Trainer

Trainer is a playable character that represents player of the game. Player can choose their Trainer's name and it can be changed afterwards a limited number of times.

Profile page
Trainer's profile page is accessible from the Map View by tapping on the Profile Icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. It is split into two tabs – ME and FRIENDS, with one being a proper Trainer profile page and the second is basically a friends list.

Profile page has a couple of sections and features:
 * 1. Avatar with Buddy display
 * Avatar and Buddy models view with their respective names in the top-left corner.


 * 2. Level Progress
 * Progress of Trainer level.


 * 3. General Buttons
 * Buttons to access Buddy History, Journal page and Style settings.


 * 4. Total Activities
 * Statistics of Trainer, including: walked distance, Pokémon caught, PokéStops visited, total XP gained and date of the first log in to the game.


 * 5. Adventure Sync
 * Statistics and information regarding Adventure Sync in current week.
 * Currently incubated egg is also displayed here – only one displayed if manny incubated at the time.
 * There are also statistics of eggs hatched, candy found by Buddy, steps made and calories burnt during the current week.


 * 6. Gym Badges
 * Gym Badges display of five most-recently visited gyms.
 * If Pokémon is assigned to corresponding gym, Pokémon bubble is displayed next to the Gym Badge.


 * 7. Medals
 * Trainer Medals display in order: Exclusive Medals, general Medals and separate sub-section for Catch Medals.


 * 8. Niantic Social tab
 * Access to Niantic Social Hub which includes information on linked Google and Facebook accounts and linked game-profiles from other Niantic games including Ingress Prime and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Avatar
Avatars are models in the game which are a digital representation of a Trainer. Trainer's Avatar is visible on the map as the player moves around, in the defended Gym as a hologram next to deployed Pokémon when tapped, in a Raid Battle lobby and on a Friends' page and during any Trainer Battles including GO Battle League and battles against Team GO Rocket members.

Player can change avatar's gender between female and male at anytime.

Appearance and style
An avatar's physical features (hairstyles, skin tones, eye color, and gender) can be changed for free at anytime by touching the face button on the top-right corner of the Style change page.

Appearance options include:

Skin tone: Hair color: Eye color:

Avatar items
There are various apparel and accessory customization options that can be made to a Trainer's avatar. Customization choices include the Trainer's gender, skin complexion, hair color, eye color, hat, glasses, necklaces, tops, bags, gloves, belts, bottoms, socks, and footwear. Appearance can be changed at any time from the Trainer Page by tapping Style icon below the Trainer avatar view.

There are following avatar clothing pieces that can be changed:
 * Hats
 * Glasses
 * Necklaces (female only)
 * Tops
 * Bags
 * Gloves
 * Belts (female only)
 * Bottoms
 * Socks
 * Footwear

Many styles are available for free, but some styles can be obtained by exchanging PokéCoins while others can be unlocked reaching new Trainer levels, achieving specific medals or completing Special Research task series.

Avatar poses
Similarly to avatar items, poses are also possible to customise from the same Style change page. They can be bought for PokéCoins or rewarded from Special Research task series.

Adventure Sync
Adventure Sync is a game element that allows Trainers to keep track on weekly walked distance. It can be connected with Apple Health (on Apple devices) or Google Fit (on Android devices) to record a Trainer's walking distances, and therefore earn Candy, and hatch Eggs, while the game is either running in the background or completely closed.

Buddy Pokémon
Buddy Pokémon is a game mechanic that allows Trainer to choose a one Pokémon from their collection that after walking certain distances will reward trainer with specific candy.

Experience
Unlike most of Pokémon games from main series, in Pokémon GO it is the Trainer who gain Experience Points (XP or EXP for short) instead of Pokémon. Trainer experience results in their Levels and it is basically a measurement of their progress of gameplay.

Each level requires a certain amount of XP and achieving it rewards Trainer with certain items.

Gym Badges
Gym Badges serve as mementos of Trainer's contribution to gyms.

Journal
Journal is a game-element that stores recent actions of Trainer. It contains entries with information such as: items received from spun Photo Discs at PokéStops and Gyms, caught Pokémon or Pokémon that returned from defended Gyms.

Medals
Medals are sort of achievements that Trainer can receive for doing several tasks.

There are three kinds of medals:
 * medals for general tasks related to gameplay
 * medals for capturing specific type Pokémon
 * exclusive medals for special events, mainly ticketed ones

There also some special bonus rewards for obtaining some of medals.

Teams
Teams are in-game groups that trainers can join. Players must be at least level 5 to join a team.

Affiliation to Team affects only two game features: These two game features are also unavailable as long as Trainer does not choose their Team.
 * Gym-related features, such as battles at and claiming them, Raid Battles, bonus items from Photo Discs at gyms.
 * Pokémon Appraisal, which technically no-matter what Team player is in, gives same information but in different words depending on each Team Leader.

Trainers can change their Team once for a year period of time using Team Medallion.

Trivia

 * Avatars can be dressed like Team Rocket even though it is not possible to be affiliated with that team at all nor there are no NPCs that are affiliated with Team Rocket.