There are two Gloom evolutions, the first, Vileplume, is part of the Kanto line-up, while Bellossom made its debut in the following generation. Both of them are pretty formidable in a battle, though we give a slight edge to Vileplume. Still, if you want to be a Pokémon Master, you need to get them both. Luckily for you, the method is pretty much the same, with just a slight difference, so let's get into it.
Knowing how to evolve Gloom gives you access to two powerful grass Pokémon, though the original trio, Oddish, Gloom, and Vileplume, double as poison Pokémon in later generations. With that in mind, it's wise to learn about grass Pokémon weakness and poison Pokémon weakness to give you an edge in battle.
Here's everything you need to know about Gloom's evolution.
Where can I catch Oddish?
You don't need to worry about finding Oddish; this little 'mon pops up quite frequently in the areas it inhabits and rarely takes anything more than a pokéball to catch. Here is where you can find Oddish in the Switch games:
- Let's Go Pikachu - Viridian Forest, Route 1, Route 2, Route 12, Route 13, Route 14, Route 15, Route 21, Route 24, and Route 25
- Let's Go Eevee - Oddish is exclusive to Let's Go Pikachu, so you need to trade with another trainer
- Sword and Shield - East Lake Axewell, Dappled Grove, Motostoke Riverbank, Rolling Fields, Watchtower Ruins, Giant's Cap, Hammerlocke Hills, and North Lake Miloch
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Routes 229, Route 230, and the Grand Underground (Grassland Cave, Riverbank Cave, Swampy Cave, Spacious Cave, Sunlit Cavern, Still-Water Cavern, and Bogsunk Cavern)
- Scarlet and Violet - you can get Oddish through the Terrarium in the coastal biome in the Indigo Disk DLC
How do I evolve Oddish?
Oddish evolves into Gloom at level 21. While you can battle with Oddish to level up, we actually recommend just sticking it in your party for some EXP share so you can use a more formidable creature in a fight. We also suggest you use some EXP candies to speed up the process, though it's not a good idea to waste a rare candy on such a low evolution level.
Where can I catch Gloom?
Like Oddish, Gloom does appear somewhat frequently once you get further into your adventure, meaning you don't need to catch and evolve Oddish to get one (though we suggest you do to fill out your Pokédex). Better still, while it usually requires a great ball, you can sometimes catch Gloom with just a standard pokéball.
You can find this Gloom in the following places on Switch:
- Let's Go Pikachu - Route 12, Route 13, Route 14, Route 15, and Route 21
- Let's Go Eevee - Gloom is exclusive to Let's Go Pikachu, so you need to trade with another trainer to get it
- Sword and Shield - Giant's Mirror, Axew's Eye, East Lake Axewell, North Lake Miloch, Giant's Cap, Dappled Grove, Giant's Cap, Hammerlocke Hills, and Motostoke Riverbank
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Route 224, Route 229, Route 230, and the Grand Underground (Spacious Cave, Grassland Cave, Swampy Cave, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Swampy Cave, Sunlit Cavern, and Bogsunk Cavern)
- Scarlet and Violet - you can get Oddish through the Terrarium in the coastal biome in the Indigo Disk DLC
How do I evolve Gloom into Vileplume?
Gloom needs a leaf stone to evolve into Vileplume, the same stone you have to use to get Leafeon, one of the Eevee evolutions. Luckily, it's easy to get your hands on. Here's how you can get one:
- Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee - Route 2, Victory Road, and Celadon Department Store
- Sword and Shield - Turffield, Lake of Outrage, the Bridge Field Digging Duo, and as a poke job reward for tier III, IV, and IX
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Floaroma Forest and the Grand Underground
- Scarlet and Violet - Tagtree Thicket, Artazon, Delibird presents, Terra Raid Battles, and Wistful Fields (you need The Teal Mask expansion to access this area)
How do I evolve Gloom into Bellossom?
Give Gloom a sun stone to evolve it into Bellossom. Getting one isn't too difficult, as like other items such as a fire stone and water stone, there are numerous ways to obtain one in each game:
- Sword and Shield - explore Dusty Bowl, see if a Pokémon with pickup ability collects one, try your luck with the Digging Duo in the Bridge Field, and catch a wild Solrock (it has a 5% chance of holding a sun stone)
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - you can catch a wild Solrock (it has a 5% chance of holding a sun stone) or explore the Grand Underground
- Scarlet and Violet - you can find them in Area Zero, East Province (Area Three), West Province (Area One), Artazon, Porto Marinada auction, and Paradise Barrens (you need The Teal Mask expansion to access this area)
Before you get your hopes up, you can't evolve Gloom into Bellossom in Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, as the gen 2 Pokémon isn't part of the Kanto Pokédex.
Where can I catch Bellossom?
Like other final stage Pokémon, you can get lucky and find Bellossom in the wild in Sword and Shield, but it usually requires an ultra ball if you want to catch it. Plus, you miss out on filling out your precious Pokédex if you forgo Oddish and Gloom unless you catch and evolve them into Vileplume to cover all bases.
Here's where you can find Bellossom:
- Sword and Shield - Giant's Mirror and Dappled Grove
- Scarlet and Violet - you can find Bellossom in the Terrarium in the Indigo Disk DLC. It's in the coastal biome
Where can I catch Vileplume?
You can catch Vileplume in numerous games, so you don't need to worry about evolving Gloom. While this can be a good thing, Vileplume isn't anywhere as easy to catch, so you'd best come with some ultra balls to be on the safe side.
Here's where you can find Vileplume:
- Let's Go Pikachu - Route 21
- Sword and Shield - Dappled Grove, Giant's Mirror, Giant's Cap, Hammerlocke Hills, East Lake Axewell, Motostoke Riverbank, and North Lake Miloch
- Scarlet and Violet - you can find Vileplume in the coastal biome in the Terrarium in the Indigo Disk DLC
How do I evolve Gloom in Pokémon Go?
Gloom evolves into Vileplume with 100 candies, and while it needs the same amount for Bellossom, you also need to have a sun stone handy. The best way to get this item is to check Poké stops. While you can find Gloom somewhat commonly, it takes 25 candies if you want to evolve Oddish into one.
Should I evolve Gloom into Bellossom or Vileplume?
Overall, Vileplume is the better Gloom evolution, boasting a higher special attack stat than Bellossom, which means it can cause more damage in a battle. Plus, while there's no denying Bellossom's pedigree as a powerful grass-type, Vileplume falls under both the grass and poison-type categories, and considering how difficult it can be to deal with poison Pokémon if you don't have a psychic-type on your team, we think that's another point for Vileplume. Again, Bellossom is still a good choice if you need a grass-type and don't much care for Vileplume.
Now that you know everything about Gloom's evolution, allow us to teach you about Scyther's evolution, Rockruff's evolution, and Salandit's evolution. We can also tell you all about the dark Pokémon weakness, psychic Pokémon weakness, and ghost Pokémon weakness if you need some help beating those fiendish 'mon.