Pokemon Go Community Days are opportunities to snatch some unique Pokemon and a lot of them, but given the time limit of just a few hours, it’s important to have a plan ready to go. Don’t miss out on shiny Pokemon! Or XP points!

Here are some tips on how to best approach an upcoming Pokemon Go Community Day and maximize your success.

Time Travel

Speaking from a western hemisphere perspective, if a Community Day is set for a certain day, that often means the countries a day ahead will have played before and posted how it went on various sites. Searching for this information may provide useful tips! Since Eevee Day went far differently than Larvitar Day and Squirtle Day, it was invaluable to know the different dynamics involved. Whereas Larvitar and Squirtle Day rewarded catching more of the pokemon, Eevee gave you little benefit to catching non-shiny Eevees beyond what you needed. This technique would likely work unless you’re in a country that is ahead of all the rest like Australia.

Local Flavor

Seek out local Pokemon groups on Facebook or Discord! They often have great information on where people are gathering or the event itself. Some groups are invitation-only so hopefully you can come upon someone who will bring you in. However, others are out there to find and draw information from. These groups often coordinate raids and other activities. They can be critical in learning what is going on, on the ground before and during Community Days and other special events.

Location, Location, Location

Even among areas rich in Pokemon stops, not all are created equal. It helps to find a place fellow trainers are gathering as the more people on scene, the easier it is for information to spread. Connecticut, for instance, has a major hub in a beach park. On a recent Community Day, people were literally shouting out where shiny Pokemon could be found to each other. Otherwise, it may take precious time to uncover secrets of each Community Day. The more people around, the more people dropping lures as well.

Also, you want to try to find an area filled with stops. The more spread out they are, the more time you will spend walking without accomplishing as much. The closer the stops, the more Pokemon that will pop up theoretically. A place like the aforementioned beach was great because it was just wall to wall stops, you walked up and down rarely being away from one. Sites like the Pokemon Go Map let you scout out where Pokestops before hand and pick great locations.

If you really really don’t want to miss the day, you’ll want to have backup locations you can drive around in the event of bad weather. A place that is generally just walkable may not be helpful if it’s pouring. Make sure to have a place in mind that you can safely drive around.

Clean House

Since Pokemon Go added the gifts component to the game, one can easily find their notifications exploding when they login, as well as their bags clogged with stuff. Be sure to get into the game before the Community Day starts and clean up as much as you can, get rid of notifications, and clear space for Pokemon and items. You’ll need it and you don’t want to be spending 15 minutes doing it once the clock is ticking.

Even beyond that, you might want to see if you can clean up your phone itself, making sure to have as much memory available as you can going into the day. The game itself can crash under the strain of so many people playing. You want your phone in the best shape possible to give it a fighting chance.

Show the Flag

If you are comfortable doing it, break out the Pokemon gear if you have it, or acquire some. Obviously safety first, but identifying yourself as a fellow trainer during these days can lead to useful conversations since people know you’re in the game too.

Now, go catch ’em all!

The next Pokemon Go Community Day is THIS Saturday Sept. 22: Chikorita Day! We hope this guide helps you catch as many chikoritas.

Good luck this weekend at Chikorita Day and at all upcoming Community Days! May the gods and the odds ever be in your favor.

 

Featured image credit: David Grandmougin/Unsplash