How to Track a Specific Pokémon
EDIT 8/5/16: It seems that the developers have abandoned all tracking methods and there are currently no plans to add them back into the game. :(
EDIT 7/17/16: This tracking method has been corroborated by multiple sites, however the GPS function on the Pokémon Go app has developed some issues. This method does not currently work, and the paw print distance indicator isn't functioning either. The game is still playable, but there is no known way to track individual Pokémon until the issues are fixed. Hopefully, that is soon.
Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm! People from all walks of life are walking for miles to catch digital creatures, hang at Poké Stops, and meet other players. The game is even more popular than porn! All of us have favorite Pokémon that we want to catch and evolve to the next level, but it can be hard to catch enough of our favorites to make that happen.
Here is the method that I have put together to track down specific Pokémon that are nearby. I developed this method through sources I found online and my own trial and error. Your milage may vary, but it's been very successful for me!
1. First, it's important to be observant and make note of where different Pokémon spawn. They tend to reappear in the same general areas, so you're more likely to catch a specific Pokémon in an area you've seen them before. While water Pokémon tend to spawn near water areas on the map, there is no evidence that electric 'mon spawn near power plants, etc.
2. To track a specific Pokémon, it has to appear on your "Nearby" screen, which means that it is in a few block radius of you. Open that menu by tapping the white bar at the bottom right of your main screen that shows three Pokémon. When the menu pops up, it will show a list of up to nine Pokémon. Walk around in an area where you know that your desired Pokémon spawns until it appears in one of the nine slots on your "nearby" tab.
3. The Pokémon in the first spot is the closest to you and the Pokémon in the ninth slot is the farthest away. If you are heading towards your targeted 'mon, it will bump closer to #1 on the list. If you are headed the wrong direction it will bump to a lower number or disappear from the list entirely. Use this as a hot/cold guide to finding your Pokémon. For example, if you are headed north and your 'mon bumps from 5th to 1st, yay! But if then it bumps back down to second, you know you've gone too far north. Retrace your path until it appears as #1 again, then try going east or west. If it stays in #1 great! Keep going! If it bumps down on the list, go back and try the other direction. Finding it takes some trial and error, but once you practice a bit, you can track down a specific 'mon from blocks away in a very short time period.
4. Once a Pokémon is in the 1st spot, you can use the paw prints to close in on it by continuing the hot/cold method, with paw prints increasing or decreasing as you get closer or farther away. For a more exact approach you can use this method being passed around on Reddit.
5. Throw a Poké Ball to capture your desired Pokémon! Woot!
NOTE: If you walk for a while and notice that your "Nearby" list hasn't changed at all, try closing the app and restarting it. Like with so many other aspects of this game it can freeze and crash sometimes.
(EDIT: THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH HAS BEEN PROVEN FALSE!! THE GREEN PULSE INDICATES A CHANGE IN ORDER OF THE POKEMON THE "NEARBY" SCREEN LIST! IT DOES NOT SHOW DIRECTION OF POKEMON! I am leaving this section up so people know the rumor and that it is NOT TRUE!) A rumor is floating around about another tip! Supposedly, when you select a specific Pokémon on the "nearby" list (you select it by tapping the 'mon and a circle appears around it) it will appear by itself in the white bar at the bottom of the main screen. Make sure your compass is on and slowly face different directions. When you see a green pulse from the bar where the Pokémon is, that means you are facing the direction you need to go to catch that Pokémon. I've had some success with this, but my avatar tends to flip out and face different directions when I try it, so it's impossible to tell which direction is correct. It doesn't seem reliable enough to trust completely on its own, if it is really true at all.
Other helpful hints:
- Stop walking when you notice the white Poké Ball loading image spinning at the top of the screen. This means that the Pokémon in your vicinity are still loading in the app, so if you keep walking you could miss out on a spawn or your tracking with the "nearby" screen could be thrown off.
- More than one person can catch a Pokémon when is spawns, so enjoy the game with friends! The 'mon will spawn at different CP levels depending on the player's level.
- Lots of areas are developing popular lure hangouts, especially in places where multiple Poké Stops are close to each other. Make use of these areas to maximize Poké-catching opportunities and to chat with other fans! Be careful and stay safe though, especially if you are Poké-hunting in the evenings.
- Turn down the brightness on your screen and turn off the game music and your battery will last a lot longer, especially if you are an iPhone user!
Now, go catch 'em all! :)