Does a pokemon caught at an early level reach the same potential as a pokemon caught at a high level

Question

This question shows that increasing your trainer level allows you to train a Pokemon's CP further.

Does this mean that if I catch a Pokemon at level 1 and keep increasing it via stardust and candy every time I level up, it will have the same potential as a Pokemon I caught at level 30?

Or should I just transfer my early level Pokemon to be turned in to candies, so they can be fed to Pokemon I catch at a later level. Or perhaps somewhere in between that they'll be good for a few more levels and then taper off?

Answer 1

I believe it does. What changes when you progress up the Levels is the Max CP a pokemon can have. If you're feeling sentimental towards your starter you can upgrade him over and over again, with candy and stardust and will eventually be as strong as a wild of the same starter type you find at Level 30 (current Wild max CP cap).

But if you don't hold any special feelings towards a said Pokemon always transfer the lower CP Pokemon and keep just 1 or 2 with the highest to evolve later on.

Answer 2

At first: DON'T power up Pokémon before Level 20. Reason being: before Level 20 the single most effective thing is Leveling up, and that is best achieved by evolving, not powering up.

Due to a huge spike at level 20 (25.000 xp for level 20, 20.000 xp for level 21, 75.000 for level 22) it starts paying off more if you actually Power Up your Pokémon.

And also, a Pokémon caught on a higher level not only has stronger starting stats but also tends to have a higher potential, at least in my experience.

You can actually calculate a Pokémon's IV (Individual Value, the higher it is the higher its potential) from a number of stats.

EDIT: since some people seem to want to know it, it is always possible to catch a Pokémon which can get the best possible attributes when maxed out, however it often doesn't pay off if you level up ones that are on a low level to begin with since they eat a lot of resources.

Answer 3

Yes, pokemon caught early will continue to have their level caps increased when you level up. It does not matter what level you catch them. Just keep in mind the formula for a Pokemon's level cap, which is your trainer level + 1.5 (but the final cap for a pokemon is currently around 40).

In the end, my important suggestion to you is to check the IVs of your Pokemon. This can be done with the in game appraisal or by the use of an IV calculator online if you want specific numbers. High/perfect IV pokemon are the Pokemon worth keeping, since they can get the best stats. Transfer pokemon with low IVs so that you have candy to power up for your high IV pokemon, I would say.

As long as a Pokemon's level is not too low, the above method will not use up too much stardust. Otherwise, you may want to wait until you get a decent IV pokemon that is a higher level to power it up so that stardust is conserved. Regardless, be sure that you really do need a Pokemon before you power it up, since stardust is precious in Pokemon Go.

Answer 4

Yes, it does. I've been doing it with a few "eevelutions" and lapras, and I can't see any difference, other than the fact that pokemons caught at higher levels might already be "upgraded" more than you upgraded yours if the pokemon you had initially is not always upgraded to the max when you reach a new level. So basically, if you have extra stardust and candies, it makes no difference.