Grayson might not be a Magikarp, but that does not mean that this fish has no love for Pokemon. Yes, this is definitely one of the weirder cases of an animal playing a video game, making it truly one of the stranger “circus tricks”, so to speak. Since fish cannot live out of water, a live feed of Grayson involved with Pokemon Red/Blue will have to do. In fact, Grayson lives in a tank that is located in a U.S. college dorm room, and the live feed has received over a million views already – and counting.
Just how does a fish play Pokemon, anyways? Doesn’t this game require a fair amount of thinking, knowing which Pokemon type is most effective against another? Well, Grayson handles its in-game adventure through movements that dictate the actions of its on-screen Pokemon Red character. In fact, Grayson, a Betta fish, has been at it for over 135 hours already.
This particular project is unique in a sense where it was developed as a hackathon by a couple of students, and some viewers on the live feed did share their concerns on the fish’s welfare. Fret not, however, as the live feed’s creator has reiterated that Grayson’s health as well as safety are their primary concern, with the tank being heated to an optimal level with the water changed regularly, with the intention of getting a larger sized tank.
So far, Grayson’s progress has shown it to pick up his very first Pokemon already, not to mention having defeated his first opponent.