Pokémon Legends Arceus guide: Special evolution requirements

Tons of Pokémon in Pokémon 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 Pokémon Legends: Arceus guide special evolutions guide explains how to evolve Kleavor, Basculegion, Wyrdeer, Ursaluna, Sneasler, Overquil, and other special Pokémon.

Several of the new Pokémon with special Hisuian forms and evolutions require something specific to evolve. Once you complete these requirements, you can open up your bag, select the Pokémon, and evolve them.

Table of contents

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 → Basculegion: Take over 250 damage in recoil

Move-based evolutions

These Pokémon evolve when they learn a specific move.

• Aipom → Ambipom: Double Hit
• Bonsly → Sudowoodo: Mimic
• Lickitung → Lickilicky: Rollout
• 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) → Vespiquen
• Ralts (male) → Gallade (with Dawn Stone)
• Snover (female) → Froslass (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 Pokémon 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: Ice Stone
• Clefairy → Clefable: Moon Stone
• Dusclops → Dusknoir: Reaper Cloth
• Eevee → Flareon: Fire Stone
• Eevee → Glaceon: Ice Stone
• Eevee → Jolteon: Thunder Stone
• Eevee → Leafeon: Leaf Stone
• Eevee → Vaporeon: Water Stone
• Electabuzz → Electivire: Electirizer
• Gligar → Gliscor: Razor Fang during nighttime
• Graveler → Golem: Linking Cord
• Happiny → Chansey: Oval Stone during daytime
• Haunter → Gengar: Linking Cord
• Hisuian Growlithe → Hisuian Arcanine: Fire Stone
• Hisuian Sneasel → Sneasler: Razor Claw during daytime
• Hisuian Voltorb → Hisuian Electrode: Leaf Stone
• Johto Sneasel → Weavile: Razor Claw during nighttime
• Kadabra → Alakazam: Linking Cord
• Kirlia (male) → Gallade: Dawn Stone
• Machoke → Machamp: Linking Cord
• Magmar → Magmortar: Magmarizer
• Magneton → Magnezone: Thunder Stone
• Misdreavus → Mismagius: Dusk Stone
• Murkrow → Honchkrow: Dusk Stone
• Onix → Steelix: Metal Coat
• Petilil → Hisuian Lilligant: Sun Stone
• Pikachu → Raichu: Thunder Stone
• Porygon → Porygon2: Upgrade
• Porygon2 → Porygon-Z: Dubious Disc
• Rhydon → Rhyperior: Protector
• Roselia → Roserade: Shiny Stone
• Scyther → Kleavor: Black Augurite
• Scyther → Scizor: Metal Coat
• Snorunt (female) → Froslass: Dawn Stone
• Togetic → Togekiss: Shiny Stone
• Ursaring → Ursaluna: Peat Block during a full moon
• Vulpix → Ninetails: Fire Stone

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 → Magnezone: Coronet Highlands
• Nosepass → Probopass: 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 Jubilife City will evaluate your friendship levels with your Pokémon.

• Budew → Roselia
• Buneary → Lopunny
• Chingling → Chimecho
• Cleffa → Clefairy
• Eevee → Espeon (daytime)
• Eevee → Sylveon (while knowing a fairy-type move)
• Eevee → Umbreon (nighttime)
• 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.