Just like their original Game Boy Advance releases, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen pack plenty of special evolutions from the original 151 Generation One Pocket Monsters and beyond. What either newcomers to these Kanto adventures or lapsed veterans might not know, though, is that special evolutions are also blocked until a certain point in the game.
So you can both fill your Pokédex as fast as possible, or stack their team with favorites like Gengar and Raichu, this guide will take you through all the special evolutions available in Pokémon FRLG.
Evolution Stone Evolutions
As is the case with Pokémon games that came before and after, using evolution stones is the most straightforward form of evolution in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen — allowing you to turn your Eevee into a Jolteon or Poliwhirl into a Poliwrath instantly upon use, as there are no minimum level requirements.
All Pokémon available in FRLG that can evolve with an evolution stone are as follows:
|
Pokemon |
Evolution Stone |
Evolves Into |
|---|---|---|
|
Nidorina |
Moon Stone |
Nidoqueen |
|
Nidorino |
Moon Stone |
Nidoking |
|
Clefairy |
Moon Stone |
Clefable |
|
Jigglypuff |
Moon Stone |
Wigglytuff |
|
Vulpix |
Fire Stone |
Ninetales |
|
Growlithe |
Fire Stone |
Arcanine |
|
Eevee |
Fire Stone |
Flareon |
|
Poliwhirl |
Water Stone |
Poliwrath |
|
Shellder |
Water Stone |
Cloyster |
|
Staryu |
Water Stone |
Starmie |
|
Eevee |
Water Stone |
Vaporeon |
|
Pikachu |
Thunder Stone |
Raichu |
|
Eevee |
Thunder Stone |
Jolteon |
|
Gloom |
Leaf Stone |
Vileplume |
|
Weepinbell |
Leaf Stone |
Victreebel |
|
Exeggcute |
Leaf Stone |
Exeggutor |
|
Gloom |
Sun Stone |
Bellossom |
Gloom will only be able to evolve into Bellossom once you’ve obtained the National Dex after defeating the Elite Four.
What’s more, you can buy some stones to evolve a Pokémon quickly, or find others lying around in set locations.
Buyable Stones (Fastest Method)
In Celadon City Department Store (4F), you can purchase: Fire Stones, Water Stones, Thunderstones, and Leaf Stones.
Moon Stone (In The Wild)
Moon Stones are found in Mt. Moon (two of them), and additional ones can be found in places like the Rocket Hideout and Pokémon Mansion.
Water Stone (In The Wild)
Aside from buying one in Celadon, a Water Stone can also be found as a hidden item in Seafoam Islands (B4F).
Sun Stone (Post-game)
The only Sun Stone in FireRed/LeafGreen is located in Ruin Valley on Six Island (Sevii Islands).
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Trade Evolutions
Some Pokémon in FireRed and LeafGreen evolve only when traded, such as trading Machoke over to a friend in order to get Machamp.
Every tradable Pokémon in FRLG is as follows:
| Pokemon | Evolves Into | Trade It |
|---|---|---|
| Kadabra | Alakazam | Trade it |
| Machoke | Machamp | Trade it |
| Graveler | Golem | Trade it |
| Haunter | Gengar | Trade it |
If you’re playing on Switch, you’ll still be using the game’s link/trade features like in the originals, but you no longer need a wireless adapter or link cable — as you once had to with the Game Boy Advance versions.
Keep in mind, however, that trading and battling in Pokémon FRLG is local only, with no online multiplayer available — even with the new Nintendo Switch versions.
If you want the evolved form and care about keeping the same Pokémon, make sure you’re trading with someone who will trade it right back.
Trade Evolutions With Held Items
New to FireRed and LeafGreen compared to the original Red and Blue versions at the time, these evolutions work the same way as standard trade evolutions — except the Pokémon must be holding a specific item during the trade, as well, like trading a Scyther holding a Steel Coat to get Scizor.
