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US 'Pokemon Go' Player Caught 'Em All

Nick Johnson spent eight hours a day wandering New York City, hunting for animated creatures.

 & Stephanie Mlot Contributor

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Just two weeks after its US release, one Pokemon Go player has already caught 'em all.

Brooklyn-based Nick Johnson collected each of the 142 characters in the North American Pokedex. As head of platform at start-up Applico, Johnson works 50-plus-hour weeks. But after a long day at the office, instead of going home or meeting friends for happy hour, he took eight-hour walks around New York City, according to Business Insider.

Nick Johnson Pokedex"[I lost] about eight pounds, but I was doing eight miles a day," Johnson wrote in a Reddit announcement, adding that his physical endurance has "definitely improved."

"For me, Pokemon Go made it fun to exercise in a way the gym does not," the level-31 player said. Johnson clocked more than 129 miles over two weeks, most of which was spent hunting animated characters.

The final Pokemon needed to complete his collection—the rare Omanyte, used to evolve the even more rare Omastar—eluded him due to spotty cell service.

"Right when two spawned, Verizon service crapped out" for 15 minutes, delaying Johnson's glory a day.

The second-to-last monster, however, required even more effort: a trip to Jersey City. Johnson admitted that, after spotting a Porygon on the radar, he "may or may not" have ordered an Uber to drive him around until he found it.

Nintendo's original Pokemon video games feature 151 species, 142 of which are available to catch in the US. Three more remain exclusive to certain international regions. As Business Insider notes, the other six remain a mystery.

So what's next for the master Pokemon trainer?

"I'll be taking it easy and enjoying the game with friends for now. Also, I have plenty of motivation related to growing the company I work for," he said on Reddit.

Those following in Johnson's footsteps (though maybe over a more drawn-out period with breaks for food and rest) shouldn't expect a grand prize for catching 'em all. In response to one Redditor asking whether he recieved anything—a badge, a huge amount of Pokeballs, coins—for his achievement, Johnson said no. "But I did get to go to sleep," he wrote. "It's the little things."

Johnson did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

For more, check out Pokemon Go: How to Get Started and Catch 'Em All and 12 Completely Inappropriate Places to Play Pokemon Go.

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Stephanie Mlot

Stephanie Mlot

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