Rare Candy (Japanese: ふしぎなアメ Mystery Candy) is a type of Candy introduced in Generation I.
In the English manuals of the Generation I, II, and III games, Rare Candy is grouped alongside vitamins and battle items under the "Pokémon Power-Ups" category.
When used from the Bag on a Pokémon, it increases that Pokémon's level by 1, up to level 100. After leveling up, it will have the minimum required experience for its current level. It can only be used outside of battle.
When leveled up via Rare Candy (except in Pokémon Stadium), the Pokémon will learn any level-up moves for its new level, and evolve if it evolves by leveling up and meets the requirements. In Pokémon Stadium only, Pokémon do not learn moves or evolve when leveled-up via Rare Candy (but they do in Pokémon Stadium 2).
If used on a fainted Pokémon, it will be revived. When Rare Candy is used to revive and level up a Pokémon, it will have either 2 HP remaining or its remaining HP will equal to the amount its maximum HP increased (except Shedinja, which will always be revived with its maximum 1 HP).
The Rare Candy is consumed upon use.
Exp. Candy is introduced, which gives fixed amounts of experience to Pokémon. Rare Candies are often less efficient than Exp. Candy because they only give enough experience to reach the next level, though Rare Candies can be the most efficient candy if a Pokémon requires more than 30,000 experience points at its current level to level up (this can only occur for Pokémon in the Medium Slow, Slow, or Fluctuating experience groups).
If a Rare Candy is used on a level 100 Pokémon that evolves by leveling up and currently meets its evolution requirements, it will evolve (without gaining a level). This applies to all Pokémon that evolve by leveling up, not just Pokémon that evolve at or above a certain level. The evolution can be canceled, but that will waste the Rare Candy.
In Generation IX, Rare Candies are only consumed if the Pokémon actually levels up.
In Pokémon GO, the Rare Candy was introduced on June 22, 2017. The player can use Rare Candy on any Pokémon from their collection and choose a number of Rare Candies to be turned into Candy for that Pokémon's evolutionary family.
In December 2020, Candy XL was introduced to allow Pokémon to power up past Lv. 40. Rare Candy XL was simultaneously introduced, serving the same function as Rare Candy, but for Candy XL.
The repeatable methods listed are random and not guaranteed, unless noted otherwise.
Rare Candy appeared in Caterpie's Big Dilemma. However, unlike in the games, where Rare Candy levels up a Pokémon, in the episode, it actually makes the Pokémon larger (and in some cases uncontrollable) due to the fact that this was a specially modified and experimental version of it, dubbed by Dr. Gordon as "Mystery Candy Complete". Brock said that the original would merely "enhance a Pokémon's abilities". Also, due to a dubbing error, the Rare Candy was referred to by a direct translation of its Japanese name, Mystery Candy.
The Rare Candy was introduced as a Trainer card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English EX Series (the Japanese ADV Era) in the EX Sandstorm expansion. Rare Candy was later reclassified in Japanese as an Item card during the LEGEND Era, and was reclassified in English in the Black & White Series (due to the classification not existing until then). It has been reprinted in the English HeartGold & SoulSilver Series (the Japanese LEGEND Era), the English Black & White Series (the Japanese BW Era), the English XY Series (the Japanese XY Era), the English Sun & Moon Series (the Japanese Sun & Moon Era), the English Sword & Shield Series (the Japanese Sword & Shield Era), and the English Scarlet & Violet Series (the Japanese Scarlet & Violet Era).
Prior to Undaunted, this card allowed the player to evolve a Basic Pokémon directly into a Stage 1 or Stage 2 Pokémon from their hand. From Undaunted onward, this card has the same effect as Pokémon Breeder from the Base Set, allowing the player to evolve a Basic Pokémon into a Stage 2 Pokémon from their hand.
In Pokémon Power #1 (page 3), there is a Rare Candy ad with the text "Look for it at your local supermarket!" However, this item was not sold anywhere in the Generation I games back when this magazine was published.
