15 Simple Pokemon Go Tips You Might Not Know About

Have you been bit by the Pokemon Go! bug yet? Here are 15 Pokemon Go tips you may not know about, as well as tips for more fun and safer game play!

Thank you to Popsicle for making this post possible!

What is your favorite thing to do during the summer?

Us? Well, we just love spending time together and with your family – whether it’s having a BBQ in the backyard, going to Jack’s soccer games, or going on long hikes in the beautiful Rocky Mountains – we love it all.

Though, I think Jack’s favorite thing is eating a delicious Popsicle with his cousins.

Well, this summer, we’ve been spending even more time outside…thanks to Pokemon Go.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Pokemon Go! has been sweeping the nation.

While some people think it’s a dumb game and any adult who plays should be banned from society, we beg to differ 😉 We’ve really been enjoying playing this summer with Jack and a few other family members. We usually go on walks every day anyways, and Pokemon Go has helped to lengthen those a little bit. It’s just some good, clean fun! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in the parks!

There are a lot of guides out there to Pokemon Go!, so we thought we’d share some simple tips that you may not know about and will take you to the next level. We also thought it would be a good idea to share some tips for safer and more fun game play for families this summer.

Driving (being driven) will not hatch your egg faster.

However, driving can get you to more Pokestops faster. Jack calls going around the neighborhood to different Pokestops while Olive is asleep a Pokedrive. Plus, sometimes if we have a few extra minutes while we’re running errands we will drive through the parking lot of a park by some Pokestops. No one wants to run out of Pokeballs during a ‘Pokewalk’, which is what we sometimes say when we go out for a walk.

If you are in the car and not driving, you can try and grab some Pokestops as you drive by. You have to be pretty fast, but if there is one coming up, just get ready to press it and go very quickly. You can also get Pokemon this way, as they often will pop up unexpectedly.

Of course, the best thing to do is find a place with a lot of Pokestops and get out and walk around! This is the best way to get your eggs hatched quickly (and you can get some VERY cool Pokemon from the eggs!)

Pokemon Go doesn’t track or anything when the app is closed.

So if you are trying to hatch an egg, make sure the app is open. You can turn it to battery saving mode though if you want to preserve some battery. It only tracks distance moved while the app is open.

Some places are more likely to have Pokemon than others.

The street corner down from some of our family member’s house almost always has a Pokemon. Half of the time it is a Pidgey, but it is still something (especially if you believe in Pidgey Stacking). Occasionally we’ve found some really cool Pokemon in these places, such as Snorlax! This technique is sometimes called fishing. I feel like there are more Pokemon near

I feel like there are more Pokemon near Pokestops. If there is a lure, you’re almost certain to find at least one Pokemon. If you know of a place that always has Pokemon, always stop by. You never know what you might find!

Three tracks isn’t a specific distance.

When you look at the Pokemon nearby list, the Pokemon listed in the top left corner is the one closest to you. Even if it has three tracks next to it, it may be closer to you that you think. By watching the order rearrange as you walk, you will be given some clues to your position relative to a particular Pokemon. So if you start walking and the Pokemon in the top left moves, you know you are getting further away.

A lure or an incense won’t attract Pokemon on your Nearby list to you

The lure and incense modules are powerful tools. However, if you see a Pokemon on your nearby list, don’t assume these will draw that Pokemon closer. The nearby section is completely separate from the Pokemon that will be drawn in by the lure or incense. You never know what might show up!

A lure can only be used next to a Pokestop – if you see blue and pink flowery things floating around a Pokestop, it means someone has put a lure module there. When you put down an incense, it will only attract Pokemon to you – not others who are with you. My brother set one when we were on a walk one day, and he got all sorts of Pokemon that didn’t show up to us!

Not all Pokemon of a certain type have the same max CP value.

Not all Pidgeys are made the same – so don’t just ignore those common Pokemon just because you have evolved them. Save your strongest Pidgeys until you have enough Pidgeys to evolve it twice (so into Pidgeotta, and then Pidgeot.) I think that is about 75 Pidgeys. Then you could wait even longer to make sure that the Pidgey you evolve has the highest CP potential. You don’t want your Pidgeot to be a couple hundred points weaker than the next guy because you couldn’t wait.

This website can help you calculate the potential of your Pokemon’s CP.

Why do you want to battle and hold a gym?

