Evolution Items Guide (Sinnoh Stone, King's Rock…)
Pokémon GO features 7 classic Johto/Unova/Sinnoh evolution items (King's Rock, Sun Stone, Metal Coat, Dragon Scale, Upgrade, Sinnoh Stone, and Unova Stone) alongside special device-mechanic evolutions like flipping your phone upside down to evolve Inkay into Malamar.
- How to Get Johto Evolution Items (King's Rock, Sun Stone, Metal Coat, Dragon Scale, Upgrade): Guaranteed random drop on your 7-Day PokéStop Spin Streak, plus rare drops from standard PokéStop/Gym spins and Friend Gifts.
- How to Get Sinnoh Stones Fast: Battle another Trainer in PvP 3 times per day, battle a Team Leader (Candela/Blanche/Spark) once per day in Master League, and claim the 2-Win Mystery Item in GO Battle League.
- How to Get Unova Stones: Defeat Team GO Rocket Leaders (Arlo, Cliff, Sierra) and Giovanni, or open your 7-Day Research Breakthrough box.
- How to Evolve Inkay into Malamar: Collect 50 Inkay Candy, physically turn your smartphone upside down (180 degrees), and tap the Evolve button while the phone remains inverted.
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Pokémon GO King's Rock Evolutions & How to Farm Johto Items
King's Rock is required to evolve Poliwhirl into Politoed (100 Poliwag Candy + King's Rock) and Slowpoke into Slowking (50 Slowpoke Candy + King's Rock). Like the other four Johto items—Metal Coat (Scizor & Steelix), Sun Stone (Bellossom, Sunflora, Whimsicott, Lilligant, Heliolisk), Dragon Scale (Kingdra), and Upgrade (Porygon2)—you are guaranteed to receive one random Johto evolution item on every 7th consecutive day you spin a PokéStop.
How to Get Sinnoh Stones & Best Sinnoh Evolutions
Unlike Johto items, Sinnoh Stones do NOT drop from spinning PokéStops. The fastest repeatable way to farm Sinnoh Stones for free is completing 3 daily Trainer Battles against a friend (win or lose, all 3 battles roll for a Sinnoh Stone) and 1 daily training battle against a Team Leader in Master League (you must win the Team Leader battle for the Sinnoh Stone roll). Prioritize your first Sinnoh Stones on Swinub -> Mamoswine (top Ice raid attacker), Rhydon -> Rhyperior, Roselia -> Roserade, and Togetic -> Togekiss.
How to Evolve Inkay into Malamar (Upside-Down Gyroscope Trick)
Inkay is the Overturning Pokémon, and evolving it into Malamar requires 50 Inkay Candy plus an active gyroscope check on your mobile device. Open Inkay's summary screen, physically rotate your phone upside down (make sure your phone's portrait screen-rotation lock does not block the gyroscope sensor), and press Evolve while holding the phone inverted.
Pokémon GO: Optimal Meta Play vs. Common Resource Traps
- ●Keep top Shadow Raid Attackers (Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Groudon, Shadow Rhyperior, Shadow Mamoswine) as Shadow for the flat +20% raid damage bonus.
- ●Use a Meteorite to teach Mega Rayquaza Dragon Ascent before Mega Evolving, and use Elite Charged TMs for Precipice Blades (Groudon) and Origin Pulse (Kyogre).
- ●Redeem promo codes on the official web store (store.pokemongolive.com).
- ●Never purify a high-tier Shadow raid attacker just to get a 100% IV Hundo—a 0% IV Shadow deals more raid DPS than a 100% IV Purified Pokémon.
- ●Do not spend 296–360 Candy XL pushing non-meta Pokémon to Level 50 before building your core Level 40 raid teams.
- ●Do not forget to have an active Mega Lv. 3 Pokémon matching the raid boss's typing to earn extra Candy XL on catch.
❓ Pokémon GO Frequently Asked Questions
Click any question below to view the verified answer and mechanics breakdown.