This mall just FULLY embraced its Pokémon gym and we wanna go!
Admit it: If you’re a Pokémon Go player (so, all of us), you’ve probably gone out of your way at least once or twice to capture an elusive Pokémon, spin a Pokéstop, or battle at a gym. But isn’t it great when you can run errands/experience something else while playing? Two birds with one stone, etc.?
Well the day has come for folks near Albany, New York, because the Colonie Center Mall has built a full-on Pokémon Go ARENA. Yes, seriously, complete with team banners (GO INSTINCT, ahem) not entirely unlike those you might see in the Hogwarts Great Hall. And a huge Poké Ball emblem on the floor, because of course.
“#PokemonGo has taken over our Center Court!” the caption on the mall’s Saturday Instagram post reads. “Stop by and check out our real-world Pokemon Trainer Gym complete with team banners and your favorite Pokemon!”
Aside from just being generally cool about this whole Pokécraze, the mall is also offering a really awesome incentive for social-media-savvy players (aside from probably setting out tons of lures, obvs).
“Take your photo and share it on social media with any of the Pokemon in Center Court or of a Pokemon you’ve caught at Colonie Center using the Pokemon Go app with #CCPokeCatch and #DXPokemon for your chance to win a $500 Colonie Center shopping spree! Go catch ’em all!” the caption continues.
Of course, people are all over it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIx5vGDAteo
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIx_BZkBHT8
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIyAb26hNZx
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIx7blAjKEd
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIx6lJHh3X-
I don’t know about you guys, but $500 would justify the cost of my plane ticket from Orlando to Albany, I’m just saying. Plus, August totally isn’t too early to start on Christmas shopping, right?
