Millions of Pokemon Go trainers around the world are exploring their communities in a
quest to catch 'em all.
The app doesn't have very much of an in-game tutorial system, so we've compiled a list
of the most essential things you should know before setting forth in search of a Dragonair
or Mewtwo.
I choose you, Pikachu!
Want to be just like Ash and get Pikachu as your starter Pokemon?
It takes a little bit of work.
When Professor Willow presents you with a Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander on your
map, simply walk away from them.
Once you get out of range, the three critters will appear again next to you.
Repeat the process, walking away from them four times.
The next time they reappear, a Pikachu will also be there waiting for you.
And the circle is complete.
Sort your Pokemon
Tired of scrolling through your bag in search of that Clefairy you know you caught yesterday?
Take advantage of the in-game sorting options.
On the Pokemon view interface, tap the icon at the bottom right of the screen.
You'll be given numerous sorting options to choose from, including name, time caught,
combat power, hit points, Pokedex number, and other information.
Pokemon tracking
Pokemon that show up in the "nearby" list won't come closer to you if you use an Incense
or Lure Module, since those are determined randomly and don't require movement for them
to spawn.
The number of footprints below a Pokemon in the list indicates their distance, and each
footprint represents approximately 30 to 50 meters.
You can tap on the list to open a grid and use it to navigate.
Tap on your target in the list, then start walking.
As you get closer, the targeted critter will move up and to the left on the list.
If you're walking in the wrong direction, the Pokemon will move down and to the right
on the grid.
When it reaches the top-left position on the grid, it will be the closest Pokemon to you.
Keep homing in and the footprints will drop to two, then one, then none when you're right
next to it.
Great throws
Catching Pokemon isn't as simple as just chucking a Pokeball at an animal’s head.
When you target a creature, holding your finger down on the Pokeball will generate a shrinking
target ring.
The ring colors indicate how difficult each creature is to catch.
Green is easy, yellow is average, orange is difficult, and red is very hard.
Toss your Pokeball through the colored circle as it shrinks.
Accuracy nets additional XP and a higher catch chance.
You can spin your Pokeball until it sparkles right before you toss it and get a "Curveball"
XP bonus.
Super Balls and Ultra Balls can make catching Pokemon with orange and red targeting circles
easier.
Pokemon can be bribed with "razz berries" which also increase your chances… but only
for one throw.
Fighting gym battles
Just like catching Pokemon, battling with them is more complicated than it seems.
Your creatures all have two attack moves: a primary move and a "special" one that must
charge up.
When fighting at a gym, tap your Pokemon to use the primary move, and keep an eye on the
special move bar located below your Pokemon's name.
When the special meter is full, hold down your finger on your Pokemon to unleash their
special move.
Don't forget you can also swipe left or right to dodge incoming attacks.
Keep these tips in mind and your next fight should be super-effective.
Diversity is key
Before you go charging into an enemy Gym with six wimpy Pidgeys, remember that Pokemon types
are essentially a more complex version of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Grass beats water, water beats fire, fire beats grass, and so on, so you should build
a diverse team that's best suited to fight the Pokemon defending the gym.
When you initiate a gym battle, you'll be shown your team of six at the bottom of your
screen.
Tap any Pokemon to switch them out with another from your collection, then start the battle
when you're ready.
Gym takeovers
If you win a battle at an enemy gym, you may be surprised when the enemy team retains possession
of it.
That's because gym ownership is based on overall team prestige.
You may have to battle a gym successfully multiple times in a row to lower the gym's
prestige to zero.
Bring friends along to make the takeover process faster.
Once it hits zero, the gym will become neutral and you can install one of your own Pokemon
to defend it.
Gym leaders are determined by which Pokemon at that gym leads in Combat Points, or CP.
For every gym you lead or support, you'll get a daily package filled with Pokecoins
for use in the online shop.
Train your Pokemon
Gyms also have levels of their own, based on their battle prestige.
The higher level the gym is, the more people on your team can put Pokemon in the gym.
The more Pokemon there are in a gym, the harder it is for challengers to initiate a takeover.
Training your Pokemon is simple—just visit a Gym that's already controlled by your team.
Once there, you can train by battling against your own team's Pokemon.
Defeat all of them and your Gym's Prestige will go up, making it more difficult to be
defeated by another team, and also opening new slots for more defenders to be added.
Smart evolutions
Hold on to your highest CP Pokemon, and transfer lower-level duplicates to Professor Willow
in exchange for candy.
Don't waste your candy evolving a Pokemon if it has a low CP bar.
While it'll still get a relative boost in power, it will be in the exact same position
on the CP arc in its evolved form, and cost you more candy and Stardust to power up.
Aim to evolve Pokemon that are already strong in CP, or power them up first before evolving.
If a Pokemon's CP arc is completely full, that means you cannot power them up any further
due to your trainer's level.
Level up your trainer first, and then that Pokemon will have space to be powered up again.
Battery saver mode and battery packs
Here's a tip for trainers in the real world, not the digital one.
The game and the GPS tracking it can drain your phone's battery life quickly.
Additionally, you can leave the app open to get notifications of nearby Pokemon.
To get the most game time out of your device, close your other apps and turn on your phone's
"Battery Saver" option.
You should also invest in a couple of portable power banks to charge your phone.
Only buy ones that pack at least 10,000 milliamp hours of charge, and you should be able to
stay in business catching Pokemon for several hours straight.
Just don't blame us if you use up all your data playing Pokemon Go.
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