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Pokémon GO medals track your progress across catching, walking, battling, trading, and other activities. Type medals improve catch chances, while Platinum medals are important for high-level Trainer progression.
Who It's For
This guide is for Pokémon GO players who want to understand medal benefits, choose easier Platinum targets, and plan progress more efficiently.
Key Takeaways:
- Catch Bonus: Type medals improve catch rates, with Platinum providing the highest bonus.
- Platinum Goal: Reaching Level 80 requires a total of 50 Platinum medals.
- Best Strategy: Prioritize nearly completed medals and activities that advance several medals at once.
A Pokémon GO medal records a specific achievement, such as catching Pokémon, walking a certain distance, winning battles, visiting PokéStops, completing research, or trading with other Trainers. Medals may look like ordinary profile trophies, but some provide useful gameplay bonuses, unlock avatar items, or become mandatory for high-level Trainer progression.
The importance of medals increased considerably after the Trainer level cap rose from 50 to 80 in October 2025. Players advancing from Level 70 now need progressively larger collections of Platinum medals, culminating in 50 Platinum medals for Level 80.
This Pokémon GO medal guide explains how medals work, which rewards matter, what the main medal categories are, and how to plan an efficient route toward 50 Platinum medals.
What Is a Pokémon GO Medal?
A Pokémon GO medal is an achievement earned by reaching a gameplay milestone. Examples include catching 50,000 Pokémon, completing research tasks, evolving Pokémon, winning Gym Battles, defeating Team GO Rocket members, or filling a regional Pokédex.
To check your medals:
-
Open your Trainer Profile from the Map View.
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Scroll to the medal collection.
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Tap a medal to view its current total and next milestone.
Most progression medals have four ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The circular bar around a medal shows how close it is to the next rank.
Pokémon GO Medal Ranks
| Medal rank | General meaning |
|---|---|
| Bronze | The first achievement milestone |
| Silver | Moderate progress |
| Gold | A substantial long-term milestone |
| Platinum | The highest normal medal rank |
The exact requirement differs between medals. A Platinum Cameraman medal requires far fewer actions than a Platinum Collector medal, for example, because taking surprise snapshots and catching Pokémon progress at very different rates.
Do Pokémon GO Medals Do Anything?
Some medals are mainly achievement records, while others have practical effects.
The most important direct benefit comes from type-specific catch medals. These increase the catch modifier when encountering Pokémon of the matching type. Other medals can unlock Style Shop items, while the Hero and Purifier medals can provide additional Premier Balls after Team GO Rocket encounters.
Pokémon GO Medal Catch Bonuses
| Type medal rank | Catch modifier |
|---|---|
| No medal | 1.0× |
| Bronze | 1.1× |
| Silver | 1.2× |
| Gold | 1.3× |
| Platinum | 1.4× |
For dual-type Pokémon, the game averages the modifiers of both types. A Pokémon with one Platinum type medal and one Silver type medal would therefore receive an averaged bonus rather than the full Platinum modifier.
The catch bonus works alongside other catch modifiers, including Poké Ball choice, Berries, curveballs, and throw quality. It does not guarantee a catch, but it improves the underlying probability.
Pokémon GO Medals List and Main Categories
The Pokémon GO medals list changes as new regions, events, and game features are introduced. Instead of treating every commemorative event badge as part of the same system, it is more useful to divide medals into four groups.
Standard Gameplay Medals
These medals track activities performed throughout normal gameplay.
| Medal | What it tracks | Platinum requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Jogger | Distance walked | 10,000 km |
| Collector | Pokémon caught | 50,000 |
| Scientist | Pokémon evolved | 2,000 |
| Breeder | Eggs hatched | 2,500 |
| Backpacker | PokéStops visited | 50,000 |
| Battle Girl | Gym Battles won | 4,000 |
| Gym Leader | Time spent defending Gyms | 15,000 hours |
| Berry Master | Berries fed at Gyms | 15,000 |
| Pokémon Ranger | Research tasks completed | 2,500 |
| Idol | Best Friends earned | 20 |
| Gentleman | Pokémon traded | 2,500 |
| Pilot | Total trade distance | 10,000,000 km |
| Cameraman | Surprise snapshot encounters | 400 |
| Hero | Team GO Rocket Grunts defeated | 2,000 |
| Purifier | Shadow Pokémon purified | 1,000 |
These requirements show why there is no universal “easiest” Platinum medal. Someone who trades daily may finish Gentleman quickly, while a solo player may make much faster progress on Collector, Scientist, or Cameraman.
Pokémon Type Medals
There are 18 type-specific medals:
| Schoolkid — Normal | Black Belt — Fighting | Bird Keeper — Flying |
|---|---|---|
| Punk Girl — Poison | Ruin Maniac — Ground | Hiker — Rock |
| Bug Catcher — Bug | Hex Maniac — Ghost | Rail Staff/Depot Agent — Steel |
| Kindler — Fire | Swimmer — Water | Gardener — Grass |
| Rocker — Electric | Psychic — Psychic | Skier — Ice |
| Dragon Tamer — Dragon | Delinquent — Dark | Fairy Tale Girl — Fairy |
Each type medal reaches Platinum after 2,500 qualifying Pokémon of that type. A dual-type catch contributes to both applicable type medals, making Pokémon with two types especially useful when several medals are close to completion.
