By: Sherlyn Ong

With the creation of Pokémon Go also comes the creation of a new Olympic sport. This virtual reality craze has recently earned a spot in the Olympic world. Many fans of the franchise and game have shown great excitement over this decision and look forward to its appearance in the Summer Olympics at Tokyo in 2020.

“Don’t you think that this is such a pleasant coincidence that this addition to the Olympics would occur during the year where the Olympics are in Japan?”, Phan Fureva enthused, “I am so excited that gaming will finally have a rightfully place in the competitive world.” The Japanese people have also expressed their excitement that a franchise that started in their country is receiving international recognition as a sport.

The main and biggest difference in Pokémon Go and the other Olympic Sports is that Pokémon Go has a cumulative evaluation segment. Players have to aim to achieve the highest achievements in the game during their off time before the Olympics so that their statistics would be competitive amongst other rivals. The players would be judged by their completion of the Pokédex, their level, their highest CP Pokémon, attainment of medals and design of their avatar. These segments all require preparation and time so they are graded after the players have earned these statistics in their own private time. To attain the highest level of achievement, these competitors would need to venture to many different geographic locations to find all possible Pokémon, including ones that are region-locked.

During the actual Olympics though, competitors will be required to spend 10 days throughout the Olympics playing with a brand-new account while trying to attain the highest level of achievement within that span of time by venturing around the Olympic venue. They may use any in-game items to improve their performance but hacking is strictly prohibited. If the competitors attempt to cheat, the phones will explode as per clever programming and the competitor is immediately disqualified. The competitors also have as much as time as they would like to spend in those 10 days. (Meaning that sleep is optional if they so choose)

Many Pokémon Go fans have expressed immense excitement about this event because it became an event that everyday people could participate in.

“I know that there’s still a level of expertise that needs to be met, but can you imagine? People who did not train since the womb can actually participate in an Olympic event! It’s simply phenomenal and an honor. I aspire to represent this country in this revolutionary event,” Goda Ketchamall states.

Many countries have begun their auditions for this new event as they search for the top players. For more details, please check the Olympics homepage or the Pokémon Go homepage.