>>39810059This makes me think that Pokémon can (if isn't already) be a very powerful tool for social engineering given its current appeal on young adults and kids alike.
There is some concept around that is called "Gamification of Society", that talks about the use of videogame-like systems of rewards and punishments on a daily life context. The most direct example nowadays is the Chinese social credit system.
Considering that tech giants like Google think they have the power to shape the behaviors of the populace by adding certain controlled stimuli on the services they provide (such as search results) the fact they are interested in Pokémon as a social engineering tool isn't too far fetched.
More here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDVVo14A_fo 