Stardust, Investment & Seasonal Strategy

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Section 10: Stardust & Investment Priority Guide

Investment Tiers Priority Tier When to Invest Recommended Action Tier 1 — Must Power Up Top meta pick, good IVs, useful in multiple modes (PvP + Raids) Power up to Level 50; use XL Candy aggressively Tier 2 — Good Investment Good meta pick, decent IVs, covers an important type gap Power up to Level 40; save XL Candy unless targeting Master League Tier 3 — Budget Pick Budget option filling a Power up to Level 35 for

Priority Tier When to Invest Recommended Action roster gap; not the best but functional raids; PvP-cap level for capped leagues Tier 4 — Situational Niche counter needed only for specific raid bosses Power up only if you have excess Stardust and Candy Avoid (For Now) Not currently meta- relevant; will likely be outclassed Save Stardust; wait for future buffs or a better version Stardust Efficiency Tips - Always use Star Pieces during Community Days, Spotlight Hours, and major events to maximize Stardust per catch - Prioritize powering up Pokémon useful in 2+ modes — e.g., Mamoswine works for both Ice and Ground raid teams - Do not power up gym defenders — the Stardust cost is never worth the limited coin return - Shadow Pokémon cost 6× the normal Stardust to power up — only invest in definitively top-tier Shadows - XL Candy is the true bottleneck at Level 41–50; plan XL investments around your top 3–5 priorities only - Set your highest-priority investment as your buddy — walking generates Candy passively, every kilometer Section 11: Event & Seasonal Strategy Community Day Priorities

Community Days grant access to exclusive moves that can only be obtained

afterward via Elite TM. These exclusive moves are almost always the best moves for that Pokémon. Missing a Community Day is not the end — Elite TMs allow catching up, but they are a limited resource. Key Community Day moves to prioritize: - Swampert — Hydro Cannon (Elite Charged TM if missed) - Metagross — Meteor Mash (Elite Charged TM if missed) - Charizard — Blast Burn (Elite Charged TM if missed) - Dragonite — Draco Meteor (now more widely available) or Dragon Breath (original CD move) - Machamp — Dynamic Punch (Elite Charged TM) - Ho-Oh — Sacred Fire (Elite Charged TM; essential for PvP) - Umbreon — Last Resort (Elite Charged TM; significant in PvP use) - Kyogre — Origin Pulse (Elite Charged TM; transformative for raids) Raid Event Strategy - During Raid Hours (Wednesdays 6–7 PM local time), a large number of 5- star raids spawn simultaneously at nearby Gyms - Bring 6 optimal attackers for the current raid boss — use Pokebattler.com to identify the best counters - Remote Raid Passes allow joining raids from anywhere — coordinate with online communities via Discord or Campfire - A Mega Evolution counts as one boost for the entire lobby — one player Mega Evolving provides a damage bonus to all same-type attackers in the group GO Battle League Season Tips

- Each GBL season lasts approximately 3 months; new seasons sometimes bring move rebalances that shift the meta dramatically - Seasonal bonuses may include extra Stardust for wins or improved encounter rewards at specific ranks - Rank up progressively: Basic → Great → Ultra → Master → Ace → Veteran → Expert → Legend - Above 2,500 Elo (Veteran rating), skill and team composition matter significantly more than the individual Pokémon used