Much like humans are believed to evolve, some Pokémon go through stages of evolution. Not every Pokémon evolves, but the ones that do can have anywhere from 1-3 stages of evolution.Some Pokémon evolve when their level is high enough, when their friendship level is high enough, or even when exposed to a specific evolutionary item. Pokémon evolutions can require really specific conditions, but usually an evolution comes with a new look, higher stats, new moves, and posisbly even a different Pokémon type. Let's walk through some examples of evolutionary lines.
Pikachu is beloved and well-known, often used as the sole mascot for Pokémon, since he is Ash's first Pokémon and follows him through the series as the other members of his Pokémon team change. The adorable yellow electric rat is actually already the second form of a Pokémon evolution line. The line is as follows:
In order to evolve Pichu into Pikachu, Pichu has to have max Happiness levels. Once a Pichu has a full Happiness meter, it will automatically evolve into Pikachu. Pikachu then wil evolve into Raichu with a Thunder Stone. A Thunder Stone is an evolutionary stone found in the Pokémon universe.
Eevee is a really popular Pokémon, probably due to its many diverse possible evolutions. Coined as Eeveelutions, Eevee's many possible evolutions have gained popularity and is the largest group of possible evolutions among any other Pokémon. Eevee is a two-step evolution, with 8 different possibilities, all under different conditions. The eight are as follows:
A fire type, evolved from Eevee with a Fire Stone.
An electric type, evolved from Eevee with a Thunder Stone.
A water type, evolved from Eevee with a Water Stone.
A psychic type, evolved from Eevee when leveled up with a friendship level of 220 or higher during the day, or with a Sun Shard in the player's Bag, except in areas with a Moss Rock or Ice Rock, or while knowing a Fairy-type move.
A dark type, evolved from Eevee when leveled up with a friendship level of 220 or higher during the night or with a Moon Shard in the player's bag, except in areas with a Moss or Ice Rock, or while knowing a Fairy-type move.
A grass type, evolved from Eevee when leveled up near a large, mossy rock or when exposed to a Leaf Stone.
A fairy type, evolved from Eevee when leveled up knowing a fairy-type move and having at least two levels of affection/160 base friendship, except in areas with a Moss or Ice Rock.
A ice type, evolved from Eevee when leveled up near an ice-covered rock or when exposed to an Ice Stone.
These evolutions are especially fun because, with each different evolution possibility comes a different possible type. Each evolution is also achieved in different methods, varying from stones to friendship levels and times of day. Each Eeveelution comes with different abilities and different stats, and many trainers/players strive after one or two specific Eeveelutions depending on play style or even aesthetic.
Charmander is one of the original starter Pokémon, with a very typical evolution line. A starter Pokémon is a Pokémon choice offered to a trainer at the beginning of their journey. The evolution line is as follows:
In order to evolve Charmander into Charmeleon, you must level it up to level 16, and then in order to evolve Charmeleon to Charizard, you must level it up to level 36. No stones, no friendship levels, very straightforward and simple.
