Aug. 21, 2024

TRAINER'S EYE #103 - "Pidgeot's Keen Eye" ft. HurricaneKaz

TRAINER'S EYE #103 -
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Season 1 Competitive Pokemon Trainers Pokemon Artists & Writers Women Pokemon Trainers

In this Pokemon interview, we are joined by HurricaneKaz, a Pokemon GO Trainer with an interest in Pokemon GO PvP and a huge passion for bird Pokemon.

HurricaneKaz shares her lifelong love of birds, which naturally extended into their affection for bird Pokémon such as Pidgeot and Articuno. The conversation delves into her early experiences with Pokémon games with her brother. The passion for Pokemon stayed with her throughout her life and eventually transitioned into her entry with Pokemon GO.

HurricaneKaz's story with Pokemon GO starts like many others during 2016. However, it wasn't until Legendary Raids were introduced where HurricaneKaz became more engaged with Pokemon GO. She found a Raid Community who would travel to different Legendary Raids within her community.

HurricaneKaz eventually transition from raiding in Pokémon GO to competitive PvP. She touches on her brief involvement with GO Stadium and the many other opportunities she has had within the PvP community such as such drawing episode teasers for GO Stadium, involvement with GIrlsThatPvP, and even casting for Gym Breakers. 

Finally, she touches on her amazing journey to GO Fest and what it is like to meet Pokemon fans both in-person and from the online community!

Sources
Opening Song: "Forget You" by Alex_MakeMusic from Pixabay

Connect With HurricaneKaz: Twitter | Podcast | Website

Send us a text

Support the show

Connect with David Hernandez: Linktree
E-mail Me: asthepokeballturnspodcast@gmail.com

Join Our Discord Community!
https://discord.gg/AqAbD7FbRt

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.870
I am Hurricane Kaz, and this is my Pokémon story.

00:00:43.018 --> 00:00:47.137
Welcome to As the Pokeball Turns, where we interview people about their experience with Pokemon.

00:00:47.628 --> 00:00:49.567
My name is David Hernandez.

00:00:50.057 --> 00:00:53.207
Today I'm joined by Hurricane Kaz.

00:00:53.588 --> 00:00:55.228
Kaz, welcome to the show.

00:00:55.942 --> 00:00:58.802
Hi, hello, thank you so much for having me.

00:00:59.313 --> 00:01:05.472
Absolutely, and I know by the hurricane I've always heard that you have a very fond, loving of bird Pokemon.

00:01:05.483 --> 00:01:06.093
Is that true?

00:01:06.352 --> 00:01:09.953
That is so true and accurate, 100%.

00:01:10.632 --> 00:01:17.212
When did that start, like, was it just like initially you just saw a bird Pokemon, and you're like, I love bird Pokemon, or did it kind of grow over time?

00:01:17.893 --> 00:01:21.543
Well, actually, I'm a very big bird fan in real life.

00:01:21.864 --> 00:01:26.088
I've always loved birds, and my parents really encouraged that when I was a kid.

00:01:26.088 --> 00:01:27.808
We would always, like, go on nature walks.

00:01:28.308 --> 00:01:31.888
you know, they bought me binoculars, so we'd go out and look at birds together.

00:01:32.222 --> 00:01:45.004
when I was a kid, I actually had this little like coloring journal where I could keep track of all the birds that I saw, which I still have, my parents kept, and I still have on my bookshelf with all my other nerdy bird books.

00:01:45.353 --> 00:01:48.093
so yeah, it's always been a passion of mine.

00:01:48.254 --> 00:01:49.304
I got back into it.

00:01:49.412 --> 00:01:56.272
during the COVID pandemic, like many other people got into birding for the first time and I was kind of coming back to it.

00:01:56.903 --> 00:02:04.506
I found a friend here where I live in Atlanta who also was into birds as a kid and, you know, hadn't really kept up with it.

00:02:04.506 --> 00:02:08.316
And so we were like, let's just go, let's start going out and looking at birds together.

00:02:08.645 --> 00:02:13.225
it became a really great pastime for us, like every weekend to just kind of go out early and.

00:02:13.271 --> 00:02:15.082
See what we could see and keep track.

