Time-sensitive: The September GO Pass runs to October 6, and the Twilight Trails season ends December 1, 2026. Event bonuses here expire with them. Checked September 30, 2026.
Read This First
Pokémon GO has no tradeable gold, and Stardust cannot be bought from other players. Wikipedia says Scopely acquired some of Niantic's games, including Pokémon GO, in May 2025. The current Stardust numbers here come from a guide dated August 27, 2026, and event bonuses change week to week. Older guides often list Stardust values from 2019, which this page does not use.
This is the resource side of the game. For account level and the new level 80 cap, see our Pokémon GO level 80 guide.
Start With the Price Tag
The most useful figure is the cost of finishing a Pokémon. Pokémon GO Hub's XL Candy guide (Reported, last updated August 27, 2026) says taking a standard Pokémon from level 40 to level 50 requires 296 XL Candy and 250,000 Stardust. A Purified Pokémon needs 272 XL Candy and a Shadow Pokémon needs 360. Each step costs between 10,000 and 15,000 Stardust and between 10 and 20 XL Candy.
| Pokémon | XL Candy (level 40 to 50) | Stardust |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 296 | 250,000 |
| Purified | 272 | Not stated |
| Shadow | 360 | Not stated |
At roughly 4 XL Candy per 10 km egg (from the source list below), 296 XL Candy is about 74 eggs on its own (our arithmetic), which is why the sources below matter.
Stardust Sources, August 2026
| Source | Stardust |
|---|---|
| Catching, base evolution stage | 100 (300 for second stage, 500 for third) |
| Weather boost | +25% |
| First catch of the day | 1,800 (9,000 on a seven-day streak) |
| Raids, 1 to 3 star | 1,000 base |
| 5-star Max Battle | 15,000 |
| 6-star Max Battle | 25,000 |
| Adventure Sync, 25 km / 50 km / 100 km weekly | 3,000 / 10,000 / 20,000 |
| Eggs: 2 km | 400 to 800 |
| Eggs: 5 and 7 km | 800 to 1,600 |
| Eggs: 10 km | 1,600 to 3,200 |
| Eggs: 12 km | 3,200 to 6,400 |
| Team GO Rocket: Grunt / Leader / Giovanni | 500 / 1,000 / 5,000 per win |
| Berry at a full gym | 30 per berry, up to 1,800 per 30 minutes |
| Gifts | 100 to 300 per gift (50 if your bag is full) |
A Star Piece multiplies gains by 1.5 for 30 minutes, per the same guide. The Niantic announcement from December 2020 (Confirmed as quoted by Pokémon GO Hub) confirms the 30 Stardust per gym berry.
What the table says. Combat and battle sources dwarf the rest. One 6-star Max Battle at 25,000 equals 250 catches at 100 Stardust each. That is why event bonuses attach so often to Max Battles and raids.
XL Candy Sources
XL Candy only drops for trainers at level 31 or above. The guide lists:
| Source | XL Candy |
|---|---|
| Catching | 0 to 3 (higher-level wild Pokémon give more often) |
| In-person raid | At least 1 |
| Eggs: 2 km | About 1 on average |
| Eggs: 5 and 7 km | About 3 |
| Eggs: 10 and 12 km | About 4 |
| Trading | 1 (guaranteed if the Pokémon was caught 100+ km apart) |
| Transferring | Roughly 1 in 15 to 20 |
| Buddy walking | Rate rises with level, up to about 70% to 75% at 31+ |
| Conversion | 100 regular Candy for 1 XL Candy |
| Meltan Box | Up to 18 per hour |
The guide also says an active Mega-Evolved Pokémon at level 2 or 3 significantly boosts XL Candy catch rates.
The conversion rate is the ceiling. 100 Candy for 1 XL Candy means 29,600 regular Candy would cover 296 XL Candy (our arithmetic). Treat conversion as a fallback, not a plan.
Rare Candy XL works for any species and comes from in-person raids and from level 71 to 80 researcher tasks, with one per qualifying level, per the same guide. That is the cleanest route for a legendary you have few Candies for.
The Twilight Trails Season
Pokémon GO Hub lists the season as September 8, 2026 at 10 AM local time through December 1, 2026. Resource-relevant bonuses in September, per its events page:
- Max Monday: one Rare Candy XL per in-person Max Battle.
