To be the best, you’ve gotta catch ’em all.
And with that, the gauntlet has been thrown down to any and all Ridgefielders who’ve taken up Pokémon Go as their favorite hobby this summer.
The mobile game, which was released 20 days ago and continues to swell in popularity, challenges users to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures who appear on phone screens as though in the real world using a location-based, augmented reality platform.
Sound silly?
Well, try to keep up, because the Pokémon tidal wave isn’t going to be stopped by quick judgments or predictions that the fad will fade, like so many trends before it.
“I don’t see this dying down for a while,” said Ridgefield High School senior Shane Palmer on Tuesday. “The creators are saving some really cool updates, like the ability to trade with friends, for later this summer, which is smart of them.
“My friends and I are really pumped about them releasing more Pokémon, too, with second- and third-evolution updates.”
Perhaps most important, the game is being used to break down social barriers.
Palmer, a captain on the RHS football team, said that his favorite part of playing Pokémon Go is connecting with others who are out exercising around town — whether it’s on Main Street or up near Lake Mamanasco — and playing the game.
“It’s definitely bringing different groups together,” he said. “My friends and I were out and we met up with a different group of guys and immediately there was a conversation, ‘what do you have?’ ‘that’s so cool!’ and we went searching with them for new Pokémon.
“It’s bringing everyone together, from all social circles,” he added.
And it’s proven good for businesses, too.
That’s why Planet Pizza offered a 10% discount to app players two weeks ago and posted a sign in its window that it’s a registered Pokéstop, a place where players can collect PokéBalls used to catch creatures and several types of “health potions” to restore their health after a battle.
“It’s been bringing in a lot of kids — a ton of foot traffic,” said store manager Mike Drogalis. “We’ve seen it increase every day.
“It’s a 24/7 type of thing,” he added. “They’re here first thing in the morning and they’re here late at night, staying until we close.”
The question on every Ridgefield business owner’s mind is: what did Planet Pizza do to become such a coveted destination?
According to Drogalis, not much. The restaurant wasn’t notified officially when the app launched July 6 and only found out through customers who kept coming in and asking.
“We didn’t apply for it,” he said. “But we have a bench right outside our storefront that’s a memorial bench, and the creators are using a lot of those for PokéStops.”
Historical sites and churches
Palmer backed that up, pointing other users in the direction of historical sites, such as Settlers Rock, which sits along North Salem Road at the edge of the Ridgefield Cemetery.
The high school senior explained that to sign in, players must have a Google account and that the app uses Google maps for its GPS navigation.
“The game’s creators use historical spots to attract players,” said Palmer, who first got attached to the game through his brother when he was in elementary school. “I don’t know how they know where historical sites are in town, but my guess it’s through Google developers.”
Pokémon Go has even crossed into the realm of religion.
St. Stephen’s Church is a PokéStop, where users can throw PokéBalls to collect the virtual creature known as Squirtle. Jesse Lee Church has joined the fray, placing a sign outside that reads “Our Bell is a PokéStop, You’re Always Welcome Here.”
Don’t forget to hit the ‘gym’
Catching Pokémon is part of the game but it’s only one part of the competition.
“Gyms” are battle grounds where a player uses six Pokémon to try and lay claim to a given real location within the app.
“Settler’s Rock, for example, is a gym and people will hold battles there,” said Palmer, who has 50 out of the 147 released Pokémon in his Pokédex. “You choose what Pokémon you want to use to defend or hold the gym and then walk over to it.”
That’s where team building comes into play.
If the “yellow team” is holding a gym and a red team wins it, then the red team “owns it” and defends it.
“People rush to gyms and say ‘let’s go get it,’” Palmer said. “The phone tells you where the gyms are — they stand out on the map, like arenas.”
Going places
However, for players like Palmer there’s a difference between catching “average Pokémon,” like Squirtle and Weedle, at churches and catching “special Pokémon” that are second-evolution creatures who have evolved, like Slowbro, at the Danbury Fair Mall.
Of course, it all has to do with location.
Besides Planet Pizza on Main Street, Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shoppe is another hub for Pokémon Go fans. That’s because the app allows them to drop a “lure module” that attracts new Pokémon.
“People hang out there, up to an hour I believe, because they can refresh the app,” he said.
“I was able to catch a Slowbro at the mall through the lure module,” he added.
There’s a benefit for players to move from place to place.
In addition to collecting PokéBalls, players can catch eggs from PokéStops and then hatch them by going on long walks — or “putting them in an incubator,” as users call it.
“The exercise component is really good and it’s super motivating, especially when you’re able to walk from stop to stop,” Palmer said.
In fact, the app’s creators are so insistent on creating a physically active playing atmosphere that they’re cutting down on cheaters who are “location spoofing,” which means they tape their phone to a ceiling fan to simulate walking.
“I don’t think the creators want you to stay home and play,” Palmer said. “I can walk outside my home and catch average Pokémon, but I got to leave my home to catch new ones.”
And that means being stuck at home is social suicide.
“Going on adventure outdoors — to places you’ve never been before — is where you can meet new teammates, find new gyms, and catch new Pokémon,” Palmer said.
Perfect timing
There’s no doubt that part of the sensation behind Pokémon Go is the fact that it was released during the dog days of summer.
Palmer believes the fad would die down quicker if school was in session.
“Summer is the best time for something like this because of all the free time we all have to go out around town and explore,” he said. “The creators really found a sweet spot.”
With football practice looming in August, Palmer knows the fun won’t last forever, but he still plans on going out to play the game whenever he has some free time during the day.
“School and sports will have an effect on playing but right now my friends and I are just enjoying the moment,” he said.
And so far, they aren’t the only ones doing so.
“I’ve definitely seen a lot more kids out on Main Street since the app launched,” Drogalis said. “It’s good; it’s keeping things active in town. It’s fun to be around it all.”
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