Pokémon Go is bringing couples together

• Dylan and Kayleigh got engaged at Pokemon Go Fest Paris
• They've been playing Pokemon Go since 2023
• Communities in games bring people together

Video games have a way of connecting people, either through a community or through actually needing other players to accomplish something within a game. Pokémon Go has had a big focus on community over the last few years, creating a bunch of features to bring people together, like Campfire and RSVP-ing to raids. People enjoy connecting and meeting with others, so I am not surprised to see relationships form around the love of catching Pokémon in your local area.

At Pokémon Go Fest Paris earlier this year, Pokémon Go actually played a major role in a few couples getting engaged. You see, they allowed trainers who were attending to register their interest in a special proposal during the event. This ticket would allow a couple to take a photo with one of the Mascot Pokémon (and Paris had Mimikyu out for the first time!), making Pokémon a key part of the proposal. 

Dylan proposed to Kayleigh in Paris, as a part of this event that Pokémon was offering, and I got the chance to talk to them during the Pokémon Go Road Trip in London. 

Dylan and Kayleigh met at university and started playing Pokémon Go in 2023. While Kayleigh was going through a bit of a challenging time in her life, Dylan suggested playing Pokémon Go together, meeting up as a social activity with some other mutual friends.

"I think the first major event that we did together was Slowpoke Community Day, and it kind of stuck in the memory, which was it's all Slowpoke. We all love Slowpoke, and it's now Kayleigh's favourite Pokémon," explained Dylan.

From that event forward, they both realised that there might be something more than just being friends and playing Pokémon Go together. Dylan had played Pokémon games for as long as he could remember, particularly the Nintendo Switch entries like Pokémon Unite. They also play Pokémon TCG Pocket now, and open card packs, but Kayleigh didn't actually know what a Pokémon was before playing Pokémon Go.

When it came to the proposal itself, Kayliegh was very surprised. 

"Honestly, I had no idea. I feel like I should have, because there were so many different signs, but I chose to ignore them." 

When it comes to the wedding, Dylan said they'll obviously have Pokémon elements in the wedding itself. They've gone to a number of different events throughout Europe, including Paris and Madrid, exploring the world together as they got to know each other. 

"Pokemon Go was something that she instantly clicked with, and as such, we kept playing together", said Dylan.

As a huge fan of Pokémon Go myself, it's very lovely to see people who have been brought together through a hobby and love of a game, using its events to make their own proposal more personal. This entire idea came from a couple who had just proposed during a Pokémon Go event, and Niantic heard about it through the grapevine. They then figured they could help make these sorts of special moments even more special!