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[Pokemon Go] Ultra Beast mode

cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
edited June 2022 in Games and Technology
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Before you snark, yes, people still play this. Lots of us. If you’ve somehow missed the craze, Pokemon Go is a mobile game that will let you find Pokemon hiding in the real world. When one pops up, toss a Pokeball at it to try and catch it. The better you throw, the better the chance it won’t bust out. Need more balls? Pokestops are just about everywhere at landmarks, unique shops, churches and other cool places. You might even learn a bit about your town in the process!

Here’s an explanation of a few of the mechanics:

Gyms. These are extra-large pokestops that give you the chance to do battle with other Pokemon. That team you picked at the start of the game? (Red = Valor, Blue = Mystic, Yellow = Instinct. Don’t pick Instinct. Trust me.) You can only battle Pokemon of the opposing team.

Yes, this game continues the rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock mechanics of the core Pokemon games, with attacks of certain types (say, water) being more effective or less effective against Pokemon of other types (in this case, fire and grass respectively). Here’s a Pokemon type chart, but if that makes your head spin, don’t worry – the game will suggest to you which of your Pokemon are best at beating up the Pokemon are currently in the gym.

Earning coins at gyms. Even if you don’t want to battle, you’ll still want to place Pokemon in gyms held by your team if there’s space. (Gyms can hold a maximum of six Pokemon.) The longer your Pokemon stays in the gym, the more coins you’ll earn when they’re knocked out! But keep in mind you’re capped at earning 50 coins per day, and that’s regardless of how many gyms you’re in. And Pokemon will gradually grow weaker unless they’re fed berries. This is much, MUCH less annoying than the old gym system, which allowed power players and spoofers to dominate. You can also buy coins for items at the shop with real-world money. This is a mobile game, after all.

Raids and legendaries. Sometimes, eggs will appear in gyms. After a time they’ll hatch and reveal a ginormous version of a Pokemon roughly 10 times as powerful as normal. Raids are how you take them down, try to catch them and earn special rewards like TMs that grant new moves and rare candy that can be used for any Pokemon. Additionally, Raids are the only way to catch Legendary Pokemon and a few others like Mawile and Absol.

Each raid is rated at one to five stars. You can probably do a one or two star raid by yourself, but for higher ones, you’ll need friends. How do you find them? Check Facebook, Discord and Reddit for Pokemon groups in your area. Keep in mind you’re not guaranteed to catch a Legendary – you can only use a certain amount special balls awarded to you based on your performance and other factors. If you really want them, be prepared to raid several times. It’ll usually take 3-4 tries, though it took me 16 tries to get a Zapdos. I know, it’s kind of a bummer.

Legendaries rotate each month. The current legendary is Latias or Latios, depending on where you live. They'll swap places in May.

Don’t forget to revive and heal your Pokemon after raids and gym battles!

Moves and TMs. Unlike the core games, your Go Pokemon will have two moves -- a fast move and a charged move. Your fast move will be done whenever you tap the screen, while the charged move button will light up when you fill up a meter via dealing/taking damage. And yes, both moves will change when the Pokemon evolves.

Don't like your Pokemon's moves? Use a TM item! These items will randomly select another move that's potentially available to your Pokemon (usually there's 2-4 available depending on Pokemon). The best way to get these items are through raids or, much less commonly, research. And yes, some moves are better than others.

Finding different types of Pokemon. Different Pokemon will show up in different places, often times based on geography. Your town may mostly be considered a forest biome with abundant grass-types, but an area around a lake or river might have more water types, and hilly parts may be considered mountains. Traveling is a great way to encounter different types of Pokemon… especially since a few Pokemon are exclusive to a region. Here’s a list.

Shinies. If you're lucky, you might stumble into a rare type of Pokemon that has slightly different colors than normal. Congrats, you found a shiny! ...though they're pretty much just for bragging rights, as they're not different from regular Pokemon in any way. They could even have terrible stats. Though if you somehow encounter a shiny legendary, you're guaranteed to catch it with your first ball!

Weather. The weather will also affect what types of Pokemon show up, plus these Pokemon could be stronger than normal when caught. A few Pokemon really only show up during certain types of weather, even if you’re in the right biome normally. Here’s a weather chart. And yes, weather can be very inconsistent, so be prepared for the game to insist it’s raining when it’s sunny out.

