Is It Cheaper to Level Up Pokemon Before Evolving? A Comprehensive Guide

The age-old question for any Pokémon GO trainer: is it better to power up your Pokémon before or after evolving it? The short answer is no, it’s not cheaper to power up a Pokémon before evolving it. The total Stardust and Candy cost to reach a specific CP level remains the same, regardless of when you choose to evolve. The core of Pokémon GO revolves around strategic gameplay, and understanding the nuances of evolution can significantly impact your success. Let’s dive deep into the mechanics of evolution, CP, and IVs to understand why.

Understanding the Core Mechanics

Before delving into the evolution process, it’s crucial to understand the underlying mechanics that govern a Pokémon’s strength:

• CP (Combat Power): A measure of a Pokémon’s battle prowess, determined by its stats, level, and IVs.
• IVs (Individual Values): Hidden stats that range from 0 to 15 for Attack, Defense, and Stamina. These determine a Pokémon’s potential and are fixed upon capture or hatching.
• Level: A Pokémon’s level dictates its CP multiplier. The higher the level, the higher the CP.
• Base Stats: Species-specific stats that determine a Pokémon’s inherent strength. Evolving a Pokémon changes its base stats, usually resulting in a higher CP potential.

Why Timing Doesn’t Affect Cost

The amount of Stardust and Candy required to power up a Pokémon is directly tied to its current level. Evolving a Pokémon essentially recalculates its CP based on its new base stats, level, and IVs, but it doesn’t reset the level itself. Therefore, if you fully power up a Charmander to, say, level 20, and then evolve it into a Charmeleon, the Charmeleon will still be at level 20. It will simply have a higher CP due to the evolution. Continuing to power up the Charmeleon to level 30 will cost the same amount of Stardust and Candy as it would have if you’d powered up the Charmander to level 30 before evolving.

The essential concept to grasp is this: the total investment remains constant. The cost of powering up a Pokémon is a function of its level, not its evolutionary stage. Your strategic choices should instead focus on identifying Pokémon with high IVs and understanding the movesets they learn at different evolution stages.

The Real Considerations: Movesets and Moves

While the cost remains consistent, there are strategic reasons to delay or expedite evolution. The primary factor is the moveset a Pokémon will learn. In Pokémon GO, movesets can significantly impact a Pokémon’s effectiveness in battle. When you evolve a Pokémon, its moveset is randomized from a pool of available moves for that species.

If a Pokémon learns a particularly desirable move in its pre-evolved form, you might want to wait until it learns that move before evolving. Conversely, if the evolved form has better movesets available, you might choose to evolve sooner rather than later. The potential upside is substantial – a perfectly-IV’d Pokémon with an inferior moveset may lose to a less optimally-IV’d Pokémon with a better moveset.

Stone Evolutions: A Key Exception

One crucial exception to this rule involves Pokémon that evolve using a stone (like a Fire Stone, Water Stone, etc.). The text mentions that “The majority of Pokemon which evolve using a stone won’t learn any moves when evolved, so you don’t want to evolve those Pokemon until they’ve learned all their possible moves.” This is vital to remember. For these Pokémon, ensure they’ve learned all the desired moves before using the stone. Otherwise, you might permanently miss out on essential moves.

PVP (Player Versus Player) Considerations

The text emphasizes that CP is determined by base stats of a pokemon, the pokémon’s level, and its IVs. Because evolving a pokemon only changes the base stats not the level or ivs, it doesn’t matter if you power up a pokemon before evolving or after the cp it gets to won’t change. “It doesn’t really matter unless you care about PVP“. So, think if PVP is important to you.

The Hunt for High IV Pokémon

The text suggests that you focus your evolution on Pokémon with the highest CP, or Pokémon with a 3/4-star Appraisal. This advice is still solid. IVs are crucial for maximizing a Pokémon’s potential. Always prioritize evolving Pokémon with high IVs (ideally 3-star or 4-star appraisals) to ensure you’re investing in the best possible candidates.

The Evolution Process: A Key to Power

Evolution is the key to unlocking the true potential of your Pokemon. While the text doesn’t fully emphasize this, it correctly observes that “The evolved form of a Pokemon has better stats than its earlier forms. However, when you evolve your Pokemon their stats are recalculated from level 1. So your fully evolved Pokemon will have the same stats at level 100 regardless of which level you evolve it at.”

