Time to take hold of your dreams, become a Pokémon trainer, and catch 'em all!
Most people have at least heard of Pokémon — Nintendo's ever-popular title — which asks players to travel a fictional world in order to collect every creature out there. But today's world is not the world of the 1990s: Nintendo and Niantic Labs have teamed up to let players catch Pokémon in the very world we live in, thanks to a combination of GPS, augmented reality, and dorky-cute graphics.
This is Pokémon Go. It's an iPhone and Android game that's quickly swept the world, and we've got all the tips, tricks, and cheats you need to catch 'em all.
What the heck is Pokémon Go?
If you've been living under a rock or otherwise have kept yourself off the internet this weekend, you may have missed the official launch of Niantic and Nintendo's already-ridiculously-popular new game, Pokémon Go.
It retains the basics of Pokémon games past — catching Pokémon, battling at Gyms, using items, evolving your creatures — with a crazy twist: You're doing it all in the real world. That means instead of tapping or using a D-pad to tell your virtual avatar where to go to find Pokémon, you're actually walking. In the real world. Crazy, we know.
You may have stumbled onto this page knowing nothing about Pokémon. That's okay. You don't have to be a fan of the previous games or even know the lore to have fun with this game: While it may overtly promote itself as a game about catching Pokémon and battling, the real joy is exploring the real world with your friends, giggling while you check in at historical monuments disguised as PokéStops, and making new connections in your neighborhood with other would-be Pokétrainers.
Pokémon Go 101
Before you dive in to Pokémon Go, you'll want to get the hang of how the game works. That means knowing the world, its mechanics, and how to access your Pokédex, Items, and more.
To sign up for the game, you'll need to use your Google account or sign up for a Pokémon Trainer Club account. Pokémon Go stores all your information on its servers, so you'll need to use one of these two methods to link your Pokémon data to your device.
After signing up, you'll want to customize your digital avatar. You can choose your gender, eye color, hair color, shirt, hat, pants, shoes, and the style of your backpack. Once you've done so, you'll enter the main area of the game: The Pokémon Go map.
Essentially, the main area of the game is a brightly-animated version of Google Maps. You'll see (unmarked) roads, rustling grass (marking Pokémon in the area), and local landmarks disguised as PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms. As you move in the real world, your avatar does too. Pokémon will pop up on the map with a small vibration as you walk along, and if you tap on them, you can try to capture them.
What you need to know about Pokémon
Whether you've never caught a Pokémon before or you've been collecting these creatures since childhood, you'll quickly get introduced to the Pokémon of this world after starting the game. (Heck, the very first screen you see after logging in is of a giant Gyarados menacing an unaware player, as a warning to stay alert while playing.)
At the start, you'll only be able to catch Nintendo's original lineup of Pokémon — those found in the Red, Blue, and Yellow titles — though we expect expansions to appear as the game grows and works out the bugs.
Pokémon come in variety of types, shapes, and sizes: Of the over 100 Pokémon available for capture, you'll find creatures of the Fairy, Psychic, Electric, Grass, Water, Ghost, Bug, Rock, Ground, Poison, Flying, and Normal type. We haven't spotted any Legendary Pokémon quite yet, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there hiding.
Each geographical area has a specific Pokémon type, and some creatures are more difficult to find than others. If you keep running into the same group of Pidgey and Caterpie, don't lose hope: You need to travel around your area to find all the Pokémon. You can head to local lakes, ponds, or beaches to find Water-type Pokémon, for example, or wait until the evening to have a better chance at grabbing a Fairy type.
How to catch your first Pokémon
As with all Pokémon games, when a trainer begins their first journey, they're given a choice of which Pokémon to start with. After you've finished customizing your avatar, three Pokémon will appear in front of you. You can choose from Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle; after capturing one, the other two will disappear.
But wait: There's more. If you walk away from the original three four times, you'll get a fourth starter Pokémon option: Pikachu.
How to catch other Pokémon
Once you've gotten started with the game and captured your first Pokémon, it's time to go hunting for some others.
