Pokemon Dare
By mallisle
Thu, 29 Dec 2016
- 410 reads
Two schoolboys were playing a game of Pokemon Dare. Gavin held up his mobile phone to look at an electricity pylon.
"Sam," said Gavin, "I can see the pokemon standing on the top of the electricity pylon. It's a million points." Sam looked at his own mobile phone.
"I'll die if I go up there," said Sam.
"No you won't," said Gavin. "The physics teacher said that electricity can arc one metre. It is possible to survive climbing a pylon if you ensure that your hands are always more than one metre away from the wires."
"Go ahead," said Sam, "test your theory."
"You need this one," said Gavin. "I'm winning the game. You could do with a million points, Sam. Think of that. If you had a million points I'd never be able to beat you." Sam reluctanctly climbed on to the bottom of the pylon with his mobile phone in his hand.
"Put it in your bag but keep it turned on," said Gavin. "Don't hold it out there in your hand. Too easy to make a mistake. You could slip, or attract an electric arc or something."
"Just keep one metre away from the wires?" asked Sam.
"Yes, that's all you need to do." Sam climbed up the pylon. He was nervous and terrified. As Sam climbed higher he could hear the power lines buzzing. What if Gavin was wrong about the distance electricity could arc? Sam would be burnt to ashes. What if he fell? Wasn't it against the law to be climbing up a pylon? What if somebody saw? There was no one around and no deadly lightining strike came out of the wires. The mobile phone in Sam's bag bleeped. That was it. The pokemon was captured. One million points. He came down the pylon in a better mood.
"Sam," said Gavin, "I can see the pokemon standing on the top of the electricity pylon. It's a million points." Sam looked at his own mobile phone.
"I'll die if I go up there," said Sam.
"No you won't," said Gavin. "The physics teacher said that electricity can arc one metre. It is possible to survive climbing a pylon if you ensure that your hands are always more than one metre away from the wires."
"Go ahead," said Sam, "test your theory."
"You need this one," said Gavin. "I'm winning the game. You could do with a million points, Sam. Think of that. If you had a million points I'd never be able to beat you." Sam reluctanctly climbed on to the bottom of the pylon with his mobile phone in his hand.
"Put it in your bag but keep it turned on," said Gavin. "Don't hold it out there in your hand. Too easy to make a mistake. You could slip, or attract an electric arc or something."
"Just keep one metre away from the wires?" asked Sam.
"Yes, that's all you need to do." Sam climbed up the pylon. He was nervous and terrified. As Sam climbed higher he could hear the power lines buzzing. What if Gavin was wrong about the distance electricity could arc? Sam would be burnt to ashes. What if he fell? Wasn't it against the law to be climbing up a pylon? What if somebody saw? There was no one around and no deadly lightining strike came out of the wires. The mobile phone in Sam's bag bleeped. That was it. The pokemon was captured. One million points. He came down the pylon in a better mood.
The next day the game of Pokemon continued. Sam held up his mobile phone near the railway bridge.
"You'll never guess where it is now."
"Where?" asked Gavin.
"Standing on the railway line, half way across the bridge."
"How are you going to get up on to the bridge, Sam?"
"It's your go, Gavin. I'm winning the game. It's three quarters of a million points," said Sam. "It's a rural line. I can see the train timetable on my phone. A train runs in either direction every half hour. That bridge is a quarter of a mile from the railway station. There'll be fifteen minutes in between the train to London and the train to the south coast. We'll go to the railway station. Climb down from the platform on to the railway line at just the right time. You'll have fifteen minutes before any trains come. Plenty of time to walk to the middle of the railway bridge and return." They arrived at the railway station. Sam looked at the railway timetable on his mobile phone for a few minutes. A train arrived at the station, on the opposite platform, and then left.
"Go now," said Sam.
