Pokémon GO Best Pokémon to Evolve During Ultra Unlock: Legacy Moves and PvP Picks
Best Pokémon to evolve during Pokémon GO's Ultra Unlock: legacy moves on First Partners, top PvP picks, plus a Lucky Egg, Star Piece, and Storage plan.
The 10th Anniversary Ultra Unlock (July 21–27, 2026) is the single best evolution window of the year in Pokémon GO. For the first time in this anniversary cycle, evolving First Partner Pokémon during the event grants their former Community Day moves for free — no Elite TM, no waiting for a re-run. On top of that, the same week stacks a rising catch-XP ladder (up to 10×), a Go Pass packed with Candy and Candy XL bonuses, and a flood of spawns you will want to catch, evolve, and transfer. If you have been sitting on high-IV un-evolved Pokémon, this is the moment to press the evolve button.
This guide covers the best Pokémon to evolve during Ultra Unlock, the legacy moves worth chasing, the PvP picks that actually matter in Great, Ultra, and Master League, and the resource plan — Lucky Egg, Star Piece, Storage, and evolution items — that keeps the whole operation from stalling.
If you need extra PokéCoins to expand Storage or buy Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces, you can top up quickly and securely through Topuplist, and head straight to the Pokémon GO top-up page for the best-value bundles.
Why Ultra Unlock Is the Evolution Event of the Year
According to the official Pokémon GO site, the 10th Anniversary celebrations run through late July, and the Ultra Unlock phase is built around bonuses that all converge on the same week. Three forces make it the ideal evolution window:
Free Legacy Moves on First Partner Pokémon
The headline mechanic is simple: evolve a First Partner Pokémon during the event and it learns its former Community Day move. These are moves that are normally locked behind Elite TMs or a specific Community Day re-run. Getting them for free, with no item cost, is rare — and it is the main reason to evolve now rather than later.
The confirmed set for this window includes the Kanto starters and Pikachu:
Bulbasaur → Venusaur learns Frenzy Plant
Charmander → Charizard learns Blast Burn
Squirtle → Blastoise learns Hydro Cannon
Pikachu (in the First Partner group) connects to Thunderbolt
Each of these is a signature move that dramatically improves the Pokémon for both raids and PvP. For collectors and battlers alike, this is a "don't miss" unlock.
XP, Stardust, and Storage All Peak Together
The Ultra Unlock also ships a Go Pass with 30 standard ranks plus 30 bonus ranks. Reaching rank 10 unlocks 2× catch Candy (3× on the Deluxe version), and rank 20 improves your Candy XL odds from catches. That candy directly feeds your evolution plans. Meanwhile, the catch-XP ladder (6× → 8× → 10×) means the same week you are evolving, you are also drowning in XP — so a Lucky Egg pulled over an evolution batch pays off twice. And because you will catch, evolve, and transfer in bulk, a Star Piece and healthy Storage management become part of the same routine.
Best First Partner Pokémon to Evolve (Confirmed Event Bonus)
Start with the Pokémon that get a guaranteed free legacy move simply by evolving during the window. These are the safest, highest-value evolves of the event.
The Kanto Starter Legacy Move Set
Base → Final Form | Legacy Move (free during event) | Type | Where It Shines |
|---|---|---|---|
Bulbasaur → Venusaur | Frenzy Plant | Grass | Great League / Grass raids |
Charmander → Charizard | Blast Burn | Fire | Fire raids / Ultra League |
Squirtle → Blastoise | Hydro Cannon | Water | Ultra League / Water raids |
Pikachu (First Partner) | Thunderbolt | Electric | Collector / niche Electric |
Venusaur with Frenzy Plant is a genuine Great League threat — a bulky Grass attacker that pressures Water, Ground, and Rock teams. Blastoise with Hydro Cannon is a top-tier Water option for the Ultra League and a reliable raid damage dealer. Charizard with Blast Burn remains one of the best Fire-type raid attackers in the game. If you have high-IV versions of any of these sitting un-evolved, evolve them during the window — you will not get the move cheaper than free.
Want more Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces to run evolution batches? Grab PokéCoins at Topuplist and jump straight to the Pokémon GO store to keep your session stocked.
Top PvP Picks to Evolve — League by League
Beyond the free First Partner moves, the Ultra Unlock is the perfect time to build out your PvP roster, because you can evolve stockpiled families and arm them with their legacy moves via Elite TM (or save them for their own Community Day). Below are the evolutions that earn their keep in the Go Battle League, organized by league. The legacy move listed is what makes each one dangerous.
Great League Evolutions
The Great League (1,500 CP cap) rewards bulk and cheap, spammy moves. The best evolutions to target:
Swampert (from Mudkip) — Hydro Cannon. A Water/Ground wall that hard-counters Fire, Steel, Rock, and Electric. One of the most consistent Great League picks ever.