Evolving and powering up with candy and stardust. When you catch a Pokemon or hatch it from an egg, you’ll get a few candies and stardust. You can also get a candy from transferring a Pokemon to the professor (which is how you get rid of Pokemon you don’t want) or stardust from feeding Pokemon in gyms. To evolve a Pokemon, you just need candies – anywhere from 12 for a Pidgey to 400 for that bastard Magikarp. Powering up a Pokemon to increase its combat power (CP) requires both candy and stardust. If you’re just starting out, don’t bother powering up anything until you hit level 20 or so, as you’ll catch stronger Pokemon easily. And for god’s sake, don’t power up that Rattatta. Save stardust for Pokemon that can get really strong and dominate gyms.

Levels. Catching, hatching and battling Pokemon will give you experience. What does it do? At higher levels, you’ll catch more powerful Pokemon and have the ability to power up your Pokemon even further. That’s it! Oh, everyone will find the same Pokemon -- they just might be lower CP for you.

The buddy system. Catch a Dratini, but can’t seem to find any more to get candies to evolve it? Make it your buddy, and it’ll show up by your side in your profile. The game keeps track of how far you walk, and you’ll get a candy after a certain distance. Here’s a list of how far you’ll need to walk for each Pokemon. Oh, and don’t bother walking a legendary – they require 20 KM per candy! Use rare candy for them.

Eggs. You’ll get these at Pokestops. Pop it in an incubator, and after you walk a certain distance you’ll hatch a somewhat random Pokemon. The more you have to walk an egg, the better the Pokemon you’ll get. Probably. Everyone’s experienced the pain of walking 10 KM and hatching a goddamn Sudowoodo. You’ll always have one incubator that can be used infinite times, but other incubators will break after a certain number of uses.

Research and mythicals. Think of these as quests. You can pick them up at Pokestops, and they’ll ask you to catch a certain type of Pokemon, get a certain number of great throws, hatch an egg or the like. When you do it, you’ll get a reward or an encounter with a specific Pokemon. Doing one bit of research per day earns you a stamp, and when you do it seven times, you’ll get a bunch of items and an encounter with a legendary Pokemon! Even if you’ve gotten the stamp for the day, you can still research to your heart’s content. Here's a list so you can keep an eye out for the ones that grant Pokemon you're having trouble finding.

Additionally, the strangely hot and rugged Professor Willow will give you research tasks of his own. Doing clusters of them will give you nice items, and doing them all will let you catch a mythical Pokemon like Mew. This is currently the only way to catch mythicals.

IVs. This way lies madness. IVs stand for individual values. While combat power shows you how powerful your Pokemon is at the moment, IVs indicate how powerful it has the potential to become. The only way in-game to get a hint at the IVs is to have it appraised by your team leader. The happier they are with it, the higher IVs it has. If you want an exact IV count, you can turn to other sites and apps, but beware, Niantic isn’t fond of third-party apps that directly interface with the game and could ban you.

And yes, if you aren’t crazy feel free to ignore IVs. There’s really only a ten percent difference in CP between the lowest IV Pokemon and the highest.

Events. Niantic sometimes switches things up with special events that can offer things like boosted XP, stardust or candies; different Pokemon to catch (including region exclusives) and the like. Assuming I remember to update it, here’s the current event:

Return of the water festival, with water-types appearing more often and giving you triple stardust. 2KM eggs will hatch rare water-types with double candy and stardust. And Kyogre's back.

Community events. Once a month, a specific Pokemon that's generally hard to find and a candy hog will spawn all over the place for three hours. Additionally, if you evolve them to their final form during the event, you'll get an exclusive, powerful charged move. Yes, if you evolve a Pokemon you caught before the event, it'll get the move. No, if you catch a Pokemon during the event and wait until afterward to evolve it, it won't get the move. Next event is Larvitar, June 16.

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cloudeagle on
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Posts

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    ...whew! Let me know if there's anything you think I should add or tweak.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    PSA: Don't forget Lickitung, Ryhorn, Tangela, Electabuzz, Porygon, Magmar, Magnemite and of course Eevee all get new evolutions in generation four, so take advantage of the event to stock up on candy!

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • Waffles or whateverWaffles or whatever Previously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen" Registered User regular
    edited April 2018
    Going off the previous thread. I'd be neat to see another Tangela. I've only ever seen one and that one spawned off of a lure at a pokestop on post. I caught it, but it only has 30 CP.

