A wild Thomas has appeared and he wants to talk to you about Pokémon.  That’s right, the world has gone Pokémon mad once again and here at Escentual we have been bitten by the proverbial Caterpie as it were.  You may be wondering why adults and children around the world have gone nuts for a craze that had its heyday in the ‘90s and the answer to that question is very simple: Pokémon is awesome.  If you’re not familiar, the premise is straightforward.  Pokémon (which means ‘pocket monsters’) is a Japanese game where one plays as a budding Pokémon Trainer who scours the world for an array of fighting animals (the Pokémon) trains them up and battles them to become the ultimate Pokémon Master.  What’s more, the underlying premise of the game is to ‘catch them all’ so it involves a lot of searching to make sure that one’s Pokédex is filled to the brim with every type of monster.

Pokémon Go is the latest incarnation of the game – a smartphone app that requires one to walk to find Pokémon and allows a Trainer to catch pocket monsters in the real world using augmented reality.  The great thing about the game is that it has got people out about and talking to each other.  I took a Pokéwalk this week (one of many) near a lake where I live and even at 10pm, when it was dark, the place was packed with hundreds of people hanging out by the Pokéstops and gyms, and socialising with each other.  In these turbulent economic and political times, it’s refreshing to have something that brings people together to have fun.

This latest craze got me thinking about what I would pack if I were to go on a real Pokémon Go journey.  Of course, there are some obvious things such as food and water (standard), power packs (this game is thiiiiirsty) and spare Pokéballs (wouldn’t want to run out of those, my friends), but what about some scented accompaniments.  I couldn’t leave home without a backpack of fragrance for my trip and neither should you.  To help you on your Pokémon journey, I’ve gone all Professor Oak and have put together some advice of what fragrances you may need when becoming a Pokémon Master.

Something to Keep you Fresh…

If there is one thing I have learned on my quest to be a Pokémon master is that the task involves a whole heap of walking.  Seriously, when one is focused on plucking a Pikachu from the bush their calf muscles take a beating, enough to provide an excuse to skip leg day for several weeks.  With summer and walking comes perspiration and let’s be real, one cannot catch them all whilst appearing as a sweaty mess, that simply will not do.  In the backpack a Trainer simply must have a scent that will keep them smelling A-OK, even on the most challenging of hunts or during the toughest of gym battles.  I’d be packing a bottle of Calvin Klein’s CK2 because it’s the fragrant equivalent of a splash of ice cold water to the face, but also because it has a lot of interesting clashes going on, such as mineral freshness and warm milkiness,  just like the inner struggle of a player who wants to remain dignified and adult but also just wants to catch all those fluffy little critters, in fact.  Much like Pokémon Go it’s the latest incarnation of a ‘90s classic and everyone who is anyone is talking about it.

Something to Wake a Sleeping Snorlax…

We’ve all been there, tootling down the road to get to a new town, excited by the prospect of unseen Pokémon on the horizon only to find a great big cat-panda-beast snoozing noisily in the way.  It happens to best of us, right?   And it’s a complete and utter pain in the chuff.  There is a solution though – a light at the end of the tunnel that is filled with wonderful legendary and rare pocket monsters, or maybe just a field full of Ratatas, but hey, beggars cannot be choosers.  Anyway, all a budding Pokémon Master needs to do it wake up the ten ton narcoleptic.  It can’t be that difficult, surely?  Well it should be easy as pie if you pack something pungent enough to rouse Snorlax from its slumber amongst your Potions, Rare Candies and Pokéballs.  My suggestion would be MUGLER’S Womanity which, with its nuclear radiance and marine-like tones is akin to wafting a ripe Magikarp under Snorlax’s nose.  If that doesn’t wake him up, then I’m all out of ideas frankly!

Something for Victory…

The spirit of Pokémon, whether it be in this latest game or any of the classics, is all about friendly competition and strength of character.  There are many ways to win, ranging from taking hold of a gym for one’s team (Team Mystic for life BTW, those of you who are Instinct and Valor are my mortal enemies, just saying) to catching your favourite pocket monster.  It pays to celebrate in these wonderful moments and naturally, the best way to reward one’s personal milestones is with the gift of gold.  One fragrance that portrays gold perfectly is 8 88 by Comme des Garçons, a metallic ode to saffron that is sharp and tinsel-iike.  8 88 shimmers like a golden Pokémon badge and serves as a lovely reminder of important achievements.  I say spray it every time Team Mystic takes a gym to ward off the haters…

Something for Camouflage…

Are you looking for that legendary bird?  Do you desperately want a high level rarity that requires a lengthy, frustrating search?  Perhaps you just require another blooming Weedle to level up? Whatever your need, the quest for Pokémon always involves some sleuthing.  At times, a Trainer will need to lure monsters in with heady incense whilst on others some stealthiness is required for a sneak attack.  When traversing the expanse of the Veridian Forest, a Trainer could do with a touch of olfactory masking – something to alter their odour profile into something entirely more animalic, nay, more monstrous. I’d recommend a generous helping of Etat Libre d’Orange’s The Afternoon of a Faun, a mossy chypre that has a spicy undercurrent of sweaty animal fur.  Think of it as an alluring camouflage that will help you blend into the shrubs around you, but will also entice with its funky take on roses, everlasting flower and moss.

Something to be a Pick me Up When you Encounter Yet Another Pidgey…

I swear, if I see another darn Pidgey I am going to scream.  In fact, my obsession with Pokémon Go has started to take over my life to such an extent that I am eyeing pigeons in the real, physical world with a degree of suspicion and malice.  Pidgeys are everywhere and there is nothing more disheartening than hearing the sound of a Pokémon popping up and then realising that it is not, in fact, the Charizard you’ve been dreaming of since you were little boy, but just another darnn Pidgey!  I’m not saying these feathered foes have a personal vendetta against me, well, actually, that’s exactly what I’m saying – they’re out to get me.  So what do I do when I get peeved with Pidgeys?  Why, I reach for Stella McCartney’s POP, of course.  POP has been my go to Pokémon hunting scent because its just so much fun.  What could be more cheerful than watermelon bubblegum wrapped in tuberose scented cling film?  Nothing, I tell you.  Nothing!  So, pack some POP as a pick me up to protect your mood from those pesky Pidgeys!

Pokémon Go is serious business.  If you’re going to want to put your team atop all of the gyms in your town or city, you’re going to need to train hard and catch them all like a boss.  Being a Pokémon Master takes dedication and planning so when you’re deep into stuffing your Magikarp full of candy to get that Gyarados or you’re endlessly defeating Team Instinct and Team Valor (go Team Mystic!), or even if you’re just wondering around a car park in pursuit of a Pikachu, make sure that you smell good.  After all, you never know who you’re going to meet!  Oh and don’t forget to be aware of your surroundings at all times…