Pokemon Go Growing Up event guide – All tasks & rewards

Master the Pokemon Go Growing Up event with comprehensive strategies to evolve 400-candy Pokemon efficiently

Introduction: The Challenge of High-Cost Evolutions

The Pokemon Go Growing Up event specifically targets one of the game’s most challenging evolution requirements: creatures demanding 400 Candy to evolve. This strategic event provides trainers with enhanced opportunities to complete their Pokedex entries for these resource-intensive Pokemon.

Many trainers struggle with incomplete Pokedex entries specifically because certain Pokemon require an enormous 400 Candy investment to evolve. The Growing Up event directly addresses this pain point by creating multiple pathways to accumulate these resources efficiently.

With over 800 creatures now available in Pokemon Go, evolution remains the only method to obtain certain species. While many Pokemon appear in wild encounters, raids, or eggs, evolution-locked species present unique collection challenges that this event specifically mitigates.

The 400-Candy evolution requirement represents one of Pokemon Go’s steepest resource investments. This event’s bonus structure strategically reduces the time investment needed, allowing trainers to finally evolve Pokemon like Magikarp, Wailmer, Swablu, and newer additions that share this demanding evolution cost.

Event Dates and Optimal Play Strategy

The Growing Up event arrives during the Might and Mastery season, running from Friday, May 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM until Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time.

Trainers have exactly five days and ten hours to maximize their candy collection efforts. This limited timeframe requires strategic planning to prioritize which Pokemon to focus on based on your current Pokedex gaps and available play time.

Pro tip: Begin preparing before the event starts by identifying which 400-candy evolutions you still need and stocking up on Pinap Berries. The event’s double candy bonuses combined with Pinap Berries can yield up to 12 candy per catch, dramatically accelerating your progress toward evolution goals.

Event Bonuses: Maximizing Your Rewards

These enhanced benefits provide significant advantages for trainers focusing on evolution goals:

  • x2 XP for evolving Pokemon – Perfect for mass evolution sessions, especially when combined with Lucky Eggs
  • x2 Candy from hatching Eggs – Essential for accumulating the large candy quantities needed for 400-candy evolutions
  • Increased chance to hatch Shiny Wimpod – A rare opportunity to obtain this sought-after shiny variant
  • Increased chance to encounter Shiny Magikarp, Shiny Swablu, and Shiny Wimpod – Multiple shiny hunting opportunities across different encounter methods
  • Increased chance to encounter XXS and XXL Pokemon in the wild – Bonus for trainers pursuing size-based collection challenges
  • Strategic note: The double evolution XP bonus makes this an ideal time to use any stored Lucky Eggs. Plan a mass evolution session during this event to maximize both candy collection and experience gains simultaneously.

    Wild Encounters: Strategic Catching Guide

    During the Growing Up event, these Pokemon will appear with increased frequency in wild encounters:

    Pokemon marked with an (*) can appear as Shiny.

    Focus your catching efforts on Pokemon that require 400 candy to evolve, particularly those you haven’t yet evolved. Remember to use Pinap Berries on every catch of these species to double your candy yield from 6 to 12 per capture.

    Common mistake: Many trainers waste time catching Pokemon they’ve already evolved. Instead, use the event to target specifically the 400-candy evolution species you still need for your Pokedex. Keep a list handy of which ones you’re missing to stay focused during gameplay sessions.

    Egg Hatching Strategies and Rotations

    Egg pools receive temporary adjustments for this event, featuring these available hatches:

    Once the event concludes, Toxel may continue appearing in 10km Eggs as part of the standard rotation.

    With double candy from egg hatching active, this becomes the optimal time to use any stored incubators. Focus on higher-distance eggs (7km and 10km) as they provide greater candy yields when the bonus is applied.

    Advanced strategy: If you have multiple incubators, prioritize egg distance based on your play patterns. Use unlimited incubator for 2km eggs while reserving limited-use incubators for 7km and 10km eggs to maximize your candy return on investment during the event timeframe.

    Field Research: Complete Task Breakdown

    Event-themed Field Research tasks provide additional opportunities to encounter featured Pokemon and earn valuable resources throughout the celebration.

    Players completing these tasks receive useful rewards, including encounters with event-themed Pokemon.

    Available Field Research tasks and their corresponding rewards include:

  • Evolve a Pokemon: Encounter with Magikarp, Wailmer, Swablu, or Wimpod
  • Trade a Pokemon: Tandemaus encounter
  • Power up Pokemon 5 times: Magikarp, Wailmer, Swablu, or Wimpod encounter
  • Task completion strategy: Focus on the “Evolve a Pokemon” task since it aligns perfectly with the event’s core objective. The “Power up Pokemon 5 times” task also provides good value, while the trade task requires coordination with another player.

    Collection Challenges and Showcases

    During the celebration, event-themed Collection Challenges will be available for all trainers. Those who complete the hatch-focused Collection Challenges will receive XP, Stardust, and an encounter with Tandemaus.

    The Hatch Challenge requirements are as follows:

    Rewards: 5,000 XP, 5,000 Stardust, Tandemaus encounter

    As with most events, PokeStop Showcases will be active at various PokeStops. Seek out these special competitions to enter event-themed contests and earn additional items.

    Showcase strategy: Enter your largest XXL specimens of event-themed Pokemon for the best chance at winning. These showcases typically reward additional stardust, items, and sometimes rare candy, making them worth seeking out during your gameplay sessions.

    Premium Content Analysis: Is It Worth It?

    Dedicated trainers seeking maximum benefits can access an exclusive Timed Research for US$4.99 (or equivalent local pricing).

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    Premium research rewards include:

  • Encounters with event-themed Pokemon – Magikarp, Swablu, Riolu, Wimpod, Tandemaus, and more!
  • An event-themed Avatar pose
  • Paid Timed Research tickets can be purchased and gifted to other players, provided you’ve reached Great Friends level or higher.

    Important reminder: As the name indicates, Paid Timed Research expires. All tasks must be completed and rewards claimed before the event concludes on May 7, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time.

    The Timed Research tasks are structured as follows:

    Completion rewards: 3,000 Stardust, Tandemaus, Growing Up Pose

    Value assessment: The premium research offers good value for dedicated players needing multiple 400-candy evolutions. The guaranteed encounters with rare Pokemon like Riolu combined with the exclusive avatar pose justify the cost for serious collectors, but casual players may find sufficient value in the free event content.

    Regional Exclusive Bonuses (Japan & Korea)

    Special enhanced bonuses will be available for trainers in Japan and Korea from May 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM until May 5, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time.

  • Timed Research rewarding XP, Stardust, x1 Lucky Egg, and additional items
  • Complete Field Research tasks to earn Wimpod Candy and increased Tandemaus encounters
  • Evolve Riolu to obtain a Lucario that knows the Fast Move Force Palm
  • x2 Stardust for catching Pokemon
  • 1/2 Egg hatch distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during the event period
  • Regional advantage: The halved egg hatch distance combined with double hatch candy creates an incredibly efficient environment for accumulating evolution resources. Trainers in these regions should prioritize egg hatching during this bonus period to maximize their candy gains.

    That covers everything required to prepare for Pokemon Go’s Growing Up event. Remember to review other concurrent events like Spotlight Hour schedules and current Raid Bosses and Shadow Raid bosses to coordinate your gameplay efficiently.

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