On The Hunt: Local Millennials Join Craze, Chase Pokémon With Addictive New App

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- They're on a quest.

Scores of young people are out searching the landscape for hidden characters.

We can't see them, but they assure us, they're there.

"On campus, there's just hundreds of people, groups all walking around looking at their phones like this, catching Pokémon. It's great," said Sam Underwood, a University of Pittsburgh student.

The game is called "Pokémon Go," and combines the characters from the card games of their youth with the advanced technology of their smartphones.

Millennials are discovering the hidden characters suddenly revealing themselves on their screens.

Unlike other video games, it combines virtual reality with the real-life activity of walking around.

"We've been getting a lot of exercise lately," said Brianna Ebert, of student at Carnegie Mellon University. "We've probably walked 20 miles this weekend because of it."

So, perhaps, it's the best of all possible worlds -- the real one and the virtual one. Young people may still be addicted to their screens, but at least they're getting some exercise while their doing it.

But it could also be dangerous. There are already reports of kids winding up in ditches and concerns about them wandering into traffic.

"It even warns you," says Tom Harlem, another Pitt student. "Be aware of your surroundings, you don't want to be trying to catch rare Pokémon in the middle of Fifth."

Kennywood is warning people who play the game in their park to not enter restricted areas while using the app.

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The game, just released last week, is taking the nation by storm.

The game is free, but there are additional add-ons that come at price. Then, there may be some hidden costs that habitual players may be passing along to their parents.

"I don't have unlimited data and my mom's going to kill me when she sees her bill at the end of the month, but it's definitely addictive," said Harlem.