Rhyperior (from Rhyhorn) — Rock Wrecker. A Mud Shot / Rock Wrecker core that punches far above its weight in Great League.
Weavile (from Sneasel) — Avalanche. A fast, hard-hitting Dark/Ice threat that shreds Psychic and Ghost lines.
Umbreon (from Eevee) — Last Resort. A defensive Dark tank that becomes far more dangerous with its Community Day move.
Mamoswine (from Swinub) — Avalanche. Powder Snow + Avalanche is a premier Ice attacker in the 1,500 CP meta.
Ultra League Evolutions
The Ultra League (2,500 CP cap) favors slightly bigger, more stat-heavy Pokémon:
Swampert — again, Hydro Cannon makes it a staple here too.
Metagross (from Beldum) — Meteor Mash. A Steel/Psychic powerhouse and one of the best Ultra League closers in the game.
Rhyperior — Rock Wrecker keeps it relevant at this level as well.
Tyranitar (from Larvitar) — Smack Down. A Dark/Rock anchor that dominates Psychic and Ghost matchups.
Garchomp (from Gible) — Earth Power. A Dragon/Ground bruiser with excellent coverage.
Master League Evolutions
The Master League has no CP cap, so raw stats rule:
Metagross — Meteor Mash is mandatory for a top Master League build.
Dragonite (from Dratini) — Draco Meteor. A classic Dragon closer with huge damage potential.
Salamence (from Bagon) — Outrage. A fast, hard-hitting Dragon that fits many Master League teams.
Tyranitar — Smack Down also earns it a spot as a Dark/Rock coverage option.
Final Form | Base Family | Legacy Move | Best League |
|---|---|---|---|
Swampert | Mudkip | Hydro Cannon | Great / Ultra |
Metagross | Beldum | Meteor Mash | Ultra / Master |
Rhyperior | Rhyhorn | Rock Wrecker | Great / Ultra |
Tyranitar | Larvitar | Smack Down | Great / Ultra |
Weavile | Sneasel | Avalanche | Great |
Garchomp | Gible | Earth Power | Ultra |
Dragonite | Dratini | Draco Meteor | Master |
Umbreon | Eevee | Last Resort | Great |
Mamoswine | Swinub | Avalanche | Great / Ultra |
Salamence | Bagon | Outrage | Master |
Most of these legacy moves are normally unlocked with an Elite Charged TM or earned during the Pokémon's own Community Day. The Ultra Unlock does not hand them out for free outside the First Partner group — but evolving the families now means they are ready the moment you get the TM, and you avoid a last-minute candy scramble.
Stock up before the event by buying PokéCoins at Topuplist and visiting the Pokémon GO top-up center for bundle value.
Evolution Items and Candy You'll Burn
Evolving is never free — it costs Candy, sometimes Candy XL, and frequently a dedicated evolution item. During a window where you might evolve a dozen families at once, the item and candy drain is real.
Requirement | Used By (examples) | How to Source |
|---|---|---|
Candy (25 / 100) | Most 2-stage & 3-stage lines | Catch, transfer, walk as Buddy |
Candy XL | High-level evolutions, Lv. 40+ | Catch higher-level Pokémon, raids, rank-20 Go Pass bonus |
Sinnoh Stone | Rhyperior, Mamoswine, Togekiss, Magmortar, Electivire, Tangrowth | Research, Go Battle League, rare wild drop |
Unova Stone | Chandelure, Cinccino, Eelektross, Musharna | Research, Go Battle League, rare wild drop |
King's Rock | Politoed, Slowking | Research, rare wild drop |
Metal Coat | Scizor, Steelix | Research, rare wild drop |
Dragon Scale | Kingdra | Research, rare wild drop |
Sun Stone | Bellossom, Sunflora | Research, rare wild drop |
Up-Grade | Porygon-Z | Research, rare wild drop |
The takeaway: don't wait until July 25 to start collecting Sinnoh Stones and Unova Stones. These drop randomly from Research and Go Battle League rewards, so grind them in the days before. A Rhyperior without a Sinnoh Stone is just a Rhydon — and the Ultra Unlock will not manufacture the stone for you.
Storage, Lucky Egg, and Star Piece Game Plan
The angle of this event is not just "what to evolve" — it is "how to evolve without running out of everything." Here is the resource plan.
Lucky Egg — Stack It on Evolution Batches
Every evolution awards 500 XP. Pop a Lucky Egg first and that becomes 1,000 XP per evolution for 30 minutes. If you evolve 30 Pokémon in one egg, that is 30,000 XP from evolutions alone — and during the Ultra Unlock catch ladder, your catches in that same window also benefit. Rule: never evolve in bulk without a Lucky Egg active. Save your eggs from level-ups and stack them across the three peak days.
