Summary

• When it comes to evolving Pokemon, some species have incredibly bizarre and obscure methods that are nearly impossible to figure out alone.
• From having a Dark-type Pokemon in your party to leveling up under specific weather conditions, evolution requirements can be very unconventional.
• Understanding these unique evolution methods adds depth and complexity to the Pokemon games, making each species have a special and distinct evolution process.

Pokemon is a fun franchise with plenty of amazing characters and moments, but at the end of the day, it's the Pokemon themselves that matter the most. Most of the creatures you catch during your adventures can evolve into stronger forms, but some of them use unconventional methods to transform into a new Pokemon.

While most Pokemon evolve after reaching a certain level, others require certain items or moves to reach their next stage. Some Pokemon have incredibly ludicrous and obscure evolution methods that would be nearly impossible to figure out on your own, and these may be some of the strangest ones so far.

Updated on June 3, 2024, by Kyle Chamaillard. Some Pokemon use extremely weird methods to evolve, and that trend doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. We've decided to revisit this list to include even more creatures that need unconventional requirements to grow stronger, and to add more information about every Pokemon on the list.

18 Pancham

Playful Pokemon

Pancham was introduced in Pokemon X and Y as a new Fighting-type that's as tough as it is adorable. You can usually catch one during the opening hours of your adventure, but you won't be able to evolve it into a Pangoro until it reaches level 32. Even then, you'll have to meet one more condition before Pancham can grow into its final form.

Unlike other Pokemon on this list, evolving Pancham is quite simple. All you need to do is make sure you have a Dark-type Pokemon in your party when it reaches level 32 or higher, and Pancham will evolve into the Fighting and Dark-type, Pangoro.

17 Dunsparce

Land Snake Pokemon

Dunsparce is a Normal-type that was introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Despite some decent stats, Dunsparce was often forgotten by casual and competitive players due to its limited potential. After many generations of being a single-form Pokemon, Dunsparce finally received an evolution in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that made it much more compelling.

To evolve Dunsparce, all you need to do is catch one and level it up after it learns to move Hyper Drill. It will then turn into Dundunsparce, but there are two different forms of this Pokemon to look out for. It's most common to receive the Two-Segment form of the creature, but there is a 1/100 chance that Dunsparce will evolve into a Three-Segment Dundunsparce.

16 Burmy

Bagworm Pokemon

It's not a Pokemon game without an outrageous number of Bug-types to catch at the beginning of the journey, and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl continue that tradition by filling its opening routes with Kricketot, Combee, and Burmy. Most of them are fairly straightforward when it comes to evolving them, but Burmy is unique in many ways.

First of all, male and female Burmy evolve into different creatures entirely. The males evolve into Mothim at level 20, and the females evolve into Wormadam at the same level. Now, the appearance of Wormadam comes in three different colors, and the one you receive is based on the environment where you evolved the Burmy. All three Wormadam forms are Bug-type, but they each have a different secondary type, so plan carefully to get the one that works best with your party.

15 Mantyke

Kite Pokemon

Mantyke was introduced in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl as the pre-evolution to Mantine. This adorable Water and Flying-type Pokemon is incredibly common to find, but you might think it's strange when it reaches level 50 and still hasn't evolved into its final form.

If you look closely enough at a Mantine, you'll notice that it has another Pokemon attached to it under its wing. To evolve your Mantyke into a Mantine, you need to level it up while also having a Remoraid in your party. Despite your new Mantine having a Remoraid attached to it, you won't lose the fish Pokemon from your party and can still raise it to be an Octillery one day.

14 Basculin

Mellow Pokemon (White-Striped Form)

Nearly every generation of Pokemon games introduces a new fish-like Pokemon that can evolve into something more majestic, but Pokemon Black and White decided to subvert that expectation. Basculin has two forms - Red-Striped and Blue-Striped - and is incredibly common, but it wouldn't receive an evolution until Pokemon Legends: Arceus introduced a Hisuian variant.

