What Pokémon Only Cost 12 Candy to Evolve in Pokémon GO?

As a passionate Pokémon GO player and content creator, I‘m often asked which Pokémon have the lowest evolution costs. Well, the cheapest Pokémon to evolve in terms of candy are those requiring only 12 candy! This includes highly common species like Pidgey, Caterpie, Weedle, and Wurmple.

In this guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about the 12 candy evolution Pokémon:

The Full List of 12 Candy Evolutions

Here is the complete list of all Pokémon currently in Pokémon GO that only need 12 candy to reach their next evolution:

• Pidgey
• Caterpie
• Weedle
• Pidove
• Ledyba
• Spinarak
• Whismur
• Wurmple
• Tympole
• Venipede
• Sewaddle
• Petili
• Foongus

Out of those, the ones you‘ll likely see most frequently around you are Pidgeys, Caterpies, Weedles, and Wurmples. But all of these Pokémon can be prime targets for mass evolution sessions.

Statistical Comparison of Unevolved vs Evolved Forms

Let‘s analyze some of the actual stats between the 12 candy unevolved forms and their next evolutions:

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As you can see, the 12 candy evolutions offer sizable stat boosts, almost doubling (or more) the max CP and attack. The tradeoff, however, is that their max evolved CP tends to cap out around ~1500-1700. So they remain viable for Great League/Ultra League format battles rather than Master League.

Spawn Locations and Capture Tips

Here are some tips on where to find these 12 candy Pokémon and how to capture them efficiently:

Pidgey

• Found almost everywhere – parks, neighborhoods, cities
• Bait with Razz Berries and catch with regular Poké Balls; very easy catch circle

Caterpie

• Located near grass, forests, wooded trails
• Quickly pops in-and-out of spawn circle
• Lead shots slightly and use Great/Ultra balls for higher catch rate

Weedle

• Frequents grass, forests, gardens
• Very erratic movement when spawning
• Be patient, let it settle before throwing; often breaks free on first attempt

Wurmple

• Prefers woodlands, forests, grassy fields
• Quick attack sequence but otherwise docile
• Nanab berries can calm its attacks for steadier shots

Check the in-game weather to boost spawn rates – Caterpie/Weedle thrive in partly cloudy conditions while Wurmples multiply in windy weather.

And don‘t forget to use Pinap Berries when catching unevolved forms to double your candy rewards!

Mass Evolutions for XP Grinding

One of the prime uses for stockpiling 12 candy Pokémon is to take advantage of mass evolution sessions during special XP bonus events.

When you've been saving up #Pokemon for a special #PokemonGO evolve event and end up with a bunch of newly registered high level Evolutions to throw in Gyms once you're done…

Feels good. 😎👍 pic.twitter.com/uUCYyd65UD

— Reversal – Pokemon Go (@REVERSAL) June 23, 2020

As top Pokémon GO analyst Reversal highlights, stacking cheap 12 candy evolutions and unleashing them all during 3x evolving XP Spotlight Hours or other bonuses lets you skyrocket your overall XP.

Personally, I try to save at least 50-100 Pidgeys, Caterpies, or Weedles at any time for the next special evolution event. With a Lucky Egg activated, each first-time evolution is worth 1,000 XP normally but jumps to 3,000 XP during special bonuses!

Just be wary of having enough Pokéballs stocked to capture all those evolutions, which is why I use the 12 candy fodder species that have lower breakout rates.

Potential Future 12 Candy Evolutions

While no new 12 candy evolutions were introduced in Scarlet & Violet, there are plenty of unevolved Pokémon in the National Pokédex that seem ripe to join this club in future GO generations:

• Burmy
• Combee
• Karrablast
• Shelmet
• Bunnelby
• Skwovet

I could see these being common spawns in designated habitats/biomes, giving players new easy evolution options for XP grinding and Pokédex filling.

So while the current list covers all existing 12 candies species, keep an eye out for more on the horizon!

Final Thoughts

As one of the most cost-efficient evolutions in Pokémon GO, the 12 candy Pokémon form essential pillars of amassing evolutions for XP events, rounding out your Pokédex listings, and having cannon fodder to place in gyms. Few other methods let you reap such significant stat boosts for such a tiny candy investment.

So the next time you catch the umpteenth Pidgey or Caterpie of the day, don‘t transfer it immediately! Save it up, evolve a bunch at once when bonuses align, and power level your account through the mass evolution strategy. This underappreciated group of 12 candy wonders holds the key for trainers looking to excel in Pokémon GO.

What are your own favorite tips and experiences using these low-cost evolutions? Let me know in the comments!