WEST PITTSTON — Throwing a Lure. Hatching an egg. Battling a Vaporean.
If you don’t understand that verbage, then you probably don’t play “Pokemon Go.”
The West Pittston Library joined in on the craze Sept. 17, holding its first “Pokemon Go” event.
The game — based on the original “Pokemon: Indigo League” TV series released in 2000 — is an app users can download on their phones or tablets, turning you into a “Pokemon Master” with a mission to try and catch all 150 Pokemon. The game is set up like a virtual map, allowing users to walk around in search of the creatures.
Business all over the world have been taking advantage of the game’s popularity — especially among youth — creating PokeStops where users can acquire items used in the game and adding Lures to attract Pokemon to their location.
As about 30 children and their parents gathered into the library, Youth Services Coordinator Summer Belles was preparing a route around the area to hunt for Pokemon.
Belles said she chose a Pokemon event because of it current popularity, and it’s ability to get children and adults to come together in an outdoor setting.
“I knew it was popular, it gets everyone from the community to come together,” she said.
As Belles explained proper safety measures when playing the app, children took advantage of the library’s own PokeStop, collecting Pokeballs and capturing Pokemon as they listened.
While the app has skyrocketed in popularity, it has also caused safety problems nationwide.
From car accidents to abandoning vehicles on the road and even the discovery of a dead body, the allure of catching a rare Pokemon left users forgetting basic safety precautions, which have more than once led to disaster.
Belles explained that players must be aware of where they’re walking and keep an eye on their surrounding when playing the game, making sure not to walk into traffic. She also mentioned to adult players not to play while driving, which the app itself also now warns.
As the group started off their Poke adventure, children kept safety in mind, stopping and moving to the side as they tried to catch wild Pidgey’s and Drowzee’s.
As the group moved along, West Pittston resident Kendra Rogers helped her son and nephew catch Pokemon.
Rogers said playing the game is a weekly family event that not only brings them together, but allows them to get outdoor exercise.
“It’s fun, the kids get to meet other kids that play,” she said. “Plus, there’s nothing wrong with taking a walk outside for an hour.”
Rogers said that the game is nostalgic for her, as she remembers watching the original Pokemon series on TV as a child.
As part of the event, the library also added two Pokemon books to its inventory.