You can find wild Pokémon by physically walking around your area. Stick to populated areas: Pokémon appear most often near PokéStops. The more PokéStops nearby, the more creatures should appear. Try visiting locations with a lot of public art; tourist spots or malls are great starting points.
As you walk around in the real world, your avatar moves along the map using GPS. When a Pokémon is close enough to capture, it pops up on your screen. Since walking around with your eyes glued to your phone is a bit of a safety hazard, the game is designed to allow you to keep your eyes free while you wander. You can keep your phone at your side while you walk; when you are near a Pokémon, you'll get a notification in the form of a vibration and (if your sound is turned on) the Pokémon's unique call.
You can then move to a safe location (if you were walking along a road, for instance), and tap the visible Pokémon to capture it. Tapping zooms in on your avatar and launches an augmented reality experience with the Pokémon dancing around amidst your surroundings. If you don't see it on the screen immediately in front of you, move your device around until it appears. (There are arrows on the side of the screen to guide you in the right direction.)
If AR makes you nauseous or you don't want your battery drained, you can always turn the feature off in the upper right corner.
Once you've found the Pokémon, it's time to throw a Poké Ball to try and capture it. You "throw" in game by tapping and holding on your Poké Ball; a glowing, shrinking ring appears then around the Pokémon. When the ring gets to its smallest, you want to flick your Poké Ball directly toward the creature (with the aim of bopping it on the head) and release your finger; if successful, you'll capture the Pokémon inside.
Not all Pokémon enjoy being inside itty bitty areas, however, and some may jump out of your Poké Ball after one or two shakes. If this happens, you'll want to throw another Poké Ball to try and recapture it — or, if you're running low on supplies, run away.
As you progress in the game, you'll encounter stronger Pokémon that require a more powerful Poké Ball (or Razz Berries, which lull the Pokémon to complacency). If the ring surrounding the Pokémon is green, you should have no problem capturing it; if it's yellow, you have a fifty-fifty chance; when you see a red ring, you'll need to use multiple Poké Balls, more powerful Poké Balls, or Razz Berries to have a remote chance of catching it.
More than one player can catch the same Pokémon; if you and your friend see the same Pokémon on the street, you can both grab it for your separate collections.
You can also use special items to attract Pokémon to your location: You can use incense to lure Pokémon to you personally for 30 minutes, or — if you're at a PokéStop — use a Lure Patch. This will bring Pokémon to the stop; every player there can catch them for the next 15 minutes.
How to get cool items from PokéStops and explore the world around you
PokéStops are important or iconic places around your area: They may be special benches with dedication plaques, permanent art installations, or historic landmarks. They'll never be something as mundane as a stop sign, nor will they be in a location that is not accessible to the public — like something inside a private building, or beyond a locked gate.
PokéStops are an easy way to collect items, experience, and Poké Eggs (which hatch into Pokémon with the help of incubators, which we'll talk about later).
They're indicated on your map by tall poles with blue cube atop them: You can tap one even if you're not in range to find out which landmark they're associated with, but you won't be able to check in until you're close to the PokéStop.
When a PokéStop is within range, the blue cube will transform into a spinning disc, which you can tap on to visit. Inside, you'll see the PokéStop symbol with a disc in the middle that displays the location's photo; you may also get some historical information about the monument, if you're into that sort of thing.
Swipe the disc to spin it, and you'll be rewarded with a variety of items. Items can include Poké Eggs, Poké Balls, healing potions, and more. As you increase in levels, you unlock new items to collect.
After you visit a PokéStop, the blue pole will change to purple, and you'll be unable to visit for at least 10 minutes.
How to use items in Pokémon Go
Items are a must-have in this game: You need Poké Balls to capture Pokémon, Incense to lure them, and potions and revives to heal them after Gym battles.
Like many games of this era, you can purchase many of these items with real-world currency as transformed into PokéCoins — but you don't have to. You can stock up on most items just by visiting PokéStops. (About the only things you can't find at stops are the Bag and Pokémon Storage upgrade.)
