Pokémon Go Sun Stone - how to evolve Gloom into Bellossom, Sunkern into Sunflora and Petilil into Lilligant explained

How to evolve Gloom into Bellossom in Pokémon Go

Over in the main series of Pokémon games, Gloom evolves into Bellossom - as opposed to Vileplume - in a kind of branching evolution chain. To get Vileplume, you'd need to use a Grass Stone on Gloom, whilst to get Bellossom you'd need to use a Sun Stone.

Evolution stones themselves haven't been in the game until the current update - in fact the originals, like the Grass Stone, still aren't in the game - and so the mechanic itself is new, too.

To evolve Gloom into Bellossom, then, you'll need to get yourself a Sun Stone, along with the required amount of Candy, and simply head to the normal section of the menu where you'd go for evolving the Pokémon and carry on with the usual steps from there.

• Gloom to Bellossom Evolution cost - 1 Sun Stone and 100 Oddish Candy.

How to evolve Sunkern into Sunflora in Pokémon Go

This one was originally up for contention, as it wasn't clear whether Sunflora would follow the Raichu-style method of evolving, where evolution stones from the original games were replaced with Candy in Pokémon Go, or the Bellossom method which uses the evolution stone, as above.

It turns out you do indeed need the Sun Stone to evolve Sunkern into Sunflora, and that can be done in the usual way from the game's menus.

• Sunkern to Sunflora Evolution cost - 1 Sun Stone and 50 Sunkern Candy.

How to evolve Petilil into Lilligant in Pokémon Go

The first Pokémon to make use of a Sun Stone in several generations is Gen 5's Petilil, allowing it to evolve into Lilligant alongside 50 Candy.

The use of a Sun Stone applies with the main games, too, so this should come as no surprise.

• Petilil to Lilligant Evolution cost - 1 Sun Stone and 50 Petilil Candy.

How to evolve Cottonee into Whimsicott in Pokémon Go

The second Pokémon to make use of a Sun Stone in Gen 5 is Cottonee, which will evolve into Whimsicott using 50 Candy.

• Cottonee to Whimsicott Evolution cost - 1 Sun Stone and 50 Cottonee Candy.

How to evolve Helioptile and Heliolisk in Pokémon Go

If you want to evolve Helioptile - a Pokémon from Gen 6 - into a Heliolisk you will need both a Sun Stone and 50 Helioptile Candy. Once again, this evolution method reflects how Helioptile is evolved in the main game series.

• Helioptile to Heliolisk Evolution Cost - 1 Sun Stone and 50 Helioptile Candy.

The Max Out Season is here and includes a new global event, Wild Area. 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.

How to get the Sun Stone in Pokémon Go

If you want to evolve any of the above Pokémon, you're going to need a Sun Stone. To find one, you need to start spinning those PokéStop wheels, because, unless one is a reward for a current special or timed research quest, this is the only way to earn a Sun Stone.

Fortunately, there is some strategy here after all! A special evolution item will drop on the seventh day of your PokéStop Daily Bonus streak. There's no guaranteeing which evolution item you'll get, but with only five in the game at least you hopefully shouldn't have to wait too long to get a hold of all the items you need.