With the Psychic Spectacular event, two new Pokemon were introduced to Pokemon GO: Inkay and Malamar. These Dark/Psychic-type Pokemon were originally discovered in the Kalos region from Generation VI and they brought with them a strange evolution method, which has also made its way to Pokemon GO.
After you catch yourself an Inkay, you'll notice there's a question mark on the evolution button. Let's look at what that means! But first, before you can evolve an Inkay, you'll need to catch one.
Updated on September 21, 2021 by Michael Christopher: This post was initially published during the Psychic Spectacular, when Inkay and Malamar debuted. We've updated it to keep it more current since that event is now over.
Where To Catch Inkay
During the event where it debuted, it was super easy to find Inkay in the wild. It's assumed that it still spawns, but there is currently very few reports past the day the event ended. We'll update this post with confirmation when we know for sure. Theoretically, you should be able to find one in the wild. As a Dark/Psychic-type, it should be boosted by Foggy and Windy weather.
How To Evolve Inkay in Pokemon GO
So, what does Inkay need to evolve? Just like in the main series games, you need to turn your device upside down. Since this is Pokemon GO, you'll also need 50 Inkay candies.
Once you've got enough candies, turning your device upside down will allow you to press the Evolve button, and you'll be the proud new Trainer of a Malamar!
You may need to turn off your phone's auto-rotate setting, and you might also need to turn off Pokemon GO's battery saver setting. Both of these seem to affect the evolution mechanic working properly, so if you're having trouble, double-check that you've turned off these setting.
Gyroscope Problems
Some players are reporting issues with this evolution method, as their phone lacks a gyroscope. Niantic has acknowledged the issue and says an alternate method is being introduced soon.
One current workaround for this, for the time being, at least to fill the Pokedex entry for Malamar, is to have a friend catch an additional Inkay and evolve it, then trade it to you. This will use up their candies, though, so you may need to provide them with some to make up for it!
Another way around this is to log in to your account on another device that has a gyroscope. You may need to ask a friend to use theirs momentarily. It's not a perfect solution, but it is an option.