Starting with the The Lustrous Odyssey Event, Dusk Form Lycanroc will become available in Pokémon GO. Starting with this event, some Rockruff that Trainers hatch or encounter will be able to evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc instead of Midday Form or Midnight Form Lycanroc.
Niantic’s official announcement left a lot of us confused, as it doesn’t offer a clear explanation of how you will be able to get a Dusk Form Lycanroc, nor what will happen with the Rockruff you already have.
Let’s clear the confusion, and go through the ways to get the new Lycanroc Form, and how you can get the older Midnight and Midday Forms.
How to get Dusk Form Lycanroc in Pokémon GO
Lycanroc (Dusk)
Starting with the Lustrous Odyssey event, some newly caught, or newly hatched, Rockruff will be able to evolve into a Dusk Form Lycanroc.
There is no special requirement to evolve it – if you are lucky enough to hatch or catch a Rockruff with this evolution trait, you will be able to evolve it. Unfortunately, this means that no Rockruff you currently have are able to evolve into a Dusk Form Lycanroc.
You will need a newly caught (or hatched) Rockruff with this evolution option. If you are lucky enough to get one, when you tap on Rockruff, the option to evolve it into Dusk Form will be available.
So does this mean your current Rockruffs won’t be able to evolve into Dusk Form when the Lustrous Odyssey Event starts? Yes, only new ones have the “chance” of being able to evolve (based on the current wording).
Additionally, these Rockruff won’t be able to evolve into Midday Form or Midnight Form Lycanroc. They will only be able to evolve into Dusk Form.
During the event, you will be able to catch a special Rockruff from:
- 2 km and 7 km Eggs – Rockruff hatched from these Eggs have a chance to evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc.
- Field Research encounters – Some Rockruff caught from Field Research rewards will be able to evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc instead of Midday Form or Midnight Form Lycanroc.
Why Niantic decide to handle Dusk Form like this?
In the main series games, not all Rockruff are created equal. Rockruff can have a range of abilities, and the ability they have influences which Lycanroc form they can evolve into.
Rockruff with the Abilities Keen Eye, Vital Spirit, or Steadfast evolve into:
- Midday Form Lycanroc when leveled up during the day.
- Midnight Form Lycanroc when leveled up at night.
Rockruff with the Ability Own Tempo evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc when leveled up during the evening.
Niantic decided to implement this mechanic in Pokémon GO, but since Pokémon GO doesn’t have abilities, they decided to follow a different path in implementing it. We are not terribly happy with this decision, as there is too much randomness in obtaining a Rockruff that can evolve into Dusk Form.
How to get Midnight and Midday Form Lycanroc in Pokémon GO
Unlike the Dusk Form Lycanroc, Midnight and Midday Forms can be evolved by following the time of day evolutions for Rockruff which allow this type of evolution.
In order to get them, you need a Rockruff which supports this evolution, which includes all Rockruff caught before January 6, 2024, and some caught after.
If you decide to evolve these Rockruff, you need to follow this rule:
- Evolve a Rockruff during the day to get a Midday Form Lycanroc
- Evolve a Rockruff during the night to get a Midnight Form Lycanroc
Which Lycanroc form should I get?
All three Lycanroc forms are very similar in terms of DPS output, and they can more or less be used interchangeably. With that being said, they are not great. Lycanroc is a Rock-type Pokémon, and it lands in an unfortunate position of not being great, nor terrible.
Comparatively, Lycanroc performs similarly to Golem, Aerodactyl, Rhydon, Aggron, Omastar, and Hisuian Avalugg. None of these Pokémon are great attackers, and they mostly fall into C or D tiers in our Best Attackers Tier List.
Lycanroc’s best moveset across all forms is Rock Throw Rock and Stone Edge Rock, and you probably want it for Raids. For PvP, you want any other moveset, but chances are you will be running something else than Lycanroc in PvP – Regirock, Tyranitar, Aurorus are all better options if you really need a Rock type there.
Stat comparison
Although they are very similar in stats, Lycanroc’s forms have some flavorfull differences:
| Pokémon | Max CP | ATK | DEF | STA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lycanroc (Dusk)
|
3054 | 234 | 139 | 181 | 554 |
Lycanroc (Midnight)
|
3102 | 218 | 152 | 198 | 568 |
Lycanroc (Midday)
|
3027 | 231 | 140 | 181 | 552 |
Midnight Form Lycanroc has a better, more rounded stat spread when compared to Dusk and Midday forms, but it deals less damage due to having a lower Attack stat. Dusk Form and Midday forms are almost the same, with Dusk form having a slight edge due to +3 Attack stat.
Overall, these differences are negligible, especially when you compare it to the golden standard of Rock-type attackers – Tyranitar, Rhyperior, and Rampardos:
| Pokémon | Max CP | ATK | DEF | STA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tyranitar
|
4335 | 251 | 207 | 225 | 683 |
Rhyperior
|
4221 | 241 | 190 | 251 | 682 |
Rampardos
|
3728 | 295 | 109 | 219 | 623 |
We think it is clear from these two tables that you should not worry too much about powering up Lycanroc, regardless of which form you get.
It’s an excellently designed Pokémon, beloved by many, but it is unfortunately it is not worth your Stardust.
How do shiny Dusk, Midday, and Midnight Form Lycanroc look like in Pokémon GO
Shiny Rockruff is available in Pokémon GO since the Season of Alola was a thing, back in March 2022. Getting a shiny Rockruff is very difficult, but it is possible, and it unlocks shiny forms of Lycanroc. Here’s a visual comparison:
| Pokémon | Regular | Shiny |
|---|---|---|
Rockruff
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Lycanroc (Dusk)
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Lycanroc (Midnight)
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Lycanroc (Midday)
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