You never know what you're going to come across at a PokéStop, but it's almost always helpful. Each item has a specific use in the game; most fall into either the "capture" or "recovery" category, helping you capture new Pokémon or aiding your current Pokémon in healing after Gym battles.
You can also find incense, which lures Pokémon to you; Lucky Eggs, which grant you double experience for 30 minutes; Lure Patches, which draw Pokémon to a PokéStop; Razz Berries, which make it easier to catch more of the same species of Pokémon; and Poké Eggs, which can hatch into new Pokémon.
What's the deal with eggs and incubators?
As you move through the world collecting items from PokéStops, you might just luck out and pick up an Poké Egg. These eggs will eventually become Pokémon in their own right, but they need a little bit of incubation — and a lot of steps — to make that happen.
When you pick up an egg, you meed to place it in an incubator to get the hatching process going. You start the game with a single, unlimited-use incubator, but you can purchase more if you want to hatch several eggs at once.
Once the egg is incubated, you'll need to physically walk — sorry, would-be cheats, but driving won't work — a certain distance before the egg will hatch. Depending on the rarity of the Poké Egg you've found, that could be as little as 2 kilometers, or up to 10 kilometers. And yes, you will have to walk with the app open for those steps to register. RIP battery life.
How to level up and evolve your Pokémon
Evolution doesn't work the same way in Pokémon Go as it does in the classic games: Pokémon don't evolve or level up after battles with other Pokémon trainers.
Instead, you must catch duplicates of the same Pokémon, which drop Candy and Stardust. You can also send unwanted Pokémon to the Professor for a single candy, but be careful. Once a Pokémon is sent to the Professor, you can never get that version back.
Once you have gathered enough of a single type of Pokémon, you'll be able to use the Candies to evolve it. Candy is Pokémon-specific, and can be used to level up any Pokémon in that evolutionary chain. For example, you can use Candy that Charmander has dropped to evolve a Chameleon.
In addition to giving you the next evolutionary stage of a Pokémon, evolving will raise a Pokémon's CP and HP. CP represents how strong a Pokémon's attacks are while HP represents how much damage a Pokémon can take. Stats may also be increased by combining Candy and Stardust.
How to join a Gym team and battle other players
When you reach level five and visit a Gym, you'll be asked to join one of three color-coded teams: Instinct (Yellow), Mystic (Blue), or Valor (Red). They're color-coded based on the original U.S. titles – Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition.
Unlike Nintendo's games, the team you choose doesn't affect the type of Pokémon you come across in the wild, but it does matter for Gym battles. After picking a team, you'll join millions of other players around the world; each team will work together to become the most successful. As with Niantic's previous title, Ingress, teams can turn Pokémon Go from a single-player experience to a group sport.
Teams are how you join up with your friends to make a dent on the world. You and your team will take over and level up Gyms; when you possess a gym, you get Pokécoins and Stardust, which can help you level up and evolve your Pokémon.
Much like PokéStops, Gyms are actual landmarks out in the world, and they are where all Pokémon battles happen. You can claim them for your team, or help level up a Gym already claimed for your team to build up its prestige. Trainers can take over an unoccupied Gym and claim it for the Instinct, Mystic, or Valor team. If your team's color is in control of a Gym, you can train your Pokémon inside, one at a time. If a Gym is held by an opposing team, you'll need to battle the Pokémon standing guard to lower its prestige and have a chance of taking it over.
Gyms earn prestige when you train your Pokémon in one that your team controls, and lose prestige when opposing teams win battles against the Pokémon left there. Your team's Gym will earn experience points to gain prestige, which will amount to leveling up the Gym. As its levels increase, so do the number of Gym Leaders. For example, if your Gym has reached level three, you can have three Gym Leaders in it, which makes it harder for opposing teams to overthrow.
Entering a Gym triggers a fun mini-game wherein you attack the opposing Pokémon, and dodge their attacks. While battling, you have three options: You can tap the screen to attack, press and hold the screen to initiate a special attack, or swipe left or right to dodge an opponent's attack. Just as with traditional Pokémon games, the goal is to reduce your opponent's Pokémon to zero hit points.
