8 Helpful Tips for Pokemon GO Newbies to Get Ahead

Gear up, trainers! Pokemon is finally available in the Philippines, and it’s time to fulfill your dreams of becoming a Pokémon master! Developed by Niantic Inc., Pokemon GO blends the much beloved world of the classic Pokemon game with the real physical world through augmented reality.

As a player of the game, you must start your journey as a Pokemon Trainer to catch Pokémon, train them and eventually become a Pokemon Master. However, unlike other mobile games, Pokemon GO requires you to put more physical effort and even strategy to progress and master the game. Here are some tips to help when starting your Pokemon GO quest.

8 Tips to Make the Most of Your Pokemon GO Journey

8. Always bring extra power.

Playing Pokemon GO uses internet either through mobile data or WiFi, GPS to locate you and Pokémon nearby, and even your camera as part of the augmented reality experience, resulting to heavy battery drain when playing the game. It is best to always bring an extra power bank with you to keep your game going.

7. Have fun, but stay aware of your surroundings.

Holding your phone in public can possibly attract thieves who may steal your phone. You might be also too distracted around you when you are enjoying too much of the game, so be alert by keeping on the lookout from time to time!

6. Use your items wisely.

Don't get carried away in your excitement to catch Pokemon. Poke Balls and other items are not unlimited, so use them wisely. When catching Pokemon, keep the Pokemon centered in your camera frame, so you can catch them more accurately.

Don’t worry, though. Poke Balls can always be acquired at Pokestops, or if you ever do run out of Poke Balls, you can purchase them in bulk using Pokecoins. Need Pokecoins? With Globe, you can easily buy more on Google Play via the hassle-free Direct Carrier Billing, so you can easily charge to your postpaid bill or prepaid credits!

5. Stay on the lookout for Pokestops.

Pokestops are there to provide you with items to help you catch Pokémon, and can sometimes be spots where Pokemon appear when lure modules are applied. Pokestops are mostly located in nearby convergence areas such as malls, parks, basketball courts or even mural paintings and statues and refresh within a few minutes, so keep on collecting items! Watch out for Pokestops with lots of petals, too! This means that someone has activated a lure module there, and nearby Pokemon will be attracted to it for 30 minutes. You can activate this, too, by purchasing Lure Modules using Pokecoins.

Hint: You can check out https://www.ingress.com/intel  for potential Pokestop and Pokemon Gym locations, as Pokemon GO uses the same data collected and used by the game Ingress, which is also developed by Niantic.

4. Form a good team!

Are you team Instinct, Mystic or Valor? Once you reach level 5, you have to choose which side you will be on. It’s best to form a team within your neighborhood or friends to give you a better advantage in certain situations, such as taking over Gyms, which allows you to gain prestige for your team and allows more Pokemon from your team to defend the Gym. Plus, if one of your Pokemon is defending the gym, you can get Pokecoins for free every 21 hours your Pokemon is in the gym.

3. Transfer duplicate Pokemon for candy.

Catching Pokemon might get you a lot of the same kind of Pokemon. Got 10 Pidgeys? Transfer the 9 weakest ones to Professor Willow for Pidgey candies! Candies are needed to increase the combat power (CP) and other stats of your Pokemon.

Get enough candies and you can evolve your Pokemon to their stronger forms.

2. Hatch those eggs.

Hatching eggs will require you to travel, so make sure you place eggs in an incubator whenever you plan to do so. Right now, eggs can hatch at distances of 10km, 5km and 2km, depending on the rarity of the Pokemon inside.

1. Level up faster.

Use Lucky Eggs to double the experience that you gain in the game. Couple this with lures or incense to catch more Pokemon and to gain more experience.

Pokemon GO just started in the Philippines, so it's inevitable for more trainers to join in the days to come. Competition is sure to become more intense, but hopefully, these tips will help you get ahead of others.

If you want to maximise your data and enjoy playing the game without worries, Globe offers 7 free days of access to Pokemon GO via the Globe Switch app. Go get your gear ready and catch 'em all!

Harley Quinn and Other Crazy Love Stories I Love

After receiving a bunch of tweets about this post, I have decided to edit it as it seems that I didn't get the right message across. To be perfectly honest, I didn't mean to offend anyone with this post nor did I mean to sound douchey, but as a dear friend pointed out today: I do tend to sound douchey a lot of the time.

So, here is a slightly edited (and hopefully nicer and clearer) version of my post written with the insight and help of a friend who has also been through abuse herself.

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I've always been a sucker for crazy love stories. I was never a fan of the types of love stories other people were suckers for. No, my favorite love stories include The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands and, in the comic book world: Harley and Joker.

As such, it only makes sense that I decided to dress as (a more casual, less sexy and more relatable) Harley Quinn for our Suicide Squad screening last week.