    Waffles or whatever on
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited April 2018
    finally got my magnet guy

    close to voltorb and machamp

    still no dodrios, electabuzz, porygon, lickitung, or regionals though so I probably still won't get em all

    Xaquin on
  • Waffles or whateverWaffles or whatever Previously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen" Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »
    finally got my magnet guy

    close to voltorb and machamp

    still no dodrios, electabuzz, porygon, lickitung, or regionals though so I probably still won't get em all

    Porygon is the one I question whether I'll ever get. I haven't seen one or hatched one since launch. :/

  • pezgenpezgen Registered User regular
    Thanks for the reminder - I've been ignoring a load of the pokes I already have as I'd forgotten about the Gen 4 evolutions.

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »
    finally got my magnet guy

    close to voltorb and machamp

    still no dodrios, electabuzz, porygon, lickitung, or regionals though so I probably still won't get em all

    Porygon is the one I question whether I'll ever get. I haven't seen one or hatched one since launch. :/

    same

    much less the evolutions

    though I guess I have 2 Upgrades sitting around collecting dust

  • Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    Still missing dugtrio, articuno, zapdos, tauros, mew, mewtwo. Hopefully research will fix most of those tho...

    ...because dragons are AWESOME! That's why.
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  • TurambarTurambar Independent Registered User regular
    New event helped me get the last 100 candy for the Magikarp quest in no time

    Finally got me a Raichu and a Rhydon as well
    Also have enough candy for a Nidoking, just hoping for a better candidate to evolve

    Only like 15 to go for full Kanto

    Steam: turamb | Origin: Turamb | 3DS: 3411-1109-4537 | NNID: Turambar | Warframe(PC): Turamb
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    I have 7 porygons

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited April 2018
    I have 7 porygons

    can I have one?

    missing regionals, dodrio, hitmon and hitmonevolution, porygon, and legendaries

    edit: and grimer

    Xaquin on
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I have 7 porygons

    can I have one?

    missing regionals, dodrio, hitmon and hitmonevolution, porygon, and legendaries

    edit: and grimer

    At least in my area, doduos have been fairly easy to find. Haven't run into Grimer, but what you'll want to do is keep spinning Pokestops until you get the "catch three poison Pokemon" quest that grants a Pokemon. It'll always be Grimer.

    Not sure how to help on the others, but you know that finishing a week's worth of field research has been granting Moltres, right?

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    I did not know that!

    what do you mean 'keep spinning pokestops'?

    can you change the research?

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I did not know that!

    what do you mean 'keep spinning pokestops'?

    can you change the research?

    Yes! If you have research you don't want to finish or would be a pain in the butt to finish, you can get rid of it by clicking the little trash can icon in the upper right. Then you can spin another Pokestop and get another research quest -- hopefully one you actually want.

    I usually seek out one very easy one to ensure I get the stamp for the day, and then I look for the field research that grants Grimer, Electabuzz or Larvitar.

    Here's a list of the field research requests and their rewards.

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  • RuldarRuldar Registered User regular
    There's a little trash can on the field research that lets you delete them if you don't want to do them.

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    oh excellent, thank you both!

  • pezgenpezgen Registered User regular
    It's obviously just my bad luck, but each time I've deleted a field research task the next stop I spin has just replaced it. I got "catch three Swablu" three times in a row.

    Also, I think there's a time delay on how often you can spin a Pokestop for a new task, yes? You can't just sit and spin each time it turns blue?

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    pezgen wrote: »
    It's obviously just my bad luck, but each time I've deleted a field research task the next stop I spin has just replaced it. I got "catch three Swablu" three times in a row.

    Also, I think there's a time delay on how often you can spin a Pokestop for a new task, yes? You can't just sit and spin each time it turns blue?

    Pokestops always grant the same task each day, so spinning a single Pokestop over and over will just give you the same thing. Tasks change daily though.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • pezgenpezgen Registered User regular
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    pezgen wrote: »
    It's obviously just my bad luck, but each time I've deleted a field research task the next stop I spin has just replaced it. I got "catch three Swablu" three times in a row.

    Also, I think there's a time delay on how often you can spin a Pokestop for a new task, yes? You can't just sit and spin each time it turns blue?

    Pokestops always grant the same task each day, so spinning a single Pokestop over and over will just give you the same thing. Tasks change daily though.