To steal control of a Gym that is already occupied by an opposing team, you must win in battle against all of the Gym Leaders' Pokémon in it. Beating leaders in the Gym will lower its prestige, but it will take multiple battles against the same Pokémon in order to occupy it for your team.
When you occupy a gym, you not only help your team — but you earn PokéCoins, too! Every 20 hours, you can visit the Shop and redeem your coins, based on how many gyms you currently occupy.
How to level up as a trainer
Pokémon Go isn't just about taking care of and leveling your Pokémon — it's about your experience, too. You can gain levels as a trainer by catching Pokémon, exploring PokéStops, and battling at Gyms.
As you hit higher levels, you'll be able to fight at gyms, gain access to higher-quality PokéBalls and other items, and help strengthen your Pokémon.
If you have a higher trainer level than the players at a rival Gym, you've got a better chance of taking it over. This is especially true when it comes to fighting multiple trainers to take over a single Gym.
Gotta Catch 'em All
Most people have at least heard of Pokémon — Nintendo's ever-popular title — which asks players to travel a fictional world in order to collect every creature out there. But today's world is not the world of the 1990s: Nintendo and Niantic Labs have teamed up to let players catch Pokémon in the very world we live in, thanks to a combination of GPS, augmented reality, and dorky-cute graphics.
This is Pokémon Go. It's an iPhone and Android game that's quickly swept the world, and we've got all the tips, tricks, and cheats you need to catch 'em all.
What the heck is Pokémon Go?
If you've been living under a rock or otherwise have kept yourself off the internet this weekend, you may have missed the official launch of Niantic and Nintendo's already-ridiculously-popular new game, Pokémon Go.
It retains the basics of Pokémon games past — catching Pokémon, battling at Gyms, using items, evolving your creatures — with a crazy twist: You're doing it all in the real world. That means instead of tapping or using a D-pad to tell your virtual avatar where to go to find Pokémon, you're actually walking. In the real world. Crazy, we know.
You may have stumbled onto this page knowing nothing about Pokémon. That's okay. You don't have to be a fan of the previous games or even know the lore to have fun with this game: While it may overtly promote itself as a game about catching Pokémon and battling, the real joy is exploring the real world with your friends, giggling while you check in at historical monuments disguised as PokéStops, and making new connections in your neighborhood with other would-be Pokétrainers.
Pokémon Go 101
Before you dive in to Pokémon Go, you'll want to get the hang of how the game works. That means knowing the world, its mechanics, and how to access your Pokédex, Items, and more.
To sign up for the game, you'll need to use your Google account or sign up for a Pokémon Trainer Club account. Pokémon Go stores all your information on its servers, so you'll need to use one of these two methods to link your Pokémon data to your device.
After signing up, you'll want to customize your digital avatar. You can choose your gender, eye color, hair color, shirt, hat, pants, shoes, and the style of your backpack. Once you've done so, you'll enter the main area of the game: The Pokémon Go map.
Essentially, the main area of the game is a brightly-animated version of Google Maps. You'll see (unmarked) roads, rustling grass (marking Pokémon in the area), and local landmarks disguised as PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms. As you move in the real world, your avatar does too. Pokémon will pop up on the map with a small vibration as you walk along, and if you tap on them, you can try to capture them.
- Player icon: Your player icon is at the bottom left corner of the screen. Tap on this to view your character's information, as well as a list of in-game achievements.
- Backpack: This is where all the items you pick up on your journey are stored.
- Pokédex: Your index of Pokémon, complete with information on all the species you've already caught.
- Pokémon: Here, you can see all the Pokémon that are in your possession.
- Nearby Pokémon: Tap on the bottom right corner of the screen to see which Pokémon are nearby.
What you need to know about Pokémon
Whether you've never caught a Pokémon before or you've been collecting these creatures since childhood, you'll quickly get introduced to the Pokémon of this world after starting the game. (Heck, the very first screen you see after logging in is of a giant Gyarados menacing an unaware player, as a warning to stay alert while playing.)
At the start, you'll only be able to catch Nintendo's original lineup of Pokémon — those found in the Red, Blue, and Yellow titles — though we expect expansions to appear as the game grows and works out the bugs.
