So you’re getting the hang of “Pokemon Go.” You have several Pokemon in your collection, you’ve chosen your team, but now you’re struggling to get to a level where you can challenge those Nidoqueens and Charizards dominating the gyms. Here are some tricks to up your game.
If you’ve played previous Pokemon games, then you know how pathetically easy it is to catch Pokemon…at least at first. One finger swipe and that Pidgey is yours. But as you level up, the green ring that appears on the Pokemon you encounter will change to yellow, orange, or red. To capture rarer and stronger Pokemon, try practicing a curveball.
To throw a curveball, make circles on the screen with your finger before launching it at the Pokemon. Not only will it increase the chances of a successful catch, but it will also reward you between 10-100 XP depending on the size of the colored circle before you launch it. Mastering this technique will save you Pokeballs (as well as Great Balls and Ultra Balls) for the rarest of Pokemon.
If you’re having trouble finding rare Pokemon, there’s an app for that. The indie PokeRadar allows gamers to report where they’ve found certain Pokemon. The app allows you to narrow your search by specific Pokemon, and has a user review system to call out any trolls claiming they saw a Moltres at a strip club. Be warned: This app is a huge battery drain.
If you want to become a gym juggernaut, focus on raising your trainer level. Doing so will increase the CP of both the Pokemon you caught and the Pokemon you could potentially encounter.
One way to level up quickly is to just go on a catching spree. Even if you’re catching nothing but Pidgeys, you can trade these in for candies that let you evolve your Pokemon. At higher levels, you may be able to encounter a Pidgey or Pidgeotto with a higher CP that you can pour all your candies into to form a powerful Pidgeot. Using curveballs lets you level up even faster.
The other way to raise your trainer level is by hatching eggs, which requires you to use an incubator — and to get out and walk from 2 km to 10 km, depending on the egg. Longer-distance eggs get you more CP and a better chance of a rare Pokemon.
Use your infinite incubator on 2 km eggs only. You’ll grab a lot of those smaller eggs from PokeStops, and since you only have nine egg slots and the contents of the egg are based on your trainer level at the time you collect them, you’ll want to hatch them quickly. Save the limited incubators for eggs requiring longer distances, and keep a 2 km egg in your infinite incubator at all times. Each 2 km egg hatch nets you 200 XP, and a 10 km hatch will get you 1,000.
There’s another trick you can use to make hatching easier, but it’s not reliable. Riding a bike is an easy way to pick up the distance needed to hatch eggs, but “Pokemon Go” won’t count distance above a certain (unknown) speed. Some bikers have lobbied Niantic to increase the speed limit.
Use lucky eggs, which are awarded at levels 9 and 10, with additional ones awarded every five levels thereafter. When a lucky egg is activated, a 30-minute clock starts, during which all EXP accumulated are doubled. This allows for some fun strategy when it comes to getting the most value out of the egg.
There are many approaches to lucky egg XP hunts. You can go to an area with lots of PokeStops and just run through all of them. You can accumulate candies and weak Pokemon and then use a lucky egg just as you’re about to evolve them all. Each evolution is worth 500 XP, which turns into 1,000 XP while the lucky egg is in effect.
In gym battles, three techniques may give you an edge. (1) Use type advantages, building a stable of six strong Pokemon with various types (e.g., flying, water), and find gyms with Pokemon whose type is weak against yours. Flying types beat ground types, water types beat fire types, fire types beat grass types, etc. A balanced team is key to being able to take on any gym.
When you enter a battle, make sure you have a technique down pat. Tapping furiously on the screen will be enough to beat opponents your Pokemon easily outclass, but tougher opponents require more finesse. When the screen flashes yellow, immediately swipe left or right to dodge your opponent’s attack. Over time, you’ll be able to build a rhythm of attacking and dodging that will be much more effective than screen mashing.