Evolving Annihilape, the powerful third-stage evolution of Mankey, has thrilled Pokémon GO players since its release during the Raging Battles event. This Ghost and Fighting-type Pokémon has unique requirements for evolution, making it both a challenge and an achievement to add to your collection. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to obtain Annihilape, along with tips for quickly meeting the requirements.
1. Start with a Mankey
To get Annihilape, you’ll first need to start with Mankey, which is available in the wild, through events, or in certain raid battles. You’ll need at least 50 Mankey Candies to evolve Mankey into Primeape, Annihilape’s pre-evolution form. If you don’t have enough Candies, try using a Pinap Berry when catching Mankey to double the number of Candies received or set Mankey as your Buddy to earn more Candies by walking.
2. Evolve Mankey into Primeape
Once you have 50 Mankey Candies, you can evolve Mankey into Primeape. But don’t stop there—Primeape isn’t yet at its final form. For the next step, you’ll need additional Mankey Candies and will need to complete a unique battle task.
3. Set Primeape as Your Buddy
To evolve Primeape into Annihilape, set it as your Buddy Pokémon in the game. This step is crucial, as it lets you complete the specific battle requirement needed for Annihilape’s evolution.
4. Battle 30 Ghost or Psychic-type Pokémon
With Primeape as your Buddy, you’ll need to defeat 30 Ghost-type or Psychic-type Pokémon in any type of battle: these could be wild encounters, trainer battles, raid battles, or Team GO Rocket battles. There’s no need to win each battle, and you don’t have to use Primeape to land the final attack—simply having it as your Buddy is enough to register each defeat.
To speed up the process, look for opportunities to battle Ghost-type Pokémon during Pokémon GO events or special battle hours when these types appear more frequently. Psychic-type Pokémon can often be found in the wild, and both types may be featured more often during certain weather conditions, such as Fog for Ghost-types.
5. Use 100 Mankey Candies for Evolution
Once you’ve completed the 30 battles, make sure you have at least 100 Mankey Candies to complete the evolution. After fulfilling the battle requirement and collecting enough Candies, the option to evolve Primeape into Annihilape will appear. Initiate the evolution to transform your Primeape into this fierce dual-type Pokémon.
Can You Get a Shiny Annihilape?
Yes, Shiny Annihilape is available in Pokémon GO! If you evolve a Shiny Mankey into Primeape and then fulfill the battle and Candy requirements, you’ll obtain a Shiny Annihilape. This rare form has a subtle difference from the regular Annihilape, with a slightly darker, blue-gray hue. Since Shinies have a low encounter rate, catching a Shiny Mankey might take time, but the reward of a unique Shiny Annihilape makes it worthwhile.
Best Moves for Annihilape
Annihilape’s type combination gives it access to a versatile set of moves. Its recommended moveset includes Counter (Fast Move) and Shadow Ball (Charged Move), which together maximize its Fighting and Ghost-type abilities. Counter is effective against Dark and Steel-types, while Shadow Ball is a powerful Ghost-type attack with coverage against other Ghost-types and Psychic-types. Annihilape’s max CP of 3,695 makes it a strong choice in both raids and battles, especially against foes weak to its unique dual typing.
