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A long, ongoing collection of the best Pokémon Go stories

A long, ongoing collection of the best Pokémon Go stories

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Pokémon Go has been one of the few positives of an otherwise grim July. Perhaps because of its status as the rare untainted beacon of joy, the smartphone game has pervaded popular culture, from the design of a neighborhood lemonade stand to the floor of the Republican Nation Convention. The game’s scope is so broad, spanning so many subcultures, that it’s become difficult to visualize.

We find that it helps to see these stories alongside one another, to better appreciate just how strange this game and its moments really are. What follows is an ongoing catalogue of Pokémon Go stories, curated by topic. As the game continues to receive updates from its developer, Niantic Labs, and expand to additional regions, we will keep this list current.

Perhaps we’ll look back at this collection of stories as a historical documentation of the rise and fall of this generation’s pet rock. Or maybe we’ll be updating this list for months or years or decades, finding it quaint that in the year 2016 someone sold a Pokémon Go account for a measly Benjamin Franklin.

Entrepreneurs:

"The Pokéstop Shop is a lemonade stand for all Pokémon Go players"

"Baseball club lets Pokémon Go players into stadium while the team is out of town" via Polygon

"Glitch turns seaside South Korean city into 'holy land' of Pokémon Go"

"Someone on Craigslist is selling a level 20 Pokémon Go account for $100"

US news:

"Memorials of the dead ask people not to play Pokémon Go on their grounds"

"Florida man shoots at Pokémon Go players, mistaking them for burglars" via Polygon

"Pokémon Go player hits cop car while playing behind the wheel, all caught on camera" via Polygon

"Armed robbers used Pokémon Go to target victims in Missouri"

"Cops credit Pokémon Go players with arrest of man wanted for attempted murder" via Polygon

"NYPD investigating whether cops played Pokémon Go on-duty" via NY Daily News

"Wyoming teen stumbles on dead body while playing Pokémon Go"

"Pokémon Go players form stampede to catch rare Pokémon" via Polygon

"Pokémon Go sends players to police station, police say don’t come in"

"Pokémon Go nudes are a thing now" via Kotaku

Global news:

"Japanese government releases warnings, advice ahead of Pokémon Go arrival" via Polygon

"Cops called, eggs thrown at hundreds of Pokémon Go players in Sydney" via Kotaku

"Watch this guy catch pokémon on the Nürburgring" via Kotaku

Inventions:

The Poké-Han: a rigid plastic necklace that holds an iPhone in front of your face

Poké Glo: an illuminated button to make players visible at night

Pokédrone: a drone that lets you play Pokémon Go without leaving your seat

The pokéball aimer: a 3D-printable smartphone case that improves pokéball accuracy

The pokédex case: a custom smartphone case that doubles as a battery pack

Pokévision: a map tool for finding the location of pokémon

Politics:

Herman Cain: the pokémon movie fans calls for Pokémon Go players to be safe

Hillary Clinton: the presidential candidate plans a campaign even at a Pokémon Go gym

John Kirby: the US State Department spokesman calls out a reporter playing Pokémon Go

Republican National Convention: The Guardian and Bustle cover gym battles and fandom at the event

Michael Che: the SNL star presents the GOP parody, Trumpemon

The Donald: a Pokémon Go player puts a Magikarp at the White House as political commentary