It’s been roughly a month and a half since “Pokemon Go” first hit our smartphones, but our fondness for the augmented reality game is showing no signs of slowing down. Indeed, as this video of a “Pokemon Go” Snorlax stampede in Taiwan shows, a huge number of us are still determined to catch ‘em all. Why are we so interested in collecting these little digital monsters? I’m sure it varies from person to person, but I’m also willing to bet that it all comes down to one thing: It’s fun. And sometimes, that's the only reason you need.
The video of this epic quest for the mighty Snorlax was first posted on Saturday to Facebook by Wang Ting-Yi, who tells Bustle via Facebook message that they recorded the video from the second floor of a McDonald’s. It was then uploaded to YouTube on Sunday, where it has already garnered around 13,000 views by the time of this writing — and it’s not hard to see why. Although it’s a mere 30 seconds long, the number of people who parade by in search of the elusive Snorlax is astonishing. What’s more, although they’re all definitely enthusiastic, they’re also incredibly polite — there’s no pushing or jostling that I can see, so bonus points to everyone involved who remained courteous even in the pursuit of a rare Pokemon.
Here, take a look for yourself:
Snorlax may be classified as a normal Pokemon, but it’s also one of the most sought-after ones (or at least, it is within “Pokemon Go”). According to the official U.S. Pokemon website, Snorlax is 6’1” tall and weighs 1,014.1 lbs.; notable attributes include Thick Fat, which boosts resistance to Fire and Ice moves, and Immunity, which prevents it from being poisoned. Its daily routine is basically filled by eating and sleeping; indeed, “it is such a docile Pokemon that there are children who use its expansive belly as a place to play.” In my head, Snorlax is basically what My Neighbor Totoro would be if he lived in a tiny little ball and occasionally came out raring for a fight… but maybe that’s just me.
This is far from the first time that humans have flocked together in their efforts to catch a particularly desirable Pokemon; back in July, when "Pokemon Go" was newly released, a similar stampede was recorded at Central Park in New York City when a Vaporeon appeared. I’m somewhat curious as to whether a Vaporeon would attract the same crowds now; at the time, that neat-o trick that lets you control what your Eevee evolves into was only just arriving on our radar, so it’s possible that — now that it’s a well-known technique — a wild Vaporeon might be less of a draw these days.
Snorlax, on the other hand, doesn’t evolve from anything, so your only two options for getting one are hatching it from a 10K egg or catching it in the wild. As such, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the appearance of one would capture so much attention, particularly in a well-populated area. Will more videos featuring crowds of eager Trainers intent on catching each of the rarest Pokemon surface as the game progresses? I’d say it’s likely — and I’m definitely going to watch each and every one. They’re mesmerizing.
In the meantime, I hope you all caught the Snorlax you were after, “Pokemon Go” players who participated in this particular event. You’re an inspiration to us all.
Snorlax stampede video courtesy of Wang Ting-Yi/YouTube.
Image: WB