Gavin climbed, nervously, from the platform on to the railway line, looking at the sign that said £600 fine for trespassing, trying to avoid the camera he could see. He walked, half jogging, along the side of the railway line. He was not on the line itself. Gavin wouldn't put it past the idiot Sam to double cross him. He wondered if Sam had deliberately given him the wrong time and if he'd soon meet an intercity 220 high speed train thundering down the track. Was this Sam's idea of humour? Suddenly Gavin scrambled up the side of the embankment, as far as he could go without crossing the impenetrable wire fence. There was a train that Sam hadn't known about. It was a smelly old diesel goods train. Not as fast as an intercity 220 but probably as fast as a car on a motorway and rather frightening because it weighed 300 tons and was coming the other way. Gavin looked at his watch. Five minutes gone. It was a race against time. He could see the bridge in the distance. How far was it away? Could he get there in two and a half minutes? Gavin had to get there in two and a half minutes. He ran as fast as he could without tripping over the embankment or the railway sleepers. Like a horse, he broke into a steady trot. Six and a half minutes gone. Here was the bridge. Gavin lifted up his phone. He could see the pokemon standing in the middle. As quickly as he could, Gavin half jogged, half walked to the centre of the bridge and the telephone in his hand beeped. He had captured the Pokemon at seven minutes ten seconds from the railway platform. He now had three quarters of a million points, if he survived. Now, if he travelled back at the same speed, he'd arrive forty seconds before the train. That was too close for comfort. Gavin walked as briskly as he could. He came into the station. Sam was still standing on the platform.
"You've got two minutes," Sam shouted. Gavin grabbed the concrete and heaved himself up, forgetting to hide from the camera that hung over the platform.
"I got it, I got it. Let's get out of here."
"You'll never guess where it is now."
"Where?" asked Gavin.
"Standing on the railway line, half way across the bridge."
"How are you going to get up on to the bridge, Sam?"
"It's your go, Gavin. I'm winning the game. It's three quarters of a million points," said Sam. "It's a rural line. I can see the train timetable on my phone. A train runs in either direction every half hour. That bridge is a quarter of a mile from the railway station. There'll be fifteen minutes in between the train to London and the train to the south coast. We'll go to the railway station. Climb down from the platform on to the railway line at just the right time. You'll have fifteen minutes before any trains come. Plenty of time to walk to the middle of the railway bridge and return." They arrived at the railway station. Sam looked at the railway timetable on his mobile phone for a few minutes. A train arrived at the station, on the opposite platform, and then left.
"Go now," said Sam.
Gavin climbed, nervously, from the platform on to the railway line, looking at the sign that said £600 fine for trespassing, trying to avoid the camera he could see. He walked, half jogging, along the side of the railway line. He was not on the line itself. Gavin wouldn't put it past the idiot Sam to double cross him. He wondered if Sam had deliberately given him the wrong time and if he'd soon meet an intercity 220 high speed train thundering down the track. Was this Sam's idea of humour? Suddenly Gavin scrambled up the side of the embankment, as far as he could go without crossing the impenetrable wire fence. There was a train that Sam hadn't known about. It was a smelly old diesel goods train. Not as fast as an intercity 220 but probably as fast as a car on a motorway and rather frightening because it weighed 300 tons and was coming the other way. Gavin looked at his watch. Five minutes gone. It was a race against time. He could see the bridge in the distance. How far was it away? Could he get there in two and a half minutes? Gavin had to get there in two and a half minutes. He ran as fast as he could without tripping over the embankment or the railway sleepers. Like a horse, he broke into a steady trot. Six and a half minutes gone. Here was the bridge. Gavin lifted up his phone. He could see the pokemon standing in the middle. As quickly as he could, Gavin half jogged, half walked to the centre of the bridge and the telephone in his hand beeped. He had captured the Pokemon at seven minutes ten seconds from the railway platform. He now had three quarters of a million points, if he survived. Now, if he travelled back at the same speed, he'd arrive forty seconds before the train. That was too close for comfort. Gavin walked as briskly as he could. He came into the station. Sam was still standing on the platform.
"You've got two minutes," Sam shouted. Gavin grabbed the concrete and heaved himself up, forgetting to hide from the camera that hung over the platform.
"I got it, I got it. Let's get out of here."
