SkyDex turns your daily weather check into a Pokémon adventure

I’ve been a Pokémon fan my whole life. I still remember being 6 years old and going to Best Buy with my dad to buy my first Pokémon game: Pokémon Blue. I was immediately hooked. I grew up playing all the games, watching the show, and still collect the cards to this day. So, when something new comes out that combines Pokemon with everyday life, I’m immediately interested. That is, when you see SkyDex On Twitter, the weather app that turns your daily forecast into a Pokémon discovery experience, I had to download it. After using it for a bit, I think you should too. Here’s why.

At its core, SkyDex is a weather app, but with an awesome twist. This will of course give you all the normal weather stats based on your location, but also provides a gamified layer where you encounter Pokemon based on real weather conditions. So if it’s a rainy day you might encounter Squirtle or if you’re somewhere cold you might encounter Dewgong, you get the idea. The thing is, you don’t catch Pokémon like in traditional games, you discover them and fill your Pokédex. The goal here is to encounter 151 original Kanto Pokémon to make each weather check a little more exciting.

So every time you open the app, change locations, or experience a change in weather, you have a chance to see a different Pokémon depending on these conditions.

Main features

The main thing to note here is that this is still a full-fledged weather app. You get the same data and weather information you like:

• Temperature
• hourly forecasts
• 10 day forecasts
• Conditions
  • It feels like temp
  • Cloud cover
  • Humidity
  • The wind
  • The ability to see
• Sunrise and sunset
• Chance of rain
• Pressure
• and more

But the amazing thing about it is that as these temperatures, locations and conditions change, so do your Pokémon encounters! Here is some of that information:

• Discover Pokémon encounters based on real weather conditions
• Dynamic views associated with live atmospheric conditions
• Multiple weather types create different encounter paths
• Custom pixel art Pokémon that reflect the current weather
• Includes a weather widget with the latest Pokémon encounter

The developer has done a great job of mixing a useful app with fun, especially if you check the weather several times a day. The more your conditions change and the more you check the app, the more Pokémon you’ll encounter.

My experience

To sum it up, this app adds excitement to a rather boring utility that everyone already uses. After a few days of using it, it completely replaced the Apple Weather app for me. I have a medium widget on my home screen that shows the weather and my latest Pokémon encounter, which is awesome.

What does SkyDex what’s really fun is how dynamic everything is. Pokemon encounters are influenced by real-world factors:

• Weather conditions
• Temperature change
• Time of day (morning, afternoon, night)
• The place is changing

Then, on top of that, there’s a rarity for your encounters. Pokemon are either common, uncommon, rare, or legendary. So if it’s a clear day in my area, I have a good chance of finding a Meowth, but I can also get lucky and find something rare like Alakazam. It adds a bit of unpredictability and makes each check feel more rewarding. Then, when you start encountering these Pokémon, they are added to your Dex. Once they’re added to the Dex, you can see their information, when and where you discovered them, and even get the Pokemon’s “cry” (what does it sound like).

Finally, there is a small social aspect to it. You can add friends with your custom code and then see which and how many Pokémon they’ve encountered. It adds another little layer of competition and gamification that I like.

Pricing and availability

SkyDex it is available today in the App Store and can be used completely free of charge. The free version gives you the full basic experience with only a few limitations:

• There are ads
• You are limited to six saved locations
• There are no color customizations for the app icon

The paid version removes ads, allows unlimited locations, and offers some light customization options like changing the app icon.

To be honest, the free version is enough for most people and upgrading is optional, not necessary. If you want to support an indie developer, it’s $7.99 for the year and $24.99 for a lifetime subscription (which I don’t think is fair).

Final thoughts

SkyDex it’s one of those rare apps that makes something ordinary feel fun. It’s a solid weather app on its own, but the Pokémon integration adds enough personality and motivation to keep you coming back. It’s an easy recommendation if you’re even remotely familiar with Pokemon, and even if you’re not, it’s still one of the more enjoyable ways to check the weather on your iPhone.

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