Pokémon Go Ten Years Later

I have mentioned Pokémon and Pokémon Go a few times here on the blog. And yes, I am a few weeks ahead of the actual ten-year anniversary mark for Pokémon Go, but I feel like I have a significant announcement to make. Over this past weekend, I reached the level cap of 80 in Pokémon Go, and as I said, just shy of a rather big anniversary for a mobile app. I have been playing the app since its release in July of 2016, and I play it every day. In fact, I have played it more, longer, and more consistently than any other game in my life. But I do not see it only as a game, as it is an integral part of my daily routine. Because every morning I get up and walk for 2-2.5 hours and cover 7-10 miles while playing it, every day.

Scitro, Valor trainer - level 80

For those who care about such things.

I do more than just walk and play Pokémon Go. That time in my day is both for physical activity as well as mental. I work on my book while I walk, switching over to the notepad to type out notes and ideas. I problem solve, world build, and ponder and ruminate. It is me time in every way. I watch the world wake up, the sun rise, the turtles awaken, and catch a lot of Pokémon. I have also been hit by cars, bitten by dogs, threatened, followed, and have been victorious in reclaiming gyms. After a decade, it is a bigger part of my life than a lot of things. Which is all very strange to me now. Because when I started playing ten years ago, it was only so that I had a distraction and maybe some motivation to walk more. It excelled in both. 

Pokémon hit it big when I was in college. And while at the time I had a bunch of cards and loved the idea of it all, I never did anything more with it all. I never watched the show, and I honestly never played a single game - I liked the idea of it, and as a college student, I had no one to play against. I saw the animated feature in 2000 and the 2019 live-action Detective Pikachu movie, but that is it. I just love the monsters and the idea of the game and universe that I have spent the last ten years playing this game every day, and now I have some pretty awesome Pokémon.

For the record, my favorite Pokémon is the Garchomp. I have one that is a shiny, 4*, fully maxed, can mega evolve, and has two charge attacks. This one Pokémon single-handedly got me to level 80.

Garchimp, I choose you!

In normal and, of course, Mega form.

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here on Wednesday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com