Why Catch Duplicate Pokemon in Pokémon GO? A Trainer’s Guide

The simple answer: You catch duplicate Pokémon in Pokémon GO because they are essential for evolving your Pokémon, powering them up, and building a stronger team. Transferring duplicate Pokémon yields Candy, the primary resource for evolving and strengthening your Pokémon. Furthermore, repeated encounters with the same species lead to Catch Combos, increasing your chances of finding rare Pokémon with superior stats. But the benefits extend much further than that, so let’s delve into the details.

The Sweet Reward: Candy and Stardust

The core mechanic behind collecting duplicate Pokémon is the Candy system. Each time you catch a Pokémon, you receive a certain amount of Candy specific to that Pokémon’s evolution line. For instance, catching a Pikachu gives you Pikachu Candy. This Candy is then used to evolve Pikachu into Raichu or to power up either Pikachu or Raichu.

Here’s a breakdown of why Candy matters:

• Evolution: Evolving Pokémon is crucial for completing your Pokédex and obtaining powerful creatures for battles. Many Pokémon require a specific amount of Candy to evolve into their next form.
• Powering Up: Powering up increases your Pokémon’s Combat Power (CP) and Hit Points (HP), making them more effective in Gym battles, Raids, and Trainer Battles.
• Transferring for Extra Candy: When you have duplicate Pokémon, you can transfer the weaker ones to Professor Willow. In return, you receive additional Candy of that Pokémon’s type. This is the most efficient way to accumulate large amounts of Candy quickly.

Beyond Candy, you also earn Stardust for catching Pokémon. Stardust is a universal resource used to power up any Pokémon, regardless of its type. Therefore, catching as many Pokémon as possible, even duplicates, is vital for accumulating both Candy and Stardust, the essential ingredients for success in Pokémon GO.

Catch Combos: Stacking the Odds in Your Favor

Catch Combos are a mechanic that rewards you for catching the same species of Pokémon consecutively. The more Pokémon of the same species you catch in a row, the higher your Catch Combo becomes. This, in turn, leads to several benefits:

• Increased Candy Rewards: Catch Combos boost the amount of Candy you receive per catch.
• Higher Shiny Odds: While not guaranteed, Catch Combos significantly increase your chances of encountering a Shiny Pokémon, a rare and sought-after variant with a different color scheme.
• Improved Stats: Catch Combos improve the likelihood of encountering Pokémon with higher Individual Values (IVs), which determine their potential maximum stats.
• Increased Spawn Rates: Some players believe that Catch Combos can increase the spawn rates of rare Pokémon in the area.

Building a Catch Combo requires patience and dedication, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Targeting specific Pokémon and catching them repeatedly can greatly enhance your team’s overall strength and unlock rare encounters.

The Advantage of Type Coverage and Team Building

While having a single, maxed-out Pokémon might seem appealing, a diverse team is essential for tackling the challenges in Pokémon GO. Different Pokémon types are effective against different types, making type coverage a crucial aspect of battling.

Here’s where duplicate Pokémon come in handy:

• Building a Versatile Team: You can keep multiple Pokémon of the same type, each with different move sets. This allows you to adapt to various Gym defenders and Raid bosses.
• Gym Defense: Placing multiple Pokémon of the same type in a Gym can discourage opponents who lack effective counters.
• Trading: Trading duplicate Pokémon with friends can help them complete their Pokédex and strengthen their teams. Plus, special trades can even give the Pokémon guaranteed great stats!

IVs, Appraisal, and Finding the Perfect Candidate

Not all Pokémon are created equal. Individual Values (IVs) are hidden stats that determine a Pokémon’s potential strength. Each Pokémon has IVs for Attack, Defense, and HP, ranging from 0 to 15. A Pokémon with high IVs will have significantly better stats than one with low IVs.

Catching multiple Pokémon allows you to assess their IVs using the in-game Appraisal system. The Appraisal system gives you a general idea of how good a Pokémon’s IVs are. Generally, you’ll want to keep Pokémon that have 3 stars. When you have multiple of the same Pokémon, you can compare their appraisals and identify the one with the best potential.

