Peachtree City’s Hidden Gyms: Pokemon Go Keeps Locals on the Go

You may have seen us and wondered: A crowd at the Library on a Wednesday at 5 PM? That same crowd at Drake Field on a Sunday morning at 9:45? Then again over at Glenloch at noon, and once more at the BMX park. Phones out, heads together, somebody cheering about something you can’t see. For ten years, Peachtree City has been home to a large and lively community of Pokemon Go players, who gather at some of the most loved spots in our beautiful city. And no, we are not lost, I promise.

Pokemon Go is a mobile game that became a huge hit in 2016. It was so popular that it was actually mentioned in a candidate’s stump speech to encourage voters to get out and vote. The craze faded for most of the country, but not here. Peachtree City still has a strong following, and our group is recognized for its love of the game, of Pokemon, and of each other.

And after ten years, we really have seen each other’s kids grow up. We have met extended families and shared pains, gains, wins, and losses. Many of us call each other by our game names instead of our real names. This is not rudeness. Our game name is who we are to each other. When your kids know your friends as Jberr, LadyThunderhoof, Nacho, or Tykan, and those same people know your kids’ names and genuinely ask how school is going, you know it is more than a game. We check in on each other if someone misses a raid, a battle, or a special trade. We hug and get excited on big in-game days when we get to catch a brand new legendary with a special move. And yes, we have our own language that you will definitely hear when we gather. “Hey, what are the 100 IVs?” “Did you catch the shiny hundo?” “I have 3 more raid tickets available today and 2 lucky trades left.” “You Valor, Instinct, or Mystic?”

One of my favorite memories shows exactly what this group is made of. When one of our local families was hit with heavy medical bills, we all met at a local park and held an auction of our in-game Pokemon. Shinies, hundos, legendaries with special moves. Pokemon that players had spent years catching went up for bid, and every dollar raised went to that family. We came for the Pokemon. We stayed because we found people who show up when it counts.

That kind of community is a big part of why Peachtree City has been recognized as a Pokemon Go Ambassador City, an honor held by roughly only 200 cities in the USA. We earned it because a few of our fellow players coordinated large gatherings through the game’s chat system, handling RSVPs, check-ins, scheduled events, and everything else a real community needs. We have our own shirts, we make stickers, and we plan our calendars around these in-game ambassadors. Niantic, the creator of Pokemon Go, recognized that commitment and gave us more “gyms” than most cities our size.

You can see the results all over our city hall area, where gyms carry titles like “Pokemon Go Ambassador City – Family” and “Pokemon Go Ambassador City – Loyal.” These virtual gyms sit on real markers anyone can walk past, like the fountain, the welcome sign, or a bench with a special message on it. Most people walk right past that bench, but for us it is a gym where we battle each other, take it over, raid together, and catch Pokemon after a win. We have so many of these gyms that players travel here on community days to maximize their experience. Not just from surrounding cities, but from other states.

Next time you see us, feel free to stop and hang out. We are a fun group that welcomes everyone, although please be prepared to answer one question: “What is your favorite Pokemon?”

(Mine is SNORLAX.)

Gotta catch em all!   RoboMow ATL