Pokemon Trainers
Pokemon are not the only things that grow, but Pokemon Trainers can earn experience points (XP) and level up too in Pokemon GO. Every new account in Pokemon GO gets to create a Pokemon Trainer. A Trainer can be customized with a gender, a style of clothes, and stances.
All Pokemon Trainers start out at level 1. The level bar and XP needed to level up can be seen on your profile. Level up your Trainer to earn free items and increase the CP cap for your Pokemon. The level up rewards will go into your bag even if the item limit has been reached.
Simply earning XP will not be enough to level up once you reach Trainer Level 40. Challenges will be added to your Trainer profile that must be completed. Some will carry over from day to day, but some must be completed in a single day.
Although you can’t see it, Pokemon have a level too that is tied to the Trainer’s level. A Pokemon can only be powered up using Pokemon Candies and Stardust to a certain point before the game tells you to increase your Trainer Level. The higher a Trainer’s level, the stronger their Pokemon can be. Once a Pokemon reaches level 40, Candy XL will be needed to level them up.
New levels can be reached by filling up the XP bar under your profile picture. The best way to earn XP is to capture and evolve Pokemon, but there are some other methods outlined below:
| Method | XP Earned |
|---|---|
| Encounter a Pokemon, but it flees | 25 XP |
| Capture a Pokemon | 100 XP |
| Evolve a Pokemon | 500-1000 XP |
| Hatch an Egg | 500-1000 XP |
| Send a gift to a friend | 200 XP |
| Spin a PokeStop | 50 XP |
| Weather Bonus when capturing Pokemon | 25 XP |
| Curveball when capturing Pokemon | 10 XP |
| Nice Throw | 10 XP |
| Great Throw | 20-50 XP |
| Excellent Throw | 100 XP |
| First Throw | 50 XP |
| New Pokemon added to Pokedex | 500 XP |
| First Catch of the Day | 500 XP |
| Streak Bonus | 2000 XP |
| Win a Gym Battle | 100 XP |
| Clear a Gym of a Team | 150 XP |
| Win a Raid Battle | 3000 XP |
| Complete Field Research | 3000 XP |
Profiles can be viewed by tapping the Trainer picture at the bottom-left corner of the screen. Swipe down to see your weekly rewards medals, gym badges, and stats. Weekly Rewards are items that are awarded to players for walking 5 km, 25 km, or 50 km once a week. These rewards can be claimed Monday morning, and can include berries, Poke Balls, potions, Eggs, and even evolutionary items!
Medals
Medals are simple challenges that unlock new clothes and styles to purchase from the in-game shop. They also award players with XP. Each medal has four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Complete a challenge to earn a Bronze medal, then complete the same challenge with a tougher requirement to earn the Silver medal, and onward. Medals will be displayed in your Trainer profile. Additional Medals have been added by the developers over time.
Gym Badges
Gym Badges are also shown on your trainer profile. A Gym Badge is earned each time you defend a Gym or help your team defend a Gym. Just like medals, Gym Badges will change in color from bronze to silver to gold.
- Bronze: Defend a Pokemon Gym.
- Silver: Defend a Pokemon Gym for a total of 1 day.
- Gold: Defend a Pokemon Gym for a total of 1 week.