Mega Evolution, first introduced in the mainline Pokémon games, has been triumphant in the world of Pokémon GO. This transformative mechanic offers trainers the chance to take their Pokémon’s power to unparalleled heights, as they embark on a quest to unlock the potential hidden deep within their partners. With its unique blend of nostalgia, strategy, and social interaction, Mega Evolution has reignited the passion of trainers young and old.
In this article, we’ll delve deep into the phenomenon that is Mega Evolution. We’ll explore the mechanics behind this feature, its impact on gameplay, and the strategies that trainers are employing to harness their power.
Mega Evolution is a process that temporarily increases a Pokémon’s Combat Power for up to eight hours, while the HP remain the same. This means that Mega Evolution makes your Pokémon more powerful and enables certain bonuses that remain active throughout the duration of the Mega Evolution. The bonuses you get depend on your Pokémon’s Mega Level.
During the Mega Evolution, some Pokémon types may temporarily change. This is important to consider when planning a Mega Raid Battle lineup. For instance, Altaria, a Dragon and type Pokémon, becomes a Dragon and Fairy type Mega Altaria when it undergoes Mega Evolution.
Note on Primal Reversion
Primal Reversion is a type of transformation, similar to Mega Evolution, where certain Pokémon will temporarily take on a new appearance, affect weather bonuses, improve their performance in battle, and receive other unique benefits.
Please note that you can only have one Pokémon either Mega Evolved or having undergone Primal Reversion at a time.
For the purpose of the rest of this article, we will refer to ‘Mega’ however Primal Reversion works in much the same way.
Before you can Mega Evolve a Pokémon, you need to collect a certain amount of Mega Energy. There are multiple ways to acquire Mega Energy, but the most accessible option is to participate in Mega Raids. These are Raid Battles that feature Mega-Evolved Pokémon. At the end of a successful Mega Raid, you will earn Mega Energy for that Pokémon, regardless of whether you catch the Mega-Evolved Pokémon or not. The faster you defeat the Raid Boss, the more Mega Energy you will receive. So, make 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. Other Pokémon may require more Mega Energy, so the exact number of Mega Raid Battles you need to win will depend 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.
Apart from participating in Mega Raids, there are other ways to earn Mega Energy. You can earn it by completing certain Field Research and Timed Research tasks. You can also earn it by walking with your Buddy Pokémon if you have previously Mega-Evolved a Pokémon in your Buddy Pokémon’s Evolutionary line. Occasionally, spinning a PokéStop or Gym may yield 5 Mega Beedrill Energy. Completing a tier 5 raid may also reward Mega Energy, Blastoise currently.
Once you have collected enough Mega Energy, you can use it to Mega Evolve your Pokémon.
Not all Pokémon are capable of Mega Evolution. You can check this by using the “Can Mega Evolve” tag from the search field. To access this, 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, click the Can Mega Evolve button featuring a Mega Energy icon and choose the Pokémon you’d like to Mega Evolve.
If a Pokémon can Mega Evolve, the amount of Mega Energy required for Mega Evolution will be shown beneath the green Power Up tab. Simply tap the pink Mega Evolve tab, then tap Yes on the confirmation screen that appears. The Mega Evolution lasts for eight hours, and during this time, only one of your Pokémon can be Mega Evolved. If you choose to Mega Evolve a different Pokémon before the eight hours are up, the first Mega-Evolved Pokémon will return to its previous state.
Mega Evolved Pokémon are extremely helpful in Raid Battles, particularly against powerful Legendary Pokémon. You can also Mega Evolve your Pokémon while waiting in the Raid Lobby. To do this, tap the Mega Energy button to the left of the lineup in your Battle Party.
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.
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.
Tabular view
| Base Level | High Level | Max Level |
| 1 Mega Evolution required | 7 Mega Evolutions required | 30 Mega Evolutions required |
| Catch Candy bonus (1) | Catch Candy bonus (1) | Enhanced Catch Candy bonus (2) |
| Boosted Ally Attacks (10-30%) | Boosted Ally Attacks (10-30%) | Boosted Ally Attacks (10-30%) |
| 7-Day Mega Evolution rest period | 5-Day Mega Evolution rest period | 3-Day Mega Evolution rest period |
| Reduced Mega Energy to Mega Evolve (20) | Greatly reduced Mega Energy cost (10) | Massively reduced Mega Energy cost (5) |
| Great XL Candy Chance (10%) | Excellent Candy XL Chance (25%) | |
| Catch XP Bonus (50 XP) | Enhanced Catch XP Bonus (100 XP) |
List view
Base 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)
High Level
- 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)
Max Level
- 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)
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.
Candy
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.
Raid damage
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 utilise 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.
We would suggest discussing your counter choices with your fellow trainers, and plan Mega Pokémon, and their position in your team accordingly to make the most of the attack bonus.
If you have a group of 6, for example, one person should have their mega in slot 1, the next slot 2, the next slot 3, etc., you can try to keep the mega boost going throughout the raid.
- 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)
