Now that you’ve downloaded Pokemon Go, are you ready to be the very best that no one ever was? Here are 10 Pokemon Go tips and tricks to get you started!
Pokemon Go is taking the world by storm, despite the fact that the game is not yet available in all worldwide regions.
If you followed our guide on how to download Pokemon Go in South Africa, you’ll be well on our way to becoming the hottest Pokemon trainer on the block. Remember, however – as the first games said, it’s dangerous to go alone.
Read: How To: Download Pokemon Go on iOS and Android in South Africa
In that spirit, we’ve got 10 tips and tricks to get you off to a roaring start. Without further ado, let’s get going!
Get Pikachu right from the beginning of Pokemon Go
Unless you’ve previously splurged on an expensive version of a Pokemon title in the past, you’ll be well acquainted with the three classic starters the saga offers; Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
Whichever starter you prefer, what if we told you there’s another option? Instead of relying on the game’s typical starting trio, you can instead unlock Pikachu right from the get-go.
To unlock Ash’s best friend, simply begin the game anew. In the beginning, you’ll be offered a chance to capture either Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle; reject that offering and begin walking away in real life. Once you exit the immediate vicinity, the same trio will refresh and appear near you.
Continue to turn your nose up and repeat the process between 3-5 more times, and Pikachu will appear nearby. Capture him, and you’ll begin the game with a powerful Electric type starter by your side!
Know your colours, and prepare to capture
In Pokemon Go, when you find a nearby Pokemon and proceed to capture it, the game will enter AR mode.
Focus your camera on the wild Pokemon in AR mode, and a white ring will appear over its head; where you’d normally have to aim a Pokeball at to successfully capture it.
Before you proceed to throw, however, check the size and colour of the ring. A green ring equals an easy capture, yellow a moderate one, and red equals a difficult challenge.
Throw the Pokeball when the ring is largest and is either yellow or green to stand the highest chance of capturing a Pokemon. If that doesn’t help…
Turn off AR, and curve the Pokeball
Just as Angelina Jolie taunted in the movie Wanted, you’re going to need to curve the bullet (ahem, Pokeball) on this one.
If you’re experiencing difficulty in capturing a wild Pokemon, disable the game’s AR mode, which will remove a preview of the creature in the real world. While this looks far less cool, it actually makes the method of capturing a Pokemon far easier.
Next, when throwing the Pokeball, avoid swiping in a direct line and subtly try to curve the ball if you can. The chances of a Pokemon headbutting the Pokeball away sizeably diminish, making a quick capture all the more easy.
Transfer your duplicates to Professor Willow
Professor Oak might be the iconic face many players of Pokemon games of yore have met, but in Pokemon Go, we rely on Professor Willow instead. Spoiler alert: he’s a bit more useful.
Often in Pokemon Go, you’ll encounter duplicate Pokemon to what you might already have in your arsenal (Rattata and Pidgey are common contenders). Instead of turning your nose up, try to capture them instead.
Having a duplicate Pokemon is actually useful; you can keep the stronger version and trade the weaker to Professor Willow, for which you’ll be rewarded with Pokemon Candy that will let you eventually evolve the stronger candidate. Talk about sorting the wheat from the chaff!
Settling in? Use some incense
No, we don’t mean in the evocative sense. Incense is used in the game to lure Pokemon to a player’s location. While this can make a Pokewalk far more fun, it’s actually somewhat of a waste of resources as walking will encourage new Pokemon to appear.
Instead, use incense if you plan on staying put for a while; this will attract Pokemon to you without the need for you to get up and move around. If you plan at sitting at your desk or lounging on the couch, this is a great way to play the game and avoid toning your calves.
Just be sure your boss or teacher doesn’t catch you with your attention divided.
Visit those Pokestops
Pokestops are real-world location which serve as game hubs in Pokemon Go. Visiting a Pokestop will net some interesting loot, including Pokeballs, Eggs, or Potions to heal or revive your Pokemon in combat.
If you’d like to avoid spending money, a Pokestop is a great way to resupply and re-arm before heading back out into the wild.
Though Pokemon Go has yet to launch in South Africa, the game does include support for Pokestops within the country. This means that you can look forward to some of your favourite locales featuring in the game.
Hatch Eggs more quickly
Eggs have featured in many Pokemon games, and in Pokemon Go, they very much remain. Further, the fact that monitoring the Egg rather than leaving it alone speeds up the hatching process is still a constant.
Hatching rates have been found to be based on how many kilometers you’ve walked with the app open. To speed up the process, keep the app open while you proceed with your day to day to rapidly speed up the hatching process.
You might be faced with duplicates, but remember – as we outlined above – they’re still useful. Happy hatching!
Turn on Battery Saver to play the game for longer
This might be more of a technical trick than an in-game tip, but it’s still useful. As you might expect, Pokemon Go chews your device’s battery as it actively monitors your location and uses your device’s camera for its Augmented Reality mode.
While turning on your device’s Battery Saver function might help, Pokemon Go actually includes one by default!
Head to Settings in the top right corner and scroll down to Battery Saver, and press to enable. Your screen will dim, and the game will remain active. You’ll be able to play the game for far longer periods without needing to plug in!
Save your mobile data by caching a map
Another consequence of playing Pokemon Go is that your mobile data might deplete as a result of walking around with location monitoring on.
To avoid this, here’s a handy fix. Head on over to Google Maps, and download a cached map of your immediate area.
Read: How To: Save data using Google Maps
When your return to Pokemon Go, the game will read data off the cached map instead of through a live connection, saving your data. You can thank us later.
Use a rival’s lure to capture Pokemon for yourself
As we outlined above, using Incense (or a lure) to capture Pokemon is a great way to get them to come directly to you. But what happens if you run out of incense or lures?
There’s a sneaky method here; team up with a friend or a nearby rival, and wait until they set a lure. If you can place yourself in close enough proximity to the area in which their lure is set, you can use the bait to capture Pokemon for yourself.
This is a great way to team up with a buddy and co-opt resources to capture Pokemon together.
Have your say!
Have you got a hot tip you’d like to share with other Pokemon Go players? Drop us a line in the comments below – we’d love to include your input!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
