If you’re not truly familiar with the Pokémon franchise, and only have basic knowledge of the characters, you should know at least one or two of these names — Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Chnarmander, and Squirtle. These are the most iconic and classic Pokémon in franchise history, and that’s why Niantic Labs has made them the starter characters in the new and sensational game Pokémon GO. You can start by default with any one of the latter three, though there is a trick you can pull off in order to make Pikachu your starter – that basically involves repeatedly ignoring the three official starters.
We’ve said in previous guides that it’s a good thing to find a duplicate of a Pokémon, as that allows you to stockpile on Candy, among other things. But as the game becomes more advanced, you’ll have a hard time finding duplicates of those characters. And it’s going to be harder to find their evolved versions; they are, of course, of a higher rarity than their base characters. What should you do if you want to get evolutions of your starting Pokémon? We suggest reading this Pokémon GO strategy guide, which will focus mainly on Blastoise (Squirtle), Charizard (Charmander), Venusaur (Bulbasaur), and Raichu (Pikachu).
1. Evolve Them From The Lower Forms
This may be the easiest way for you to get the starter Pokémon evolved, but it’s also the most time-consuming. Evolve the lower forms when achieving a higher one, but take note that you will need starter candy (not just ordinary candy) for that process. The best way to get starter candy is to get it by hatching eggs, as hatched Pokémon give out more candy (much more candy, actually) than a caught one. As evolutions are so clearly evolved versions of their original form, you won’t be able to find them in any of the eggs. But you can hatch a duplicate of Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pikachu, or Squirtle, as they’re likely to be found underneath the 2km eggs.
2. How To Get Blastoise (And Other Squirtle Evolutions)
As Squirtle is a water type, his evolutions Blastoise and Wartortle are also water types who can be found near lakes, rivers, and oceans. You’ll have a better chance at spotting evolved versions of Squirtle with a higher level, though you can always try to find as many Squirtles as possible, and use their Candy to evolve them into Blastoise or Wartortle.
3. How To Get Charizard (And Other Charmander Evolutions)
Charizard is an evolution of Charmander, and is a fire and flying type. This sets him apart from his fellow evolutions Charmeleon and Charmander, who are purely fire types. Fire types are normally found in hot-weather locations, including those in the southwest part of the United States, or Mexico. If you live in the Middle East, you can expect a lot of fire types once the game arrives there, and if you live near the beach, you can go there as well, as the sand proves to be quite attractive to any fire types. As for Charizard in specific, he can sometimes be spotted in parks and forests due to the fact that he’s a flying type.
4. How To Get Venusaur (And Other Bulbasaur Evolutions)
Bulbasaur and his evolutions Ivysaur and Venusaur are grass and poison types, and you’ll be able to find grass types most often at grassy areas such as farms, parks, meadows, and golf courses. Poison types can commonly be found in marshes, swamps, and other wetland areas, and you may even be able to find some of them in industrial areas. Just as usual, you’ve got the option to grind for more Bulbasaurs, use their Candy, and evolve them into an Ivysaur or Venusaur.
5. How To Get Raichu
Last, but not the least, let’s talk about arguably the most famous evolution out there, mainly because he’s an evolution of the game’s most iconic character. Like his base character Pikachu, Raichu is an electric type, which means you’ll want to go hunting for him at a school, or at YOUR school, as electric Pokémon tend to be found by colleges and universities. Electric Pokémon are also found in suburban areas and parking lots, or any dry location with (or without) pavement. As Raichu is a rarer version of his base, you’ll likely get him if you’re sufficiently leveled up. But given the evolution process and the candy involved therein, it would be quite easy anyway to use 50 Pikachu Candy and evolve your extra Pikachu into a Raichu.