Tons of Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus require something special to evolve, rather than just leveling up. The game uses a combination of previous techniques and new evolution methods and items. our Pokemon Legends: Arceus guide special evolutions guide explains how to evolve Kleavor, basculegia, Wyrdeer, Ursaluna, sneaker, overquil, and other special Pokemon.
Several of the new Pokemon with special Hisuian forms other evolutionary require something specific to evolve. Once you complete these requirements, you can open up your bag, select the Pokémon, and evolve them.
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Battle-based evolutions
A few Pokémon only evolve if they use a specific move a certain number of times or take a certain amount of damage. Both of these can happen over multiple fights, so you can go out and attack weak Pokémon to get this done quickly.
- Hisuian Quilfish → overquil: Use Barb Barrage in Strong Style 20 times
- Standler → Wyrdeer: Use Psyshield Bash in Agile Style 20 times
- White Stripe Basculin → basculegia: Take over 250 damage in recoil
Move-based evolutions
These Pokémon evolve when they learn a specific move.
- Aipom → ambipoma: double hit
- Bonsley → Sudowoodo: Mimic
- Lickitung → Lickiliky: roll out
- Mime Jr. → Mr Mime: Mimic
- Piloswine →Mamoswine: Ancient Power
- Tangela → Tangrowth: Ancient Power
- Yanma →Yanmega: Ancient Power
Gender specific evolutions
These Pokémon only evolve when they’re a specific gender.
- Burmy (male) → Mothim
- Burmy (female) → Wormadam
- Combee (female) → Vespices
- Ralts (male) → Gallade (with Dawn Stone)
- Snover (female) → Frolass (with Dawn Stone)
Stone and item evolutions
Some Pokémon just require you to use a specific item on them. If you have the required item in your inventory and hover over it, the Pokémon will say “compatible” if you can use it to evolve.
In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, you can use the Linking Cord to get Pokémon that you would normally trade to evolve. You can also evolve any Pokémon that would normally require a hold item while trading simply by using that item on the Pokémon.
We’ve listed out the item-based evolutions below.
- Alolan Vulpix → Alolan Ninetails: Icestone
- Clefairy → Clefable: Moonstone
- Dusclops → Dusknoir: Reaper Cloth
- Eevee → flareon: Firestone
- Eevee → Glaceon: Icestone
- Eevee → Jolteon: Thunderstone
- Eevee → Leafeon: Leaf Stone
- Eevee → Vaporeon: Waterstone
- Electabuzz → elective: electrifiers
- Gligar → Gliscor: Razor Fang during nighttime
- Gravelers → golem: link cord
- Happy → Chansey: Oval Stone during daytime
- Haunter → Gengar: link cord
- Hisuian Growlithe → Hisuian Arcanine: Firestone
- Hisuian Sneasel → sneaker: Razor Claw during daytime
- Hisuian Voltorb → Hisuan Electrode: Leaf Stone
- Johto Sneasel → Weavile: Razor Claw during night time
- Kadabra → Alakazam: link cord
- Kirlia (male) → Gallade: Dawnstone
- Machoke → Machamp: link cord
- Magmar → magmortar: Magmarizer
- Magneton → magnet zone: Thunderstone
- Misdreavus → mismagius: Dusk Stone
- Murrow → Honchkrow: Dusk Stone
- Onix → Steelix: metal coat
- Petilil → Hisuian Liligant: Sunstone
- Pikachu → Raichu: Thunderstone
- Porygon → Porygon2: Upgrade
- Porygon2 → Porygon Z: Dubious Disc
- Rhodon → rhyperior: protector
- Roselia → Roserade: Shiny Stone
- Scyther → Kleavor: Black Augurite
- Scyther → scizor: metal coat
- Snorunt (female) → Frolass: Dawnstone
- Togetics → Togekiss: Shiny Stone
- Ursaring → Ursaluna: Peat Block during a full moon
- Vulpix → ninetails: Firestone
Location based evolutions
These Pokémon can evolve based on where they are. Eevee just needs to be around the respective rock for Leafeon and Glaceon, though we were prompted to evolve Magneton and Nosepass after just being in the Coronet Highlands.
Keep in mind that some of these Pokémon can also evolve using stones, as listed above, so it might be a better idea to use those, depending on how soon you want your evolved Pokémon.
- Eevee → Leafeon: Near the Mossy Rock in the southwest area of The Heartwood (Obsidian Fieldlands)
- Eevee → Glaceon: Near the Ice Rock in a cavern in Bonechill Wastes (Alabaster Icelands)
- Magneton → magnet zone: Coronet Highlands
- nose pass → trial pass: Coronet Highlands
- Sliggoo → Goodra: Raining area
Friendship-based Evolutions
These Pokémon only evolve if you reach high friendship levels with them. You can do this by leveling them up. An NPC named Belamy in front of the Village Pastures in Jubilee City will evaluate your friendship levels with your Pokémon.
- Budev → Roselia
- Bunary → Lopunny
- Chingling → Chimecho
- Cleffa → Clefairy
- Eevee → Espeon (day time)
- Eevee → Sylveon (while knowing a fairy-type move)
- Eevee → umbreon (night time)
- Golbat → Crobat
- Munchlax → Snorlax
- Pichu → Pikachu
- Riolu → Lucario
- Togepi → Togetic
Other evolution methods
mantine is so weird that it gets its own category. To evolve your Mantyke, you need to have a Remoraid in your party with the Mantyke. That’s it.
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