Don’t Forget About Shiny Pokemon

If you happen to catch a Shiny Pokemon, don’t worry about stats! Just keep it! Shiny Pokemon are very rare and are an awesome addition to your collection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Should I always keep the Pokémon with the highest CP?

Not necessarily. While CP (Combat Power) is an indicator of a Pokémon’s current strength, it doesn’t tell the whole story. A Pokémon with slightly lower CP but significantly better IVs might be a better long-term investment. Use the Appraisal tool to check. Also, consider that the move set will make or break your Pokemon.

2. What should I do with duplicate Legendary Pokémon?

You can only catch each Legendary Pokémon once in a Raid. Duplicate Legendary Pokémon are usually obtained through trading. It’s often beneficial to keep them for trades or to use in different battle scenarios, especially if they have good IVs.

3. Are cloned Pokémon banned in Pokémon GO?

No, cloned Pokémon are not obtainable or ban-worthy in Pokémon GO. The information in the original document refers to a different game, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, where an exploit allowed players to clone their Pokémon and those clones were banned from trading.

4. Are 2-star Pokémon worth keeping?

Sometimes. If the Pokémon is rare or has a special move that you can’t easily obtain otherwise, a 2-star Pokémon might be worth keeping. Also, maybe those are your only options!

5. Does weight or height matter in Pokémon GO?

No, the weight and height of a Pokémon have no impact on its stats or performance in battle. This is mostly just a fun feature. However, you might want to keep the very small or very large ones.

6. Should I purify Shadow Pokémon?

Purifying Shadow Pokémon increases their IVs and CP but reduces their attack stat, and they are also not as rare once purified. Whether to purify depends on your goals. If you want a stronger Pokémon for raids, purifying isn’t the way to go.

7. What are the hardest Pokémon to catch in Pokémon GO?

Galarian Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos are notoriously difficult to catch. Legendary Pokémon like Palkia, Ho-Oh, and Lugia are also challenging. The catch rate is often very low, requiring patience and excellent throwing skills.

8. Should I catch every Pokémon I see?

While it’s not necessary to catch every Pokémon, doing so will help you level up faster, earn more Stardust and Candy, and increase your chances of finding rare or high-IV Pokémon.

9. Is it better to catch a fully evolved Pokémon in the wild?

The base stats of a Pokémon are the same regardless of whether it’s caught in the wild or evolved. However, a fully evolved Pokémon caught in the wild will likely have a higher CP and IVs than a newly evolved one, saving you some Candy and Stardust.

10. Why do I keep getting the same Pokémon from eggs?

The Pokémon that hatch from eggs are determined by the egg’s distance (2km, 5km, 7km, 10km, 12km) and the current event. Certain Pokémon are more likely to hatch from specific types of eggs, but there’s always an element of randomness.

11. What is the max number of duplicate Pokémon I can have?

There is no limit to the number of duplicate Pokémon you can have in Pokémon GO.

12. Can you catch the same Legendary Pokémon twice in a Raid?

No, while you can battle a Legendary Pokémon multiple times in Raids, you can only catch each individual Legendary Pokémon once.

13. What is the significance of XXS and XXL Pokémon?

XXS (extra extra small) and XXL (extra extra large) Pokémon are special variants with extreme size differences. They are rare and are purely cosmetic, but are fun to collect.

14. Is a bigger or smaller circle better when catching Pokémon?

The smaller the circle, the higher the catch rate. Aim for Great or Excellent throws (small circles) to increase your chances of catching the Pokémon and earning bonus XP.

15. Should I power up or evolve first?

It’s generally recommended to evolve your Pokémon to its final stage before investing Stardust into powering it up. This allows you to see its final moveset and CP potential before committing resources.

The Takeaway: Embrace the Duplicates

Catching duplicate Pokémon is an essential part of the Pokémon GO experience. They provide the resources you need to evolve your Pokémon, power them up, build a diverse team, and increase your chances of finding rare and powerful creatures. So, don’t be afraid to embrace the duplicates – they are the key to becoming a successful Pokémon GO trainer!

This game is about more than just catching Pokemon. Learn about the educational aspects of games at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.