If a newly caught or transferred Pal is above your character's level, check for Level Sync first. The game's Level Up tip describes it as a reduction in an over-level Pal's performance to match the player. A lower party level alone is therefore not evidence that the catch or transfer failed.
Your first job is to compare your character's level with the Pal's details. That tells you whether to work on player XP, train a lower-level companion, or investigate a separate problem.
Check these three things before spending anything
- Read your character's level. Use the character you are playing in this world. A level remembered from another save is not a useful comparison.
- Inspect the Pal's level information and any Level Sync explanation. Compare its Palbox details with what the party screen shows. Write down both readings if they differ; do not assume every lower number means saved progress was erased.
- Check the rest of the Pal. Look at its name, species, passives, equipped skills and the upgrades you expected. If these differ from your records too, investigate which Pal or saved entry you selected before making changes.
Do this before using a rare item or replacing a useful passive. It gives you something specific to compare after your next player level or when returning to the source world.
Choose the next action from what you find
| What you see | What to do next |
|---|---|
| Pal above your character; Level Sync indicated | Work on your character's XP, then inspect the Pal again |
| Pal below your character; no sync indication | Plan to train that Pal |
| Lower combat numbers, but no level discrepancy | Compare the same Pal's upgrades, passives and active effects |
| Different skills or other unexpected details after reconstruction | Compare the saved entry with the source Pal |
| The level reading still seems wrong after these checks | Record the screens and version before reporting it |
For example, imagine bringing a level-60 companion into a world where your character is level 25. Under the documented rule, you should not plan fights around its full level-60 performance. The useful progression target is your character. Recheck the Pal as you gain levels instead of trying to solve the mismatch by repeatedly boosting the Pal.
This example explains the decision; it does not predict the exact HP, Attack or Defense the game will display. Level Sync is described as a performance adjustment, and that brief game tip does not give a complete stat formula.
Will Training Manuals fix it?
Training Manuals grant EXP to a Pal. They are useful to consider when a new companion is behind, but they do not supply the player levels needed for an over-level companion. Read the recipient and amount on the item before using it.
If your character needs levels, start with our XP and capture-bonus guide. If your Pal is behind instead, choose an outing your existing team can handle and monitor the new companion's progress before spending your biggest manuals.
Why a transferred Pal needs the same check
The Global Palbox reconstructs Pals from saved genetic data and supports bringing that data into another world. That makes the destination character's level an important part of your comparison.
First ask whether the lower performance fits Level Sync. Then compare the actual Pal details with the record you saved. A missing entry, a reconstruction refusal and a Pal that appears with reduced performance call for different checks; the Global Palbox guide covers the storage and access side.
Keep the original Pal and saved entry while checking an unexpected result. Repeating the transfer or consuming the original would make the comparison harder.
Compare builds without confusing the preview with Level Sync
Our party and player builder lets you enter Pal and player levels independently. Its Pal stat estimates use the Pal level you enter; it does not apply Level Sync. A warning appears when that level exceeds the selected player level.
For a passive comparison, use identical Pal levels and upgrades in both versions. Keep the preview at or below your player level if you want to avoid planning around an over-level Pal. Entering a lower level manually is a planning scenario, not a reproduction of the game's sync calculation.
Once the level mismatch is understood, the passive guide can help with the next upgrade. If the display still appears wrong, record the player level, both Pal readings, platform, game version and whether mods are active. Include those details with a Pocketpair bug report so the report describes a repeatable problem.