Grab and Hotlink have teamed up to prepare for the highly anticipated launch of Pokemon Go in Malaysia. To celebrate the upcoming occasion, the two parties have announced the existence of four PokeMobiles that will be hitting the streets of the Klang Valley at the same time as the popular mobile game.
These PokeMobiles will operate for the first two days of the official launch of Pokemon Go in the country, providing free rides for customers to the nearest PokeStop. The PokeMobiles will also be running Pokemon Go, allowing the drivers to keep tabs on nearby Pokemon and make quick detours for passengers to catch them. Grab has also installed additional USB charging ports in the PokeMobiles; taking note of the battery draining nature of Pokemon Go.
Interestingly, the promotional video that was shown appears to indicate that the iPad in the PokeMobile is capable of revealing the location of all nearby Pokemon. When asked about this, Hotlink clarified that the video is only an advertisement and that the iPad does not have a Pokemon locator. This was highly important as Niantic considers Pokemon locators to be a violation of its Terms of Services and has been clamping down on the services.
The catch is that there are only four PokeMobiles at any given time. And whether or not one manages to call one is a matter of luck, and being at the right place at the right time.
Hotlink plays into this by providing additional benefits for PokeMobile passengers. Pokemon Go players who are also Hotlink customers will receive $100 worth of Pokecoins if they manage to hitch a ride on a PokeMobile. This translates into about 14,500 Pokecoins; and is not an insignificant sum.
Those who are unable to find a PokeMobile are not left out either. Hotlink is offering a 10-percent discount on Pokecoin purchases for its subscribers until the end of the year. This is only available through Google Play, and it looks like iOS players are out of luck. This discount also extends to a host of other in-app purchases from Google Play games such as Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, Smule, Candy Crush Saga, Mobile Strike, Loong Craft, and Last Empire World War Z.
To make it easier to hunt for Pokemon, Hotlink will also be preparing to drop Pokemon Lures in secret locations after the PokeMobiles are no longer on the road. There is no word on how players will be informed of these lures, but they will likely be made known shortly before the lure is dropped.
Most importantly, neither Grab nor Hotlink knowns when Pokemon Go will be launching in Malaysia. Only two countries are on the official launch list, and there is little indication of when a wider launch will happen.
