10 Best Pokémon Go Tips for Beginners

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10 Best Pokemon Go Tips for Beginners

Whether you are new to the Pokemon franchise or simply just new to Pokemon Go, here are 10 of the Best Tips all Pokemon Go Beginners should know. These tips include understanding Pokemon Types, Capturing, Evolution Strategies and more!

New to Pokémon Go? Check out the Pokémon Go Beginner's Guide.

#1. Prepare Yourself!
Before even trying to download Pokemon Go, make sure to prepare yourself by doing some research on the game requirements. One thing you don’t want to do is get hyped for Pokemon Go, only to later find out that your device is not compatible or you don’t have enough data. Make sure to follow the three steps below before trying to download the Pokemon Go App.

Step 1. Make sure your device meets the Mobile Requirements and Specifications. This is step is critical for all Pokemon Go newcomers. If you can’t play the game, all other Tips are useless!

Step 2. Beginners should look into purchasing an extra Battery. Pokemon Go will drain a fully charged Phone after only a few hours of gameplay.

Step 3. Get a Mobile Data Plan. If you already have a Data Plan make sure to check out the Top Ways to Reduce Data Usage.

#2. Understand the Different Types of Pokemon

If you have played any other Pokemon games it is likely that you are familiar with at least some if not all of the different Pokemon Types. If you are completely new to the Pokemon franchise, there are a total of 18 different Types of Pokemon. Each Type has strengths and weaknesses against certain other Types in battle. For example, Fire is strong against Grass, Grass is strong against Water and Water is strong against Fire.

Pokemon Beginner’s should familiarize themselves with all Pokemon Types to help provide that extra advantage in battle.

#3. Capture all Nearby Pokemon

Some new players may choose not to capture a nearby Pokemon for a variety of reasons. Some of reasons for avoiding Pokemon may include:

- Personal preference. Not all players love Magikarp... 

- That particular species of Pokemon has already been captured. 

- Player may be running low on Pokeballs. (May be a very legitimate reason, but standard Pokeballs are easy to obtain). 

- Player may have too many of that Pokemon already. 

However, before you decide to disregard a nearby Pokemon, take the following into consideration:

- Capturing Pokemon will reward you with XP. If it is your first time capturing a certain Pokemon you will get an added XP bonus.

- You will be credited with Candy for each Pokemon you capture. Even if you release the Pokemon, you still get credited with Candy. Assuming that the Pokemon has an Evolution Line.

Note: Getting enough Candy is very important in Pokemon Go. Evolved Pokemon are usually much more powerful than Wild Pokemon of the same species. For example, a Charmeleon evolved from a Charmander will be much stronger than a Charmeleon caught in the wild. Evolutions result in a substantial boost in CP.

#4. Know the Candy Requirements

Pokemon will have different Candy requirements in Pokemon Go. For example, Bulbasaur may need 25 Candy to evolve into Ivysaur, and Rattata may need 25 Candy to evolve into Raticate. Magikarp needs 400 Candy to evolve into Gyarados!

#5. Look for and Travel to Pokestops 

This may already be common knowledge even among beginners, but visiting Pokestops in Pokemon Go is one of the best ways to obtain Pokeballs, Eggs and other items such as Potions and Revives. As you travel, make sure to pay close attention to your mini-map in order to find nearby Pokestops.

Beginner Tips Navigation

Pokémon Go Tips for Beginners: Part 1

Pokémon Go Tips for Beginners: Part 2

Additional Resources
Beginner's Guide
Leveling Guide for Beginners
9 Best Battery Saving Tips
Quick Tips for Capturing Evolving & Battling (Video)
Pokemon Go Glossary (Terms and Descriptions)

Pokeball

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What is a Pokeball?

A Pokeball is an Item in Pokemon Go used to capture Wild Pokemon. Pokeballs can be obtained as progression rewards in Pokemon Go or can be purchased as in-app microtransactions. Higher quality Pokeballs will offer a greater chance to catch Pokemon. Being that Pokeballs are single use items, Trainers should plan on using them wisely.

What are the Different Types of Pokeballs?

There are four different types of Pokeballs in Pokemon Go. These types include the standard Pokeball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball and Master Ball. Each Pokeball resides in a different Tier. The higher the Tier, the more powerful the Pokeball.

(Tier 1) Pokeball

The most basic of Pokeballs. The standard Pokeball is the easiest to acquire and cheapest to purchase. Standard Pokeballs are most effective at capturing common Pokemon.

(Tier 2) Great Ball

The Great Ball is slightly more difficult to obtain and more expensive to purchase when compared to the standard Pokeball. However, the Great Ball is more effective at capturing wild Pokemon than the Pokeball.