Gavin and Sam were walking past the local hospital. Gavin looked at his mobile phone.
"The pokemon's standing in the hospital," he said. "Why does it offer you a quarter of a million points just for going into the hospital?" They went into the hospital and walked down the long corridors, trying to find the area the pokemon was in.
"We're very close now," said Sam, looking at the tiny symbols on his watch. "It's just around the corner."
"In the Intensive Care ward," said Gavin. He looked at the sign on the wall. "No one can go beyond that door until a member of the hospital staff tells them they can."
"That answers your question," said Sam, "why you get a quarter of a million points just to visit a pokemon in hospital. You've got to get beyond that door."
"I have an idea," said Gavin. "That woman with the market stall in the city centre sells crosses."
"What do you mean?"
"Sam, have you ever heard of hospital Pastors?" They left the hospital and went to the market in the town centre. A woman had an open air stall that sold crosses and Catholic books.
"I want a cross," said Gavin. The woman held up a gold cross on a chain. "No, that's just an ornament. I want people to know that I'm a Christian." The woman looked amazed. She handed him a big wooden cross with a brown cord that was made from leather.
"How much is that?"
"Seven pounds, please." Gavin handed her a twenty pound note.
"Keep the change."
"God bless you, Brother, God bless you, indeed you will be blessed," said the woman, with a beaming smile on her face. They went back to the hospital. Gavin put the cross around his neck.
"I'm the hospital pastor," he said to everyone in the waiting room. "Would anyone like me to pray for them?"
"Yes, I would," said one of the men. "It's my dad Simon. It was his 80th birthday on Sunday. We'd planned a big party for him. But now he's in intensive care."
"What's your name?"
"Gary Smith."
Gavin closed his eyes and put his hands together in prayer.
"Dear God, I pray for Mr. Smith and his family and his dad Simon. Bless them. Keep them all in your tender care. Take his dad to your heavenly home." While all this was going on, Sam had gone to the desk.
"Do you have a patient called Simon Smith, date of birth 30th September 1955?"
"Yes we do."
"Could I see him please? I'm his church pastor." While Gavin was still praying, the lady at the reception desk picked up the phone.
"Simon Smith," she said. "I've someone to see him now." She turned to Sam. "Go straight through. Second room on the left." Sam walked through the door into intensive care. Gavin, having by now realised what was happening, followed after him.
"Excuse me, Sir," the lady at the reception desk shouted at Gavin.
"I'm a hospital pastor," he shouted back.
"I don't care who you are, you can't just go wandering in there." Sam came out again, gazing at his watch.
"I've got it, I've got it."
"You double crossing bitch, or whatever the male equivalent of bitch is."
"You double crossing dog?" asked Sam. "You nearly got me killed by sending me up the power line."
"You sent me along that railway track."
"Gavin," said Sam, "we play to win by fair means or foul." Gavin looked at Sam thoughtfully.
"Just as long as we both understand that," said Gavin.
"The pokemon's standing in the hospital," he said. "Why does it offer you a quarter of a million points just for going into the hospital?" They went into the hospital and walked down the long corridors, trying to find the area the pokemon was in.
"We're very close now," said Sam, looking at the tiny symbols on his watch. "It's just around the corner."
"In the Intensive Care ward," said Gavin. He looked at the sign on the wall. "No one can go beyond that door until a member of the hospital staff tells them they can."
"That answers your question," said Sam, "why you get a quarter of a million points just to visit a pokemon in hospital. You've got to get beyond that door."
"I have an idea," said Gavin. "That woman with the market stall in the city centre sells crosses."
"What do you mean?"
"Sam, have you ever heard of hospital Pastors?" They left the hospital and went to the market in the town centre. A woman had an open air stall that sold crosses and Catholic books.
"I want a cross," said Gavin. The woman held up a gold cross on a chain. "No, that's just an ornament. I want people to know that I'm a Christian." The woman looked amazed. She handed him a big wooden cross with a brown cord that was made from leather.
"How much is that?"
"Seven pounds, please." Gavin handed her a twenty pound note.