Level 30: The Great Divide

Reaching trainer level 30 is a milestone in Pokémon GO. The text touches on this when it says “Basically, this means that up until level 30 Pokemon you see in the wild will grow stronger every level… but the Pokemon you catch at 40 will be the same as 30-39 in terms of max potential.” Until you reach level 30, the CP of Pokémon you encounter in the wild increases as you level up. After level 30, the maximum CP of wild Pokémon caps. This makes it easier to find high-level Pokémon, regardless of your trainer level.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Pokémon Evolution

1. Should I Always Evolve My Highest CP Pokémon?

Not necessarily. While CP is a good indicator, IVs are more important in the long run. A Pokémon with high CP but low IVs will eventually be outclassed by a Pokémon with lower CP but higher IVs. Evaluate both CP and IVs before evolving.

2. What About Shiny Pokémon? Should I Evolve Them?

Whether to evolve a shiny Pokémon is a personal choice. Some trainers prefer to keep them in their original form as a trophy. However, if you have a shiny with good IVs, evolving it can create a powerful and rare asset. As the text states, “Evolve your favorites, but tend to keep them as base forms just in case you get a second shiny of the same species with better stats.“

3. Is There a “Best” Level to Evolve a Pokémon?

No. As discussed, the cost remains consistent. Focus on IVs and movesets.

4. What Are Shadow Pokémon, and Should I Purify Them Before Evolving?

Shadow Pokémon have a damage bonus but also take more damage. Purifying them increases their IVs but removes the damage bonus. The text mentions “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.” The decision depends on whether you value the shadow bonus or prefer a Pokémon with higher IVs. Generally, strong Shadow Pokémon are often favored for their increased damage output, particularly in raids.

5. How Do IVs Affect a Pokémon’s Potential?

IVs directly impact a Pokémon’s potential. A Pokémon with perfect IVs (15/15/15) will reach a higher CP at max level than a Pokémon with lower IVs.

6. What Should I Do with 0-Star Pokémon?

The text suggests to “just release the 0-stars and keep the 1/2/3/4-stars.” While they can be kept for collection purposes, they generally aren’t worth investing in. Release them to free up storage space.

7. What is the Rarity of a 4-Star Pokémon?

The text states “The chance to get a 100% IV (15/15/15) Pokémon in Pokémon GO is 1/4096, or in percentage, 0.0244%“. This makes them highly prized and worth investing in.

8. How Do Weather Boosts Affect Wild Pokémon?

Weather boosts increase the CP and IV floor of wild Pokémon, making it easier to find strong candidates for evolution.

9. What is the Significance of Level 40 in Pokémon GO?

After reaching trainer level 40, the CP of wild Pokémon caps. This makes it easier to find strong Pokémon, regardless of your trainer level.

10. How Can I Increase My Chances of Catching Pokémon with High CP and IVs?

The text mentioned a few good ways of catching Pokémon with high CP and IVs.

• Pokémon caught from Raids.
• Pokémon caught from Field Research.
• Pokémon hatched from Eggs.
• Lucky Pokémon from trading.
• Purified Shadow Pokémon, which add +2 IV points.

11. Are 2-Star Pokémon Worth Evolving?

2-Star Pokémon can be decent, especially if they have good movesets. However, prioritize 3-Star and 4-Star Pokémon whenever possible.

12. Can I “Unevolve” a Pokémon?

No, you cannot unevolve a Pokémon. Once a Pokémon has evolved, it’s irreversible.

13. What is Eviolite, and How Does It Relate to Not Evolving?

Eviolite is an item from the main series games that boosts the Defense and Special Defense of Pokémon that are not fully evolved. While Eviolite doesn’t exist in Pokémon GO, the concept is similar. Some Pokémon might be strategically better in their pre-evolved form for specific PVP battles.

14. Does Delaying Evolution Weaken a Pokémon?

Delaying evolution does not inherently weaken a Pokémon. As the text says “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.” The key consideration is movesets and IVs.

15. Where Can I Learn More About Pokémon GO Strategy?

There are many online resources and communities dedicated to Pokémon GO strategy. Consider joining online forums, watching YouTube guides, and exploring resources like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org for insights into game mechanics and strategic gameplay.

Conclusion: Strategize, Analyze, and Evolve Wisely

Ultimately, the decision of when to evolve your Pokémon depends on your individual goals and priorities. While the cost remains the same, factors like movesets, IVs, and PVP strategies should guide your choices. By understanding the underlying mechanics and considering the strategic implications, you can make informed decisions that maximize your success in the world of Pokémon GO. Happy catching, and happy evolving!