Niantic Labs may have become a household name thanks to its sensational, super-popular mobile game for Android and iOS, Pokémon GO. And while we are going to be talking about that game once again, we should also mention that Niantic is the same company behind Ingress, a geocaching combat game whose map mechanics are similar to Pokémon GO’s. That was back when Niantic was owned by Google, and there may be a chance that you’ve played this game in the past. But regardless whether you have or haven’t, that’s where the fun begins, and that’s why this guide is here for you.
There happens to be a good way for players to use Ingress as a means to find Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon. And while we did offer a few tips for finding (unofficial) Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon in one of our recent Pokémon GO strategy guides, we’ve decided to add yet another tip, but cover it in a separate guide of its own. So without further ado, here’s how you can use Niantic’s previous title Ingress as a tool for finding the Pokémon players have unofficially dubbed Rare, Very Rare, or Epic.
1. Download The Game And Play It
You’ll have to start at the very bottom, and get yourself a copy of Ingress by downloading it on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, depending on which operating system you’re using on your phone. After downloading the game, play it, and go through the tutorial stage. This may sound tedious, but tutorials are part and parcel of most mobile games, and you’ll have to go through them. Once you’ve finished the tutorial, play it in the same way you’d play Pokémon GO.
2. About XM – What Is It And What Does It Have To Do With Pokémon GO?
In Ingress, you need to collect as much XM as possible to gain energy. These are tiny white dots that can be found in areas where there’s tons of cellular traffic. To be more particular about this, these are points where (former Niantic parent) Google has access to members’ location data for Ingress’ use. That means you’ll want to be hunting for XM in shopping malls, stores, and other parts of town where cellular traffic is commonplace. Sounds familiar, right? That’s because malls are also a hot place for PokéStops in Pokémon GO.
3. Try This Trick To Encounter Lots Of Pokémon
Now that you know what the high-XM areas are in Ingress, go to those places while you’re playing the game. After that, switch windows on your phone to Pokémon GO and you’ll see that there are lots of Pokémon present. That includes a healthy supply of Rare ones, though as a reminder, the rarity of a Pokémon tends to be subjective, and there’s no official list of Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon. If you’re able to find a Rare Pokémon (or better) on Pokémon GO’s Nearby list, and it’s a mere few footsteps away from you, then switch back to Ingress. Once there, look for an area that has more XM, switch to Pokémon GO, and expect to home in on the location of that Rare Pokémon, or other rares or better that you weren’t able to spot earlier.
It’s unwieldy and a bit time-consuming compared to conventional means, but pulling this trick off could be a ticket to finding more Pokémon you won’t see on a day-to-day basis.
4. About Ingress Portals In Relation To Pokémon GO
For the most part, the portals in Ingress are now available in Pokémon GO, only this time, they’re PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms. Still, there are a good many portals that have yet to be carried over. What can you do in such a situation? If you see a portal that hasn’t been carried over, or if you’ve been playing Ingress for some time and know where those portals are, you’ll want to go there. There should be lots of XM in those areas, meaning a greater chance of stumbling upon Rare, Very Rare, or Epic Pokémon.
5. XM Takes Some Time To Respawn
One thing about Ingress you should also be aware of is that it takes some time for XM to respawn after someone has collected it. That might require you to quit Ingress, wait a few minutes, reopen the game, and check if the XP has respawned. If it hasn’t, then you might have to try your luck elsewhere in hopes of finding XM or rare-or-better Pokémon.