Go Beyond... Features

Pokémon Go just delivered its "Go Beyond" update, by which many things have been included to allow Trainers to take things to new heights. Officially, there are only three things that are included or described as the main aspects of the update, plus its "prelude" event. What the update didn't mention is the addition of other major features as part of that update, and they allow the experience of everything in the update, or at the least make everything so much more convenient. It is worth it to explain those addition of features, seeing they are key.

One of the major new features is a new type of "consumable" items for Pokémon. That item is called Candy XL, and its usage is to power up Pokémon beyond the Level 40 maximum instead of regular Candy. Candy XL can be earned through catching, transferring, and trading Pokémon as with regular Candy, but unlike the latter, which is a guarantee, Candy XL is earned fortuitously by those actions. For those who don't want to take their chances, they can choose to trade up Candy to Candy XL at a rate of a whopping 100 Candy per Candy XL, or use up Rare Candy XL (an item earned at levels post 40) in the same way as regular Rare Candy. They can be quite expensive but may be necessary nonetheless to "go big" per "Go Beyond".

The next new feature is actually in part a fulfilled request for one of my own. Around two years ago, I proposed the addition of Pokémon markers in order to be able to label Pokémon according to certain indicators, much like what happens in the main series games and associated tools (Bank and Home). Pokémon Go agreed, and now there is a Tags feature. These allow Trainers to define custom tags and apply them to any Pokémon in their storage; the Favorites star itself counts as a tag. This feature is admittedly not the same as the marker system, but it is definitely a lot more expansible while fulfilling a similar purpose, and "expansion" is the central idea of "Go Beyond".

The final big feature is platinum medals, which provides another level of achievement for those who go above and beyond with Pokémon Go and need a way to prove as such. As can be discerned, they're a tier above gold medals, and they can have pretty steep requirements, an example being the Pokédex medals, which require all the Pokémon species of that region to be caught. Trainers who have been long in the tooth, however, should be able to obtain more than a handful of them right now, including for a few new introduced medal categories along with the new platinum medals. They too are required for some levels post 40 in order to level up, so commitment for some of these medals may be warranted.

To attain new heights, all the parts of the "Go Beyond" update can serve Trainers well. Still, it doesn't hurt for Trainers to be able to attain those new heights with certain helpful features, and all of the above fit very well in that regard. Candy XL prepares them and their Pokémon to the new heights, tags allow these Pokémon to be sorted out even further, and platinum medals provide another achievement tier for the journey there. These features not only enhance the experience of the update but also really contribute to the associated achievements.

One year ago: The Social Aspect of Pokémon

Two years ago: More Weather Boosts for Types?

Three years ago: Game Bugs and Fixing Them