Kenni Nakakura remembers playing Pokémon back in sixth grade and says it's pretty nostalgic to have the game resurface.
"It's amazing that Pokémon is still so popular even to this day," he said.
As an Uber and Lyft driver, Nakakura says business has been slow. So he came up with another way to get rides.
"I thought 'oh man, I've seen so many people walking around catching Pokémon on this new Pokémon Safari game and I thought maybe I could drum up some business by putting an ad out,'" he said.
The Pokémon Go game came out last week and has exploded in the last few days. Its users have now topped Twitter's 65 million and the craze has caused the app to crash several times.
Nakakura hoped to cash in on the craze by posting a Craigslist ad two days ago offering to take riders around the city to play the game. The ad reads:
"My name is Dash. Let me take you on a Pokémon Safari through the streets of Tucson. I'll be your guide as we explore Tucson and all the great Pokémon, PokeStops, and Gyms this city has to offer. Call or text to arrange your very own Pokémon Safari. Bring your friends!
I am a certified ride share driver with the two biggest companies (U and pink mustache). When a time and place to meet is arranged, we will set up a ride share.
Gotta Catch 'Em All!!!"
He's one of at least three people locally with Craigslist ads offering this service. But ads have also popped up in New York City and Portland.
"The benefit to driving as opposed to walking around is that you can hit so many more PokeStops and also Pokémon pop up a whole lot more often while you're driving," said Nakakura.
Nakakura says he likes that this new version of the game provides a social aspect by getting people out of the house.
"I finally got a Pikachu yesterday by the Dairy Queen on Fourth," he said.
Driving while playing the game is obviously dangerous and discouraged by agencies like AAA that warned users about it on Twitter.
While on your quest to become a Pokemon Master, NEVER catch them while driving - even if it's a Pikachu. #PokemonGO #DontDriveDistracted
— AAA Arizona (@AAA_Arizona) July 12, 2016
