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To make a Sync Pair stronger in Pokémon Masters EX, use two separate upgrades: Level Up raises the pair’s current stats, while Unlock Level Cap raises the highest level the pair can reach. At the Pokémon Center, open Sync Pairs > Upgrades, then choose the appropriate menu. Level-Up Manuals and battle experience handle ordinary leveling; cap-unlock materials come from dedicated content such as the Training Area and, for the currently documented level-200 cap, Pasio Towers.
After a pair reaches a useful level and its next cap is available, consider Potential and 6★ EX, Move Level, and Sync Grid investment. These systems use different materials, have pair-specific eligibility, and should be chosen around the role your team needs rather than applied identically to every pair.
What “leveling up” means in Pokémon Masters EX
A Sync Pair has a current level and a maximum level. Increasing the current level improves the pair’s battle statistics. Increasing the maximum level does not grant experience by itself; it simply permits further leveling after you spend the required cap-unlock materials.
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That distinction explains why a pair can appear to stop progressing even when you still have Level-Up Manuals. If the pair is at its present cap, manuals and battle experience cannot push it higher until you use Unlock Level Cap. Conversely, unlocking a cap without then earning or spending experience leaves the pair below its new maximum.
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The official documentation describes the app as free to download with optional in-game purchases and requiring online play. Progression itself is performed in the game through battles, menus, and earned items; no physical accessory or printed guide is needed.
How do I level up my Sync Pairs?
Use the Level Up menu
- Enter the Pokémon Center.
- Open Sync Pairs.
- Select Upgrades.
- Choose Level Up.
- Select a Sync Pair and spend the available Level-Up Manuals as needed.
The game displays the resulting level and experience before you confirm. Apply manuals to pairs you actually use, especially when a battle recommends a higher level. The official battle tips recommend meeting the recommended level for the stage rather than automatically maxing every pair on your roster.
Gain experience through battles
Sync Pairs also earn experience from battles. This can be useful when you want to build a pair while completing other content, but the amount and efficiency depend on the stage and the game’s current reward rules. Do not assume that every battle is an equally good source of experience; check the stage’s displayed rewards and your available stamina or entry limits.
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The Pokémon Company’s feature on Sync Pairs identifies event battles and the Training Area’s Level-Up Area as sources of Level-Up Manuals. Event availability rotates, so the exact rewards shown on your account may differ from an older guide. Use the current event notice and the Training Area reward panel to confirm what is available today.
How do I unlock the level cap?
Follow the cap-unlock menu path
- Open the Pokémon Center.
- Choose Sync Pairs.
- Open Upgrades.
- Select Unlock Level Cap.
- Choose the pair and review the materials shown for the next unlock.
- Confirm only after checking that the displayed items and quantity are correct.
Cap unlocks are separate from Level-Up Manuals. The official battle tips direct players to the Training Area’s Cap-Unlock Area for required items. The upgrade screen is the authority for your specific pair and account because eligibility, stages, and material requirements can change with updates.
The currently documented level-200 cap
In a July 27, 2025 producer message, Pokémon Masters EX producer Tetsuya Iguchi announced: “Along with the addition of the Pasio Towers, we’ve raised the level cap for Sync Pairs to 200.” That same message identifies Certificates of Excellence for unlocks through Lv. 180 and Plaques of Perfection for levels above 180, with Pasio Towers named as a source for both.
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Treat 200 as the currently documented cap, not a permanent rule. Later updates can add another tier or change which pairs qualify. Before farming, open the pair’s current Unlock Level Cap screen and verify whether the pair can reach the desired level, which certificate or plaque is required, and where the game currently lists that item.
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| Upgrade target | What it changes | Materials or source identified in official guidance | What to verify in game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current level | Raises stats and battle level | Level-Up Manuals; experience from battles; Manuals from events and the Training Area Level-Up Area | Manual amount, resulting level, and any current level restriction |
| Cap through Lv. 180 | Raises the maximum level so further experience can be applied | Certificates of Excellence, according to the July 27, 2025 producer message | Pair eligibility and the exact certificate requirement |
| Cap above Lv. 180 | Allows levels in the upper cap range | Plaques of Perfection, according to the same producer message | Whether the pair has the later cap tier and which stage currently awards plaques |
| Cap-unlock farming | Provides items needed by the cap screen | Training Area Cap-Unlock Area; Pasio Towers are named for Certificates of Excellence and Plaques of Perfection | Current event rotation, stage rewards, and entry requirements |
How should I farm upgrade materials?
Start with the pair’s upgrade screen
Open the relevant upgrade menu before spending stamina or entering a stage. The game often shows the missing item and may provide a shortcut to its source. This prevents a common mistake: farming experience items when the actual blocker is a cap certificate, or farming cap materials for a pair that is not eligible for the next tier.
