In the Hub edition, permanent upgrades spend PokéCoins and apply to every partner in Survival. Expeditions and free trials use a fixed upgrade preset, so you can try a newly unlocked partner immediately. Run cards still apply only to the current run. The original online edition keeps its own per-Pokémon upgrade rules.
Buy once, use with every Survival partner
Open Upgrades from the menu and choose a track. Its purchased level applies to every partner you own when starting Survival. You can change partners to test a new attack without rebuilding the same purchase tree.
The partner selector still controls that partner’s starting-move bindings and banned-move choices. It does not create a separate set of purchased upgrade levels. In expeditions and free trials, the fixed preset replaces purchased levels; spending more coins does not increase that preset.
For short-mode improvement, use the expedition build guide. For longer-term collection progress, spend on shared Survival upgrades.
Existing Hub saves
Your highest purchased level on each of the 13 tracks becomes shared. If multiple partners had the same track upgraded, the extra investment is refunded using the original level costs. Collection, shinies, records and code claims are retained. Migration runs once and keeps an original local backup; open Settings → Local save to download or restore copies. Move bindings and banned-move selections remain specific to each partner.
Migration example: Vitality level 2 on one partner and level 1 on another becomes shared level 2, with 60 coins returned for the duplicated first level. It does not become level 3. See save backups and recovery before replacing or restoring a file.
Checked in the browser: One Vitality level cost 60 coins and raised Bulbasaur’s starting HP from 90 to 98, matching the listed +8 HP. That confirms this purchase only; the priority advice below is not a tested best-buy order.
A sensible first spending plan
Start with the problem that ends your runs. If enemies catch you before you can turn, consider Stride. If a few hits end the attempt, Vitality offers more room for mistakes. If you can move safely but cannot clear a path, Strength and Reflexes improve your damage output or attack frequency. Magnet can help you collect experience without cutting into the crowd.
This is a practical priority order, not an optimized cost simulation. Spread early purchases across a few useful low-cost levels rather than assuming the most expensive next level is always best. In Hub Survival, those purchases benefit all your partners.
All upgrade tracks
Effects are per purchased level unless the row states otherwise. Starting cost is the first level only; subsequent levels become more expensive.
| Upgrade | Effect per level | Maximum levels | First cost (coins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality | +8 HP | 10 | 60 |
| Strength | +4% damage | 10 | 80 |
| Stride | +3% speed | 8 | 70 |
| Reflexes | -3% cooldown | 8 | 90 |
| Armor | +2% defense | 8 | 80 |
| Synthesis | +0.2 HP/s | 5 | 120 |
| Magnet | +12% pickup | 6 | 50 |
| Wisdom | +5% experience | 8 | 100 |
| Fortune | +8% PokéCoins | 8 | 120 |
| Repertoire | Start with 2 moves | 1 | 1500 |
| Critical Hit | +3% critical chance (x1.5 damage) | 10 | 90 |
| Card reroll | +1 level-up card reroll per run | 5 | 150 |
| Ban | Ban 1 move: it never shows up in your cards | 3 | 300 |
Rerolls, bans and a second starting move
Card reroll gives limited chances to replace level-up offers during each run. Ban excludes a move from offered cards. These are useful once you know which evolution or attack pattern you are trying to build. Repertoire adds a second starting move, but it costs 1,500 coins at its only level; it need not be your first savings target.
Why a purchased upgrade did not evolve my move
Menu purchases do not satisfy the run’s recorded evolution prerequisite. For Ember, you still need the Power card during that run, a max-level Ember and its golden evolution choice. A similarly named permanent upgrade, such as Reflexes, also does not replace taking the corresponding run card. See move evolutions.
Earn coins while progressing
The permanent beginner journey and events add Hub-specific ways to earn coins and tickets. Buying one shared upgrade also completes the journey’s Stronger together goal, awarding two single-pull tickets once.
Coins come from play and reward systems. Duplicate normal gacha pulls can return coins; missions and achievements award resources too. Read missions and free tickets before buying more upgrades so you do not overlook a reward that is already ready to claim.