Bonsly was added to the Pokemon universe in the fourth generation. This turned out to be the pre-evolved form of Sudowoodo, a Pokemon that disguises itself as a tree that first appeared in Pokemon Gold & Silver. In its debut, Bonsly was exclusive to Pokemon Pearl. This is fortunately averted in Pokemon GO.
Pokemon in Pokemon GO evolve when given candy, but some can evolve via trade. Then there are Pokemon that require an extra step to achieve evolution. This happens to be the case for Pokemon GO Bonslys. If trainers want to evolve a Bonsly to get Sudowoodo, then they'll need to walk the extra mile.
Where to Find Bonsly
Bonsly can be obtained from 5km Eggs. With 4-star rarity, it's uncommon and has to contend with Sableye and Chingling, as well as the Pokemon in tier 1 (Mareanie) and tier 2 (Machop, Tyrogue).
5km Eggs can be earned by spinning Poke Stop or Gym discs as long as players have room in their Egg Inventory. Spinning a Poke Stop will generate a 2km, 5km, or 10km Egg. Each Egg have their own set of Pokemon, and sometimes the sets will change if there is an event in-game.
Eggs in Pokemon GO can't hatch unless they're placed in an Incubator first. Each Pokemon GO trainer gets one unbreakable Egg Incubator. The max amount of Eggs that can be stored in the inventory are 9 Regular Eggs (2km-10km, Adventure Sync Eggs) and 3 Strange Eggs. Here's what to do:
- Tap the Poke Ball icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the Pokemon Storage (Pikachu icon).
- Swipe right or tap the Eggs tab.
- Select the 5km Egg, and then choose an Incubator.
Incubators can be bought from the Shop. An Egg Incubator is 150 Poke Coins while a Super Incubator is 200 Coins. If an Egg is placed into a Super Incubator, the distance to hatch the Egg will be cut in half. All Incubators (excluding the orange one) will break after 3 uses.
If Pokemon GO trainers want to buy Egg Incubators in bulk, then they should check the Limited Time Only! Section of the Shop. The Voyager Box contains x10 Egg Incubators, x8 Super Incubators, and x40 Ultra Balls. Unfortunately, the box costs 1750 Poke Coins.
How to Evolve Bonsly into Sudowoodo
To evolve Bonsly into Sudowoodo, players need to feed it 50 Bonsly Candy and set it as a Buddy Pokemon, and walk 15km. Once this is done, players will be able to evolve Bonsly. To set a Buddy Pokemon:
- Tap the trainer profile in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
- Under the Trainer Level XP bar, tap "Buddy History" or "Choose a Buddy."
If a Buddy has already been set, players can tap the Buddy Pokemon's icon on the main screen. Scroll down the bottom where it says "Swap Buddy." Pokemon Buddies can be swapped out 20 times a day.
Buddy Pokemon will collect Candy when trainers have walked a set number of kilometers. Bonsly in particular will find one Candy ever 5km. This can make it easier for players to track, as Bonsly will collect 3 Candy in 15km.
Another way to get Candy is to hatch more Bonsly. Hatching a 5km Egg will give players around 20 Candy. There are some in-game events that will double the amount of Candy gained from hatching Eggs. Players can read up on events by tapping the Binoculars icon and selecting the Today tab. Scroll past the Timed Research to check if there's an event running that will double Candy.
How to Get Sudowoodo (Without Evolving Bonsly)
Pokemon GO players that don't want to go through the trouble of hatching Bonsly and adventuring with it can instead search for a Sudowoodo. Sometimes, this Pokemon will appear as a reward for Field Research Breakthrough, which is where players complete one Field Research for seven days (does not have to be consecutive). They'll then receive Stardust and two more rewards before getting the chance to catch the Field Research Breakthrough Pokemon.
Field Research Breakthrough change Pokemon, so just because Sudowoodo appears once, doesn't mean it'll be there at a later date.
If players fight against Team GO Rocket Grunts, sometimes they'll send out a Shadow Sudowoodo. If they manage to defeat the Team GO Rocket Grunt, they'll have a chance at catching the Shadow Sudowoodo. When catching Shadow Pokemon, use berries that make it easier to catch, such as Razz Berries. A Nanab Berry works if players need the Sudowoodo to stop attacking.
Shadow Pokemon can only be caught with Premier Balls, and the amount of Premier Balls during Surprise/Shadow Encounters will be influenced by the trainer's performance in battle against the Grunt.
Sudowoodo is a Rock-type Pokemon, so avoid bringing Flying or Ice-type Pokemon to battle it. Bring a Fighting, Water, Steel, or Grass-type instead.
Pokemon GO is available for mobile devices.