Level 45 Challenge Pokemon Go: Why It’s The Ultimate Grinder Check

You hit level 40 and thought the hard part was over. Wrong. Dead wrong. In the old days of Pokemon Go, level 40 was the mountaintop, the place where you could finally sit back and relax because there was nowhere left to go. Then Niantic decided to move the goalposts all the way to 50. Now, players hitting that mid-40s stretch are running into a brick wall known as the level 45 challenge Pokemon Go tasks. It isn't just about XP anymore. You can’t just sit under a lure with a Lucky Egg and grind your way through this.

It’s a test of patience. Honestly, it’s mostly a test of how much you actually like fighting Team GO Rocket.

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If you’re staring at that Level 44 progress bar and wondering what’s next, prepare yourself. To even get the chance to start the Level 45 Challenge research, you first have to actually reach Level 45. That requires a massive 13 million XP jump from Level 44, plus completing the standard level-up requirements: defeating 100 Team GO Rocket Grunts, purifying 100 Shadow Pokemon, defeating 50 Rocket Leaders, and earning 10 Platinum Medals. Once you survive that gauntlet and the level-up animation finally plays, that is when the real Level 45 Challenge special research hits your inventory. It’s a separate beast entirely.

The Grunt Meat-Grinder

The first thing you’ll notice about the level 45 challenge Pokemon Go tasks is that Niantic really wants you to clear out the Rocket balloons. You’re looking at defeating 45 Team GO Rocket Grunts right out of the gate. For most casual players, this is where the momentum dies.

If you aren’t living on top of a PokeStop or checking your phone every few hours for a balloon, 45 Grunts feels like an eternity. But here is the trick: don’t just tap mindlessly. Use this time to refine your lineups for the next steps. Most Grunts are predictable. If they say "coiled and ready to strike," you know it's Poison. Bring a Mewtwo with Psystrike. Boom. Done in thirty seconds.

The rewards for this first stage are okay—some Poke Balls and Stardust—but the real "reward" is just getting to the next page, which, frankly, is where the pain starts.

Why 45 Is Different From 40

Back in 2016, we just wanted to catch 'em all. Now? We're basically doing chores. The Level 45 Challenge isn't a "challenge" in the sense of tactical difficulty; it’s a challenge of consistency. You have to battle in the GO Battle League (GBL) and win 45 times. For those of us who hate the lag, the Shields, and the "Great League" meta of Medicham and Carbink, this part is a slog.

However, there is a loophole.

You don't have to do these wins in the competitive GBL track. You can battle a friend. If you have a local buddy or a family member who also plays, you can just blast through 45 matches against them. Have them use 10 CP Pidgeys. You win in two seconds. Is it "honorable"? Probably not. Does it save you ten hours of frustration? Absolutely.

The Purifying Tax

One of the most annoying parts of the level 45 journey—including the requirements to actually level up—is the Shadow Pokemon purification requirement. To get to 45, you need to purify 100 Shadows. Then the challenge tasks often keep the theme going.

This is a massive Stardust sink.

If you aren't careful, you’ll burn 300,000 to 500,000 Stardust just "cleaning" Pokemon you’re going to transfer anyway. Pro tip: save every 1,000-dust Shadow you find. Magikarp, Weedle, Caterpie, Starly. They are gold. Don’t waste 3,000 or 5,000 dust on a Shadow Snorlax or Dratini unless you actually plan on using it. Your Stardust stack is more valuable than a purified 2-star Snorlax.

Real Talk on the Rewards

So, why do it? The Level 45 Challenge offers some specific rewards that are hard to find elsewhere. We're talking about:

• Fast and Charged TMs (Usually 45 of each, fittingly).
• Rare Candy XL. This is the big one. Since you need 296 XL candies to max out a Pokemon to Level 50, every single one counts.
• An Elite Fast TM. These are rare. They let you pick a legacy move that isn't usually available.
• The Level 45 Hat. It's a flex. When people see you in a lobby wearing that gear, they know you've put in the hours.

