Pokemon GO doesn't follow the traditional gameplay of the mainline Pokemon games. While battling and trading still exist, there aren't any Pokemon Centers to revive and heal a Pokemon after battle. Instead, trainers are expected to use Revives and Potions.
There are four variants of potions in Pokemon GO. The regular Potion (purple) restores 20HP while the Max Potion restores all health. However, a Pokemon that has fainted cannot be healed, so GO trainers will need to revive it first. Those that are just starting their Pokemon GO adventure will need to raise their Trainer Level before they can collect and buy Max Potions.
How to Unlock Max Potions
Max Potions unlock at level 25 in Pokemon GO. At level 25, they'll receive the following:
- x20 Max Potions
- x25 Ultra Balls
- x15 Revives
- x15 Razz Berry
- x1 Incense
- x1 Egg Incubator
- x1 Lucky Egg
- x1 Lure Module
To get from level 24 to level 25, Pokemon GO players will need 150000XP. There are various ways to gain XP in Pokemon GO, such as spinning Poke Stops and hatching Pokemon Eggs, but there are more-accessible methods, too.
Catch Pokemon
The most obvious way of XP-farming is to catch Pokemon. At the end of each successful catch, players are ranked by their performance. Here are some examples:
- Catching a Pokemon is 100XP, while a Pokemon that is not registered to players' Pokedex is worth 500XP.
- The type of Throw:
- A Nice Throw and Curve Ball Throw is worth 20XP.
- A Great Throw is 100XP.
- An Excellent Throw is 1000XP.
- Caught on the First Throw is 50XP.
- The First Catch of the Day is 500XP (days reset at 12:00am/00:00 local).
- If players are catching a Pokemon every day, then on the seventh day, they'll get a Seven Day Streak, which is worth 2500XP.
Use A Lucky Egg
Lucky Eggs are sometimes given as rewards in Special Research, but players can also get them from the in-game store for 80 Poke Coins. 8 Lucky Eggs can be bought for a total of 500 Poke Coins, too. Similar to their function in mainline Pokemon, Lucky Eggs will double the XP gain for 30 minutes.
Where to Find Max Potions
Once trainers have reached level 25, they can get a Max Potion(s) from any of the following:
- Spinning a Poke Stop or Gym.
- Opening a Gift from a Friend.
- Defeating Team GO Rocket Leaders.
- Buying the bundle of 10 Max Potions for 200 Coins at the Shop.
Since Poke Coins can only be gained from leaving Pokemon at Gyms, it's better to use them for expanding the Item Bag or Pokemon Storage, which both cost 200 Coins each. Getting Max Potions through Poke Stops or from Gifts may not be a surefire way of obtaining them, but at least players won't have to spend Poke Coins.
How to Use Max Potions
Max Potions are used the same way as a Revive or any other Potion. Since they fully restore a Pokemon's health, it's best to use them on Pokemon that are "in the red" or have just been revived via a regular Revive. Here's what to do:
- On the overworld map, tap the Poke Ball icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the Items (backpack) icon.
- Select the Max Potion, and it will bring up a page of Pokemon with less than full health.
- Tap a Pokemon to heal it with the potion.
Here's another way to use Max Potions:
- Tap the Poke Ball icon on the overworld map.
- Select the Pokemon (Pikachu) icon.
- Scroll down or type the Pokemon's name into the search bar to find the Pokemon that needs healing.
- On the Pokemon's summary page, tap the bottom-right icon (three bars stacked on one another).
- Select Items from the pop-up menu, and then select the Max Potion.
The first method (i.e, going directly into Items) is the faster and less-tedious way of healing a Pokemon. Remember that a Pokemon won't be able to take a Max Potion (or any other Potion for that matter) unless it's Revived first. Players can revive their Pokemon with Revives, or they can Power Up the Pokemon by tapping the "Power Up" button on the Pokemon's page.
Powering Up a fainted Pokemon will restore 1 point to their overall health. However, Powering Up costs Candy and Stardust. While it may save them from using a Revive, players may want to think before they act.
Pokemon GO is available for mobile devices.