    Hmmm, maybe I spun the same stop a few times, but with a reasonable gap inbetween? There's one outside my office that I spun for a task this morning - I deleted a task I didn't want, spun it just now and I didn't get a new one.

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    pezgen wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    pezgen wrote: »
    It's obviously just my bad luck, but each time I've deleted a field research task the next stop I spin has just replaced it. I got "catch three Swablu" three times in a row.

    Also, I think there's a time delay on how often you can spin a Pokestop for a new task, yes? You can't just sit and spin each time it turns blue?

    Pokestops always grant the same task each day, so spinning a single Pokestop over and over will just give you the same thing. Tasks change daily though.

    Hmmm, maybe I spun the same stop a few times, but with a reasonable gap inbetween? There's one outside my office that I spun for a task this morning - I deleted a task I didn't want, spun it just now and I didn't get a new one.

    Yeah, sometimes stops haven't given tasks for me either. Maybe it's because I did the task tied to that particular Pokestop that day, since I've been able to do the exact same quest multiple times. (Probably got it from different stops.)

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • Waffles or whateverWaffles or whatever Previously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen" Registered User regular
    It's always fun reading what each of us could never get.

    Also. This month's research reward is Moltres, so now's the time to stock up on that candy if you need it. :D

  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    It's always fun reading what each of us could never get.

    Also. This month's research reward is Moltres, so now's the time to stock up on that candy if you need it. :D

    Are research rewards monthly? In other words, completing multiple weeks will be a Moltres for each one?

    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    It's always fun reading what each of us could never get.

    Also. This month's research reward is Moltres, so now's the time to stock up on that candy if you need it. :D

    Are research rewards monthly? In other words, completing multiple weeks will be a Moltres for each one?

    Did a quick check and I don't think anyone's sure.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • quietjayquietjay Indianapolis, INRegistered User regular
    It's always fun reading what each of us could never get.

    Also. This month's research reward is Moltres, so now's the time to stock up on that candy if you need it. :D

    Are research rewards monthly? In other words, completing multiple weeks will be a Moltres for each one?

    Probably, I got a Moltres on April 5 and April 12 for completing research.

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  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited April 2018
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I have 7 porygons

    can I have one?

    missing regionals, dodrio, hitmon and hitmonevolution, porygon, and legendaries

    edit: and grimer

    At least in my area, doduos have been fairly easy to find. Haven't run into Grimer, but what you'll want to do is keep spinning Pokestops until you get the "catch three poison Pokemon" quest that grants a Pokemon. It'll always be Grimer.

    Not sure how to help on the others, but you know that finishing a week's worth of field research has been granting Moltres, right?

    mine was not a grimer, it was just some stardust or something =(

    edit: also, for the participate in raids research, you apparently have to win the raid. because I lost one and did not get the research =/

    Xaquin on
  • CSStheGr8CSStheGr8 Registered User regular
    I've lost the same raid on the same raid pass three times in a row and gotten credit each time.

    3DS FC: 2363-6921-5075
  • Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I have 7 porygons

    can I have one?

    missing regionals, dodrio, hitmon and hitmonevolution, porygon, and legendaries

    edit: and grimer

    At least in my area, doduos have been fairly easy to find. Haven't run into Grimer, but what you'll want to do is keep spinning Pokestops until you get the "catch three poison Pokemon" quest that grants a Pokemon. It'll always be Grimer.

    Not sure how to help on the others, but you know that finishing a week's worth of field research has been granting Moltres, right?

    mine was not a grimer, it was just some stardust or something =(

    edit: also, for the participate in raids research, you apparently have to win the raid. because I lost one and did not get the research =/

    N.B. raiding and fighting in a gym are mutually exclusive activities, apparently.

    ...because dragons are AWESOME! That's why.
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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited April 2018
    Xaquin wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I have 7 porygons

    can I have one?

    missing regionals, dodrio, hitmon and hitmonevolution, porygon, and legendaries

    edit: and grimer

    At least in my area, doduos have been fairly easy to find. Haven't run into Grimer, but what you'll want to do is keep spinning Pokestops until you get the "catch three poison Pokemon" quest that grants a Pokemon. It'll always be Grimer.

