If you play Pokémon Go, you will be familiar with PokéStop and PokéGym. The area around the former is the place where many fellow Pokémon Go players (or trainers, if you want to be pro about the terms) inadvertently convene and you may also know that one cannot play the game all-day long as this game is a serious battery drainer. The gathering of like-minded folks reminds Minecraft artist Spencer Kern of the Pokémon Center of the original Pokémon game. Though these virtual PokéStops set in a real world places will not heal Pokémon, it nevertheless sets Spencer on the path to create a social hub in the likeness of the original Pokémon Center and one that will provide the community a place to juice up their trusty Pokémon catching device AKA smartphone.
Built around a Goal Zero Yeti 400 solar generator kit, Spencer’s Pokémon Center features a decorative enclosure in the likeness of the in-game Pokémon Center made out of wood, along with some 3D printed for both functional and non-functional parts, and it also incorporates a USB hub that is capable of providing power to up 12 smartphones simultaneously. While any portable charger will be good enough, Spencer’s creation takes his devotion to the game to an entirely new level. This unique charging station not only provides multiple Pokémon Go players the opportunity to charge up their devices and just like the in-game Pokémon Center, it affords a specific location where camaraderie is allow to blossom.
The most awesome part is, trainers get to meet face-to-face to brag about their catches, or perhaps exchange tips and tricks. At the end of the day, Spencer’s Solar-powered Pokémon Center Charging Station really does live up to its name and serve beyond the purpose of pushing precious electrons to the players’ smartphone. If you share the same passion as Spencer and have the knack with tools, you can do the same too by checking out his build process HERE.
Images: Spencer Kern.