A White-Striped Basculin exists in the Hisui region and can evolve into the Water and Ghost-type Basculegion after losing 249 HP from recoil damage without knocking itself out. It's strange watching a Pokemon hit itself this often but having a Basculegion on your team makes it worth your time.

13 Stantler

Big Horn Pokemon

Stantler is one of many Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver without an evolution initially, but it would finally receive one in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. This reindeer-like Pokemon was never a viable option for competitive trainers, but evolving Stantler into Wyrdeer gives it much more potential when battling against others.

Wyrdeer is a rare Normal and Psychic-type Pokemon that you can get by using one of Pokemon Legends' unique mechanics. Every move can be used in either an agile or strong style, and Stantler needs to use Psyshield Bash at least twenty times in the agile style before it eventually becomes a Wyrdeer.

12 Nincada

Trainee Pokemon

Nincada is one of the first Pokemon to have an evolution that you could easily miss if you didn't know what to do. This Bug and Ground-type Pokemon was introduced in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire and evolves into Ninjask at level 20, but it also evolves into another Pokemon at the same time if you meet the requirements.

To add Nincada's other evolution to your team, you must leave an open space in your party when it evolves at level 20. This allows Nincada to also evolve into Shedinja, which is essentially the hollow shell it leaves behind after becoming Ninjask. You'll also need to make sure you have at least one Pokeball in your inventory for this Bug and Ghost-type Pokemon to dwell in.

11 Sliggoo

Soft Tissue Pokemon

Many of the Pokemon with bizarre evolution methods only have two forms, but Sliggoo is the exception to the rule. This Dragon-type Pokemon (Hisuian Sliggoo are Dragon and Steel-type) was first introduced in Pokemon X and Y and evolves from Goomy after it reaches level 40.

After raising Sliggoo to level 50, you'll need to wait for the weather to become rainy or foggy before it can evolve into Goodra. Once it gains a level under these conditions, both versions of Sliggoo will reach their final forms, but you can't use moves like Rain Dance to trigger the weather change.

10 Meltan

Hex Nut Pokemon

Pokemon Go was first released for mobile devices in 2016 and continues to be one of the most successful and consistently fun games on the market. Due to its popularity, it wasn't that big of a surprise when Meltan made its debut on the platform before appearing in any of the mainline games.

Not only did Meltan make its first appearance in Pokemon Go, but the Steel-type can only evolve in the mobile game. You can evolve it by feeding it 400 Meltan Candy, which is only obtainable in Pokemon Go. You can transfer the Pokemon into your other games, but it's impossible to evolve it without having the popular app on your phone.

9 Tyrogue

Scuffle Pokemon

Some Pokemon trainers don't look at their Pokemon's stats as often as others, but you'll need to keep an eye on Tyrogue's if you want it to evolve into a specific Pokemon. This Fighting-type has a ton of ambition and potential and can become one of three different Pokemon based on which stats it has once it reaches level 20.

If Tyrogue's attack is higher than its defense at level 20, it becomes Hitmonlee. If the opposite is true, it evolves into Hitmonchan. Finally, if both stats are equal, then it becomes Hitmontop. You may need to catch or breed a bunch of Tyrogue to obtain all three evolutions, but certain items can help you build its stats up the way you like.

8 Shelmet/Karrablast

Snail/Clamping Pokemon

Since Pokemon Red and Blue, there has been a handful of Pokemon that can only evolve after trading them with another trainer. Some of them even need to hold certain items while being traded to evolve, but Pokemon Black and White introduced two new Bug-type Pokemon known as Karrablast and Shelmet that take this method to another level.

Karrablast and Shelmet only evolve after being traded for each other. It can be kind of a hassle, but each Pokemon is usually exclusive to one game per generation, so you'll need to make the trade eventually to complete the Pokedex. Karrablast evolves into Escavalier, while Shelmet evolves into Accelgor after the trade.

7 Eevee

Evolution Pokemon

The process of evolving Eevee in any of the mainline games is usually pretty easy. Many trainers know which stones to use or what time to level an Eevee at to obtain one of its many evolutions, but some of the spin-off games use incredibly obscure methods to choose which one you end up with.

