"You're the best": Pokemon GO trainer narrates heartwarming story about GO Fest 2023 NYC and Shiny Trade

Pokemon GO Fest 2023's New York City portion of the month-long event took place the weekend of August 18-20, 2023. Although trainers certainly had varied experiences depending on a laundry list of factors, plenty of players have come away from the event with positive memories courtesy of the game's community and the friendships made along the way.

One such example was posted to the Pokemon GO subreddit by u/Fair-Procedure-5257, who shared a story of a man who had flown to NYC from Tennessee. During GO Fest 2023, the man met a child during the event and offered to trade him any shiny Pokemon that they desired.

The Redditor ended the post by thanking the Pokemon GO community for being so inviting to them and their girlfriend during GO Fest 2023.

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Redditors react to wholesome Pokemon GO Fest 2023 NYC story

To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. by u/Fair-Procedure-5257 in pokemongo

Although there's plenty of negativity and frustration floating around on Pokemon GO-related social media channels, u/Fair-Procedure-5257's post was met with a warm-hearted reception. Some players shared their own stories of feel-good moments in the comments under the post, and fans rooted fro the good-natured individuals in those stories.

Meanwhile, some trainers attempted to deduce the Tennessee man's Pokemon GO name and screenname, as they remarked that he sounded familiar somehow. Could it be possible that this kind-hearted player has met other members of the GO subreddit? It may not be likely, but one can't completely rule out the thought.

Comment by u/DragonriderTrainee from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/Tiltswitch_Engage from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/DragonriderTrainee from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/Tiltswitch_Engage from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/joNH_ from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/Fair-Procedure-5257 from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/TheoryHappy from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/oAuraa from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/OneTinySloth from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

It's no secret that many of the players on the subreddit are pretty protective of their roster of creatures and may not easily part with them. Even so, the story of the man from Tennessee at GO Fest 2023 in New York City certainly won over a few players.

Although some hardcore trainers may not be willing to give up their most prized shiny Pokemon, a few fans in the comments remarked that providing a little kid with such a nice gift during an event with discounted shiny trades was a great thing to do. Pokemon GO may just be a game for most players, but in the eyes of a young fan, things are simply different.

Comment by u/ghostkittykat from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/nurse1987 from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/Fair-Procedure-5257 from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/Cadistra_G from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/majoritics from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

Comment by u/Silver97311 from discussion To the guy from Tennessee who told a little kid to “pick out whichever shiny you’d like” from his own lineup at the NYC go fest… you’re the best. in pokemongo

At times, the game's community can get pretty bogged down in negativity for one reason or another. Niantic has certainly received flak for a number of decisions throughout 2023, and even GO Fest 2023 had its fair share of issues, like connection problems for some players. Regardless, there were definitely some positive experiences as well.

Stories, such as the one shared by u/Fair-Procedure-52z57, may just remind players of what the game's core philosophy was centered around—bringing trainers from all over the world and from many different walks of life to share their interest in the Pocket Monsters series as a whole.

Sometimes fans may miss the forest for the trees, but hearing wholesome stories from the community can certainly help put things in perspective.