CHARIZARD flying over Lake Forbes, Kangaskhan traipsing around near Forbes Town Hall, Dratini slithering around Victoria Park and Hitmonchan punching its way through Rankin Street.
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To plenty, that may as well be in Cantonese.
However, to the growing number of enthusiasts who have been caught up in the Pokemon Go craze since its release a week ago, it makes perfect sense.
The free-to-play augmented reality app, Pokemon Go, released for iOS and Android smartphones has become a global phenomenon, so popular it’s taken top spot for installs away from the likes of Tinder and Twitter, with users staying on the app for almost double the time a user would be on Instagram or Snapchat.
Forbes hasn’t fallen behind either.
Huge numbers have taken to the streets – literally, the app works on real-time maps via a phone’s GPS to generate Pokemon in the environment, allowing users to bump into them almost anywhere – to scour Forbes’ apparent Pokemon hot-spots for the imaginary creatures.
Some of these hot-spots include Lake Forbes, the library, courthouse, Town Hall, Victoria Park, Forbes Railway Station, sporting fields, churches and more.
Basically, Pokemon are popping up everywhere.
We’ve even heard reports of people catching the critters in Woolies.
The game has become so popular that a Forbes and Parkes Pokemon Go Community Facebook Group has been set up for ‘Pokemoners’ to coordinate hunts. It already has more than 150 members.
Forbes’ Nic Mulligan and Hamish Coles are two Pokemon trainers who have been regularly going out with friends on the hunt for the creatures. Having grown up with the Pokemon game, both 17-year-olds are loving the app.
“This is catching Pokemon in real life, it’s pretty cool,” Hamish said.
“It gets you out of the house too,” Nic added.
While the game is being applauded for getting kids outside and active, police warn it isn’t a valid excuse for not watching where you’re going, using a phone while driving, or entering property you’re not supposed to.