Evolving Enigma: Untangling Pokémon Evolutions – Trade Hassles and Beyond
You’re on a Pokémon journey. You dream of a powerful team. You’ve leveled your partner and battled foes. Now, evolution calls. But is it easy? Or are we in the trade evolution zone? Worry not, trainer! We’re diving into Pokémon evolution. Let’s focus on those tricky trades.
Electabuzz Evolution: No Thunder Stone Shenanigans Here
Let’s start with a jolt! Electabuzz is the Electric-type Pokémon. You may think, “Thunder Stone?” No way! That won’t help Electabuzz. No spark of evolution here.
Electabuzz, known as Eleboo in Japan, evolves from Elekid at level 30. To reach Electivire, you’ll need a special item. You also need some social interaction for this evolution.
To evolve Electabuzz to Electivire, use an Electirizer. It must be held by Electabuzz during a trade to trigger evolution. Yes, trade is key. In Cobblemon, the Electirizer works too when trading or using a link cable. No single evolution here unless you know some glitches.
Trade Evolution Troubles? We’ve All Been There.
Trade evolutions can be frustrating. They have been the bane of solo players forever. You train hard, but the final form remains locked away. Let’s see if there are any loopholes or if you need a trading partner.
- Graveler: Graveler is solid as a rock. Evolving Geodude into Graveler is easy. But then you need to trade to get Golem. No official way to avoid trading. Some trainers use Pokémon HOME for a workaround. Try it if you’re alone!
- Gurdurr: Gurdurr carries a girder. To evolve into Conkeldurr, you need to trade. No fancy items, just a partner. Find a friend or brave the online realm!
- Dusclops (to Dusknoir): Want Dusknoir? Equip Dusclops with a Reaper Cloth, then trade it. That’s how you get Dusknoir. Can’t avoid trading, unfortunately.
- Boldore (to Gigalith): Boldore needs trade to evolve into Gigalith. No stones or levels involved. Trainers lament: Can’t evolve without trading? Sadly, no.
- Karrablast & Shelmet (to Escavalier & Accelgor): Karrablast and Shelmet are connected. Trade Karrablast for Shelmet to evolve. Karrablast becomes Escavalier, Shelmet turns into Accelgor. No shortcuts here!
- Phantump (to Trevenant): Phantump is a spooky tree stump spirit. To get Trevenant, you must trade Phantump. The method is the same for every game: trade.
- Onix (to Steelix): Onix needs a Metal Coat and a trade to evolve into Steelix. Not much else can be done here.
- Porygon (to Porygon2, then Porygon-Z): Porygon has a multi-stage trade evolution. Evolve Porygon to Porygon2 with an Up-Grade via trade. Then Porygon2 evolves into Porygon-Z with a Dubious Disc through trade.
- Machoke (to Machamp): Machoke is muscular and needs trade to evolve to Machamp. Trading is the only way.
Beyond Trading: Evolution Alternatives and Items
Not all evolutions require trading. Many Pokémon evolve through items or specific conditions. Let’s look at some:
- Seadra (to Kingdra): Use a Dragon Scale and trade for Kingdra. Trade is intended, but you could try the Pokémon HOME trick.
- Applin (to Dipplin, Hydrapple): Applin’s evolution is different. For Dipplin, use a Syrupy Apple. You get these in shops in Mossfell Confluence in Kitakami. Use it on Applin to evolve!
- Duraludon (to Archaludon): Evolving Duraludon is simple. Get a Metal Alloy. It’s 300 BP at the school store in Scarlet and Violet. Use it on Duraludon to evolve!
- Charcadet (to Armarouge/Ceruledge): Charcadet’s evolution depends on version-exclusive items. Get Auspicious Armor in Scarlet for Armarouge or Malicious Armor in Violet for Ceruledge.
- Weepinbell (to Victreebel): A straightforward evolution! Use a Leaf Stone on Weepinbell to evolve into Victreebel.
- Milcery (to Alcremie): Evolving Milcery is all about sweets! Give Milcery a Sweet, then spin in place using the right analog stick. The form of Alcremie depends on many factors.
