Pokémon GO


 * For the original creation by Nintendo/The Pokemon Company, see Pokémon.

Pokémon Go is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) mobile game developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android devices. The game requires players to physically travel around to find and catch Pokémon that randomly appear on their map.

On release, the game became a massive hit, attracting players of all varieties, for example Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg. Although the craze has largely faded, it maintains a significant userbase, including Chris.

Chris and the game
"Once we got to the restaurant, [Chris] pulled out a duct tape wallet to be able to play Pokémon go on two phones at once, like any sane person."

- extract from Noah's ex-girlfriend's describing of a lunch with Chris

Chris was a fairly early adopter of the game, joining many who downloaded the game in 2016. Chris immediately took up wandering around the Ruckersville and Charlottesville areas capturing Pokémon. He continued to play the game steadily even as the fad surrounding it died down. The game eventually was used by Chris as proof of the Dimensional Merge.

Chris would sometimes photograph his Pokémon collection at various locations both inside and outside his home, providing a partial tour of his residence in the process. These photographs provided observers a decent impression of how Chris views reality, given that he actively believes that CWCville and his characters are real.

Chris has been shown to still be very invested in the game, almost to the point of addiction. At BronyCon 2019, people travelling with Chris noted that he would be "hatching eggs on Pokemon Go.. while at stoplights."

Observations
Chris's photos of his house give Christorians the closest view of the Chandler abode and surrounding lands in years, revealing the damaged and rotting state of the property.
 * As seen in one of the Celebi photos (refer to gallery below), Bob's greenhouse is overfilled with piles of Chris and Barb's hoard. The glass is filthy and looks as if it has gone without maintenance for years.
 * The portrait of Mewtwo reveals damaged/worn-out paint on the Chandler residence, likely the aftermath of the egging incident, showing the lack of basic maintenance done to the property.
 * The gazebo has clearly been abandoned. Its timber is shown to be deteriorating, and the structure itself is surrounded by debris resembling wood tinder.

Microtransactions
Being a mobile game in 2020, the game relies on revenue from microtransactions and special event ticket fees. Chris had previously spent $14.99 on ticket fees for the PokemonGOfest2020 event, a 2 day event on 25 and 26 July. How much more of the tugboat was wasted on the game is unknown.

Relationship with the merge
"Personally, I wish Everyone of this world, in addition to those who have already have, could Feel and fully Witness the effects of the Dimension Merge Happening, as I have. Fortunately, we do have bunches of confirmed sightings of bunches of the OCs, including Inuyasha, himself"

- Chris, on 15 April 2019, expressing how Pokemon GO would be available after the merge

Chris appears to use Pokémon Go as a sort of coping mechanism: the augmented reality nature of the game allows virtual Pokemon to exist within the same frame as a real-life location (i.e 14 BC), re-enforcing his belief in the Dimensional Merge.

PokéStop attempts


Chris has tried to get his house accepted as a PokéStop in the game, despite residences not being allowed for consideration.

In April 2019, he recorded Sonichu Headquarters Google Intro Video to promote the idea.

In August 2020, he reached Level 40 in Pokémon Go, allowing him to nominate a location, choosing his house (calling it a temple at this point). However, his application was rejected.

What now?
Chris tweeted his Pokemon as part of the 2020 Go-fest, while continuing to roleplay as Sonichu.

Since his arrest, his account has been inactive, with friends seeing that his final Pokemon caught was Litten.