With the Into the Wild event in Pokémon GO giving us the option to earn a Silver Bottle Cap via the Deluxe version of the Into the Wild GO Pass, the biggest question remains, what Pokémon do I use it on?
First up, let’s cover the basics, what is a Silver Bottle Cap? How do I get one?
What is a Silver Bottle Cap?
A Silver Bottle Cap is an extremely rare, single-use item that allows an eligible Pokémon to begin Hyper Training for one selected IV stat.
When using the item, you choose:
- The Pokémon you want to Hyper Train
- Attack, Defense or HP
- How many points you want to add to that stat, up to the maximum of 15
Each completed Hyper Training task permanently adds one point to the chosen IV. The Pokémon’s CP may also increase as its stats improve.
For example, raising a Pokémon’s Attack IV from 14 to 15 requires one task. Raising it from 10 to 15 requires five tasks.
How Can I Obtain A Silver Bottle Cap?
You can currently obtain a Silver Bottle Cap in Pokémon GO through the Into the Wild Deluxe GO Pass.
- The GO Pass ran from 9 November to 15 November 2026.
- The GO Pass Deluxe cost US$14.99, or the equivalent local price.
- Trainers had to purchase the Deluxe pass, earn enough GO Points and claim the Silver Bottle Cap before the rewards expired.
- The Silver Bottle Cap itself expired on 24 November 2025.
The Silver Bottle Cap was not included on the free reward track.
How Can I Search for Pokémon I Can Use My Silver Bottle Cap On?
Use the following search string in Pokémon GO to identify potential Pokémon you can use your Silver Bottle Cap on:
4attack,4defense&4attack,4hp&4defense,4hp&!4*&!shadow
If you want to only use it on a shiny Pokémon, use the following:
4attack,4defense&4attack,4hp&4defense,4hp&!4*&!shadow&shiny
For a Legendary, Ultra Beast or Mythical Pokémon, add the following to the end of the search string:
- &legendary
- &mythical
- &ultra beasts
Using this search string will show you all the Pokémon that you can potentially use a Silver Bottle Cap on to max its stats out to 15/15/15, to make a 100% IV Pokémon.
Restrictions and Limitations
Before using a Silver Bottle Cap, keep the following rules in mind:
- The Pokémon must be a Good Buddy or higher before Hyper Training can begin.
- The trainee must be your active Buddy to make progress on Hyper Training tasks.
- Shadow Pokémon cannot undergo Hyper Training.
- Pokémon that already have a 4-star, 15/15/15 IV spread are not eligible.
- A Silver Bottle Cap can only train one stat at a time.
- Multiple Silver Bottle Caps can be used on the same Pokémon, but the Pokémon must finish its current Hyper Training course before another can be used.
- Completed stat increases are permanent and cannot be reversed.
- Increasing a Pokémon’s IVs can increase its CP.
- Pokémon that have undergone Hyper Training cannot be transferred to Pokémon HOME.
What Pokémon Should I Use my Silver Bottle Cap On?
Now, onto the important stuff, what Pokémon should I actually use my Silver Bottle Cap on?
S Tier Raid and Max Battle Attackers
We have a full tier list here, that will show you your absolute top meta recommendations for Raids and Max Battles. I’ll share your S tier options, which is your top meta picks, but there are plenty of A and lower tier suggestions that can still make a big impact on your Raid and Max Battle squads.
S Tier choices are Pokémon that are at the top of their game, these are the best Dynamax, Gigantamax Pokémon and Raid attackers available so having maxed out IVs creates a massive advantage in these game modes.
Memory Pokémon
Memory Pokémon I hear you ask? What on earth is that? A Memory Pokémon is any Pokémon you caught on a special day, or attach to a specific treasured memory, that you might want to consider maxing out instead of a top meta pick.
Why would you want to max out a non-meta Pokémon because it has sentimental value? Well, that is entirely up to you! Not everything in Pokémon GO has to be about the meta. Part of what makes Pokémon GO so special is that it becomes part of our daily lives, with many trainers meeting dear friends, and even life partners because of it!
