Is there a way to find where specific pokemon are, or increase the spawn chance?

Question

I am thinking of trying Pokemon Go (yes probably a bit late) but the one thing I'm not clear on is how exactly you're supposed to work out which pokemon spawn where? In the main series games you have a map and every area has specific spawns so you know if you want x pokemon you need to go to x area to catch it. However I cannot find an equivalent of this.

Pokemap.net seems to be the closest to what I'm looking for but my friends have told me that it is not accurate at all for finding specific pokemon. I don't really feel that doing a tour de france through my neighborhood on the off chance I might see something I maybe want, but not really... this doesn't sound like a very fun experience.

Or alternatively is there a mechanic like lures, catch combos or making a sandwich which increases the spawn rate of certain pokemon?

Answer 1

In general, no.

• Some pokemon are 'region locked' so they'll only spawn in their region. There are also some Pokemon with region-locked variants.
• Some pokemon are "legendary" and will only spawn during raids during an event.
• There are now "seasons" which will increase spawn chance for certain kinds of pokemon (this replaces the weather influence from previous years.)

There are also community days and spotlight hours in which you'll see a huge number of spawns of specific pokemon.

But if you for example really want to catch a Pikachu, there's no way to guarantee that one will spawn near you. You can use incense or a lure to increase your local spawns, but that won't guarantee you a specific spawn.

Answer 2

The Nearby screen can help you

In the bottom right of the Main hud, there is a litte menu with 3 icons or sillhoutes of Pokémon. Clicking on it will open the "Nearby" screen. This shows which Pokémon are currently near you. These Pokémon will be displayed next to the Icons of Pokémon Stops in your Area and clicking on one will show you were that Stop is and mark it on your map. Once you are there make sure to take a tour around the stop, sometimes the Pokémon aren't immediately visible.

Note that Pokémon you have already caught will appear as colored icons here, while Pokémon you haven't caught will only show their sillhoutes, but if you have a good knowledge of Pokémon you will be able to still recognise them. And if you keep going after all Pokémon here, that you haven't caught yet, you will be able to quickly fill up your Pokédex.

Further info can also be found in this Help Center Article.