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Pokémon Go: Circle Expansion vs. Swirling Vortex – Explained

Pokémon Go: Circle Expansion vs. Swirling Vortex – Explained

Pokémon Go is a new mobile game that has swept the nation, with people of all ages roaming the streets searching for virtual creatures. While the game is simple to play, some crucial mechanics do exist that must be understood. The two most common mechanics used in Pokémon Go are the expanding circles and the swirling vortex.

Both of these features are used to attract nearby Pokémon to your location. However, their function and effect on gameplay are quite different. Let’s get to know them one by one.

The images of expanding circles are usually seen when you capture a Pokémon near a landmark, such as a statue or building. When you tap on the Pokémon, the circle will expand and show all the nearby Pokéstops and Gyms.

Swirling vortexes are usually seen when you are close to a water source, such as a river or lake. When you tap on the Pokémon, the vortex will appear and take you to all nearby Pokéstops and Gyms.

Apart from this, swirling vortices and expanding circles also differentiate between different types of Pokemon. The swirling vortex indicates weather-boosted Pokémon, so you will receive additional stardust for catching them, while a regular expanding circle indicates a regular Pokémon without a weather bonus. 

This article will explore the difference between these two features of the game. So, let’s explore this gaming world!

What Is Meant By Having Expanding Circles Around Wild Pokemon?

The expanding circle indicates that a player is slowly but surely drawing closer to capturing the wild Pokémon inside it.

The circle’s radius gradually widens as players move closer, making it easier for them to identify and focus on the Pokémon.

An image of different pokemon cards.
Pokemon cards are printed with different Pokemon characters

When you encounter a wild Pokémon, you’ll sometimes see an expanding circle around it. This indicates that the Pokémon is friendly and can be caught. If you try to capture the Pokémon when surrounded by an expanding circle, the game will offer to let them catch it without fighting.

This type of circle expands as you move closer to the Pokémon and eventually fills up the entire screen if you try to capture it. The reason for this is simple: when you enter a new area where wild Pokémon are present, the game automatically adjusts the amount of space allocated to those creatures to ensure they are all properly displayed.

What Is Meant By Having A Swirling Vortex Around Wild Pokemon?

The swirling vortex means that the Pokémon is mighty and challenging to catch. This vortex is known as the “PokeRadar.”

The PokeRadar allows you to track and find wild Pokémon even if you can’t see them. The purpose of the vortex is to make it easier for players to find rare or powerful Pokémon.

It’s not just any old Pokémon that can be found near a vortex; the Pokémon near the vortex are usually ones that are very rare or have potent attacks.

The swirling vortex around wild Pokémon is a new feature that was added in the latest update to Pokémon Go. Players can see the vortex when they zoom in on the map and when they are close to a wild Pokémon. The vortex indicates a high chance of finding a rare or powerful Pokémon nearby.

So if you’re looking for a powerful Pokémon, I would advise you to check out areas near vortices!

What Is Pokemon Go?

Pokémon Go is a mobile game developed by Niantic for Android and iOS devices.

An image of a phone showing Pokemon Go.
Pokemon Go is a famous virtual game

The game’s objective is to capture and train virtual creatures called Pokémon, which appear on the screen as if in the real world. Pokémon Go is a mobile game released on July 6, 2016.

The game uses GPS and augmented reality to let players catch Pokémon in the real world. Players can catch Pokémon by walking around and looking for them in real-world locations or using Poké Balls to capture them.

In the years since its release, the game has been highly successful, with more than 700 million active users. It’s worth checking out if you’re interested in trying an augmented reality game.

Differences Between The Expanding Circles And The Swirling Vortex

Players of Pokémon have noticed that there are two different types of vortexes surrounding wild Pokémon: the expanding circle and the swirling vortex. Here is a breakdown of the differences between the two:

  • The expanding circle is usually smaller and appears as a ring around the Pokémon. The Pokémon will be located in the center of the ring. At the same time, the swirling vortex is larger and appears as a tornado around the Pokémon, and the Pokémon will be located at the center of the tornado.
  • The expanding circle appears around the regular Pokémon, while the swirling vortex only appears around the powerful and rare Pokémon.
  • Another difference between the expanding circle and the swirling vortex is that the Pokemon captured in a circle gives you fewer XP than the ones captured in the vortex.
  • The swirling vortex appears to be constantly growing in size, while the expanding circles only grow for a short period before shrinking back to their original size. 
  • The swirling vortex appears to be composed of different colors, while the expanding circles are uniformly colored.

There are some distinct differences between the expanding circles and the swirling vortex. Here are these differences in summarized form.

Expanding CirclesSwirling Vortex
Expanding circles appear around regular pokemon.A swirling vortex appears around rare and powerful pokemon.
A pokemon appearing in an expanding circle gives you less XP.A pokemon appearing in a swirling vortex gives you more XP as it’s pretty powerful.
An expanding circle only increases over a short period.A swirling vortex keeps increasing in size over time.
It is always uniformly colored.It’s usually composed of different colors.
Expanding Circle vs. Swirling Vortex

In this video, you can learn more about the four different types of rings.

Different Types of Rings in Pokemon Go

How To Identify A Rare Pokemon?

A Pokemon card is marked with a symbol in the bottom corner that indicates its rarity: circles indicate standard cards, diamonds indicate uncommon cards, and stars indicate rare cards.

A card with an ultra-rare status is usually marked with a black star, but sometimes it will also have a gold or white star.  

Why Do Some Pokemons Have Blue Aura Around Them?

You will see a blue aura surrounding the Pokémon icons in your Pokémon list that you have caught recently, such as within the last 24 hours.

A Pokémon’s blue aura around its icon in your Pokémon list will disappear after 24 hours, restoring its entry to its normal state. 

Pokemon is a creature of virtual reality

Are Purified Pokemon Stronger?

Purified Pokémon tend to be stronger than regular Pokémon.

If you have a strong team of purified Pokémon, you can try to capture rare or powerful wild Pokémon more easily. However, it is not as powerful as shadow pokémon. The shadow pokémon is much stronger than the purified pokémon.

Conclusion

  • Pokémon Go is a new augmented reality mobile game that has taken over the world since its release in July 2016.
  • You can use your smartphone to explore the real world and catch specific Pokémon creatures that appear on the screen as if they are right there in front of you.
  • There are two main types of PokéStops: Expanding Circles and Swirling Vortexes.
  • The expanding circle is usually smaller and appears as a ring around the Pokémon, while the swirling vortex increases in size gradually. Moreover, the expanding circle appears around the regular Pokémon while the swirling vortex only appears around the powerful and rare Pokémon.
  • Apart from these, the swirling vortex appears to be composed of different colors, while the expanding circles are uniformly colored.

Further Readings

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