The main idea of Pokémon Go is to help players experience what it really feels like to be a Pokémon trainer, because while many of us wanted to go on adventures when we were 10 ten years old to try and catch these creatures, we only ever did it from the safety of our Nintendo handheld devices. Well, Pokémon Go actually prompts you to go outside and explore the world and allows you to experience what an actual Pokémon trainer would have to go through.

As a longtime Pokémon fan, I have seen the franchise decline ever since the hype of X and Y died down and the release of the Yokai Watch last year left it on the brink of extinction. When I first heard of Pokémon Go, I wasn’t optimistic and didn’t really keep up with the news until its eventual release last week.

(Read also: 'Pokemon Go' to be officially launched in Asia, Europe)

I first tried the game a few days before writing this article. My friends and I decided to go to Ancol in North Jakarta to find some water type Pokémon near the beach. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the game. Every time my phone buzzed, I was excited to see what Pokémon appeared on the screen. I was constantly looking at the map because I wanted to see if nearby pokestops would provide me with new items and more pokeballs to catch Pokémon with. In a single day, we traversed almost all of Ancol searching for Pokémon and I was still looking for more.

The biggest advantage that I found in the game was that I actually felt like a real Pokémon trainer. I actually had to walk around and find Pokémon in the grass. Different places have different Pokémon. It wasn’t just pressing a few buttons on the Nintendo DS anymore. The low encounter rates of even common Pokémon increased the rush of finding a rare Pokémon even more in the wild.

With the classic Pokémon games, I knew that I would just have to run around with a repel to find a rare Pokémon by taking advantage of the level system in the game. Speaking of rare Pokémon, the legendary ones are bound to be in specific famous locations in different countries of the world. A leaked list of the legendaries present in Indonesia includes Moltres at Krakatau in Lampung, Entei at Mount Merapi in Central Java and Mesprit at Lake Toba in North Sumatra. This means you would actually have to travel to these places to find them.

(Read also: National Museum joins 'Pokemon Go' frenzy)

Pokémon battles in the game are also quite unique; they consist of a system of dodging and tapping the enemy to attack back. Most of the battles take place in gyms, which are controlled by the person who beat the previous owner of the gym. In this Pokémon world, all players are split into three factions before they can challenge a gym: Valor, Mystic and Instinct. I expect there will be events where the three factions will compete against each other for supremacy and bragging rights.

As a loyal Pokémon fan, I am very happy with the direction that they have taken, and the rest of the world is also taking notice. Recently a snap story was released showing just how many people are getting into the game. People of all ages are trying it: from adults reliving their childhood dreams to kids who just want to go outside and explore their surroundings.

Pokémon Go has not only breathed new life into a dying franchise, but also brings back that childhood excitement of going outside and exploring the world for what it really is. Now we can see people running around parks and streets looking for Pokémon and at the same time creating memories of new places and experiences for years to come.

Popular

Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching

Govt to undo latest curbs on personal imports

Middle East on edge as Israel and Iran trade threats