Southbank a main Pokemon attraction

By Sunny Liu

Pokemon Go enthusiasts are flocking to Southbank from suburbs as far as Pakenham to catch the virtual monsters.

At least a dozen Pokemon players can be found along the Yarra River and in front of Crown Casino, all busy swiping their phone screens to “catch ’em all”.

Southbank is a hotspot for Pokemon, where players can catch more than 100 Pokemon in just two hours.

“I can catch about one or two Pokemon a minute in Southbank,” Pakenham resident and Pokemon Go player Ariel Riley said.

Ariel and Josh Riley travel for two hours to Southbank every week, in a bid to expand their PokeDex at this popular Pokemon nest.

“There’s a whole lot of lures around here, and there’s heaps of Pokemon,” Ms Riley said. “Especially on the weekend. Everyone’s playing Pokemon on the weekend.”

Dylan Coe and his friends come to Southbank everyday and pocket hundreds of Poke-monsters each visit.

“We come here from South Morang and Diamond Creek and go home with 200 more Pokemon,” Mr Coe said. “We’ve been here for an hour, and we are going to spend a couple of more hours here.”

The group of friends have been playing the game since it was first released in July.

The number and type of Pokemon is often determined by the population and the surroundings of an area. People are more likely to find water-type Pokemon in Southbank due to its riverside location.

Many lure-modules can be found at the PokeStops along Southbank, attracting more Pokemon to this already Pokemon-saturated area.

Pokemon Go uses location-based services and augmented reality that combines real-time location with virtual characters. The game has been hailed as revolutionary due to its innovative technology.

The game is well received by fans of the ‘90s Japanese anime Pokemon, and it also appeals to the younger generation.

“It’s just addictive,” Mr Coe said.