Learn how to make the most of Mega Evolution’s mega benefits to Pokémon GO Trainers.
It’s impossible not to get fired up watching your orange
Fire- and Flying-type Charizard suddenly change its appearance to a black Fire-
and Dragon-type behemoth with substantially higher strength. Unlike evolving
your Pokémon, which is permanent, Mega Evolution offers you an opportunity to temporarily
exceed the normal boundaries of Evolution—and it comes with some pretty sweet
benefits.
Mega Evolution was first introduced to the Pokémon world in
2013 with the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games. The ability to bring
Mega-Evolved Pokémon into battle came to Pokémon GO in August
2020, and since then the process has been fine-tuned to make Mega Evolving Pokémon
easier and more beneficial for Trainers.
To make the most of this exciting process in Pokémon GO, you’ll
first need to become a Mega Evolution master. Read on to learn how.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Is Mega Evolution?
Mega Evolution is a temporary process that increases a
Pokémon’s CP, typically lasting for eight hours. The Pokémon’s HP does not
change. Some Pokémon temporarily change type while Mega Evolved, which is important
to consider when planning a Mega Raid Battle lineup. For example, the Dragon-
and Flying-type Altaria becomes the Dragon- and Fairy-type Mega Altaria. And the
Fire- and Flying-type Charizard has two possible Mega Evolutions: the Fire- and
Dragon-type Charizard X and the Fire- and Flying-type Charizard Y.
Click image to enlarge
Essentially, Mega Evolution in Pokémon GO makes your Pokémon
stronger and kickstarts certain bonuses that remain active while your Pokémon
is Mega Evolved. The exact bonuses depend on your Pokémon’s Mega Level—see
“Understanding Mega Levels in Pokémon GO” for more information.
Just as some Pokémon evolve while others do not, some
Pokémon can Mega Evolve while others cannot. Moreover, Shadow Pokémon can’t Mega Evolve regardless of
species. For a full list of Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, see “Pokémon That Can
Mega Evolve in Pokémon GO.”
How to Collect Mega Energy in Pokémon GO
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You’ll need a certain amount of Mega Energy before you can
Mega Evolve a Pokémon, and there are a few different ways to acquire it. The most
accessible option is to participate in Mega Raids, which are Raid Battles that
feature Mega-Evolved Pokémon. At the end of a successful Mega Raid, you’ll earn
Mega Energy for that Pokémon regardless of whether or not you catch the
Mega-Evolved Pokémon. The faster you defeat the Raid Boss, the more Mega Energy
you’ll receive, so be sure to invite friends and plan your lineup carefully. Depending
on how quickly you defeat the Raid Boss, you can expect to earn between 150 and
250 Mega Energy per successful raid.
To find a Mega Raid, look for tan-and-brown Eggs with the
Mega Energy symbol appearing above Gyms. In some cases, a single successful
Mega Raid will give you enough Mega Energy to Mega Evolve your Pokémon, while other
Pokémon will require more. The exact number of Mega Raid Battles you’ll need to
win depends on how much Mega Energy you earn after each raid and how much Mega
Energy a given Pokémon requires. You can track your Pokémon’s Mega Energy right
next to where that Pokémon’s Candy and Candy XL are displayed.
Note that you can also earn Mega Energy by completing certain
Field Research and Timed Research tasks. Once you’ve collected enough Mega
Energy, your Pokémon will be ready to Mega Evolve.
How to Mega Evolve Pokémon in Pokémon GO
As mentioned before, not every Pokémon can Mega Evolve. You
can use the “Can Mega Evolve” tag from the search field to find out which of
your Pokémon (if any) are capable of Mega Evolution. To open the search field,
first tap the Main Menu button in Map View, then tap the Pokémon button,
and finally tap the Magnifying Glass button at the top of your list. From
there, simply click the Can Mega Evolve button featuring a Mega Energy
icon and choose the Pokémon you’d like to Mega Evolve.
Click image to enlarge
When you’re looking at a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, the amount
of Mega Energy required for Mega Evolution will appear beneath the green Power
Up tab. Simply tap the pink Mega Evolve tab, then tap Yes on
the confirmation screen that appears. Your Pokémon will undergo Mega Evolution,
which lasts for eight hours. Only one of your Pokémon may be Mega Evolved at a
time, so if you choose to Mega Evolve a different Pokémon before the eight
hours is over, the first Mega-Evolved Pokémon will return to its previous state.
Mega Evolved Pokémon are extremely useful in Raid Battles,
especially against powerful Legendary Pokémon that can be difficult to defeat
otherwise. Fortunately, you can also Mega Evolve your Pokémon while waiting in
the Raid Lobby, which is an extremely useful way to make some last-minute preparations.
When looking at your Battle Party, the Mega Energy icon will appear to the left
of the lineup if one of your Pokémon can Mega Evolve. Simply tap the Mega
Energy button to see which Pokémon are ready for Mega Evolution and Mega Evolve
your Pokémon before the Raid Battle begins.
How to Use Mega-Evolved Pokémon in Pokémon GO
Mega-Evolved Pokémon can be used in Gyms, raids, and Trainer
Battles. Although Mega-Evolved Pokémon generally can’t be used in the GO Battle
League, exceptions for special events may apply. Given that Mega Evolution
lasts for eight hours and often comes with a Mega Energy cost, it makes sense
to get as much use out of each Mega Evolution as possible. Raid Hours, which typically
happen on Wednesdays from 6:00–7:00 p.m. local time, are an excellent
opportunity to Mega Evolve effectively. Just make sure that your Mega-Evolved
Pokémon has a type advantage against the Pokémon featured in that week’s five-star
raids.
