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The Undefeated guide to Pokémon GO

Whether you’re totally clueless or already in the know — here’s the rundown on how to catch ’em all

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    By Rhiannon Walker Kofie Yeboah

    Pokémon GO has officially taken over, y’all. Have you seen people randomly pacing around your neighborhood like they have a burner phone? That means they’re probably on the prowl for some prime Pokémon. Whether you’re completely confused, stuck in a state of FOMO or already an expert, turn your trainer hats to the back and get hip!

    For those of you who don’t know, it’s like when you used to catch animals in your backyard, except that this is virtual. Now the world is your backyard, and with a simple flick of your thumb you can catch ’em all.

    Here’s the Undefeated guide to everything you need to know about Pokémon GO.

    What is Pokémon GO?

    The main difference between Pokémon GO and a lot of other Pokémon games is the level of interaction. Instead of the old-school Game Boy games where you have to use the directional pad to control your Pokémon trainer, you are the Pokémon trainer. Crazy, right? Your location in the game corresponds with your phone’s location and the Pokéworld corresponds to everything that is around you.

    We decided to go on a little Pokémon GO adventure ourselves, and see who was playing around the District, if we could make any new friends and most importantly, catch some Pokémon.

    How is it different from old-school Pokémon?

    There are different older versions of the game depending on how old you were relative to the first set of games released and also the first versions of the Game Boy. Your console wasn’t your smartphone back in the day, it was a Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP or Game Boy Micro. And your games were Pokémon Red, Green, Blue and Yellow, Gold and Silver, Crystal, Sapphire and Ruby, etc.

    The old heads might remember the good old days of when we used to sit in our room with our Game Boys. We’d neglect sleep, eating (well) and communication with other people to catch as many Pokémon as possible and collect badges.

    Do y’all remember having the light attachment for your GameBoy and having to quickly turn that off when you heard footsteps approaching your bedroom door? Or having the volume all the way down late at night and quickly saving the game, then throwing it under your pillow before your parents let themselves in your room? Good times, indeed.

    Why is it good to play the game?

    1. People are getting exercise and fresh air. Look at all these happy people walking around Central Park with their head looking down at their smartphones.

    2. It’s bringing people together. If you kept up with the news at all, you know last week was tough. But Pokemon Go has given people an escape and an opportunity to bridge gaps regardless of race. For example, two black men in their 20s and a white guy in his 40s causally catching Onyxes in a park at 3 o’clock in the morning. A police officer thought it was a possible drug deal, until the guys explained the game to him and the officer ended up downloading the game himself. Now, they’re all on Red Team. What a time to be alive.

    3. If it ain’t about the money ($7.5 billion, to be exact), Nintendo don’t want to talk:

    What are the dos and don’ts?

    Again, if you’ve been paying attention to the news, you may be aware that being black and seemingly suspicious can be extremely dangerous. Here are some of the rules to follow if you’re thinking about playing:

    DO:

    • Play with friends
    • Play in popular areas
      • Odds are you are going to find more Pokéstops where there are bigger cities and a lot more people. If you’re at home and can walk to a park, mall or campus… do it.
    • Bring a portable charger
      • You are not truly invested in the game until you are ready to sacrifice some major phone battery life and some mobile data. Cut out the energy middleman and get yourself a portable charger.

    DON’T:

    • Play at night … by yourself.

    There is a rumor that the better Pokémon come out at night. Even if this is true, just keep in mind that wandering around at night is potentially dangerous for numerous reasons. Stay safe out there. These Pokéstops have the ability to be the target of thieves … like real thieves. Crime still happens.

    • Wander around certain areas

    If you are walking around a police station or fire department or church aimlessly, you are going to attract suspicion no matter what you look like. Don’t hang around one area for more than 30 minutes. All jokes aside, assess the area you’re in and ask if staying there for a long period of time is worth it.

    • Don’t Pokémon GO and drive.

    Just because it’s not texting doesn’t mean that you should drive and have someone catch Pokémon. It’s not that serious. Distracted driving is NEVER worth it. Not even for Pokémon.

    And because you care, here are the best social posts about Pokémon GO. You’re welcome.

    https://twitter.com/twidx/status/751282516292579328

    https://twitter.com/CatchEmAlI/status/752500819694645248

    https://twitter.com/PokemonGoHub/status/752514713351774209

    https://twitter.com/KatzM/status/752519464881651712

     

     

    Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.

    Kofie Yeboah asks for Sweet Tea at every restaurant and recites approximately 2.5 Spongebob lines per hour.