Navigating the Rocket Leaders

Eventually, you’re going to have to face Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. Multiple times. For the level 45 challenge Pokemon Go tasks, defeating the leaders 45 times (or whatever the current seasonal rotation requires) is a massive time investment because you need six Mysterious Components for every single Leader encounter.

That means 270 Grunt fights just to get the radars.

This is where the "Expert" advice comes in: don't hunt the leaders. Let them come to you. Use the balloons. If you see a leader lineup you hate—like Cliff with a particularly nasty opening Pokemon—just skip the balloon. Wait for the next one. Sierra is often the easiest to cheese with a high-level Scizor or Lucario depending on her current rotation.

The Platinum Medal Wall

I’ve seen players with 100 million XP who are still stuck at level 44 because they don't have enough Platinum Medals. To reach level 45, you need 10. Most people get the "easy" ones:

1. Kanto Medal (Catch all 151).
2. Collector (Catch 50,000 Pokemon).
3. Scientist (Evolve 2,000 Pokemon).
4. Backpacker (Visit 50,000 PokeStops).

But if you’re missing a few, look at the "Type" medals. Catching 2,500 of a specific type gives you a Platinum. This is why Community Days are vital. If it's a Gastly day, you grind until that Ghost medal turns Platinum. It also gives you a +4 catch bonus, which makes the Level 45 Challenge catching tasks way easier later on.

Addressing the Common Misconceptions

A lot of people think you have to be a "pro" at PVP to finish the Level 45 Challenge. You don't. You just need to be persistent. The game doesn't care if you win by a hair or if you steamroll a 10 CP Magikarp.

Another myth is that you need to spend money on Rocket Radars. Please, don't. Unless you are in a massive rush to hit level 46 by next Tuesday, just play the game naturally. The Grunts will provide the components. Paying for radars is a trap designed to prey on your impatience.

Actionable Strategies for Level 45

If you want to move through these tasks without losing your mind, follow this workflow:

• Tag your "Purify" candidates. Create a tag called "Purify" and throw every 1,000-stardust Shadow Pokemon into it. Only purify them when a task requires it. This prevents you from "wasting" cheap purifications when you don't have an active quest.
• Battle Team Leaders (Blanche, Candela, Spark) for practice. While they don't count for "Grunt" tasks, they do count for some "Battle" tasks and are an easy way to get your daily buddy hearts while working toward medal progress.
• Focus on Excellent Throws. One of the tasks often involves making 45 Excellent Throws. If you struggle with this, find a Pokemon with a huge catch circle—like Wailmer, Slowpoke, or Ponyta. Don't waste your time trying to get an Excellent on a Zubat.
• Maximize the Balloons. Balloons appear at 12 AM, 6 AM, 12 PM, and 6 PM. If you check four times a day, you’re making steady progress on your Leader radars without even leaving your house.

The level 45 challenge Pokemon Go isn't a sprint; it’s a marathon where the track is occasionally on fire and you're wearing flip-flops. But once that Elite TM hits your bag and you see that "Challenge Complete" screen, the sense of relief is massive. You've proven you aren't just a "casual" anymore. You're a grinder.

To wrap this up, the best thing you can do right now is audit your medals. If you aren't at 10 Platinum yet, your Level 45 journey stops before it even starts. Check your "Wayfarer" medal if you’re a high-level reviewer, or focus on the "Triathlete" medal for streaks. Those are often easier than catching 2,500 Dragons. Once the medals are set, the rest is just a matter of how many Rockets you’re willing to tap through. Keep your Stardust high, your 1k shadows ready, and your patience higher.

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Next Steps for Players:

1. Open your medal page and count your Platinum trophies.
2. Search your storage for "Shadow" and sort by "Stardust" to find 1,000-dust purification candidates.
3. Set a tag for those cheap purifies so you don't accidentally transfer them.
4. If you're short on wins, find a local friend to "trade" 45 wins with to bypass the GBL stress.