Pokemon's competitive scene started in 2000 with a regional championship held in various cities near London. The rules set for that championship were simple: trainers were only allowed to use Pokemon from Blue and Red versions. But, of course, players had to ensure their Pokemon were at the maxed level and had the best moves possible.

From that point forward, the competitive scene has extended to the TCG and mobile games like Pokemon Unite and Pokemon GO. But, leveling up Pokemon in Pokemon GO is quite different from traditional Pokemon games since it's directly tied to a player's "Trainer Level." Sometimes earning XP in Pokemon GO isn't as straightforward as it should be, especially without proper guidance.

Earning XP by Catching Pokemon

Catching Pokemon is an effective way to earn XP, but it highly depends on the number of Pokemon that spawn in an area. Players that live in rural regions may find it challenging to earn a decent amount of XP by catching Pokemon. In addition to from earning XP, players will also earn Stardust, which is needed to level up Pokemon.

Players can make this method easier by using a Pokemon GO Auto-Catcher. These devices catch Pokemon without the player needing to be online, but they can only use Poke Balls, not Great/Ultra Balls. The major downside of using an Auto-catcher is that it uses many Poke Balls, so players will need to stock up beforehand.

RELATED: Pokemon GO: Every Pokemon That Evolves With A Johto Evolution Item

XP Gained while Catching Pokemon

Earning XP by Hatching Pokemon Eggs

The Pokemon Egg hatching mechanic was first introduced in Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, when the players received a mysterious egg that would hatch after taking a certain number of steps in the game. Pokemon GO included the same feature, but players must walk real-life steps instead of in-game steps.

Players receive XP every time an Egg hatches. And the more Incubators a player has, the more Pokemon Eggs they can hatch. To take full advantage of Egg hatching XP, players should enable Adventure Sync, since it counts the steps players take even if the game isn't currently running on their mobile device.

XP Gained while Hatching Pokemon Eggs

Earning XP by Spinning PokeStops or Gyms

Spinning PokeStops or Gyms is one of the best ways players can obtain Poke Balls (including Great/Ultra Balls), Berries, and Evolution Items like Metal Coat or Up-Grade. But spinning PokeStops or Gyms also gives a decent amount of Trainer XP, so players should spin as many of them while playing Pokemon GO.

Players can spin a PokeStop or Gym every 5 minutes (the PokeStop/Gym turns purple while in cooldown). There's a limit of 1,200 spins per day (7,000 spins per week), but rarely will a player spin that amount unless they're using an Auto-Spinner.

XP Gained while Spinning PokeStops or Gyms

Earning XP by Raiding or Battling Rival Gyms

Players who want to complete the Pokedex available in Pokemon GO will need to participate in Raids, since they're one of the few ways players can catch unique or Legendary Pokemon. Raids also give a substantial amount of XP (especially Legendary Mega Raids), so Raiding is an essential step in leveling for a player.

Raiding isn't always easy alone, so players need to team up with their friends or other Pokemon GO fans to take down a Raid Pokemon. As for Battling Rival Gyms, players should use their best Pokemon to defeat the Rival Team. Players can also team up with players from their same team to take down Rival Gyms more quickly.

RELATED: Pokemon GO: The Best Gym Defenders

XP Gained while Raiding and Battling Rival Gyms

Earning XP with Friends

Undoubtedly, one of the most effective methods of earning thousands upon thousands of XP is increasing the Friendship level among Pokemon GO Friends. For example, upon reaching Best Friend status with a Poke Friend, players will receive 100,000 XP.

But, of course, reaching Best Friend or any other status takes time. To reach Ultra Friend status, players must interact (send gifts, battle together, or trade) with that person for 30 Days (it doesn't have to be continuous). As for Best Friend status, players will need to interact with another player for 90 days.

XP Gained Through Activities with Friends

Other Methods of Earning XP

Mass-evolving is a popular method of earning XP in Pokemon GO, which has players evolve hundreds of Pokemon while using a Lucky Egg. Players should focus on catching Pokemon that require 25 Candies to evolve to make the most out of it. Once players have at least 100 or more Pokemon to evolve, they can use a Lucky Egg and evolve all of them.

Players can also earn a decent amount of XP by completing Special Research tasks like "Let's GO, Meltan" or "A Thousand-Year Slumber." But these only offer a one-time XP reward, so players shouldn't expect to gain too much from completing the Special or Timed-Research tasks apart from earning item or Pokemon encounter rewards. And Research Breakthrough is only obtained by completing seven Research Tasks for seven days (it doesn't have to be continuous).

XP Gained by other Activities

Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android.

MORE: Pokemon GO: Beginner Tips