(Tier 3) Ultra Ball

The Ultra Ball is the second most powerful Pokeball in Pokemon Go. It is more expensive and more difficult to acquire than the Pokeball and Great Ball. However, the Ultra Ball is much more effective at capturing wild Pokemon than the lower Tiered Pokeballs.

(Tier 4) Master Ball 

The Master Ball is the most powerful Pokeball in Pokemon Go. Although the Master Ball is the rarest and most expensive Pokeball, it can effectively be used to capture any wild Pokemon in Pokemon Go. It is in a player’s best interest to save his or her Master Balls for encounters with extremely Rare Pokemon such as Mew or Mewtwo.

How to Capture Pokemon with Pokeballs

As players travel within the real world, they will come across wild Pokemon. When a Pokemon is nearby it will show up on the minimap of the user’s Mobile Device. That player must then travel to the Pokemon location to initiate the “capture mode”.

When trying to capture a Pokemon, a user will take aim with his or her smartphone’s touchscreen. By just flicking a finger across the screen, Pokeballs can be thrown at the wild pokemon. While within this “capture mode”, players can switch between different Pokeballs (depending on what Pokeballs are available in inventory).

Throw accuracy is important. If you miss a certain number of times the Pokemon may run away. The Type of Pokeball that is used is also important. If a Pokemon is too powerful it may break out of the Pokeball.

Note: As you progress through the game, you will encounter more powerful Pokemon. Many of these Pokemon cannot be caught with a standard Pokeball, but instead may require a Great Ball, Ultra Ball or sometimes even a Master Ball.

If you are accurate with your throws and the correct Tier of Pokeball is used, you will successfully capture a wild Pokemon! In addition, your Trainer will gain EXP and the captured Pokemon will show up in your Pokedex. 

Ways to Obtain Pokeballs

A couple common questions among Pokemon Go players include, How can I get Pokeballs? and What are the best ways to get Pokeballs? 

Pokeballs can be obtained in Pokemon Go for free by visiting Pokestops. Pokeballs will be awarded to players for achieving certain milestones such as, reaching a particular Trainer Level.

It is also important to note that as a player’s Trainer Level increases he or she will gain access to stronger Pokeballs. When players first start out they will not have immediate access to the higher Tiered Pokeballs. 

Pokeballs can also be obtained by traveling to Pokestops. Pokestops will be located at places such as public art installations, historical markers, monuments, museums, etc. Players will have to travel to Pokestops in order to obtain Pokeballs, Items, Eggs, etc.. 

Although In-App purchases are not required to play Pokemon Go, Pokeballs can also be purchased using Real Money via microtransactions. Prices are subject to change, but standard Pokeballs will be relatively cheap. Higher Tier Pokeballs, on the other hand, such as Ultra Balls and Master Balls will be more expensive.

Members of the Pokemon Go Community have voiced their opinions on the Real Money Microtransaction aspect of Pokemon Go. Many have stated that they will not be making an In App purchases, while some are okay with spending a little bit of money if the cost of Pokeballs is low enough. 

Despite some controversy, the ability to purchase Pokeballs for real money will not turn Pokemon Go into a Pay-to-Win type game that many fear. Players will still have to travel the same distance to actually capture the Pokemon. 

Pokeball Cost

Pokeballs can be purchased for Pokecoins in counts of 50, 100 or 200.

- The cost per Pokeball will be cheaper when bought in greater amounts.

Collecting & Saving Pokeballs
Saving Pokeballs is just as important as collecting them. Pokemon Go players will obtain Rare Pokeballs as they progress through the game. Now some may choose to use these Pokeballs immediately, while other more experienced players will save Ultra Balls and Master Balls for Legendary or Mythical Pokemon encounters.

Saving Master Balls is just one tip taken from The 10 Best Pokemon Go Tips for Beginners. Be sure to check out the other nine tips.

Players have inventory space where these special Pokeballs can be saved. It is recommended to use this Inventory Space to store Rare and Powerful items for use later on in the game. Using higher Tiered Pokeballs to capture weaker Pokemon is really just a waste. Common Pokemon should only be caught with standard Pokeballs, especially in the early stages of the game.

Pokemon Go Pokeball (FAQ) Frequently Asked Questions

What determines a Pokemon's capture difficulty?

Pokemon with higher CP will be more difficult to catch. Pay attention to this when choosing which Pokeball to use. 

Will the Master Ball have a 100% Capture Rate?

Yes, just as in other Pokemon games, the Master Ball will capture any Pokemon without fail. 

Thank you for reading. if you have any thoughts on Pokeballs in Pokemon Go, feel free to leave a comment below.