Before Ash Ketchum became THE Ash Ketchum, he was just a little boy who dreamed really big; pretty much like those who started their Pokémon journey on August 6, 2016 — the official release of Pokémon Go here in the Philippines. Although it may seem impossible to beat the current gym leaders who have thousands of CP, don’t lose hope and just make sure that you know the basics of the game by heart:

(We’re keeping this short since we, too, have Pokémons to catch!)

Requirements: A mobile phone compatible with the game, a good data/ wifi connection, a functional GPS, and a powerbank (optional)

1. Choose a starter Pokémon you can live with.

If you don’t want a Charmander, a Bulbasaur, or a Squirtle, take a walk and ignore the three Pokémons every time they regenerate until a Pikachu pops out of your map.

2. Don’t forget to drop by PokéStops for more items

Swipe left or right after tapping the PokéStop within your radius. It replenishes its stock (Pokéballs, Potions, Eggs, Razz Berries, etc.) every five minutes so feel free to drop by from time to time.

3. Catch as many Pokémons as you can

Pidgeys, Rattatas, Caterpies and Spearrows are almost everywhere in the Metro (especially in malls). Feel free to catch them no matter how weak they are. They can still give you extra XP upon being caught, and even more XP when you use candies to evolve them.

4. Get more candies by transferring Pokémons to Professor Willow

Got multiple low level Pokémons? Transfer them to the Professor in exchange for one candy. Candies are used to power up and evolve your Pokémons.

5. Use your Lucky Eggs before evolving Pokémons and hatching other eggs

In a span of 30 minutes, you’ll gain double XP while evolving your squad.

6. Join a team upon reaching level 5

Joining a team gives you the chance to train your Pokémons, earn more XP, and gain coins for purchasing items. You’ll just have to choose whether you’re apt for Team Mystic, Team Instinct, or Team Valor.

7. Gain more XP by training your Pokémons

Engage in a friendly battle in a nearby gym under your team’s name for XP and gym prestige.

8. Don’t be afraid to run away from gym battles

The gym leaders are all pretty tough. You can always run away after defeating the weakest one instead of putting the lives of all your Pokémons in danger. You’ll still earn XP this way.

9. Incubate eggs while you’re walking

Make the most out of your walkathon by incubating eggs. They hatch once you cover the required steps – 2 km, 5 km, and 10 km. Use the incubator with the infinity sign on top for 2-km. eggs to make the most out of it.

10. Use your incense to lure Pokémons

Every five minutes, there’s a huge chance that a Pokémon will appear within your radar. If you walk a few more miles, you’ll encounter more of them.

11. Or you can hang out in PokéStops with lures

Trainers who receive a lure module share their blessings for 30 minutes in certain PokéStops. Walk around the area to catch more Pokémon until the lure (pink hearts that look like confetti) disappears.

12. Imagine that you’re playing basketball on Facebook Messenger when catching Pokémons

Almost works the same way! Smaller green circle = higher chance of catching a Pokémon. Don’t throw your Pokéball while the Pokémon is moving/ attacking.

13. Use a curve ball when catching Pokémons for more XP

Spin the Pokéball a few times (circular motion) before throwing it to the Pokémon. Instant 10 XP!

14. Feed hard-to-catch Pokémons with Razz Berries to make your life easier

You can get a Razz Berry randomly at PokéStops. Feed them before throwing a Pokéball to save time. Hard-to-catch Pokémons are marked with a red circle.

15. Remember to rename your Eevee

Here’s a trick: Before evolving your Eevees, rename them according to the evolution of your choice (and log out just to be sure): Rainer for Vaporeon, Sparky for Jolteon, and Pyro for Flareon.

16. Enable ‘Battery Saver’ under Settings to save up some juice

This is handy when your battery life is going low. Enabling this turns off the screen light when you put down your phone. Don’t worry about missing out, though. You’ll still get notified when a Pokémon is nearby.

17. Turn off AR to keep your phone alive

It’s amusing to catch Pokémons through AR mode (use of phone camera) but that can drain your battery really fast. Turn off AR to catch them easily and save battery life.

18. STAY ALERT

Most importantly, keep your eyes on the road when driving or walking. As the welcome message says: “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings.” That’s in and out of the game.

P.S. Don’t trespass! We’ll be updating you with more tips after our adventure. See you on the road!