By Jack Drees
If you see a large group of people walking together through Malden’s downtown, eyes fixed and fingers tapping on their phones, they are likely gathering to play Pokémon GO.
Originally conceived by Game Freak in 1996, Pokémon is one of the most popular media franchises of all time, spawning tens of thousands of cards, several video game titles and television series and movies, with combined lifetime sales worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Since 2016, the property has brought its characters to our world — or as close to it as possible — through Pokémon GO, a mobile-augmented reality game created by Niantic.
Pokémon GO takes its large set of titular characters and places them all over the globe. The game uses GPS to monitor players’ locations and put them in a map based on where they are in the real world. Throughout the game, users can “catch” Pokémon and add them to their virtual collections.
For Calvin Pomerantz — one of about 4,800 members registered on the Malden group’s social media page — playing Pokémon goes back to his childhood.
“I played from basically Gen 1. It was one of my first video games that I played as a kid when I was 3, 4, 5 years old,” Pomerantz says, with Gen 1 referring to the first Pokémon video game.
The mobile app, Pokémon GO, turns 10 years old on July 6. Since its release, the app has been there for Pomerantz, though he did have to put the phone down during his time in college.
“I had a 10 month break, because if I did not take a break, it was going to interfere with me finishing my college degree,” Pomenrantz says.
Once he graduated from Northeastern University in 2017, he returned to the game and has played ever since. Around the same time, Pomerantz, who grew up in Long Island, New York, decided to stay in Massachusetts and move to Malden. Not only did he love the Boston area, but living in Malden provided a convenient commute for his job in Andover.
Malden Pokémon GO
Today, Pomerantz oversees Malden Pokémon GO, which brings together people who share an interest in playing the popular mobile game. Pomerantz is a community ambassador for the group, alongside his co-ambassador, Scott DeAmicis. As official community ambassadors, the two help put together gatherings and are responsible for providing the best experience for players who join their group. They are also able to offer swag and item codes for the Pokémon GO Web Store.
Malden Pokémon GO meets throughout the year for various events, where you can often find Pomerantz himself. The usual events are “raids,” where players meet in the same place to take on powerful Pokémon in “gyms,” virtual battle hubs tied to real-world locations. The website PoGoMap.Info lists some of the gyms one would run into while playing Pokémon GO in Malden, including the First Baptist Church and Kung Fu Tea.
Introduced in 2017, raids were initially meant for higher-level players, but they have since allowed a larger player base. Today, many players meet for “Raid Hours,” held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time every Wednesday in several communities, including Malden’s downtown.
The hours encourage people to come together to catch Pokémon, especially high-tier Legendary Pokémon. Malden’s real-life route extends from Main by Salem Street to the overpass on Centre Street near the Malden Center T Stop. Throughout, users can open the app to catch Pokémon at the same place and time. Pomerantz says an advantage of his route is the high number of gyms that are typically open for raids, allowing users to finish one gym battle then quickly move on to another. Once a half hour passes, the route is repeated in reverse. Weekend events are also common, happening during less specific times of the day.
When Malden gatherings are held on weekends, Pomerantz says the events tend to start at City Hall, as Mayor Gary Christenson or an assistant will let them inside. Christenson also happens to be “one of, if not the most, hardcore Pokémon GO players in Malden,” Pomerantz says. Christenson even joined the group for the Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos in-person gathering in Los Angeles last February.
Battling the elements
Malden’s events can attract dozens of people and offer a unique opportunity to play a video game while getting exercise and fresh air. Some even play the game while walking their dogs. The game is designed to be played outside, which can offer some unusual obstacles, such as accidentally dropping devices or having to deal with rain. Lanita M., a player who has been in the group for a few years, says, “It does make it hard to catch when there’s rain on your phone.”
If the weather gets unbearable, events either move inside or cancel altogether. For bigger events, like gatherings held in Boston Common, Pomerantz says he has to get permits. He also says the group has been noticed by police during their time in Malden, but the two groups tend to have a friendly relationship.
Sometimes Malden Pokémon GO will unite with nearby, like-minded communities. Pomerantz says three groups with which they gather regularly are based in South Boston’s Moakley Park, Cambridge’s Harvard Square and Allston-Brighton. All four groups gathered in Boston Common on Feb. 28 for the first day of the Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos Global, a massive worldwide virtual event. The Malden group continued their local participation in the global event that Saturday, as well as Sunday, March 1.
Probably can’t catch ’em all
There are more than 1,000 Pokémon in the official National Pokédex — note that “national” means within the Pokémon universe, not within the US. Pomerantz’s favorite is Rowlet, who he says is a “cute little owl guy.” Rowlet is also Pomerantz’s profile picture on Niantic’s social app, Campfire, which he uses to share updates and events with members.
When asked about future plans for the group, Pomerantz says they are “just trying to keep growing,” as well as helping other groups nearby. The group often posts announcements about activities and events on its website. One event they have coming up is Pokémon GO Night at Fenway Park. The group has just finished offering discounted tickets for the upcoming event, where the Boston Red Sox will face the Chicago Cubs in September.
Malden Pokémon GO is not just a community for trying to “catching ’em all.” It’s for anyone, no matter their age or skill level. The group allows people to unite with their community, get some fresh air and have some fun.
Jack Drees has been a contributing journalist to Neighborhood View since 2021. He also currently writes for 7 News (WHDH-Boston) and for his own movie blog, Flicknerd.com.
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