Pokémon Pokopia: How to Evolve Pokémon

Pokémon Pokopia offers gameplay that's quite different from what we're used to in Game Freak's series. So, if you've only just started playing, you may be wondering how Pokémon evolution works in this entry, or how to obtain the different stages of the evolutionary lines available in the Pokédex. The answer is a little unusual, so in this entry of our guide, we'll explain everything you need to know.

How to Get Evolved Pokémon in Pokopia

The usual evolution methods from the Pokémon series aren't available in Pokémon Pokopia. In other words, the game has no evolution mechanics as such, so you can't evolve the different creatures you attract to your world...

That doesn't mean you can't obtain every stage of a Pokémon's evolutionary line, of course. You can still get evolved Pokémon such as Charizard, Greninja, and Gyarados, as well as special evolutions such as Steelix or Scizor. You simply need to remember that you don't have to level Pokémon up or use evolution items, as you would in many other games in the series.

Instead, all you need to do to get evolved Pokémon is make them appear directly in their favorite habitats. As you probably already know, every Pokémon in Pokopia can appear when you create habitats containing certain elements and objects. This applies both to base-stage Pokémon and their evolved forms, including special evolutions.

Let's use an example to make this completely clear: suppose you want to get Gurdurr, Timburr's direct evolution. In a traditional Pokémon game, you would have to level Timburr up to level 25 to evolve it. In Pokopia, however, that isn't necessary. Both Pokémon can appear when you create the habitat called "Boulder-shaded Tall Grass." Gurdurr is rarer, though, so it won't appear in this type of habitat as often, and you may need to try more than once before it shows up.

The same applies to many of the other evolved Pokémon available in the game. You simply need to create the appropriate habitat for each one—you can check our guide to find out which habitats they prefer and what their requirements are—and then wait for the Pokémon to visit with a little luck. Once it does, you can befriend it and register it in the Pokédex.

So, in Pokopia, forget about traditional evolution methods and focus on creating every habitat if you want to complete the Pokédex. Now you know!