A couple of months off gave students plenty of time to catch, trade, train and battle creatures through the augmented reality (AR) app Pokémon Go, which was also the most downloaded app ever in it’s first week.

“I’d been waiting for this game since the first trailer,” senior Luis Camacho said. “When they announced the release, I was thrilled. I stayed up playing and walking around my neighborhood until 2 a.m.”

The AR feature shows Pokemon, from the card game, like Rattatas and Pidgeys popping up every where from the living room to a park.

“This game is different because of the fact that it’s able to get people off of their couches and walk into the world where they meet new people,” she said. “But you can still catch them while sitting down in a car. My family and I have gone out at 3 a.m., knowing that a rare Pokémon wouldn’t be found in our home.”

After more than 500 million downloads worldwide, the app has become one of the biggest mobile games in history.

“I saw the craze on social media, so I decided to download it,” senior Celine Pham said. “I thought it would be like any typical game, but it wasn’t.”

The free app, which appeals to all ages, has a built in fanbase.

“Deep down in our hearts, I always wanted to become a trainer (with) either a thought, playing the games or reading the manga,” Camacho said. “But there are some people who don’t know much about its past but it is still simple to operate.”

Even late into the summer, students could be seen walking around with phones at everywhere from RaceTrac to Target, which joined in on the craze by painting two of their signature Red Balls with the same markings.

“Just the whole experience of real world interaction is not like anything out there right now,” junior James Passmore said. “It even gives you some motivation and excitement to be outside.”