Even if you've been living under a rock lately, there's still a good chance that you've heard about "Pokémon Go." The new app has given gamers everywhere a reason to leave the house, and not many can say they haven't witnessed a hoard of players walking down streets to visit Pokéstops. The game is location based, and allows players to catch their favorite Pokémon wherever they are. The excitement of hunting for the creatures in real locations has made the game ridiculously successful, and its influence can be seen on every form of social media. People are becoming a little obsessed with the game and are starting to do a couple of ridiculous things. Here are a couple of odd things only those obsessed with "Pokémon Go" do:
1. Lose Sleep To Catch Pokémon
If you're as obsessed with "Pokémon Go" as I am you'll understand the struggle. It's three in the morning and there's a Squirtle nearby. You have work in the morning, but you don't have a Squirtle yet and he was your favorite Pokémon growing up. Do you stay cozy in bed or risk being mugged as you walk down an empty street in the middle of the night? Is Squirtle worth it? Nine times out of ten you'll debate with yourself so long the Squirtle will disappear and end up thinking about it for the rest of the night.
2. Traveling Insane Distances To Visit Pokéstops
Some players aren't as lucky as others when it comes to Pokéstops. For those that don't know, Pokéstops give useful gifts like Pokéballs and healing spray to players that stob by. Unfortunately, some players don't live by any Pokéstops and have to drive ten to fifteen minutes away to collect their free gifts. This might sound like a lot of work, but some players gladly do this on a daily basis.
3. Obsessing Over Their New "Pets"
People love animals, and Pokémon are no exception. Even though the creatures are fake, many admire them as much as real pets. With creatures such as Eevees and Ponytas being as cute as they are, it's hard not to be a litte charmed by them. Pokémon might not be as cool as real pets, but for the allergy ridden animal lover, they might be a nice substitute.
4. Being Strangely Loyal To Their Teams
Whenever a player becomes a Level Five trainer, they're able to choose a team. The three teams, which are Instinct, Mystic, and Valor, all have different goals and colors. Even though the game has only been out for two weeks, people are already becoming strangely loyal to their teams. You could almost liken it to the way "Harry Potter" fans defend the four houses of Hogwarts. It's kind of weird, but also somewhat endearing.
5. Driving Around For Miles To Hatch Eggs
A cool feature "Pokémon Go" offers is the ability to hatch Pokémon eggs. You can either the buy eggs from the game or hope to receive them at Pokéstops. It's a pretty exciting feature because you're given a random Pokémon every time, but hatching eggs can be a bit laborious. To hatch an egg you have to walk certain distances.The distances range from two to ten kilometers, and only after traveling those distances can you hatch your eggs. Thankfully, some players have found a way to cheat the system. Apparently, driving slowly can make your eggs hatch. It might defeat the purpose of the game and cost you gas money, but it'll leave your legs a lot less sore in the morning.
6. Playing Everywhere They Go
Many players don't have a lot of tact when it comes to deciding when to catch Pokémon. Unfortunately, the game is addictive, and many people are choosing to play at inappropriate times. A few places that have requested being taken off the "Pokémon Go" map include the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., The 9/11 Memorial in New York, and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Germany. Even though catching Pokémon at Auschwitz is incredibly disrespectful, players don't seem to care. This is a very strange and concerning issue.
7. Dropping Everything To Catch A Pokémon
Some players don't mind dropping everything to catch a Pokémon. When confronted with the choice between doing something important or catching a rare Pokémon, many have chosen the latter. This can mean pausing a favorite show or playing the game while in labor (yeah, it's happened) and as funny as that is, it is also dangerous. Stopping in the middle of a highway to catch a Pikachu might be tempting, but no one should do it. Ever.
8. Walking Around For Hours To Find Pokémon
A great thing about "Pokémon Go" is that it encourages otherwise non-athletic people to do some exercise. To hatch eggs or catch Pokémon, you have to leave the house and do some walking. This might help a lot of people stay in shape. I for one have walked for hours to catch Pokémon in the area, which made me feel great.
9. Tweeting/Posting About "Pokémon Go"
"Pokémon Go"-related posts have taken over social media. Many people that love the game like to post about how great it is or share pictures of Pokémon they've caught. Many have started group chats over Facebook and Twitter to support their local team members and find the best creatures.
10. Chatting With Strangers
As much as stranger danger is talked about, people are oddly trusting of fellow "Pokémon Go" players. Many times during my walks to find Pokémon I've met talkative strangers that were willing to trade game advice and help me find the best creatures. This has been really nice, even though it was a little concerning.
