For update sake...
Thanks to iMore for this guide.
The craze is real.
Here are some basic info to startup your journey!
Most people(if not all) 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.
Here are some basic info to startup your journey!
Most people(if not all) 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.
How to sign up for Pokémon Go
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. Don't worry about it too much: If you change your mind later, you can go back and re-customize it.
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 Pokémon 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 use 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 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.
But wait... there's more to this to level up faster and getting higher level Pokemons!
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. Don't worry about it too much: If you change your mind later, you can go back and re-customize it.
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 Pokémon 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 use 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 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.
But wait... there's more to this to level up faster and getting higher level Pokemons!