Daddy's Lil Monster shirt from POG / stars shorts from Folded and Hung / Harley Quinn hoodie from Authority Hoodie / red Stan Smith sneakers from adidas (USA)

Sadly, Suicide Squad wasn't everything I had hoped it would be. I found it a lil dragging, to be honest. Also, since I expected Joker to be the main baddie, I was a lil disappointed that there weren't enough Joker scenes. :(

The good news, though, is that Harley ROCKED in the movie. I loved everything about her. She was both cute and crazy at the same time, and I loved all of the aerial silk moves and the sexy-dancing and ugly-crying in it. She was a great Harley, in my opinion, and reminded me very much of the Harley in the animated movies.

A lot of hate has been spreading around on the #relationshipgoals that people have been posting regarding Harley and Joker's relationship, though.

I've read so many people on my Timeline saying that "that kind of relationship shouldn't be idolised due to its abusive nature" and "women shouldn't let men force them into doing things they don't want to do" and all of that stuff.

Coming from someone who… well, I wouldn't say 'idolise', but likes Harley and Joker, I feel the need to say that while their relationship is one filled with abuse, that's not necessarily what people 'idolise' about it.

I, for one, was always intrigued and interested in Harley and Joker's relationship because they were the epitome of the saying "You cannot choose who you fall in love with." My friend recently said, "THAT's the real problem. People fall for abuse because they just can't not. And that's in real life AND in the movie."

It's like Romeo and Juliet. They couldn't choose who they fell in love with (plus, heck, they even killed each other in the end!), but a lot of people still consider their love story to be the greatest love story of all time.

I understand that abuse is a real issue, but that's not the issue that I appreciate or even advocate (I have been a victim of abuse myself, FYI, so don't be so quick to judge… more on that here), but it would be nice to be able to fangirl about Harley and Joker without being seen or told that I'm being a monster.

I'd also like to point out that they did a good job in the movie showcasing what Harley really wants. As seen in her vision created by The Enchantress, she doesn't want to be in an abusive relationship. She just wants to be with the man she loves and have a normal happy family with him.

Maybe it's just me instantly separating comic books from real life and seeing it as a mere form of entertainment, but I don't think Harley and Joker fans should instantly be labeled as glorifiers of abuse. 

I appreciate all of the effort in trying to mould the younger generations and letting them know that abuse is not okay, but Harley Quinn is just a comic book character. The movie is PG-13. The whole thing is supposed to be a form of entertainment. When did comic book geeks suddenly automatically become monsters who glorify something bad just because they like certain comic book characters?

Anyway, to those asking: no, I didn't actually dye my hair. That's just spray-on hair color. The pink is growing on me, though… Maybe I should get it coloured, after all? Thoughts?

Remember the Ones Who Truly Care

I haven't been going out much lately. In fact, I don't remember the last time I went out drinking with friends. And this is saying something because I used to go out with my friends at least three times a week. In fact, the same crew used to go to the same bar here in BF Homes almost every night just to hang out, chill and play some beer pong.

The truth of the matter is: I don't even see any of those "friends" anymore nor do I talk to any of them. And this is interesting because we didn't fight or anything. We kind of just 'drifted apart' so to speak. And that's sad.

black halter top from H&M Tokyo / colourful shorts from Jukaykay / white sneakers from Pony

While I am accustomed to losing friends because of how much I used to move around in my younger years, I can't help but feel sad whenever I think about the people I used to be super close to and lost because they found new friends, started a new and stressful job or - the worst 'excuse of all' - they got a new boyfriend/girlfriend.

To be honest, I'll never understand why people forget their friends when they get into new relationships because, well, who do they turn to when things go to shit? Their friends. *rolls eyes at the world*

So I guess that's the reason why I'm suddenly writing a blog post: to remind people of what's important. Yes, I understand that romantic relationships are important, but that doesn't mean you should forget all of the other relationships in your life because of it.

Never forget who was there when you needed someone the most. Never forget the ones you can turn to in your hour of need. Never forget who was there when no one else was. At the end of the day, your friends are who you've got when shit hits the fan. I learned that the hard way...

On a lighter note, I'd like to talk about this random outfit that I'm posting. I actually wasn't planning on posting it at all. I think I had come from the gym when two of my friends pointed out that they liked what I was wearing and that I should take photos of myself.

Fast forward to dinner with Jules at Army Navy and there I was posing like a weirdo in the middle of the night. (Thanks for humouring me and taking my photos anyway, Puddin'!)

I'm also ecstatic because I finally go to replace my white Pony sneakers - remember them? They're the ones that got stolen from my luggage on my last Cebu Pacific flight. Do you now understand why I was so distraught when I lost them? They're pure love… and I swear they go with anything!

That explains why I'm completely makeup-less and in a ponytail, too. And oh, fun fact: my shirt only cost Php100 at H&M in Tokyo and my shorts only cost Php150 at this online store called Jukaykay - everything there costs so little; I highly recommend you check it out! :)

How have you guys been? :) I've missed this personal space of mine oh-so-much. I'm hoping to connect with all of you all over again. :)