Many people think Pokemon Go is just a game, but at Mount Vernon, it’s a lifestyle. Pokemon Go is a strategy game ranked number five on Apple’s strategy game chart, it has over 380 thousand reviews averaging four out of five stars. Pokemon Go was a very popular game back in 2016. Ever since 2016, Pokemon Go has been fading in popularity for years. But in 2021 many students at Mount Vernon High School came back to the dying game. 

Alex Fencl, 17, started Pokemon Go in September 2021 and is the best Pokemon Go player at Mount Vernon. Fencl has a rating of 2,011. Which means he is ranked Ace! It might seem easy to become a PokeBeast since Fencl became the first Ace in Mount Vernon history in three months. However Fencl plays a few hours every day with very intense training. Fencl was inspired by the resurgence of Pokemon Go in the school. 

When Fencl first started he was bullied for being a level one because he lost his old account, most of his friends were level 30 or higher. People told him to quit because it would be impossible for him to even get a rating higher than 1800. One night Fencl walked home depressed, while most people saw Fencl as a PokeKid trying to make it out of rank 16, Fortnite Legend Brady Siders saw a PokeBeast. Siders told Fencl “change out Tauros for Sylveon.” Fencl’s ultra league team at this time was Tauros, Jolteon, and Genesect. Fencl said that he only got a cracked ultra league team because of his hero Siders. The team consists of Sylveon, Giratina, and Excadrill. However Fencl did the impossible,  he did not stop at 1800; he went to 2011 and went down in Mount Vernon history as a PokeLegend. Fencl states “Haters gon hate skattas gon skate”. Fencl doesn’t even want to go pro he said, “It’s just a hobby,” showing us that it’s just a game for him and he hasn’t even reached his full potential. 

“Fencl is extremely talented and he hasn’t even pokepeaked yet,” says senior Brody Ulch.  Fencl’s favorite Pokemon is shiny Groudon because it is legendary and its gold which makes it look very cool. 

The second best Pokemon Go beast is of course Trenton Pitlik. Like Fencl, Pitlik also had to restart Pokemon Go since he lost his account as well. However Pitlik has been taking a break from Go Battle League. Pokemon Go has great (1500cp), ultra (2500cp) and master league that changes every two weeks. Since Pitlik does not have as many powerful Pokemon as Alex Fencl, he heavily relies on great league to get his rating up while Fencl slowly improves his rank every day. When great league comes back Pitlik will get back on the grind, but that doesn’t mean he can afford to take days off. Pitlik still catches Pokemon that could be beneficial to him. “Years from now Pitlik will shed his skin and become hundo shiny shadow Mewtwo,” said senior Aden Locke. To put that into perspective Mewtwo is a legendary pokemon many people fight for, a shiny Mewtwo EX card on average costs $200 and sometimes over $2000. 

Pitlik’s rating is 1901 he doesn’t plan to go pro. His great league team is Galarian Stunfisk, Jellicent, and Alolan Ninetails. His favorite Pokemon is Alolan Ninetales because it looks cool. “Maybe one day Trenton might pass Alex but not anytime soon but he will one day but not anytime soon,” said retired PokeCoach Owen Brase. 

The next best trainer is Ben Gilbert-Binder with a rating at Alpha. Unlike Trenton and Alex he started the game five years ago and is level 33. He has caught over three thousand Pokemon and dreams to become a PokeLegend like Fencl. Even though Binder is not rated as high, he is the most dedicated. “I was chillin at my house, look out the window I see Binder playing Pokemon Go,” said junior Jensen Meeker. “It was also negative ten with wind chill.”

Binder says he plays all day every day. Binder wants to become a professional Pokemon Go player. “If he wants to become the best he has to catch the best,” said Kael Dimmer. 

“He needa work on em switches or else his Pokemon gon get em stitches,” says Alex Fencl. Binder has been playing since the game came out even though he is nowhere near Fencl he has been slowly improving over the years. Binder’s rating was 1200 in January 2020, 1322 in June 2020, 1428 in December 2020, 1578 in June 2021, and 1617 Today. Binder has improved by 417 over the past two years. Since rating gets harder to improve the higher rating you get, PokeExpert Zach Fall said, “I can see him passing Alex Fencl’s high school record by the time he turns 30, maybe even 28.” 

Even though Binder is not the best, he practices every day. When he is not battling to get better, he dreams of Pokemon or is catching Pokemon. He is ready for the next ultra league rotation because now Binder has armored Mewtwo, Blaziken, and Sylveon. Armored Mewtwo is a very rare Pokemon “I have been praying to Fridoph for three years and he finally blessed me with the almighty armored Mewtwo,” Gilbert-Binder said. 

Fencl plays PoGo for fun, Pitlik plays because he has been playing since he was young, Binder plays for his father. Binder says, “I play to make my dad proud.”  Binder’s favorite Pokemon is Togekiss because it’s fairy/flying plus it looks really cool. 

Austin Deeb went from a trainer who plays for fun during his freetime to a competitive Pokemon grinder who only stops playing during full moons. “I only stop playing during full moons because I have to go into the woods and hide from the wolves,” said Deeb, a junior. Pokemon Go is something Deeb and both his brothers are good at. Even though Alex Deeb (‘19) and Adam, a senior, are very talented at PoGo, Austin outperforms them in every way. “The kid got a great catcher his switchers are on point but he does need to work on his charger then he’ll get a good rater,” said senior Ryan Naeve. Deeb doesn’t plan to go pro but he does want to beat Fencl’s 2011 rating, he was inspired by his brothers and says “Pokemon Go really stood out to me because you can catch a lot of animals that look very interesting.” Deeb’s favorite Pokemon is Slugma, a fire type Pokemon which is super effective to bug and plant type Pokemon. However Slugma is weak to water type pokemon but Deeb said, “I don’t use it in go battle league I just like how it looks.” Deeb’s rating is 1550 and his team is Sylveon, Kyogre, Rhyperior.

The best Pokemon Go player at Mount Vernon is Fridolph. Fridolph is a Pokemon Go player possibly from Mount Vernon. He/she is level 41 and is most popularly known for taking the Mount Vernon tennis court gym. Nobody knows who Fridolph is but some of the PokeMasters don’t believe he/she is real. “I don’t believe Fridolph exists because there is not enough evidence,” said Pitlik. Fencl believes that Fridolph is real because he puts his Pokemon in the gym. Senior Owen Brase claims he has seen Fridolph but since he does not have evidence to prove Fridolph is real some people don’t believe him. 

Even though there is not enough evidence to prove Fridolph is real, does not mean Fridolph isn’t real. Junior Austin Deeb had a nightmare that Fridolph ate all his Pokemon, Deeb said “I was scared, but thankfully all my Pokemon were fine.”