Star Piece — Pair With Catch-and-Transfer
A Star Piece doubles Stardust for one hour. Evolving itself does not grant Stardust, but the Ultra Unlock week is a catch-heavy week: every catch yields Stardust, and every transfer of a low-IV pre-evolution yields more. The efficient loop is: catch a batch → evolve the keepers → transfer the leftovers → pop a Star Piece while you do it. That turns your cleanup into a Stardust windfall.
Storage — Expand and Purge Before You Start
Evolving consumes Pokémon Storage: each final form occupies a slot unless you immediately transfer the pre-evolution. If you evolve 20 families, you can temporarily hold 40+ Pokémon. Expand your Pokémon Storage with PokéCoins before the window, and pre-transfer obvious junk (low-IV, duplicate species) so you never hit the cap mid-session. Remember, the Pokédex keeps your "seen/caught" record even after a transfer, so purging low-IV fodder is safe.
Resource | When to Use | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
Lucky Egg | Over an evolution batch (30 min) | 500 → 1,000 XP per evolve |
Star Piece | During catch + transfer cleanup | Doubles Stardust from both |
Pokémon Storage | Expand before; purge low-IV | Avoid hitting cap mid-event |
Evolution Items & Candy | Stock via Research/PvP early | Prevents blocked evolutions |
Don't let the peak pass you by — top up PokéCoins at Topuplist through the Pokémon GO recharge page and walk into the window with full Storage and a stack of Lucky Eggs.
Step-by-Step Evolution Plan for the Window
One week before: Expand Pokémon Storage, grind Sinnoh Stones / Unova Stones from Research and Go Battle League, and stock Lucky Eggs from level-ups.
Build your keep list: Tag high-IV un-evolved First Partners (Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu) and your PvP target families (Mudkip, Beldum, Rhyhorn, Larvitar, Sneasel, Gible, Dratini, Eevee, Swinub, Bagon).
During the window: Pop a Lucky Egg, evolve every First Partner for its free legacy move, then evolve your PvP stock.
Clean up with a Star Piece: Transfer low-IV pre-evolutions and duplicate catches to convert the mess into Stardust.
Use Elite TMs on the PvP picks whose legacy moves the event did not grant for free (Swampert, Metagross, Rhyperior, Tyranitar, etc.) so they are battle-ready.
Repeat across July 25–27, chaining Lucky Eggs for maximum XP while the catch ladder is at 10×.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Evolving First Partners outside the window — you lose the free Frenzy Plant / Blast Burn / Hydro Cannon / Thunderbolt.
Evolving without a Lucky Egg — you halve the XP for no reason.
Forgetting evolution items — a Rhydon stays a Rhydon without a Sinnoh Stone.
Ignoring Storage — hitting the cap mid-batch forces you to stop and transfer under pressure.
Skipping the Star Piece on cleanup — transferring without it wastes Stardust you could have doubled.
Burning Elite TMs blindly — save them for the PvP picks whose legacy moves are not event-granted.
FAQ
Q: Which Pokémon get a free legacy move during Ultra Unlock?
A: The confirmed First Partner group — Bulbasaur → Venusaur (Frenzy Plant), Charmander → Charizard (Blast Burn), Squirtle → Blastoise (Hydro Cannon), and Pikachu (Thunderbolt). Evolve them during the July 21–27 window to learn the move for free.
Q: Do I need an Elite TM for the First Partner moves?
A: No. During the Ultra Unlock, the Community Day move is granted automatically on evolution — no Elite TM required.
Q: Which PvP evolutions need an Elite TM instead?
A: Most of the broader PvP picks — Swampert (Hydro Cannon), Metagross (Meteor Mash), Rhyperior (Rock Wrecker), Tyranitar (Smack Down), Weavile (Avalanche), Garchomp (Earth Power), Dragonite (Draco Meteor), Umbreon (Last Resort), Mamoswine (Avalanche), and Salamence (Outrage) — normally need an Elite Charged TM or their own Community Day to learn the legacy move.
Q: Should I use a Lucky Egg when evolving?
A: Yes. Each evolution gives 500 XP, doubled to 1,000 with a Lucky Egg. Always evolve in bulk while a Lucky Egg is active.
Q: Does a Star Piece help with evolving?
A: Not directly — evolving gives no Stardust. But pair a Star Piece with the catch-and-transfer cleanup that follows an evolution session to double the Stardust from catches and transfers.
Q: Why does Storage matter for evolving?
A: Each final form takes a Pokémon Storage slot, and evolving many families at once can temporarily hold dozens of Pokémon. Expand Storage and pre-transfer low-IV fodder so you never hit the cap mid-event.