Specifically, Pokemon Go has a very interesting easter egg that allows you to choose what you're Eevee will evolve into. If you give your Eevee a certain nickname after catching it, it will be guaranteed to evolve into whatever you want it to. These nicknames are inspired by trainers in the anime and games that have prominently used Eevee's evolutions as their partners.

6 Finizen

Dolphin Pokemon

Finizen is an adorable blue dolphin Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It can sense emotions using ultrasonic waves and is incredibly playful. Finizen may be one of the cutest Pokemon in the series, and its evolution doesn't look much different either - most of the time.

To evolve Finizen into Palafin, you'll need to be in Scarlet and Violet's Union Circle - the multiplayer mode - and have the Water-type Pokemon reach level 38 or higher. Palafin looks very similar to its first form, but its unique Zero to Hero ability allows it to take on a new form entirely if you switch the Pokemon out during a battle. It reverts to its regular form once the battle is over.

5 Gimmighoul

Coin Chest/Coin Hunter Pokemon

In the lead-up to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's release, they launched a special website that eventually revealed Gimmighoul as one of the generation's newest creatures. This unique Pokemon is often found in the open world of Paldea handing out coins and can be caught in its Chest From on top of certain watchtowers scattered throughout the land.

This Ghost-type Pokemon is not very strong on its own, and you could easily raise it to level 75 without knowing how to evolve it into its final form. As mentioned before, Gimmighoul likes to hide around Pokemon Centers and other areas. You'll need to find them and collect 999 Gimmighoul coins to have your money-obsessed Pokemon evolve into the Steel and Ghost-type Gholdengo.

4 Milcery

Cream Pokemon

If you've ever tried your hand at baking, then you know it's a complicated hobby that requires attention to detail and patience. The same can be said about Milcery, an adorable Fairy-type Pokemon that was first seen in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

You will first need to give your Milcery 1 of 7 different Sweet held items, then spin in place with your character, which will eventually cause Milcery to evolve into one 1 of 63 different forms. The look of your Alcremie is determined by the type of item Milcery is holding, the direction you spin, how long you spin for, and finally, what time of day it is when you spin.

3 Galarian Farfetch'd

Wild Duck Pokemon

Fans have been clamoring for the Kanto regions Farfetch'd to receive some evolutionary love, and thanks to Pokemon Sword and Shield, it finally did. Galarian Farfetch'd evolve into a creature known as Sirfetch'd, but interested trainers must understand it's an involved and sometimes grueling process.

You must have your Galarian Farfetch'd get three critical hits in the same battle for it to evolve. This can be made easier by finding the Leek item that boosts the Pokemon's chances of landing a critical hit on their opponent in battle.

2 Galarian Yamask

Spirit Pokemon

Yamask was first introduced in Pokemon Black and White and evolved into Cofagrigus once it reached level 34, but its Galarian form can evolve into something completely different if you know what to do. The steps it takes to add Runerigus to your party may be a bit convoluted, but it's worth it to have the powerful Ground and Ghost-type on your side.

Those who want to acquire Runerigus must have their Galarian Yamask take at least 49 health points of damage without being knocked out, then be transported under a large stone arch in the Dusty Bowl area in Galar. Self-inflicted damage from moves like Curse does not count towards the HP loss required for the evolution.

1 Inkay

Revolving Pokemon

From spinning around in circles to receiving a certain amount of recoil damage, certain Pokemon have odd evolution methods, but none are as bizarre as Inkay's. This squid-like Pokemon was introduced in Pokemon X and Y and requires you to hold your console upside down after it reaches level 30 for it to evolve.

The 3DS and Switch have a built-in gyro sensor that allows them to determine whether the console is upside down or not, though future consoles might not have this feature and could make evolving Inkay nearly impossible. Its evolved form, Malamar, is a Dark and Psychic-Type Pokemon and even resembles an inverted Inkay.