New Zealand Man Quits Job to Play Pokemon GO Full Time

While many people around the world are now playing Pokemon GO, for many of them while it may give them a reason to get out and exercise it is hardly life-changing. For Tim Currie of New Zealand, Pokemon GO may be more than just a game as he has quit his job to allow him to play Pokemon GO full-time.

Before his rebirth as a full-time Pokemon trainer, Time Currie was a barista and bartender at a seaside restaurant located on the Hibiscus Coast close to Aukland. Now he’s living the trainer life, he is relying on his friends and family to help him get by on his quest to capture the 151 Pokemon currently available in Pokemon GO. “When I resigned, I didn’t tell my manager I was going out into the world to hunt Pokemon,” he told Newsbeat. However he did give his boss a courtesy call regarding the real reason, in case the media got in contact with him, his boss replying “Good on you Tom. It is really funny. I hope everything is OK. Have fun for your Pokemon trip.”

So far his quest has had him travel all over New Zealand, with him stating that the travel has been the best part of playing the game full time. “I get to walk around and explore towns I’ve never been to,” he said. “I have been meeting heaps of people, tourists travelling the country and other Pokemon trainers at the small (sometimes huge) public gatherings.” Thanks to his exploits, Currie has become somewhat of a minor celebrity amongst some Pokemon GO players, with him explaining that he has been approached by other trainers who recognized him, some wishing to chat while others wanting their photos taken with him and he reported that “one guy even called me his hero for doing what I’m doing.”

Although Tom only has 91 out of 151 Pokemon, eventually all good things must come to an end and Currie admits that once his Pokemon journey comes to an end he will be going back to work, although he admits that he’ll still be catching Pokemon on the side.