Use the Training Area for the matching material
- Level-Up Area: use it for Level-Up Manuals when the current level is the limiting factor.
- Cap-Unlock Area: use it for the items displayed by Unlock Level Cap.
- Sync Orb Area: official battle tips identify this as a source of Co-op Sync Orbs used with Sync Grid investment.
The names and rewards of Training Area stages can change. Read the current stage panel rather than relying on a remembered farming route.
Check event and Pasio Towers rewards
Event battles can provide Level-Up Manuals and other progression materials. The July 2025 producer message specifically names Pasio Towers for Certificates of Excellence and Plaques of Perfection. Because event shops and stage rewards are time-limited, collect the reward information shown in the active event before deciding how to allocate stamina.
What is Potential, and how does 6★ EX work?
Increase Potential with Power-Ups
Potential is a separate stat-growth system. Increasing it with Power-Ups improves a pair beyond ordinary level increases. It is not the same action as unlocking the level cap: a pair can have a higher cap without having maximum Potential, and vice versa.
Use Champion Spirit for eligible 6★ EX upgrades
For eligible Sync Pairs, raising the pair to 6★ EX uses Champion Spirit. The upgrade grants an EX style and strengthens the pair’s Sync Move. The official Beginner’s Guide cautions that not every pair has an EX style or can be raised to 6★ EX. Open the pair’s Potential or EX screen to check eligibility before reserving materials.
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Because EX effects and Sync Move improvements interact with a pair’s role, prioritize a pair that is central to your teams rather than treating 6★ EX as an automatic first purchase. A Support pair that anchors difficult stages may provide more practical value to your account than a rarely used damage dealer, but the correct choice depends on your roster and the stage mechanics.
What does Move Level do?
Move Level improves a Sync Pair’s move through duplicate copies or Move Candies. It is not the trainer’s level and does not replace either ordinary leveling or cap unlocking.
Use duplicates or Move Candies
A duplicate copy can raise the move level. The official Beginner’s Guide also states that Move Candies become available by collecting 20 Move Candy Coins, primarily from events and missions, then exchanging those coins in the Move Level menu. The exact candy type and pair eligibility should be checked on the current screen before you exchange anything.
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Move Level is usually most valuable when a specific move gains an effect, damage increase, or grid interaction that your team needs. Do not spend a rare candy merely because a pair is already strong; compare the displayed move-level benefit with the benefit of saving the item for another eligible pair.
How do I use the Sync Grid?
Open the pair-specific grid
- Open the selected Sync Pair from the Pokémon Center.
- Choose the Sync Grid option.
- Review the available tiles and each tile’s unlock requirement.
- Spend Sync Orbs on the tiles that support the pair’s role and the battle you are preparing for.
- Save or apply the configuration, then test it in the target content.
Every Sync Pair has its own grid layout and effects. A damage-focused route, a gauge-support route, and a defensive route can produce very different results even for the same pair. The official battle tips refer to Co-op Sync Orbs in the Training Area’s Sync Orb Area, while the Beginner’s Guide notes that grid presets can be changed for different teams and battle conditions.
Use presets instead of one permanent build
Keep a preset for the content you play most often and change it when the battle’s weakness, timing, or team role changes. For example, a tile that boosts a move after a status condition may be excellent in a team that reliably applies that condition but wasted in a team that never does. Read the tile’s wording and activation condition rather than copying a route from a different pair or battle.
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Which upgrades should I prioritize?
There is no universal best order. Choose the next upgrade by identifying the problem you are trying to solve: insufficient stats, an inaccessible cap, a missing move effect, a weak Sync Move, or a team-specific grid requirement.
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|---|---|---|---|
| The pair is below the battle’s recommended level | Current level and available Manuals | Use Level Up or earn experience in battles | Raw level and stats are the immediate restriction |
| The pair is at its maximum level | Unlock Level Cap screen | Farm the displayed cap materials, then unlock | More experience cannot help until the cap is raised |
| The pair meets the level target but lacks finishing power | Potential and 6★ EX eligibility | Consider Power-Ups or Champion Spirit | These can improve stats, EX style, or Sync Move strength |
| A signature move needs a stronger effect | Move Level screen and candy eligibility | Use a duplicate or appropriate Move Candy | Move Level targets the move itself, not general stats |
| The pair’s role is right but its effects do not fit the stage | Sync Grid tiles and presets | Build a grid for the team and battle condition | Grid effects are pair-specific and situational |
| You want additional endgame customization | Lucky Skills, EX Role, and Superawakening availability | Invest only after confirming eligibility and materials | These are optional follow-on systems, not prerequisites for ordinary leveling |
A practical sequence for a new or returning player is to raise a frequently used pair to the battle’s recommended level, unlock its next cap when the required materials are available, and then invest in Potential, EX, Move Level, or Sync Grid tiles according to the pair’s job. Repeat that process for the small core team you actually bring into content instead of distributing scarce materials across the entire roster.
