When should you evolve or use a Power-UP in Pokémon GO?
When you catch a Pokémon in Pokémon GO, the first look usually goes to the monster itself and then to its CP. The rule is: the higher the CP value, the stronger the Pokémon – but is that all that matters? When to evolve a Pokémon or power it up depends on another important factor.
The attacks of Pokémon determine evolution and Power-UP
Whether you evolve first or distribute Power-Ups beforehand has little to no impact on the final CP value, according to current information. Therefore, you can decide for yourself whether to evolve first or use Power-Ups to achieve the most CP points. For a Pokémon to have a chance at a higher CP value from the outset, your Trainer Level must be high. The CP points are, by the way, a combination of hit points, attack, defense, and other values.
To win gym battles, you need not only high CP values but also strong attacks. The different attacks that a Pokémon can learn are not included in the CP values. Some attacks are significantly stronger than others, as there are hidden speed values with which you can determine a “damage per minute” figure for each ability. A higher “damage per minute” value greatly affects the outcome of a battle. The different values were calculated by Reddit user “natron77” and recorded in a Google document.
The strongest attacks in Pokémon GO
If you evolve a Pokémon first before powering it up, you will see which attack it learns additionally. If that is the Pokémon’s strongest attack, it makes more sense to power it up. Since Pokémon can have 2 “fast” attacks, make sure it has at least 1 good ability before using your resources to strengthen it.
We have compiled the fastest attacks and their damage for the respective Pokémon so that you can keep track. This way, you can quickly check whether your Pokémon have strong attacks and if it is worth powering them up.
Pokémon 1-51
Pokémon 52-102
Pokémon 103-149
All Pokémon, their types, and also their evolution costs can be found in our Pokédex!
