Key Takeaways

• Some Pokemon in Pokemon GO require astronomical amounts of Candy to evolve, such as Magikarp to Gyarados needing 400.
• Certain evolutions like Gurdurr to Conkeldurr require 200 Candy, with a worthwhile payoff for strong Fighting type Pokemon.
• Candy in Pokemon GO can be acquired through catching, hatching, transferring, evolving, using Rare Candy, walking Buddy Pokemon, feeding berries, trading, with higher levels earning Candy XL.

The augmented reality mobile video game Pokemon Go is one of the most popular mobile games around and has been since released back in 2016. It was developed and published by Niantic with help from Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. There are over 600 Pokemon to obtain at the moment, many of which require evolving.

To evolve certain Pokemon in Pokemon GO, the trainer needs Candy. This is a consumable resource unique to the specific Pokemon’s family (that also strengthens the Pokemon). Candy is acquired through capturing, hatching, transferring, evolving, using Rare Candy, walking Buddy Pokemon, feeding Pokemon berries, and trading. Many Pokemon only need some Candy for evolution — but some need astronomical amounts.

Updated on October 3, 2024, by Ben Painter:Pokemon Go remains a favorite game among fans. Whether they are casual players who like to play while out on a walk or hardcore fans who dedicate time to collecting and leveling up all the available ‘mons, some Pokemon in those games require a few candies to evolve, the first stage of a three-stage evolution, for example. But others require an obscene amount, which requires a lot of time and effort to acquire. This update adds three more of the Pokemon, which are the most expensive to evolve in Pokemon Go.

20 Seadra To Kingdra

100 Candies

• Type: Water/Dragon
• Best Fast Attack: Waterfall
• Best Charged Attack: Hydro Pump

Seadra is a Water-type Pokemon that evolves into Kingdra (Water and Dragon-type) after eating a decent amount of Candy — 100, to be precise. Also, this greedy little seahorse requires a Dragon Scale too.

Its Quick moves are Dragon Breath (Dragon), Waterfall (Water), and Water Gun (Water). Kingdra’s Charge moves are Blizzard (Ice), Hydro Pump (Water), Outrage (Dragon), and Octazooka (Water).

At Level 50, it has a Max CP of 2,986, an Attack of 194, a Defense of 194, and a Stamina of 181. Kingdra does alright in the Great League, and even better in the Ultra League. There are better Water-type and Dragon-type Pokemon out there, but the dual typing does wonders. As for the Master League, do not even bother. It will perish disastrously.

19 Magneton To Magnezone

100 Candies

• Type: Electric/Steel
• Best Fast Attack: Volt Switch
• Best Charged Attack: Zap Cannon

Magneton is an Electric and Steel-type Pokemon that evolves into Magnezone after consuming a lot of Candy — 100 actually. (Magneton itself evolves from Magnemite after eating 25 Candy a too, so it is more like 125 Candy!) On top of that, this entitled cluster of magnets requires the trainer to evolve it while in range of a PokeStop that has the Magnetic Lure Module attached.

Magnezone’s Quick moves are Charge Beam (Electric) and Spark (Electric). Its Charge moves are Flash Cannon (Steel), Mirror Shot (Steel), Wild Charge (Electric), and Zap Cannon (Electric).

At Level 50, Magnezone has a Max CP of 3,623, an Attack of 238, a Defense of 205, and a Stamina of 172. It actually does okay in the Great League and performs even better in the Master League. Magnezone, however, does less than okay in the Ultra League.

18 Snorunt To Froslass

100 Candies

• Type: Ice/Ghost
• Best Fast Attack: Hex
• Best Charged Attack: Shadow Ball

Snorunt is an Ice-type Pokemon that evolves into Froslass (Ice and Ghost-type) after swallowing a hundred (100) Candy. But if that Snorunt is male? Nope. It will become a Glalie (Ice-type). Female though? Froslass! However, there is one more thing it requires: a Sinnoh Stone.

Froslass’s Quick moves are Powder Snow (Ice) and Hex (Ghost). Its Charge moves are Shadow Ball (Ghost), Avalance (Ice), and Crunch (Dark).

At Level 50, Froslass has a Max CP of 2,306, an Attack of 238, a Defense of 205, and a Stamina of 172. When competing in the Great League, it battles nicely!

