Most Pokémon in Pokémon GO evolve with Candy alone. But a large and growing list requires something extra — a specific lure, an evolution item, a trade, buddy hearts, or a particular time of day. Miss the requirement and the evolution option won’t appear no matter how much Candy you have.
This guide covers every special evolution method in the game as of 2026. For the three most detailed cases, see the dedicated guides: evolving Cosmog, getting Sylveon, and getting Umbreon. For the full game overview, see the complete Pokémon GO guide.
Eevee Evolutions — All 8 Methods
Eevee is the most complex evolution chain in the game, with 8 evolutions each using a different method. Every evolution has a one-time name trick — use each name once for a guaranteed result, then use the actual method afterward.[1]
| Evolution | Name Trick (one-time) | Method (after name trick is used) |
|---|---|---|
| Vaporeon | Rainer | Random (1-in-3 chance among Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon) |
| Jolteon | Sparky | Random (1-in-3) |
| Flareon | Pyro | Random (1-in-3) |
| Espeon | Sakura | Walk 10 km as Buddy + evolve during daytime (GPS required) |
| Umbreon | Tamao | Walk 10 km as Buddy + evolve during nighttime (after 8:00 PM, before 8:00 AM) |
| Leafeon | Linnea | Evolve while in range of an active Mossy Lure Module |
| Glaceon | Rea | Evolve while in range of an active Glacial Lure Module |
| Sylveon | Kira | Earn 70 Buddy Hearts with Eevee as your active Buddy |
Important notes:
- For Espeon and Umbreon, Eevee must still be your active Buddy at the moment you evolve it — don’t swap buddies between reaching 10 km and evolving
- For Leafeon and Glaceon, the lure must be active at a PokéStop and you must be within spin range of it
- Sylveon typically takes about 14 days of active buddy activity to reach 70 hearts — use Adventure Sync and play daily to speed it up
- The name trick works exactly once per evolution — use it wisely on a Shiny or high-IV Eevee
Lure Module Evolutions
Four Pokémon (besides Eevee) require specific Lure Modules to evolve. The lure must be active at a nearby PokéStop — you need to be in spin range.[2]
| Evolution | Lure Required | Candy Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Eevee → Leafeon | Mossy Lure | 25 Eevee Candy |
| Eevee → Glaceon | Glacial Lure | 25 Eevee Candy |
| Magneton → Magnezone | Magnetic Lure | 100 Magnemite Candy |
| Nosepass → Probopass | Magnetic Lure | 50 Nosepass Candy |
Standard Lure Modules last 30 minutes. On Double-Time Sundays (Daily Discovery), all Lures last 60 minutes — the best day to use specialty Lures for these evolutions.
Trade Evolutions
These Pokémon have a special trade mechanic: once traded to another player, the Candy cost to evolve drops to 0 (free). The trade itself still costs Stardust, but you never pay Candy for the evolution afterward. You can also evolve without trading, but it costs full Candy.[2]
| Evolution | Candy Cost (no trade) | Candy Cost (after trade) |
|---|---|---|
| Machoke → Machamp | 100 | 0 |
| Haunter → Gengar | 100 | 0 |
| Kadabra → Alakazam | 100 | 0 |
| Graveler → Golem | 100 | 0 |
| Graveler (Alolan) → Golem (Alolan) | 200 | 0 |
| Boldore → Gigalith | 200 | 0 |
| Gurdurr → Conkeldurr | 200 | 0 |
| Phantump → Trevenant | 200 | 0 |
| Karrablast → Escavalier | 200 | 0 |
| Shelmet → Accelgor | 200 | 0 |
| Spritzee → Aromatisse | 50 | 0 |
| Swirlix → Slurpuff | 50 | 0 |
Trading requires both players to be Level 10+. Standard trades can be done at up to 100 metres distance, or via remote trade with Best Friends (Best Friend status removes the distance requirement for most trades). The Stardust cost of the trade itself varies by Pokémon rarity — common Pokémon trades cost very little, Legendaries and Shinies cost significantly more.
