Top 10 Craziest Things That Happened While Playing Pokémon Go

Gotta catch ‘em all… but at what cost? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Craziest Things thatHappened While Playing Pokémon Go.

For this list, we’re taking a look at the most interesting, ridiculous, and downright insane things that have happened to people while playing this hit augmented reality game. 

A suburb of Sydney, Australia, Rhodes is a hotspot for players to come together, set up lures, and capture Pokémon. Trainers are particularly attracted to the neighbor’s Peg Paterson Park, which hosts several PokeStops – along with a number of apartment buildings. Understandably, some locals aren’t pleased that crowds of hundreds and even thousands have been gathering there late at night. On one especially noisy evening, residents started to hurl water bombs at the 300 people outside. They were also bombarded with eggs… and we’re not talking about Pokémon eggs. The cops threatened players with a $200 fine if they refused to leave. Keep this in mind, guys: if you’re catching Pokémon late at night in a residential area, try not to be so… Exploud.

Michael Baker is a living testament to the phrase, “the game must go on.” While hunting Pokémon in Forest Grove, Oregon, this young man was suddenly stabbed by a complete stranger. Now, usually when a person gets knifed, their first instinct is to seek immediate medical attention. But Baker simply had to catch ‘em all, and continued on his Pokémon journey. We admire his determination, but this guy might want to sort out his priorities. Baker would eventually go to the hospital and get eight stitches in his shoulder, although he stopped at a convenience store for chips and beer first! This trainer might’ve risked his life, but nobody ever said becoming a Pokémon master was easy.

 

If you’re a Pokémon fan living in Australia, New Zealand, or the US, July 6, 2016 was probably the greatest day of your life. While “Pokémon Go” became available in these three lucky countries, the rest of the world had to impatiently wait. This news infuriated Australian Sonny Truyen, who was working in Singapore when the game launched. To express his frustration, Truyen took to Facebook and wrote, “you cant f***ing catch pokemon in this piece of f***ing sh*t country.” Truyen’s comments didn’t reflect well on his employers at 99.co, who had recently hired him as their vice president of digital marketing. Truyen was fired shorty after - on the bright side, he can now become a full-time Pokémon trainer!

 

In the realm of Pokémon, Team Rocket is the greatest threat imaginable. In the real world, however, ISIS is double trouble to say the least. While fighting in Iraq, American solider Louis Park didn’t capture ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – but he did capture a Squirtle! Playing “Pokémon Go” on the front line, Park was not only armed with a Poké Ball, but a machine gun as well. His photo of the Squirtle went viral on Facebook, leading some to argue that Park should’ve been battling ISIS instead of battling Pokémon. Although to be fair, when you’re going up against terrorists, you need all the help you can get, so having a Blastoise in your corner certainly couldn’t hurt.

 

To draw in more Pokémon, users can drop lure modules at PokéStops. So as you can imagine, these beacons attract “Pokémon Go” players like a Venomoth to a flame. In Missouri, armed robbers used this to their advantage, enticing players with lures and holding them up at gunpoint. We’ve heard of hunting Pokémon, but who ever heard of hunting Pokémon trainers? The thieves robbed a total of 11 players before the police arrested four suspects, ranging from ages 16 to 18. Charged with first-degree robbery, the adult suspects had their bond set at $100,000 each. Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again.

 

Although the purpose of this app is to catch Pokémon, it can also be used to catch your two-timing lover in the act. Evan Scribner made the mistake of capturing a Pokémon at his ex’s house while cheating on his girlfriend. Utilizing your device’s GPS, this location-based game keeps a record of where yourPokémon are captured. So when Scribner’s girlfriend opened “Pokémon Go” on his phone, she was able to pinpoint exactly where her man had been. As you might’ve guessed, Scribner is now a single man. Then again, it’s not like this is the first time a video game has put a damper on someone’s love life.

 

“Pokémon Go” has encouraged countless gamers to explore the great outdoors, although some kids might’ve been better off staying home. After catching a Pokémon at a museum, Autumn Deiseroth attempted to cross a busy street and got hit by a car. The Pennsylvania teen was then rushed to the hospital where her injuries were treated. Both Deiseroth and her mother blame “Pokémon Go” for this accident, but many have debated that it’s not the game’s fault. After all, the loading screen reminds people upfront to “be alert at all times” and “stay aware of your surroundings.”

 

“Pokémon Go” sent two players over the edge. No seriously, it literally sent them over the edge of a cliff! While playing the game in San Diego’s North County, these Californians were guided to an ocean bluff. The area was fenced off with warning sings, but that wasn’t going to stop the guys from being the best. Since both young men had their heads in the clouds, neither noticed the seaside cliff below. One fell all the way to the beach while the other was discovered roughly fifty feet down the cliff. Fortunately, both survived and only suffered minor injuries. We wonder if Nurse Joy and Chansey ever dealt with this kind of Pokémon emergency?

 

Remember when people went to zoos to see living, breathing animals? Well we all live in a Pokémon world now! On Facebook, 25-year-old Robin Bartholomy posted, “I am not above breaking and entering for a Pokemon.” She wasn’t joking. Along with 26-year-old Adrian Crawford, Bartholomy jumped the fence at Toledo Zoo in pursuit of Pokémon. After being discovered near the tiger exhibit, the two were arrested and charged with criminal trespass. Bartholomy has since admitted that her actions weren’t very responsible, acknowledging that even a Charizard isn’t worth going to jail for.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

-          Man Catches Pidgey While Wife Gives Birth

-          Player Locked in Graveyard Overnight

-          Redditor Walks into Ditch

-          Players Invade Police Station to Catch Sandshrew

 

It’s safe to say that many of the accidents involving “Pokémon Go” are vehicle-related. Crashing your car into a tree while playing the game is one thing, but crashing into two Quebec City cops is another level of bad luck. In the parking lot of a library, a driver and passenger were playing “Pokémon Go” in a car. The preoccupied driver reversed the vehicle and rammed into a nearby police cruiser. Fortunately, the two cops inside weren’t seriously injured. The driver actually got off fairly easy, merely receiving two $30 tickets. It’s just a good thing these players didn’t crash into Officer Jenny. 

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the craziest thing to happen while playing Pokémon Go? For more alluring Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.