This week, Niki Dakota talks with Excursions’ senior Pokemon correspondent, also known as her son, Silas. Together they bring listeners up to speed on the new Pokemon GO smartphone game that’s become a worldwide sensation.
Pokemon GO is an augmented reality game which uses your phone’s camera and GPS to project images of Pokemon onto the real world. Your goal as a player is to collect one of each species of Pokemon—to “catch ‘em all.” To do this, you have to leave your house, as certain kinds of Pokemon are attracted to certain environments; for example, you tend to find water type Pokemon near lakes and ponds. But Silas points out that there are exceptions to this rule. A few days ago, he says, he found a Seel Pokemon at a bus stop.
After you catch a certain number of Pokemon, the game asks you to join one of three teams, each with its own name and color. Team Instinct is yellow, team Valor red, and team Mystic blue.
Certain real-world landmarks are designated as PokeStops, where players can collect items that help them catch Pokemon and strengthen the Pokemon they already have. Larger landmarks, such as churches, banks, and department stores, can be designated as gyms, which players can take over for their respective teams. According to Silas, much of Yellow Springs is currently Valor territory, but he hopes to take it over on behalf of Mystic, his team of choice.
Before you play the game, though, both Dakotas offer this word of warning: watch the road.
If you can’t get enough of Pokemon GO, check out this bonus discussion with Silas and his sister, junior Pokemon correspondent Ella Dakota. Topics include the appearance of Pokemon on the Dakota family’s kitchen table, Pokemon music, and newly-discovered ways to cheat at the game.