Waters.
Teach it a move
The list below has 13 evolutions that wait for a move. The Pokémon has to know it when it levels up.
| Move to know | Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Rollout | Lickitung → Lickilicky |
| Ancient Power | Tangela → Tangrowth; Yanma → Yanmega; Piloswine → Mamoswine |
| Double Hit | Aipom → Ambipom |
| Twin Beam | Girafarig → Farigiraf |
| Hyper Drill | Dunsparce → Dudunsparce |
| Mimic | Bonsly → Sudowoodo; Mime Jr. → Mr. Mime |
| Stomp | Steenee → Tsareena |
| Dragon Pulse | Poipole → Naganadel |
| Dragon Cheer | Dipplin → Hydrapple |
| Taunt | Clobbopus → Grapploct |
Who is in your team, and what are its stats
| Pokémon | Becomes | How |
|---|---|---|
| Tyrogue | Hitmonlee | Level 20, Attack higher than Defense |
| Tyrogue | Hitmonchan | Level 20, Defense higher than Attack |
| Tyrogue | Hitmontop | Level 20, Attack equals Defense |
| Nincada | Shedinja | Spare Poké Ball in the bag |
| Mantyke | Mantine | Level up, with Remoraid in the party |
| Pancham | Pangoro | Level 32, with a Dark-type Pokémon in the party |
The three Tyrogue results come from its own stats at level 20. A higher Attack makes Hitmonlee, a higher Defense makes Hitmonchan, and equal numbers make Hitmontop. Pancham wants a Dark-type friend at level 32. For Nincada, you need a spare Poké Ball in the bag and an empty spot in the team, and a bonus Shedinja appears.
Time, weather and place
| Pokémon | Becomes | How |
|---|---|---|
| Rattata (Alolan) | Raticate | Level 20, at night |
| Cubone | Marowak (Alolan) | Level 28, at night, in Alola |
| Gligar | Gliscor | Level up, at night, holding Razor Fang |
| Sneasel | Weavile | Level up, at night, holding Razor Claw |
| Sneasel (Hisuian) | Sneasler | Level up, during the day, holding Razor Claw |
| Linoone (Galarian) | Obstagoon | Level 35, at night |
| Happiny | Chansey | Level up, during the day, holding Oval Stone |
| Tyrunt | Tyrantrum | Level 39, during the day |
| Amaura | Aurorus | Level 39, at night |
| Sliggoo | Goodra | Level 50, while it rains |
| Yungoos | Gumshoos | Level 20, during the day |
| Rockruff | Lycanroc | Level 25, by day, at night or at dusk, each giving a different Lycanroc form |
| Fomantis | Lurantis | Level 34, during the day |
| Greavard | Houndstone | Level 30, at night |
Sliggoo becomes Goodra at level 50, but only while it is raining. Place matters for regional forms too. In our data, 12 evolutions only happen in a particular region (3 in Alola, 2 in Galar and 7 in Hisui), such as Cubone becoming Alolan Marowak in Alola.
Boy, girl or luck
The sex of the Pokémon decides these:
| Pokémon | Becomes | How |
|---|---|---|
| Kirlia | Gallade | Dawn Stone, male |
| Snorunt | Froslass | Dawn Stone, female |
| Burmy | Wormadam | Level 20, female |
| Burmy | Mothim | Level 20, male |
| Combee | Vespiquen | Level 21, female |
| Basculin | Basculegion | Take 294 recoil damage in battle (a male becomes the male form, a female the female form) |
| Espurr | Meowstic | Level 25, with a male form and a female form |
| Salandit | Salazzle | Level 33, female |
| Lechonk | Oinkologne | Level 18, with a male form and a female form |
Luck decides these:
| Pokémon | Becomes | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Dunsparce | Dudunsparce | Level up knowing Hyper Drill: 99% the usual form, 1% the rare three-segment form |
| Tandemaus | Maushold | Level 25 during a battle: 99% Family of Four, 1% Family of Three |
| Wurmple | Silcoon | 50% |
| Wurmple | Cascoon | 50% |
Wurmple's result depends on a hidden personality value, so it looks random to you. For Dunsparce and Tandemaus the rare result is a one-in-a-hundred form.
Two that look like plain levels
Toxel (level 30) and Finizen (level 38) look like plain levels, but Pokémon Database lists a rule for each. Toxel becomes Amped Form or Low Key Form Toxtricity depending on its Nature, and Finizen needs to level up while in multiplayer to become Palafin. If a normal level-up does nothing, check for a hidden rule like this.