Does Rare Candy Affect Evolution? A Comprehensive Guide
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The short answer is yes, Rare Candy can affect evolution. If a Pokémon evolves by leveling up and meets all other necessary requirements, using a Rare Candy to increase its level will trigger the evolution. This is a straightforward and convenient way to evolve certain Pokémon in the Pokémon universe.
However, the relationship between Rare Candy and evolution has some nuances depending on the specific game and the evolution method of the Pokémon in question. Let’s delve deeper into the intricacies of this relationship and answer some frequently asked questions.
Understanding Rare Candy Mechanics
What is a Rare Candy?
A Rare Candy is an item found throughout the Pokémon series of video games. When used on a Pokémon, it instantly raises its level by one. This can be incredibly useful for quickly leveling up Pokémon without the need for extensive battling.
How Do Level-Up Evolutions Work?
Many Pokémon species evolve simply by reaching a certain level. For instance, Pikachu evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone, but others like Grovyle evolve into Sceptile upon reaching a specific level (Level 36). If a Pokémon reaches the required level naturally through experience points (EXP), it will attempt to evolve after the battle or when the level-up process is complete.
Rare Candy and Evolution: The Interaction
When a Pokémon levels up via Rare Candy, the game checks if it meets the evolution criteria for its species. If the Pokémon’s evolution depends solely on level, and the Rare Candy pushes it to or past the required level, the evolution will be triggered.
For example, if your Haunter is at level 24 and requires level 25 to evolve into Gengar (through trading with a friend), using a Rare Candy will level it up to 25, fulfilling the level requirement. Upon the level increase, the game prompts the evolution sequence.
Navigating Evolution Caveats
While Rare Candies are convenient, they do not magically bypass all evolution requirements. Certain evolutions are triggered by other factors, such as:
- Happiness/Friendship: Pokémon like Eevee (evolving into Espeon or Umbreon) require a high level of friendship with the player in addition to a level-up.
- Time of Day: Some evolutions, like the Eevee evolutions mentioned above, require a level-up at a specific time of day (day for Espeon, night for Umbreon).
- Held Items: Certain Pokémon must hold a specific item while leveling up to evolve.
- Location: Some Pokémon must level up in a specific location to trigger their evolution.
- Trading: A few Pokémon, such as Haunter (evolving into Gengar), require trading to evolve, sometimes also needing the Pokémon to hold a specific item.
Therefore, using a Rare Candy alone will not trigger these types of evolutions if the other requirements are not met.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I evolve Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon using Rare Candy?
Yes, but only if Eevee’s friendship is high enough, and you use the Rare Candy during the day (for Espeon) or night (for Umbreon). The Rare Candy ensures the level-up, but friendship and time of day must also align.
2. What if my Pokémon is already at level 99? Can I evolve it with a Rare Candy?
Yes, if the Pokémon evolves by leveling up and the condition has been met, you can use a Rare Candy at level 99 to reach level 100 and trigger the evolution. A Pokémon can always evolve at level 100 with a Rare Candy, provided it meets the required conditions.
3. Does Rare Candy reset experience points (EXP)?
No, using a Rare Candy does not reset EXP. It instantly raises the Pokémon’s level.
4. Do Rare Candies affect a Pokémon’s Effort Values (EVs)?
The prevailing consensus is that Rare Candies do not directly affect EVs. EVs are gained through battling specific Pokémon and contribute to stat growth. While leveling up through battles provides EVs, Rare Candies offer a level-up without this EV gain. However, you can still train the Pokemon to gain EVs after using a Rare Candy, and this will increase their stats in the same way it would for a Pokemon that reached the same level through normal EXP gains.
5. Will Rare Candies make my Pokémon weaker if I use them exclusively?
Rare Candies themselves don’t inherently make Pokémon weaker. However, if you exclusively use Rare Candies and avoid battling, your Pokémon might have lower stats compared to a Pokémon trained through battles due to a lack of EV training.
6. Is it better to train my Pokémon normally or use Rare Candies?
It depends on your goals. If you are concerned about optimizing your Pokémon’s stats for competitive battles, battling and EV training is crucial. If you simply want to experience the story and evolve your Pokémon quickly, Rare Candies are a convenient option.
7. Can I use Rare Candy on Magikarp to evolve it into Gyarados?
Yes, using a Rare Candy on Magikarp when it is at level 19 will cause it to evolve into Gyarados.
8. What happens if my Pokémon’s level is too high to evolve?
Pokémon who evolve by leveling up can still evolve when they gain a level, even if that level is above the minimum requirement for evolution. You can even evolve a Pokémon that is already at level 100 by giving it a Rare Candy.
9. Does delaying evolution affect stats?
Delaying evolution does not cause a stat loss since the power-up gained by evolution is based on level and base stats, a level 100 Raichu will always be stronger than a level 80 Raichu, no matter if one was evolved at level 40 and the other one at level 20, in fact delaying your Pokémon’s evolution can even be good.
10. What Pokémon should I save Rare Candy for?
Legendary Pokémon are usually the safest rare candy investment, because unlike other species, you can’t catch them in the wild and they don’t hatch from eggs.
11. Should I save my Rare Candies on Pokémon?
It takes more experience to gain the higher levels. As such, if you use Rare Candies on the early levels, you’re pretty much wasting them as the experience they’d be worth on a higher level Pokémon is far greater than on a lower level one.
12. Are Pokémon leveled with Rare Candy weaker?
Rare Candies do not make a Pokemon weaker, they only raise their levels. They do not affect EVs in any way. If you were to complete a Pokemon’s EV points by using only Vitamins, only battles or a mix, then you could use Rare Candies to finish leveling the Pokemon.
13. Does Rare Candy affect Individual Values (IVs)?
No, Rare Candies do not affect IVs. IVs are determined when a Pokémon is generated and are not influenced by leveling methods.
14. Can you use Rare Candy first turn?
The text of Rare Candy prevents you from using it on your first turn or on a Pokemon put into play on your turn. You can’t use this card during your first turn or on a Basic Pokémon that was put into play this turn. So it doesn’t matter what modifier or exception the Pokemon has because you can’t use the card.
15. How many rare candies can I have?
Rare Candy/Storage Full(Max 1500) | Pokemon GO Wiki.
Final Thoughts
Rare Candies are powerful tools for leveling up and evolving Pokémon. However, understanding their limitations and the mechanics of evolution is vital to effectively use them. They trigger level-based evolutions but do not replace other requirements, such as friendship, time of day, or specific items. So, use them wisely!
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