Bringing a Mega-Evolved Pokémon into Raid Battles can have a
significant impact: other Trainers’ Pokémon will receive a stat boost, with an
even higher bonus applied to allied Pokémon that share a type with your
Mega-Evolved Pokémon. Note, however, that these effects are not cumulative—if multiple
Trainers utilize Mega Evolution in a Raid Battle, the stat boosts will remain
the same as for a raid with only one Mega-Evolved Pokémon in it.
You’ll receive more Candy and XP for catching Pokémon that
share a type with a Mega-Evolved Pokémon during its Mega Evolution period. At a
high enough Trainer level, you can also gain an increased chance to earn Candy XL
for Mega-Evolved Pokémon that have reached High Level or Max Level. If you have
a Mega Blastoise that has reached High Level, for example, you’ll earn extra
Candy and XP when you catch Water-type Pokémon during its Mega Evolution period.
Take advantage of these benefits by using a Lucky Egg or Pinap Berries to
quickly accumulate Candy and XP.
Understanding Mega Levels in Pokémon GO
Your Pokémon’s Mega Levels increase the more frequently you
Mega Evolve them. There are three Mega Levels—Base Level, High Level, and Max
Level—which apply to individual Pokémon rather than an entire species. For
instance, even if one of your Mega Lopunny reaches Max Level, the rest of your
Lopunny will still have to Mega Evolve to increase their Mega Levels
individually.
After you Mega Evolve a Pokémon for the first time, you can
Mega Evolve it again without Mega Energy after a rest period. Pokémon at the
Base Level have a rest period of seven days, but you can also use a reduced
amount of Mega Energy to Mega Evolve your Pokémon before then. The Mega Energy
required to Mega Evolve a Pokémon will decrease as the Pokémon’s rest period
becomes shorter, and a Pokémon’s rest periods will become shorter as its Mega
Level increases the more it Mega Evolves.
While viewing one of your Pokémon that has Mega Evolved, tap
the Mega Energy icon to the left of your Pokémon. There you’ll find all the key
information you need: its Mega Level, its remaining Mega Evolution period or the
time left in its rest period, its Mega Evolution bonuses, and the number of
Mega Evolutions required before it can reach the next Mega Level. A Pokémon
that you haven’t Mega Evolved won’t display this icon or information, but if it’s
ready to Mega Evolve for the first time, you’ll see the pink Mega Evolve tab
below the green Power Up tab.
Click image to enlarge
As your Pokémon’s Mega Level increases, it will earn
additional bonuses, its Mega Evolution rest period will decrease, and it will enjoy
a reduced Mega Energy cost to Mega Evolve. For example, below is a list of what
you can expect from a Mega Beedrill at each Mega Level.
-
1 Mega Evolution required
-
Catch Candy Bonus (1)
-
Boosted Ally Attacks (10–30%)
-
7-day Mega Evolution rest period
-
Reduced Mega Energy to Mega Evolve (20)
-
7 Mega Evolutions required
-
Catch Candy Bonus (1)
-
Boosted Ally Attacks (10–30%)
-
5-day Mega Evolution rest period
-
Greatly reduced Mega Energy cost (10)
-
Great XL Candy Chance (10%)
-
Catch XP Bonus (50 XP)
-
30 Mega Evolutions required
-
Enhanced Catch Candy bonus (2)
-
Boosted Ally Attacks (10–30%)
-
3-day Mega Evolution rest period
-
Massively reduced Mega Energy cost (5)
-
Excellent Candy XL Chance (25%)
-
Enhanced Catch XP Bonus (100 XP)
Different Pokémon will have their own Mega Level requirements,
Mega Evolution rest period lengths, Mega Energy costs, and bonuses. It’s a good
idea to take notes for each Pokémon you want to Mega Evolve.
Pokémon That Can Mega Evolve in Pokémon GO
The following Pokémon can Mega Evolve in Pokémon GO and will
remain their original type unless otherwise noted.
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-
Venusaur (Grass/Poison)
-
Charizard (Fire/Flying) → Mega Charizard X (Fire/Dragon) or Mega Charizard Y
-
Blastoise (Water)
-
Beedrill (Bug/Poison)
-
Pidgeot (Normal/Flying)
-
Slowbro (Water/Psychic)
-
Gengar (Ghost/Poison)
-
Kangaskhan (Normal)
-
Gyarados (Water/Flying) → Mega Gyarados (Water/Dark)
-
Aerodactyl (Rock/Flying)
-
Ampharos (Electric) → Mega Ampharos (Electric/Dragon)
-
Steelix (Steel/Ground)
-
Houndoom (Dark/Fire)
-
Manectric (Electric)
-
Altaria (Dragon/Flying) → Mega Altaria (Dragon/Fairy)
-
Absol (Dark)
-
Latias (Dragon/Psychic)
-
Latios (Dragon/Psychic)
-
Lopunny (Normal)
-
Abomasnow (Grass/Ice)
Now that
you’re a Mega Evolution master, enjoy Mega Evolving your Pokémon and good luck
with your next Mega Raid Battle! Remember to check Pokemon.com/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game,
and Pokémon TCG tips.
Source: Pokemon
