New Pokemon have arrived. That means that new mechanics have had the chance to join the game as well. So far, the new additions come in UI tweaks, new berries, new costume options, and evolution stones. The most interesting of which is the latter. Now, some of the new Pokemon evolutions require more than just some candy. Even with the required candy, the next step is completely locked away until you get your hand on the proper evolution item.
These special items can be found only in PokeStops. So don’t worry, this isn’t a way for Niantic to get money out of you. So far, though, the reports coming in show that these stones and such are fairly rare drops. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to fight that RNG if you want to catch ’em all.
Don’t sweat too much. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the available items. We’ve also pointed out exactly which Pokemon needs them in order to evolve. There are 5 such items in total, and there are 7 Pokemon who need one of these stones. Check out the full list if you need a helping hint about what to look for.
- Metal Coat
- Onix -> Steelix
- Scyther -> Scizor
- King’s Rock
- Slowpoke -> Slowking
- Poliwhirl -> Politoed
- Dragon’s Scale
- Seadra -> Kingdra
- Sun Stone
- Gloom -> Bellossom
- Upgrade
- Porygon -> Porygon2
One important aspect to keep in mind is that about half of these Pokemon evolve from earlier forms. These include Slowpoke, Poliwhirl, and Gloom. So if you’ve released anything short of the final evolution, you have a bit more work to do, evolution item or not. The other struggle will be to figure out if you want to use your Metal Coat on your Onix or you Scyther. Already, you can see how this new addition to Pokemon GO adds a new element to the game. Right now, it seems like a fun adventure. Let’s hope that doesn’t change into heartbreaking frustration later.