So you’re still playing pokemon go? I stopped playing that a long time ago!
Yes, I know, I sighed. Nostalgia, obstinacy, and obsession has fuelled my 5 months of playing the mobile game. I was down to my last few pokemons/game characters to collect, and I was absolutely obsessed with it. Even if it meant travelling across half of Singapore from a lecture theatre in NTU all the way to Labrador Park in the South.
[Pokemon Go is an online mobile game which requires players to physically travel to collect Pokemons, or game characters, at certain locations]
Image Credit: Google Maps
It just so happened that Labrador park was a nest which Kabuto (the cockroach-lookalike pokemon) spawned often. Not that it helped that the park was a dear 500 metres away from the MRT. Fine, I could do it, 500 metres is nothing for my beloved cockroaches. Thus, I set out walking from Labrador Park MRT with resolution, despite being only in shorts and a flouncy blouse – not particularly comfort wear for a walk through the forest.
Originally, I was walking along the road, and did think about walking through the forest (which was a hill), as it was a seemingly shorter cut. Along I walked, and spotted a middle aged man jogging along the path, flashing a suspicious look at me. “What in the world is this girl doing here? She’s not even jogging and carrying this huge backpack.” It was obvious what he was thinking, but along he went to jog, as the polite Singaporean man minding his own business.
The signs were lacking, and I continued cutting across the vegetation, walking into a forested area with nary a small staircase. Wildlife was teeming around me, buzzing, and mosquitoes flocked over for a walking meal. I did slap an itch earlier, and was rewarded with a tiny splatter of blood on my palm. Mmmm. Murder was on my mind at that moment.
After walking down a little track, I thought that instead, I should have walked down the concrete pathway. As I walked, I continued catching the many cockroaches. Never knew I could enjoy catching these pests, huh.
Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the path and reached the park area. Yes! Thus, I promptly caught these two:
…and gathered sufficient cockroaches to evolve this Kabutops:
With happiness, I turned and resigned myself to resuming the long journey back to the train station. Suddenly, I heard a rustle in the bushes. Thinking that those were probably only monkeys, I walked towards the noise. Looking up, I saw a majestic, mammoth sized ‘pigeon’ roosting on the branches. It was a peacock!
The huge bird made nary a movement. It turned, slowly, circling the branch and gave me a free show of its large bottom. Then, it circled back, and continued guarding its regal kingdom.
Slowly edging away from the peacock, and finally leaving them at peace after invading their privacy with the many photos I took, I plodded my way back home, with my own virtual Kabutop and many mosquito bites from this journey out.
Do I regret it? No. Because I got my Kabutops 
