By Panku Sharma (Contributor) – Email
Civilization is built on the human connections and interactions that dictate how society operates. We give each other powers, obligations, responsibilities, and privileges that inform how we move forward together as a group, that dictate the language of laws that we consent to and follow. It is due to my deep and unyielding belief in the potential of community, nations, goverment, and the supremacy of Nintendo’s whims that I have not used shady means and scary downloads to play Pokemon GO in Canada.
We’re locked out for awhile, folks; apparently the strain of a few million Canadians on the servers would have been too much, so we’re left sitting on the sidelines as everyone else frolics in the newborn societal and cultural shift that is Pokemon GO. Look south, you can’t miss them: the hordes of augmented-reality zombies shambling into traffic and strangers’ homes looking for their next fix. Peering through their camera phones into a plane not made of natural law, but the product of committees, underpaid programmers, and a fluff-and-filler loaded canon that honestly wouldn’t be near as popular if we didn’t get way too worked up about this ‘90s nostalgia thing.
It’s with a mixture of awe, anticipation, and a trepidation that I await the coming of Pokemon GO here at home. I’ve never really been a huge fan — my burgeoning career in 2001 was ended short in Ms. Chan’s Grade 3 class when someone stole five booster packs (that I had begged my mom to buy just the day earlier) from my desk during art period. I was too shy to make a big fuss, and by the time I was able to pull the teacher aside and let her know what happened the culprit was long gone. The whole experience soured me on the Pokemen (and to a lesser extent, collectibles in general) for the rest of my life.
However, I couldn’t avoid the show, and I was always a sucker for the rap segments. The fact that GO only deals with the first generation of Poke-creatures, which are the only ones I remember, and the fact that no one can steal them while I paint macaroni necklaces (as far as I know, I haven’t looked that deep into the mechanics) has me hopeful. This will be the first stage in my life that I can delve into the mythos, the magic, and the culture of Pokemon while feeling safe.
When there are so many things in the world that drive us apart, cause us to distrust each other, or to choose sides in battles we never thought we’d fight, let us come together; not in the spirit of Pokemon, but in the sense of community and belonging that swells only in the hearts of those who hear about something fun happening but can’t participate in yet.
So, if you don’t want society to crumble, download Pokemon GO when it’s actually out.
