Pokemon Go Guide: How to Trigger Gen 2 Evolutions
By Anthony Taormina 18 February 2017
Follow this helpful Pokemon GO guide to learn how to evolve some of the current Pokemon into the new generation 2 Pokemon that were added with the latest update.
Although Pokémon GO has had many updates that sought to change the way the game works, or to offer players new activities to complete, this week’s latest update feels like the first true evolution for the mobile game…no pun intended. Among other things, the Pokémon GO Update added 80 new Gen 2 Pokémon into the game, and tasked players with once again trying to catch them all.
However, those players who can’t catch all of the Gen 2 Pokémon in the wild can still collect a few via some new evolutions. What’s more, several of Pokémon GO’s Gen 1 Pokémon can actually evolve into Gen 2 Pokémon with the right “ingredients.”
Thus far, Pokémon GO players have discovered 11 different Gen 2 evolutions that are possibly either with plain candy or with candy and some sort of additional consumable. They are:
- Porygon 2 – Use 50 Porygon candies and Up-grade on Porygon
- Crobat – Use 100 Zubat candies on Golbat
- Blissey – Use 50 Chansey candies on Chansey
- Steelix – Use 50 Onix candies and a Metal Coat on Onix
- Slowking – Use 50 Slowpoke candies and King’s Rock on Slowpoke
- Bellossom – Use 100 Oddish candies and Sun Stone on Gloom
- Umbreon – Use 25 Eevee candies on Eevee and rename it to Tamao (only works once)
- Espeon – Use 25 Eevee candies on Eevee and rename it to Sakura (only works once)
- Politoed – Use 100 Poliwag candies and King’s Rock on Poliwhirl
- Scizor – Use 50 Scyther candies and Metal Coat on Scyther
- Kingdra – Use 100 Horsea candies and Dragon Scale on Seadra
For the most part the evolutions are fairly simple, but quite a few require an additive element (e.g. King’s Rock or Sun Stone). So while a player might have the necessary candy to transform a Porygon into Porygon 2, they will likely need to seek out an Up-Grade, which is a random drop from a Pokestop visit.
Of the newly discovered Gen 2 Pokémon GO evolutions, the two that seem to have the fan base buzzing the most are those for Eevee. Much like the evolutions into Vaporeon, Flareon, and Jolteon, Eevee’s evolutions into Umbreon and Espeon are merely a matter of renaming the pocket monster before using the requisite amount of candy. It’s a neat little Easter Egg that Niantic has built into the game – one of a few handfuls since the mobile title was released last year.
Considering the update was only just released, Pokémon GO players are still taking it through the paces, trying to discover everything that’s new, different, or changed within the game. Some of the changes, like Pokémon requiring less candy for evolutions and a sale on storage upgrades, are likely welcomed by the community, while others, like Blissey’s systematic takeover of every gym in the world, are going to need addressing sooner rather than later.
But the most important thing is that there is more to do in Pokémon GO, and for dedicated players that should be enough. And even if that Scizor seems out of reach, know that there is an easy path to the Gen 2 Pokémon with the right amount of candy and a unique item.
