In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, evolution no longer triggers automatically. When a Pokémon meets its condition, the game tells you and you choose to evolve it from the menu, at any time outside battle, by pressing the X button. The game also simplified and changed many conditions: held items no longer exist, so the old “trade while holding an item” evolutions become “use the item on the Pokémon” evolutions, and “level up plus a condition” evolutions now only require the condition. Here are all the conditions that matter, with the Pokémon involved and where to find each item. This page answers the questions most asked on the site: how to evolve Scyther, Onix, Petilil, Basculin, Togepi, Magmar or Stantler.
The basics: evolution on demand
- Manual: evolution is triggered from the party menu; once started, it can no longer be canceled.
- Items: evolutions that used to require a held item are now triggered by using the item on the Pokémon, like an evolution stone.
- Trading: a Pokémon that used to evolve by trading without an item can still do so by trading, but it can also evolve with a Linking Cord.
- Locations: Pokémon that used to evolve in a specific location can also evolve with a stone, like Nosepass with a Thunder Stone.
- Friendship: Pokémon that used to evolve by leveling up with high friendship now evolve as soon as their friendship reaches the maximum.
New evolutions
Seven Pokémon are brand new to the game. Here are their evolution conditions, along with the evolutions of Hisuian forms that differ from other games:
| Starting Pokémon | Evolution | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Stantler | Wyrdeer | Use Psyshield Bash 20 times in Agile Style. The move has only 10 PP and the style uses up 2 each time: plan for restoratives. |
| Scyther | Kleavor | Use a Black Augurite on Scyther. |
| Scyther | Scizor | Use a Metal Coat on Scyther. |
| Ursaring | Ursaluna | Use a Peat Block on Ursaring during a full moon. |
| Hisuian Qwilfish | Overqwil | Use Barb Barrage 20 times in Strong Style. |
| Hisuian Sneasel | Sneasler | Use a Razor Claw during the day. |
| Sneasel (regular form) | Weavile | Use a Razor Claw at night. |
| Hisuian Zorua | Hisuian Zoroark | Level 30. |
| Basculin (White-Striped) | Basculegion | Take 294 HP of recoil damage without fainting. |
The game changes the moon phase every two nights, so the full moon lasts only two nights, and you can pass the time by resting at a camp. For Basculin’s condition, the Pokémon has to hurt itself: have it use recoil moves like Double-Edge, which appears in its research tasks.
Item evolutions
In the game, these evolutions are triggered by using the item: no more trading needed.
| Item | Pokémon | Evolution | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Coat | Onix | Steelix | — |
| Protector | Rhydon | Rhyperior | — |
| Upgrade | Porygon | Porygon2 | — |
| Dubious Disc | Porygon2 | Porygon-Z | — |
| Electirizer | Electabuzz | Electivire | — |
| Magmarizer | Magmar | Magmortar | — |
| Reaper Cloth | Dusclops | Dusknoir | — |
| Razor Fang | Gligar | Gliscor | At night |
| Oval Stone | Happiny | Chansey | During the day |
| Thunder Stone | Nosepass | Probopass | Or in the Coronet Highlands |
| Linking Cord | Kadabra | Alakazam | Or by trading |
| Linking Cord | Machoke | Machamp | Or by trading |
| Linking Cord | Graveler | Golem | Or by trading |
| Linking Cord | Haunter | Gengar | Or by trading |
Stone evolutions
Evolution stones are easier to get than you might think: they drop from ore deposits, snow piles and distortions, can be bought at the Trading Post for merit points (a thousand points for a Sun Stone, according to our notes), and sometimes turn up at Ginkgo Guild merchants, whose stock changes every 20 Pokémon caught. Here are the evolutions involved:
| Stone | Pokémon | Evolution | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Stone | Growlithe | Arcanine | Hisuian form included |
| Fire Stone | Vulpix | Ninetales | Regular form |
| Ice Stone | Alolan Vulpix | Alolan Ninetales | Alolan form |
| Leaf Stone | Hisuian Voltorb | Hisuian Electrode | — |
| Sun Stone | Petilil | Hisuian Lilligant | Hisuian form |
| Shiny Stone | Togetic | Togekiss | — |
| Shiny Stone | Roselia | Roserade | — |
| Dusk Stone | Murkrow | Honchkrow | — |
| Moon Stone | Clefairy | Clefable | — |
| Thunder Stone | Pikachu | Raichu | — |
| Thunder Stone | Magneton | Magnezone | — |
| Dawn Stone | Kirlia | Gallade | Male Kirlia |
| Dawn Stone | Snorunt | Froslass | Female Snorunt |
| Water, Thunder, Fire Stone | Eevee | Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon | — |
| Leaf, Ice Stone | Eevee | Leafeon, Glaceon | — |
Friendship evolutions
Friendship is measured from 0 to 255. A Pokémon caught in the wild starts at 70. To check how yours is doing, talk to Amo near the Pasture: they give you a hint for each tier, up to the maximum friendship message at 255. You raise friendship by healing the Pokémon, giving it food, sending it to pick up items or having it battle. Our older article The friendship system details the tiers.
| Pokémon | Evolution | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Pichu | Pikachu | Maximum friendship |
| Togepi | Togetic | Maximum friendship |
| Cleffa | Clefairy | Maximum friendship |
| Budew | Roselia | Maximum friendship, during the day |
| Riolu | Lucario | Maximum friendship, during the day |
| Eevee | Espeon / Umbreon | Maximum friendship, during the day / at night |
| Zubat | Golbat | Level 22 |
| Golbat | Crobat | Maximum friendship |
| Munchlax | Snorlax | Maximum friendship |
| Chansey | Blissey | Maximum friendship |
Other evolutions happen at the usual level. Our page on Hisuian forms describes the Hisuian forms and the game’s brand-new species.
Our detailed guides
- Scyther into Kleavor or Scizor
- Onix into Steelix
- Magby and Magmar into Magmortar
- Togepi into Togetic, then Togekiss
- Petilil into Hisuian Lilligant
- Basculin into Basculegion
- Stantler into Wyrdeer
- Sneasel into Sneasler
- Ursaring into Ursaluna
- Hisuian Qwilfish into Overqwil
- Hisuian Voltorb into Hisuian Electrode
- Finding Cherubi and Cherrim
- Riolu and Lucario
- Pichu and Pikachu
- Porygon, Porygon2 and Porygon-Z
- Magnemite, Magneton and Magnezone
To find out where each Pokémon is located before evolving it, check the Hisui Pokédex.
