Pokémon GO Mega Evolutions
Image: The Pokémon Company

Mega evolutions are a way to pimp your prize Pokémon and make fearsome fighters even stronger.

Mega evolutions were first introduced in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y on Nintendo 3DS, and have been a part of Pokémon GO since August 2020.

For some collectors, mega evolutions are frustrating as you can’t keep the super-powered Pokémon you’ve worked so hard to get.

This is a bummer as mega evolved Pokémon often look cooler than the familiar creatures they evolve from.

But the rewards for having a mega evolved Pokémon guesting in your battle party are worth the grind, even if your new friend slopes off after a few hours.

How Mega Evolutions Work

Pokémon GO Mega Evolutions

When you mega evolve a Pokémon, it becomes temporarily more powerful and gets a range of bonuses.

You can see which Pokémon can mega evolve by selecting them in your Pokémon storage.

If you see a ‘Mega evolve’ button and ‘Mega energy’ beside its candy indicator, you can mega evolve that Pokémon.

All Pokémon that can mega evolve are the final form of a Pokémon species. So while you can mega evolve Blastoise or Charizard, you can’t do the same for Wartortle or Charmeleon.

For hardcore collectors, the main reason to get mega evolved Pokémon is that they appear permanently in your Mega Pokédex.

But, on the downside, your mega evolved Pokémon will only stay in its brawny new form for 8 hours. After that, it devolves into its original form.

To see how much time your mega evolution has left, look for the timer counting down on the right-hand side of the map screen.

The Rules Of Mega Evolution

When mega evolving Pokémon, remember that:

  • You can only have 1 mega evolved Pokémon at a time. If you have a mega evolution already and you mega evolve another Pokémon, your first mega evolution will devolve and you’ll need to collect mega energy to mega evolve it again (or wait for the rest period)
  • You cannot mega evolve shadow or clone Pokémon
  • You can mega evolve purified Pokémon, but they won’t have a swirly white aura when mega evolved
  • You cannot use a mega evolved Pokémon to defend a gym
  • Mega Pokémon can’t be used in the GO Battle League (but this may change in the future)

How To Get And Use Mega Energy

To mega evolve a Pokémon, you first need to collect mega energy.

Like Candy, each Pokémon that can mega evolve has its own mega energy.

If you want a Mega Charizard, you’ll need to scrape together enough Charizard mega energy. But you can’t use another Pokémon’s mega energy to get Mega Charizard.

To get mega energy, you can:

  • Battle mega evolved Pokémon in raids, where you’ll earn the mega energy of the Pokémon you’re fighting. You’ll get more mega energy the faster you complete the raid
  • Complete certain research tasks that reward you with mega energy for a particular Pokémon
  • You can also earn mega energy by walking with your buddy Pokémon. To get this bonus, you must have previously mega evolved a Pokémon in your buddy’s evolutionary line. So if Mega Blastoise is in your Mega Pokédex, and you make Squirtle your buddy, you’ll get mega energy when walking with your buddy

You need a lot of mega energy to get a mega Pokémon, and it will take a long time before you have enough.

To make things trickier, mega evolved Pokémon are not always available in raids – which is a pain as battling them is the quickest way to get mega energy.

When a mega Pokémon disappears from raids, it may be a long time before it comes back.

So when a mega evolution is starring in raids, make sure to stock up on mega energy before it leaves.

You can only carry a maximum of 2,000 mega energy per Pokémon species. But as mega energy is hard to get, this is unlikely to ever be a problem.

Mega Evolve A Pokémon Once, It's Free The Next Time

After the first mega evolution, you are no longer required to cough up the Mega energy required to complete the process again (subject to that Pokémon's cool-down period).

This means that while it can feel like quite the challenge to get together all of the Mega Energy to reach your Pokémon's heightened state, you can now collect in peace knowing that you will not be required to carry out the same process again afterwards.

After your 8-hour Mega glow-up, the pumped Pokémon will have a cool-down period before you can Mega evolve them again - preventing trainers from using the upgrade multiple times in battle. Check out our info on Mega Levels below to find out differences in this rest period.

However, if you are lucky enough to be sitting on the relevant Mega Energy, you can use this to cut the cool-down period and get straight back into a Mega Evolution. The shorter the time remaining on your rest period, the less Energy you will have to use, making this option perfect if you need a power boost in a pinch.

Mega Levels And How To Get Them

Following the April 2022 upgrade, Mega Evolutions now have levels so that you can upgrade your Mega Pokémon even further.

To achieve a higher Mega level, you will have to Mega Evolve your Pokémon a certain number of times, with each level coming with its own set of bonuses. On top of that, each time that you reach another Mega Level, your Pokémon's rest period will be reduced meaning you will have to spend less time waiting before you can Mega Evolve them again.

