Between the dangers of getting hit by cars [1], running into murderers [2], and overusing your cell phone data [3], the last thing a new Pokémon Go player should have to worry about is the stress of choosing a team. Tensions between teams Mystic, Valor, and Instinct are high, sparking plenty of internet jokes about the rivalry [4] between Pokémon fans. The competition between these distinct groups of players is reminiscent of another huge fandom's internal rivalry: those between Hogwarts houses in the Harry Potter [5] universe. And it turns out, these Hogwarts houses and Pokémon Go teams have a lot in common.

Whether you identify as a Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Gryffindor, the decision of the Hogwarts Sorting Hat [6] could help expedite your Pokémon Go team pick. So if you're stressed out from the stress of deciding which team fits your personality best, then don't trip — just follow your heart house.

Hufflepuff: Team Instinct

Team Instinct has received plenty of flak since Pokémon Go took the world by storm, earning its fair share of jeering comparisons to overly friendly pushovers who just want everyone to get along. Sound familiar? Hufflepuff, the Hogwarts house that values fairness, loyalty, and acceptance, is often stereotyped in the same way!

In our opinion, there's nothing wrong with choosing the road less traveled — Hufflepuffs will feel right at home with Team Instinct, which respects the innate intuition and power of Pokémon and rocks the same sigil color as Hufflepuff house: yellow. Just because Instinct is the least-populated team that receives the most hate doesn't mean that they don't win gyms — just like Hufflepuffs, Instinct team members simply have to work hard to prove themselves!

Ravenclaw and Slytherin: Team Mystic

Team Mystic is the most popular of the Pokémon Go teams, probably because it attracts more than one Hogwarts house. Ravenclaws, who share Team Mystic's blue sigil color and love of academic research, fit right in with the team's analytical approach to Pokémon and their evolution. Similarly, many Slytherins (who are goal-oriented and cunning) also sway toward Team Mystic, which is widely characterized [7] as a clinical, calculated, and powerful team.

So if you belong in wise old Ravenclaw or cunning Slytherin, then you may very well belong on Team Mystic — you're sure to achieve your loftiest goals (and evolve your Pokémon) with the help of your analytical and academic group of teammates.

Gryffindor and Slytherin: Team Valor

Like the Harry Potter [8] series's namesake, the bold members of Gryffindor house are often stereotyped as hotheaded and overly confident — a trait they share with Team Valor, along with their scarlet sigil shade. However, Gryffindor's rival house, Slytherin, also shares an important goal with Team Valor: power.

Goal-oriented Slytherins and brave, cocksure Gryffindors will both find a home with Team Valor, where they can exercise their leadership skills in pursuit of powerful Pokémon — this boldness could very well help Team Valor in their pursuit of greatness!