Evolution Items
Johto Items (from 7-day PokéStop Spin Streak)
These six items drop from PokéStop spins, with a guaranteed item on your 7-day spin streak completion. They’re uncommon but obtainable through consistent play.[3]
| Item | Evolution | Candy Required |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Scale | Seadra → Kingdra | 100 Horsea Candy |
| King’s Rock | Poliwhirl → Politoed | 100 Poliwag Candy |
| King’s Rock | Slowpoke → Slowking | 50 Slowpoke Candy |
| Metal Coat | Onix → Steelix | 50 Onix Candy |
| Metal Coat | Scyther → Scizor | 50 Scyther Candy |
| Sun Stone | Gloom → Bellossom | 100 Oddish Candy |
| Sun Stone | Sunkern → Sunflora | 50 Sunkern Candy |
| Up-Grade | Porygon → Porygon2 | 25 Porygon Candy |
Sinnoh Stone
Obtained from Research Breakthroughs, PvP battles (Trainer Battles), and defeating GO Rocket Leaders. Used for all Gen 4 split evolutions.[3]
Sinnoh Stone evolutions include: Weavile (Sneasel), Electivire (Electabuzz), Roserade (Roselia), Rhyperior (Rhydon), Honchkrow (Murkrow), Togekiss (Togetic), Magmortar (Magmar), Mismagius (Misdreavus), Gliscor (Gligar), Dusknoir (Dusclops), Mamoswine (Piloswine), Ambipom (Aipom), Yanmega (Yanmega), Tangrowth (Tangela), Lickilicky (Lickitung), Porygon-Z (Porygon2), Gallade (male Kirlia only), Froslass (female Snorunt only).
Unova Stone
Also from Research Breakthroughs and GO Rocket Leaders. Used for Gen 5 evolutions: Simisage (Pansage), Simisear (Pansear), Simipour (Panpour), Chandelure (Lampent), Cinccino (Minccino), Musharna (Munna), Eelektross (Eelektrik).
Gimmighoul Coins
The newest evolution requirement: Gimmighoul (Roaming Form) → Gholdengo requires 999 Gimmighoul Coins. Coins are collected from Roaming Form Gimmighoul encounters and interacting with Gold PokéStops. This is one of the longest-grind evolutions in the game.
Buddy-Walking Evolutions
| Evolution | Buddy Requirement | Additional Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Eevee → Espeon | Walk 10 km with Eevee as Buddy | Evolve during daytime |
| Eevee → Umbreon | Walk 10 km with Eevee as Buddy | Evolve during nighttime (8 PM–8 AM) |
| Eevee → Sylveon | Earn 70 Buddy Hearts with Eevee | 25 Eevee Candy |
| Pancham → Pangoro | Walk with Pancham as Buddy | Catch 32 Dark-type Pokémon while Pancham is Buddy + 50 Pancham Candy |
Other Notable Special Evolutions
- Gallade: Male Kirlia only + Sinnoh Stone + 100 Ralts Candy
- Froslass: Female Snorunt only + Sinnoh Stone + 100 Snorunt Candy
- Inkay → Malamar: Physically flip your phone upside down at the evolution screen while evolving with 50 Inkay Candy
- Cosmog → Cosmoem → Solgaleo/Lunala: Legendary-specific multi-stage evolution with special requirements — see the dedicated Cosmog evolution guide
- Eevee → Sylveon: Requires 70 Buddy Hearts — see the dedicated Sylveon guide for the fastest path
- Eevee → Umbreon: 10 km walk + nighttime evolution — see the Umbreon guide for timing details
How to Get Evolution Items
The most reliable way to build up your evolution item collection:
- Spin PokéStops daily and maintain the 7-day streak — the 7-day streak guarantees an evolution item from the bonus spin
- Defeat GO Rocket Leaders (Arlo, Cliff, Sierra) — they drop Sinnoh and Unova Stones regularly
- Collect Research Breakthroughs (7 Field Research stamps) — these frequently include Sinnoh and Unova Stones
- Win Trainer Battles — PvP battles against other players (not just Great League) drop Sinnoh Stones
Conclusion
Special evolutions reward players who engage with multiple game systems — trading, PvP, GO Rocket, buddy walking, and Route completion. The easiest wins: maintain your 7-day spin streak for guaranteed evolution item drops, and save specialty Lure Modules for Sundays (when they last twice as long under Double-Time Sunday). Pokémon like Weavile, Mamoswine, Togekiss, and Roserade all require Sinnoh Stones and are among the game’s strongest raid attackers — so farming Stones through PvP and Leader battles is always time well spent.
Several Pokemon on the special evolution list can also evolve for free after being traded — saving their full candy cost. Our Pokemon GO trading guide covers the full trade evolution list.
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.