How to Evolve Onix

To evolve Onix into Steelix, you must equip it with a Metal Coat and trade it to another player in standard games like Scarlet and Violet. In Pokémon Legends titles, including Legends: Z-A, you bypass the trade entirely and simply use the Metal Coat directly on Onix from your inventory.

Evolving Onix requires a specific item, but the exact trigger depends entirely on the game version you are playing.

• Traditional Games (Scarlet/Violet, BDSP): Trade while holding a Metal Coat.
• Legends Format (Z-A, Arceus): Use a Metal Coat directly.
• Pokémon GO: 50 Candy + Metal Coat.

Upgrading to Steelix swaps Onix's Rock typing for Steel, massively improving its defensive profile. Steelix gains immunity to Poison and Electric attacks while resisting a huge portion of the type chart.

For a standard story playthrough, Steelix serves as a phenomenal physical tank that can absorb hits and retaliate with STAB Earthquake. However, do not bring it into serious Smogon SV competitive tiers. Steelix suffers from abysmal speed and lacks the utility or raw bulk to compete with modern ground types like Ting-Lu.

The upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A retains the massive quality-of-life improvements introduced in Legends: Arceus. You do not need another player to evolve your Pokémon.

Trade evolutions are entirely soloable. The item acts as a standard evolutionary stone.

1. Acquire a Metal Coat. In the Legends format, these are typically purchased at the Trading Post using Merit Points or found in temporal anomalies around Lumiose City.
2. Open your satchel and select the Metal Coat.
3. Choose the Use option and apply it directly to your Onix.
4. Watch the evolution animation trigger immediately.

This method completely removes the risk of losing your Pokémon to a random internet trade. Keep a spare Metal Coat in your storage if you plan on filling out your Pokédex with multiple Steelix variants.

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the traditional trade mechanic remains strictly enforced. You must find a trusted partner to complete the process.

First, you need the evolution item. The easiest way to get one is simply buying it.

1. Travel to Levincia.
2. Visit the Delibird Presents shop located in the city.
3. Purchase a Metal Coat for 3,000 Pokédollars.
4. Open your party menu and give the Metal Coat to Onix to hold.
5. Connect to the internet and initiate a Link Trade with a friend.
6. Trade the Onix. It will evolve on your friend's screen.
7. Have your friend trade the newly evolved Steelix back to you.

Never use Surprise Trade for this process. You will lose your Pokémon and the item permanently. Always use a dedicated Link Code with someone you communicate with directly.

If you are revisiting older Nintendo Switch titles like Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, or Sword and Shield, the mechanics mirror Scarlet and Violet exactly. However, acquiring the necessary item requires more effort.

In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, you cannot simply buy the evolution item. You must rely on exploration or wild Pokémon farming.

1. Travel to Iron Island. You can find a guaranteed Metal Coat given by Byron.
2. Alternatively, put a Pokémon with the Thief move at the front of your party.
3. Encounter wild Magnemite in the Grand Underground or wild Bronzor.
4. Use Thief to steal a Metal Coat, as they have a 5% chance of holding one.
5. Equip the item to Onix and initiate a Link Trade to trigger the evolution.

In Sword and Shield, you can find the item in the Stow-on-Side bargain shop or randomly dropped by the Digging Duo in the Wild Area. The trade requirement remains mandatory across all these specific titles.

Niantic handles evolutions differently, relying on resources gathered over time rather than direct trading. You need two distinct components.

Gathering the candy is straightforward. Catching, transferring, and walking with Onix as your buddy will yield the required 50 Onix Candy.

1. Collect 50 Onix Candy.
2. Obtain a Metal Coat. This item drops randomly from spinning PokéStops and Gyms.
3. To guarantee a drop, complete your 7-day PokéStop spin streak, which ensures at least one random evolution item.
4. Navigate to Onix in your Pokémon storage.
5. Tap the Evolve button. The game will consume both the candy and the item.

If you play during certain Field Research events or Special Research questlines, Niantic often rewards specific evolution items. Check your current research tasks if you are struggling to find a Metal Coat from standard spins.

Even with the right items, players frequently hit roadblocks. The most common issue in traditional games involves the item interaction.

• Trying to "Use" the item in Scarlet/Violet: The Metal Coat is a held item in mainline games. If you click "Use" in your bag, the game will tell you it has no effect. You must select "Give" to make Onix hold it before trading.
• Holding an Everstone: If you accidentally gave Onix an Everstone instead of the Metal Coat, the trade will complete, but the evolution will cancel. Always double-check the held item icon.
• Wrong Game Mechanics: Trying to trade an Onix holding a Metal Coat in a Legends game does nothing. You must apply the item directly from the menu.

Another frequent frustration is the Link Cable item in Legends games. The Link Cable replaces the act of trading for Pokémon like Machoke, but Onix specifically requires the Metal Coat to trigger the Steel-type transformation. The Link Cable will not work on Onix.