Pokémon come in variety of types, shapes, and sizes: Of the over 100 Pokémon available for capture, you'll find creatures of the Fairy, Psychic, Electric, Grass, Water, Ghost, Bug, Rock, Ground, Poison, Flying, and Normal type. We haven't spotted any Legendary Pokémon quite yet, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there hiding.
Each geographical area has a specific Pokémon type, and some creatures are more difficult to find than others. If you keep running into the same group of Pidgey and Caterpie, don't lose hope: You need to travel around your area to find all the Pokémon. You can head to local lakes, ponds, or beaches to find Water-type Pokémon, for example, or wait until the evening to have a better chance at grabbing a Fairy type.
How to catch your first Pokémon
As with all Pokémon games, when a trainer begins their first journey, they're given a choice of which Pokémon to start with. After you've finished customizing your avatar, three Pokémon will appear in front of you. You can choose from Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle; after capturing one, the other two will disappear.
But wait: There's more. If you walk away from the original three four times, you'll get a fourth starter Pokémon option: Pikachu.
How to catch other Pokémon
Once you've gotten started with the game and captured your first Pokémon, it's time to go hunting for some others.
You can find wild Pokémon by physically walking around your area. Stick to populated areas: Pokémon appear most often near PokéStops. The more PokéStops nearby, the more creatures should appear. Try visiting locations with a lot of public art; tourist spots or malls are great starting points.
As you walk around in the real world, your avatar moves along the map using GPS. When a Pokémon is close enough to capture, it pops up on your screen. Since walking around with your eyes glued to your phone is a bit of a safety hazard, the game is designed to allow you to keep your eyes free while you wander. You can keep your phone at your side while you walk; when you are near a Pokémon, you'll get a notification in the form of a vibration and (if your sound is turned on) the Pokémon's unique call.
You can then move to a safe location (if you were walking along a road, for instance), and tap the visible Pokémon to capture it. Tapping zooms in on your avatar and launches an augmented reality experience with the Pokémon dancing around amidst your surroundings. If you don't see it on the screen immediately in front of you, move your device around until it appears. (There are arrows on the side of the screen to guide you in the right direction.)
If AR makes you nauseous or you don't want your battery drained, you can always turn the feature off in the upper right corner.
Once you've found the Pokémon, it's time to throw a Poké Ball to try and capture it. You "throw" in game by tapping and holding on your Poké Ball; a glowing, shrinking ring appears then around the Pokémon. When the ring gets to its smallest, you want to flick your Poké Ball directly toward the creature (with the aim of bopping it on the head) and release your finger; if successful, you'll capture the Pokémon inside.
Not all Pokémon enjoy being inside itty bitty areas, however, and some may jump out of your Poké Ball after one or two shakes. If this happens, you'll want to throw another Poké Ball to try and recapture it — or, if you're running low on supplies, run away.
As you progress in the game, you'll encounter stronger Pokémon that require a more powerful Poké Ball (or Razz Berries, which lull the Pokémon to complacency). If the ring surrounding the Pokémon is green, you should have no problem capturing it; if it's yellow, you have a fifty-fifty chance; when you see a red ring, you'll need to use multiple Poké Balls, more powerful Poké Balls, or Razz Berries to have a remote chance of catching it.
More than one player can catch the same Pokémon; if you and your friend see the same Pokémon on the street, you can both grab it for your separate collections.
You can also use special items to attract Pokémon to your location: You can use incense to lure Pokémon to you personally for 30 minutes, or — if you're at a PokéStop — use a Lure Patch. This will bring Pokémon to the stop; every player there can catch them for the next 15 minutes.
How to get cool items from PokéStops and explore the world around you
PokéStops are important or iconic places around your area: They may be special benches with dedication plaques, permanent art installations, or historic landmarks. They'll never be something as mundane as a stop sign, nor will they be in a location that is not accessible to the public — like something inside a private building, or beyond a locked gate.
