Kanto Tactics evolution & items

Get three identical copies of the Pokémon. The game merges them automatically, increasing their star level and stats. The Guide describes this as evolution; you do not need to search for a separate evolve button for the standard merge.

For example, the game’s three-copy hint describes the merge into two stars. Focus on the same unit and current star state when checking what you own. A different Pokémon that shares a type helps with synergy, but it is not an identical copy for a merge.

MothaFragger asked how to evolve Pokémon after the game launched. The answer here comes from the developer’s Guide, rather than from assumptions about evolution levels or stones in other Pokémon games.

Wait for the next planning phase. The Guide explicitly says copies on the field do not merge during combat. If your third purchase would use a Pokémon that is currently fighting, the evolution completes when planning starts again.

That timing also matters when the bench is full. Buying is allowed when the purchase can complete an evolution. With two eligible copies, buying the third completes the merge. The Guide also describes a shop card marked ×2 when buying two available copies together would finish the evolution. You need enough gold for that combined purchase.

During combat, copies on the field are excluded from this full-bench calculation. If a purchase is blocked, check the battle phase, your bench space, eligible copies and the displayed total cost before spending on a refresh. Buying another unrelated unit will not solve a copy requirement.

Find a Magnet in your bag and drag it onto the Pokémon holding the equipment. All of that Pokémon’s items return to the bag. This is the removal tool named in the Guide; you can keep the Pokémon instead of selling it to move its gear.

The Magnet is consumed when it removes items. Dropping it on a Pokémon with no equipment does not consume it. It is a tool, not a normal item to equip or combine, and it occupies a bag slot. After removing the equipment, choose the new recipient and place the items you want there.

Omer asked about replacing items without selling a Pokémon. The distinction matters: the Magnet returns every item on that Pokémon, rather than selecting just one. Plan the whole loadout before using it. The Guide says runs start with one and provide more along the way; check the mode’s current details for later supplies.

Two components on the same Pokémon combine automatically. Open the Items tab in the game’s Guide to inspect its recipe table, components and completed items before you drop a second component onto a unit. A component combination and using a Magnet are separate operations.

Items can come from wild Pokémon, Blue, Gym Leaders, Professor Oak and the Celadon Department Store, according to the Guide. That gives you places to look during a run, but it is not a guarantee that a particular shop visit offers the item you want.

After changing the loadout, return to your formation and type display. An evolution, a type tier and an item recipe solve different problems. If you are still learning those parts, follow the first-team guide alongside the game’s own Pokémon and Items tabs.