5 things to know about Routes in Pokemon GO

Niantic recently announced its newest feature in Pokemon GO. Akin to the main series, Routes aims to be a way for players to see common sightseeing locations in popular spots. However, there is a lot about this addition that many trainers are unsure about, leading to waves of questions among the community. From what has been revealed about the new Routes feature in Pokemon GO so far, we can begin to make some assumptions about it.

With this in mind, what should players know about these new community-driven mechanics before they can experience them for themselves on the game's live servers?

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5 facts about Pokemon GO's newest Routes feature

1) Zygarde Cells

Zygarde as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Zygarde, the third Legendary Pokemon native to the Kalos region, will be locked behind this new feature from what has been seen so far. The release of the Routes mechanic will also bring the many cells and potentially cores of the Legendary Pokemon. In the main series, these could be used to assemble Zygarde in one of its three forms, depending on the amount of cells used.

Considering that Complete Zygarde was banned in competitive play the generation it was released, it would be safe to assume that competitive trainers will not want to miss out on their chance to add the Pokemon to their collection. However, it is unclear if the amount of cells required to "complete" Zygarde will stay the same as in the main series; that amount being 100.

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2) Create your own Routes

Official artwork for Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

The fun part about these new Routes is that every Pokemon GO player can make their own for others to follow. Though a very interesting side feature, it is somewhat of an odd choice to give everyone the ability to create a digital trail of breadcrumbs for others to follow.

Though Niantic is bound to moderate this feature is some capacity, it is only a matter of time before players use it for nefarious purposes. Luring trainers out to a random Pokestop with a promise of a Raid Boss or wild encounter is bound to cause some sort of trouble in the community. This leaves many wondering how long it will take for someone to abuse this function, so players should use it with caution.

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3) Route bonuses

Official artwork for Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

By walking these new Routes established by players in Pokemon GO, trainers can earn a bevvy of helpful bonuses like faster Buddy Pokemon candies, a new badge, bonus XP, and more. However, these bonuses are only active for as long as someone is walking their route. So, players should be sure to walk as many as they can in order to maximize their benefits.

The Incense bonus granted by the Routes feature can even be used to make hunting for Shiny Pokemon in the mobile game way easier. Since Incenses are already a core part of every trainer's kit, incentivizing trainers to use them more is a great idea.

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4) Blaze New Trail

Along with the new feature, Niantic has dropped the Blaze New Trails event. While this new event does not feature any spectacular encounters or special Raid Bosses, Galarian Pokemon Falinks and Skwovet return to live servers as potential egg hatches.

Along with these new creatures and all of the event bonuses, players also have a heightened chance at encountering a Shiny Yungoos. Though this critter is far from relevant in the game's competitive scene, another Shiny Pokemon in one's collection is never a bad thing.

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5) Stay safe!

Armaldo using Protect in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

With Routes being a very community-focused feature, it is only a matter of time before a player uses them for nefarious purposes. As such, unsuspecting trainers should be wary if they intend on using a Route that takes them to a place that sees less foot traffic compared to other places in the area.

A great way to stay safe while enjoying the Routes feature in Pokemon GO is to only stick to paths that take them to places in public places like city parks and food courts. Trainers should also avoid using this feature during the night in urban areas to avoid any unsavory encounters.