How to catch 'em all in Canada: Pokemon Go tips from a 'seasoned' pro

So you wanna be the very best, eh? Like no one ever was? Good luck, my fellow Canucks you'll need it.

Here are a fewthings that I, a relative veteran at 13 days of consistentgameplay, wish I'd knownbefore startingPokemon Go.

For basichow-to tips, the friendly (and apparently sexy?)ProfessorWillow will be happy to help you within the app.

GetPikachuas your starter.

Like the earlierPokemongames forNintendoDS, this one lets you choose between three "starter"Pokemonat the outset:Bulbasaur,CharmanderandSquirtle.

There is another option, though a secret starter who will only come around if you ignore the first three for long enough. Pikachuis one of the most-soughtPokemonon the planet right now, so count yourself lucky if you're early enough in the game tomake use of this trick.

Tap yourpeers tofindthe bestPokemon.

In the spirit of "you teach me and I'll teach you," Pokemon Go players aresharing their game-related intelen masse to help each other succeed.

Subreddits and Facebook groups exist for trainers innearly every major Canadian city, andPoke Radar, an "assistant app for discovering the location of any Pokemon that's been found by other players,"is currently at No. 2 on the Apple top charts for free apps in Canada.

Also, don't be afraid to chat with other players out in the wild. Most of usarevery friendly, and alwayshappy to tip off a fellow hunter to the Jigglypuffa few steps yonder.

Go to where your favorite monsterslive.

Niantic has been decidedly quiet about howone's location affects gameplay, but players are noticing atypically high numbers of specific types in some regions.

Toronto, for instance, is known for its abundance of Drowzees, while New Yorkers report seeing tonsof Zubats.

In general, though,Pokemon tend to hang out in placesthat coincide with their elemental "types."Grass typesseem to be more common in parks, water Pokemonpop up around lakes, and fighting types, likeMankey andHitmonlee, are said to gather nearstadiums orgyms.

You'll also find more critters (and lures dropped by other players to attract them)in cities, around landmarksand in areas known to bedenselypopulated.

Choose your teamwisely.

When you're at a level 5 and ready to do battle, you'll be asked to choose one of three teams: Mystic (blue), Valor (red) or Instinct (yellow.)

Take a look at the gyms in your area and notice which colours they tend to be most often. If you're in the game to do battle, you'll want to choose an opposing team. If you'd prefer to train a lot and red gyms are popular where you live, go with Valor.

Dress for an actual adventure.

Youwillhave to travel across the land, searching far and wide to do well in this game. Everything from hatching your eggs to collecting stardust depends on it.

Americanusers startedcomplaining aboutexercise-induced painshortly after the game launched there, which many people panned as silly but going from zero to 100 on the walking scale is no joke, especially in uncomfortable shoes.

As I learned on Saturday,a quick trip to the grocery store can easilyturninto five hours of stalkingPokemonwith your neighbours before anyone realizes how long they've been outside.

Time flies when you're having fun, but blisters and sunburnshurt.

Keep your cool. It's just a game.

Server outages still plague the game. Your reign at a gym likely won't last long.Pokemon will always jump out ofballs when they're caught if they've got a lot of potential.

Don't be discouraged. We`re all in this together. Be safe, have fun, and pleaseemail me if you find aSnorlax.