Now don't be alarmed. I know all of this sounds extremely frightening, but I am here to help arm you with enough knowledge, tips, and tricks for you to "be the very best, like no one ever was."  For those of you who did not get that joke, CLICK HERE to get some Pokéducation.

Setup and Starting Out

First, download the app on your smartphone. Simple and easy to do. If you have not done this already then you have saved yourself from  a weeks worth of bashing your head against the wall because of the hundreds of server crashes due to the millions of players downloading the app.

After you download, pick a name and you’re starting Pokémon. As true as the Red & Blue (The first Pokémon Gameboy Games), the three original starting Pokémon are all there: Bulbasaur, Charmander (I picked this one), or Squirtle. After that, GET OUTSIDE AND GET WALKING!  The game is based on you moving your butt throughout your city or town. By doing this, you run into wild Pokémon, Pokéstop Modules, and Gyms.

What’s a Pokéstop Module?

Pokéstops are points within your city that allow you to get free items such as:

There are more items, but these are the ones you need to know off the bat.

PoGo uses Google maps to help with the GPS and the Pokéstops. When you arrive at a Pokéstop, simply spin the picture and it spits out items for you. They reset after five minutes, so you can fill them up again shortly after using them once. Pokéstops are Focal Points within your city, such as a painting or restaurant. I stick near Downtown Dayton when I need to hit a bunch of stops. There are five Pokéstops near the Top of the Market area with more down the street, as well as a plethora of Pokémon ripe for the picking.

My suggestion is to grab a DYT Link Bike (that link will show you all the Bike Stations) and hit up the following locations:

This will help you get to the Pokéstops quicker, get some distance logged (PoGo tracks how much you have traveled, which helps with hatching eggs and medal challenges), and best of all, get you some EXERCISE. Which we all could use a little more of in our life.

I have spoken to a few businesses that have seen a large uptick in business due to rare Pokémon sightings within their shops, and even when a Pokéstop near them has a Lure Module attached to it. Cold Stone Creamery was basically sold out of everything at the Greene, and Beavercreek Pizza Dive said someone posted a picture of a rare Pikachu in their restaurant -- and sales were through the roof that night.

How to Catch a Pokémon?

Catching these Pesky Pokémon are as easy as ordering a Muses from Lily's Bistro.

First, walk around until your phone vibrates. This alerts you when a Pokémon pops up on your screen. Then, tap the Pokémon that has appeared on your screen.

You will be taken to a screen that uses your phone's camera and shows the Pokémon in real time within your surroundings. Below are a few screen grabs of some common Pokémon I have caught.

Tap and hold your Pokéball at the bottom of the screen and slide your finger up towards the Pokémon. Distance is KEY. Sometimes you have to slide your finger further than others. Once released the ball will capture the Pokémon and wiggle three times. After it is caught, your Pokémon will be added to your Pokédex and is yours to level up. You can even change the name of your Pokémon.

Gyms

No, I am not talking about pounding down a protein shake and getting your pump on. Gyms in PoGo are like Pokéstops -- except this is where you put your Pokemon’s skills to test in the ancient art of PokéBattle. You cannot click on a gym until you are level 5, so start catching as many Pokémon as possible to collect that XP (Experience Points).

Once you are level 5, you can go into a Gym and choose which faction you will be. The three teams are Team Mystic (Legendary Pokémon Arcticuno), Team Instinct (Legendary Pokémon Zapdos), and Team Valor (Legendary Pokémon Moltres – I chose this Team). Right now, the national trend is towards Team Mystic. With your team selected, start battling. Level your Pokémon up the best you can to topple the Gym Leaders. The leaders are other players within the area that you get to battle and try to overthrow.

PokéDONTS

The game is amazing, fun, and gets people out and moving.  But like all things there are some negatives and things not to do.

Local Businesses

If you are a smart local business, you will be using this NATIONAL GAME to your advantage. If I were a business owner in the Dayton area, I would WITHOUT HESITATION be offering discounts or freebies to Poké Trainers coming into my store.

The possibilities are endless. Get creative and use your imagination. Check out what Cake, Hope, and Love did:

Be sure to join the Facebook group Pokemon Go: Dayton, Ohio. It is a fun community with people sharing tips and tricks on how to play PoGo in the Dayton area. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me via social media. Happy Hunting, Trainers!

DISCLAIMER:

This is a "Getting Started" blog to help get new Poke Trainers up and going. There is a lot more to the game that I didn’t discuss. Explore the city and share what you have found!

Daytonians are thirsty. When I say thirsty, I mean they are THIRSTY! How can they quench said thirst? By playing Pokémon Go of course. There is an infestation of Weedles that have over taken Top of the Market. Rattatas are running rampant on Fifth Street, particularly in front of Lucky’s and The Trolley Stop. Pidgeys are plaguing our once peaceful Dayton Metro Parks with their silent but deadly coos.