Can You Evolve Tandemaus at Level 100?
The short answer is: No, you cannot directly evolve a level 100 Tandemaus into Maushold. While the mechanics of evolution in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can be complex, Tandemaus’s evolution into Maushold is specifically tied to leveling up in battle after reaching level 25. A level 100 Tandemaus, having already reached the maximum level, cannot level up further, and therefore cannot trigger its evolution, regardless of battling or using items.
To understand why, we need to delve deeper into the unique evolution requirements of this Normal-type Pokémon, and some general rules about Pokémon evolution in the game.
How Tandemaus Evolved Works
Tandemaus is a unique case in the Pokémon world. Unlike many Pokémon that evolve simply by reaching a certain level, Tandemaus’ evolution is triggered by a combination of level and battle experience. Here’s how it works:
- Level Requirement: Tandemaus must reach at least level 25 before it can evolve.
- Evolution Trigger: After reaching level 25, Tandemaus must level up in battle to evolve into Maushold. This means it needs to gain experience points from participating in a battle and leveling up as a result. This can be achieved through battling wild Pokémon, trainers, or even during Tera Raids, as long as Tandemaus gains experience and levels up.
- Randomness: The evolution from Tandemaus to Maushold is not guaranteed every time it levels up after 25. There appears to be some element of chance involved. It may take multiple level-ups through battling after level 25 for the evolution to occur.
- Evolution Screen: The evolution sequence to Maushold is triggered and shown only if the level up happens by gaining experience in battle, not when using candies.
The key takeaway is that Tandemaus requires a level-up through battle after level 25. This means that if a Tandemaus reaches level 100, it has effectively missed its chance to evolve through its natural means. Reaching level 100, by definition, means you cannot level up any further.
The Limitations of Level 100 Pokémon
Pokémon reaching level 100 have hit the cap for experience gain. They can no longer level up by battling. This presents a particular challenge for Pokémon like Tandemaus with battle-based triggers for evolution, because level up is a condition for the evolution to happen. There are very few exceptions to the rule that leveling up is required for evolution.
Even if you use rare candies on a level 100 Pokémon, they will not trigger evolution for Pokémon whose evolution trigger involves leveling up. While certain Pokémon like Pichu or Kadabra can still evolve at level 100 through conditions like friendship or trade evolutions, that is not the case with Tandemaus.
How to Avoid the Level 100 Trap with Tandemaus
The easiest way to ensure your Tandemaus evolves is to train it in battles from level 25 onwards. Be prepared that it may take a few battles for it to trigger the evolution. Since the evolution happens after gaining experience in battle, you will want to keep the Pokemon in your active party until it evolves. If you want to avoid random experience gain, you can train it in wild battles against weak Pokemon.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tandemaus and Evolution
To further clarify the specifics of Tandemaus’s evolution and related mechanics in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, here are some frequently asked questions:
1. Can I use Rare Candies to evolve Tandemaus after level 25?
No. Rare Candies will only level up Tandemaus without triggering its evolution. The evolution needs to be triggered through battle.
2. What level does Tandemaus need to be to start evolving?
Tandemaus can start evolving once it reaches level 25 or higher. The actual evolution happens at the level after it levels up while gaining experience in a battle.
3. Does Tandemaus always evolve into Maushold on its first level up after level 25?
No. There’s a random element involved. It might take a few level-ups through battles for the evolution to occur.
4. Can I breed a Maushold from a Level 100 Tandemaus?
No, you cannot directly breed a Maushold from a level 100 Tandemaus. Because it won’t evolve, you’d have to obtain a new Tandemaus below level 100 to evolve into Maushold. You can breed a Maushold once you have evolved it.
5. How do I get the rare Family of Three Maushold?
The Family of Three Maushold is rarer than the Family of Four. To get one, you simply have to keep evolving Tandemaus until you get lucky. Some estimate that this is around a 1 in 25 chance.
6. Can I evolve Finizen at level 100?
No. Like Tandemaus, Finizen needs to level up in Union Circle at or after level 38 to evolve into Palafin. Reaching level 100 prevents this.
7. Can any Pokémon evolve at level 100?
Generally, Pokémon that evolve through leveling up can’t evolve at level 100 because they cannot level up any more. However, some Pokemon can evolve at level 100 due to their specific evolution requirements, such as trade evolutions and friendship evolutions. Level 100 evolution for level up evolved Pokemon is only possible in Sword and Shield and beyond when using Rare Candies.
8. What is the hardest Pokémon to evolve in Scarlet and Violet?
Some of the hardest Pokémon to evolve include Gimmighoul, Bisharp, Charcadet, Rellor, Bramblin, Pawmo, and Finizen. The exact requirements and difficulty will vary based on the player’s playstyle.
9. Can Girafarig evolve at level 100?
No, you cannot evolve Girafarig at level 100 if it hasn’t learned Twin Beam. Girafarig evolves into Farigiraf at level 32 if it learns Twin Beam, and the evolution is triggered after a level up. If your Girafarig is above level 32 and has not learned Twin Beam, you will have to re-learn the move from the move reminder. Then, you must level it up again. However, a level 100 Girafarig can not level up and therefore, cannot evolve.
10. Does Tandemaus have a Hidden Ability?
Yes, Tandemaus does have a hidden ability which is called Own Tempo. This ability will prevent the confusion status condition.
11. How do I get Tandemaus’ Hidden Ability?
You can get Tandemaus’ Hidden Ability by using an Ability Patch on Tandemaus or breeding from a Tandemaus with the Hidden Ability, where the female parent, or male with a Ditto, has the HA.
12. Is Maushold a rare Pokémon?
While Maushold itself is not considered rare, the Family of Three Maushold is notably rarer than the Family of Four variant.
13. Can you find all Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet?
No, you can’t catch all 1008 Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet. You can find around 400 different Pokémon species in the Paldea region. You can only obtain the remaining pokemon by trading or transferring from other games.
14. What is the most overpowered Pokémon in Violet?
Many consider Iron Hands to be the most powerful Pokémon in Violet, particularly for Tera Raids, due to its exceptionally high Attack stat.
15. Is there any workaround to evolving level 100 Tandemaus?
No, there is no way to evolve a level 100 Tandemaus. If you accidentally over level it, you will have to obtain a new Tandemaus, train it through battles from level 25, and hope you get lucky with its evolution to Maushold.
Conclusion
Evolving Tandemaus into Maushold requires a combination of careful planning and a little bit of luck. By understanding its unique evolution mechanics and the limitations of level 100 Pokémon, you can ensure your Tandemaus evolves as intended. Always remember that the level up needs to be triggered by gaining experience from battle and not from experience candies and be aware that it will not always evolve on the next level after 25. With this knowledge, you’ll be one step closer to adding the rare family of three Maushold to your Paldea Pokedex!