Everything you need to know about XL Candy in Pokemon GO

Known well to Pokemon GO veterans, XL Candies are one of the more sought after commodities in the entire game.

Since a Pokemon's maximum CP is partially tied to a trainer's level (though a hard cap exists), XL Candy is relied upon by Pokemon GO players to continue powering up their Pokemon past level 40. Since Niantic raised the Trainer Level cap to 50, there are ten levels worth of power ups for a trainer's chosen Pokemon.

There are a few ways to receive XL Candy, and the numbers breaking down the benefits of the candies has been made known to Pokemon GO's community, enabling trainers to stay informed and plan ahead.

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Pokemon GO: Getting XL Candy and how much it helps Pokemon

Image via Niantic

In order to obtain XL Candy to begin with, Pokemon GO trainers will need to have reached Trainer Level 40. Without meeting this requirement, they'll be out of luck in acquiring these Pokemon treats. Once a player obtains at least one XL Candy for a certain Pokemon, the amount of XL Candy will appear on that Pokemon's summary page alongside their standard candies and Stardust. XLs are family-specific, so an XL candy for Marill and Azumarill won't be usable for Meditite and Medicham.

The means through which players can acquire XL Candy after level 40 are as follows:

• Catching and transferring Pokemon. The amount of XL Candy received varies from one to three candies per catch/transfer. A Pokemon at a higher CP level will improve the chances of receiving multiple candies. Additionally, catching a stage 2 evolution of a Pokemon guarantees one XL Candy, a stage 3 ensures two, and a Legendary or Mythical Pokemon will always yield 3 XL Candies.
• Hatching Pokemon from Eggs.
• Trading Pokemon with other trainers. The chances of obtaining XLs improves with the distance between the two trainers enacting the trade.
• Walking with a buddy Pokemon, similar to finding standard candies.
• Leveling up Trainer Level past 40. Players will receive XL Candy rewards for leveling up every level on the way to 50. Levels 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, and 49 will award one XL Candy, and levels 45 and 50 will award two.

The grind to acquire XL Candies isn't easy, but the payoff of further powering up a needed Pokemon certainly is rewarding.