For many trainers out there, Pokémon GO is somewhat of a thing of the past. It came and went, and now there's nothing left to do with it. However, Pokémon GO is now a much fuller game than it once was. It is filled to the brim with all sorts of new Pokémon to meet (Unova is on the way!) and content to interact with.
What's the deal with that super-spooky Snorlax? If you haven't played for a while, you probably wouldn't know! Thus, today we'll be going over ten different things you might not have known that you can do in Pokémon Go. Let's jump right on into the list.
10 Shiny Hunt
While not every Pokémon has a shiny variant in Pokémon GO, a large amount can still be found in the game and you can shiny hunt whichever you choose, just like in the mainline games (just check out this shiny Beedrill from Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee).
While most of the time you'll just be full-odds hunting, Community Days will give you the best chance to find a shiny Pokémon. With lowered odds and increased encounter rates, make sure to go out and start hunting. As of the time of this writing, Turtwig will be the next spotlighted Pokémon, so September is your month to grab a shiny one.
9 Use Mystery Boxes And Grab/Evolve Meltan
Meltan's official reveal actually took place within Pokémon Go, and as of now, it is still the only way to find the Pokémon. By using Mystery Boxes (obtained by linking the game with Pokémon Let's Go!) you can encounter Meltan for a short period of time. In this time frame, you can catch as many of the creature that decide to grace you with their presence.
When you do so you'll have a chance to encounter a shiny Meltan, along with collecting the 400 candies needed for its evolution into Melmetal. Its evolved form is still only available via Pokémon GO, making it an important activity to do as often as possible.
8 Take Pictures And Capture Smeargle
In Pokémon GO, you can use the camera item to take all sorts of pictures of your Pokémon in the real world. If you want to show your Feebas off to the entire world, you do it. While this can be a fun activity on its own, it is currently the only way to catch Smeargle, the weird beagle-looking beast that has a niche in Ubers for some reason.
If you're looking to catch Smeargle, take as many pictures that you can and hope that it photobombs one of them. That's your chance.
7 Have Battles With Friends That Are Actually Fun
The friends feature in Pokémon GO is a ton of fun. While you can trade gifts and trade with your friends, you can also compete in PVP battles with them. Along with that, the battle system has actually improved quite a bit since its inception.
Sure, it's still not on the level of the mainline games, but it is much more fun than the tap fest that we're used to from the game. Thus, you'll want to make sure to get into some battles with your friends, and show off the shiny Pokémon that you caught earlier while you're at it.
6 Form Parties For Leagues
When you're out participating in these PVP battles, choosing a League is a great way to up the ante. With these leagues, you can assemble parties to battle with. The league that you choose determines the level of CP that is allowed to enter, so you can form both high-level teams and low-level teams.
This can allow for all of your Pokémon to shine, like your starter Squirtle with 13 CP that you named Craig. This can allow for a bit more variety to enter into your battles, which is never a bad thing.
5 Send Pokémon to Sword And Shield
With the incoming release of Pokémon Home, you'll soon be able to transfer all of your Pokémon to the brand new titles, Pokémon Sword and Shield. Well, most of your Pokémon that is. We aren't allowed all of them in Sword and Shield, remember?
Nevertheless, you'll soon be able to transfer your Pokémon to not just the Let's Go! titles, but also Sword and Shield. Make sure to stock up on some cool legendaries and shiny Pokémon before November arrives.
4 Battle Team Rocket
The villainous Team Rocket has arrived in GO, and as is every ten-year-old's right of passage, you must be the one to stop them. You'll find grunts at various different Pokéstops around the world. When you find one, battle them, and bring the best of your Pokémon, as they're no joke.
You'll receive different rewards for beating them, so make sure to take down as many grunts as you can find. After beating them, there is something else that you can do as well.
3 Purify Shadow Pokémon
After beating a grunt, you'll get the chance to capture their shadow Pokémon (a la Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness). After doing so, you get the chance to purify them and make them good bois again. Doing so makes them easier to raise and stronger in the long run.
Either that, or you can keep them corrupt like the monster you are. Either way, try to gather as many Shadow Pokémon as you can to get them out of the clutches of Team Rocket.
2 Unlock Rare Pokémon
Through the various research methods that are provided by Professor Willow, you can unlock a variety of different rare, legendary and mythical Pokémon to capture. These research methods allow you to obtain Pokémon that are not usually available, and they never expire, so you have as much time to complete them as you'd like.
Plus, who doesn't love to spend a little bit of time with the wonderful Professor Willow? This addition also gave us all kinds of quests to complete, making GO feel much more involved and engaging.
1 Use Adventure Sync
Adventure Sync is one of the most important updates that Pokémon Go has ever received. While the app is open in the background, it will track all of your traveling in order to put it toward buddy candies and hatching.
This makes the process of gathering candies and Pokémon so much easier, which is not a bad thing in the slightest. Adventure Sync is an easy way to make the most of your Pokémon GO adventures, and you may not even have heard about it!