"Keep the change."
"God bless you, Brother, God bless you, indeed you will be blessed," said the woman, with a beaming smile on her face. They went back to the hospital. Gavin put the cross around his neck.
"I'm the hospital pastor," he said to everyone in the waiting room. "Would anyone like me to pray for them?"
"Yes, I would," said one of the men. "It's my dad Simon. It was his 80th birthday on Sunday. We'd planned a big party for him. But now he's in intensive care."
"What's your name?"
"Gary Smith."
Gavin closed his eyes and put his hands together in prayer.
"Dear God, I pray for Mr. Smith and his family and his dad Simon. Bless them. Keep them all in your tender care. Take his dad to your heavenly home." While all this was going on, Sam had gone to the desk.
"Do you have a patient called Simon Smith, date of birth 30th September 1955?"
"Yes we do."
"Could I see him please? I'm his church pastor." While Gavin was still praying, the lady at the reception desk picked up the phone.
"Simon Smith," she said. "I've someone to see him now." She turned to Sam. "Go straight through. Second room on the left." Sam walked through the door into intensive care. Gavin, having by now realised what was happening, followed after him.
"Excuse me, Sir," the lady at the reception desk shouted at Gavin.
"I'm a hospital pastor," he shouted back.
"I don't care who you are, you can't just go wandering in there." Sam came out again, gazing at his watch.
"I've got it, I've got it."
"You double crossing bitch, or whatever the male equivalent of bitch is."
"You double crossing dog?" asked Sam. "You nearly got me killed by sending me up the power line."
"You sent me along that railway track."
"Gavin," said Sam, "we play to win by fair means or foul." Gavin looked at Sam thoughtfully.
"Just as long as we both understand that," said Gavin.
Gavin and Sam were walking along the beach together. They could hear the sound of gunfire. A big red and yellow sign declared the presence of the army rifle range. Sam looked at his watch.
"It's in the army rifle range," he said. "It's a million points."
"There's only one Pokemon," said Gavin. "Mobile phones turned on, we both go running in there and the first one who reaches the pokemon gets a million points." They passed the big red and yellow sign amid the sound of gunfire. A man was wearing a uniform that made him look like a policeman, except that it was green instead of black. He came running.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"We want to join the army," said Gavin.
"Look up your local recruitment office online. This is a rifle range." The man had a radio. He picked up the mike and keyed it. "Delta Bravo Lima 2, Delta Bravo Lima 2. We have intruders at point 18. Repeat, we have intruders at point 18." Gavin and Sam found themselves in a small office sitting with the man in the green uniform.
"It's not against the law to play a game of Pokemon," said Gavin.
"That just depends where you play it. What is it like, this game that you play?"
"You know Pokemon?" asked Sam. "The characters appear on your mobile phone. In the modern version you actually see them on the camera when you look at things. So a Pokemon might be standing in the middle of a field and you see it on your camera. You have to go into the field. When you get to the right position, you capture it."
"What happens if you reach its position?"
"You get a certain number of points," said Gavin.
"Was there a pokemon standing in our rifle range?"
"Yes," said Sam.
"Isn't that a strange place for it to be? Why wouldn't it be somewhere more ordinary like standing on the pier?"
"This is Pokemon Dare," said Gavin. "You get more points for a difficult and dangerous location."
"How long have you been playing this game?"
"Two weeks," said Sam.
"Who has the most points?"
"He does," said Gavin.
"I've got millions of points. Gavin will never catch up with me now."
"Do you do dangerous things quite often?"
"Yes," said Sam, "if you're good at Pokemon."
"What sort of other dangerous locations have you been in?"
"Could we just leave that to your imagination?" asked Gavin.
"We have your mobile phones," said the military policeman. "That should be obvious. What might not be so obvious is that all your actions are traceable. Every time you go somewhere and catch a pokemon you leave an electronic fingerprint." Sam looked terrified. "You can have your phones back now. I'm going to let you go. This is just a warning." The military policeman returned with the mobile phones and Sam's watch. The two boys left the military rifle range and walked along the beach. Gavin took the mobile phone out of his bag and turned it on. It beeped.
