My Pokémon GO City Safari Mumbai experience was magical! Aside from being the first major Pokémon GO event to take place in my country India, it was extra special for me thanks to two BIG reasons:
- I represented Pokémon GO Hub! I’ve been with this amazing group of superstars for 5+ years now and with Niantic officially entering into the Indian territory with a huge event, I got the honour of representing this esteemed site as crew.
- As a consequence, I had the privilege of tagging along with a literal dream team and covering the event: People from Niantic, and the game’s top content creators, including ZoëTwoDots, Poké Daxi, The Trainer Club, and Yuri Kitayama.
Addressing both my role at GO Hub and the advantage of personally being with the creators during the entire event, I made sure to catch up with them for quick interviews about their experience in Mumbai and the event in a nutshell.
BONUS: There are also some fun tidbits and instances from the event added after the interview excerpts. Buckle up your seatbelts, you’re going to enjoy this!
This was Zoë’s second visit to India (and Mumbai) but this time, the stage was bigger and she was hyped up for the grand spectacle in Mumbai. Trainers dropped in huge numbers from various parts of India as well as from around the world to have a chat with Zoë and click pictures, and she graced them all.
Zoë absolutely relished the Bitter Gourd vegetable fry (native to India, Africa, and the Caribbean), something which even some Indians shy away from. She not only loved the dish but was also looking forward to finding the veggie in her local Indian grocery store in Australia and cooking it to perfection! Bon appetit, Zoë!
Here are the excerpts from my interview with ZoëTwoDots:
How has your City Safari Mumbai experience been?
It’s been brilliant. City Safari Mumbai… the catches have been amazing, the community has been amazing, and I also found the shiny I wanted to, so I had a great time.
Whoa! Which shiny is it?!
Umm, spoilers. Nah, I’m joking! I finally found the shiny Mudbray. It was a mission.
Congrats! So, this is your second visit to India, right?
Yes!
What surprised you the most about India?
The most surprising thing… well, there are some things I’m used to as an avid traveler but a thing that did surprise me is how much the city (Mumbai) has changed since my last visit in 2019. Now, I see so much development, like new tunnels and bridges, and plenty of tall buildings that I kept seeing in Mumbai since yesterday (Day 1).
Even in-game, I saw many surprising changes. There are just so many more Pokémon, new Gyms and PokéStops, countless community members, clusters of spawns. This was all very exciting to see, yeah!
Glad you had fun! The players in India couldn’t be happier with these developments! Do you have a message for them?
Message for all the trainers, eh? HYDRATE! Stay hydrated!
Have fun. Everyone’s been so amazing and a massive thank you to all of you for a wonderful time, being so kind, caring, considerate and accommodating. As always, the Mumbai community is always super sweet and I’m absolutely praying to come back anytime and meet you all again.
That’s amazing! So I’m sure we’re going to see you at the next Indian event?
Absolutely! I would love to. Do it, Pokémon GO… more Indian events, please. I’m sure it’ll be great and I would recommend it to anyone.
This was Daxi’s first visit to India but he wanted to experience it all! From hitching a ride on the super busy Mumbai local train, to exploring the famous Elephanta Caves, and catching up and playing with trainers days before City Safari Mumbai kicked off, Daxi was blazing hot throughout the event. He even stayed back a day after the event to catch an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between the local team Mumbai Indians vs last year’s champs, Kolkata Knight Riders.
Daxi went bananas over, well, the bananas in India! While the popular fruit is a staple in India, Daxi never found such fresh and delicious varieties back home in Canada, where the climatic conditions make growing fine bananas a challenge.
Here are the excerpts from my interview with Poké Daxi:
How has your City Safari Mumbai experience been?
Honestly, it’s been amazing. On Day 1, I got 25 shinies, including a bunch of new shinies such as shiny Mime Jr. and Mr. Mime (including the regular one which I didn’t have before). And it’s been special to see the community have the first real event here in India.
Awesome! Speaking of India, what surprised you the most about the country?
Ooh, that’s a good question! Honestly, it was surprising to see just how passionate the community is. The support to India that was given earlier doesn’t translate to just how passionate people are in India about Pokémon GO. So, it was incredible to see India finally getting the support it needed and the enthusiasm coming for it. It was such a cool experience to see that.
Indeed Daxi, you have a thriving fanbase here in India! Any message for your legions of followers from India?
