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Why Isn’t My Feebas Evolving After Walking 20km? A Comprehensive Guide

So, you’ve walked your 20km, you’ve stockpiled those precious Feebas candies, and yet, your Feebas stubbornly refuses to transform into the majestic Milotic in Pokémon GO. What gives? Don’t despair, trainer! There are several common reasons why this evolution might be stubbornly withheld, and we’re here to troubleshoot each one.

The most direct answer: Your Feebas likely isn’t evolving after walking 20km because the game hasn’t properly registered the distance, you haven’t met the candy requirement, or you are checking to evolve it without the Feebas still set as your buddy. Let’s break down each of these possibilities in detail, along with other potential hurdles.

Common Reasons for Feebas’ Stubbornness

1. Incomplete or Inaccurate Distance Tracking

This is the most frequent culprit. While you might believe you’ve walked the full 20km, the Pokémon GO app can be finicky. Here’s what to consider:

GPS Issues: Pokémon GO relies heavily on GPS. Weak signals, particularly indoors or in areas with tall buildings, can lead to inaccurate distance tracking. Short bursts of movement logged as long distances might not accurately translate into buddy distance. Try walking in open areas with a clear view of the sky for more accurate tracking.
Speed Limits: The game has a speed limit to prevent players from logging distance while driving. If you’re traveling too fast (usually above 10.5 km/h or 6.5 mph), your distance won’t count towards your buddy’s progress.
App Glitches and Bugs: Pokémon GO, like any app, is susceptible to bugs. Sometimes, distance tracking simply fails. Restarting the app and your phone can often resolve these temporary glitches. Ensure your app is up to date with the latest version.
Buddy Reset: This is CRUCIAL. The Feebas you walked the 20km with MUST be your active buddy WHEN YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO EVOLVE IT. Taking it off buddy status even after accumulating the distance and then setting it as a buddy again will reset your evolution progress.

2. Insufficient Feebas Candy

Even if you’ve walked the 20km, evolving Feebas requires 100 Feebas candy. If you don’t have enough candy, the evolution button will remain grayed out. Ways to get more candy:

Catch more Feebas: Use berries to increase your catch rate.
Transfer Feebas: Transfer unwanted Feebas to Professor Willow for candy.
Use Rare Candy: If you’re desperate, rare candy can be used on any Pokémon.
Walk with Feebas: Continuing to walk with Feebas as your buddy will earn you more candy, even after the 20km is complete.

3. Incorrect Buddy Status

Again, this point bears repeating for emphasis. The specific Feebas you walked the 20km with must be your current buddy when you attempt to evolve it. The game tracks the distance individually for each Feebas, so walking 20km with one and then trying to evolve a different Feebas won’t work.

4. Game Updates and Known Issues

Sometimes, a game update can introduce unexpected bugs that affect evolution mechanics. Keep an eye on Pokémon GO news and community forums (like Reddit’s r/pokemongo) to see if others are experiencing similar issues. Niantic usually acknowledges and addresses such problems quickly.

5. Device Settings and Permissions

Ensure that Pokémon GO has the necessary permissions to access your location services. Check your phone’s settings to confirm that location services are enabled for the app and that it has access to “Precise Location”.

6. Visual Glitches

In rare cases, the evolution button might appear grayed out even though all the requirements are met. Try restarting the app or your phone. This can sometimes resolve visual glitches.

Additional Tips and Tricks

Track your progress: Regularly check the information page for your Feebas to monitor your walking distance.
Use Adventure Sync: Adventure Sync allows the game to track your distance even when the app isn’t actively open, using your phone’s health app. Make sure Adventure Sync is enabled in your settings.
Walk in a straight line: Walking in a straight line can help to minimize distance tracking errors. Avoid wandering or backtracking.
Be patient: Sometimes, it takes a little while for the game to register the distance. Give it some time before panicking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Feebas Evolution

1. Does Adventure Sync help with Feebas evolution distance?

Yes! Adventure Sync is a lifesaver. It allows Pokémon GO to track your distance in the background, even when the app is closed. This is especially helpful for logging kilometers while you’re walking or running as part of your daily routine. Just remember to enable Adventure Sync in your Pokémon GO settings.