PokéStops are an easy way to collect items, experience, and Poké Eggs (which hatch into Pokémon with the help of incubators, which we'll talk about later).
They're indicated on your map by tall poles with blue cube atop them: You can tap one even if you're not in range to find out which landmark they're associated with, but you won't be able to check in until you're close to the PokéStop.
When a PokéStop is within range, the blue cube will transform into a spinning disc, which you can tap on to visit. Inside, you'll see the PokéStop symbol with a disc in the middle that displays the location's photo; you may also get some historical information about the monument, if you're into that sort of thing.
Swipe the disc to spin it, and you'll be rewarded with a variety of items. Items can include Poké Eggs, Poké Balls, healing potions, and more. As you increase in levels, you unlock new items to collect.
After you visit a PokéStop, the blue pole will change to purple, and you'll be unable to visit for at least 10 minutes.
How to use items in Pokémon Go
Items are a must-have in this game: You need Poké Balls to capture Pokémon, Incense to lure them, and potions and revives to heal them after Gym battles.
Like many games of this era, you can purchase many of these items with real-world currency as transformed into PokéCoins — but you don't have to. You can stock up on most items just by visiting PokéStops. (About the only things you can't find at stops are the Bag and Pokémon Storage upgrade.)
You never know what you're going to come across at a PokéStop, but it's almost always helpful. Each item has a specific use in the game; most fall into either the "capture" or "recovery" category, helping you capture new Pokémon or aiding your current Pokémon in healing after Gym battles.
You can also find incense, which lures Pokémon to you; Lucky Eggs, which grant you double experience for 30 minutes; Lure Patches, which draw Pokémon to a PokéStop; Razz Berries, which make it easier to catch more of the same species of Pokémon; and Poké Eggs, which can hatch into new Pokémon.
What's the deal with eggs and incubators?
As you move through the world collecting items from PokéStops, you might just luck out and pick up an Poké Egg. These eggs will eventually become Pokémon in their own right, but they need a little bit of incubation — and a lot of steps — to make that happen.
When you pick up an egg, you meed to place it in an incubator to get the hatching process going. You start the game with a single, unlimited-use incubator, but you can purchase more if you want to hatch several eggs at once.
Once the egg is incubated, you'll need to physically walk — sorry, would-be cheats, but driving won't work — a certain distance before the egg will hatch. Depending on the rarity of the Poké Egg you've found, that could be as little as 2 kilometers, or up to 10 kilometers. And yes, you will have to walk with the app open for those steps to register. RIP battery life.
How to level up and evolve your Pokémon
Evolution doesn't work the same way in Pokémon Go as it does in the classic games: Pokémon don't evolve or level up after battles with other Pokémon trainers.
Instead, you must catch duplicates of the same Pokémon, which drop Candy and Stardust. You can also send unwanted Pokémon to the Professor for a single candy, but be careful. Once a Pokémon is sent to the Professor, you can never get that version back.
Once you have gathered enough of a single type of Pokémon, you'll be able to use the Candies to evolve it. Candy is Pokémon-specific, and can be used to level up any Pokémon in that evolutionary chain. For example, you can use Candy that Charmander has dropped to evolve a Chameleon.
In addition to giving you the next evolutionary stage of a Pokémon, evolving will raise a Pokémon's CP and HP. CP represents how strong a Pokémon's attacks are while HP represents how much damage a Pokémon can take. Stats may also be increased by combining Candy and Stardust.
How to join a Gym team and battle other players
When you reach level five and visit a Gym, you'll be asked to join one of three color-coded teams: Instinct (Yellow), Mystic (Blue), or Valor (Red). They're color-coded based on the original U.S. titles – Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition.
Unlike Nintendo's games, the team you choose doesn't affect the type of Pokémon you come across in the wild, but it does matter for Gym battles. After picking a team, you'll join millions of other players around the world; each team will work together to become the most successful. As with Niantic's previous title, Ingress, teams can turn Pokémon Go from a single-player experience to a group sport.
Teams are how you join up with your friends to make a dent on the world. You and your team will take over and level up Gyms; when you possess a gym, you get Pokécoins and Stardust, which can help you level up and evolve your Pokémon.
