Pokémon GO: 11 Insane Player Stories You Won't Believe Actually Happened
Sea-based gyms, Squirtles against ISIS, and a dead body. Welcome to Pokémon GO.
Nintendo have only gone and done it again. Just as we started thinking that maybe the Wii was the last big hurrah for the company, and that their move towards mobile platforms was a white flag of sorts, they've released Pokémon GO - the AR mobile game that's already looking like the biggest video game phenomenon we've seen in years.
Pokémon GO pulls gamers out of their seats and into the real world, using GPS to superimpose a whole world of Pokemon onto real-life streets - churches become PokéStops, strip clubs become great places to catch Pidgeys (I wouldn't know), and stadiums become gyms where trainers do battle.
Inevitably, the addictive nature of the game and the fact that it uses the real world has already led to some unbelievable stories, ranging from from the hilarious, to the macabre, to the heart-warming.
Here are the 11 craziest player stories and experiences to have happened as a result of this massive new viral trend.
11. Woman Finds Dead Body While Hunting For Pokémon
With its semi-random generation of Pokémon wherever you go, Pokémon GO can sometimes take people pretty far off the beaten track, which is great for encouraging exercise and exploration. But it can also lead to some precarious situations, as Shayla Wiggins can attest to.
19-year-old Shayla, from Wyoming, was out hunting for water-based Pokémon, so naturally went down to the river to look for them (the game cleverly adapts the Pokemon you find to your surroundings). Instead of finding a Squirtle however, or even a lowly Magikarp, she discovered a dead body face down in the water.
"It was pretty shocking," said Wiggins. "I didn't really know what to do at first. But I called 911 right away and they came really quickly." Police say a wild Gyarados was seen swimming downriver on the same day, and could be connected with the crime.
Just kidding (inappropriate, I know). The police are saying it was an accident. Despite the macabre discovery, Wiggins said she'd go back to the river in pursuit of Pokémon. That's the kind of dedication required to become a Pokémon Master!