<p>Pokemon isn’t just about exploring the land and mastering the pocket monsters – it’s about mastering the game itself. In its current form, Pokemon Go doesn’t offer much for an in-game tutorial to show you the ropes, but there are even more tips, tricks, and secrets to uncover outside of the game’s core mechanics.</p><p>Between unexplained icons, vague metrics, and ambiguous notifications, Pokemon Go is quite mysterious save for the actual act of finding and catching Pokemon. Here’s a breakdown of a few key techniques you can use to maximize your play time, along with a few secrets we’ve uncovered. Now get back to catching</p><h3>Catch Pikachu as Your Starter</h3><p>This first trick for Pokemon Go can be found right at the start of the game, while picking your starter Pokemon. If you continuously ignore and run away from Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, Pikachu will eventually appear, ripe for the catching.</p><h3>Paw Prints Are Used for Tracking</h3><p>After you've caught your starter, you can click the window in the lower right hand corner to see nearby Pokemon. What the game doesn't tell you is that the paw prints under each creature is actually their distance from you. One print means they're pretty close, whereas three prints means you're up for an adventure.</p><h3>The Box Directs You</h3><p>If you open the bottom-right window you can focus on tracking a specific Pokemon by clicking it from the menu. The box will then pulsate green if you're moving in the right direction.</p><h3>10.0 KM Eggs Hatch the Best Pokemon</h3><p>There are three different types of eggs you can find based on the distance they need to be hatched: 2.0 KM eggs hatch commons, 5.0 KM eggs hatch uncommons, and 10.0 KM eggs hatch the rarest Pokemon available, like Magmar, Lapras, or Dratini.</p><h3>You Can Manipulate Eevee's Evolution</h3><p>Eevee has been a source of anguish for trainers hoping to get their favorite of the eeveelutions, but by renaming it to Pyro, Rainer, or Sparky (a throwback to the original show), you can manipulate the outcome and increase your chance to get Flareon, Vaporeon, or Jolteon, respectively.</p><h3>The Ring Above a Pokemon Represents Potential</h3><p>If you're wondering which Pokemon to evolve and they're both around the same CP, take a look at the ring above their heads. This represents their "potential," or how their CP will increase through evolution and powering-up.</p><h3>Wait for the Ring to Shrink</h3><p>You may notice the ring continuously shrink before you throw a Pokeball. The smaller you wait for the ring to get, the better chance you'll have to catch it. Additionally, take note of the ring's color, as a red ring means the Pokemon is more difficult to catch.</p><h3>Use a Razz Berry on Harder Pokemon</h3><p>If you see a high CP Pokemon or notice a red ring, use a Razz berry to make it more docile, increasing the chance to catch it. You unlock Razz berries and will start getting them from Pokestops at level 8.</p><h3>Spin the Pokeball for a Curveball Bonus</h3><p>Hold the Pokeball before throwing and make circular motions with your finger to give it a slight curve through the air. It may take a bit of practice, but you can get bonus XP for catching Pokemon hit with a curveball.</p><h3>CP Pokemon</h3><p>Occasionally, you'll come across a Pokemon with a indeterminable CP. These Pokemon are much stronger, but still relative to your level. At trainer level 1 a CP ??? Pokemon may turn out to have a CP of 50, whereas at level 10, it may have a CP of 600.</p><h3>Pokestops Refresh Every 5 Minutes</h3><p>You can return to a Pokestop once every five minutes to claim its rewards. Depending on your trainer level, you may retrieve different items, including stronger Pokeballs. You unlock Great Balls at level 12 and Ultra Balls at level 20. <br />Photo Credit: @visionarysky on Twitter.</p><h3>All Pokemon Can Be Found</h3><p>Every single Pokemon in the original 151, excluding legendaries and mythics, can be found, including evolved forms. This means second and even third forms of Pokemon are running wild, just waiting to be caught.</p><h3>Your Team Binds You to a Legendary Bird</h3><p>When you examine a Gym at level 5, you'll be prompted to pledge yourself to a team. This selection is much more than just your favorite color, however, as each team's insignia is actually a legendary bird, Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres, potentially tying into the Nintendo's first legendary event.</p><h3>Mew Has Been Found in Pokemon Go's Coding</h3><p>Yes, this image is photoshopped, but a group of Redditor's have legitimately found Mew in Pokemon Go's code, albeit locked away for now. For those wondering if we're only playing with the original 150 or the real 151, now you</p><p> </p>