Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! Beginner Tips - Kanto, Catching, and Partner Guide

Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! by Game Freak and published by Nintendo is a Nintendo Switch RPG set in Kanto. You travel with partner Pikachu, catch wild Pokemon with Switch motion or handheld controls, battle Trainers and Gym Leaders, use Secret Techniques, trade with other players, and eventually push into post-game Master Trainer goals.

This guide is scoped to Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, not Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon GO, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, or Pokemon Legends: Z-A. It avoids exact route tables, wild spawn tables, shiny odds, team builds, version-exclusive lists, and step-by-step GO Park or HOME transfer instructions in this beginner guide separately.

Difficulty caveat: GameFAQs user stats rate Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! as Easy with a 38-hour average length. The story is beginner-friendly, but catching habits, transfer caution, collection goals, and Master Trainer prep still reward planning.

Essential Tips

1. Use Pikachu-Version Advice

Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! are paired games, but your partner and some availability details differ.

In this version, Pikachu is the partner Pokemon and Trace receives Eevee. Keep notes labeled by version, especially when following collection, trade, or starter-partner advice. A Let’s Go, Eevee! route can be close enough to confuse you and different enough to waste time.

2. Do Not Play It Like Pokemon Yellow

This is a Switch remake-style Kanto game, not the Game Boy route logic copied forward.

Kanto is familiar, but the systems are different. Wild Pokemon are approached and caught through a new capture flow, HMs are replaced by Secret Techniques, Pokemon Box access is in the menu, Support Play exists, and GO/HOME/Poke Ball Plus connections add extra caveats.

3. Learn the Catching Ring Early

Catching is a core progression system, not a side activity.

When a wild Pokemon encounter starts, watch the shrinking ring and its color. Better timing and a cleaner throw can improve the catch attempt, while the ring color helps you judge how difficult the catch is. Treat each catch as practice because catching also feeds training and resource systems.

4. Keep a Real Trainer-Battle Team

Wild encounters changed, but Trainer battles still ask for type matchups and usable moves.

Do not let the catching system make you careless in battles. Trainers, Gym Leaders, Team Rocket, and the Pokemon League still reward type coverage, clean move choices, and a party with more than one reliable answer.

5. Let Partner Pikachu Handle Utility

Secret Techniques solve travel without eating battle move slots.

Partner Pikachu can learn Secret Techniques such as Chop Down, Sky Dash, and Sea Skim. Because these replace HM-style travel functions without taking normal move slots, do not build your whole party around old Kanto HM assumptions.

6. Rotate With the Pokemon Box

Your storage is easier to use than in older Kanto games.

The Pokemon Box is available from the Bag, so you can swap party members more flexibly while exploring. Use that freedom to test new catches, cover upcoming type needs, and keep favorites from falling behind.

7. Use Candy With Restraint

Candy can strengthen stats, but it can also hide bad habits.

Candies are part of Let’s Go’s growth system. Use them to support Pokemon you actually want to keep, but do not spend the whole story brute-forcing one favorite while ignoring type matchups, move coverage, and party depth.

8. Treat Support Play as an Assist Mode

A second player can make catches and battles easier.

Support Play lets a second player explore with you, throw Poke Balls with you, and help in Trainer battles. Use it when you want a smoother session or local co-op, but remember that it can change the feel of difficulty.

9. Pause Before Moving Pokemon

GO and HOME movement rules are conditional and can be one-way.

Pokemon moved from Pokemon GO into Let’s Go cannot be sent back to Pokemon GO. Pokemon HOME also has return limits once a Let’s Go Pokemon moves into another game. Check the current menus and rules before moving anything rare, sentimental, shiny, or event-related.

10. Save Master Trainers for Focused Prep

Post-game Master Trainers are species-specific tests, not normal route battles.

After becoming Champion, Master Trainers appear for individual species. Treat them as cleanup challenges that deserve their own preparation instead of expecting your story team to solve every one immediately.

