Pokémon Quest: How to Check If a Pokémon Is Worth Keeping

To check if a newly attracted Pokémon is worth keeping in Pokémon Quest, inspect its move layout, evolution pool, Power Stone sockets, and Bingo Bonuses before turning it into training fodder. The most valuable Pokémon have a single active move slot supported by three Move Stone sockets, a stat-appropriate stone distribution, and access to top-tier skills through evolution or Move Learning.

Prioritize Single-Move Layouts Over Dual-Move Sets

A Pokémon with exactly one active move slot and three linked Move Stone sockets is almost always better than a variant with two active moves. In Pokémon Quest, auto-expedition AI rotates between all available skills. A Pokémon with two moves frequently wastes its attack cooldown on weak secondary skills rather than executing its strongest move reliably.

A single-move layout also allows you to focus support stones entirely on that ability:

• Support Buffers: Skills like Bulk Up require three Sharing Stones to grant maximum offensive and defensive stat increases across the entire squad.
• Damage Dealers: Offensive abilities like Hydro Pump or Rock Throw benefit from stacking Whack-Whack Stones and Broad Stones to increase hit counts, expand area coverage, and boost overall damage.

If an attracted Pokémon rolls two active moves, its support stone sockets are split or limited, preventing the move from reaching maximum effectiveness.

Check Evolution Lines and Target Move Pools

Never discard a new arrival solely because it currently knows a low-value skill. The move a Pokémon possesses when attracted from cooking is simply its starting roll. As long as the species can learn powerful skills through Move Learning, the Pokémon remains a strong candidate.

Check the evolutionary line before making a decision. Magikarp illustrates why early dismissals can be costly:

Magikarp only spawns with Splash and Flail, making it useless in basic expeditions. However, it evolves at level 20 into Gyarados, gaining high base stats and access to Hydro Pump—one of the premier offensive Water-type moves in the game. If a Magikarp arrives with a single move slot, keep and level it rather than feeding it away.

Inspect Power Stone Sockets and Bingo Bonuses

A viable move pool must be supported by the nine-slot Power Stone grid and innate Bingo Bonuses.

Power Stone Socket Balance

Look at how the grid distributes red Attack (ATK) sockets and blue Health (HP) sockets:

• Damage Carries: Require at least five to six ATK sockets to deal sufficient damage in difficult stages.
• Support Tanks: Require at least four to five HP sockets to absorb boss hits and maintain buff uptime.

Bingo Bonuses

Bingo Bonuses are passive stat upgrades unlocked by completing rows or columns on the Power Stone grid. They cannot be rerolled through training:

• Offensive Bonuses: Look for flat percentage boosts to elemental damage (such as Water-Type Moves ATK +20%) or reductions to move wait time.
• Defensive/Support Bonuses: Prioritize wait-time reductions to keep team-wide buffs active without gaps.

Step-by-Step Screening Checklist for New Catches

Follow this sequence whenever a cooking pot finishes to determine whether to save or discard a Pokémon:

1. Count Active Move Slots: Check the summary screen. If the Pokémon has two active move slots, set it aside as training fodder unless you lack any alternative for that type.
2. Verify Move Stone Sockets: Ensure the single move slot has three connected Move Stone sockets.
3. Review Evolution Potential: Confirm if the Pokémon or its evolution can learn meta skills like Hydro Pump, Rock Throw, Psychic, Mega Punch, or Bulk Up.
4. Evaluate the Stone Grid: Check whether the ratio of red ATK sockets to blue HP sockets matches the Pokémon's intended role.
5. Review Bingo Bonuses: Check if the unlocked passives improve damage output or lower skill cooldowns for your target move.
6. Assign the Pokémon's Role: If the Pokémon passes these checks, lock it for training and use Move Learning to roll its best skill. If it fails due to split move slots or poor sockets, use it as same-species fodder to boost Move Learning success rates on your keepers.