It's no surprise that Pokemon GO has revolutionized the entire gaming scene, especially the mobile game industry. And that's because Pokemon GO has managed to keep players engaged by releasing a constant flow of content and introducing hundreds of Pokemon from old and new Pokemon games. Those are only a few reasons why Pokemon GO is one of the best games exclusive to mobile devices.
Pokemon GO is more than a simple "catch 'em all" walking simulator. This mobile game has features that cater to all types of gamers, from competitive Battle Leagues to Mega Pokemon Raids. And aside from completing the Pokedex, completionists have the task of obtaining unique Medals that grant minor buffs to their account. But, Trainers that are set on acquiring all these Medals should know which ones are the most challenging.
7 Gentleman
- Trade 2,500 Pokemon
Trading has been a staple in the Pokemon gaming community since it allowed players to complete Pokedex from every region. Moreover, some Pokemon exclusively evolve after being traded, like Poliwhirl, Kadabra, and Machoke. But, trading in Pokemon GO is a little more tricky as Trainers must meet certain requirements.
First of all, players must be friends with the other player and be physically near them to start the trade (limited to 101 trades per day). Trainers will also need to pay a certain sum of Stardust (how much depends on their Friend Level), which means that trading can get quite expensive. That's why the Gentleman Medal is one of the hardest to obtain since players must trade 2,500 times to unlock it.
6 Pilot
- 1,000,000 Earned KM Across the Distance of Pokemon Trades
If completing 2,500 trades wasn't hard enough, Medal completionists will have an even more challenging time obtaining the Pilot Medal since they'll need to accumulate 1,000,000 km of trades. But, of course, Pokemon GO doesn't consider the trade distance between Trainers (limited to 100 meters) but instead the location the player initially caught the Pokemon.
For example, if the Trainer caught the Pokemon in Spain, and they are trading a Pokemon caught in the United States, then they should get 7,000 km of trade distance (approx). As players will notice, reaching the 1,000,000 mark will take time and lots of trades. Players should look out for Special Trading Events since it removes certain trade requirements.
5 Wayfarer
- Earn Wayfarer 1,500 agreements
Even though Pokemon GO is Niantic's most successful game, Ingress was their first AR-style game that laid the groundwork for the game mechanics found in Pokemon GO. And in Ingress, players were able to create Waypoints (similar to PokeStops or Gyms) through the Wayfarer Program. Trainers who want to create a PokeStop or Gym will need to use the Wayfarer Program, but gaining access to this program isn't easy.
Players must reach level 38 and pass a test before being eligible to use the Wayfarer Program. But, to obtain the Wayfarer Medal, players must complete 1,500 Wayfarer Agreements. That means players will need to vote (in favor or against) PokeStops or Gyms and have their vote be in the majority of the other Wayfarers.
4 Master League Veteran
- Win 1,000 Trainer Battles in the Master League
Most players avoid participating in the PvP aspect of Pokemon GO since it involves leveling the current Meta Pokemon and fighting hundreds of other players in real-time battles. And Pokemon GO is starting to become a Pokemon World Championship-worthy game, so players can expect the competition to be fierce.
That's why obtaining the Master League Veteran Medal is among the toughest medals, as it involves battling hundreds of different trainers without any restrictions. That means players must fight perfect IV Pokemon teams that are all maxed out, which can be frustrating to fight at times.
3 Purifier
- 1,000 Shadow Pokemon purified
The Purifier Medal may seem easy to obtain, but in reality, players must spend thousands of Stardust and earn hundreds of Candies to complete it. And that's because the cost of Purifying a Pokemon varies, from 1,000 to 5,000 Stardust. On top of that, players will need to acquire a certain amount of Candies (ranging from 3 to 5) to Purify the Pokemon.
But, perhaps the most challenging aspect of this medal has to be fighting 1,000 Team Rocket Grunts/Leaders to catch the Shadow Pokemon. Fortunately, most Team Rocket Grunts and Leaders are easy to beat with the right team setup.
2 Successor
- Mega Evolve 1,000 Pokemon
When Nintendo added Mega Evolution to the Pokemon universe, some players were upset as it made the PvP aspect of the game series more difficult. Nonetheless, most players enjoy Mega evolving their Pokemon as it opened up more diversity in the competitive world. Fortunately, Mega Evolutions aren't allowed in PvP Trainer battles in Pokemon GO, but obtaining one isn't easy either.
And that's because players will need to battle and defeat Mega Pokemon in Raids to obtain 45 Mega Energy. So, players aiming to receive the Successor Medal must be ready to complete hundreds of Mega Raids, especially since each Pokemon needs 200 Mega Energies to evolve.
1 Unknown Medal
- Catch 26 Unique Unknowns
Undoubtedly, the hardest medal to obtain in Pokemon GO is the Unknown Medal. The main reason is that Unknowns are among the rarest Pokemon to spawn in Pokemon GO, no matter the time or place. And to top it all off, players will need to catch all 26 unique Unknowns to acquire the medal, which makes it even more challenging due to the low spawn rates.
Fortunately, Niantic has created in-game events that boost the spawn rate of Unknowns but even then, players struggle to catch all 26 unique ones. So, the "fastest" route to complete this medal is looking for Trainers with Unknowns, but players will have to be physically near them.
Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android.