A Pokemon Go player has apparently done what no other player has done before, reaching level 30 without catching more than one Pokemon.
Pokemon Go is a drastically different experience than any other Pokemon game. Wild Pokemon spawns depend on your location in the real world, Pokemon have Combat Power instead of levels, and players can gain experience to increase their own trainer level.
A player’s trainer level is quite important as it gives access to certain items and allows players to strengthen their Pokemon further. A level 20 trainer can not strengthen their Pokémon as much as they can level 30.
However, increasing your coaching level can be an absolute task as millions of experience points are needed for each level once you reach the top levels. It can take months or even years for a new coach to reach level 30, who plays normally, but one player has amazed the community by reaching this benchmark with an absurd self-imposed set of rules.
Trainer reaches level 30 without catching Pokemon
Reddit user notAKawaiiCatGirl posted their performance on r / pokemongo subreddit. The post was titled “Today I reached level 30, after only catching my starter and only adding friends I actually know IRL.”
The post included screenshots of them when they reached level 30 and proof that they had actually only caught their starter. Their statistics page also showed a start date of October 30, 2021.
This means that notAKawaiiCatGirl was able to reach level 30 without capturing more than one wild Pokemon in a little less than 6 months. So how did they achieve this feat?
Today I hit level 30, after only catching my starter and only adding friends I actually know IRL. from pokemongo
According to OP, they gained every point of experience through Pokestops, gyms, eggs, gifts and evolution. They were able to get new Pokemon with eggs, which is also how they were able to get candy to develop them.
In the responses to the call, they stated that trading was not allowed as it would make the challenge cheaper. They also revealed that they will continue the challenge until they reach level 40, which is a ceiling for a challenge like this.