- Raid Hour (Wednesdays): one Rare Candy XL per in-person raid.
- Friendship Friday: up to two Special Trades, with Lucky Trade increases.
- Gible Community Day (September 12): 3x XP for catching.
- Spotlight Hours: September 17 had 2x catch Stardust and September 24 had 2x evolution XP.
- Weekly challenges: 6,000 Stardust and 20,000 XP.
The previous season, Forever Forward (June 2 to September 8, 2026), used the same Daily Discoveries idea. It also listed GO Battle Thursday with up to 4x Stardust from wins, and Friendship Friday with 2 guaranteed Candy XL. We did not find those on this season's pages.
The GO Pass
The September 2026 GO Pass ran from September 8 to October 6. Its milestones, per Pokémon GO Hub: Rank 25 increases gift limits, Rank 50 doubles Daily Adventure Incense duration, and Rank 75 increases Stardust and XP from hatching eggs. The free version's Rank 100 reward is a Latios encounter. For Rank 1 the season page lists one bonus Candy per trade and a guaranteed Candy XL for trainers at level 31 or higher. The Deluxe version adds incubators and extra encounters, and we found no price.
A Plan That Matches the Numbers
- Pick one Pokémon at a time. A single level 40 to 50 step needs 296 XL Candy, so spreading across many gets you nowhere.
- Spend event days on Max Battles and raids. They have the best Stardust and the guaranteed Rare Candy XL days.
- Keep eggs and Adventure Sync running. They are the passive sources.
- Use a Star Piece only when an event multiplies catches. It boosts gains 1.5x for 30 minutes.
- Save Rare Candy XL for the species you have the fewest Candies for.
Common Mistakes
- Trusting 2019 Stardust numbers. Several widely linked guides are from that year.
- Powering up to 50 without XL Candy. The Candy runs out first.
- Using a Star Piece on a quiet day. It lasts only 30 minutes.
Related pages:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to get Stardust in Pokémon GO?
The biggest single payouts in the August 2026 Pokémon GO Hub guide are Max Battles: 15,000 Stardust for a 5-star and 25,000 for a 6-star. For steady play, weekly Adventure Sync, egg hatching and the first catch of the day add up, and a Star Piece multiplies gains by 1.5 for 30 minutes.
What do I need to power a Pokémon from level 40 to 50?
Pokémon GO Hub lists 296 XL Candy and 250,000 Stardust for a standard Pokémon, 272 XL Candy for a Purified one and 360 for a Shadow one.
At what level do I start getting XL Candy?
Level 31. Pokémon GO Hub says trainers must reach level 31 before they collect XL Candy.
How do I turn regular Candy into XL Candy?
Pokémon GO Hub lists 100 regular Candy for 1 XL Candy as a conversion. Rare Candy XL, from in-person raids and level 71 to 80 researcher tasks, works for any species.
What are the daily bonuses this season?
In the Twilight Trails season (September 8 to December 1, 2026), Pokémon GO Hub lists Max Monday and Raid Hour on Wednesdays as each giving one Rare Candy XL per in-person battle, and Friendship Friday with up to two Special Trades.
Does the GO Pass help with Stardust?
Pokémon GO Hub lists Rank 75 as increasing Stardust and XP from hatching eggs. The Deluxe version adds more rewards, but we found no price in the sources.
Sources
Confirmed items come from Niantic or Pokémon announcements as quoted by the sources we could read. Reported items come from Pokémon GO Hub, Leek Duck, DittoBase and Wikipedia. Stardust and XL Candy figures change with events. Last checked September 30, 2026.
- Pokémon GO Hub: Stardust grinding guide (August 27, 2026)
- Pokémon GO Hub: XL Candy guide (updated August 27, 2026)
- Pokémon GO Hub: Twilight Trails season
- Pokémon GO Hub: September 2026 GO Pass
- Pokémon GO Hub: September 2026 events
- Pokémon GO Hub: Forever Forward season
- Pokémon GO Hub: Niantic details XP, Stardust, buddy and encounter updates (December 2020)
- Leek Duck: Level 80 update details
- DittoBase: Level 80 XP requirements and rewards
- Wikipedia: Pokémon Go
