Pokemon Go doesn't seem to do much in ways of teaching you how the game works, or how a raid works, leaving all the Pokemon trainers in the world either confused or constantly Googling how things work. Since you are here, I'm assuming you are constantly Googling things. Good choice! Welcome to my article on how to be "the very best" in Pokemon Go! I hope this article helps you out and if it does, how about a share? No? Well, can't blame me for trying... right?

If you are like me, then you are currently obsessed with Pokemon Go. Play it every day! It had a bumpy start when the app was first released, but now things are getting better.

1. Gifts are the best way to restock your Pokeballs.

Opening gifts is a great way to play the Pokemon Go without even leaving your house yet.

The best part is that you get more Pokeballs without breaking the bank. There's a limit of 20 gifts per day to be opened... but it really helps!

There is a max of 200 friends, so take advantage of it!

Don't just open gifts though; sending gifts helps you build "friendships" with other players. The higher your friendship level is, the better the bonuses you get for raiding together. So that's a bonus!

More friends means more pokeballs.

2. Pinap Berries

If you want to evolve your pokemon, then pinap berries are about to become your new best friend.

When you catch a pokemon you get three candies with them. With the pinap berry, you get six! Which can really help you when you have a shiny Charmander that you just can't wait to level up.

Even better, pinap berries double your candy intake no matter what. So if there is an event that gives you double candy to begin with... then your pinap berry turns those six candies into twelve candies!

3. The Curve Ball

I'm only adding this because I genuinely didn't know how to do a curveball until one of my co-workers showed me... it was really embarrassing.

Shake it around until it sparkles. Curveballs might make you lose a couple of poke-balls, but it's worth it for that sweet sweet extra experience.

You will also get challenges where you have to make curveballs, so it's best to know how.

4. Lucky Pokemon

Lucky pokemon are pretty much what they sound like. They are basically normal pokemon... but just bit luckier. By this, I mean that they are more likely to be stronger in battle and they require less stardust to power up. Simple stuff like that. They also appear to be a bit shinier, but don't be fooled, they are not the rare shiny pokemon.

The only way right now to get a lucky pokemon is to trade with another trainer. If you really want a lucky pokemon, it's best to level up your friendship with another trainer that you know. This is because trading pokemon generally seems to require way too much stardust. Luckily, if you have a high friendship level with someone, the amount of stardust you need goes way down.

Remember: You can only trade each Pokemon once!

5. Defending Gyms

Not only is defending gyms fun, but it is also the only way to get poke-coins without spending real money. I really want to recommend saving your coins for a gift box. That way you get more bang for your virtual buck. Just try not to impulsively spend them on incense... they are really not worth it.

The max limit you can earn a day is 50 coins.

6. Raids

It took me a little while to figure out how raids work... so here's a little help in case you are as lost as I was.

You get one free raid pass a day when you spin your first gym. I bought a couple raid passes but I regret it now because I rarely ever raid more than once a day. Of course, the app put a limit on the free raid passes... because of money... so you can never have more than one free raid pass at a time. So it would wise to try an raid once a day... if you can. If you still have a raid pass from yesterday, you can use it and still get a new one for today. So some days you can raid twice for free.

You can stack the premium raid passes (the ones you buy from the store). So if you really want you can stock up on those for a rainy day or two.

Beginner Tip: Raids are meant for groups, so if you are new and try to take on a level 5 gym by yourself... you won't stand a chance. I'm sorry, but it's true.

7. Events

There are community days all the time and they are absolutely amazing. Every community day a pokemon is picked and that pokemon is suddenly everywhere for 3 hours. There is a much higher chance to get a shiny and there is usually another cool thing or two added to the mix. For example, if you fully evolve the community day pokemon during that time you also get a totally awesome battle move with it. So please make sure to take advantage of these special events. Note that the time zones effect when the pokemon come out and when the clocks toll 12 they all disappear right away.

The best way to find out about any events coming up is the "News" button in the app. If you click the Pokeball at the bottom of the screen the "News" button should be in the top right corner under "Settings" and "Tips."

8. Catching Pokemon - It's all about the circle size and colour.

The colour of the circle means a lot. Basically, if the circle is green than it should be an easy Pokemon to catch. If the colour is orange... not so easy. If the colour is red, this will be a frustrating Pokemon to try and catch. If you feed them a razz-berry you can actually see the colour change from orange to green. The same goes with using a better Pokeball. If you use an ultra ball the colour should change a lot... with the exception of legendary Pokemon of course.

The size of the circle is just as important. The smaller the circle the better your chance is at catching the pokemon. If you hit it at the small circle, right on target, you also get points for having a better throw. Be careful waiting for a smaller circle, though. Sometimes the pokemon get fidgety and move. However, if you have a Nanab Berry (the pink banana) then giving them one should help with that too.

9. Catch them all - no really, every single one.

Don't stop at just filling out your Pokedex. I mean yes that is ideal and the point, but also catch common Pokemon often. Trust me, you are going to want that stardust.

If you are smart and don't want to use real money for Pokeballs, then I have a solution! Try the "One Pokeball" Rule.

What's the "One Pokeball" rule? Glad you still want to know.

If a pokemon shows up in your backyard, but you are really sick of that type of pokemon and you really don't need candy for them, just use one regular Pokeball on them. You will be surprised how many times it actually works even if they have a high CP level. This way you gave it a try without wasting a bunch of Pokeballs. Also, if you actually catch it, there is a small amount of XP awarded for catching it in the first try.

10. Shinies!

Shinies are the best way to show that you are a serious Pokemon trainer. They are really just regular Pokemon... but significantly more rare!!

If you ever get a shiny, level them up and show them off in gyms!

My personal favourite shinies are Marmar, Gyaradose, and Charizard!

Pro Top!

If you buy coins from the shop, DO NOT buy in bulk!

It's actually cheaper to keep pressing the $1 for 100 coins. I know it's ludicrous, but it's true.

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