I know I should have posted about this last month but I honestly had no idea just how addicting that it would be.
Pokemon Go.

Everyone's playing it, everyone is talking about it and well, everyone is going outside because of it. I can't believe it either. Although if you really want to be the very best like no one ever was you're gonna have to go out there and do something about it. Because you can't catch 'em all from your bedroom - I have tried.
I was so excited for the game to be released that it broke my heart to find out the release of the game had been delayed due to the servers not being able to handle the capacity of players. I still don't understand how they could have underestimated the popularity of this game. I guess they didn't account for people who haven't played Pokemon before and that are just jumping on the bandwagon because everyone is talking about it.


Still, it bothered me that I had to wait. Even though I only had to wait about a week. But it wasn't fun seeing everyone else online play when you couldn't. I knew there were ways for me to get illegally but I didn't want to do that because I heard that they could ban you from the real game if they found out. Better to be safe than sorry.
But as soon as I found out the game was released I had to get it. I had to fulfill my destiny as a Pokemon player, because after all, isn't that what everyone wanted to be at some point in their life? A Pokemon master?
I had to admit it was slow starting for me. Especially when you don't live near any Pokestops or Gyms. On the first/second day it was released I actually decided to go outside and explore the Pokestops and Gyms that my town had to offer. Although it was clear that the side of town I lived on did not have a lot.
But it was okay, I only wanted to go on a walk to explore and see what was out there. I knew as I progressed and travelled more that I would find more things and more interesting Pokemon. Because I've figured out that the only thing you are actually capable of catching from your bedroom are Pidgeys, Weedles and Rattattas. I have caught the occasional other Pokemon but if you really want to catch more Pokemon then you have to be willing to go outside.
Which I know isn't for everyone. Including myself. I was surprised that Pokemon had me willingly leaving the house. But that only lasted for the first week. Mainly so that I could level up and join my team.


You can join three teams in Pokemon Go and this team allows you to fight/take over/defend gyms. Gyms can be found anywhere just like Pokestops. What I have noticed is that Pokemon Go seemed to really like making churches Gyms and Pokestops. I'm not sure what the reason is behind that but okay.
Anyway other than willingly going out the first week of Pokemon Go being released I only really play Pokemon when I am leaving the house and doing other things. It's a lot easier to do it that way because you're going to be out and about anyway, so why not see what Pokemon are out and about while you are?
I have to admit I did enjoy one night that I went out with my friend Jasmine to go Pokemon hunting. This was the first time that I got to see just how many people were out playing Pokemon. And it was a lot. We walked into this area in town and found about 20 people standing in a circle around a Lure placed at a Pokestop. I was not expecting that at all. But you get a real sense of community playing Pokemon Go in big groups, especially if you are all the same team and work together to take over a gym.
I haven't been out in big groups since that night but I know people still do it. I think it's a lot more fun when you play with people and not just yourself. Although at the same time it can feel much more satisfying when you manage to take over a gym on your own.


That being said, I haven't really taken that many gyms by myself. Anytime I have taken a gym I have been with my brother and we have worked together. The way gyms work is that you fight the Pokemon in the gym and once you defeat them all the gym turns neutral. Once the gym goes neutral, anyone from any team can place their Pokemon in the gym to take it over. So it's better to have another person from your team standing by to take the gym once you defeat it and heal your Pokemon. Otherwise, anyone passing by could take over the gym instead.
I think that's what causes there to be some rivalry in Pokemon however I haven't gotten into any real fights about it. If anything it's just a bit of fun. Plus, a lot of gyms in common areas such as train stations and restaurants/bars are constantly changing as people come and go. So no gym belongs to the same team for long.
Apart from the Gyms, another part of the game is obviously working to catch all the Pokemon. So far the Pokemon only extend to the original first generation of Pokemon but hopefully the game updates to include more. As far as I know there are a few Pokemon that are region locked which means you will literally have to travel far if you want to catch them all. I don't know if I ever will get to catch them all but you know I'll try haha.
I'm actually pretty proud of the amount of Pokemon I have been able to catch just by playing when I leave the house. My friends at this point think I'm crazy because I play it so much. I have the app open almost constantly so that I can hatch Pokemon eggs. This isn't always great for your phone battery or your 3G allowance but I can tell you it is worth it for the possibility of hatching a rare Pokemon. Although most of the time you could hatch a Pokemon you have already caught before. But still, it's nice to have the hope you could get a new Pokemon from those eggs.
Another thing I tend to do is play the game while on public transport. I know that's technically cheating but the game does register when you are going too fast. But sometimes when you are on a train and the train slows down at each stop, there is a chance for Pokemon to spawn. One day I was on the train and as we were coming into a train station I was able to catch two new Pokemon and so it is worth it to have the app open on the train. It might not help you catch eggs, but a lot of train stations are Pokestops and so if you need some more Pokeballs it's worth the trip.


I think that pretty much covers my experience with Pokemon Go so far. There is the case of the Pokemon tracker which a lot of people don't like because it doesn't work but that doesn't bother me. Mainly because I only play the game when I am already out of the house. I can see how it can be annoying if you are actively searching for Pokemon but usually I just catch the Pokemon that spawn around me. I like to be surprised when a rare Pokemon appears haha.
But yes, that is everything I wanted to say on the topic of Pokemon Go, at least for now. The last thing I will do is leave you with my current Pokemon level and strongest Pokemon. (And yes, I did nickname some of them after KPop band Seventeen).


~ Courtney x