Augmented reality monster-catching game Pokémon Go is known for taking its players to strange new places, but one trainer found themselves in an especially bizarre situation.
For Reddit user ichigodevil, it was a day on Pokémon Go like any other - that is until they seemed to be transformed into a raid encounter by a glitch.
For those not in the know, raid encounters are boss battles that become available when a powerful boss Pokémon takes over a Gym. Available for a limited time, this usually involves a tough battle where, should you prove victorious, you'll be rewarded with special items and a chance of capturing that Pokémon.
However, much to the Reddit user's surprise, a raid countdown clock appeared above their character's head. Prompting them to take to Reddit with a screenshot of the event and a declaration to the world: "who wanna square up?"
Guess i’m a raid from r/pokemongo
Amused Reddit users from across the world flocked to the post.
"At least you're rated five stars," chimed in one user, while another said, "It's time to catch a PokéGo player."
Reddit user PokeOneKenobi offered a surprisingly dark take: "If you [have] one of the following symptoms: weird countdowns appearing over your [head], the feeling of impending doom, [or] people flocking around you to party up [,] please report to Niantic [for] assistance immediately."
Pokémon Go released back in 2016, garnering attention from fans across the world. Though the monster-catching game has yet to recapture its its peak of 28.5 million daily unique visitors (via Vox), the game still has roughly 11.2 million players, making it a powerful force in the world of mobile gaming (via MMOstats).
When it comes to Pokémon as a whole, competition has arrived in the form of third-person survival game Palworld, which has catchable monsters with a striking resemblance to Pokémon's own roster.
Want more games with great communities? Check out our lists of the best co-op games and the best MMO games.
