Colfax Chamber plans shopping campaign around Pokémon GO

Colfax youngsters Joseph, 13, Alyssa, 11, and Asten, 14, proudly display all their hardwork in capturing and training their Pokémon. Along with their friends, they have been playing in each other’s neighborhoods, chasing and capturing the elusive pokémon.

Gazette intern reporter

Pokémon GO is sweeping the nation, and Colfax, too. The app created by Nintendo is based on the video game series Pokémon. Throughout this game, users can travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon using real locations.

Using actual locations in the game encourages players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon, according to the Pokémon website. Pokémon GO allows users to find and catch more than 100 species as they explore their surroundings.

The original video game uses real-world digital locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York and Paris, while Pokémon GO is based in the real world.

In Colfax users must walk around to find the different creatures, as well as Poké Stops and Gyms. Poké Stops are located at places such as the Colfax Oil Change Mural, Colfax Fire Department and the Whitman County Courthouse, along with other public art installations, historical markers and monuments where players can collect extra Poké Balls (which capture the Pokémon), potions (to heal the Pokémon), eggs and other useful items to capture and grow Pokémon.

One historic Colfax building that has seen a lot of Pokémon traffic is the Perkins House, which is a gym where players can battle other Pokémon.

“Lots of people have stopped by to just sit in the front yard,” said Val Gregory, Colfax unified executive director.

Gyms are similar to Poké Stops, in that they are located at interesting and unique locations in the players’ cities or towns. Colfax Gyms include the Codger Pole, the Main Street Colfax Mural and the Perkins House.

As players catch Pokémon and other items, the “trainers” gain levels, which allows trainers to level up to catch more powerful Pokémon. Once a Pokémon is caught, it is added to the player's Pokédex, or the library where they are stored along with other items the player has collected.

Once trainers have leveled up in the game, they will be asked to join a team – red, green or yellow. After joining a team, trainers then have the ability to assign Pokémon they have caught to a Gym to battle other Pokémon or place in a Gym alongside a teammate.

While users are taking full advantage of this new game as an opportunity to get outside and explore the “real” world, so is the Colfax Chamber of Commerce.

“We are actually creating a passport for players to pick up and explore each of the eight shops on it,” said Gregory. “In order to get a prize, you have to go to all eight and once they've completed the entire passport and turn it in at the August First Thursday at the Explore Colfax booth.”

Players must visit Palouse River Quilts, Hen House Chicks, Abundant Faith Studio, ACE Hardware, Whitman County Library, Fonk's Coffee House, Colfax Golf Course and Cougar Graphics in order to receive a stamp to complete their Pokémon Passport.