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guides Updated Jun 21, 2026

Pokémon GO’s Most IMPOSSIBLE Evolutions

Discover the most challenging Pokémon Go evolutions, from upside-down devices to rare candy hunts and special research.

Pokémon GO’s Most IMPOSSIBLE Evolutions

Getting Started

Did you know some Pokémon in Pokémon Go require you to turn your device upside down to evolve them? Or that others only evolve under a full moon? After years of evolving mechanics, Pokémon Go has introduced some truly unique and challenging ways to power up your team. Today, we're diving into the trickiest evolutions out there, exploring the methods and the hurdles you'll face to get your hands on these incredible Pokémon.

The Inkay to Malamar Mystery

Let's kick things off with a head-scratcher: Inkay to Malamar. To evolve this psychic/dark-type Pokémon, you'll notice a question mark where the evolve button should be. The secret? That question mark is upside down! You literally need to flip your phone or tablet upside down, and suddenly, the evolution option appears. This unique mechanic is especially relevant now, as Mega Malamar is making its debut, meaning you'll want to master this quirky evolution to get your mega-ready Pokémon.

The Elusive Zygarde Cells

Next up is Zygarde, a Pokémon that entered the game in July 2023 via special research. While you might get one Zygarde from the research, evolving it to its 50% or Complete Forme is another story entirely. This requires collecting Zygarde Cells, which can only be found on Routes. Routes, a feature that has seen numerous updates, can be a bit tedious and require a lot of walking over consecutive days. Collecting enough cells for the powerful Complete Forme Zygarde, a formidable force in PvP, is a long and often unmotivating grind.

Gimme Gimmighoul, Get Goldengho

Gimmighoul, a Pokémon introduced in partnership with the main series games, has a multi-layered evolution process. To even encounter a Gimmighoul, you need to find a golden PokéStop, which occurs when someone uses a Golden Lure Module. To get a Golden Lure Module, you need to connect your Pokémon Go account to a Pokémon Scarlet or Violet game on a Nintendo Switch and send postcards from Go to the Switch. This also grants you a Coin Bag, an incense that spawns Gimmighoul as you walk.

But catching Gimmighoul isn't enough. To evolve it into Goldengo, you need a staggering 999 Gimmighoul Coins. These coins are primarily obtained by spinning golden PokéStops. If there's no event boosting golden PokéStop spawns, your best bet is sending postcards to your Switch for five days to earn a Golden Lure Module you can use yourself. Beware, though: Gimmighoul with special anniversary backgrounds are considered costumes and, frustratingly, cannot be evolved!

Pancham's Dark Type Challenge

Pancham, released in May 2021, evolves into Pangoro. While not as complex as some others, it requires a specific buddy task: set Pancham as your buddy and catch 32 Dark-type Pokémon. This can be challenging if Dark-types aren't spawning frequently, potentially requiring you to hunt at night or wait for events like Halloween that feature them.

Primeape to Annihilape: The Battle Test

Evolving Primeape into Annihilape, introduced in November 2023, requires 100 candies and a unique battle condition: defeat 30 Psychic or Ghost-type Pokémon while Primeape is your buddy. You don't need to use Primeape in battle, just have it set as your buddy. Friendly PvP battles against a friend using low-CP Psychic/Ghost Pokémon are rumored to count, otherwise, you'll be seeking out Team Go Rocket Grunts or low-level raid bosses.

Galarian Farfetch'd's Excellent Throws

Galarian Farfetch'd evolves into Sirfetch'd, a super cool Pokémon with a great shiny. To achieve this, you need to make 10 Excellent Throws while Galarian Farfetch'd is your buddy. The easiest way to consistently land Excellent Throws is by targeting legendary Pokémon in raids due to their larger catch circles.

Galarian Yamask's Raid Requirement

Galarian Yamask, around since October 2020, evolves into Runerigus. This evolution demands that you set Galarian Yamask as your buddy and win 10 raids. While you can conquer Tier 1 raids, this can become expensive if you're not utilizing your daily free raid pass.

Eevee's Sylveon Heart-to-Heart

Eevee, known for its multiple evolutions, has one particularly tricky one: Sylveon. Besides the one-time name trick (Kira), you must earn 70 buddy hearts with Eevee while it's your buddy. This takes significant time and commitment but results in a beautiful evolution.

Feebas's Long Walk to Milotic

Feebas to Milotic, a classic beauty, requires setting Feebas as your buddy and walking a whopping 20 km. While this is a substantial distance, enabling Adventure Sync can help by counting your everyday walking towards the goal.

The 400 Candy Club

Several Pokémon demand an impressive 400 candies for evolution, making them some of the most time-consuming to obtain:

  • Magikarp to Gyarados: An OG Pokémon Go challenge, 400 candies for this iconic evolution can be a grind, especially if you don't live near water or during events featuring Magikarp.
  • Meltan to Melmetal: Meltan is a mythical Pokémon that can evolve, but acquiring its candies is tricky. You need to transfer a Pokémon from Go to Pokémon Home to activate the Mystery Box, which acts as an incense specifically for Meltan for an hour. Shiny Meltan is only available during special events.
  • Wimpod to Golisopod: While the 400 candies aren't inherently difficult, Wimpod itself doesn't spawn frequently, meaning you'll need to capitalize on events where it's featured.
  • Noibat to Noivern: Another rare Pokémon requiring 400 candies. Noibat is notoriously hard to find outside of specific events or Community Days.
  • Larvesta to Volcarona: This is arguably the most challenging 400-candy evolution. Larvesta is an egg-exclusive Pokémon and one of the rarest hatches, making accumulating 400 candies a monumental task.

The Controversial Cosmog Line

Cosmog, which evolves into Cosmoem, and then into Solgaleo or Lunala, has a controversial history. Initially, it was only available via special research, granting players only one. This meant a tough choice between Solgaleo and Lunala. While Solgaleo and Lunala are now in raids, Cosmog itself hasn't been available for almost a year outside of its initial research. You can gather Cosmog candy from raiding its evolutions, but obtaining Cosmog itself remains a waiting game for future research events.

Conclusion

From flipping your device upside down to walking dozens of kilometers and collecting hundreds of candies, Pokémon Go offers a diverse array of challenging evolutions. These unique mechanics add depth and excitement to the game, pushing trainers to explore new strategies and stay engaged. Which of these challenging evolutions will you conquer next? Good luck, trainers!