How To Evolve Combee in Pokemon Go: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

Understanding Combee

Combee, the tiny Honeycomb Pokemon from the Sinnoh region, is a somewhat elusive and often frustrating creature to encounter in Pokemon Go. While seemingly common in certain areas or during specific events, evolving Combee into its majestic queen form, Vespiquen, presents a unique challenge. This isn’t just about gathering enough candy; it’s about finding the right Combee to begin with. Many trainers find themselves with dozens, even hundreds, of Combee candies, but still no Vespiquen in their Pokedex.

The quest to evolve Combee is a rite of passage for many Pokemon Go players, testing their patience and dedication. Is it worth it? While Vespiquen might not be a top-tier meta Pokemon, it holds a special place in many collections and can be strategically useful in certain situations. This guide aims to provide you with a clear, comprehensive, and easy-to-follow roadmap to successfully evolve your Combee and add Vespiquen to your team. Prepare yourself for a bit of luck and a dash of perseverance; let’s dive in!

Combee is a dual-type Bug and Flying Pokemon, resembling three individual bee-like insects joined at a single hexagonal honey cell. This design reflects its role as a worker bee, diligently collecting honey for the hive. Combee’s cute appearance can be deceiving, as its stats are relatively low, making it less effective in direct battles against other Pokemon.

From a lore perspective, Combee are known for their unwavering loyalty to Vespiquen, their queen. They tirelessly gather nectar and build honeycombs, ensuring the survival and prosperity of their hive. This dedicated behavior is reflected in their in-game design and limited combat capabilities until evolved.

Despite its weaknesses, Combee remains a desirable Pokemon to catch for a few key reasons. First, completionists strive to fill their Pokedex, and Vespiquen is a necessary step. Second, the challenge of finding a female Combee makes the evolution process a rewarding accomplishment. Finally, Vespiquen, while not a meta defining pokemon, can be a fun and interesting pokemon to use in specific situations. Don’t let its pre-evolution fool you, the journey to evolve this little honeybee is worthwhile.

The Key Condition: Gender Matters!

This is the single most crucial aspect of evolving Combee: only female Combee can evolve into Vespiquen. Male Combee, regardless of how many candies you accumulate, will remain eternally as Combee. This gender lock on evolution is what separates Combee from most other Pokemon and adds a significant layer of complexity to the process.

Identifying the gender of a Combee is thankfully straightforward. There’s a subtle visual difference between male and female Combee. Female Combee have a red mark on their forehead, or the central face of the comb, while the male Combee lack this distinct marking.

This single condition makes the entire evolution process a waiting game. You can amass hundreds of candies, but without a female Combee, they’re essentially useless for evolving. Don’t just blindly tap on any Combee you find, always check the gender.

To easily see the gender of a Pokemon in Pokemon GO, simply tap on the Pokemon in your storage. The Pokemon’s gender is shown to the right of its name. It will either be a male symbol, a female symbol, or a question mark if the game is having trouble recognizing the gender.

Gathering Candies

Evolving Combee requires fifty Combee candies. This is a significant amount, especially considering the relative rarity of Combee in certain areas. Thankfully, there are several effective methods for accumulating Combee candies.

Catching Combee: The most direct way to earn candies is by catching Combee. Each successful catch grants you a base amount of candies. This amount can be increased with other methods mentioned later.
Using Pinap Berries: Pinap Berries are your best friend when hunting for Combee candies. When used before catching a Pokemon, a Pinap Berry doubles the number of candies you receive upon a successful catch. Always use a Pinap Berry when encountering a Combee you intend to catch.
Transferring Combee: After catching Combee, you can transfer any duplicates to Professor Willow in exchange for additional candies. Be sure to transfer all male Combee as they cannot be evolved and will only take up space in your storage.
Walking Combee as your Buddy: By setting Combee as your Buddy Pokemon, you’ll earn additional candies as you walk a certain distance. This is a passive way to accumulate candies while you’re playing the game. To set a Buddy Pokemon, tap on your profile picture in the bottom left corner of the screen, then tap on the “Buddy” button. Select Combee from your Pokemon storage, and start walking!
Rare Candy usage: Although some trainers may consider using rare candies on Combee, it’s generally not recommended. Rare candies are valuable resources that are better spent on Pokemon that are harder to find or have more significant combat potential.

