Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm. People everywhere, of all ages, have started their very own Pokémon adventures and their journey to become a Pokémon Master. I, personally, have joined the fun and I can honestly say that my ten year old self would be ecstatic to see the old games actually come to life.

This phenomenon isn't without trial, however. A number of Trainers (as the players are so aptly named) have either run into trouble or gotten injured whilst playing the game. Starting off can be somewhat difficult, as well, because Pokémon Go is unlike the GBA and DS games that we have come to know and love. Below is a list of tips and tricks that will help keep you safe and maximize gameplay while you embark on your goal to be the very best.

1. It's dangerous to go alone! Take this with you.

Seven year old Athen Salcedo has created his own business, PokéGlo, in order to help with Trainers' safety. He sells reflective buttons, in varying sizes from small to large, that Trainers can wear while exploring late at night. They are currently selling for $2.85 on his Etsy. Each button is handmade, so the designs vary. Athen also has hopes of expanding his business and starting production of glow bands sometime soon.

You can read more here, donate to his GoFundMe here, and view his Facebook page here.

2. Don't embark on your journey alone.

It's best to go in teams of two or more, especially at night or if you're headed into a 'not-so-good' part of town. Lures attract a lot of Pokémon to the Pokéstops they're attached to, so they're like watering holes for Trainers.

They're usually pretty safe, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

3. Don't catch and tell.

A man from Sydney, Australia, almost got attacked after he caught Mewtwo, one of the rarest Pokémon in the game. He, like the rest of the crowd, had gone out to Rhodes, a neighborhood in Sydney, to hunt for rare Pokémon. The man wasn't seriously injured, but the reported attacker did attempt to punch him and shoved him around quite a bit. You can read more here.

While Pokémon Go is just a game and it's meant to be fun, fans can be crazy. I tend to stray away from large group situations because of this fact––but that's not to say 'crazy fans' are exclusive to Pokémon Go. This is a factor of anything popular––bands, television shows, sports, and anything that has a following.

So, if you do find yourself in a large group of fellow Trainers, be careful who you tell about your rare catch. You have every right to have fun, but you also don't know who might be around you.

4. Extra XP and Stardust.

If your game experience is anything like mine, you have a lot of Rattata candy. Originally, I had no idea what to do with it. I already had a Raticate, Rattata's evolution, so why would I need another?

A few days ago, a friend told me that for every evolution, you can get 500 XP. Rattatas, and Pidgeys, are pretty abundant in my area, so evolving them is pretty easy. Catching them, and other fairly common Pokémon, also provides you with a lot of stardust, so they're pretty helpful if you're training Pokémon to take over gyms

Lucky Eggs are another way to get extra XP. They're items that, when activated, allot more XP for actions for a period of thirty minutes. As far as I know, you get them when you level up. I only have two and I'm currently level twelve, so I would use them in highly populated areas, like major cities, with a lot of Pokéstops, Gyms and wild Pokémon.

5. Where can I find (insert random Pokémon here)?

Pokémon hunting is certainly more realistic in Pokémon Go, as opposed to the games, making the game and all 147 available Pokémon more accessible to the general population. The game also takes into account climate and location when spawning Pokémon. This can make it a little difficult to find certain Pokémon, like a Charmander, if you live on the coast where water types are abundant.

VG24/7 has a pretty thorough guide on where and when to find certain Pokémon, as well as some information on the three legendary birds, Mewtwo, and Ditto. I've listed some highlights below, along with some of my own notes and observations.

Temperature and time of day affect the Pokémon that appear for capture

Eevees can be found in neighborhoods/the suburbs

You do not have to be close to water to catch water types, you can be further inland

Grass types, including Bulbasaur, can be found in large open fields and smaller grassland areas

Poison types, grass types, and normal types can be found in parks

A lot of Pokémon spawn around Pokéstops, even without a lure or incense

If you're looking for a Pokémon that has appeared in the nearby tracker and are having trouble finding it, you can use the tracker to direct you to that specific Pokémon. It can be a bit difficult to master, but it's worked, rather successfully, for me on more than one occasion. You can read more here.

Now go out there and catch them all!