Remember Pokemon, that franchise that came out about twenty years ago? The game where capturing animals and using them to battle your friends caused you (or your parents) to spend tons of money on the game, cards, or any other type of memorabilia from it? Well, the phenomenon is happening all over again with Pokemon GO. Kids, college students, and even parents are now walking around neighborhoods all over to try and catch them all!
But, what if you are just a kid from “Pallet Town?” Can you really play this game if you live in a tiny town? In the original games you had to leave the small town to try and capture rarer Pokemon. So, is Pokemon GO actually usable in a small town setting? Well, lucky for all of you, I live in a small town of around 3,500 people. I’ve been attempting to play this game since launch, and have found some interesting things for those who live in a “Pallet Town.”
First off, I should explain how this game works. You create your avatar, and are quickly thrust in to picking/capturing your first Pokemon. Your choices are the same as the original Red/Blue games. Charmander, the fire-type, Squirtle, the water-type, or Bulbasaur, the grass-type.* You quickly catch your first Pokemon, and then are kind of left on your own to figure out the game. Now, I have had more than one person ask me “how do I get my character to move?” You actually are going to have to go outside and walk around in this game! That’s right, when you move, your character moves. This game wants you to go to a park, a beach, or anywhere and start walking around to find your next catch.
After you’ve mastered the art of capturing Pokemon, you will find yourself running into PokeStops. PokeStops are areas where you can gain more items for you and your Pokemon. Maybe you need more Pokeballs? Or even a Potion to heal your team to full health after attacking a gym! PokeStops have a chance to drop these items to help keep you involved in the game. Some areas may have 10+ PokeStops within a mile radius, while others may be two sitting side by side. But, you will need them. So be sure to stop by these areas to keep yourself in the game.
Pokemon Gyms are much different than PokeStops, however. Once you reach level 5 and head to a gym, you will be asked to join one of the three teams in Pokemon GO. Each is represented by a different color (Red, Blue, and Yellow), but also view Pokemon in a different way. As of now, it seems like whichever team you pick doesn’t affect anything besides who you can be with when battling gyms. So ,choose whichever color or viewpoint you like most (or whichever your friends play as in case something changes in the future). Anyway, gyms will be owned by real people. If you are on Red team and run into a Red gym, then you can use your Pokemon to toughen it up and even leave one of your own Pokemon behind to defend it. If you see a gym that is owned by a team of a different color, then you can battle it to take it down and make claim it as your own. Claiming it will also give you rewards in the Shop menu of the app, so definitely check by there to claim your rewards.
Now, we can start talking about the advantages of playing Pokemon GO. This week, I have spent every night walking around downtown with my wife and a few friends. The area is populated with a lot of Pokemon, two or three PokeStops, and a couple of gyms. Every night this week, I have drove to one of the more Pokemon populated places in town, with about three PokeStops nearby, as well as a couple of gyms. But, I have found more than just that. Other trainers were doing the same thing as we were! Now, I know that bigger cities have seen a lot of trainers in these types of areas as well, but for someone who lives in a small town, it was different. Why? It was the same people every night!
But, why is that exciting? Well, because I got to know these trainers pretty well. We walked around the square pointing out different Pokemon, using Lures to attract some, and even battling at the gyms. We were mostly on different teams, but that is what made it even more fun. Rivalries play a huge part of the games, and being able to create a rivalry with someone that I know I will run into again just makes that world come alive. I can look at the owners of different gyms and place a face on them, and I know they are doing the same every time they see a gym that I currently hold.
Now, there are a few disadvantages. Obviously, the small amount of PokeStops means that you are locked down to certain areas. And, since there are only a few, you may feel the need to actually pay money for more Pokeballs or even Incense to attract some different creatures to your area. Also, with the few amount of gyms, you may find one player incredibly stronger than the rest around you. These things can be frustrating, but a quick trip to a bigger town to get PokeStop items and different Pokemon, or even battling a gym with a few of your friends will remedy this problem quickly.
Playing Pokemon GO in a small town is completely doable. Sure, there are some of you who live in smaller towns than the one I’m speaking of that presents different sorts of challenges, but there are definitely nearby areas that you can head to and make the best out of it. Playing Pokemon GO in a “Pallet Town” will leave you with some great friends, great rivals, and a lot of fun! Anyway, I got to get going. Pokemon Hunting is becoming a real thing. And, you know, “Gotta Catch’em All!”
*Pikachu can be captured at the beginning by walking away from the three starters.
