A man has quit his job in a café to be a full time Pokémon hunter after becoming addicting to the smartphone app.
Pokémon GO, released yesterday in the UK, has become one of the most successful apps of all time after being downloaded by more than 15 million people.
New Zealander Tom Currie, 24, has now chosen to quit his job and go on a two-month tour of his country using the app to catch them all.
He told the Guardian: “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.”
Mr Currie has already visited six different South Island towns and caught Pokémon at every stop.
In less than a week, Mr Currie has captured 90 of the 151 Pokémon released on the game and has walked for miles in search of the remaining 61.
Some of his proudest captures include Dragonair, Scyther and Jynx in the Kaikoura Ranges and a rare Goldeen off the wild west coast.
He added: “I think the most exciting experience so far was in Sumner, Christchurch, which has become a hot spot for Pokémon hunters.
“There were about 100 people there hunting. And some of these people would usually be shut up at home and really reclusive.
“Hunting for Pokémon is bringing them into the real world. It was such a buzzy atmosphere, when someone spotted a rare Pokémon they would shout out to alert the crowd.”
Mr Currie has slept on friend’s sofas or backpacker dormitories on his quest so far but he has recently been approached by transport companies offering to take him to remote parts of the country to hunt for the rare creatures.
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