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Pokémon Go's Tyrogue and how to evolve into Hitmontop, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan

There's a trick to evolving new Gen 2 baby Tyrogue into one of three fighting Pokémon.

Pokémon Go's Tyrogue is one of many new Baby Pokémon added as part of the game's huge Gen 2 Johto update.

Like Magby, Pichu, Smoochum and other Babies, it evolves into other established Pokémon - but instead of one linear evolution, there are a total of three available, one of which is a new Gen 2 type, Hitmontop.

While on the surface it sounds like the Eevee evolutions, how you get from Tyrogue to Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee and Hitmontop works a little differently and requires a dose of luck.

First, you need to get a Tyrogue by hatching a 5km Egg. If you're playing as part of the May 2018 Fighting event, then you're in luck, as Tyrogue spawns will have increased for the duration.

How to evolve Tyrogue into Hitmontop, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan

Once you have a Tyrogue, how it evolves from into the three fighting types depends on its stats:

  • If Attack is higher than other stats, Tyrogue evolves into Hitmonlee
  • If Defence is higher than other stats, Tyrogue evolves into Hitmonchan
  • If Stamina / HP is higher than other stats, Tyrogue evolves into Hitmontop

If the stats are the same - for example, all are a maximum of 15 - then the evolution will be random. If two are the same, then it'll choose between two of those possible evolutions at random. So if Attack and Defence match, it'll evolve into either Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan.

This is based on preliminary findings from the community of researchers over at The Silph Road sub-Reddit, who polled users on their stats and eventual evolutions.

How to find out Tyrogue's stats

How you find its hidden stats - or IVs - can be done in one of two ways. One is by using the in-game Appraisal tool, which you can access by viewing the Pokémon and selecting the menu icon in the bottom right corner. Your team leader will then tell you about its potential in battle, and it's most impressive stat out of its Attack, Defence and Stamina.

If you want a more precise reading, then you can find out its specific stats by finding out about its CP values and using an IV calculator. Our CP meaning and values article explains how these stats work, as well as several suggestions for IV calculators.

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The Max Out Season is drawing to a close in Pokémon Go. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


What else you need to know about Tyrogue, Hitmontop, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan

  • Unfortunately, the stats your Tyrogue will have is seemingly based on luck. While Pokemon hatching from Eggs have a higher chance of getting strong stats / IVs than those found in the wild, where its strengths lie - in Attack, Defence or Stamina - is random. It's simply a case of having to keep collecting Tyrogues until you get the evolution you need.
  • If you're struggling with this method, remember you can find all three evolutions Hitmontop, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan in the wild, according to Reddit. They're particularly rare, however, so you're lucky enough to hatch a Tyrogue with the stats you need, then do that.
  • As of the Gen 2 Johto update, Hitmontop, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan Candy is now named Tyrogue Candy, after its first evolution, in line with other Candy naming conventions.
  • You need 25 Candy to evolve Tyrogue.
  • If you set any of these as your Buddy Pokémon, Candy will drop every 5km.
  • If think these fighting specialists make for great gym Pokemon, you'd be wrong - at the time of writing, based on raw stats in our best Pokémon list, Hitmonlee's attack is the 25th highest in the game, while Hitmontop and Hitmonchan have the 22nd and 24th highest defence.
  • If you are taking these Fighting Types to the Gym, remember they are weak to Flying, Psychic and Fairy Pokémon.
  • The way these three Pokemon evolve from Tyrogue is not unlike the main games; for Hitmonlee, Attack must be higher than Defence, for Hitmonchan, Defence must be higher than Attack, and for Hitmontop, both stats must be the same.

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