With the Pokémon Go craze affecting even countries that have yet to launch it, you can bet that it’s just a matter of time before someone quit his job to be a full-time Pokémon hunter.
The repercussions of Pokémon Go have been widespread: companies banned the game and people trespassed just to catch a rare Pokémon. While researchers have implied that it benefits the gamer both physically and mentally, the guy has taken it to a whole new level.
Tom Currie is a 24-year-old New Zealander who quit his full-time job as a bartender in a seaside restaurant so that he could hunt Pokémon full-time. His rationale? “I wanted to have an adventure. I have been working for six years and I was desperate for a break. And Pokémon gave me the chance to live that dream.”
Bold words, but reality bites just as boldly: he obviously won’t get paid for catching Pokémons. However, his transportation expenses are already taken care of: transportation companies have offered him free rides for his hunt.
His parents have been supporting: his father texted him, saying that he had always believed that he would be famous. His mother even backed “him 100%”.
When he resigned, he did not tell his boss that he was going to be a real-life Ash Ketchum. But when the media started picking up his story, he called his ex-boss and told him about his quest, and guess what his boss said? “Good on you Tom. It is really funny. I hope everything is OK. Have fun for your Pokémon trip.”
Well, I’m pretty sure he’s having fun.
He has, so far, caught 91 of the 151 Pokémons that are available in the game. The best part of the game is that it gets him going: travelling from cities to cities have allowed him to meet new friends and explore new areas.
But of course, this isn’t a “career” with “prospects”: once his adventure ends, he intends to go back to work and also work on his new business.
Here’s the interesting part: the game was only released on 6 July 2016. That’s less than two weeks ago, and we’ve already got people quitting their job to be a Pokémon hunter. I wonder what would be next: People selling Pokémons for more than $1 million?
This article was first published on goodyfeed.com