17 Kirlia To Gallade

100 Candies

• Type: Psychic/Fighting
• Best Fast Attack: Charm/Confusion
• Best Charged Attack: Close Combat

Kirlia is a Psychic-type Pokemon that evolves into Gallade (Psychic and Fighting-type) after munching on a whopping 100 Candy. (Kirlia itself evolves from Ralts after consuming 25 Candy too, so it is really 125 Candy!) However, Kirlia needs to be male, because if it is female then it will evolve into Gardevoir. Also, Kirlia needs a Sinnoh Stone on top of everything else.

Gallade’s Quick moves are Low Kick (Fighting), Confusion (Psychic), and Charm (Fairy). Its Charge moves are Psychic (Psychic), Leaf Blade (Grass), Close Combat (Fighting), and Sycnhronoise (Psychic). When in Shadow mode, Gallade has Frustration (Normal), and Return (Normal) when Purified.

At Level 50, Gallade has a Max CP of 3,497, an Attack of 237, a Defense of 195, and a Stamina of 169. All around, it is not bad in competitions. Gallade performs mediocrely in the Master League, decently in the Ultra League, and better than average in the Great League.

16 Feebas To Milotic

100 Candies

• Type: Water
• Best Fast Attack: Waterfall
• Best Charged Attack: Hyper Beam

Feebas is a Water-type Pokemon that evolves into Milotic once it stomachs around a hundred Candy, give or take (not actually, 100 on the dot). That being said, this ugly little fish needs more than just sweets to become a big beautiful serpent. The trainer must walk an extraordinary distance with Feebas as their buddy — 20 kilometers!

Milotic’s Quick moves are Dragon Tail (Dragon), Waterfall (Water), and Water Gun (Water). Its Charge moves are Hyper Beam (Normal), Blizzard (Ice), and Surf (Water).

At Level 50, Milotic has a Max CP of 3,398, an Attack of 192, a Defense of 219, and a Stamina of 216. Unfortunately, it fights poorly in every competition (Great League, Ultra League, and Master League). Milotic will survive a bit in the Ultra League and Master League, but there are just better choices out there for Water-type Pokemon.

15 Pumpkaboo To Gourgeist

200 Candies

• Type: Grass/Ghost
• Best Fast Attack: Razor Leaf
• Best Charged Attack: Fire Blast/Poltergeist

This Halloween-inspired Pokemon was released in October of 2021, and it is a unique Pokemon as it comes in four different sizes: Small, Average, Large and Super. Something for gamers to collect, and each one as a shiny as well. Gourgeist cannot be caught on its own, and it must be located as a Pumpkaboo and then evolved. Which will take 200 Candies, or if gamers prefer, they could trade with a friend instead to evolve it that way.

When using a Gourgeist in battle, it has the Quick moves of Hex (Ghost) and Razor Leaf (Grass). It also has access to the Charged moves: Fire Blast (Fire), Foul Play (Dark), Poltergeist (Ghost), Seed Bomb (Grass) and Shadow Ball (Ghost).

It has a Max CP of 2,633, and when at level 50, there is nothing to write home about with a 171 Attack, 219 Defense, and 146 Stamina at maximum rating. Unfortunately, it does not perform well in the Ultra League or the Master League, and there are better choices for Pokemon of its type.

14 Phantump To Trevenant

200 Candies

• Type: Ghost/Grass
• Best Fast Attack: Shadow Claw
• Best Charged Attack: Shadow Ball

Another Pokemon which will take 200 Candies to evolve is Phantump to Trevenant, but this can be avoided if gamers have someone to trade with. Leaving all the Candies gained from catching Phantump to leveling up to get the best Trevenant possible. There is nothing extra needed for this tree, so this is a fairly straightforward evolution, albeit the amount of Candies.

There is not a lot of room for movement when it comes to its attacks. Its Quick moves are Shadow Claw (Ghost) and Sucker Punch (Dark). Its Charged attacks are Foul Play (Dark), Seed Bomb (Grass) and Shadow Ball, not too many variations here, but some powerful attacks for those Gym Battles, Team Rocket Grunts or PVP Battles.

