Pokémon Go Guide: 18 Tips to Be the Very Best

Pokémon Go Glossary: Know These Terms

Everyone is talking about Pokemon Go, but the game has a lot of specific lingo that might make it sound like a second language to the uninformed. Here's a cheat sheet of common game terms.

Candy: Pokemon-specific items necessary to evolve your monster. For example, Charmander candy is necessary to evolve Charmander and any of his evolved forms.

CP: CP stands for combat points, which determine the strength of your Pokémon. You can raise your character's CP using Candy and Stardust.

Gyms: Where Pokémon battles take place. Signified on the in-game map via large towers with Pokémon atop of them.

Incense: Special item that attracks Pokémon to your location for a limited time.

Incubator: Item that allows you to incubate Eggs. You can hatch an incubating Egg after walking a set distance.

Lures: Lures are special Pokéstops that lots of Pokémon flock to for a limited time. You can create a Lure by dropping a Lure Module, which can be purchased in the in-game store.

Pokéstop: Special landmarks that yield rewards, including XP, Pokéballs and potions.

Pokécoins: In-game currency that can be bought or earned through battles.

Stardust: Special item needed for powering up Pokémon. Can be earned via catching Pokémon and by having Pokémon stored in gyms.

Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.