A misanthrope’s Pokemon Go experience

In my teens, I tried to get into Pokémon. But as an 80s kid, Pikachu and company didn’t leave an imprint on my soul the way Optimus Prime and the Ecto-1 did. And though I enjoyed the original Pokémon game for the Game Boy, my animal lover self cried a little inside every time I had to forcibly stuff a wild creature into a ball not much larger than a gallbladder.

And now Pokémon fever is everywhere. With Niantic’s Pokémon Go, the loveable critters have invaded our smartphones and consequently, our world. Thanks to augmented reality technology, Pokémon are showing up at our favorite malls and parks, and even introducing us to places we never knew existed. People who, just weeks ago, couldn’t tell a Pidgey from a Spearow are suddenly spouting off Pokémon lore like they’ve made a religion of the damn thing.

I had to know what was going on; what was bringing people out of their homes in hordes, and turning hipsters into geeks and loners into friendly, outgoing citizens.

So I downloaded the Pokémon Go app for my mobile device, and jumped down the rabbit (Nidoran?) hole.

Gotta catch ‘em all

Pokémon Go is a simple game. You stroll around in the real world until a Pokémon pops up on your smartphone. Then, using the power of a Poké Ball, you heartlessly snatch the creature away from its loved ones.

The first order of business is to create your digital alter ego. As someone who loves complex character creation tools, I was disappointed by the limited avatar customization options the game offers. I wanted to create a badass who looked like she could split you open from sternum to crotch the second you looked at her funny, but I had to make do with a generic sporty type. In fairness, both male and female models look good. Aside from changing their color schemes, however, there’s nothing else you can do to make them uniquely your own.

After creating your avatar, you’re all set.

The game uses your phone’s GPS to construct a map of your surroundings. As you walk, you’ll notice wild Pokémon popping up on the map. If you want to catch them, tap their icons. This will bring you to the battle screen.

To effect a capture, maneuver your smartphone so that the Pokémon is at the center of the screen. Then flick your Poké Ball at it. If you hit the creature, it gets sucked into your Poké Ball. If it fails to escape after three attempts, the Pokémon is added to your collection. Say goodbye to your kids, monster!

Less than half an hour after embarking on my great Pokémon adventure, I was feeling proud of myself. I had seized over a dozen Pokémon! Some basic Pokémon appear more often than others, so expect to have multiples of every type. Rounding up all those extras isn’t a waste of effort; you gain experience with every capture, and as you level up, the maximum Combat Power of each Pokémon rises. Catching Pokémon also awards you candies and Stardust, which are used to power up or evolve your creatures. Additionally, you can trade unwanted Pokémon for candies.

You can rename each Pokémon you catch. For dumb fun, I tapped into my inner troll to give my little monsters some colorful names.

Gotta name 'em all: Pokemon Go allows you to name your little monsters. Images and photo: Michael Logarta

The map highlights other points of interest in your environment, such as PokéStops. These are usually places people frequent, such as malls, basketball courts, and monuments.

Pokémon Go actually had me approaching a church for the first time in years. I could feel my skin burning as I drew closer, but whether it was because of some divine retribution for my heathen ways, or the Fire Pokémon sleeping in one of my Poké Balls, I couldn’t tell.

You visit PokéStops to receive items such as Poké Balls, healing potions, and others. Lure Modules are items that, when deployed, attract Pokémon to the area. The lure can be seen by everyone in the vicinity, so expect it to bring other players and perhaps pickpockets to your location. Then you’ve got Eggs, which hatch to add Pokémon to your collection. To incubate Eggs, you’ll have to walk between 2km and 10km. If you’re thinking of using a car to cheat, think again: Pokémon Go can tell when you’re not travelling on foot.

Pokémon Gyms become accessible once you reach level 5 and have pledged your allegiance to one of three teams (Instinct, Mystic, or Valor). Pokémon Gyms appear on your map as large towers that are yellow, blue, or red, depending on which team they currently belong to. If you feel your Pokémon are up to snuff, you can attempt to invade a Gym by attacking its guardian Pokémon.

Battle is mostly a mindless, tap-heavy affair. Defeating an opponent lowers the Gym’s prestige; once its prestige falls to zero, the Gym becomes your team’s. You and anyone from your team can then assign your Pokémon to serve as the Gym’s new guardians.

Each day your team maintains hold over a Gym, you are awarded PokéCoins, which you can use to buy items at the shop.

Share the love

If you’re going to judge the game by its gameplay alone, Pokémon Go doesn’t offer much. There are only so many Balls you can flick and creatures you can tap before your brain goes numb with the tedium. Admittedly, though, there’s some fun to be had from collecting Pokémon, especially if you’re a “collector” gamer like me. Pokémon Gym battles will also appeal to the competitive types out there.

Pokémon Go’s major strength, however, is its ability to encourage people to get off their lazy posteriors and get out of the house. More importantly, Pokémon Go is uniting people of all ages and backgrounds, and even attracting non-fans to the fandom. You’ve heard the stories, seen the pictures, and watched the videos; alliances and friendships are being made every day. Played solo, the game can be a chore; but played with others, it can prove an excellent bonding experience. There are few things more gratifying than sharing your interests with like-minded people.

In a country where people are too shy to greet each other hello on the street, the game had me smiling at a complete stranger when I realized she was a fellow Pokémon Go player. She didn’t smile back, of course; in fact, she immediately looked down and quickened her pace in the opposite direction. But the fact that Pokémon Go inspired me—a self-confessed misanthrope and social recluse—to attempt to reach out to another human being says a lot about what Niantic has accomplished with the property.

Pokémon Go even pushes you to go to areas where you’ll likely meet more people; the more densely populated the location, the more Pokémon appear. The downside here is that if you live in a rural area with few players and not many landmarks, your adventures will be quiet, uneventful ones.

Pokémon Go is also missing a few social features you’d expect from the franchise, such as the ability to trade Pokémon with other players, and challenge them outside the Gym. Thankfully, once implemented, they’ll enhance the game’s social aspect even further.

Fun with friends!

Pokémon Go is an uncomplicated mobile game that becomes far more interesting when treated as a social experience. Sure, the challenge of completing your Pokémon collection can be fun, but the true reward comes from sharing your activities with others. So charge those smartphone batteries to 100%, put on a sturdy pair of trainers, and get ready to do some serious walking – with a friend, of course. — BM, GMA News

Platforms: iOS, Android