Pokémon GO Stardust Guide: Power-Up Costs, Battle Goals & Reserves
Plan Pokémon GO Stardust spending around the battle you need to win, CP limits, second attacks and the full upgrade cost.
Pokémon GO Stardust Guide: Power-Up Costs, Battle Goals & Reserves
Pokémon GO Stardust Guide: Power-Up Costs, Battle Goals & Reserves
Choose the job before spending Stardust: a raid attacker, a GO Battle League team member and a Max Battle Pokémon can require different preparation. A Pokémon with the highest displayed CP is not automatically the best next investment.
Check the complete power-up cost
Powering up raises CP and HP and requires Stardust plus the Pokémon family's Candy; higher-level upgrades can also require Candy XL. The Power Up screen shows the cost, and the plus control lets you preview multiple upgrades. Stardust works across species, while Candy is tied to an Evolution family.
Set a target for the next battle
For GO Battle League, check the league's CP limit before confirming upgrades. The official league guide explains how to preview the resulting CP and cost. Do not spend past the limit of the format you intended to enter.
Budget for the moves too
A second Charged Attack also costs Stardust and Candy. Decide whether that second option is needed for the role rather than spending the whole reserve on CP and discovering you cannot finish the moveset. The summary screen shows the cost for that Pokémon.
Compare special cases carefully
Shadow Pokémon require more Stardust and Candy for power-ups and a second Charged Attack. Purification reduces several costs but changes the Pokémon's state and attacks. Do not purify solely to make one upgrade cheaper without considering which version you wanted to use.
Use a small investment shortlist
- Name the battle or format the Pokémon is for.
- Check its moves and the remaining upgrade cost.
- Compare it with an already usable member of your collection.
- Spend enough to address the immediate need, then reassess.
Keep an unspent reserve for the next clearly useful change instead of upgrading every new catch. A visually rare or high-appraisal Pokémon can remain a collection choice until you have a battle role for it.