How to Get Thousands of Candy in Pokémon GO: A Comprehensive Guide
So, you’re looking to amass a mountain of Pokémon Candy in Pokémon GO, huh? Excellent! It’s an achievable goal, but it requires understanding the various game mechanics and employing a few strategic approaches. The short answer is: you get thousands of candies by consistently catching Pokémon, participating in events, utilizing berries, maximizing buddy Pokémon interactions, trading strategically, and engaging in egg hatching, all while optimizing your gameplay for candy acquisition. It’s a combination of dedicated effort and smart play!
Maximizing Candy Acquisition: The Core Strategies
The path to candy riches in Pokémon GO isn’t paved with shortcuts, but rather with optimized strategies. Let’s break down the most effective methods for stockpiling those precious candies.
1. Relentless Catching: Your Bread and Butter
This is the foundation of any successful candy-gathering operation. Every Pokémon caught yields candy, the amount depending on the Pokémon’s stage in its evolution line. Base forms offer the least, while fully evolved forms give the most. Aim for high spawn locations like parks, densely populated areas, and locations with active Lures and Incense. During Community Days and other special events, take advantage of the dramatically increased spawn rates of specific Pokémon.
2. Berry Bonanza: Pinap Your Way to Success
Pinap Berries are your best friend. These delectable treats double the amount of candy received when you successfully catch a Pokémon. Save them for Pokémon you desperately need candy for, especially rarer spawns or those crucial 400-candy evolutions like Magikarp, Wailmer, Swablu, Noibat, Stufful, and Wimpod. It is also worth noting that during events, such as Community Days, Pinap Berries are often enhanced to give you additional candy and/or Stardust.
3. Buddy Up: Walking for Sweets
Choosing the right Buddy Pokémon is critical. Certain Pokémon require only 1 km to earn a candy, making them ideal for rapid candy generation. Prioritize Pokémon like Pikachu, Magikarp, Caterpie, and Bidoof if your goal is pure candy accumulation. Remember, the limit to earning buddy candies is 40km per day. Therefore, choose a buddy that will make each km more effective for you.
4. Trading Power: Candy Across Borders
Trading Pokémon with friends can be a fantastic candy source, particularly if the Pokémon were caught far apart. The further the distance between where the two Pokémon were caught, the higher the chance of receiving bonus candy (including Candy XL during specific events). Coordinate with friends to maximize these trades. Trading can get you anywhere from 1 to 4 candy and sometimes candy XL.
5. Egg-cellent Hatching: Incubation Inflation
Hatching eggs is another reliable candy stream. The rarer the egg (e.g., 10km or 12km), the more candy you’ll typically receive for the Pokémon hatched. Invest in Super Incubators to hatch eggs faster and optimize your candy intake. Try to stock up on free incubators during events.
6. Transfer Tactics: Send ‘Em Packing
Don’t hoard Pokémon with poor stats. Transferring them to Professor Willow yields candy. It’s a small amount, but it adds up over time, especially when mass-transferring during events.
7. Research Rewards: A Sweet Surprise
Completing Field Research tasks, Special Research quests, and Timed Research challenges often rewards you with Pokémon encounters and, crucially, candy. Prioritize research tasks that offer the most candy for Pokémon you need.
8. Gym Defense: Berries for Rewards
While not the most efficient method, feeding berries to Pokémon in Gyms gives you a small chance of receiving candy for that Pokémon. It’s a passive way to potentially earn a few extra candies.
9. Event Exploitation: Time-Limited Treasures
Pokémon GO events are candy goldmines. They often feature increased spawn rates, bonus candy for catches, egg hatching bonuses, and special research tasks that all contribute to your candy haul. Always check the in-game news for upcoming events and plan your gameplay accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What’s the fastest way to get Rare Candy in Pokémon GO?
Raid battles are the most reliable source of Rare Candy. The higher the raid level, the greater the chance of receiving more Rare Candies. Also, be sure to complete field and special research tasks that give rare candy as a reward.
2. How much XL Candy do I need to max out a Pokémon?
Leveling a Pokémon from Level 40 to Level 50 requires 296 XL Candy and 250,000 Stardust.
3. Is there a daily limit on buddy candy?
Yes, the limit for earning buddy candy is approximately 40 km per day.
4. What’s the best way to farm XL Candy?
Catching Pokémon is the quickest way to get XL Candy, especially during events with increased spawn rates. Trading with others, particularly Pokémon caught at a distance from each other, also increases the chances of receiving XL Candy.
5. Can I convert XL Candy into regular Candy?
Unfortunately, you cannot convert XL Candy back into regular Candy. Once converted, they are only available to evolve other Pokemon.
6. What Pokémon require 400 candies to evolve?
The original 400-candy Pokémon is Magikarp, but others include Swablu, Wailmer, Meltan, Noibat, Stufful and Wimpod.
7. Are XXL Pokémon rarer than XL Pokémon?
Yes, XXL Pokémon are considerably rarer, much more so than standard rare Pokémon.
8. Do Gyms provide Pokémon candy?
Yes, although it’s a chance-based reward, feeding berries to Pokémon defending Gyms can sometimes yield candy for that specific Pokémon.
9. Which Berry gives you the most candy in Pokémon GO?
Pinap Berries double the amount of Candy you receive upon successfully catching a Pokémon.
10. What is the Eevee naming trick for evolutions?
The Eevee naming trick allows you to guarantee a specific Eeveelution once per name. The names are: Rainer for Vaporeon, Sparky for Jolteon, Pyro for Flareon, Sakura for Espeon, Tamao for Umbreon, Linnea for Leafeon, Rea for Glaceon, and Kira for Sylveon.
11. Does swapping Buddy Pokémon reset candy progress?
Yes, changing your Buddy Pokémon will reset any progress you’ve made towards earning the next candy with your current buddy. Time your switches carefully!
12. Which Pokémon buddies earn candy the fastest?
Pokémon in the 1 km category are the fastest candy earners, including Pikachu, Magikarp, Caterpie, Weedle, Bidoof, Purrloin, Sewaddle, Fletchling, and Skwovet.
13. Where can I find Charmander in Pokémon GO?
Charmander typically spawns in cities, residential areas, and dry/arid climates. Using Lures near PokéStops can increase your chances of finding one. Also, keep an eye out for them during events.
14. Is there a cheat to get unlimited Rare Candy?
While some older articles reference cheats, it’s important to understand that using unauthorized methods or third-party apps to gain an unfair advantage violates the game’s terms of service and could result in your account being banned. Focus on legitimate gameplay strategies.
15. How can learning games help improve your Pokemon Go Skills?
Engaging with learning games can help develop strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, which are very important to making smart decisions while playing Pokemon Go. If you are interested in exploring how the fun of games can be combined with the rigour of learning, take a look at Games Learning Society on https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org.
Conclusion: Candy is Within Reach!
Accumulating thousands of candies in Pokémon GO requires dedication, strategic planning, and consistent effort. By understanding the game mechanics, utilizing berries effectively, optimizing your buddy Pokémon, trading strategically, and participating actively in events, you can build a substantial candy stockpile to evolve your favorite Pokémon and conquer challenging raids! Embrace the grind and happy catching!