How does evolution through ways other than leveling up work?

[MA STAFF]

Most pokèmon evolve through leveling up in the game (official). In otherwords, as they grow stronger they advance. However, there are a lot of other ways (in official games) that pokèmon evolve. Some of these occur in ways that don't make sense for the site, or need some minor tweak  For example... 

• Exposure to special items, such as evolution stones. 
• Leveling up while holding special items.
• Being traded. 
• Being traded for a specific other pokèmon
• Leveling up in specific areas. 

These are viewed in the following manner on site. 

• Special items: 
  
  These are considered to be items that allow trainers to initiate a short cut to evolving.  In the wild these pokèmon would evolve after long term exposure to some related factor.  (for example a fire stone would be a short cut to evolving a pokèmon that would have evolved after a long time of living in a particular sort of environment)
  
  
• Trade
  
  Trade (while still being treated as a special evolution pokèmon for grouping purposes) is considered to be triggered by pokèmon becoming stronger. In the case of the pokèmon needing to be traded for a specific pokèmon, the pokèmon would need to become stronger (ie level up) in the presence of the required pokèmon.
  
  
• Specific Places: 
  
  For site, it is assumed that there is a 'short cut' item that fulfills this need.  Similar to the fore mentioned special items, the pokèmon would evolve in the wild after being in a particular environment long enough. 

---