Pokemon GO: Best ways to quickly max out Pokemon

How can Pokemon GO players max out their Pocket Monsters? While the definition of "maxing out" a Pokemon varies, most players agree that a "maxed out" Pokemon in GO is one that has reached its maximum Combat Power (CP), therefore maximizing the limits of its IV stats and the damage that it can deal in both PvE and PvP battles.

A Pokemon's maximum stats are dictated by its IVs and Combat Power and trainers might receive one with great stats in both categories. Hence, it doesn't hurt to examine how to "max out" these critters for future use.

---

How to max out a Pokemon in Pokemon GO

Catch Every Possible Pokemon

More catches in Pokemon GO means more Stardust for powerups (Image via Niantic)

Trainers are going to need Stardust more than any other resource if they hope to "max out" their Pokemon. While there are many ways to obtain Stardust in GO, catching a high volume of average Pokemons is one of the most surefire ways to get plenty of it for powerups. This is especially true if trainers have Star Pieces to burn.

Each successful capture rewards Stardust, and if trainers are diligent enough to catch any wild Pokemon they find, they will naturally accrue a lot of this resource. Moreover, depending on the Pokemon that a player catches, they can acquire plenty of candies that are necessary to power it up to its maximum potential.

---

Defeating Team GO Rocket Members

Beating Team GO Rocket members is a great source of power-up resources in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Catching Pokemon certainly does a great job at acquiring Stardust in Pokemon GO, but it isn't the only way to collect it for maxing out the critters. During both ordinary gameplay and the "Taken Over" Team GO Rocket events, trainers can battle grunts, leaders, and even the boss (Giovanni) of Team GO Rocket, as each victory provides a plentiful amount of Stardust for leveling up.

Defeating Team GO rocket grunts yields 500 Stardust, beating Team GO Rocket's leaders yields 1,000, and beating Team GO Rocket's leader Giovanni brings in a whopping 5,000 units of the resource for any needed powerups.

---

Using Pinap Berries and Buddy Pokemon

Buddy Pokemon and Pinap Berries are also essential for maxing out Pokemon (Image via Niantic)

Apart from battling and catching Pokemon, Pinap Berries offer a great way to collect both candy and Stardust in the game. Using Pinap Berries in catch encounters doubles the candy acquired from catching the critters. Obviously, trainers have to catch the right Pokemon to benefit from the bonus Pinap Berry candy, but it might not be too difficult of a path to pursue.

Additionally, if a specific Pokemon is too difficult (or impossible) to catch from the wild, raids, etc., then trainers may want to set it as their buddy. This way, they can collect candies for it even when obtaining them elsewhere is incredibly difficult. This tactic works particularly well for uncommon legendary Pokemon and mythical Pokemon.