Ever wondered how to make your Pokémon stronger and more appealing in Pokémon GO? The Appraisal feature is key here. Appraisals give you insight into your Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses, helping you make informed decisions about battling, raiding, and trading. But can you actually increase a Pokémon's appraisal? Let's explore.
In Pokémon GO, appraisals are determined by a Pokémon's individual characteristics, specifically its Individual Value (IV) and Nature. These are assigned when a Pokémon is generated and are set in stone. So, can you boost your Pokémon's appraisal? Unfortunately, the short answer is 'not directly'. Appraisals reflect a Pokémon's innate stats, which are permanent.
Understanding Pokémon Appraisal
The appraisals in Pokémon GO are based on the Pokémon GO Battle League rating system. This system ranks Pokémon from 'Wow', indicating high potential, down to 'Cherish', suggesting a Pokémon with low overall stats. Understanding this system is the first step to optimizing your team.
Each appraisal also includes some cryptic feedback. While these are mostly fun and don't reflect a Pokémon's actual stats, they can provide some insight into your Pokémon's Nature and IVs. For instance, if your appraiser mentions 'a little hard to challenge', your Pokémon might have above-average Defense IVs.
What Influences Appraisal
The appraisal of your Pokémon is primarily determined by its base stats, IVs, and Nature. Base stats are fixed for each Pokémon species, IVs are random and range from 0-15, and Nature provides a 10% boost to a particular stat and a 10% reduction to another.
CP (Combat Power) and HP (Hit Points) also play a role. These adjust based on your Pokémon's level, but the appraisal considers its maxed-out stats, so leveling up doesn't directly improve appraisal.
Boosting Pokémon Strength: Other Factors
While you can't directly increase a Pokémon's appraisal, you can boost its overall power. Powering up your Pokémon increases its CP and HP, making it stronger in battle. This doesn't affect appraisal, as appraisals consider maxed-out stats, but it makes your Pokémon more formidable.
Training your Pokémon also increases its level, which improves its CP and HP. Plus, higher-level Pokémon require more Stardust to power up, making them more cost-efficient in the long run.
How to Make the Most of Your Appraisals
Since you can't increase a Pokémon's appraisal, focus on using appraisals to make strategic choices. Keep your highest-appraised Pokémon for battles, raids, and trades. Anytime you're unsure which Pokémon to use, appraise them and go with the stronger one.
Remember, there's no rush to power up or evolve every Pokémon. Only invest in those that perform well in appraisal. This way, you'll build a strong team more quickly and efficiently.
In conclusion, while you can't increase a Pokémon's appraisal in Pokémon GO, understanding appraisals and using them strategically can significantly improve your gameplay. Keep appraising, keep learning, and most importantly, keep having fun!