Evolution Items have been part of Pokémon since Red and Blue, but Pokémon GO didn’t require players to use Stones to evolve Generation 1 Pokémon. “How do I get Pokémon GO Evolution Items?” I hear you ask, sit tight and we’ll explain.
How to Get Evolution Items
The introduction of Generation 2 Pokémon has been accompanied by five new items used for evolving. Generation 2 introduced new evolutions for some Generation 1 Pokémon which are the majority of Pokémon requiring items to evolve in Pokémon GO.
Getting your hands on the new items is going to require a lot of patience and a lot of playing. The only way to get them is as a random drop from Pokéstops. The drop rate is ridiculously low. Eggs have about a 20% chance to drop, if you’re carrying less than nine, but Evolution Items appear to be between 2 and 5%.
There’s no way to influence which item is going to drop or to increase the chances of getting one. Our advice is to keep hitting Pokéstops as often as possible and hope for the best.
The five new items are;
- Dragon Scale
- King’s Rock
- Metal Coat
- Upgrade
- Sun Stone
Dragon Scale
Dragon Scale is currently only used to evolve one Pokémon. When it was introduced in Gold and Silver it could be used to boost Dragon type moves when held and to evolve Seadra into Kingdra when traded.
In Pokémon GO the Dragon Scale only has one function; evolve Seadra into Kingdra. To get Kingdra you’ll first need to catch Horsea and evolve him. Horsea can be evolved into Seadra for 25 Candies and then Seadra can be evolved into Kingdra for 100 Candies and one Dragon Scale.
Horsea’s Candy requirements have been updated with the introduction of Generation 2 Pokémon. Where it used to cost 50 Candies to evolve Horsea to Seadra, it’s been reduced to 25.
King’s Rock
King’s Rock is used to evolve two Generation 1 Pokémon, both of which are splits in the traditional evolution route. In Gold and Silver, King’s Rock could be held by a Pokémon to increase the chance of making the opposing Pokémon flinch.
If it was held by Poliwhirl or Slowpoke when traded they would evolve into Politoed and Slowking respectively.
Poliwag’s Candy requirements have not changed with the update. It costs 25 to evolve Poliwag into Poliwhirl and then 100 to evolve into Poliwrath. Evolving Poliwhirl into Politoed also costs 100 Candies, but requires one King’s Rock as well.
To get Slowking, you’ll need 50 Candies and a King’s Rock to evolve Slowpoke. Slowpoke can be evolved with 50 Candies into Slowbro or Slowking, but a King’s Rock is required for the latter evolution.
Metal Coat
Metal Coat is used to evolve two Generation 1 Pokémon who did not previously evolve. In Gold and Silver, Metal Coat could be held to boost Steel Type moves. If held by Onix or Scyther when traded, they would evolve into Steelix and Scizor respectively.
In Generation 1, neither Onix nor Scyther could evolve. They both require 50 Candies and a Metal Coat to evolve into their new Generation 2 forms
Sun Stone
Pokémon GO didn’t require players to use any Evolution Stones in Generation 1. The Fire, Water, Thunder, Leaf and Moon Stones were all missing despite being the requirement for many of Generation 1’s Pokémon.
The Sun Stone was first introduced in Generation 2 and was used to give Gloom a secondary evolution chain and to evolve a new Pokémon into its second form.
Gloom is evolved into Vileplume in the main series by using a Leaf Stone. In Pokémon GO, players only need 100 Candies to get Vileplume. With a Sun Stone and 100 Candies in their inventory, players can evolve Gloom into Bellossom.
The only Generation 2 Pokémon that requires one of the five new items is Sunkern.
To evolve Sunkern into Sunflora, players will need 50 Candies and one Sun Stone.
Up-grade
Up-grade is the fifth and final item added to Pokémon GO and it only has one function. Even in the main series, this item has only ever had one function.
If held by Porygon when traded, it will evolve into Porygon2. In Pokémon GO, Porygon will evolve into Porygon2 by using one Up-grade and 50 Candies.
