Gotta Catch 'Em All

Like a lot of people, I've been spending a lot of time lately playing Pokémon Go. I was at primary school during peak Poké-mania; I watched the cartoon, I collected the cards, so the opportunity to relive my childhood is tantalising. Plus, it's super addictive, and I'm super competitive, so I've clocked up a lotta time. 

The benefits of Pokémon Go are huge. It's great for mental health and for physical health; getting people out of the house, walking, enjoying an activity. It's also had a lot of anecdotal social benefits; people talking to each other! It's also so much fun. The thrill of finally seeing a Meowth, or evolving the Haunter you've been saving Gastly candies for, is pretty awesome.

One of the great things about Pokémon Go is the best way to play it is to go out, walk about. One of the worst things about Pokémon Go is the best way to play it is to go out, walk about. If you are a person for which this is a problem, it's much harder to play the game to its fullest extent, and this is sad. If you're anything like me, you pushed yourself a bit *toooo* far last week desperate to level up or catch that elusive Pokémon, and are now paying the price. While I love the way the game has been set up, and it's hard to imagine a way around this problem, it is frustrating having something else I really enjoy that I can't do as much as I'd like. I took more painkillers last week than I've taken for a long time, all to manage the extra pain caused by playing Pokémon Go. I had to spend most of last weekend resting having completely worn myself out from all the walking around and from forsaking my afternoon naps to go on Pokéhunts.

If you're in the same boat as me, Tania of When Tania Talks shared some fantastic disability hacks for playing Pokémon Go that I absolutely recommend taking a look at. 

And here are a few tips of my own:

If you aren't going to battle, ditch the potions: They're obviously super handy if you're planning to take over all the gyms in your area, but if you're a collector only, they're just taking up space in your bag. Space that, if you aren't able to go out as much as you'd like to, is better used storing Pokéballs.

Consider in-app purchases: This is usually a massive no-no for me, but when you think about it you pay for most forms of entertainment (buying a book, renting a movie, going to the cinema, playing a video game...) so if you're really enjoying Pokémon Go and aren't able to play it as fully as you'd like, in-app purchases are worth thinking about. While you'll burn through cash quickly buying your Pokéballs rather than picking them up at Pokéstops, a bag expansion means that if you're out and can access multiple Pokéstops, you can hoard extra Pokéballs for those times you won't be up for trips out. Buying extra incubators will make the most of the walking you can do, as you're able to hatch multiple eggs at once, and more incense will bring the Pokémon to you when you can't go to them.

Bus rides are your friend: I discovered last Monday that my bus rides to work hit many Pokéstops and are usually slow enough for me to catch Pokémon as well. If you're not able to walk far, a round-trip bus ride would enable you to reach multiple Pokéstops and have the opportunity to catch more Pokémon for a lot less energy than an extended walk. As an added bonus, those slower parts of your journey (stuck in traffic, slowing down for a bus-stop) can actually count towards the KMs needed to hatch eggs. 

Stop hating on the Pidgeys: You might be fed up of seeing them, but Pidgeys are a great way to level up. They're everywhere and they only take 12 candies to evolve. Save them up, whack on a Lucky Egg and evolve the lot. You'll get a whole bunch of XP and save yourself lots of walking around catching enough Pokemon to get there. 

Hijack your partner/parent/sibling/friend: If someone you know and see regularly is also playing, get them to take your phone out with them every now and again. If they're doing a Pokéstop run, they can take your phone out with them and stock you up while they're at it. I've even been known to send my boyfriend for a walk round the block to get the rest of the steps on a nearly-hatched egg...

So far I've managed to bag Meowths, Eevees, Jigglypuffs, Chanseys and, finally on Sunday afternoon, a Clefairy. I'm hoping this week will bring me an Abra, a Vaporeon and, of course, a Pikachu. Which Pokémon are you hoping to catch this week?