Ishihara:As both my wife and I have dogs, we bought two Activity Meters and went out for walks with them attached to the dogs' collars. But one day, I managed to drop one. (laughs) Then around a month later, I was walking the dog as usual when I saw this black, muddy object lying stuck in a puddle
Iwata:Surely it couldnt have been
! (laughs)
Ishihara:Thats what I thought: Surely it cant be
(laughs) I thought I must have dropped it somewhere like this, but a whole month had passed so naturally Id given up on it. When I picked it up and wiped the mud off it, I saw that the red LED was flashing. I thought Wow! and brought it back home. When I connected it to the DS, I realised that it was the one that had been attached to Pocky. Oh, I should explain that Pocky is the name of one of my dogs! (laughs)
...
Iwata:We wouldnt have been able to reach this point. Actually, while the Activity Meter for Nintendo DS isnt the sort of item that was built to withstand being dropped in the bath or put in the washing machine, you can put it in your pocket and it will withstand sweat. As we wanted to ensure that it was splashproof and could withstand these kinds of everyday conditions, we changed its shape a number of times right at the end to improve its ability to withstand water. It was precisely because it had gone through these kinds of tests that Ishihara-sans dog Pocky's Activity Meter was able to survive one month out in the rain. (laughs) If the Activity Meter hadnt still been working, its possible that you wouldn't have been struck with the inspiration to use it in Pokémon.