Given that there are now over 230 Pokeémon available in-game, some 'Pokémon GO' players are now shifting from the "Gotta catch 'em all" mentality to evolving and maximizing the stats of the critters in their inventory, particularly with the Gym update that's slated to arrive later this year. However, evolving Pokémon is not just a matter of feeding them candies and hoping for the best. This guide gives tips on how to be strategic in playing the game.
The basic principle in Gyms is to have high combat power in order to defeat the current defender and stay on top for as long as possible. In order to have a good chance of gaining a victory, the Pokémon have to reach a combat power of 3,000 or more, which can be achieved through evolution and powering up.
The Gen 2 update introduced special items that can be used to evolve Pokémon. The problem with these is that they have a low drop rate. A good strategy to get more would be to visit PokéStops during special events, as events usually bring a higher drop rate for these items.
According to iMore, it is better to evolve Pokémon first before powering them up. This is because doing so will mean using less Stardust later on in raising Combat Power. Furthermore, the publication also said not to boost evolved Pokémon from the get-go. Instead, it advised players to wait for Pokémon with higher stats because higher stats will also bring higher combat power when the Pokémon evolved. Players can approach their Team Leader to have their Pokémon appraised to see which of these has the highest stats in terms of stamina, attack, and defense.
While waiting, players can collect the items for the third stage of evolution so that they will already have them on hand once players decide which Pokémon they will level up.
Unfortunately, there is no way to get candy other than grinding. Players will need to ensure that the candy they are collecting actually matches the Pokémon they want to evolve, otherwise, their efforts will be wasted. Stardust, on the other hand, is generic and can be used on any Pokémon.