The Ghost/Grass type haunted tree has a max CP of 2893 at level 50 and can reach heights of 201 Attack, 154 Defense and 198 Stamina. It can shine in the Great League but struggles in the Ultra League or Master League.

13 Shelmet To Accelgor

200 Candies

• Type: Bug
• Best Fast Attack: Infestation/Water Shuriken
• Best Charged Attack: Focus Blast

Gamers will need 200 Candy to evolve Shelmet into Accelgor, however, there is a way around this through trade, requiring no candies at all. This may be difficult without a friend who also plays the game.

Accelgor is a Bug type and has Acid (Poison) and Infestation (Bug) as its Quick Moves. With Bug Buzz (Bug), Signal Beam (Bug), Focus Blast (Fighting) and Acid Spray (Poison) as its Charge Moves.

Its Max CP is 2,441 with 220 Attack, 120 Defense and 190 Stamina, sadly not a great Pokemon with a lot of weaknesses thanks to its Bug typing. If players cannot trade to evolve, then gathering 200 candies for this may not be worth it at all.

12 Karrablast To Escavalier

200 Candies

• Type: Bug/Steel
• Best Fast Attack: Counter
• Best Charged Attack: Megahorn

Another Bug Pokemon and just like Shelmet, Karrablast requires 200 Candy to evolve into its second form Escavalier, but this can be completely skipped with a trade. Karrablast and Shelmet, in the mainline games only evolve in a trade with each other.

Escavalier gains the Steel secondary typing with this evolution and its Quick Moves are Bug Bite (Bug) and Counter (Fighting). Megahorn (Bug), Aerial Ace (Flying), Drill Run (Ground) and Acid Spray (Poison) make up its pool of Charged Attacks, offering a wide coverage of types.

It can reach a Max CP of 2,889 with 223 Attack, 187 Defense and 172 Stamina, a better Pokemon overall than its sibling Accelgor. If gamers need to choose between the two, then Escavalier is the way to go.

11 Poipole To Naganadel

200 Candies

• Type: Poison/Dragon
• Best Fast Attack: Air Slash
• Best Charged Attack: Acrobatics

This Poison/Dragon-type Pokemon is an Ultra Beast and will evolve from Poipole when fed 200 Candies, but gamers must also catch 20 Dragon-type Pokemon while walking with it as a buddy. Something that may be difficult due to Dragons being fairly rare in the wild. Gamers were given a Poipole as part of the World of Wonders special research event, so at least it was easy to acquire.

When in battle, its Quick moves are Air Slash (Flying) and Poison Jab (Poison). These Charged attacks are Dragon Claw (Dragon), Sludge Bomb (Poison), Dragon Pulse (Dragon), Acrobatics (Flying) and Fell Stinger (Bug). A lot of ways players can go when using Naganadel against other trainers.

With a max CP of 3587, it can become an awesome Pokemon to use in Pokemon Go, and it will not look out of place in the Great League or Ultra League. The Master League may be a step too far. At max level, it has 263 Attack, 159 Defense and 177 Stamina, which is not too shabby.

10 Boldore To Gigalith

200 Candies

• Type: Rock
• Best Fast Attack: Mud Slap
• Best Charged Attack: Solar Beam

200 Candy is the price to evolve Boldore into its final form of Gigalith, this is after a 50 Candy evolution from Roggenrola to Boldore.

A pure Rock type, and one of the best in the game at that. Its shiny form is certainly one of the best that GameFreak has ever produced. Mud-Slap (Ground), Smack Down (Rock) make up its Quick Move options were Rock Slide (Rock), Solar Beam (Grass), Heavy Slam (Steel) and Superpower (Fighting).

It can reach 3,228 at its Max Cp with 226 Attack, 201 Defense and Stamina 198, a great Rock type to use, and with its Rock moves it will slam down Ice, Flying, Fire and Bug ‘mons.

9 Gurdurr To Conkeldurr

200 Candies

• Type: Fighting
• Best Fast Attack: Counter
• Best Charged Attack: Focus Blast

Conkeldurr will require 200 Candy to acquire from a Gurdurr and this is after a 50 Candy evolution from a Timburr. However, this is completely worth it as fans will have a really solid Fighting type Pokemon for use in Gym Battles, Raids or in the Battle League.