- Floette (to Florges): To get Florges, use a Shiny Stone on Floette. Simple and effective!
Evolution Items: Your Toolkit for Transformation
Here are crucial evolution items again:
- Thunder Stone: Not for Electabuzz, but for other Electric tribes.
- Electirizer: Needed for Electabuzz to evolve into Electivire via trade.
- Reaper Cloth: Essential for Dusclops to become Dusknoir through trade.
- Dragon Scale: For Seadra to evolve into Kingdra via trade.
- Metal Alloy: Transforms Duraludon to Archaludon directly without trade.
- Auspicious Armor: Exclusive to Scarlet, evolves Charcadet into Armarouge.
- Armarouge.
- Malicious Armor: Violet exclusive. Evolves Charcadet into Ceruledge.
- Up-Grade: First step in Porygon’s trade evolution, from Porygon to Porygon2.
- Syrupy Apple: Evolves Applin into Dipplin without trade, just an apple.
- Shiny Stone: Evolves Floette into Florges.
- Sweets: Used with spinning to evolve Milcery into Alcremie.
- Metal Coat: Evolves Onix into Steelix via trade.
- Dubious Disc: Evolves Porygon2 into Porygon-Z via trade.
- Leaf Stone: Evolves Weepinbell into Victreebel.
Golem: A Rock-Solid Discussion
Golem is a Rock/Ground type. It evolves from Graveler. Golem has some strengths and weaknesses. It is a decent physical tank with good Attack and Defense stats. Golem’s STAB moves are powerful. Earthquake and Stone Edge deal significant damage.
However, Golem’s weaknesses matter too. It faces 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass types. These vulnerabilities reduce its effectiveness. Golem can be a good physical tank in certain situations. The Fire Absorption ability is notable. Fire attacks do no damage. Instead, Golem heals slightly.
Golem has another advantage. Its “Immutable Form” ability makes it immune to certain effects. Alolan Golem offers another choice. It has a Magnet Pull ability that can trap Steel types. This allows it to use Earthquake effectively. Niche, but it has potential.
People may ask, “Is Golem a good Pokémon?” It’s decent but not the best. A solid physical tank with offensive capabilities but notable weaknesses. “Is Golem legendary?” No, it is not. Legendary Pokémon include Regirock, Regice, Registeel, and others.
As for the weakest Golem? If we include D&D-style golems, Flesh Golems are the weakest. Then there are Clay, Stone, and Iron Golems. In Pokémon terms, all Golem variations share an evolutionary lineage and similar power levels.
Other Evolutionary Paths Briefly Explored
Let’s explore some other evolutions briefly:
- Timburr (to Gurdurr, to Conkeldurr): Timburr evolves into Gurdurr. In turn, Gurdurr evolves into Conkeldurr via trade. Conkeldurr has better stats than Gurdurr, especially in attack and defense.
- Sneasel (to Weavile): Sneasel evolves into Weavile by leveling up at night with a Razor Claw. No trading is required.
- Zacian: Zacian is legendary from Pokémon Sword. “How to get Zacian without trading?” In Shield, you must trade; direct capture is not possible.
- Horsea (to Seadra, to Kingdra): Horsea evolves into Seadra by leveling up. Then Seadra evolves into Kingdra through trade when holding a Dragon Scale.
- Duskull (to Dusclops, to Dusknoir): Duskull evolves into Dusclops by leveling up. Dusclops evolves into Dusknoir through trade with a Reaper Cloth.
Glitches of the Past: The Trade Evolution GTS Glitch
A quick mention of Pokémon history: the “trade evolution GTS glitch.” It appeared in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This glitch allowed players to evolve trade Pokémon without actually trading them. By manipulating the Global Trade System (GTS), players could deposit Pokémon seeking evolution.
If they retrieved the Pokémon after depositing it, sometimes it would evolve. The glitch eventually was patched in later games, but it remains a fun trivia for fans of early online trading.
So that’s the overview! A dive into Pokémon evolutions focusing on trade evolutions. Trade or use item-based options. The journey of Pokémon evolution offers much variety. Now go forth, trainer! Evolve ’em all! (Or at least the ones you can manage).