Step-by-Step Evolution Guide

Now that you understand the key conditions and how to gather candies, here’s a step-by-step guide to evolving Combee:

Step One: Ensure You Have a Female Combee. This cannot be stressed enough. Double-check the Combee’s gender before proceeding. If it’s male, there’s no point in continuing. You will know if it is female from the red marking as mentioned above.
Step Two: Accumulate Fifty Combee Candies. Use the methods described above to gather enough candies. Pinap Berries and transferring excess male Combee will be your best bets. Set your buddy to a Combee and let the kilometers rack up.
Step Three: The Evolution Process. Navigate to the female Combee’s profile in your Pokemon storage. Look for the “Evolve” button. If you have enough candies and the Combee is female, the button will be active. Tap the “Evolve” button. A confirmation prompt will appear. Confirm the evolution.
Step Four: Witness the Evolution to Vespiquen. The screen will display a short animation as Combee transforms into Vespiquen, the majestic queen bee Pokemon. Congratulations, you’ve successfully evolved Combee!

Vespiquen: The Evolved Form

Vespiquen retains Combee’s Bug and Flying typing, inheriting both its strengths and weaknesses. Vespiquen stands as a testament to evolution, taking on the appearance of a regal queen bee. Her design incorporates a hive motif, complete with honeycombs and a commanding presence, reflecting her role as the leader of her colony.

Stats and Abilities: Vespiquen has a focus on Defense and Stamina, making her a relatively bulky Pokemon. Her attack stat is respectable, but not exceptional.
Strengths and Weaknesses: As a Bug and Flying type, Vespiquen is strong against Grass, Bug, and Fighting-type Pokemon. However, she is vulnerable to Rock, Flying, Fire, Electric, and Ice-type attacks.
Moveset: Vespiquen’s moveset includes a variety of Bug, Flying, and even Ground-type attacks. The optimal moveset will depend on the specific role you want Vespiquen to play.
Raids: Vespiquen can be useful in certain raids, particularly against Grass or Fighting-type raid bosses.
Gym Battles: Her high defense can make her a decent gym defender, stalling opponents and requiring them to use more resources.
Trainer Battles: Vespiquen can be a niche pick in PvP, utilizing her unique moveset and bulk to surprise opponents.
Is Vespiquen a good investment? While Vespiquen might not be a top-tier choice for every battle scenario, she is a valuable addition to any Pokedex and can be a surprisingly effective Pokemon in specific situations. The effort required to evolve her makes her a rewarding catch.

Tips and Tricks for Finding and Evolving Combee

Best locations and times to find Combee: Combee often spawns more frequently in grassy areas, parks, and during sunny weather. Keep an eye on your local weather forecasts and plan your Combee hunts accordingly.
Using Incense and Lure Modules to attract Pokemon: Incense and Lure Modules can increase the spawn rate of Pokemon in your vicinity, potentially attracting more Combee.
Taking advantage of Community Day or special events: Keep an eye out for Pokemon Go events that may feature increased Combee spawns or special bonuses related to Bug-type Pokemon.
Patience is key: Finding a female Combee and collecting enough candies can take time. Don’t get discouraged; keep searching and eventually, you’ll succeed.
Trading with friends: If possible, trade with friends who may have extra Combee, especially female ones.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Trying to evolve a male Combee: This is the most common mistake. Always double-check the gender before investing any resources.
Wasting resources on Combee that cannot be evolved: Focus your Pinap Berries and Buddy walking efforts on finding and evolving a female Combee.
Ignoring weather boosts that can influence Combee spawns: Take advantage of sunny weather to increase your chances of finding Combee.
Evolving without considering Vespiquen’s moveset: While you can’t directly control the moveset Vespiquen learns, you can use TMs to change them if necessary.

Conclusion

Evolving Combee in Pokemon Go requires a blend of patience, strategy, and a little bit of luck. Remember the golden rule: only female Combee can evolve. Utilize Pinap Berries, transfer excess males, set Combee as your Buddy, and keep an eye out for events that boost Bug-type spawns.

The journey to obtain Vespiquen might be challenging, but the sense of accomplishment and the unique addition to your Pokedex make it a worthwhile endeavor. So, get out there, start catching Combee, and with a bit of perseverance, you’ll soon have a majestic Vespiquen ruling over your Pokemon collection. Happy hunting, and may the odds be ever in your favor when it comes to finding that elusive female Combee! Now you know the steps needed to evolve Combee in Pokemon GO!