It has access to Poison Jab (Poison) and Counter (Fighting) as its Quick Moves and also Stone Edge (Rock), Dynamic Punch (Fighting) and Focus Blast as its Charged Moves.

With a staggering 3,337 as its Max Cp with 243 Attack, 158, Defense and 233 Stamina, Conkeldurr will decimate Rock and Normal types, so it is worth its pricey evolution.

8 Stufful To Bewear

400 Candies

• Type: Normal/Fighting
• Best Fast Attack: Shadow Claw
• Best Charged Attack: Payback

Coming it a whopping 400 Candies is Stufful to Bewear, gamers will need to stock up on those Stufful candy to evolve into this still adorable Pokemon.

Bewear is a Normal/Fighting Pokemon, a rare combination, and its Quick Moves are Low Kick (Fighting), Shadow Claw (Ghost) and Tackle (Normal). Stomp (Normal), Superpower (Fighting), Payback (Dark) and Drain Punch (Fighting) are the options for Charged attacks.

Its Max Cp is 3,117 with 226 Attack, 141 Defense and 260 Stamina, Bewear is a solid Pokemon to use in the game with its varied moveset. If gamers were smart and used the Stufful community day to rack up those candies then Bewear’s evolution will be easily acquired.

7 Wimpod To Golisopod

400 Candies

• Type: Bug/Water
• Best Fast Attack: Waterfall
• Best Charged Attack: Liquidation

Wimpod has received a Community Day too, so fans had a great chance to boost those Candies as it will require a whopping 400 of them to evolve the tiny little bug into the bulking Golisopod.

A Bug/Water Pokemon with some solid move variation, Fury Cutter (Bug), Metal Claw (Steel), Waterfall (Water) and Shadow Claw (Ghost) are its Quick Moves. Aerial Ace (Flying), Aqua Jet (Water) and X-Scissor (Bug) make up its movepool of Charged Moves.

Its Max Cp is 3.162, but its stats are where it shines with a balanced 218 Attack, 226 Defense and 181 Stamina. Well worth the 400 Candies that it requires to evolve. Make sure to select Wimpod as the Buddy Pokemon.

6 Magikarp To Gyarados

400 Candies

• Type: Water/Flying
• Best Fast Attack: Waterfall
• Best Charged Attack: Hydro Pump

Magikarp is a Water-type Pokemon that evolves into Gyarados (Water and Flying-type) with a lot of Candy…seriously, like a lot, a lot — 400, to be exact.

Its Quick moves are Bite (Dark), Waterfall (Water), Dragon Breath (Dragon), and Dragon Tail (Dragon). Gyarados’s Charge moves are Hydro Pump (Water), Outrage (Dragon), Crunch (Dark), Twister (Dragon), Aqua Tail (Water), and Dragon Pulse (Water). When in Shadow form, it has Frustration (Normal), and when Purified, it has Return (Normal).

At Level 50, Gyarados has a Max CP of 3,834, an Attack of 171, a Defense of 150, and a Stamina of 172. While it does not do good at all in the Great League, Gyarados shines in the Ultra League and can hold its own in Master League.

5 Swablu To Altaria

400 Candies

• Type: Dragon/Flying
• Best Fast Attack: Peck
• Best Charged Attack: Moonblast

Swablu is a Flying-type Pokemon that evolves into Altaria (Dragon and Flying-type) after the little bird is stuffed with a massive amount of Candy — 400!

Its Quick moves are Dragon Breath (Dragon) and Peck (Flying). Altaria’s Charge moves are Dragon Pulse (Dragon), Dazzling Gleam (Fairy), and Sky Attack (Flying).

At Level 50, it has a Max CP of 2,266, an Attack of 141, a Defense of 201, and a Stamina of 181. Altaria does phenomenally in the Great League as well as the Ultra League. It is a must-have for those in need of a bulky fighter.

4 Wailmer To Wailord

400 Candies

• Type: Water
• Best Fast Attack: Zen Headbutt
• Best Charged Attack: Hyper Beam

Wailmer is a Water-type Pokemon that evolves into Wailord once the massive whale absorbs a boatload (pun intended) of Candy — 400 will do.

Its Quick moves are Water Gun (Water) and Zen Headbutt (Psychic). Wailord’s Charge moves are Hyper Beam (Normal), Blizzard (Ice), and Surf (Water).

