Should I Evolve My High CP or Low CP Pokemon? A Comprehensive Guide
The burning question for many Pokémon Go trainers is whether to evolve a Pokémon with a high Combat Power (CP) or a lower CP. The simple answer is: generally, you should prioritize evolving Pokémon with higher CP. However, the situation is far more nuanced than that. While CP is an important indicator of a Pokémon’s current strength, it’s not the only factor to consider. Understanding the interplay between CP, Individual Values (IVs), and other factors will ultimately lead to smarter evolutionary decisions. Let’s delve deeper into why.
The Importance of CP
CP provides a quick and easy way to gauge a Pokémon’s potential in battle. A higher CP typically means a Pokémon will inflict more damage and withstand more hits in gym battles and raids. Therefore, when choosing between two of the same species of Pokémon, one with a higher CP, it seems logical to evolve the one with a higher number. However, this approach is merely looking at the surface of a complex system.
Why CP Isn’t Everything
While a high CP is beneficial, it’s important to note that it can be misleading if taken in isolation. A high CP doesn’t necessarily translate to a high quality Pokémon in the long run. Here’s why:
- Underlying Stats (IVs): CP is calculated using a combination of a Pokémon’s base stats, its IVs, and its current level. IVs are hidden stats that range from 0 to 15 for Attack, Defense, and Stamina. These IVs are fixed and cannot be changed. A Pokémon with high base stats but low IVs might appear to have a high CP initially, but won’t reach its full potential.
- Power Up Cost: Powering up a Pokémon, which raises its CP, costs Stardust and Candy. If you initially evolve a low CP Pokémon and then invest resources into powering it up, you might find that you’d wasted those resources when you later catch a Pokémon with better IVs and a higher starting CP.
- Leveling Up: As you, the trainer, level up, you will find Pokémon in the wild with higher max CP’s that you were finding before. Therefore you should evolve the best Pokémon you have but don’t rush to power it up. The higher level you are, the better your pokemon will be when you catch them, thereby saving you precious Stardust and Candy.
The Strategy for Evolving Pokemon
Given these considerations, here is a sound strategy for evolving your Pokémon:
- Prioritize Higher CP (Initially): When comparing multiple Pokémon of the same species, generally start by evolving the one with the highest CP. This gives you a reasonable starting point for your evolved Pokémon.
- Evaluate IVs: Before making any final decisions about evolving it, make use of the in game appraisal system which will give you an idea about its Individual Values. If you have a three star pokemon, then it will have near max IVs, and you should prioritize evolving it.
- Wait Before Powering Up: It is best to wait until your pokemon has been evolved to its final stage before investing Stardust and Candy to power it up. This saves the chances of spending those resources on a lesser Pokemon.
- Consider Community Day Moves: Make sure to check when the next community day event is. Sometimes, during these events, evolved Pokémon can learn exclusive and powerful moves that make a huge difference in its battle prowess.
- Keep Shadow Pokemon Separate: Keep in mind the impact of shadow pokemon on the evolution process. A 0-star Shadow Pokemon with high CP may be better than a purified, 3-star version. Shadow Pokemon have a built in damage boost, and although purified versions of these pokemon have boosted stats, they no longer have the added damage, making them potentially less effective.
When to Evolve Low CP Pokémon
While we’ve emphasized prioritizing higher CP, there are some exceptions:
- Rare Pokémon or those with unique moves: If you have a 2-star or even 1-star Pokémon with a move that’s difficult to get or is unique to that Pokémon, it may be worth evolving, even if the CP is relatively low.
- Saving for Trades: Keep two versions of a shiny, one to trade with a friend for a lucky trade, in which the stats may improve.
Conclusion
Evolving in Pokémon Go is a balancing act. While starting with a higher CP Pokémon is generally the best approach, you must keep in mind the overall long term strategy. Don’t just blindly evolve the first high CP Pokémon you find. Pay attention to IVs, unique moves, and when to power up. Being a discerning trainer will help you avoid spending resources on pokemon that will not fulfil your battle needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does CP double when you evolve?
No, not necessarily. While many Pokémon species experience a near 2x CP increase upon evolving, this multiplier varies. Some, like Magikarp to Gyarados, can have a much larger increase, averaging around 11x CP increase upon evolution.
2. Is it better to raise CP before or after evolving?
It is recommended to evolve your Pokemon to its final stage before investing Stardust into powering it up. Every time you level up, you increase the max CP of all your pokemon. Therefore you may end up finding a wild pokemon with a much higher CP, precluding the need to power up your current pokemon.
3. Does low CP matter in Pokemon Go?
Yes, CP does matter. A Pokémon’s CP gives players an idea of the amount of damage they will inflict on an opponent. If a Pokemon’s CP is higher than a Gym’s Pokemon, then they will inflict more damage. Likewise, a Pokemon with a lower CP will have a lower damage output.
4. Should I purify low CP Pokemon?
Purifying a Shadow Pokémon significantly increases its CP and improves its IVs. It also comes with a cost: it removes the Shadow Bonus that gives a 20% damage boost in battle, and it learns the move Return. Purifying shadow pokemon is a decision that should be approached carefully, and many players prefer to keep their pokemon as shadow because of the battle advantage.
5. Is a 0-star Shadow Pokémon good?
Yes! If a Shadow Pokemon is 0-stars but has decent Attacks and CP, it may be better to keep it unpurified due to its 20% damage bonus. It will hit harder in battle compared to its purified counterpart.
6. Is it better to purify or evolve first?
It is best to purify before evolving, as purifying decreases the cost of candy it costs to evolve. However, you can still purify a shadow pokemon after it has been evolved, but you will not reap the reduced candy benefit.
7. Should I evolve a 0-star Pokemon?
If you do not have another Pokémon of the same species, it may be worth holding onto the 0-star until you find one with better IVs. However, if that is not an option, and it is needed for your team, or for a particular battle challenge, then it is a worthy contender.
8. Why do people put low CP Pokemon in gyms?
There are a few reasons we do it. They’re annoying to battle, because chances are, you’ll have to battle them 3 times to get them out of the gym. Also, once a Pokémon gets to level 30-something or above, when it’s in a gym, it loses CP on its own, massively. This results in less people wanting to battle the gym in the first place.
9. Are Pokemon with higher CP better?
Stronger, higher CP Pokémon – along with Pokémon that have the most powerful, highest DPS moves, means winning more battles. Winning more battles means taking more Gyms, allowing you to get free PokeCoins (and pride) in the process.
10. Should I keep a Pokémon with higher CP or IV?
IVs are more important than CP, since you can change CP by powering up the Pokémon, but IVs cannot be changed. Ideally, you want high stats for both CP and IVs, but if that is not the case, always prioritize IVs, as high IVs will naturally give you a higher CP pokemon once it’s fully evolved and powered up.
11. Should you evolve Pokémon right away?
Not necessarily. Evolved Pokémon often learn different moves than unevolved Pokémon and some trainers may want to wait to evolve their Pokémon until it learns a certain favorite move.
12. Should I keep Pokemon with low IV?
Absolutely not – for your defenders and enemy gym attacking team, high IVs are much more important. The difference between a maxed out Dragonite with 0% IVs and 100% IVs can be significant.
13. Can a 2-star Pokemon become a 3-star?
Yes! 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.
14. Is CP the most important thing in Pokemon Go?
While CP is a vital indicator of strength, it’s not the only thing to consider. The combat points statistic varies between species, which means a higher CP of one pokemon may be more worth catching than a lower CP of another.
15. Should I always evolve shiny?
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. One reason not to is to save them for lucky trades with someone who has the same shiny.