I’m so happy to be here in India. Probably not the last time I’ll be in India. I’m excited to come back, play more events, and just see this beautiful community grow.
This was Billy’s first visit to India as well. Billy and Daxi were partners in crime as they both explored the Elephanta Caves and went to the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. Billy was the most in-demand trainer for signing autographs and doing special trades with the local community of players.
Billy took particular interest in eating with his hands, a regular practice in India. And guess what? He slayed! Be it rice and curry, the traditional sweet porridge, or seafood, Billy ate them all with his hands like a true Indian and you bet he loved it!
Here are the excerpts from my interview and experience with Billy:
How has your City Safari Mumbai experience been?
It’s been amazing! I really liked the city, great places to play, also love the people… super hospitable and the community is super passionate. It’s something I haven’t experienced quite like this before and it’s been a blessing.
Looks like you loved India! But on that note, what surprised you the most about the country?
I absolutely did. What surprised me the most is how people manage to get around with so much chaos going around the roads. It just blows my mind with the cars and the buses as I haven’t seen anything like that before. Besides that, it’s really cool to see the respect that everyone has for each other.
Haha yes! You have to be here, in location, to experience all that! These players respect you AND love you. Do you have a message for them?
First thing you guys… I really appreciate all of you. Keep on playing, keep on grinding, and also something you all need to do is involve more people to play passionately to attract more events like this in the future.
Touchwood! So can we expect you in India for future events?
If there’s any event that pops up here, I’m definitely going to be here. 100%
It was Yuri’s first visit to India and did she have a blast! A camera-savvy person, not only did she enthusiastically strike a pose with trainers requesting a photograph but she also kept clicking all the picturesque locations and sights of Mumbai. She mentioned that the highlight Pokémon of the event, Mudbray, is called Dorobanko in Japanese and we all loved the name!
Yuri was extremely curious about all the Indian dishes she tried during her trip. She even got one of the restaurant staff to name all the dishes on her plate and yes, she captured them all in her camera! She was buzzing with excitement all through the event!
Here are the excerpts from my interview and experience with Yuri:
Touchwood! So can we expect you in India for future events?
It was so great to see Dorobanko… what is it called in English?
Mudbray!
Yes, Mudbray as well as many other Pokémon found in India such as Corsola, Torkoal, and the Saree and Kurta Pikachu of course!
What was India like?
I loved India! So many people were enjoying the Pokémon spawns and everyone was smiling and so welcoming. I loved India and am already excited to come back here as soon as possible.
I can assure you that we are so eager to have you in India again!
Yes, I’m looking forward to it! I will definitely wait for the next Indian Pokémon GO event announcement.
I can’t wait for that either. Finally, do you have some words for the players you met in India?
Thank you so much for having me and being so nice! Please continue to play Pokémon GO with the same interest and I hope you come to Japan as well. We would love to have you there.
Aral works for Niantic and lives in India. This man spearheaded the entire Pokémon GO City Safari Mumbai event, coordinating with the content creators, local community leaders and members, admins, in-location arrangements, and testing of the game to ensure a hassle-free sequence before, during, and after the event. He hardly had any time to take a breather and yet, he never looked out of energy. Not only did he get on multiple calls to guarantee that the meet-ups across various parts of the bustling city of Mumbai went smoothly, but he also played Pokémon extensively, chasing shinies, Mudbray, Saree, and Kurta Pikachu, and doing trades. Basically, Aral was the guy in charge and he dazzled in the event.
Aral has a very strong sense of humor and everyone fell victim to his jaw-dropping jokes, be it the community leaders or creators. Aral (Team Valor) was at competitive (yet amusing) loggerheads with Poké Daxi (Team Instinct), making sure that Team Valor reigned supreme at the Gym in Phoenix Palladium, ground zero of the City Safari event. Such instances were aplenty, and no one was spared of Aral’s humorous takes.
Here are the excerpts from my interview and experience with Aral:
Aral, this was a tremendous milestone for you both as a trainer from India and a Niantic official who supervised the event. How has it all been?
I loved the entire experience and was blown away by the participation of players from all over India as well cities all across the world. It has been extremely rewarding and heartwarming, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Loved every bit of it!
So you’d say the City Safari event was successful and met Niantic’s expectations?
Undoubtedly. In fact, the turnout has exceeded expectations. We had players from Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Pune, and obviously from Mumbai. I also met trainers from the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. This sets the tone for future events in India. Really, everyone has been amazing and I’m super excited for what’s to come!
