Pokémon Go Players Seen Roaming the Streets at All Hours of the Day

Zack Myers and Jessica Jones wait for the Pokemon Go servers to catch up.

Players are outside and enjoying the company and fresh air.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Pokémon Go is a game played on your smart phone that requires you to walk around the real world, picking up virtual items that are visible on your phone display. It’s much like geocaching, but on steroids.

In Oskaloosa and most places around the United States, young people have embraced the nostalgia and the concept behind the latest tech gaming craze.

In Oskaloosa, it’s not uncommon to find nearly 100 individuals in the evenings roaming the square in search of those elusive Pokémon.

Zack Myers is enjoying the game, and was found playing the game on the Oskaloosa Square on Monday night. “As a long-time Pokémon fan since I was yea-high, [Zack is seen holding his hand at about waist level], I’ve been wanting something like this.”

“It’s as close as we’ll ever get to real life Pokémon,” says Myers.

Zach Myers describes how players navigate using the Pokemon Go app. The screen is showing where the virtual Pokemon and related items are using a map of Oskaloosa as reference.

Play had slowed on Monday night, as the servers for the game had been experiencing slow response times because of the demand placed upon them by the massive amount of new players. “I don’t think they expected the popularity of it,” said Myers. “If you see someone walking around, they are probably on Pokémon Go.”

As is the case in most games, the further you progress, the more difficult it becomes. In Pokémon Go, the longer you play, the stronger and rarer Pokémon you gain. Players visit Pokey Stops, and there are gymnasiums for groups of players to control. Other players try to take over another group’s gymnasium.

Myers has been out playing the game every evening since Thursday. “Been at it. It’s fun,” says Myers.

Myers was on the square with his friend Jessica Jones, who wasn’t even a Pokémon fan, but decided to join in as a way to spend time with friends.

“I think it’s good for people who aren’t very active,” says Jones. “This is definitely getting them out of their basement, getting them out of their parents’ house for awhile. Especially us twenty-year-olds.”

Jones said the game is fun, but “frustrating when you can’t catch them.”

That amount of foot traffic around not only the square, but on residential streets and other places, has raised a few concerns. People have reported to the police in other jurisdictions that players are entering private property, and, in some rare cases, causing issues in traffic.
Myers agreed, and said that players need to remain aware of their surroundings while playing the game. “Some people don’t care; they will be like, ‘there’s a Pokémon over there,’ and they will take off running after it.”

According to Oskaloosa Police Lieutenant Russ Van Renterghem, so far in Oskaloosa, to his knowledge there have been no real complaints of people walking into private property related to the game.

Van Renterghem reminds individuals that city parks close at 11pm, and that Forest Cemetery closes at dusk.

Van Renterghem says that the players “are all happy” and not causing trouble for law enforcement currently. That could quickly change if individuals don’t abide by the rules and safety protocols to keep themselves from being injured.