For an idea of how many times you will need to perform an evolution before levelling up, check out the handy table below (thanks, Eurogamer for your help with this):

Level Mega Evolutions Required Cool-Down Period Bonuses
Base 1 7 days Catch Candy bonus*
Boosted Ally bonus
Reduced Mega Energy to evolve
High 7 5 days Candy Candy bonus*
Boosted Ally bonus
Great Candy XL chance increase*
Catch XP bonus*
Greatly reduced Mega Energy cost
Max 30 3 days Enhanced Catch Candy bonus*
Boosted Ally bonus
Excellent Candy XL chance*
Enhanced Catch XP bonus*
Massively reduced Mega Energy cost

* Bonus only applies to Pokémon of the same type as the Mega Evolution

The Advantages Of Having A Mega-Evolved Pokémon

Pokémon GO Mega Evolutions

So you’ve got an amazing mega evolution and the clock is ticking… what now?

The most obvious benefit of mega evolving Pokémon is in battle, where they get boosted attacks and combat power (CP).

But, in many cases, mega evolving a Pokémon can also change its type, which can give you a sly advantage in battle.

For example, Mega Charizard X is a fire and dragon type Pokémon. But the creature it evolved from, Charizard, is a fire and flying type.

To understand how Pokémon types can give you the upper hand in battle, check out our guide.

One thing that doesn’t change about mega evolved Pokémon is their fast and charged attacks. These remain exactly the same.

Also remember that mega evolved Pokémon can’t be powered up. To make your mega evolution kick ass, make sure to pump up the Pokémon it evolves from before squandering your mega energy.

Other advantages of having a mega evolved Pokémon are:

Raids

If you use a mega Pokémon in a raid, all the other members of your battle party will get an attack boost.

If any of your other Pokémon are the same type as your mega evolution, and are using the same type attacks, they will get an extra battle boost.

So if you have Mega Venusaur on your team, and one of your other Pokémon is a grass type using grass attacks, it’ll get a tasty combat boost.

Even better, when you raid with mega evolved Pokémon, other trainers in the battle also get a battle boost. It’s a great way to make new friends!

All trainers in the raid will get a boost for their Pokémon’s attacks, and an additional boost if their attack types match your mega evolved Pokémon.

But if there are a bunch of mega evolved Pokémon in a raid, these bonuses don’t multiply. You’ll only get the highest possible boost from the available mega evolutions, not multiple boosts.

If you win a mega raid, you won’t get a chance to capture the mega evolved Pokémon. But you’ll get a bunch of useful mega energy instead.

Gym battles

You can use mega evolved Pokémon to attack gyms, but you can’t leave them behind as defenders.

During gym battles, using a mega evolved Pokémon gives you the same bonuses as you get in raids.

This includes boosting the Pokémon of any other trainers attacking the gym at the same time.

Team GO Rocket battles

Mega evolved Pokémon can be used in battles with Team GO Rocket grunts and leaders.

If you’re having trouble taking down a leader or Giovanni, try a mega evolved Pokémon in your team to tip the balance in your favour.

Player vs player (PvP) battles

When battling other trainers in your friends list, you can unleash your mega evolved Pokémon. But you cannot use mega evolved Pokémon in GO Battle League matches.

Mega-Evolved Buddy Pokémon

If a Pokémon in your collection was previously a best buddy, and you mega evolve it and make it your active buddy, you’ll get an extra CP boost in battle. This is in addition to the normal boosts you get for a mega evolution.

Bonus Candy From Catches

If a mega evolved Pokémon is your buddy, and you catch a Pokémon of the same species (any form), you’ll get extra candy from your catch.

For example, if Mega Charizard X is your buddy and you catch Charmander, Charmeleon or Charizard in the wild, you’ll get extra candy.

But if you use a pinap berry, this does not multiply the candy bonus.

New Medals

Glory hunters rejoice! There are 2 new mega evolution medals you can earn:

  • The Successor medal is for the total number of mega evolutions you’ve made
  • The Mega Evolution Guru medal is for the number of different species of Pokémon you’ve mega evolved

Mega-Evolved Pokémon You Can Get Now

Not all mega evolutions are available all the time. Keep an eye on nearby raids to see what mega evolutions are currently doing the rounds.

All mega evolutions will appear again. But, if you miss one, you may need to wait until appears again in raids before you can complete your Mega Pokédex.

The roster of mega evolved creatures in Pokémon GO is guaranteed to grow. But, for now, the mega evolved Pokémon you can get are:

Mega Venusaur

Mega Venusaur

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Grass / poison

The main advantage of using Mega Venusaur is that it has incredibly high defence, and can take a lot of damage before it faints.