All Pokémon in FRLG that need specific held items when traded to evolve are as follows:
| Pokémon | Item Needed | Evolves Into |
|---|---|---|
| Onix | Metal Coat | Steelix |
| Scyther | Metal Coat | Scizor |
| Seadra | Dragon Scale | Kingdra |
| Poliwhirl | King’s Rock | Politoed |
| Slowpoke | King’s Rock | Slowking |
| Porygon | Up-Grade | Porygon2 |
Due to Steelix, Scizor, Kingdra, Politoed, Slowking, and Porygon 2 being non-Generation One Pokémon, they won’t be able to evolve in your version of FireRed and LeafGreen until you’ve obtained the National Dex after defeating the Elite Four.
If you have a friend who trades any Pokémon holding the required items to trigger the evolution, and you don’t have the NationalDex, the evolution will be blocked.
If you trade such a Pokémon over to a friend who has the National Dex, and it evolves, you’ll still be blocked from having the evolved Pokémon, e.g., a Steelix that evolved from your Onix, from being sent back to you.
Friendship Evolutions
A mechanic carried over from Generation Two, there are seven Pokémon in FRLG that evolve when they’ve maxed out their Friendship with you —by performing actions that increase your bond, like giving them items, traveling with them, and choosing them to battle.
|
Pokémon |
Evolves Into |
How To Evolve |
|---|---|---|
|
Golbat |
Crobat |
High friendship, then level up |
|
Chansey |
Blissey |
High friendship, then level up |
|
Pichu |
Pikachu |
High friendship, then level up |
|
Cleffa |
Clefairy |
High friendship, then level up |
|
Igglybuff |
Jigglypuff |
High friendship, then level up |
|
Togepi |
Togetic |
High friendship, then level up |
|
Azurill |
Marill |
High friendship, then level up |
To also build friendship faster, keep the Pokémon in your party, avoid letting it faint, and be careful with items that can lower friendship. Once you’re confident it’s high enough, just level it once (even with a Rare Candy) to trigger the evolution.
Until you get the National Dex after defeating the Elite Four, any of these Generation One Pokémon who’ve hit the required friendship level (Golbat and Chansey) will be blocked from evolving.
Why Eevee Can’t Evolve Into Umbreon And Espeon
If you were planning on saving your Eevee until you had the National Dex in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, so you can safely evolve it into an Umbreon or Espeon, it sadly won’t work, as it is impossible to get either within both games individually. This is because neither title runs on a real-time clock for day/night evolution to trigger, like in other games.
In the original Game Boy Advance releases of FRLG, however, it was possible to get Umbreon and Espeon by trading an Eevee to be evolved in Ruby & Sapphire (which did utilize real-time clocks) and then trade them back over.
For those wanting an Espeon in the Nintendo Switch versions of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, though, the option is currently unavailable — because the only connectivity with other games FRLG have is via Pokemon Home. Sadly, FRLG’s Pokémon Home compatibility is currently only one way; you can send caught Pokémon from FRLG into the cloud service, but not the other way around — so you can’t send Pocket Monsters from other regions into these versions of the games.
Tyrogue’s Unique Evolution Requirement
Not many evolutions in FireRed/LeafGreen get weird, but Tyrogue, which you can get by breeding your Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan with a Ditto at the Pokémon Day Care on Four Island — is the big exception, as you can evolve a Tyrogue into any one of the three: Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop.
Whichever evolution your Tyrogue gets depends on its stats:
|
Pokémon |
Evolves Into |
Requirement |
|---|---|---|
|
Tyrogue |
Hitmonlee |
At Level 20: Atk > Def = Hitmonlee |
|
Tyrogue |
Hitmonchan |
At Level 20: Def > Atk = Hitmonchan |
|
Tyrogue |
Hitmontop |
At Level 20: Atk = Def = Hitmontop |
If you’re aiming for Hitmontop, you’ll want to start planning early, because keeping Attack and Defense perfectly matched at Level 20 can take a little work (and a bit of luck) depending on Tyrogue’s nature and stat growth.
To easily direct your Tyrogue’s evolution, buy Vitamins like Protein or Iron at the Celadon City Department Store to boost the correct stats.
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