What does being a witness to a rabid fox attack, nighttime cemetery wandering, and being offered a dead pigeon by a falcon all have in common? These are all experiences made available to me as a result of 90s nostalgia resurrected in our modern, digital age. In other words, the mobile app craze that swept the nation upon its release: Pokémon GO!
I was hooked as soon as I downloaded the app, and I watched as Niantic’s creation trickled its way into news headlines, plastering itself all over my Facebook feed. For me, this was my childhood revived, fused with my adult life as I’ve known it thus far. As a kid, I had Pokémon everything [the cards, the games, the action figures and figurines, bedding, clothing, even marbles], and everyone I came into contact with knew about my blatant obsession. I watched the show after school and was nearly brought to tears in theaters during the first movie at the part when it looked like Ash died (real Pokéfans know this scene well), and I still have some lingering pity on anyone who dared touch the remote as I watched the show when I was younger. Sorry, not sorry.
Fast forward ten or so years to the release of the game and you have most of my summer, arguably the most adventurous I’ve had. I soon found myself trekking through parks, trails, and around the gorgeous lakes of the Twin Cities hatching eggs and catching the lovable creatures in “augmented reality.” My Pokémon journey led me to a cemetery near my family’s house at night in search of the ghost Pokémon Gastly. I battled swarms of mosquitos, in addition to Pokémon gyms, at Historic Fort Snelling for fire types. In an attempt to find water types, I went with a friend to Lake Harriet on my first official bike ride and instead heard the shrill cries of a woman in pain. I turn around to discover a woman being bitten on the leg by a fox, only to shake it off, get in her vehicle, and have the feral animal wait for her around her car briefly before scampering off. Without the help of the mobile app, I probably never would have had this random assortment of experiences.
Not only did the app fill my excess free time, it got me outside, snagging me some cardio, netting me a decent tan and subsequently the first time I wasn’t teased about being too pale over the summer. Pokémon Go also gave me something to talk about with friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. As soon as I got back to campus from the Twin Cities and resumed playing I found myself connecting with people here in a similar fashion, in addition to having a pigeon corpse being thrown at my feet while I played, a ‘gift’ from a passerby falcon. I was also discovering more about both of the Twin Cities and Grand Forks, seeking out items at Pokéstops in the forms of free libraries, historical monuments and buildings, restaurants, and pieces of art I didn’t know existed (here’s to you weird, life-sized chef statue near that park in my hometown).
Despite the recent slowing of its popularity coupled with the fact that I’m nearly ¾ of the way from being the highest level in the game, occasionally told by friends “I’m worried about you” as a result of my obsession, you’ll probably still find me wandering around playing - because if there’s anything I’ve learned from the app, it’s that you never know who you might connect with or where the next interesting story can be found.