Mega Charizard X

Mega Charizard X

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Fire / dragon

As it’s a dual fire and dragon type, Mega Charizard X’s attacks are boosted by both sunny/clear and windy weather. It’s a formidable foe when the weather is on your side.

Mega Charizard Y

Mega Charizard Y.PNG

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Fire / flying

Mega Charizard Y is great for attacking gyms when armed with the moves Fire Spin and Blast Burn. You can only teach Charizard Blast Burn if you used an Elite Charged TM.

Mega Blastoise

Mega Blastoise2

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Water

If you’re going to mega evolve a Blastoise, make sure it has powerful attacks such as Hydro Cannon or Ice Beam. A Mega Blastoise with the right moves can crush the competition.

Mega Beedrill

Mega Beedrill.PNG

Cost: 100 mega energy first time, 20 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Bug / poison

When Cresselia is in raids, it’s a good time to mega evolve a Mega Beedrill. Its bug moves are strong against psychics, and it will boost other bug type Pokémon in the skirmish.

Mega Pidgeot

Mega Pidgeot2

Cost: 100 mega energy first time, 20 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Normal / flying

As it’s one of the cheapest mega evolutions, Mega Pidegot is good value if you plan to battle a raid boss that’s weak against flying attacks.

Mega Alakazam

Mega Alakazam

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Psychic

Introduced in the Psychic Spectacular, Mega Alakazam (at the time of writing) has the highest ATK stat in Pokémon GO so will be extremely useful in battles against types susceptible to Psychic attacks.

Mega Slowbro

Mega Slowbro2

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Water / psychic

Like Mega Altaria, Mega Slowbro isn’t as mega as its name suggests. It was the first psychic type mega evolution, but it’s not as good in battle as a decent Mewtwo.

Mega Gengar

Mega Gengar

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Ghost / poison

With excellent attack stats and a decent selection of ghost types moves it can learn, Mega Gengar can dish out lots of damage.

Mega Kangaskhan

Mega Kangaskhan

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Normal

While nothing to write home about in any particular battle departments, Mega Kangaskhan not only gives us a chance to finally see what's inside the Pokémon's pouch, but will also be a dependable asset in battles where a Normal-type is required.

Mega Gyarados

Mega Gyarados3

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Water / dark

Gyarados has been a fan favourite since the launch of Pokémon GO, but the mega evolution is outrageously powerful. If you’re an expert in using Gyarados, Mega Gyarados is easy to master.

Mega Aerodactyl

Mega Aerodactyl

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Rock / Flying

The first Mega Evolution to support Rock-type moves, Mega Aerodactyl does not possess any Flying-type abilities but will nonetheless be handy in a battle against Bug-, Fire-, Flying- or Ice-types.

Mega Ampharos

Mega Ampharos4

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Electric / dragon

Although it’s not a stunning mega evolution, Mega Ampharos has decent attack and defence stats. It’s a useful ally when faced with opponents that are weak to electric type attacks.

Mega Steelix

Mega Steelix

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Steel / Ground

Evolving from fan-favourite Onix, Mega Steelix can pack a punch with its Iron Tail and Earthquake moveset.

Mega Scizor

Mega Scizor

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Bug / Steel

With its strange combination as a Bug- and Steel-type, Mega Scizor is a strong Mega Evolution to have on your team in a variety of battles.

Mega Houndoom

Mega Houndoom 3

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Dark / Fire

Mega Houndoom is one of the strongest dark type attackers in Pokémon GO, and is no pushover when using fire moves either.

Mega Manectric

Mega Manectric2

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Electric

Mega Manectric is a useful mega evolution when you’re battling a flying type raid boss, including Lugia, Ho-oh or Tornadus (both Incarnate and Therian forms).

Mega Altaria

Mega Altaria

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Dragon / fairy

There are better mega evolutions if you want a dragon type on your team. Mega Altaria’s dual fairy type gives it many weaknesses, but it can still go the distance and take a lot of damage before it faints.

Mega Absol

Mega Absol

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Dark

With the highest offensive DSP amongst Dark-type Mega Pokémon, Mega Absol is a must for anyone entering a battle against a Ghost- or Psychic-type.

Mega Latias

Mega Latias

Cost: 300 mega energy first time, 60 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Dragon / Psychic

A slightly more costly Mega Evolution, Mega Latias has strong stats and a good moveset. On top of this, it also has a good level of bulk so can maintain its ally boosts for a little longer.

Mega Latios

Mega Latios

Cost: 300 mega energy first time, 60 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Dragon / Psychic

Mega Latios may not top any charts as the best Mega Evolution for you to get, but with the Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw moveset it is able to dodge incoming attacks very easily making it a nimble choice.

