How to get higher CP Pokemon in Pokemon GO

A Pokemon GO trainer
A Pokemon GO trainer's total level dictates what the maximum CP of a wild Pokemon can be (Image via Niantic)
A Pokemon GO trainer's total level dictates what the maximum CP of a wild Pokemon can be (Image via Niantic)
A Pokemon GO trainer's total level dictates what the maximum CP of a wild Pokemon can be (Image via Niantic)

When it comes to Pokemon GO's battle system, CP or Combat Power is one of the main factors that determine how powerful a Pokemon can be in a fight.

Finding Pokemon with high CP can be tricky, as plenty of behind-the-scenes factors come into play to decide the form that a spawning Pokemon takes.

Although Pokemon GO players can power up their Pokemon by using candies, some may want to find more high CP Pokemon in the wild to conserve their resources. Though there are no concrete means of making high CP Pokemon appear on demand, there are ways to seek them out and encounter them more often.


Pokemon GO: Finding and capturing higher CP Pokemon

Finding Pokemon with high CP can be tricky (Image via Niantic)
Finding Pokemon with high CP can be tricky (Image via Niantic)

A trainer's total level dictates what the maximum CP of a wild Pokemon can be. This means players of a higher trainer level are more likely to spot Pokemon with higher overall CP and a higher CP ceiling.

Though many veteran Pokemon GO players are aware of this factoid, newer players may not notice it right away.

First and foremost, if a Pokemon GO trainer wants to encounter higher CP Pokemon in the wild, they'll need to put in some effort racking up XP and increasing their trainer level.

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For players looking elsewhere, raids are often a great avenue for CP-stacked Pokemon. Raid bosses, even lower-tier ones, tend to have a sizable amount of CP and impressive IV stats, making defeating and capturing them a worthwhile endeavor for trainers with enough Raid Passes and healing items. This is a great method to snag some more impressive Pokemon by the numbers.

Trainers who are not up for combing the wild, battling, or jumping into raids can try Research Tasks. When it comes to research encounters, the Pokemon seen are typically impressive in stats compared to the rank-and-file Pokemon found in the wild. Niantic does occasionally set specific Pokemon for research tasks, but if trainers aren't picky, then it's a great avenue to explore.

Many Daily Research Tasks also have fairly simple objectives, making research a decent wellspring for finding solid Pokemon.

Lastly, players can also consider eggs. Since the egg pools are changing with some regularity, there will only be certain Pokemon available depending on the egg type. However, Pokemon hatched from eggs tend to have pretty decent CP compared to many wild Pokemon. They also tend to have at least a 2-star stat appraisal or higher.

Egg hatching can be somewhat tedious, depending on the trainer's location. However, if all else fails, it can net a Pokemon GO player a few impressive options.