How to Evolve Galarian Yamask in Pokémon GO

If you’ve been puzzling over how to evolve Galarian Yamask in Pokémon GO, you’re not alone. This evolution isn’t as simple as just using candy — you need to meet special in-game conditions to turn your Galarian Yamask into Runerigus. In this guide, we’ll break down all the steps, tips, and tricks you’ll need, in clear and easy English.

1. Understand What Galarian Yamask Is

First, a quick reminder: Galarian Yamask is a regional variant that differs from the basic Yamask. While a standard Yamask evolves into Cofagrigus using candy, the Galarian version evolves into Runerigus, and it requires extra tasks beyond just candy.

In Pokémon GO, Galarian Yamask shares its type (Ghost / Ground in main games) and base evolution family with special conditions attached.

2. What You Need: Candy + Raids

To evolve Galarian Yamask, you must meet two main requirements:

RequirementDetails50 Yamask CandyThis is the baseline evolution cost.Win 10 raids while Yamask is your BuddyYou must complete 10 raids with Galarian Yamask set as your Buddy.

Let’s dig deeper into each.

A. Collect 50 Yamask Candy

You collect Yamask candy by:

• Catching Yamask or Galarian Yamask.
• Transferring duplicates to Professor.
• Using candy-boosting items (e.g. Pinap Berries) to earn extra.
• Completing special event tasks or research that reward candy.

Make sure you have at least 50 candy ready before attempting to evolve.

B. Win 10 Raids with Yamask as Your Buddy

This is the more time-consuming task. Key points:

• Yamask must be your Buddy (active buddy status) while you complete the raid wins.
• It does not have to battle in the raid; you just need to have it as Buddy. Many trainers confirm this by experience.
• You have to finish 10 separate raid battles (not just raid passes) successfully.
• Raid difficulty doesn’t matter much; even 1-star raids can count.
• Don’t let your Yamask faint during its buddy status (though that doesn’t usually happen in raids).
• Completing the 10 raids is an “Adventure with Buddy” task tied to the evolution.

Once both candy and raid requirements are met, the “Evolve” button will appear in your Yamask’s menu.

3. Step-by-Step Evolution Process

Here’s a practical sequence to follow:

1. Catch or obtain a Galarian Yamask.
2. Set it as your Buddy in Pokémon GO.
3. Work on earning candy until you have 50.
4. Seek out raids — even low-level ones — and win 10 times while the Buddy is Yamask.
5. After the 10 raids, return to Yamask’s detail page.
6. When both conditions are satisfied, the “Evolve” button will activate.
7. Tap Evolve, and you’ll get Runerigus.

If the evolve button doesn’t appear, double-check both requirements. Many trainers have missed one (often the raids).

4. Tips & Tricks to Speed It Up

• Use Remote Raid Passes to join raids without traveling far.
• Do free daily raids or lower tier raids — easier to win solo.
• Coordinate with friends or local groups — more chances to complete raids.
• Use candy-boosting berries or events during Yamask spotlight hours.
• Swap around buddies carefully — make sure Yamask is Buddy before doing raids.
• Watch for Pokémon GO events (like Halloween events), which often increase Yamask spawns or candy rewards.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

• Does my Yamask need to battle in the raids?
  No — it just must remain your Buddy during those wins.
• Do the raids have to be consecutive or specific type?
  No, any raid counts (1-star, 2-star, etc.), and they don’t need to be in a row.
• Can I heal Yamask (or switch it out) between raids?
  Yes. Healing or swapping Pokémon is fine as long as Yamask stays your Buddy when the raid ends.
• What if I evolve too early or reset something?
  The evolution button appears only when all conditions are satisfied. If it doesn’t show, something is still pending.

6. Why This Method?

The evolution method for Galarian Yamask is more complex because Niantic wanted players to engage with raids and the Buddy system rather than just using candy. The raid condition encourages participation in more aspects of the game, and the Buddy requirement ensures you keep your Pokémon actively involved. This dual method makes evolving Galarian Yamask a bit of a grind — but that also makes obtaining Runerigus more satisfying.