Did you meet your better half playing GO, and get married? Maybe you caught a Pokémon on your wedding day that you keep as your Buddy Pokémon because it is so special to you. Why not consider maxing that Pokémon out and making its IVs as perfect as your wedding day was?
Personally when I travel, I like to trigger the Smeargle encounter with my Buddy Pokémon, so that I can catch a Pokémon with a location tag for that specific holiday or trip. Maybe you were lucky enough to catch a shiny regional Pokémon on a once-in-a-lifetime trip you had always dreamt of, so why not max it out and make it even better?
While having usability in the meta might seem like the only way to decide what Pokémon to use, you can also freely use your heart to decide too!
Favourite Pokémon
What is your favourite Pokémon? Which Pokémon has been your guy since the first time you played a Pokémon game? Do you have a shiny perfect 100IV version of it? No? Then max it out with your Silver Bottle Cap, and make that special little dude even more special!
If I didn’t have a shlundo of Turtwig or Psyduck, you best believe they would be my top picks for a Silver Bottle Cap, even though they won’t help me with Raids or Max Battles.
Sometimes it just isn’t that serious, and if you have a major affection for a specific Pokémon, why not give them perfect IVs too?
A Meme Pokémon
Bidoof is God. Bidoof demands to be a shiny 100% IV God.
A meme Pokémon! I really am going to say it is OK to use your Silver Bottle Cap on a meme, or an in-joke. In my local community we joke about Dynamax Wooloo being OP, and I suspect a few folks might just use their Silver Bottle Cap on a shiny Dynamax Bidoof just to be trolls!
Rare and Exclusive Pokémon
Pokémon to really consider carefully, are those that are highly unlikely to be replaceable. For example, shiny Mythical Pokémon like Keldeo and Jirachi
Some of your shiny Mythicals can be meta relevant, even if they aren’t necessarily S tier meta picks, making them a fun flex in your raid team. Even if they aren’t meta relevant, you aren’t likely to get a second shiny of your Mythical Pokémon, so why not make them into a shundo?
Other rare and exclusive Pokémon to consider are Pokémon like the Pokémon Sleep Snorlax, or Satchel Aerodactyl from GO Fest a few years ago. They haven’t brought these Pokémon back to any events since they initially debuted, so if you were lucky enough to get a shiny, they are well worth considering making the ultimate flex!
Keep in Mind the Training Tasks
The tasks you have to complete depend on the stat being trained. While this may not seem important, it might impact your choices.
- Attack: Battle in Gyms and raids, and defeat Team GO Rocket members with your trainee.
- Defense: Play with your trainee, take snapshots, catch Pokémon and power up Pokémon that share its type.
- HP: Explore with your trainee, spin PokéStops, complete Field Research, hatch Eggs and earn Buddy Candy.
Why do these matter? HP may involve earning Buddy Candy. If your Legendary or Mythical Pokémon needs 20km per candy, that can be a lot of walking to do. If you aren’t a big walker, this might really slow down your training task progression, so could be worth avoiding.
Some of these tasks can require a lot of work, and may cost money to do quicker, for example, buying Incubators to hatch eggs quicker, or raid passes. Consider if you are happy for them to take a while, or if they are worth the investment.
Final Thoughts
Before Choosing, Ask Yourself
- Is this Pokémon rare or difficult to replace?
- Will I actually power it up and use it?
- Does the missing IV change any meaningful matchup or damage breakpoint?
- Am I prepared to complete every required training task?
- Am I certain I will never want to transfer it to Pokémon HOME?
- Will doing this make me happy?
Avoid Using It On
- Anything you may eventually want to transfer to Pokémon HOME
- A common Pokémon that can easily be replaced through catching, raiding or trading
- A Great or Ultra League Pokémon without checking its resulting CP first
- A Pokémon you do not plan to power up or use
- A stat that makes no meaningful difference to the Pokémon’s performance
Ultimately
Ask yourself, will it make me happy to have a perfect IV version of this particular Pokémon? And if yes, just go for it! Pokémon doesn’t have to be serious, your choice doesn’t have to be meta relevant, and it can just be a decision of the heart, rather than the brain.