    Not sure how to help on the others, but you know that finishing a week's worth of field research has been granting Moltres, right?

    mine was not a grimer, it was just some stardust or something =(

    Guess I should also specify that different Pokestops can give the same quest but different rewards. I promise there's a version of catch three poison types that grants a Grimer! Just look for the grass with the question mark in the reward spot. If it shows a berry or a potion or something instead, flush it.

    cloudeagle on
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  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    CSStheGr8 wrote: »
    I've lost the same raid on the same raid pass three times in a row and gotten credit each time.

    Weird

    Guess it was a glitch

  • CSStheGr8CSStheGr8 Registered User regular
    Trying it again today and I think you have to be in the active battle screen when it times out. Usually I'd just hit the run button, hop back in at 10 seconds or so left and get credit. This didn't work when I hit rejoin too late and it timed out giving me an error and no credit.

    3DS FC: 2363-6921-5075
  • KafkaAUKafkaAU Western AustraliaRegistered User regular
    Yes battle in a raid means you have to be engaged with the raid when it finishes. Either you win it, or you lose at the end of the timer, but you've got to be on the combat screen at the end and that will count as "battle in a raid".

    Also yes, you can only complete each quest (with the same rewards) once each day and the same pokestop gives out the same quest (with the same reward) every day. There are different versions of the same quest with different rewards thought.

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  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    I don't think it necessarily needs to be in the combat screen. I got credit yesterday when, after all my pokes died, I was on the screen to select a second group with like 10 seconds left. So, I just let the time run out and I still got credit.

    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • Waffles or whateverWaffles or whatever Previously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen" Registered User regular
    Heyo. Logged into Pokemon as I was crawling into bed. Magikarp spawned on my house and behold! A shiny Magikarp! He has okayish IVs. Will definitely level him up for that quest when the time comes for Red Gyarados for sure.

  • GrobianGrobian What's on sale? Pliers!Registered User regular
    Heyo. Logged into Pokemon as I was crawling into bed. Magikarp spawned on my house and behold! A shiny Magikarp! He has okayish IVs. Will definitely level him up for that quest when the time comes for Red Gyarados for sure.

    Nice. I have the candy for a Gyarados thanks to the event. But I'm still holding back the evolve for the research because I haven't given up hope that I might get a shiny.

  • TurambarTurambar Independent Registered User regular
    KafkaAU wrote: »
    Yes battle in a raid means you have to be engaged with the raid when it finishes. Either you win it, or you lose at the end of the timer, but you've got to be on the combat screen at the end and that will count as "battle in a raid".

    Also yes, you can only complete each quest (with the same rewards) once each day and the same pokestop gives out the same quest (with the same reward) every day. There are different versions of the same quest with different rewards thought.

    I've completed the same quest for the same reward at the same time from different stops

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  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    @wafflesmagee and I started to get back into this and it's been a lot of fun. The research stuff is a nice motivator to get us walking around. We completed one raid and caught a Venomoth so nothing too fancy but fun. Are shinies just random possibilities? I'd love to get a shiny ponyta and there's a bunch near me.

    If I care about IVs, anything less than "your pokemon is a wonder!" is probably lower quality right?

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    SniperGuy wrote: »
    @wafflesmagee and I started to get back into this and it's been a lot of fun. The research stuff is a nice motivator to get us walking around. We completed one raid and caught a Venomoth so nothing too fancy but fun. Are shinies just random possibilities? I'd love to get a shiny ponyta and there's a bunch near me.

    If I care about IVs, anything less than "your pokemon is a wonder!" is probably lower quality right?

    Shinies are random. And there's absolutely nothing special about them other than their color. Unfortunately, I don't think the event started with most of the gen I shinies, including Ponyta.

    If you get the top-tier assessment from your leader, it's at least 82 percent. (Here's a list if you're curious.) Personally, that's all I strive for... I don't have the patience to hunt for anything specifically higher and plug them into IV calculators.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • LeeksLeeks Registered User regular
    Well over 500 magikarp candy saved up, and I can't find a stupid ditto. I did get one the day before I had that task though, so that was cool...

  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    Leeks wrote: »
    Well over 500 magikarp candy saved up, and I can't find a stupid ditto. I did get one the day before I had that task though, so that was cool...

    I've caught 2 dittos since research went live. Unfortunately, I only got to the ditto step yesterday. :bigfrown:

    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • SniperGuySniperGuy SniperGuyGaming Registered User regular
    The special research is the thing that'll eventually give me a shot at Mew I believe? Does that expire at any point? Looking at the list of stuff I think it won't be too bad but stuff like catch a ditto is probably pretty grindy.

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