Evolution stone

An evolutionary stone (Japanese: 進化の石) is a type of item with mysterious properties. It radiates energy that causes some Pokémon to evolve.

File:Evostones.jpg
A collection of evolutionary stones.

If a Pokémon's next stage requires the use of a stone, then it can be applied at any time, thus causing instant evolution.

However, once exposed to an evolutionary stone, most Pokémon can no longer learn any more moves by leveling up. There are exceptions to this rule, however, and certain moves are exclusive to the stone-evolved Pokémon.

Evolutionary stones can be found in many places, and are uncommonly found in the Underground of Sinnoh. The Celadon Department Store sells several kinds during Generation I and Generation III.

There are nine types of evolutionary stones.

List of stones

File:FireStoneSprite.png Fire Stone

Fire Stones can be bought at the Celadon Dept. Store for $2100, or are given in exchange for a Red Shard in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. In Pokémon Crystal, they are given away by Schoolboy Alan. They can also be found on the ground in certain locations in the wild and underground in Sinnoh.

Evolves

File:WaterStoneSprite.png Water Stone

Water Stones can be bought at the Celadon Dept. Store for $2100, or are given in exchange for a Blue Shard in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. In Pokémon Crystal, they are given away by Fisher Tully. They can also be found on the ground in certain locations in the wild and underground in Sinnoh.

Evolves

File:ThunderstoneSprite.png Thunderstone

Thunderstones can be bought at the Celadon Dept. Store for $2100, or are given in exchange for a Yellow Shard in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. In Pokémon Crystal, they are given away by Lass Dana. They can also be found on the ground in certain locations in the wild and underground in Sinnoh.

Evolves

In the anime

Ash was given a Thunderstone that the Nurse Joy from Vermilion City found in Electric Shock Showdown. He asked Pikachu whether or not it wanted to evolve to compete against Lt. Surge's Raichu, however, Pikachu decided not to. Ash kept this Thunderstone with him until DP074, when Pikachu again denied evolution when offered the chance. Jessie, James, and Meowth stole this Thunderstone when it was sitting on the windowsill of the room Pikachu was sleeping in.

File:LeafStoneSprite.png Leaf Stone

Leaf Stones can be bought at the Celadon Dept. Store for $2100, or are given in exchange for a Green Shard in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. In Pokémon Crystal, they are given away by Picnicker Gina. They can also be found on the ground in certain locations in the wild and underground in Sinnoh.

Evolves

File:MoonStoneSprite.png Moon Stone

This is one of five stones which can never be bought at stores. It can be found in a few locations in the wild and underground in Sinnoh. In Generation II, one can be found each Monday night in Mt. Moon's relaxation square by using Rock Smash on the rock that the Clefairy dance around. There is also a very small chance of stealing one off of a wild Lunatone or Clefairy with Thief or Covet.

Evolves

In the anime

The Moon Stone is the first of the evolutionary stones to appear in the anime, in Clefairy and the Moon Stone. In this episode, many Clefairy were collecting them from all around Mt. Moon and bringing them before a larger Moon Stone. After an altercation with Team Rocket, this large Moon Stone exploded, raining shards down on the Clefairy, who, exposed to its radiation, evolved into Clefable.

Moon Shard

In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, there is an item that may be related to the Moon Stone called the Moon Shard. It is used only for Eevee.

File:SunStoneSprite.png Sun Stone

This stone was first introduced in Generation II.

This is one of five stones which can never be bought at stores. In Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal, it is the first prize at the National Park's Bug-Catching Contest. In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, a man in Mossdeep City will give one away. There is also a very small chance of stealing one off of a wild Solrock with Thief or Covet. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, one can be found in Ruin Valley on Fortune Island. It, like the other stones released prior to Generation IV, is often found underground in Sinnoh

Evolves

Sun Shard

In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, there is an item that may be related to the Sun Stone called the Sun Shard. It is used only for Eevee.

File:ShinyStoneSprite.png Shiny Stone

This stone was first introduced in Generation IV. One can be found on Iron Island, and another on Route 228. They are also readily available with the Pickup ability, or can be Mystery Gifted from Pokétopia for 7200 Poké Coupons.

