After months of rumors, false alarms, and waiting, "Pokemon Go" has hit app stores everywhere, and taken the world by storm. Everywhere you look, people are staring hard at their phones and looking up frantically as they run towards their next destination, determined to catch a Pokemon. Everyone is playing this beautiful game. We finally have Pokemon in the real world. We get to go on adventures like Ash, just like we've always dreamed. But, like Ash, you probably want to be the very best, right? To catch them is your real test? TO TRAIN THEM IS YOUR CAU-sorry. There'll be a time for sing-a-longs later, but for now, let's get some simple tips on how to be the best trainer you can be.
1. Turn "AR mode" off
I know that the coolest part of this game is seeing Pokemon in the real world. And believe me, I loved seeing a Squirtle in my living room on my first day, it was a dream come true. But AR Mode also forces you into awkward positions to try and catch your Pokemon, and when you've only got a 30 minute incense going, sometimes you don't have time to spin around just to see a Venonat on your screen. Turning off AR Mode will allow you to position yourself more naturally, and to hold your phone at a more comfortable position. (Turning off AR Mode also saves you on battery life, so there's the real incentive for you).
2. Catch 'em all!
Again, this seems a little on the nose, but this is important. When they say "Gotta catch 'em all" they mean it. Catching Pokemon gains you XP, the better the throw, the higher the XP. Along with that, when you catch a Pokemon, you get three of that Pokemon's candies. Candies are important, as you need them to evolve and power up your Pokemon. But when to evolve? We'll I'm glad you asked, because that's tip number 4!
3. The lucky egg evolving trick
Now this method was taught to me by my cousin Chris (hey Chris) but I've seen it being passed around the Internet as well, and it's only fair that you all get to know it. Plan an outing with your friends and catch everything. Every Weedle, every Pidgey, every Zubat you see, catch it. Keep going until your battery dies. Once you're home, use your Lucky Egg item. The Lucky Egg doubles your XP for half an hour, so you have limited time. After you've used the egg, evolve those Weedles and Pidgies (Pidgeys?) until you can't anymore. Evolving Pokemon gains you a lot of XP, so this way, you're making the most out of your Lucky Egg, and leveling up double time. Afterwards you can do what you want with those Pidgeottos and Kakunas. Let them go, power them up, transfer them, I don't care. Live your life, reader.
4. Go out with friends
Think of all of your heroes that have gone on quests. Where would Harry be if Hermione hadn't been with him to give him some logic? Would Frodo have made it to Mordor if his Sam hadn't come with him? You need your friends, just like they do! This is your quest, treat it as such. Going in a big group is important for multiple reasons:
-Taking over gyms is easier with multiple people. It weakens it faster and you can strengthen its defense by putting in multiple Pokemon once you've taken it.
- Odds are your friends knows something about the game that you don't. Learn!
- When looking for a Pokemon, big groups can fan out, going in all directions and covering more ground.
Also, it would be a great idea if one person in your party brought a portable charger. This game is free, but comes at the price of your battery, be prepared for low battery life with chargers at the ready.
5. Get out there
This one may seem obvious, but a lot of people seem to miss this very important point. The app uses your GPS to track movement, and to find where each Pokemon is. I've met many people that are content to sitting at home and using an incense, but this will do you no good. Incense works better the more you move. If you sit there, you'll get less Pokemon than you would if you had gone out walking. Remember, this is your Pokemon journey, so get out and journey.
There's a ton of stuff I'm not covering here, but these are some basic tips that have made my Pokemon Go experience better and more advanced. Sure, the servers go down sometimes and we can't directly battle each other yet, but I think we can all agree that we're happy to have what we have. Pokemon are out there. Turn your hat backwards and CATCH 'EM ALL!
