Level Up Your Knowledge: Should You Power Up Before or After Evolving in Pokémon GO?
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The age-old question that plagues every aspiring Pokémon GO master: Is it better to power up your Pokémon before or after evolving it? The short answer is: It doesn’t matter! Powering up a Pokémon before or after evolution has absolutely no impact on its final CP (Combat Power) or stats. The CP a Pokémon reaches is determined by its base stats, its level, and its Individual Values (IVs). Evolving only changes the base stats. Your stardust investments will yield the same result, regardless of when they are done. It’s all about knowing the mechanics under the hood! Let’s delve deeper to fully understand why this is the case.
Understanding the Mechanics
Base Stats, IVs, and Level
To truly understand why the timing of your power-ups doesn’t matter, we need to break down the factors that do influence a Pokémon’s strength.
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Base Stats: Every Pokémon species has unique base stats for Attack, Defense, and Stamina. These are fixed values for each Pokémon type (e.g., Pikachu will have different base stats than Charizard).
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Individual Values (IVs): IVs are hidden stats that range from 0 to 15 for each of the three categories (Attack, Defense, and Stamina). These values are randomly assigned when you encounter a Pokémon and represent its potential within its species. A Pokémon with perfect IVs (15/15/15) will always be stronger than another of the same species with lower IVs, assuming all other factors are equal. A Pokémon with high IVs is a keeper!
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Level: A Pokémon’s level determines how high its stats can go. You increase a Pokémon’s level by powering it up with Stardust and Candy. The higher the level, the higher the CP. This is key for any trainer looking to win battles.
Evolution: A Stat Shift, Not a Stat Reset
When you evolve a Pokémon, its base stats change to those of its evolved form. However, its level and IVs remain the same. This is crucial to understand! Imagine you have a Magikarp with decent IVs. Whether you power it up five times before evolving it into a Gyarados, or evolve it first and then power it up five times, the final Gyarados will have the same CP and stats. The CP is simply taken off their BASE stats.
The Real Reason to Evolve First: Movesets
The most compelling reason to evolve a Pokémon before investing Stardust is to check its moveset. Each Pokémon can learn a variety of Fast and Charged moves. Some moves are better than others in terms of damage output (DPS) and energy generation. Since you cannot predict a Pokémon’s move set before evolving it, you should evolve a Pokémon and confirm it has the moves you want before investing your hard-earned Stardust into it. If you evolve first and get a bad/unwanted move set, you’ll at least have only used Candies and no Stardust. There is no benefit to powering up a Pokemon before the evolution, as their CP is simply taken off their BASE stats.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Should I always evolve a Pokémon with high CP?
Not necessarily. CP is just one factor. While a high CP can be tempting, prioritize Pokémon with good Appraisal and IVs. A low-IV Pokémon with high CP may be weaker in the long run compared to a high-IV Pokémon with initially lower CP. It’s recommended to evolve the Pokemon with the higher CP or the better Appraisal. So, if a 0-star Pokemon has 1000+ CP, it may be worth evolving instead. This is due in part to the Candy and Stardust cost to Power Up a Pokemon.
2. Do Pokémon level up faster if I don’t evolve them?
No. Each Pokémon has a certain growth rate (Fast, medium, Slow) and every form across it evolutionary path shares it. The only reason you would not evolve a pokemon is so that it learns moves faster.
3. Should I evolve a 3-star Pokémon?
Absolutely! A Pokemon GO trainer receives a Pokemon that appraises with three red bars and a red three-star stamp, they’ll want to keep the Pokemon. This particular appraisal means the Pokemon has perfect IVs, and its stat growth will be maximized as it powers up and evolves.
4. Why does Magikarp need 400 Candy to evolve?
The answer is simply because Magikarp makes the biggest leap in term of stats and HP from one evolution. Magikarp can easily go from 150 CP to 1600 CP right away. No other Pokemon in the game comes even close to a 1450 CP difference.
5. Is there a downside to not evolving Pokémon?
While trainers are free to pass on the option to evolve their Pokémon, doing so comes with its own set of challenges. Unevolved Pokémon have to train twice as hard just to keep up with evolved Pokémon, as their stats gain fewer boosts when they level.
6. Are Pokémon weaker if they evolve later?
No. Your Pokemon’s stats will not be hurt if you wait to evolve it. When you evolve it, it will have the same stats regardless of whether it evolved 10 levels earlier or it evolved right then. Waiting to evolve has no effect on stats. As has been said, there is no downside to delaying evolution.
7. What’s the benefit of not evolving a Pokémon?
For the purpose of learning a move that the higher evolution cannot. Some Pokemon, like Shelgon, are high in defense and can be given eviolite to boost that defense even further. Other than that, at least in general, it’s for aesthetic reasons.
8. What is the best Pokémon to upgrade?
- Mewtwo – The Best Investment. Not only is Mewtwo an impressive Pokemon to look at, but it also boasts the highest damage output in the entire game, making it a real force to be reckoned with. If you’re looking for a Pokemon that can dominate as a psychic attacker, then look no further than Mewtwo.
9. Should I evolve shiny Pokémon?
Aesthetic Appeal: Shiny Pokémon have unique coloration compared to their non-shiny counterparts. If you appreciate the look of the shiny form and prefer it over the regular form, evolving your shiny Pokémon can be a way to enjoy its unique appearance.
10. What is the easiest Pokémon to evolve in Pokémon GO?
Some of the easiest Pokémon to evolve include:
- Magikarp
- Lotad
- Sentret
- Seedot
- Wynaut
- Weedle
- Caterpie
- Nincada
11. Is there a downside to evolving Pokémon early?
Pros and Cons of Evolution: Evolved Pokémon often learn particular moves at later levels than unevolved Pokémon, or they might learn different moves altogether. Although evolved Pokémon’s moves are generally more powerful, some Trainers may want to wait to evolve their Pokémon until it learns a certain favorite move.
12. Should I purify Shadow Pokémon?
Shadow Pokemon cost 20% more Candy and Stardust to Power Up, Evolve or to learn a new Charged Move. Purified Pokemon will have better Appraisal and receive 2 points towards all their IVs. This can potentially bring a 2-star Shadow Pokemon to a 3-star if it’s purified.
13. Should I evolve 4-star Pokémon?
If you have a Pokemon that is in the highest or second highest IV tier, it really is not that far away from perfect Max CP. So evolving a Pokemon with IV’s in the first or second tier is a good idea, you don’t need to wait for the perfect IV’s.
14. When should I stop my Pokémon from evolving?
So you can learn some moves faster by not evolving until it’s learned. A few Pokemon have some moves they can only learn before they evolve, even if the level they learn it is after when they would normally evolve. So if you want to know that move, you need to avoid evolving until after it’s learned.
15. Do any Pokémon get worse when they evolve?
In terms of competitive viability, there are several Pokemon that are more useful before they evolve than after. This is usually due to a change in stats, a change in typing or a change in what items the Pokemon can use post-evolution. Some examples include Pikachu, Ampharos, and Vigoroth.
Beyond Pokémon: The Power of Understanding Game Mechanics
The principles behind Pokémon GO, like statistical probabilities and resource management, extend far beyond the game itself. Understanding these mechanics empowers us to make informed decisions in various aspects of life, from investment strategies to educational approaches. The Games Learning Society, or GamesLearningSociety.org, explores these connections, examining how games can be used as powerful tools for learning and development. This is where the real game begins!
Conclusion
Don’t stress about powering up before or after evolving! Focus on finding Pokémon with high IVs, evolving them to get the best movesets, and then investing your Stardust and Candy wisely. Happy catching!