What Is A Pokémon?

Category Archives: What’s Pokemon Go

What Is A Pokémon?

Pokémon are fictional creatures of all shapes and sizes who live throughout the world. The word Pokémon is short for “pocket monster“.

Pokémon were brought into popularity by the Nintendo Game Boy game back in 1998, they have been a viral phenomenon through both video games and a television show. Since then there have been additional video games, a popular trading card game, a gaming network, and a full product line of everything from apparel to accessories!

There are many different types of Pokémon and it may be easiest to think of them as different species and breeds of plants and animals. The general goal of the game is collect as many different types as you can, hence the tagline: Gotta catch them all!

There are 18 types of Pokémon in the Pokémon universe. These range from common things like “Water,” “Bug,” and “Lightning,” to more obscure stuff like “Dark” and “Fairy”. Each type has a type that it is particularly strong against and a type that it is very vulnerable to. For example, Grass is very vulnerable to Fire (makes sense, right?) However, Grass is also very resistant to Water. Water, on the other hand, is very effective against Fire. (Fire is vulnerable to water).

Pokémon are raised and directed by their owners (called “trainers”) to perform various tasks. Through actions their trainers participate in, the Pokémon can grow in “experience” and “evolve” into stronger Pokémon. More than 700 Pokémon creatures inhabit the Pokémon universe. Some of those 700 are stronger and more sought after than others.

While Pokémon anime has a diverse appeal, the original story was always been aimed at the pre-teen. The Pokémon games are crafted in such a way that they have a very diverse appeal and are often played by older kids and young adults that grew up with the franchise. Pokémon caters to a diverse crowd, being both child-friendly and also having some subtle humor that teens and adults will enjoy.

Pokémon get collected by trainers into Pokéballs, one of the many exciting items you will find within a Pokémon game.

Then the most non-hip adult can usually recognize Pikachu, the most well-known Pokémon! Pikachu is one of the most well-known Pokémon primarily because a Pikachu plays a key role in the Pokémon anime series. Pikachu often serves as the Pokémon franchise mascot.

Pikachu’s design was conceived by Atsuko Nishida and finalized by Ken Sugimori. It is listed as a “Mouse Pokémon”, but visually appears similar to a hamster or pika. Pikachu “evolves” from Pichu (“Tiny Mouse”) which is very mouse-like Pokémon with large ears and a little rounded body.

Have you collected more than one Pokémon? Rather than saying “Pokémon’s” we still say “Pokémon”. Pokémon rarely speak and it is unusual to hear one say anything other than its name.

According to the lore, the Pokémon world is this world. A Pokémon could be anywhere, even right on your desk. You may not be able to see them very easily with your own eyes, however, which is where the newly launched Pokémon Go game comes in!

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What Exactly is Pokémon Go?

What's Pokemon Go

Pokémon Go is a brand new free-to-play game available for mobile devices. It brings the diverse Pokémon franchise to a new platform and proves irresistible in its draw to see how many Pokémon you can collect.

In a nutshell, it is a game where players can use their mobile devices to track virtual critters, capture them, power them up, and then battle them.

Based on the extensive Pokémon anime and video game franchise, Pokémon Go brings an element of exploring, meeting new people, and discovering your local city to a very well rounded character lineup.

Millions of people are jumping in to play Pokémon Go. Launched on June 6th in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand, the game quickly surpassed the record-holding Candy Crush Saga. Since then, it has gone on to spike at having more active users than Twitter and to set several other important records.

People everywhere just can’t get enough!

Where to Download Pokemon Go App?

Grab your mobile device and you can easily install the app. However, be wary of apps pretending to be the real thing, since some fakes have sprung up.

Android: Legit Pokémon GO App
iOS: Legitimate Pokémon GO

The app is free to download and play. It relies on your phone’s built in GPS (“location”) and uses either Wi-Fi or your data plan to connect to the internet. It then syncs your present location with a cartoon-version of your real world, showing you where you are in the Pokémon universe and where other points of interest are.

After logging in for the first time, the player creates a semi-customizable avatar to represent themselves in the game world. This avatar, when combined with your phone’s GPS data, then moves through the virtual world and encounters Pokémon in many fun and interesting places!

Pokémon are interspersed throughout the game world and once you are within range they will show up on your phone. You can then click on them in order to “approach” them and decide if you will attempt to capture them. You want to collect as many – and as many types – of Pokémon as possible, hence the game’s tagline: Gotta catch them all!

Once captured, the owner (called a “trainer”) can do various things including power them up, evolve them, or use them to take part in competitive battle called “Pokémon Gyms”. For this portion of the game, you want to have the “biggest and the best” Pokémon. However, you should also be aware of the skills and weaknesses of your Pokémon if you really want to succeed.