At first, we were a bit turned off to the gyms because it didn’t seem that fun (mainly because we kept losing). However, if you do win and happen to “hold” a gym, you get free stuff, and it is actually fun. There have been a few times where we have actually won – despite not having the strongest Pokemon. You free stuff for every day you hold the gym. Gym’s are team based. Their colors indicate which team holds them.

Also, if you battle at the same time as other competitors, it can help wear down the current gym owners.

Special Attacks in Gym Battles

This took us awhile to figure out. As you battle, the more successful attacks you have, you will have a little blue bar increase below your battle stats. When this bar is full, you can do your special attack. To make this happen, just hold down the screen on your opponent for a few seconds and then let go!

Not every Pokeball throw should be the same.

Some Pokemon are close, some are far, and some change how close they are if they escape. Throw accordingly. There are different types of Pokeballs as you level up. Hitting the Pokemon inside a small circle (when it gets small) should increase your chances of keeping your Pokemon in. They higher the CP the harder it will be to keep it in. If you’re having trouble with a Pokemon, try turning of your AR. It supposedly can help

Razzberries are Deceptive

Razzberries supposed to help make it easier for you to catch a Pokemon, but they can make your ball curve away. Be careful and try to throw straight. Supposedly, spinning the ball before you throw it should mitigate that raspberry issue. I wouldn’t use a razzberry unless you have plenty of Poke balls. Although they can be super helpful in making a tricky Pokemon stay caught, they can make you waste a lot of Pokeballs in the process!

What’s the Deal with Pokemon Eggs?

As you go to Poke Stops, you will occasionally be given an egg. This can be very useful in helping you get rare Pokemon (or you might just end up with at Pidgey #fail). When you get an egg, you can put it in an incubator. As I mentioned above, you have to walk around to hatch the eggs (Some say you can’t be going faster than 20 MPH.)

You can get 2 km, 5 km, and 10 km eggs. Obviously, the more you have to walk, the better the Pokemon you get, though there are some cool ones you can get at each level. You have to put these in incubators (and while I don’t advocate buying things from the store, incubators are probably the best thing you can buy.) Everyone gets an unlimited use one, and then I think you can sometimes get them when you level up.

Here is a chart to tell you what Pokemon you can get with the different eggs.

When battling the attack type and not the Pokemon type determines its effectiveness

A lot of Pokemon are multiple types; for example: bug/grass, bug/poison, and water/ice. The attack will belong to one of the types, and the attacks are set somewhat randomly as they evolve. Pay attention to what their attack type is and know which type is most effective against the Pokemon you battle.

For instance, a water/ice attack will be most effective against fire, electric is effective against water, fire against grass, etc.

What are the White Dots in Pokemon Go

If you’ve been playing for very long, you’ve undoubtedly seen these little sparkling white dots floating around you. I’ve done some searching to figure these out, and there is not a very strong answer anywhere. There are rumors that if you select a Pokemon in the nearby section, the little dots will go into a line and show you where to find the Pokemon. I personally have not seen a pattern, but I’m curious if anyone else has.

On a similar note, apparently Niantic Labs, the company that released Pokemon Go!, also has another program called Ingress. I don’t really get what it is, but it apparently can show you exactly where Pokemon is. Again, this one is a bit too intense for me, and it takes away from the excitement of running into Pokemon, but if you want to use it, here is more information.

Evee Hack

You can force an Eevee to turn into a Vaporeon, Jolteon, or Flareon just by changing its name before you evolve. I did this before I knew this tip, and I got a Flareon. We think that a Vaporeon is probably the best. So try and get all three – Evees are pretty common around here! This hack has been confirmed by Niantic Labs. The names are:

For Jolteon, rename is Sparky.
For Vaporeon, rename it Rainer.
For Flareon, rename it Pyro.

Where to Find Pokemon

Pokemon are all over (though you may have trouble in more rural areas – incense can be helpful here!) However, I think more appear when you are in a more heavily populated or busy area. For instance, we went to Downtown Denver for an appointment today, and there were Pokemon everywhere! We also found that certain Pokemon congregated in different areas. Around our house, we always have Pidgeys, Ratatas, and Ponytas. At the Park by our house, it’s like a Slow Poke heaven. At the doctor appointment, there were Nidorans and Pokemon everywhere.

You’re more likely to find water Pokemon by the water!

Pokemon Go! Myths

You can pick up a Pokeball: I heard this one early on, and my brother just about convinced me it was true. Some people say that if you tap on a Pokeball that missed catching a Pokemon, it goes back to let you use again. This is not true. It kind of looks like it comes back to you, but sadly, that ball is gone forever.