Much like PokéStops, Gyms are actual landmarks out in the world, and they are where all Pokémon battles happen. You can claim them for your team, or help level up a Gym already claimed for your team to build up its prestige. Trainers can take over an unoccupied Gym and claim it for the Instinct, Mystic, or Valor team. If your team's color is in control of a Gym, you can train your Pokémon inside, one at a time. If a Gym is held by an opposing team, you'll need to battle the Pokémon standing guard to lower its prestige and have a chance of taking it over.
Gyms earn prestige when you train your Pokémon in one that your team controls, and lose prestige when opposing teams win battles against the Pokémon left there. Your team's Gym will earn experience points to gain prestige, which will amount to leveling up the Gym. As its levels increase, so do the number of Gym Leaders. For example, if your Gym has reached level three, you can have three Gym Leaders in it, which makes it harder for opposing teams to overthrow.
Entering a Gym triggers a fun mini-game wherein you attack the opposing Pokémon, and dodge their attacks. While battling, you have three options: You can tap the screen to attack, press and hold the screen to initiate a special attack, or swipe left or right to dodge an opponent's attack. Just as with traditional Pokémon games, the goal is to reduce your opponent's Pokémon to zero hit points.
To steal control of a Gym that is already occupied by an opposing team, you must win in battle against all of the Gym Leaders' Pokémon in it. Beating leaders in the Gym will lower its prestige, but it will take multiple battles against the same Pokémon in order to occupy it for your team.
When you occupy a gym, you not only help your team — but you earn PokéCoins, too! Every 20 hours, you can visit the Shop and redeem your coins, based on how many gyms you currently occupy.
How to level up as a trainer
Pokémon Go isn't just about taking care of and leveling your Pokémon — it's about your experience, too. You can gain levels as a trainer by catching Pokémon, exploring PokéStops, and battling at Gyms.
As you hit higher levels, you'll be able to fight at gyms, gain access to higher-quality PokéBalls and other items, and help strengthen your Pokémon.
If you have a higher trainer level than the players at a rival Gym, you've got a better chance of taking it over. This is especially true when it comes to fighting multiple trainers to take over a single Gym.
Gotta Catch 'em All
A small girl from Sri Lanka managed to go near to a wild Tusker and scares it to go back to the jungle.
This 24 second long video is going viral on social medias.
Watch this shocking video here.
Watch this:
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The
northeastern region of India consists of 8 states comprising of Assam,
Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur and Sikkim, all of
which are within the territorial boundary of the country and are as Indian as
any other state in the country. In fact, Northeast India constitutes 8% of
India’s landmass.
2. The
Northeast is remote and therefore, empty.
The
Northeast is well populated just like any other place in the country. According
to the 2011 census, 40 million people inhabit Northeast India. Remoteness
simply refers to certain hilly terrains within the region that have a low
population density but that does not translate to no people at all! Population
density is simply the average number of people inhabiting every square
kilometer of land.
3. The
Northeast is a hotbed of insurgency.
Yes,
we do have armed factions that demand autonomy from the Central government but
here’s a fact that will open up your eye to how little popular they are: The
Indian general election of 2014 had an 80% voter turnout in all northeastern
states, the highest among all states of India. Clearly, the Indian government
is more popular among the northeastern citizens than the insurgency!
4. The
Northeastern people have absolutely no dressing sense.
Every
tribe and community has their own unique traditional attire. They are
unfamiliar to the rest of India and so does not necessarily translate to a lack
of dressing sense. In a broader sense, you will find that the traditional
Indian attire might seem somewhat odd to someone from Europe! This is simply
because of unfamiliarity, not a lack of dressing sense. Contrary to the myth,
however, Northeast India is probably one of the most fashionable regions in the
country where traditional motifs and designs are integrated into trends that
are in vogue!
5. The
Northeastern people are jungle dwelling adivasis and are illiterate.
Adivasis
are members of aboriginal tribes that existed before the arrival of the Aryans.