What are Lucky Skills, EX Roles, and Superawakening?
These systems extend a pair after the basic level, cap, and move systems. They should be treated as optional follow-on upgrades because they have their own eligibility rules and materials.
Lucky Skills
Lucky Skills add an additional effect selected through the Lucky Skill system. The official Beginner’s Guide identifies the Lucky Skill Area as a source of Lucky Skill items. Check the pair’s available slots and the current item description before committing resources.
EX Roles
An eligible pair can gain an EX Role using Roll Cakes. Roll Cake Coins are used to obtain Roll Cakes. The role is pair-specific, so confirm that the pair supports the desired EX Role and that the displayed material cost fits your account’s priorities.
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Superawakening is available only for pairs that have the feature. It requires the specified candy, tomes, and codices shown on the pair’s screen. Because those requirements differ by pair and may change with updates, use the in-game panel as the definitive checklist.
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How team preparation affects the value of upgrades
Level and build investment cannot compensate for every team problem. The official battle tips recommend using Theme Skills, targeting the opponent’s weakness, and placing sturdier Support pairs in front when tactics call for it.
- Check the weakness: a pair with lower raw stats may outperform a stronger pair when it attacks the stage’s weakness.
- Match roles: combine damage, support, and disruption according to the battle rather than bringing three damage dealers by default.
- Use Theme Skills: activate compatible themes when they improve the team’s relevant statistics.
- Set tactics deliberately: positioning a durable Support pair in front can protect more fragile teammates and change how quickly the team reaches its Sync Move.
- Revisit the grid: a preset built for one weakness or status condition may be inappropriate in another stage.
When a stage still defeats your team after you meet its recommended level, inspect team composition and battle mechanics before spending rare materials. Upgrades are most efficient when they address the actual failure point.
Common problems and fixes
“My Level-Up Manuals do nothing.”
The pair is probably at its current level cap, or you have selected a different pair than intended. Open Sync Pairs > Upgrades > Unlock Level Cap and check whether a cap unlock is available. If it is, farm the displayed materials instead of spending more experience items.
“I unlocked the cap, but the pair did not get stronger.”
Unlocking a cap increases the maximum; it does not automatically grant the experience needed to reach that maximum. Return to Level Up and apply Manuals or earn experience through battles.
“I cannot find Certificates of Excellence or Plaques of Perfection.”
Confirm the pair’s current upgrade screen and inspect the active Training Area and Pasio Towers rewards. The July 2025 announcement named those items and Pasio Towers, but later updates may change stage availability, eligibility, or reward presentation.
“The 6★ EX option is missing.”
Not every Sync Pair has an EX style or can reach 6★ EX. Check the pair’s Potential or EX screen. If the feature is unavailable, use ordinary leveling, the cap system, Move Level, and the Sync Grid instead.
“I spent Sync Orbs but the build feels worse.”
Review the activated tiles and their conditions. Some effects require a particular move, status, weather, team role, or battle sequence. Use the grid’s preset function to save a working configuration before testing a different route.
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Compare the pair’s role, current use in your teams, the battle’s recommended level and weakness, and the exact benefit shown by the upgrade. Save materials when no current stage requires the improvement; the game does not require every available system to be completed immediately.
A repeatable upgrade checklist
- Choose the pair: select one you regularly use or one that directly addresses a stage’s weakness.
- Check the target battle: note its recommended level, weakness, themes, and role requirements.
- Raise the current level: use the Level Up menu, Manuals, or battle experience until the pair meets the target.
- Check the cap: if the pair is capped, open Unlock Level Cap and record the displayed materials.
- Farm the correct source: use the Training Area, event battles, or currently listed Pasio Towers rewards for the required item.
- Apply the cap unlock: confirm the pair’s new maximum, then return to Level Up.
- Evaluate Potential and EX: use Power-Ups or Champion Spirit only when the pair is eligible and the benefit supports your teams.
- Inspect Move Level: compare the move-level effect with the value of saving a duplicate or candy.
- Build the Sync Grid: select tiles that activate reliably with your team and save a preset.
- Add optional systems: consider Lucky Skills, EX Role, or Superawakening only after checking their separate requirements.
- Test in the intended content: if the team still struggles, adjust tactics, themes, weakness coverage, or grid choices before spending more rare materials.
What can change after an update?
Menu labels, cap tiers, eligible pairs, material names, and event rewards are live-service details. The documented level-200 cap and its Certificate/Plaque structure come from the July 27, 2025 producer message; they should not be treated as timeless guarantees. Always compare an older guide with the pair’s current upgrade screen, the active Training Area, and current event notices. If the game presents a different requirement, follow the in-game requirement for that pair and version.
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