Pokémon players keep catching critters, cleaning up parks

Close to a dozen people put their Pokéballs down Wednesday night and picked up trash bags and grabbers to clean up the parks where they have found so many Pokémon in recent weeks.

The “Pokémon Go” mobile phone game craze is alive in Merced and Atwater as much as anywhere else, and players said they noticed the parks needed a little help. They organized a cleanup at Applegate Park in Merced on Wednesday and Ralston Park in Atwater on Thursday.

“I felt kind of embarrassed,” Robert Kostecky said while picking broken glass from the base of a tree. “I hadn’t been out here in years.”

The 26-year-old father of two had his 1- and 5-year-old with him.

The free downloadable mobile app is an interactive game that pushes players to travel outside their homes to catch virtual “pocket monsters” known as Pokémon. Players collect, evolve and battle their Pokémon with other real-life players.

Also picking up bottle caps, cigarette butts and other trash while accompanied by his children was Aaron Lequia, 31, of Merced. His 8- and 4-year-old were close by.

“That’s what I like about the game, it gets people outside,” he said.

The group also cleaned up Courthouse Park last week.

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Pokémon players keep catching critters, cleaning up parks."