Kanto Progression Habits

1. Catch while you travel: Catching builds experience, resources, and options; ignoring it makes the game thinner than intended.
2. Battle with type matchups in mind: Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, and other types still determine clean wins and bad trades.
3. Talk before leaving towns: Kanto towns often point you toward Gyms, travel tools, trades, or new systems.
4. Open the menu often: The Bag, Pokemon Box, Candy Jar, TM Case, communication menu, save option, and Pokemon GO settings are all part of normal play.
5. Keep partner Pikachu close: Partner powers, Secret Techniques, customization, and story presentation all center the Pikachu partner.
6. Stock catching supplies: Poke Balls and Berries matter more when catching replaces most wild battles.
7. Use ride Pokemon and Secret Techniques for movement: Do not wait for an old Bicycle or HM pattern to appear.
8. Manual save before major choices: Sleep Mode is convenient, but saving from the menu is still a good habit before trades, transfers, hard battles, or long sessions.

Catching, Training, and Partner Systems

System	Good Habit	Why It Helps
Catch ring	Throw when the ring timing and position are favorable	Catch quality affects success and rewards
Ring color	Read green-to-red difficulty before spending resources	Harder catches may need better timing or items
Visible wild Pokemon	Choose encounters deliberately	You are not forced through random grass battles
Trainer battles	Keep six battle-ready options over time	Trainer fights still use moves and type matchups
Partner Pikachu	Use Secret Techniques and partner tools	Utility no longer needs old HM move-slot planning
Pokemon Box	Rotate catches from the Bag	Team changes are faster than in older Kanto games
Candy	Strengthen long-term party members	Candy supports stats but should not replace good battle habits
Support Play	Bring a second player when you want help	Co-op can improve catches and battle control
Master Trainers	Prepare one species at a time	Their rules are narrower than normal story fights

Version, Transfer, and Platform Scope

Topic	What to Remember
Let’s Go, Pikachu!	Partner Pikachu is the core version identity, and this guide follows that version
Let’s Go, Eevee!	Similar structure, different partner and some different availability details; do not mix notes blindly
Pokemon Yellow	Kanto inspiration is not enough; Yellow route, HM, wild battle, and menu advice can be wrong here
Pokemon GO	It can connect to Let’s Go, but it is a separate mobile game with separate rules
GO Park	The game supports Kanto/Alolan Pokemon transfer into GO Park and one-way movement from GO; exact current steps need dedicated planning
Pokemon HOME	Let’s Go can link with HOME, but moving a Let’s Go Pokemon into another game can block returning it to Let’s Go
Poke Ball Plus	Treat it as optional hardware; confirm current accessory and Mew-bonus status before buying
Nintendo Switch Online	Internet trades and battles require online service; local play and in-game story progress are separate
Later Switch Pokemon games	Do not import Wild Area, Dynamax, open-world, picnic, crafting, or Legends-style assumptions into Let’s Go

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Following Pokemon Yellow directions exactly - Let’s Go changes catching, menus, travel tools, and several progression systems.

2. Using Eevee-version notes for partner advice - Pikachu is your partner in this version, and partner-specific details matter.

3. Ignoring catch timing - Poor throws waste supplies and slow down a system that feeds experience and growth.

4. Building around one overpowered favorite - Trainer battles, Gyms, and the League still reward type coverage and party depth.

5. Teaching old HM habits to this game - Secret Techniques handle travel without normal move-slot sacrifices.

6. Leaving useful catches boxed forever - The Pokemon Box is easy to access, so rotate and test new options.

7. Spending Candy without a plan - Candy is better when it supports Pokemon you intend to keep using.

8. Using Support Play without noticing the difficulty shift - A second player can make catching and battles easier.

9. Sending Pokemon from GO casually - Pokemon moved from GO into Let’s Go cannot return to Pokemon GO.

10. Moving Let’s Go Pokemon through HOME casually - Once a Let’s Go Pokemon goes into another compatible game, it may not be able to return to Let’s Go.

11. Treating Master Trainers like ordinary rematches - Species-specific post-game challenges need focused preparation.

Summary

Category	Top Tip
Scope	Follow Let’s Go, Pikachu! advice, not Eevee, Yellow, GO, or later Switch habits
Catching	Learn ring timing, ring color, and supply management early
Battles	Keep a varied party because Trainer battles still use type matchups
Partner	Use Pikachu’s Secret Techniques and partner tools without making it your only plan
Team Management	Rotate through the Bag-accessible Pokemon Box
Growth	Use Candy to support chosen Pokemon, not to ignore battle fundamentals
Co-op	Use Support Play deliberately because it can make the game easier
Transfers	Check GO, HOME, and accessory rules before moving important Pokemon
Post-Game	Treat Master Trainers as focused species challenges