Mega Energy

Overview

Mega Energy is a species-specific resource used to trigger Mega Evolution and upgrade a Pokémon’s Mega Level. The first time an individual Pokémon Mega Evolves, you must pay its full initial Mega Energy cost (typically 100, 200, or 300 Mega Energy for standard species, 400 for Rayquaza, and 7,500 for Mega Mewtwo X or Y).

Once unlocked on that individual Pokémon, subsequent Mega Evolutions become free after a rest period finishes, or can be triggered early during the rest period for a reduced Mega Energy cost that scales down as the timer counts down. Mega Energy is separate from Link Charges, which are stored in the Link Holder to pay for entry into Mega Raids and Super Mega Raids. Energy collected for one species cannot fund another species’ transformation.

How to get it

• Defeat the corresponding Mega Raid or Super Mega Raid Boss, or claim Research and GO Pass rewards featuring that species.

• After registering a family’s Mega Evolution in the Mega Pokédex, walk any Pokémon from that evolutionary line as your Buddy to earn 5 Mega Energy per kilometer of its base Candy distance.

How to use it

1. Open a compatible Pokémon’s summary screen to spend Mega Energy on Mega Evolution or direct Mega Level upgrades.

2. Mega Energy is locked to a single species—and to a specific X or Y form where applicable—so one pool cannot fund another species or form.

Worth knowing

Mega Evolution is temporary, but the Pokémon’s progression through Mega Levels persists.

Rayquaza additionally needs Dragon Ascent, taught with a Meteorite. Link Charges pay for eligible raid entry, not for the Pokémon’s transformation.

The first evolution unlocks a longer-term system

Mega Evolution normally lasts eight hours. You can advance a Pokémon through the first three Mega Levels (up to Max) either by Mega Evolving it over time—which credits progress once per Pokémon per calendar day—or by spending Mega Energy to upgrade its Mega Level directly.

When you pay Mega Energy to unlock standard Mega Levels directly, the required energy cost decreases proportionally with each time that Pokémon has already Mega Evolved. Evolving the same Pokémon multiple times on the same calendar day does not add extra daily evolution credits.

After you register a family’s Mega Evolution in the Mega Pokédex, walking any Pokémon from that evolutionary line as your Buddy earns 5 Mega Energy per kilometer of the species’ base Candy distance, awarded whenever your Buddy finds a Candy (for example, 15 Mega Energy for a 3 km Buddy or 100 Mega Energy for a 20 km Buddy). This renewable income makes completing the first Mega Evolution far more valuable than waiting for the same Mega Raid Boss to rotate back in.

Your Mega Energy balance belongs to your account, whereas Mega Level progress belongs to the individual Pokémon and resets if that Pokémon is traded. Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving into X and Y forms—such as Charizard, Raichu, and Mewtwo—use separate Mega Energy X and Mega Energy Y balances and track Mega Level progression independently for each form, meaning Charizard Mega Energy X cannot pay for Mega Charizard Y.

In addition, once Mewtwo has unlocked Mega Mewtwo X or Mega Mewtwo Y, you can spend the matching Mewtwo Mega Energy (X or Y) along with Mewtwo Candy to activate its form-specific Adventure Effect even while Mewtwo is in its normal form.

Energy for Mega Levels and Super Max

Mega Energy now has a second major use: increasing Mega Levels directly. Keep enough for the transformation itself if you plan to battle immediately. Read the level-up confirmation separately from the Mega Evolve button, because these actions spend energy for different purposes.

Eligible Pokémon can advance beyond the third tier (Max) to a fourth tier called Super Max. Mega Evolving alone cannot advance a Pokémon from Max to Super Max; the Pokémon must first reach Max Level and then have Mega Energy invested directly to unlock Super Max. Reaching Super Max further boosts CP, increases Catch Candy, Catch XP, and the chance of earning Candy XL when catching Pokémon that share a type with the active Mega Evolution, and shortens the free-evolution rest period to 24 hours.

Pokémon eligible for Super Max also receive a temporary additional Charged Attack while Mega Evolved, even before they reach Super Max. The power of this special attack scales upward with the Pokémon’s Mega Level (multiplying base power by 1.0 at Base, 1.1 at High, 1.2 at Max, and higher at Super Max).

It can be used in Raids and the GO Battle League—giving a Pokémon up to three Charged Attacks if it already has a normal second Charged Attack unlocked with Candy and Stardust—though it cannot currently be used when attacking Gym defenders.

Collecting and budgeting energy

Defeating Mega Raid Bosses and Super Mega Raid Bosses awards the matching species’ Mega Energy, after which you start an encounter with the standard-form Pokémon rather than its Mega-Evolved form. Super Mega Raids award substantially more Mega Energy than standard Mega Raids and use their own entry rules.

Field Research, Timed Research, Special Research, and free or Deluxe GO Pass tracks also award featured species’ Mega Energy, while spinning Gym Photo Discs can occasionally drop small amounts of Beedrill Mega Energy and certain events award Mega Energy for catching featured wild Pokémon.

Official Pokémon GO Help Center documentation lists a storage limit of 9,999 Mega Energy per species or separate form balance, though 2026 game updates raised the in-game storage cap (first to 10,000 and later up to 50,000 to accommodate high-cost transformations and upgrades). Mega Energy does not occupy Item Bag space. Once the relevant Mega Evolution is registered in your Mega Pokédex, walking any Pokémon in that evolutionary line as your Buddy provides a steady, renewable supply.

If there is no immediate reason to Mega Evolve, let the displayed rest timer finish to avoid the repeat energy payment. Save energy for new individuals, the other X/Y form where applicable, or Mega Level upgrades instead.