How to evolve Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Steven Rondina Published 28/01/2022

Evolution screen in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

An important question for players who are getting into Pokemon Legends: Arceus is how to evolve Pokemon. We can help you to learn how.

Pokemon evolution has always worked the same way in the mainline Pokemon games. A Pokemon will level up in battle and, if the right conditions are met, an animation will begin that shows the Pokemon’s evolution. Either that, or the player uses an item and the evolution is automatically triggered.

Evolution items still work the same as in previous Pokemon games and can be used to evolve the likes of Scyther into Kleavor. But Pokemon that evolve by leveling up won’t just automatically evolve after hitting that mark in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

Thankfully, it’s not any more difficult to do if you know how. Here’s how to evolve Pokemon in Legends: Arceus.

Evolve Pokemon through the menus in Legends: Arceus

To evolve a Pokemon in Legends: Arceus, open up the menu using the up button on the control pad and select the “Evolve” option.

After fulfilling the prerequisites for evolution, players can trigger the evolution for their Pokemon through the party menu. Here’s the exact method:

Press the up button on the control pad
Use the control pad to select the Pokemon that is ready to evolve, press A
Select the “Evolve” option

Evolve appears in Pokemon Legends: Arceus alongside other options such as “Check Summary” and “Change Moves.” This will only appear once the Pokemon has fulfilled to prerequisites for evolution, which is reaching a certain level in the vast majority of cases.

For most Pokemon the level requirements for evolving them remain the same as they did in previous games. Some Pokemon do have other methods for evolution based on gameplay mechanics.

After a Pokemon is ready to be evolved, the player will be notified while playing. The left side of the screen will show an alert saying that the Pokemon is “ready to evolve.” The Pokeball icon next to the Pokemon in the party menu will also glow yellow, indicating that evolution is possible.

As ever, when Pokemon evolve they become a stronger version of themselves and can potentially learn new moves. Players may also want to evolve multiple Pokemon of the same species, as this can help them increase research levels in the Pokedex.

Should I always evolve Pokemon?

Players shouldn’t instantly evolve Pokemon in this game.

While it might be tempting to instantly get stronger Pokemon, make sure to check the Pokedex before evolving a Pokemon. For starters and other rare or hard-to-find Pokemon, it might be worth holding off and raising the research level to 10 before committing to evolution.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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