"I've got it," said Gavin. "I've got the pokemon. It must have been in that room where he took the phones when they were confiscated. 'We play to win by fair means or foul.' One million points. I'm back in the lead."
"Do you think he's right?" asked Sam. "Do we leave an electronic fingerprint when we catch a pokemon?"
"He's just trying to scare us," said Gavin.
"Well, he's scared me."
"They wouldn't know it was you, would they Sam?"
"Couldn't they just contact the mobile phone company?"
"I don't think they'd bother for a little offence like trespassing."
"It's in the army rifle range," he said. "It's a million points."
"There's only one Pokemon," said Gavin. "Mobile phones turned on, we both go running in there and the first one who reaches the pokemon gets a million points." They passed the big red and yellow sign amid the sound of gunfire. A man was wearing a uniform that made him look like a policeman, except that it was green instead of black. He came running.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"We want to join the army," said Gavin.
"Look up your local recruitment office online. This is a rifle range." The man had a radio. He picked up the mike and keyed it. "Delta Bravo Lima 2, Delta Bravo Lima 2. We have intruders at point 18. Repeat, we have intruders at point 18." Gavin and Sam found themselves in a small office sitting with the man in the green uniform.
"It's not against the law to play a game of Pokemon," said Gavin.
"That just depends where you play it. What is it like, this game that you play?"
"You know Pokemon?" asked Sam. "The characters appear on your mobile phone. In the modern version you actually see them on the camera when you look at things. So a Pokemon might be standing in the middle of a field and you see it on your camera. You have to go into the field. When you get to the right position, you capture it."
"What happens if you reach its position?"
"You get a certain number of points," said Gavin.
"Was there a pokemon standing in our rifle range?"
"Yes," said Sam.
"Isn't that a strange place for it to be? Why wouldn't it be somewhere more ordinary like standing on the pier?"
"This is Pokemon Dare," said Gavin. "You get more points for a difficult and dangerous location."
"How long have you been playing this game?"
"Two weeks," said Sam.
"Who has the most points?"
"He does," said Gavin.
"I've got millions of points. Gavin will never catch up with me now."
"Do you do dangerous things quite often?"
"Yes," said Sam, "if you're good at Pokemon."
"What sort of other dangerous locations have you been in?"
"Could we just leave that to your imagination?" asked Gavin.
"We have your mobile phones," said the military policeman. "That should be obvious. What might not be so obvious is that all your actions are traceable. Every time you go somewhere and catch a pokemon you leave an electronic fingerprint." Sam looked terrified. "You can have your phones back now. I'm going to let you go. This is just a warning." The military policeman returned with the mobile phones and Sam's watch. The two boys left the military rifle range and walked along the beach. Gavin took the mobile phone out of his bag and turned it on. It beeped.
"I've got it," said Gavin. "I've got the pokemon. It must have been in that room where he took the phones when they were confiscated. 'We play to win by fair means or foul.' One million points. I'm back in the lead."
"Do you think he's right?" asked Sam. "Do we leave an electronic fingerprint when we catch a pokemon?"
"He's just trying to scare us," said Gavin.
"Well, he's scared me."
"They wouldn't know it was you, would they Sam?"
"Couldn't they just contact the mobile phone company?"
"I don't think they'd bother for a little offence like trespassing."
On Saturday night Sam and Gavin were walking through the city centre. Sam looked at his watch.
"It's in that church," said Sam, "the building with the cross on the top. Why is it offering us half a million points just for going into a church?" Sam and Gavin entered the church. The hall was crowded and full of young people. A man of about 50 stood on the stage holding a big purple Bible.
"We are all sinners," he said. "We have all done, thought and said wicked and despicable things. But God loves us, God loves us."
"The pokemon is standing right in front of the stage," said Sam.
"He died that we might be forgiven," the man continued. "He died so that we might be good. He died so we could go to Heaven saved by his precious blood. Jesus died on the cross for us. Why don't you give him your life in return? All of it. Would you like to give your life to Jesus tonight?"
