For those who want to get started with Pokémon GO to catch the little pocket monsters, there are a few things to consider. We at MeinMMO provide you with 15 tips to protect you from nasty mistakes, especially at the beginning.
Who are our tips for? The mobile game Pokémon GO is already 7 years old this year. Nevertheless, the little pocket monsters continue to delight various age groups, which is why the game keeps attracting new players.
However, there is more to the game than just catching a few Pokémon, as you can make some mistakes, especially at the beginning. Therefore, we show you 15 tips on the following three pages so that you won’t make these mistakes as beginners.
1. Set the right login credentials
What should you consider? One of the first things you need to do to log into Pokémon GO is to create login credentials. Here you can select the common portals such as Google, Apple, or Facebook and connect in this way. However, instead of logging in with your normal login credentials, you should preferably create a so-called Trainer Club account.
This is an account provided to you by the Pokémon Company. Don’t forget to set a second in-game account afterwards.
If there are problems with logging in, such as due to server issues of a provider or because the access was interrupted, you have the option to log in nonetheless and access the game.
What benefits does the Trainer Club access bring? With the Trainer Club access, you can not only easily log into the game, but you can also participate in Pokémon competitions in real life. For instance, you can register for the Pokémon World Championships through it.
However, connecting to this account is only possible during the installation of the game. Unfortunately, the access cannot be stored in Pokémon GO afterwards.
2. Choose your starter Pokémon
Which monsters are available? The most important decision after the initial start of the game is the choice of a starter Pokémon.
You have access to the first generation monsters on the map: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. However, those who know the anime are aware that Ash did not receive any of the three and was instead given Pikachu. This is also possible in Pokémon GO.
How to get Pikachu? If you prefer to secure a Pikachu instead of the actual starter Pokémon, you should leave Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle behind. However, the game stubbornly tries to push them on you again and again. If you ignore them four times in a row, your desired Pikachu will finally spawn. Catch it, and your adventure can begin.
3. Catch monsters & fill your PokéDex
What should you consider? Once you have successfully logged in and chosen a starter Pokémon, you can finally start searching for the little pocket monsters and catch them. At first, you should try to catch everything that crosses your path.
This way, you not only collect entries in your PokéDex, but also earn candies, valuable stardust, and important experience points (EP). You will need these later in the game for level-ups and evolutions. Additionally, you can also get strong or shiny specimens this way.
Use the “Nearby” function: Furthermore, you can see Pokémon that you have not yet registered in your PokéDex through the “Nearby” function. This is located in the bottom right corner of your map and shows new monsters as dark shadows. If you click on them, it will show you where they are located, and you can navigate to them.
Regional Pokémon: Over time, you will notice that there are also a number of monsters that you cannot find in your area. In Pokémon GO, there are also regional Pokémon. These can only be found in certain parts of the world.
If you want to have these, you need to either travel there or let a friend who has one of them trade with you. Alternatively, you can wait for special events, as all monsters usually appear briefly in our regions at some point.
4. Evaluate your monsters before sending them away
What are trainers doing wrong here? If you have been diligently catching monsters, your storage will quickly be full – time to send monsters away. One thing that many beginners do not know until someone finally tells them is that you can evaluate Pokémon.
Many initially only look at the CP display above the Pokémon or see the existing HP and then evaluate whether a monster seems to be good or bad. But that is the completely wrong approach. While these are important metrics in the game, they can be altered by power-ups.
The IV of a monster is much more important for determining whether it is strong or weak.
How to find the IV? Before you send away a valuable monster just because it has a low CP number, you should evaluate your monsters correctly. To do this, click on the respective monster and open the menu in the bottom right corner. Now click on Evaluate.
Here you will see an analysis showing you how good it is in each area (attack, defense, and stamina). To better assess this, the stars above help you. For raids, a monster with 4 stars is best. It has all bars completely filled and thus an IV of 100%. However, these are not easy to come by, and therefore, they are correspondingly valuable.
Use filters and tags: To sort your monsters even faster, there are tag and filter functions in the game that you should use. This way, you can directly search for all monsters that have a rating of 2 stars or worse using the “0*,1*,2*” filter. Now you can select unwanted specimens and send them away all at once.
Simply press and hold the Pokémon momentarily to mark it. The tags also allow you to assign Pokémon to different categories. This is particularly helpful if you want to send them away later or keep them for a friend’s trade.
5. Choose the right team
Which team is the right one? Once you reach level 5, you will be prompted to choose a team when clicking on an arena. The options are Team Valor (red), Team Mystic (blue), and Team Intuition (yellow). Additionally, there is the unofficial Team Harmony.
Depending on how you decide, you will represent this color in the future and conquer arenas with it. However, your choice should be well thought out, as you can only change your team once a year with an expensive team medallion.
So don’t just randomly choose a color but also consider the colors of the existing players. If a color is predominantly present, it may take a long time until you receive your coins from arenas, especially in rural areas, because they are not emptied as often.
In this case, it may make sense to choose another color to benefit yourself and your teammates.
We will show you more tips for beginners on the next page.
