There are probably no Pokémon with an evolution line as complicated as Applin’s, other than Eevee.
Since I think this is information that can easily confuse many players, I’ve put together a separate, simple guide to help clarify everything.
Applin Evolution Information
Shiny Information
The Shiny forms of Applin and its evolutions will make their debut during the ‘Harvest Festival’ event in September 2026.
Applin itself is already a Pokémon that is extremely difficult to encounter outside of events, and obtaining its evolution items, the various types of Apples, is not easy either. Therefore, I recommend preparing as many resources as possible during the annual Harvest Festival.
In March 2026, a hidden update during the Season of Fresh Memories standardized Shiny encounter rates across all Pokémon. Therefore, the Shiny forms are expected to have the same 0.2% encounter rate.
How to Evolve Applin
Applin has four evolutionary forms: Flapple, Appletun, Dipplin, and Hydrapple.
To evolve Applin into Flapple, Appletun, or Dipplin, you need 200 Candy and the corresponding evolution item, an image Apple, for each evolution. To evolve Dipplin into Hydrapple, you additionally need to complete the required Buddy task and spend 400 Candy.
Therefore, you need a total of 1,000 Applin Candy to register every Applin evolution in your Pokédex.
Evolution Items: Tart Apple, Sweet Apple, Syrupy Apple
Let’s take a look at evolution, Mega Evolution, and Primal Reversion in Pokémon GO.
Some Pokémon have special evolutions that require evolution items, while others have Trade Evolutions that require trading. You can also learn about Mega-Evolved and Primal Pokémon, how to obtain their Energy, and how they can be used.
During normal periods when event bonuses are active, take a close look around PokéStops with an active Mossy Lure Module. You may find an 
Apple lying on the ground.
Tap an Apple found on the map to obtain one of three types of Apples (Tart Apple, Sweet Apple, Syrupy Apple), or you may encounter an Applin.
Applin can also appear directly near PokéStops with an active 
Mossy Lure Module.
When collecting Applin Candy, I recommend using Pinap Berries as well as activating a Grass-type Mega Evolution.
Applin Recommended Evolution : Flapple vs Appletun vs Dipplin vs Hydrapple
To summarize, none of the three Pokémon have found a particularly useful role yet, as their signature moves (Giga Drain, Apple Acid, and Fickle Beam) have not yet been implemented.
As Raid attackers, they are inferior to Alolan Exeggutor in both DPS and TDO for both Grass- and Dragon-type roles. Considering their high investment requirements and relatively low performance, they are in desperate need of their respective signature moves.
That said, they have not found a particularly strong niche in Trainer Battles either. 😑
Grass-type Pokémon can simultaneously deal super effective damage to the common Ground- and Water-types, but their defensive typing is very poor. Grass and Dragon do not provide each other with complementary resistances like Grass/Rock does. Instead, the combination takes 2.56× damage from Ice-type attacks, making them difficult to use in Trainer Battles as well.
For now, Dipplin and Appletun are the two forms that show at least some potential in Trainer Battles.
Even then, their usefulness is very limited, as they are only viable in a few specific Great League (CP 1500) formats, so they are a low priority.
The reason Dipplin is more suitable for the CP 1500 League than its evolution, Hydrapple, is that while its Attack increases significantly after evolving, Dipplin actually has better Defense and HP. Since their movesets remain the same before and after evolution (Dragon Tail, Seed Bomb + Outrage), there is little reason to use Hydrapple in CP-limited leagues.
So, if you are lucky enough to get a 100% IV Applin, you may find yourself wondering what to do with it, as neither evolution currently has any particularly notable use.
You could either wait a very long time in the hope that it eventually receives an exclusive move, or evolve it into Hydrapple, the most recently released evolution.