"I can see what is going to happen," said Gavin.
"What?" asked Sam.
"He's going to ask everyone to come down to the front, where the pokemon is."
"Why?"
"Choose this day whom you will serve," continued the man on the stage. "Do you want to live for Jesus? Do you want to follow Jesus? Will you love him more than life itself? Isn't that the way that he loves you? Come down to the front. If you come, others will come."
"Are you going to go forward?" asked Sam.
"Sam, I've done some really dangerous things during this game but I am not going to go forward at the altar call and give my life to Jesus in some weird happy clappy church."
"I want to," said Sam. "The last few weeks have made me think a lot about the meaning of life and where we are going when we die. You said a lovely prayer in the hospital."
"I was acting."
"Yes you were, but didn't you wonder, at that moment, whether there might be a God, whether there might be life after death?"
"Not for a second. Sam, I need to be true to my agnosticism."
"Gavin, if you're an agnostic, that means you haven't got the faintest idea what you believe. How can you be true to your beliefs?"
"It means that you've never thought about it, you don't want to think about it, and you probably never will. I need to be true to my family religion. We are all agnostics. I will risk walking down a railway line for you, Sam, but I won't go forward at the altar call to give my life to Jesus. I won't even pretend to. I will risk death but I won't risk being swayed. Go forward, Sam. I'm going to let you win the game." Sam went down to the front. The mobile phone beeped but that wasn't the reason for the huge smile on his face. A pretty girl gave him a yellow paperback pocket New Testament. A young man sat down with Sam, took out a notebook and a pen and explained how to live the Christian life. Gavin noticed that Sam looked truly happy, in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with winning a game of Pokemon Dare.
"It's in that church," said Sam, "the building with the cross on the top. Why is it offering us half a million points just for going into a church?" Sam and Gavin entered the church. The hall was crowded and full of young people. A man of about 50 stood on the stage holding a big purple Bible.
"We are all sinners," he said. "We have all done, thought and said wicked and despicable things. But God loves us, God loves us."
"The pokemon is standing right in front of the stage," said Sam.
"He died that we might be forgiven," the man continued. "He died so that we might be good. He died so we could go to Heaven saved by his precious blood. Jesus died on the cross for us. Why don't you give him your life in return? All of it. Would you like to give your life to Jesus tonight?"
"I can see what is going to happen," said Gavin.
"What?" asked Sam.
"He's going to ask everyone to come down to the front, where the pokemon is."
"Why?"
"Choose this day whom you will serve," continued the man on the stage. "Do you want to live for Jesus? Do you want to follow Jesus? Will you love him more than life itself? Isn't that the way that he loves you? Come down to the front. If you come, others will come."
"Are you going to go forward?" asked Sam.
"Sam, I've done some really dangerous things during this game but I am not going to go forward at the altar call and give my life to Jesus in some weird happy clappy church."
"I want to," said Sam. "The last few weeks have made me think a lot about the meaning of life and where we are going when we die. You said a lovely prayer in the hospital."
"I was acting."
"Yes you were, but didn't you wonder, at that moment, whether there might be a God, whether there might be life after death?"
"Not for a second. Sam, I need to be true to my agnosticism."
"Gavin, if you're an agnostic, that means you haven't got the faintest idea what you believe. How can you be true to your beliefs?"
"It means that you've never thought about it, you don't want to think about it, and you probably never will. I need to be true to my family religion. We are all agnostics. I will risk walking down a railway line for you, Sam, but I won't go forward at the altar call to give my life to Jesus. I won't even pretend to. I will risk death but I won't risk being swayed. Go forward, Sam. I'm going to let you win the game." Sam went down to the front. The mobile phone beeped but that wasn't the reason for the huge smile on his face. A pretty girl gave him a yellow paperback pocket New Testament. A young man sat down with Sam, took out a notebook and a pen and explained how to live the Christian life. Gavin noticed that Sam looked truly happy, in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with winning a game of Pokemon Dare.
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