In Pokémon GO there are missed Pokémon that trainers painfully remember even years later. MeinMMO author Paul Kutzner has such memories and explains to you which two missed monsters hurt him the most.
My first steps in Pokémon GO were taken in 2016 right at the start of the game. It was an exciting time when it felt like the whole friend circle was on a virtual hunt for Pokémon. Provided the servers allowed it.
Compared to the early days, a lot has changed in Pokémon GO over the years. Many things from the early days of the game are completely unfamiliar to trainers who started later. This includes leveling up gyms or hunting footprints to catch Pokémon.
Especially the latter feature, combined with the fact that there were simply fewer Pokémon and Pokémon that are common today were a rarity, caused cheers or frustration. I can still vividly remember two painful situations from back then. What they are, I have summarized for you below.
Follow the footprints!
What were footprints? At the beginning of the game, there were between 1 – 3 footprints under each Pokémon in the “Pokémon nearby” section instead of the PokéStops where you find the Pokémon. The fewer footprints under the Pokémon, the closer the Pokémon was.
If you saw a strong or rare Pokémon in the “Pokémon nearby” section, it meant: run until the footprints decrease. The direction of the Pokémon could only be determined by keeping an eye on the footprints and waiting for them to decrease.
The first memory: On one of the first days in Pokémon GO, I was just playing with 2 friends when we suddenly discovered a Rhyhorn in the list. A Rhyhorn! Of course, we knew we needed it. The Pokémon was still rare back then, and having a Rhydon on the team was a goal we were willing to search for.
So we set off and could locate it after a while. We approached the Pokémon, the footprints decreased and our anticipation grew. Just before we got to the place where we suspected it, the big disappointment came: a garden.
Since we were not willing to intrude on private property and break into a stranger’s garden, we had to end the hunt at this point. Disappointed, we left and comforted our frustration with other Pokémon we encountered on the way.
Seconds before the goal!
The second memory: Shortly after, the second story occurred. After a long day, I had just arrived home and changed clothes when I opened Pokémon GO and saw a Pokémon that no one in my friend circle had seen until then: a Lapras!
Of course, that was enough reason for me to change again and go on the hunt. I searched the area, always keeping an eye on the footprints, and slowly approached the Pokémon. From 3 footprints it became 2, from 2 it became 1 – and gone. Lapras was no longer displayed.
I had missed the Pokémon. Maybe by a minute, maybe just by a few seconds. Once again marked by disappointment, I packed my smartphone and began the journey back home.
Community shares similar stories
On Reddit, you can also find some stories from trainers from the early days of Pokémon GO that they still remember today.
I still remember a Dragonair that spawned near my house in early 2017 when they were SUPER rare. After I threw 5 balls at the Pokémon, it simply disappeared. I was really disappointed and felt like I had failed
, reports a trainer on RedditIn 2017, I saw a Dragonite. I walked 10 minutes to it and saw that it had ‘???’ CP, which means it had at least 2800 CP. It broke free several times and ran away. The 10-minute walk back home was terrible
, recalls another trainer on RedditSnorlax, 2016. To this day, I can’t get rid of a Snorlax
, writes another trainer on Reddit
So there are more trainers who have similar painful memories.
What about you? Do you have such or similar stories from the early days or later that you still remember well? Feel free to share your stories with us in the comments. By the way, there’s the first information about the new season in Pokémon GO.
