Pouty Face, left, guards a Pokemon Gym with Cool Hand Luke, right.
LOS ANGELES, CA—Within days of its launch, Pokemon Go has gained notoriety due to a number of incidents involving deaths and robberies. On the other hand, it has also fostered more interpersonal communication than any other app. Just last week, sources reported that the popular app drove two local gang members to put their differences aside and become the very best of friends.
Cool Hand Luke, a second generation Crip, attentively secures a Pokemon Gym with Peter, a Blood who goes by the name of Pouty Face. "I joined the blue team just 'cause," says Pouty as he swipes his fingers on his smartphone. "Team Mystic all day every day." Pouty took a leap of faith without realizing that the consequences would eventually sprout a beautiful bond. "Luke is a cool guy. We taught each other our gang signs and everything."
Admitting he has grown fond of Cool Hand Luke, Pouty also says that their relationship is already becoming rather complicated. "When we start playing, we forget about everything—race, class, gender, etc. Then the servers go down and with it goes my hope for maintaining our friendship." Pouty isn't the only one who feels this way. Reports say that several members of both gangs have filed complaints against the developers, Niantic, Inc., stating that "this truce was too good to be true." Forbes has been updating the status of Pokemon Go's servers, but things don't seem to be looking up for anyone right now.