Pok�mon GO Medals Explained: Types, Tiers, and Catch Bonuses

Pok�mon GO medals record long-term achievements such as catches, walking distance, Pok�dex progress, Gym activity, raids, trades and friendship. Most medals progress through Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers, although selected special medals use different formats.

Medals do not all award items or XP when unlocked. Their main purpose is to track accomplishments, while the 18 Pok�mon-type medals also improve catch chances for Pok�mon of the matching type.

How to view your medals

Open the Trainer profile from the map.
Scroll to the medal section.
Tap a medal to view its description, current progress and the requirement for the next tier.

The in-game requirement is the authoritative value. Pok�mon GO has added medals and higher tiers since launch, so old Bronze/Silver/Gold tables are incomplete.

Main medal categories

Category	What it tracks	Examples
General activity	Walking, catches, evolutions, hatches and Pok�Stop visits	Jogger, Collector, Scientist, Breeder, Backpacker
Pok�dex regions	Species registered from a particular Pok�dex region	Kanto, Johto and later regional medals
Pok�mon types	Pok�mon caught of each of the 18 types	Schoolkid, Black Belt, Bird Keeper, Kindler, Swimmer
Size and species goals	Selected Pok�mon or size categories	Fisher, Youngster, Pikachu Fan
Gyms and raids	Gym battles, defense, Berries and raid victories	Battle Girl, Gym Leader, Berry Master, Champion, Battle Legend
Friends and trades	Trades, trade distance and friendship milestones	Gentleman, Pilot, Idol
Research and special activity	Research tasks and other named features	Pok�mon Ranger and feature-specific medals

Type medals and their catch bonus

Each Pok�mon type has a medal that advances as you catch more Pok�mon of that type. Higher tiers provide a larger catch bonus for later encounters of the matching type. For a dual-type Pok�mon, the game combines the relevant medal bonuses.

Type	Medal
Normal	Schoolkid
Fighting	Black Belt
Flying	Bird Keeper
Poison	Punk Girl
Ground	Ruin Maniac
Rock	Hiker
Bug	Bug Catcher
Ghost	Hex Maniac
Steel	Rail Staff
Fire	Kindler
Water	Swimmer
Grass	Gardener
Electric	Rocker
Psychic	Psychic
Ice	Skier
Dragon	Dragon Tamer
Dark	Delinquent
Fairy	Fairy Tale Girl

Examples of general achievement medals

Exploration and collection

Jogger: total distance walked.
Collector: total Pok�mon caught.
Scientist: Pok�mon evolved.
Breeder: Eggs hatched.
Backpacker: Pok�Stops visited.

Battle activity

Battle Girl: Gym battles won.
Gym Leader: total time spent defending Gyms.
Berry Master: Berries fed at Gyms.
Champion: raids won.
Battle Legend: Legendary raids won.

Trading and friendship

Gentleman: Pok�mon traded.
Pilot: distance recorded across trades.
Idol: Best Friend relationships reached.

Why early medal lists are outdated

The launch-era list stopped at Gold for many medals, omitted later regions and features, and included incomplete values marked with question marks. It also described Ace Trainer as practice at a friendly Gym, an activity removed with the original Prestige system. The current Ace Trainer medal relates to training battles against team leaders.

Some medals are added for new features, regions or events, and selected medals may be unavailable or progress differently over time. Use the profile page rather than a static threshold list when planning a specific tier.

How to make medal progress efficiently

Catch broadly during type-focused events to improve the matching catch medals.
Keep the free Incubator active to progress Breeder through normal walking.
Spin new Pok�Stops while traveling safely to work on exploration goals.
Coordinate raids and trades through trusted groups without sharing account credentials.
Treat medals as long-term records; do not enter unsafe areas or spend beyond your plan for a tier.

Prioritize type medals when you want a practical gameplay benefit. Most other medals are best viewed as records of activities you already enjoy rather than tasks that must be completed immediately.