Pokémon obtained through catching, hatching, evolution, or trading can also contribute to relevant catch-based medals. This makes mass evolutions and regular trades useful supplements when a particular type is uncommon in the wild.
Regional Pokédex Medals
Regional medals track how many Pokémon from a generation have been registered in the Pokédex.
| Region | Platinum requirement |
|---|---|
| Kanto | 151 |
| Johto | 100 |
| Hoenn | 135 |
| Sinnoh | 107 |
| Unova | 156 |
| Kalos | 72 |
| Alola | 86 |
| Galar | 89 |
| Hisui | 7 |
Regional medals can become difficult when a missing entry is tied to regional availability, a limited event, a rare raid rotation, or an unreleased species. Their value in a Platinum plan therefore depends heavily on the current Pokédex and event calendar.
Special, Event, and Hidden Medals
GO Fest, Safari Zone, GO Tour, ticketed research, legacy levels, and other special activities may award commemorative medals. These often appear in a separate part of the profile and may not use the Bronze-to-Platinum system.
A special gold event medal should not automatically be counted as a normal Platinum medal. For Level-Up Research, focus on medals that visibly have a Platinum rank or are explicitly recognized by the game’s Platinum total.
Pokémon GO Platinum Medals and Level 80 Requirements
The current leveling system adds Level-Up Research between Levels 70 and 80. XP alone is not enough; each level also requires a group of tasks, including an increasing Platinum medal total.
How Many Platinum Medals Are Needed?
| Target Trainer level | Required Platinum medals |
|---|---|
| Level 71 | 15 |
| Level 72 | 20 |
| Level 73 | 25 |
| Level 74 | 30 |
| Level 75 | 34 |
| Level 76 | 38 |
| Level 77 | 41 |
| Level 78 | 44 |
| Level 79 | 47 |
| Level 80 | 50 |
The requirement rises quickly after Level 74. A player with 30 Platinum medals is prepared for Level 74 but still needs another 20 before reaching Level 80.
Previously earned Platinum medals count toward these thresholds. The game checks the medals already present on the account, so there is no advantage to leaving a Gold medal unfinished until its Level-Up Research becomes active.
Plan Location-Based Medal Routes with PoKeep
Many Pokémon GO medals depend on movement and access to map locations. Backpacker needs PokéStop visits, Jogger tracks distance, Gym medals require access to Gyms, and type medals progress faster in areas with suitable spawns or events.
For players who choose to manage their device location virtually, PoKeep Location Changer provides several tools that can help organize a medal-focused route:
- Two-spot and multi-spot movement for planned paths
- A 360-degree joystick and adjustable movement speed
- GPX route imports, favorite routes, and location history
PoKeep also includes jump teleport and a cooldown timer for managing movement between locations. It works through a desktop application connected to an iPhone or Android device and includes a free trial for testing its core movement modes.
PoKeep does not automatically complete medals or bypass their requirements. Every catch, spin, battle, trade, evolution, and research task must still be recorded by Pokémon GO.
Pokémon GO Medal FAQ
What does a medal mean in Pokémon GO?
A medal shows that a Trainer has reached a gameplay milestone. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum indicate increasing levels of progress.
Do all Pokémon GO medals give rewards?
No. Type medals provide catch bonuses, some medals unlock avatar items, and certain Team GO Rocket medals affect Premier Ball rewards. Many others mainly document achievement progress.
How do I get a Platinum medal?
Reach the Platinum requirement shown on that medal. Open your Trainer Profile and select the medal to check your current progress.
How many Platinum medals are needed for Level 80?
Level 80 requires 50 Platinum medals, along with the necessary XP and other Level-Up Research tasks.
Do old Platinum medals count toward Level 80?
Yes. Platinum medals earned before reaching Level 70 remain on the account and count toward the required total.
Do dual-type Pokémon count for two type medals?
Yes. A dual-type Pokémon contributes to both matching type medals. Its catch bonus is calculated by averaging the two applicable medal modifiers.
Do traded and hatched Pokémon count toward type medals?
Pokémon obtained through trades, hatching, and evolution can contribute to relevant catching medals.
What is the hardest Platinum medal?
There is no single answer for every account. Pilot, Unown, Ultra Hero, Fisher, Youngster, and incomplete regional Pokédex medals are frequently difficult because they depend on extreme totals, rare encounters, geography, or time-gated content.
Is a Pokémon GO medal the same as the Team Medallion?
No. A medal is an achievement. The Team Medallion is a one-use Shop item that changes the Trainer’s team and can only be purchased once every 365 days.
Final Thoughts on Pokémon GO Medals
Pokémon GO medals have evolved from optional profile achievements into an important part of long-term account progression. Type medals make Pokémon easier to catch, selected medals unlock other benefits, and Platinum totals are required throughout Levels 71–80.
Start by auditing your existing Gold medals, finish the closest controllable targets, and combine several medal objectives during the same gameplay session. Keep difficult, regional, and event-dependent medals as bonus opportunities rather than relying on them as essential parts of your plan.
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