Only one person can get a Pokemon: When this game first came out, there was a Facebook thing about around where someone said they saw all these kids searching for a Pokemon, and then an old man got it, and everyone groaned. It was a funny story. However, there are not a limited number of a certain Pokemon is one area. Whenever we are walking around, if one of us sees a Pokemon, the others do as well, and we are all able to get it. The Pokemon doesn’t always have the same CP for some reason, though.

You Can’t Get Pikachu as a Starter: When you start the game, you have a choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Sad, you can’t get Pikachu! Not! You can – though it can be tricky. Here is a guide on how to get Pikachu as a starter. .

Most of all I hope people playing stay safe and hydrated. It is just a fun game, and great way for my family to get outside and do something together. It is hot out this time of year so yo

Tips for Better Pokemon Go Game Play

Stay Hydrated

Even if you are tempted to go outside all day and play (with your kids or on your own) make sure you keep everyone hydrated! We love these water bottles that stay cold for 24 hours!

Prepare for the Sun

Heat exhaustion can happen to anyone – even when you are careful. Don’t stay out in the hot, blazing sun without taking a break. Make sure everyone wears hats or sunglasses and sunscreen.

We had some delicious Popsicles right before our Pokewalk the other day. Our nieces came with us, and everyone really enjoyed having a nice, refreshing treat. Be warned, though – your lips might turn the color of the popsicle, so someone might mistake YOU as a Pokemon!

Popsicle® is known for their iconic yellow box and bold colors, including Orange, Cherry, and Grape. It’s a classic summertime treat, and it’s perfect for starting or ending a fun day of summer play (especially with Pokemon Go! You can match it to your favorite Pokemon ;-).

This summer, they released three new boxes – Popsicle® Tropical Paradise, Popsicle® Sugar Free Red Classics, and Popsicle® Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™.

Our kids (and their cousins) had trouble deciding which one they wanted!

Portable Charger

Or at least make sure your phone is charged before going on a Pokewalk! It’s never fun to be going with everyone else and have your phone die – especially when everyone is finding cool Pokemon. I think portable chargers are always helpful, so you might as well just get one for life!

Pay Attention

I’m sure you’ve probably heard about the people who have been hit by cars, walked off cliffs, or otherwise hurt playing Pokemon Go. It’s really unfortunate that these things happened. However, you HAVE to be careful. Use common sense – don’t go in the street. Don’t walk around with your nose in your phone (my phone vibrates when anything happens, so I don’t really even look at it.) Just pay attention to what you are doing.

Security Risks

When Pokemon Go was first released, people were really worried about the security of it. There were rumors that you gave access to all of your Google information. This wasn’t totally true, but it is good to be safe. There were apparently apps out there that mimicked Pokemon Go, but it downloaded malicious files onto your phone. This is a great post about Pokemon Go Security Risks and Cyber Security.

I highly recommend getting mobile security for your devices just to help prevent any issues. I saw that Norton is having a sale on their mobile security offerings until the end of August!

Be Careful with Lures

Lures are great for bringing in Pokemon, unfortunately, bad people are using lures as well. They know people gather at these places, so they come and take advantage of people there. I’ve heard of people being robbed, and I’m sure pedophiles think these are great places to hang out. Just be careful. Don’t let your children go by themselves, and if you are going out, just go in a group. There is safety in numbers!

Stay with Your Children

I just don’t think kids should be out playing this by themselves. Make it a fun, family activity and get everyone involved! Here are some great tips for playing with your children.

Do Not Play While Driving

This should go without saying, but, unfortunately, I have a feeling that people are using it while driving. This is TOTALLY unsafe. Put your phone away. Tell your kids to put their phones away. There is no excuse for playing Pokemon Go and driving.

Remember It’s Just a Game

Don’t take things too seriously. It’s just a game! Even though after reading this you probably think we are totally obsessed, we really don’t play it that much. And it’s just for fun. With that said, don’t make fun of people that play! There’s no award for making people feel dumb. It’s fun to see all the people at the parks playing and walking around and enjoying themselves. I don’t care what anyone else – it’s getting people outside and walking!

Just don’t get obsessed or let your kids get obsessed. While it’s fun to play, it’s also fun put down your devices, play some soccer in the backyard, and watch the sunset on your porch swing as you eat some delicious popsicles.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Popsicle. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Popsicle. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Popsicle. The opinions and text are all mine.