Magikarp has the potential to become an incredibly powerful Pokemon, but it needs to level up first. This means that players are tasked with helping an incredibly weak Pokemon to gain experience points, which will either be very slow or will involve using its team members to carry it in battle with Wild Pokemon or enemy trainers.
Leveling up Magikarp was much more difficult in the older Pokemon games due to the limited number of Rare Candies and the need to find the Exp. Share. This meant that Pokemon Red and Blue players had to go through the arduous process of switching out their Magikarp in battle and letting the enemy get a free hit in before an ally could come in and finish the job.
Related: How to get Magikarp Scales in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Magikarp Evolves Into Gyarados At Level 20 In All Pokemon Games
If you want to evolve a Magikarp into Gyarados in one of the mainline Pokemon games, you’re in luck, as it needs to reach the same level in every entry in the series. Magikarp evolves into Gyarados at level 20.
This can be difficult during the game’s early hours, but it’s a lot easier later when you can switch it out against high-level trainers. If you want a Gyarados as part of your main team through the bulk of a mainline Pokemon game, you’ll have to grind that stupid fish until it’s ready to evolve.
Magikarp is really easy to evolve in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet because Exp. Share is switched on by default, and you receive many items that will increase a Pokemon’s level without the need for battle, such as EXP Candies and Rare Candies. It’s also really easy to trade Pokemon online, so grab a Magikarp from a friend, and it will receive a boosted number of experience points after a battle.
Once Magikarp hits level 20, it will evolve into Gyarados, a Water/Flying-type Pokemon with powerful stats and a great move pool. Gyarados might be extremely weak to Electric-type moves, and it hates Stealth Rock, but it has a murderously powerful Attack stat, helping it to inflict vengeance against those who mocked it when it was a fish.
Related: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Player Gives Pokemon “Food Poisoning”
Magikarp might be one of the weakest Pokemon in the franchise, but everyone loves an underdog, including The Pokemon Company, which is why Magikarp gets a lot of love in the series. You might have suffered to evolve Magikarp into Gyarados, but its new sea serpent form more than makes up for its formative years.