2. Can I evolve Feebas without walking in Pokémon GO?

Unfortunately, no. The 20km walking requirement is a core element of Feebas’ evolution mechanic in Pokémon GO. There are no legitimate methods to bypass this requirement. Any claims of “tricks” or “hacks” should be treated with extreme skepticism, as they often violate the game’s terms of service and could result in account penalties.

3. What is the best way to get Feebas candy?

The best methods are:

Catching Feebas: Use Pinap Berries to double the candy you receive per catch.
Transferring Feebas: Transferring unwanted Feebas to Professor Willow yields candy.
Walking with Feebas: As your buddy, Feebas will earn you candy as you walk.
Rare Candy: Use Rare Candies if you have a stockpile.
Special Events: Keep an eye out for events that might offer increased candy for catching or transferring Pokémon.

4. Does the weather affect Feebas spawns?

Yes, weather does influence Pokémon spawns in Pokémon GO. Feebas, being a Water-type Pokémon, is more likely to appear in rainy or cloudy weather. Keep an eye on the in-game weather forecast and head out to areas with these conditions to increase your chances of finding Feebas.

5. If I trade a Feebas, does it keep its walking distance?

No, trading a Feebas resets its walking distance. The 20km distance is tied to the specific Feebas, so if you trade it away, the recipient will have to start the walking process from scratch.

6. Can I use a Lucky Egg to increase the candy I get from walking Feebas?

No, a Lucky Egg only affects experience points (XP) gained. It doesn’t impact the amount of candy you receive from any source, including walking with your buddy.

7. Is there a limit to how many kilometers I can walk with Feebas in a day?

There isn’t a hard limit to the number of kilometers you can walk with your buddy in a day, but Pokémon GO does have a soft speed cap (around 10.5 km/h). Traveling faster than this speed won’t register the distance for buddy candy or evolution progress.

8. What happens if I evolve Feebas at level 100?

This question is more relevant to the main series games, where Pokémon can reach level 100. In Pokémon GO, levels are tied to your trainer level, not the individual Pokémon. Evolving Feebas at your maximum trainer level will not have any negative consequences.

9. Is Feebas only female?

No, Feebas can be either male or female. The gender of Feebas does not affect its ability to evolve into Milotic.

10. How do I know how much distance I’ve walked with Feebas?

Check the Feebas information page. The screen displays a progress bar showing how much distance has been traveled.

11. Does changing my buddy Pokémon reset the walking distance for Feebas evolution?

YES! If you walked part of the 20km requirement, and then switched to a different buddy, the distance will not be saved. Make sure that you have the specific Feebas that you want to evolve set as your buddy when you are ready to evolve!

12. What are Milotic’s weaknesses in Pokémon GO?

As a Water-type Pokémon, Milotic is weak to Grass and Electric-type attacks.

13. Does Milotic learn any special moves upon evolution in Pokémon GO?

Milotic’s movepool is predetermined and does not change upon evolution.

14. How much beauty does Feebas need to evolve in the main series games?

In the main series Pokémon games (specifically Generation III, where Feebas was introduced), Feebas needs a high Beauty stat to evolve. In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, you need to raise its Beauty to at least 170 and then level it up. This is achieved by feeding it specific Poffins made from berries with a “dry” flavor.

15. What are the different methods to evolve Feebas into Milotic across different Pokémon games?

Pokémon GO: Walk 20km with Feebas as your buddy and have 100 Feebas Candy.
Main Series (Gen III): Max out its Beauty stat with dry Poffins and level it up.
Main Series (Later Gens): Trade Feebas while it’s holding a Prism Scale.

We hope this comprehensive guide has answered your questions and helped you troubleshoot why your Feebas isn’t evolving. Good luck on your Pokémon GO journey! Keep exploring, keep walking, and keep catching them all! The journey of learning through games, just like training your Pokémon, can be rewarding and engaging. For more on how games can be used for education and learning, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Why is Feebas not evolving after walking 20km?