Pokémon GO’s Inkay, a blue squid-like Pokémon, must be evolved in a special way. It takes 50 Inkay Candy to evolve it, which you earn by catching wild Inkay (Pinap Berries double the candy) or by making Inkay your Buddy (3 km per candy). Normally the evolve button is greyed out, but when you flip your phone upside down it should light up. Once the button brightens (sometimes turning a deeper red), tap it and Inkay will turn into the Dark/Psychic-type Malamar.
Troubleshooting the Flip
If the evolution isn’t working, try a few troubleshooting steps. Make sure your phone’s auto-rotate is on; if you have an orientation lock enabled, the game won’t detect the flip. Closing and reopening the app can also reset the gyroscope readout. On very old devices without a gyro, the special flip isn’t needed and the game may evolve Inkay as soon as you spend the candy. With everything set, flip your phone again and that evolve button should activate.
Inkay and Malamar also have Shiny variants in Pokémon GO. Shiny Inkay is gold instead of blue, and evolving a Shiny Inkay yields a yellow Shiny Malamar. These are rare finds (about a 1-in-500 chance on normal days), so if you’re lucky enough to catch a Shiny Inkay, it’s worth evolving. The process and candy cost remain the same for shiny Inkay — just flip your device the same way and enjoy your shiny Malamar when it evolves.
Malamar in PvP
Malamar isn’t just for show. In GO’s PvP, it’s a surprisingly solid choice. Its Psychic/Dark typing gives it just two weaknesses (Bug and Fairy) and moves like Psycho Cut, Psywave, Foul Play and Superpower to cover many matchups. In the Great League (1500 CP cap), Malamar often works as a versatile “safe swap” that can pressure shields or counter threats. With enough Candy XL to raise its CP, Malamar can also function in Ultra League (2500 cap). So flip that phone and add Malamar – a powerful Dark/Psychic Pokémon ready for battle.