Oh, so do I sense more coming to India?
Just keep playing and enjoying Pokémon GO, there’s definitely more to come!
You have become a superstar to everyone in India and we can’t express how grateful we are to you for making all of this happen!
Thank you! Yes, the team, the crew, and everyone involved was amazing. Everyone worked so hard to shape this event as how we saw it, and this has been tremendous for all of us.
As a trainer, as an Indian, and as a part of the creators, I couldn’t agree more! Before we wrap up, any words for the community in India?
Thank you very much to the entire community in India. You’ve been amazing. Looking forward to seeing you in future events.
Aral: Also, cheers to all that you guys do at Pokémon GO Hub. Keep rocking!
Nidya from Niantic lives in Indonesia but after Jakarta’s fabulous City Safari in 2024, she HAD to be in India for our debut Pokémon GO spectacle. She is a huge Pikachu fan and left no stone unturned to battle several Saree and Kurta Pikachu in Raids. On day 1, she brought tons of Pokémon GO merch, our official media IDs, official T-shirts, and other goodies for the squad. Just like Daxi and Billy were partners in crime, so were Aral and Nidya, ensuring an effortless and successful progression from Day 1 to Day 2.
Her love for Pikachu goes beyond catching Saree and Kurta Pikachu. Her message tone was Pikachu’s anime cry and she presented Indonesia-exclusive Pikachu TCG promo cards for everyone on the team. Also, she mentioned that Indonesia has only two seasons: Summer and Monsoon, resulting in her braving Mumbai’s humidity nonchalantly.
Here are the excerpts from my interview with Nidya:
How has your visit to India been?
It’s been great! Meeting trainers in India, experiencing all the “why I play Niantic games” in the first place. And you have all been super welcoming! So it has been a very memorable time for me.
You have enjoyed the event as a player. But what about your experience as a Niantic official?
I can tell you that it has definitely been better than what I had expected! It has been a huge success and we are so happy with it.
The community gets to interact a lot with the content creators but you guys at Niantic are the stars behind the scenes. So what would you like to say to India’s massive player base?
Thank you! And thank you all for joining the fun in Mumbai! We at Niantic hope that you can bring this joy to your community, friends, and family back home. Be it my hometown in Indonesia that held a City Safari last year to now in India, it’s great to see these events being so successful!
Nidya: I love Pokémon GO Hub and read its articles daily! All the best!
Ali is a good friend of Billy (The Trainer Club) and was a part of the entourage. This man hails from Texas, USA, but has travelled far and wide to several Pokémon GO events over the years. His journeys exemplify the game and its core mission: traveling, grinding, and meeting new people.
Ali planned his trip to India in the eleventh hour and vouched for it being worth it. He’s eager to attend the GO Fest in Osaka, Japan. Hooray to all his adventures as he looks to be back in India ASAP. Fun fact: Ali is obsessed with shiny Tangela and it’s his main Pokémon through and through!
Here are the excerpts from my interview with Ali:
First of all, Ali, tell us about all the places you’ve been to for Pokémon GO events
Oh, I’ve been to many events. I’m going to tell you the countries! I’ve been to obviously the States, Japan, Spain, Singapore… then I’ve been to Hong Kong, London, and now to Mumbai.
That’s phenomenal! You sure have travelled a lot. So, how’s Mumbai?
I’ll tell you… Mumbai is amazing. The hospitality, the warmth, and the love that everyone showed here was lovely. So, I’m very happy to come here.
We are equally happy to have you here, Ali! So with the possibility of more such events coming to India, can we expect you here?
You bet! Whenever there’s an event, I’ll grab the ticket and be here. It’s an amazing place, just like home. It has been a heartwarming experience. I’m amazed by the navigation around the city because in the States, we drive from location to location for Raids. But, I’m literally watching the motorcycles and cars get around, and do tons of Raids. So, how you do it here is just mindblowing
Sounds like a plan and I agree, haha! Now, did you catch any shinies here?
Aah, not so many shinies but the love from everyone was shiny enough for me! It was fantastic and I can’t wait for a chance to get back here.
And cut!
That was curtains on a fabulous Pokémon GO City Safari Mumbai event. Everyone had a gala time and I’m sure you’ll take back loads of memories to cherish for years to come. For those who couldn’t attend, do your best to make it to the next big Pokémon GO event in India, as and when it happens.
Till then, enjoy the game and GO!