At Level 50, it has a Max CP of 2,577, an Attack of 175, a Defense of 87, and a Stamina of 347. Despite Wailord’s impressively one-sided stats, it flops in the competitive leagues found in the game.

3 Noibat To Noivern

400 Candies

• Type: Flying/Dragon
• Best Fast Attack: Air Slash
• Best Charged Attack: Draco Meteor

Noibat is a Flying- and Dragon-type Pokemon that evolves into Noivern when the little bat sinks its fangs into a huge bowl of 400 Candy.

Its Quick moves are Bite (Dark) and Air Slash (Flying). Noivern’s Charge moves are Heat Wave (Fire), Psychic (Psychic), Hurricane (Flying), and Draco Meteor (Dragon).

At Level 50, it has a Max CP of 3,125, an Attack of 205, a Defense of 175, and a Stamina of 198. Noivern is unfortunately not useful in battle in any of the competitive leagues.

400 Candies

• Type: Steel
• Best Fast Attack: Thunder Shock
• Best Charged Attack: Flash Cannon

Meltan is a Steel-type Pokemon that evolves into Melmetal following the little metal fella being force-fed enough Candy to make it explode (400).

Its Quick move is Thunder Shock (Electric) Melmetal’s Charge moves are Hyper Beam (Normal), Flash Cannon (Steel), Rock Slide (Rock), Thunderbolt (Electric), and Superpower (Fighting).

At Level 50, it has a Max CP of 4,069, an Attack of 226, a Defense of 190, and a Stamina of 264. Melmetal is a strong contender in the Great League and the Ultra League, but in the Master League? It is the top dog.

1 Getting Candy & Candy XL

How To Get Candy – Catching Pokemon

There are quite a few ways to get Candy in Pokemon GO, and one of the best ways is to catch Pokemon. Here are the following yields of Candy for catching Pokemon:

• Catching a stage 1 Pokemon – Three Candy
• Catching a stage 2 Pokemon – Five Candy
• Catching a stage 3 Pokemon – 10 Candy

Players can get double the regular Candy yield if they feed the Pokemon a Pinap Berry, so be sure to use such consumables if one is Candy farming.

How To Get Candy – Hatching Eggs

Every time that a trainer hatches an egg, they get some Candy for that species, though the amount will vary depending on how many steps it takes to hatch an egg.

• Eggs that take two kilometers or less to hatch will yield between five and 15 Candy
• Eggs that take between five and seven kilometers to hatch will yield between 10 and 21 Candy
• Eggs that take between 10 and 12 kilometers to hatch will yield between 16 and 32 Candy

How To Get Candy – Trading Pokemon

This tactic won’t give players much Candy, though, if trading with another trainer who is from far away, this can be a decent method of gaining a bit of Candy.

• Trading Pokemon that were caught less than 10 kilometers from each other will yield one Candy
• Trading Pokemon that were caught between 10 kilometers and 100 kilometers from each other will yield two Candy
• Trading Pokemon that were caught more than 100 kilometers from each other will yield three Candy

How To Get Candy – Other Minor Methods

Catching Pokemon and hatching eggs are definitely the best way to acquire Candy, however, there are some other methods that can be slightly helpful.

• Transferring a Pokemon will yield one Candy
• Evolving a Pokemon will yield one Candy
• Using a Rare Candy will yield one Candy
• Players can use the Buddy mechanic to gain Candy on occasion
• Players can feed their Pokemon berries at a Gym to get Candy on the rare occasion

How To Get Candy XL

Getting this form of larger Candy will only be possible after trainers have reached level 40. Furthermore, players can only see and start farming them in earnest after acquiring at least one kind of Candy XL from a specific species.

Candy XL can be obtained through similar methods of Candy if trainers are above level 40, however, the most reliable way to farm it is to catch certain kinds of wild Pokemon while one’s owned Pokemon are high level–the higher the better.

• Catching a Pokemon at a high level can possibly yield between one and three Candy XL

It should also be mentioned that catching stage 2 Pokemon at high levels will guarantee one Candy XL while catching a stage 3 Pokemon in similar circumstances will guarantee two Candy XL. On top of this, catching a legendary or mythic Pokemon will grant a guaranteed drop of three Candy XL.