Tribe is a social division in a traditional society consisting of communities
that are linked by social, economic, religious or blood ties, sharing a common
culture and dialect. There is a significant difference between the two in
today’s context! Moreover, according to 2011 census, Mizoram has a literacy
rate of 91.58% while Tripura has a literacy rate of 87.75 % and both states come
within the top 5 ranks! This myth is clearly just that—a myth!
6. Northeastern
girls dress inappropriately.
Being
trendy and fashionable doesn’t always have to mean inappropriate conduct. It is
an age-old saying that the way one dresses should reflect one’s personality. Girls
from Northeast India are indeed amongst the best dressed people in the
country! They dress smart and carry
themselves with dignity!
7. Northeastern
girls look strange and ugly.
This
is just that—a myth. Northeastern girls are absolutely gorgeous with their
flawless skin, beautiful hair, gorgeous smiles and unwavering elegance!
8. EVERYONE
in the Northeast have small almond-shaped “chinki” eyes.
The
almond shaped eye is a Sino-Tibetan feature, which many people in Northeast
India share. However, Northeast India in itself has a diversity in demographic.
Ethnically different people have different aesthetics. There are Bengalis and
other people living in the Northeast who don’t have small eyes!
9. The
Northeastern people eat everything from dogs to pigs and other bizarre
creatures.
People
in Goa consume pigs. Can we generalize the entire country based on a little
state? We can’t! Similarly, there are diverse cuisines within the Northeast
itself. Some people consume pigs and some people may consume dog meat on
special occasions. That certainly doesn’t make it a staple food for the entire
region! That would be a hilarious assumption!
10. It’s always raining in the Northeast a.k.a there is no sunshine.
Northeast
India has a subtropical climate that receives an annual precipitation of 200
cm, most of which is received during the monsoon season. A tropical climate is
generally very warm and humid as it receives a lot of sunshine, which along
with the rainfall, contributes to the rich biodiversity of the region!
11. The Northeast has no roads.
Northeast
India has adequate roads, most of which are squeaky clean!
12. The only access to the Northeast is by a helicopter.
This
is what a classic myth sounds like. Railways in the Northeast are busy and
popular just like airports and roadways! A helicopter ride is only for specific
people with specific purposes and journeys over hilly terrains.
13. The Northeastern people have no
communication skills.
English
is the official language of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and the
co-official language of Assam and Sikkim. The facts speak for themselves!
14. Rhinos in the Northeast are equivalent to cows on a regular Indian street.
The
greater one-horned rhinoceros, a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, is
more likely to be found safe and sound in the Kaziranga National Park or in
Jorhat than in a random street in a random city in a random state in Northeast
India.
15. The Indian military is on every single street of every single city of every
single state in the Northeast, imposing curfew.
While
it’s true that the Northeast has many military bases and it’s not very unusual
for armed soldiers to be in the streets, it’s only a myth that vigilant soldiers
stand guarding everywhere, heated and tense, waiting for a bomb to go off any
minute!
16. The Northeast is in the south/south-east/on the eastern ghat.
Someone
once asked me if the northeastern state of Assam was in the south, somewhere
near Orissa. I would like to believe that Northeast India is called the
“NORTHEAST” for some reason.
17. The Northeastern people pretend to be Christians and idolize the west.
Christianity
found its way into the Northeast way before the advent of the British. Christian missionaries looking for a way to China
and Tibet visited Northeast India as early as the 17th century. The
influence grew stronger with the advent of the British, much stronger than in
other parts of India. Christianity is a major religion in the Northeast and
Christian culture, which is commonly perceived as western culture, has been a
part of our lives ever since. Seemingly western ways and lifestyle are a part
of our culture and identity. So there’s neither any idolization nor any pretence in that!
18. All they do is booze, music and absolutely no studies.
Music
is a major part of any northeastern Indian’s life. It is a major part of our
culture. It is inculcated in us from our childhood and there is nothing wrong
with that! In the colder climates, wine is a normal part of food culture. But
it’s certainly not an indulgence! Academics, on the other hand, is an
individual preference or interest. Difference in demographic cannot decide who
is more likely to be academically involved!
