# I Turned My Editor Into a Pokémon World That Levels Up When I Actually Ship

> Source: <https://dev.to/uribejr/i-turned-my-editor-into-a-pokemon-world-that-levels-up-when-i-actually-ship-4pg6>
> Published: 2026-09-17 21:52:18+00:00

Repo: [https://github.com/UribeJr/pokedev](https://github.com/UribeJr/pokedev)

Most editor pets are wallpaper.

Cute? Sure. Connected to the work you’re already doing? Not really.

So I built **PokéDev** — a VS Code / Cursor extension where your partner lives in a nostalgic 2D overworld (or classic floor pets), and Trainer + Partner XP come from saves, commits, coding time, and successful builds/tests — including Shopify theme/app outcomes when that’s your workspace.

A living Pokémon layer for the editor:

`pokedev.devUsername` to your public DEV username (yes, you) and your badges show on the Trainer Card / PokéGear — no OAuth`auto` / `manual` / `agentic` so coding time stays honest when you’re supervising an agent
Local-first and privacy-conscious: public GitHub / DEV reads only — no OAuth, no telemetry.

Your partner should level up from the work you already do — not from fake clicks.

Saves and commits matter. Successful builds matter. Watching an agent type for twenty minutes shouldn’t look like you wrote a novel.

That’s why progression batches real events, and the idle clock has modes for human typing vs agent supervision.

TypeScript, VS Code Extension API + webviews, webpack, local extension storage, public GitHub + DEV HTTP only.

Nostalgic Pokémon sprites and a GitHub Trainer Card for your VS Code / Cursor window — partners that level up with the work you already do.

Live product captures (not placeholders):

Coding sessions are long; most editor pets are just decoration. **PokéDev** turns your VS Code or Cursor sidebar into a living Pokémon world: pick a partner, watch it roam a 2D overworld (or classic floor pets), and earn real Trainer + Partner XP from saves, commits, coding time, and successful builds/tests — including Shopify theme/app outcomes when that is your workspace.

Built and maintained by [UribeJr](https://github.com/UribeJr) as a personal, actively developed fan project. Free, local-first, and privacy-conscious: public GitHub / DEV Community reads only — no OAuth, no telemetry.

v6.2.0 and actively developed — **not on the VS Marketplace / Open VSX yet**. Install path today: clone → `npm install` → `npm run compile` → hit **F5**, or package a local `.vsix`.

If you write on DEV, drop your username into `pokedev.devUsername` and your public badges show up on the card.

Marketplace packaging, finishing a couple Trainer Card counters, and more polish on the overworld feel.

Fan project — **not affiliated with** Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, Shopify, or DEV Community.

What would *your* editor partner evolve into after a week of real commits?