Niantic's most popular augmented reality app is Pokemon GO. The app has been around since 2016 and continues to receive updates adding new Pokémon, features, and events to keep up with the franchise.
Generating an impressive R$30 billion+ since the game’s launch, there’s plenty of incentive to keep the app going strong for new and returning trainers alike, even years after its debut.
That said, the Bem Informado portal has prepared a guide for beginners in Pokemon GO. Check it out:
How to catch a wild Pokémon
When you open your app, Pokémon will appear around your in-game avatar. Any walking activity and Incense will cause more Pokémon to appear nearby. You can catch any Pokémon in your vicinity by tapping on the Pokémon of your choice.
Catching a wild Pokémon in Pokémon GO is a little different than in previous Pokémon games. You no longer have to send your Pokémon to knock down the wild Pokémon’s health to increase your chances of catching it. Instead, catching a Pokémon depends on your throwing technique, the items you use, and your choice of Poké Ball. If your designated buddy’s friendship level is high enough, your buddy can even help you catch wild Pokémon!
How to increase your chances of catching a wild Pokémon
Using berries helps increase your chances of catching a wild Pokémon. Start by selecting the berry type (berries are on the left side of the screen) and then tapping on a berry. Berries are divided into types:
- Nanab berries (similar to bananas) will cause the Pokémon to not move around on the screen, making it easier to aim your Pokéball.
- Razz berries (similar to raspberries) increase the chance that a Pokémon will stay in its ball. Golden Razz Berries are the more powerful version of Razz Berries, but much harder to acquire. We recommend saving them for Pokémon raids to catch Legendaries.
- Pinap berries (similar to pineapples) double the Candy you earn from catching wild Pokémon. Silver Pinap Berries will increase the Candy earned, but are also much harder to acquire.
Use Nanab Berries and Razz Berries to aid in your capture. You can only use one berry at a time until you run out of attempts with that berry status. The Razz Berries selection is for wild Pokémon that are more unruly when moving around the screen, such as Shadow Pokémon, while Razz Berries are generally useful for capturing any Pokémon.
The other method to increase your chances is to perfect how you throw your Poké Balls. Depending on how you interact with the Pokémon’s hitbox, your throw can land in three locations. We’ve broken down the types of throws and how to get there:
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- Good throws : Your throw's hitbox aligns with the largest hitbox; these types of throws are the most forgiving and easiest to master.
- Big throws : Lines up with a medium circle throw relative to the Pokémon's hitbox. The second easiest and most common throw to land in mid-level play.
- Excellent throws : The hardest to hit because they have the smallest circle in relation to the Pokémon's hitbox. It takes a lot of practice to land great throws, but you can consistently land them on Pokémon with larger hitboxes. But overall, it can take a bit of luck to get the timing right.
PokéStops and Gyms
About PokéStops
PokéStops are landmarks that players visit to get free items. After spinning items at a stop, wait five real-time minutes to spin again. You can do this infinitely if you have a lot of time on your hands! Plan outings at parks and set up a shop next to a PokéStop. You can place lure modules to attract wild Pokémon to a PokéStop for 30 minutes.
PokéStop Spinning Giveaways:
- Berries
- Eggs
- Field research
- Pokéballs
- Potions
- Stamps
- Revive
Notice: The rarity of the item obtained depends on your Trainer Level.
How to spin a PokéStop
- Find a nearby PokéStop. The radius of the circle around your avatar must be close to the PokéStop to interact with.
- Tap the PokéStop icon on your map while in the app.
- Select the photo disk and swipe in one direction to simulate rotation. Repeat until the items appear.
- Collect items by tapping the screen.
- The PokéStop turns purple after being used and then turns blue when it's ready for another spin.
About gyms
Much like PokéStops, Gyms are another landmark that players can visit after reaching Trainer Level 5. While at Gyms, you can spin and participate in Gym battles.
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Essentially, you can place your Pokémon in a Gym to earn PokéCoins. You can only do this if there is enough space for your faction or if you defeat the opposing faction's Pokémon to take over the Gym.
Sometimes special events, 'raids', can be found at a Gym: any activity at the Gym is suspended while a raid takes place. You'll know a raid is about to happen when you see an egg above the Gym.
What to buy with your coins
As mentioned earlier, acquiring PokéCoins in Pokémon GO can take some time to accumulate, depending on how often you visit nearby Gyms and whether or not those Gyms are already fully occupied by your alliance. If your alliance controls the Gym, you won’t be able to put any more Pokémon in the Gym until it reaches maximum capacity. But unfortunately, with the recent price increase in Pokémon GO , you need to be careful about how you spend your PokéCoins.
Items to Prioritize for Beginners
- Pokémon Storage (200)
- Item Bag (200)
- Remote Attack Pass (100)/3 Remote Attack Passes (300)
- Egg Incubator (150)/Super Incubator (200)
Battling in Pokémon GO
In addition to catching wild Pokémon, you’ll be battling against NPCs, in raids, and against other trainers. Your Pokémon teams will change depending on the content you’re targeting. Essentially, some Pokémon are better against PvE content than PvP, and vice versa. Ultimately, you’ll need to increase your Pokémon’s CP, evolve, and organize your moveset if you want to emerge victorious in battle.
Each Pokémon offers two attacks for use in battle: fast and charged. Fast attacks are performed by tapping the screen, which generates energy for your charged attacks.
Charged attacks require you to tap a button to release once you meet the energy requirements. Pokémon can have more than one charged move, for a total of three moves at a time, but these require a lot of investment to unlock (a ton of stardust).
Some charged attacks cost less to fill than others (but are weaker in power), and some fast moves are more efficient at generating energy (which is also traded for less energy).
Tip: You're better off re-working your moves using TMs to create a synergistic moveset rather than spending resources to unlock a second charged attack.
This was our guide for beginners. Keep checking out Bem Informado content to see more Pokemon GO content.
