hunt down

ついに日本でも配信がはじまりました。

Smash­hit "Pokemon Go" launched in Japan amid global frenzy

The smash­hit "Pokemon Go" mobile game was released Friday in Japan in a long-awaited debut for fans, a day after the government issued a warning about its usefollowing trespassing and other incidents overseas linked to the augmented reality app.

The game has sparked a frenzy since its release in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand in early July, raising expectations of sharp business growth at Nintendo Co., one of the three co­developers. Nintendo has been seen as a latecomer in the smartphone game business.

The computer game maker's stock price has more than doubled on the Tokyo market in eight operating days since July 7, the day after the smartphone app became available in the three countries.

In Japan, McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) is collaborating over Pokemon Go, the company said Wednesday without elaborating, amid speculation that McDonald's restaurants will be used as battlegrounds where virtual pocket monsters known as Pokemon can battle each other.

With the use of GPS technology, players can use the game for free, walking around to hunt down Pokemon in real locations. When a Pokemon appears on the smartphone screen with a buzz, players can try to catch it.

（以下省略）

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2016/07/422356.html

今回取り上げる表現は、 “hunt down”です。Downが付くとどのような意味合いになるのでしょうか。

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (8th edition, Oxford University Press)によると、 “to search for sb until you catch or find them, especially in order to punish or harm them”とのことでした。

また『ジーニアス英和辞典』（第五版，大修館）には、「〈人・動物〉を追い詰める，〈犯人・敵など〉を追跡して逮捕する[殺す]，〈物・人〉を捜して見つけ出す」と載っておりました。

ポケモンに罰を与えたり殺したりするのはおかしいので、この文章では「探し捕まえる」といった意味になるかと思います。

ちなみに “hunt up”は「…を捜しだす，突き止める」という意味になるようです。

私事ではありますが、早速ポケモンを六匹hunt downいたしました。（Gomez）