How to Evolve Pangoro in Pokémon GO: A Comprehensive Guide
Evolving Pancham into Pangoro in Pokémon GO is a unique process that requires more than just accumulating candy. It involves a special buddy adventure and a bit of strategic gameplay. Here’s the straightforward answer:
To evolve Pancham into Pangoro, you need to:
- Make Pancham your Buddy Pokémon. This is essential and the first step in triggering the evolution requirements.
- Catch 32 Dark-type Pokémon while Pancham is your buddy. This is the key condition that needs to be met during your buddy adventure.
- Have 50 Pancham Candy. You’ll need these candies to complete the evolution after you fulfill the buddy task.
Once you have met all three conditions, the evolve button on your Pancham’s profile will become available, allowing you to finally obtain your powerful Pangoro.
Understanding the Pangoro Evolution Requirements
The evolution process for Pancham into Pangoro is different from the standard evolve-with-candies formula that applies to many Pokémon in the game. It’s designed to encourage players to actively play, explore, and interact with the game’s mechanics. Let’s break down each of the three requirements:
1. Buddy Pokémon
Making Pancham your Buddy Pokémon is the starting point for your evolution journey. You can do this through the Buddy section of the Pokémon GO app. Once Pancham is your buddy, it will follow you on the map and will start accumulating progress toward its evolution, especially if you meet the other requirements.
2. Catching 32 Dark-Type Pokémon
This requirement makes the Pancham-to-Pangoro evolution more than just a matter of grinding. While Pancham is your buddy, you’ll need to go out and actively catch 32 Dark-type Pokémon. You can take advantage of events that feature Dark-type Pokémon to expedite this process. Common Dark-types you may encounter are:
- Alolan Rattata
- Purloin
- Houndour
- Poochyena
- Sableye
Keep an eye out for these and other dark types to fulfill the requirement. Using items like incense and lures during times when Dark-type Pokémon are spawning more frequently could greatly increase your chances of meeting the 32 catch criteria quickly.
3. Pancham Candy
Like most evolutions, you’ll need 50 Pancham Candy to evolve your Pancham into Pangoro. You can obtain Pancham Candy by:
- Catching Pancham: Each catch rewards you with some candy.
- Walking with Pancham as your Buddy: You’ll slowly earn candy as you journey.
- Using Rare Candies: While more uncommon, Rare Candies can be used as a stand-in for any Pokémon candy, including Pancham candy.
- Transferring Pancham to Professor Willow: You’ll get a little candy for each transfer.
- Pinap Berries: Use a Pinap Berry when catching a Pancham to double the amount of candy earned for the catch.
Why is Pancham’s Evolution Unique?
Pancham’s evolution to Pangoro introduces a dynamic and active element that adds a layer of challenge and engagement. It moves away from merely grinding for candy and encourages players to interact with different types of Pokemon. This kind of evolution is a way for Niantic to implement more involved evolution methods in Pokemon Go.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I evolve Pancham if I caught the Dark-type Pokemon before making it my buddy?
No. The 32 Dark-type Pokémon must be caught while Pancham is your active buddy. Catches prior to this will not count toward the evolution requirement.
2. Does the size or CP of the Dark-type Pokemon matter?
No, the size or CP of the dark-type Pokémon does not matter for the evolution requirement. Any dark-type Pokémon you encounter in the wild will contribute towards this requirement.
3. Can I check how many Dark-type Pokémon I have caught while Pancham is my buddy?
Unfortunately, there is no specific counter in the game that tracks the number of Dark-type Pokemon you’ve caught while Pancham is your buddy. Therefore, it’s essential to keep track yourself.
4. What happens if I make a different Pokémon my buddy after starting the evolution process?
If you swap out Pancham as your buddy, the progress you made towards the Dark-type catch requirement will be paused. You need to have Pancham as your buddy for the captures to count. The number of Dark-type Pokémon caught will not be reset upon changing your buddy back to Pancham.
5. Is Pangoro worth evolving?
Yes, definitely. Pangoro is a strong Fighting/Dark type Pokémon that performs well in both PvP battles and Raids. Its unique typing gives it some advantages in combat. It is especially effective against Psychic types and Normal type Pokémon.
6. Is Pangoro a good PvP Pokémon?
Pangoro can indeed be a solid choice in PvP matches. Its Fighting/Dark typing gives it good offensive and defensive match ups. However, be aware of its weaknesses as well.
7. Are there any shortcuts to speed up the evolution process?
There are no shortcuts, per se, but you can use incense and lures during times when Dark-type Pokémon spawn more frequently, and make sure to always have Pancham as your buddy during those times to maximize your progress on the dark-type catching requirement. Pinap Berries on Pancham catches will also expedite candy accumulation.
8. Can I use Rare Candy to evolve Pancham?
Yes, Rare Candy can be used as a stand-in for Pancham Candy. However, using rare candy for this is not recommended, as there are many other Pokémon with much rarer candies to consider using rare candy on.
9. Does Pancham evolve twice?
No, Pancham only evolves once, into Pangoro. Pangoro is its final evolution stage.
10. Is it necessary to evolve Pancham into Pangoro right away?
No, there’s no rush to evolve Pancham into Pangoro. You can evolve it whenever you have the candy and you’ve completed the buddy requirements.
11. Can you evolve Pancham into Pangoro by walking?
While walking is good for collecting candy for your Pancham, the evolution to Pangoro is not based on distance traveled. Walking with Pancham does earn buddy candy however, which can be used towards the 50 candy requirement.
12. Do I need a dark-type Pokémon in my party for Pancham to evolve in Pokémon Go?
No, unlike the main series games, you do not need a dark-type pokemon in your party. You simply need to catch 32 dark-type Pokémon while Pancham is your buddy.
13. How can I get more Pancham candy?
Besides the regular methods (catching, walking, and trading), participating in special events that feature Pancham or using Pinap Berries when catching Pancham can help to gather candy more quickly.
14. How can I get Pancham in Pokémon GO?
Pancham was first made available during a special event in 2021. It has since been available through research tasks, raids, and during certain events. Keep an eye on Pokémon GO news and announcements for the next chance to encounter Pancham in the wild.
15. Are there any other Pokémon that evolve by walking or other tasks in Pokémon GO?
Yes, there are other Pokémon that evolve through special requirements such as walking or performing certain tasks with them as your buddy, such as Eevee (for Espeon and Umbreon), Feebas, and Inkay. So, always check the specific evolution requirements for each Pokémon.