Rare Candies
What does the item do? Rare Candies are used to permanently increase a Pokémon’s level by 1. They can be used until the Pokémon reaches its maximum level of 100. Since Sword & Shield, it is now possible to give a Pokémon at level 100 a Rare Candy if it can evolve further.
Why is it not used? Rare Candies fill the missing experience points until the next level. Thus, the candy is more valuable at higher levels, as it takes longer for a Pokémon to reach the next level. Therefore, it often makes sense to save a Rare Candy for the last levels of a Pokémon.
However, many lose motivation to continue playing after the credits. The Rare Candies often never get used, as the pocket monsters are usually already strong enough to defeat almost everything. Thus, the candies become old news that will be handed out at the next carnival.
Potions, Revives, and Elixirs
What do the items do? Don’t be surprised: Under this point, three items are summarized. The items are there to heal your Pokémon. Potions restore hit points, Revives bring back Pokémon with some or all hit points, and Elixirs boost attack points when you’ve used too many attacks with a Pokémon.
Usually, the items are used either in a battle or directly afterwards when you have no chance to get to a Pokémon Center. However, many players simply save the items.
Why are they not used? Using such items in battle always costs a turn. This allows the opponent to make another attack, which could even make the use of the items pointless.
If a Pokémon faints in battle, you still have five other pocket monsters that you can send into the fray. And why use the Elixirs if your Pokémon has learned at least four attacks?
X-Items
What do the items do? Some items have an X- in front of them and boost a Pokémon’s status value. However, the effect only lasts for one battle, so it is not permanent. The items include X-Attack or X-Speed.
Why are they not used? To use the items, one must, like with any other item, sacrifice a turn. And that just to slightly increase a status value. For many players, this simply isn’t worth it, which is why the discarded X-Items are the first to be sold in the Pokémon Mart.
Much better, but also more expensive, are the items that permanently increase status values. These include Iron, Zinc, or Calcium.