Technically speaking, Pokémon Go is classed as a location-based, augmented reality, geocaching, game. It takes uses your GPS to align you with the Pokémon universe – which looks unsurprisingly like our universe. Then the camera app is used to let you “see” the Pokémon in your own environment. You may find one sitting on your desk, napping on the sidewalk, or hanging out in a local restaurant! In addition, you’ll want to pay attention to the markers within the game for PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms. Put on your sneakers because you’re going to be on the go!

Nintendo partnered with Niantic, the makers of an existing location-based geocaching game called Ingress, to provide the technical power that brings Pokémon Go to life. Because Pokémon Go uses the existing Ingress location database, it excels for players that live in cities. Players who live rurally are more limited but can submit feedback to Niantic that should go a long way towards helping them expand their PokéStops database.

Pokémon Go is a fun family-friendly game that kids and adults of all ages will enjoy playing together.

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What is a PokéStop

What's Pokemon Go

A PokéStop is a place shown on the local area map where players can visit to stock up on essentials, such as Poké Balls, Potions, Razz Berries, and Pokémon Eggs. Usually such locations are significant landmarks like monuments, churches, town halls, pizzerias, coffee shops, pubs, etc. Visiting a PokéStop also awards the player with 50 Experience Points (XP).

Items and XP can only be collected from an individual PokéStop once about every 5 minutes. A trainer can also place a Lure Module at the PokéStop to gather wild Pokémon for 30 minutes, which by extension attracts other trainers.

The beauty of the PokéStop to your business is that you can purchase Lure Modules if your business is a PokéStop. This makes your shop attractive for players looking for Pokémon.

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What is a Pokémon Go Gym?

What's Pokemon Go

Gyms are where the real Pokémon battles take place. All Gyms are controlled by a team and are represented on the map by the color that represents the team. When a player reaches Trainer Level 5 in Pokémon Go, they will select one of the following teams: Team Instinct (yellow), Team Mystic (blue) and Team Valor (red). The team a trainer picks define what Gyms the trainer will fight against, and the Gyms the trainer can ally with to strengthen up.

If a trainer finds an uninhabited Gym on the local map, which is colored silver, the trainer can claim it for their team in Pokémon Go. Once taken, the trainer, or someone from their team, can place a Pokémon to defend the Gym. The more Prestige a Gym has, the higher the Gym’s level and the more Pokémon it can store.

A trainer can increase the Prestige of their team’s Gyms by training. To increase Prestige, a trainer must defeat at least one of the Pokémon currently defending the Gym and are only allowed to use one of his or her own Pokémon. If they defeat all of the Pokémon, then they’ll get bonus experience and Prestige. If multiple trainers battle at the Gym, all trainers will receive XP, which goes toward raising trainer level.

For each Pokémon the trainer places inside a Gym the trainer receives 10 PokéCoins and 500 Stardust, collected from the Shop every 21 hours. A trainer can place only one Pokémon in each Gym, so taking over and defending multiple Gyms is paramount!

Trainers tap their phones to unleash their Pokémon’s attack while in battle. The more damage the Pokémon inflicts, the more energy it stores for a more powerful special attack. To unleash the special attack, tap and hold until the small blue bar below the HP (health point) bar fills up, then release. Trainers can bring up to six Pokémon when battling a rival Gym, and can repeatedly challenge them as often as they’d like until that Gym’s Prestige reaches zero.

Prestige is valued by the battles the Gym has. The more victories the Gym receives, the more Prestige it has; likewise, if the Gym loses a battle, its Prestige is lowered. Once the Prestige is at 0, the team loses control of the Gym, which color turns to silver and can be taken by anyone. The Prestige alters the Gym’s level, which modifies how many Pokémon can be stored in the Gym. The maximum number of Pokémon to be stored in the Gym equals the Gym’s level.

You will notice that the Gym is deliberately designed to bring together as many players as possible to one physical location:

1. An individual can take a Gym with patience and time, but it will be nearly impossible if multiple rival team members are present. Also, an individual will not be able to hold it effectively, because each player can only leave a single Pokémon to defend each gym.
2. Because each player can only leave one Pokémon at each gym, the team must interact and cooperate with each other to build the strongest Pokémon team.
3. Prestige is associated with the Gym, but notice that the same “Prestige” is associated with the toughest players.
4. There’s nothing that brings people together better than competitive sports, which fighting in the Gym is all about. Taking control of a Gym is like winning a tournament.
5. If multiple trainers battle at the Gym, all trainers will receive XP.

It appears that Niantic was thinking about the opportunities for businesses when it created Gyms. Think of what you can do with all the people who will congregate at your shop if it is close to a Gym, if not the Gym itself.

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