Evolves

File:DuskStoneSprite.png Dusk Stone

This stone was first introduced in Generation IV. One can be found in the Galactic Veilstone building, and another in an area of Victory Road that can only be accessed after the defeat of the Elite Four. They are also readily available with the Pickup ability, or can be Mystery Gifted from Pokétopia for 7200 Poké Coupons.

Evolves

File:DawnStoneSprite.png Dawn Stone

This stone was first introduced in Generation IV. One can be found in Mt. Coronet and another can be found on Route 225. They are also readily available with the Pickup ability, or can be Mystery Gifted from Pokétopia for 7200 Poké Coupons.

Evolves

File:OvalStoneSprite.png Oval Stone

This stone was first introduced in Generation IV.

An Oval Stone can be found in the Lost Tower. More can be found underground and there is a good (50%) chance it can be held by a wild Happiny or Chansey. Unlike other stones, it is not used on the Pokémon to evolve it, but instead held by it. It can be selected to be used like the other stones, however, it has no effect on any Pokémon.

Evolves

File:Everstone.png Everstone

This stone was first introduced in Generation II.

An Everstone is unlike any of the other stones, as when a Pokémon holds it, they will not evolve for whatever reason. Furthermore, a Ditto or a female Pokémon that holds an Everstone has a 50% chance of passing its nature to its offspring when at the Pokémon daycare. These can also be found underground.

Appearance

In the Pokémon Special manga

In the Red, Green & Blue chapter a Moon Stone is first mentioned by Professor Oak in Gyarados Splashes In! as a rock with a moon shape inscription that boost Pokémon's power immensely, in the next round, Raging Rhydon, Team Rocket search for one in Mt. Moon, however it is Red who finds it.

In the anime

File:OddishEvoLine.JPG
Oddish's evolutionary line as demonstrated in the anime.

The first appearance of evolutionary stones in the anime was that of the Moon Stone in Clefairy and the Moon Stone. After a rather large Moon Stone was blown up, its pieces rained down and caused several of the Clefairy gathered around to evolve.

A second appearance in The Electric Shock Showdown introduced the Thunderstone, as well as the first opportunity for one of the main characters' Pokémon to evolve via stone. However, Ash's Pikachu refused the offer to evolve, knocking away the Thunderstone.

All of the evolutionary stones introduced in Generation I appeared in The Battling Eevee Brothers, where two of the Eevee brothers offered a Thunderstone and a Fire Stone to Ash and Brock so that they could evolve their Pikachu and Vulpix. Both Ash and Brock declined.

A Leaf Stone appeared in Make Room for Gloom.

Another Leaf Stone appeared at the very end of Pikachu's Rescue Adventure. With it, the Exeggcute that had been following Misty's Togepi around evolved into Exeggutor.

Ash wins a Sun Stone in the Bug-Catching Contest during The Bug Stops Here. He later uses it to evolve a Sunkern in Moving Pictures.

Both the Leaf Stone and Sun Stone appear in Whichever Way the Wind Blows! as a demonstration of the branch in Oddish's evolutionary line.

The Water Stone appears in Once in a Mawile and is used by Brock's Lombre accidentally to evolve into Ludicolo. This is the first time that a main character's Pokémon evolves via stone, although it is possible that James's Weepinbell was evolved by way of a Leaf Stone prior to The Breeding Center Secret.

Strangely, evolutionary stones do not seem to be required for evolution in the anime as they are in the games. Melvin's Exeggcute evolve without a Leaf Stone in March of the Exeggutor Squad, though this may just be an example of anime physics.

Trivia

  • The Moon Stone, Leaf Stone, and Water Stone are the only stones introduced in one generation that evolve Pokémon introduced in a later generation.
  • Of the original five evolutionary stones, the Thunderstone sees the least use, with only two Pokémon species that evolve using it.
  • All evolutionary stones introduced after Generation I can only evolve two species.
  • Pokémon that result from a Pokémon evolving via Leaf Stone, Dusk Stone, and Shiny Stone do not have types that differ from their pre-evolutionary forms.
  • Only Template:Type2 Pokémon evolve using the Leaf Stone and Sun Stone, and both Pokémon that evolve using the Sun Stone evolve into pure Grass-types.
  • The Oval Stone is the only evolutionary stone that must be held by the Pokémon, instead of used directly on it, to induce evolution. Thus, it works more like a Razor Claw or Razor Fang in functionality.
  • Of all the Pokémon that evolve by evolutionary stone, only Happiny is able to evolve further.