To permanently unlock a Max Move in Pokémon GO, open your Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon’s Max Moves, select a locked Max Guard or Max Spirit, and train its first level with Max Particles and Candy. You unlock each move separately. These steps apply to Pokémon GO on iOS and Android.
The short version
- Permanent unlock: Train the first level of a locked Max Guard or Max Spirit on your Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon.
- Required resources: Check the Max Particle and Candy requirements displayed for the selected move before confirming.
- Temporary access: Eternatus’s Dynamax Cannon Adventure Effect temporarily makes locked Max Moves Level 1.
- Attacking move: A caught Max Pokémon already has access to its attacking Max Move for Max Battles.
| Option | What you need | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Train Max Guard or Max Spirit | A Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon and the displayed resources | A permanent unlock for the selected move |
| Activate Dynamax Cannon from storage | An owned Eternatus that knows Dynamax Cannon | Temporary Level 1 access to locked Max Moves |
| Activate Dynamax Cannon through your buddy | Eternatus as your current buddy, knowing Dynamax Cannon | The same temporary Adventure Effect |
| Train Guard or Spirit on Crowned forms | Crowned Sword Zacian or Crowned Shield Zamazenta | Access to Guard and Spirit training |
| Obtain a Max Pokémon | A successful Max Battle catch or eligible first-time progression | An attacking Max Move already available |
Train a locked Max Guard or Max Spirit
Open the Poké Ball main menu, then open Pokémon storage. Select the Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon you want to train and scroll to Max Moves. Select the locked Max Guard or Max Spirit, then choose its first level.
Review the Max Particle and Candy requirements shown for that move. Training spends those resources, so check the amounts before confirming. Once you have the required resources and are ready to spend them, tap Train, then tap Yes.
That permanently unlocks the selected move for that Pokémon. To unlock the other move, select it, choose its first level, and review its requirements separately. Tap Train, then Yes again to complete that unlock.
Get a Max Pokémon for its attacking move
If you need your first Max Pokémon, complete the To the Max! Special Research or visit your first Power Spot. You need at least one Max Pokémon in your battle party to challenge a Max Battle, so your first one comes from these routes. Getting that Pokémon gives you access to its attacking Max Move, but you still need to train the two additional moves separately.
Once you have a Max Pokémon, you can get more by successfully completing a Max Battle and catching the encounter Pokémon. Your caught Pokémon can already use its attacking Max Move in Max Battles. You can then select it in storage to train its locked Max Guard or Max Spirit separately.
Temporarily unlock moves with Dynamax Cannon
If you own an Eternatus that knows Dynamax Cannon, you can activate its Adventure Effect to temporarily make locked Max Moves Level 1. The initial 10 minutes cost 5,000 Stardust and 30 Eternatus Candy. Only one Adventure Effect can be active at a time.
Open Pokémon storage and select your Eternatus. Scroll to Adventure Effects and tap Use, then set the duration with the + or - buttons. Activating the effect spends Stardust and Eternatus Candy for the duration you select. Tap Use again, then tap Yes to confirm.
The unlock lasts during the effect and does not permanently train those moves. For a lasting unlock on a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon, open that Pokémon’s Max Moves and train the locked move’s first level.
Activate the effect from your buddy page
When an Eternatus that knows Dynamax Cannon is your current buddy, you can also activate its Adventure Effect through the buddy page. Open that page and access Eternatus’s Pokémon details. Scroll to Adventure Effects, then tap Use.
Set the duration with the + or - buttons. Activating the effect spends the same resources as the storage route, starting at 5,000 Stardust and 30 Eternatus Candy for 10 minutes. Tap Use, then tap Yes to confirm.
This activates the same temporary unlock as the storage route. If Eternatus is not your current buddy, select it directly in Pokémon storage instead.
Unlock Guard and Spirit on Crowned forms
You can unlock and level up Guard and Spirit on Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta. These forms can participate in Max Battles without Dynamaxing, so you do not need a Dynamax transformation to use them there.
If you need to transform Zacian first, it must know Iron Head, and you need 1,000 Crowned Sword Energy. For Zamazenta, the requirements are Iron Head and 1,000 Crowned Shield Energy. Use the appropriate Crowned form for Guard and Spirit training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is unlocking a Max Move the same as upgrading one?
Unlocking gives you access to a locked move by training its first level. Upgrading raises the level of a move you already have, so training an available move is an upgrade rather than another unlock.
Can a Fast TM change an attacking Max Move?
Yes, changing a Dynamax Pokémon’s Fast Attack with a Fast TM or Elite Fast TM changes its attacking Max Move. This changes your attack rather than unlocking Max Guard or Max Spirit.
Can you use unlocked Max Moves in Trainer Battles?
No, you cannot use Max Moves in Trainer Battles. Unlocking or leveling them does not change that restriction.
Does a traded Max Pokémon keep its Max Move levels?
Max Move level progress resets when you trade a Max Pokémon. Keep that reset in mind before trading a Pokémon whose moves you have trained.
