Gaming🎮 Gotta spend it all? Why Pokemon Go's monetization is making me re-evaluate my playtime

[Royal_Lizard]

Excitement surged through the Pokemon Go community recently with news of an upcoming Research Task featuring Mythical Pokemon Zarude. But it wasn’t long before the excitement waned. Why? Because the Dark/Grass-type Pokemon was locked behind paid research.

Absent since 2021, players were disappointed to learn the only way to snag Zarude was by purchasing the Rogue of the Jungle research ticket for $8. Many in the community felt the price was too steep, especially for a Pokemon some consider mere Pokedex filler. While I disagree with the latter – Zarude is a reliable member of my team – I have to agree Niantic's pricing felt like a cash grab.

Making matters worse, there was no guarantee the Zarude you paid $8 for would be worth the price. Despite this, and already owning one, I succumbed to the temptation so I could have another and give it a different moveset.

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