Mega Lopunny

Mega Lopunny

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Normal / fighting

If, like us, a powerful Machamp is a staple of your battle party, it’s worth experimenting with Mega Lopunny. It’s technically more powerful, and may give you a slight advantage when using your favourite tactics.

Mega Abomasnow

Mega Abomasnow

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Grass / ice

Mega Abomasnow was the first ice type mega evolution. With the right moves, it can chill the heart of any opponent with a weakness to ice attacks.

Mega Sceptile

Mega Sceptile

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Grass / Dragon

Mega Sceptile has a good range of Charged Attacks encompassing Grass-, Ground-, Flying- and Dragon-Type moves and is thus a good fit for a variety of battle styles.

Mega Blaziken

Mega Blaziken

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Fire / Fighting

A Mega Pokémon that really packs a punch, Mega Blaziken's balance of Fire- and Fighting- blood makes it a nightmare for Ice- and Steel-Types.

Mega Swampert

Mega Swampert

Cost: 200 mega energy first time, 40 on future mega evolutions (at base level)

Pokémon type: Water / Ground

Released in the Pokémon GO Hoenn Mega Raid Day, Mega Swampert's simplistic moveset make it a strong match-up against Fire- and Rock-Type opponents.

The Future Of Mega Evolution

The future of mega evolution is exciting.

The core Pokémon console games feature 46 species of Pokémon that can mega evolve, so there are plenty more to make their GO debut.

Powerful fighters that may get a future Pokémon GO mega evolution include Metagross, Rayquaza, Garchomp, Aggron, Tyranitar, Salamance and many others.

We’ll keep you updated on all future mega evolution developments. But, for now, leave a comment and let us know if we’ve missed anything in our mega masterclass.


This article is part of our Pokémon GO walkthrough and guide series. We have articles that take you through the basics, covering How To Catch Pokémon: Throwing Tips, Poké Balls, & Capture Rates, How To Redeem Pokémon GO Promo Codes, How To Check A Pokémon's IVs Using An IV Calculator, How Trading Works, How To Track Pokémon Using Maps And Trackers, What Star Pieces And Stardust Do And How To Get Them, How Player Vs. Player Trainer Battles Work, and How To Complete Field Research And Research Breakthroughs And All Rewards.

We cover regular weekly and monthly Pokémon GO events, such as Spotlight Hour Times And Bonus Hour Times, and Community Days. We also have charts, including a Type Chart With Effectiveness And Weakness For All Types, an Egg Chart Explaining 2km, 5km, 7km, & 10km Eggs, and a Buddy Chart Explaining How To Earn Candy.

Elsewhere we cover Friend Code And Sharing Them For Easy XP and Which Pokémon GO 'Auto Catch' Companion Device Is The Best, plus more advanced tactics and info such as All Fast Moves And Charge Moves, How To Get TMs, And How It All Works, Shiny Pokémon And How To Catch Them, Glacial Lures, Magnetic Lures, Mossy Lures in Pokémon GO (And Their Exclusive Evolutions), How To Get Lots Of Candy Fast, How Lucky Pokémon Work & How To Catch Them, How To Catch All 27 Regional Pokémon, the Best Attackers And Best Defenders, All Raid Bosses And Best Counters Listed By Tier, What EX Raids Are And How To Get EX Raid Passes, What A Super Incubators Does And How To Get One, and How Get Mega Energy.

Pocket Monster-wise, we have specific guides for How To Get Pangoro, Sylveon, Glaceon, Aromatisse, Slurpuff, Sirfetch’d, Galarian Cofagrigus And More, How To Get Sylveon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Umbreon, Espeon, Vaporeon, Jolteon And Flareon, How To Evolve Wurmple Into Silcoon Or Cascoon, How To Get Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan And Hitmontop, How To Use The Weather To Get Each Castform Form, How To Catch And Evolve Into Galarian Slowbro, How To Catch Smeargle, How To Find And Evolve Burmy, How To Catch Spinda, Where To Find Unown, How To Catch Ditto, and The Rarest Pokémon Including Wild, Shiny, Mythical And Regional Catches.

We also cover timed research and special events, including Mew's 'A Mythical Discovery', Jirachi's 'A Thousand-Year Slumber', Celebi's 'A Ripple In Time', and Regigigas' 'A Colossal Discovery'. Other (past) event guides include Twitch Codes List - Pokémon World Championship 2022, How To Battle A Challenger (World Championships 2022), How To Battle Fashion Challengers, 'A Spooky Message' Spiritomb Quest, Kanto Event FAQ, and the Summer Tour 2018 Chicago GO Fest And Dortmund And Yokosuka Safari Zones.

Finally, there's our WIP Pokémon GO Pokédex, which currently goes up to 400 Pokémon: #1-50 | #51-100 | #101-150 | #151-200 | #201-250 | #251-300 | #301-350 | #351-400.