FORT SILL, Okla., July 28, 2016 -- Fort Sill is not a hot spot for catching wild Pokémon, but there's still quite a bit of activity as Soldiers, civilians and family members look for PokéStops to collect balls, incense, and power points. (PokéStops are set up by the app developer using GPS information, and they are generally associated with a monument or landmark.)
To learn about the game, I had to download the app to my phone, sign in with my Google account, and choose my avatar. I also chose what I wanted to look like a young, lithe girl with purple hair and a kick-ass costume. I'm likin' it already. The next day I get a private lesson at a PokéStop in Elmer Thomas Park in Lawton from the Cook family who lives on Fort Sill. Nathan, 16, and Joshua, 13, showed me how to throw the ball at the Pokémon and catch them. It was exciting, it really was. I see how this could become addicting.
Other players sat on benches in the shade at the Korean War Memorial, or walked around looking at their phones. Many sat in their cars with the a/c on, catching Pokémon or prizes. Where there are players, there are often lures that generate Pokémon. Lures can be won, or purchased for $1 each, and once one is set anyone can catch what it attracts as long as they're within range.
If you win eggs, you are required to walk a certain distance (usually five to 10 kilometers) to hatch them in an incubator and catch whatever Pokémon are at the journey's end. You SUPPOSEDLY can't cheat and do it in a car because it knows if you go more than 10 or 15 mph. (It's called Poké-Cruising not recommended.)
There are 147 different Pokémon you can collect in the Pokédex (think zoo). I ended the day with eight different pocket monsters, some of them in triplicate. (Pidgeys and Rattatas). I even got a rare Dratini. Beginner's luck I guess.
Elmer Thomas Park is one of the best hot spots for players off-post. Some set up tents in their team colors for an extended stay. You can join a team when you get to a certain power level. The Cook boys, along with their mother Traci, are in Team Instinct, which is represented by yellow. The other teams are Valor (red) and Mystic (blue). There are Facebook pages such as Team Instinct of Lawton for players to exchange information or arrange with other members to steal gyms for their team.
Gyms are where one team's Pokémon battle another team's pocket monsters. Players make it a point to tell me no Pokémon are hurt in the game. They just faint and need reviving. That's a relief.
The Cooks "own" a gym in back of their house on the Old Post Quadrangle. The gym only exists in the virtual world, but you have to be in its real world vicinity (the Interpreter's House) in order to do battle in it. Someone keeps defeating their Pokémon left there to defend it, and they have to go back repeatedly and recapture it.
Cameron University is another hot spot that players mention. Corey Sanders, Cameron instructor and Pokémon guru, said, "It doubles as an exercise app and a group activity, which seems unusual for a phone game. It is free to play. You can play the whole game and never have to buy anything." The developer makes its money when players buy incubators, incense, and other enticements to increase their power. Players can also use the AR (augmented reality) in their phone via the camera to photograph Pokémon with their friends, but that feature -- an added battery drain -- isn't necessary to play the game.
Some of the criticism of the game is that people are oblivious to their surroundings as they navigate the real world via their phone screens. But you can sightsee with the phone in your pocket, sound off, and it vibrates when you are near a Pokémon. So if you're like me, you can bird watch and hunt for pocket monsters at the same time. Sanders added that rare monsters are often in areas where you can't drive. "Get out, walk, experience it," he advises.
Capt. Bart Scroggins of the Fort Sill Police Department oversees the gate guards, and said they haven't heard of any issues with people trying to catch Pokémon at the gate (there have been rumors) but if they do they won't be allowed to linger. "We'll just move them along," he said.
Sgt. Andrew Roberts of the Fort Sill Police Department said they've received calls of people trespassing in yards while following the creatures.
Nathan said he's gotten outside a lot more, including some trips on his bicycle, looking for Pokémon. He's seen quite a few kids and Soldiers on post playing the game at all hours of the day and night. (Temperatures are bearable at night). It's even a social event, with people exchanging information on where the good spots are, or cheering on other players doing battle.
Traci, the boys' mother who plays with them, extols the game's virtues as a family activity. Playing a game IN PUBLIC with a teenage son? That's a huge plus right there. Hugs and kisses for Pokémon.
Nathan added, "I've learned so much more about the different stuff around Lawton just from the different PokéStops, and on post. It's a great way to learn local history. I think there's more good than bad. People are actually going out, learning about stuff, talking to people."
If you are unfamiliar with the whole idea of Pokémon, I recommend finding a player who can give you lessons. Just look for people outdoors poking at their smart phones. Players love talking about the game, and many won't mind at all showing you how to join their clan.
As with all things, moderation is the key. Go. Play. Be safe.
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