00:02:15.082 --> 00:02:19.983
and yeah, now my life list of real life birds is up to 300 species.

00:02:20.287 --> 00:02:21.947
Oh wow, just real life birds.

00:02:21.961 --> 00:02:22.532
Yes.

00:02:22.562 --> 00:02:23.062
Yes.

00:02:23.352 --> 00:02:28.831
you know, I, I really love the connection between Pokemon and the natural world, like our, Living world.

00:02:28.831 --> 00:02:34.081
So seeing bird Pokemon, it's just kind of like the same way I feel when I see real life birds.

00:02:34.081 --> 00:02:35.592
It's just, it's fun.

00:02:35.602 --> 00:02:39.951
The diversity of species I see and like the adaptability of bird Pokemon.

00:02:39.951 --> 00:02:46.848
I feel like there are some of the more flexible, playable monsters in the game, so I just, I really enjoy them very much.

00:02:47.447 --> 00:02:48.526
Bringing it back to Pokemon.

00:02:48.546 --> 00:02:52.037
So, you know, there's a lot of bird Pokemon in the Pokemon franchise.

00:02:52.407 --> 00:02:57.287
What are some of your favorite ones when it comes to like, Oh, we're going to be here for an hour.

00:02:57.287 --> 00:02:57.926
I'm here for it.

00:02:59.127 --> 00:03:02.106
maybe cause I could literally talk all day.

00:03:02.526 --> 00:03:10.336
So, my all time favorites, it's always just a 50 percent dead heat tie between Pidgeot and Articuno.

00:03:11.156 --> 00:03:11.756
Yes.

00:03:12.056 --> 00:03:17.515
are my all time favorite Pokemon, like no matter what new birds come out and how cool they are.

00:03:17.536 --> 00:03:19.036
And they are very cool.

00:03:19.581 --> 00:03:22.611
I still always come back to those two as kind of my favorite.

00:03:22.622 --> 00:03:29.312
They're just, the first time I saw them playing the games as a kid, I was just like, these are the most beautiful creatures that I've ever seen.

00:03:30.081 --> 00:03:31.451
and I love them so much.

00:03:31.451 --> 00:03:34.782
So those are, those are going to be my favorites for, for all time.

00:03:35.262 --> 00:03:40.312
But as the series has like expanded and we've gotten so, so many more Pokemon.

00:03:40.991 --> 00:03:45.322
I also love the idea that there are bird Pokemon out there that aren't the flying types.

00:03:45.733 --> 00:03:51.318
So, Empoleon is one of my other top favorites because penguins are amazing, right?

00:03:51.774 --> 00:03:57.723
it is not a flying type, but it is definitely a bird and it's a very cool Pokemon.

00:03:58.114 --> 00:04:00.843
Like, it just looks so sturdy and strong.

00:04:00.843 --> 00:04:02.623
and again, it's so flexible.

00:04:02.644 --> 00:04:06.574
That typing of water and steel makes it absolutely incredible to use.

00:04:07.188 --> 00:04:10.799
So it isn't just the Pokemon that just had the flying type that you, are drawn to.

00:04:10.799 --> 00:04:12.058
It's also just Pokemon that have.

00:04:12.378 --> 00:04:15.068
That bird like appearance, like you mentioned Napoleon's a prime example.

00:04:15.288 --> 00:04:18.069
I would think maybe Blaziken, because it's based off a chicken would be another one,

00:04:18.238 --> 00:04:19.899
Yes, yes, that is correct.

00:04:20.038 --> 00:04:27.399
I actually have a whitelist, like tag, it's saved in my Pokemon Go game of bird Pokemon.

00:04:27.459 --> 00:04:34.649
Like it's just called birb and that's just the tag that I give all the birds so that I have all my favorites in one place.

00:04:34.949 --> 00:04:38.238
The one that I love that came recently from Scarlet Violet.

00:04:38.514 --> 00:04:39.725
I think it's called Flamingo.

00:04:40.021 --> 00:04:40.791
Yes.

00:04:40.831 --> 00:04:41.262
Yeah.

00:04:41.502 --> 00:04:45.581
just a basic Flamingo with the fighting symbol, but it's so cool to see and use.

00:04:45.581 --> 00:04:46.031
I love it.

00:04:46.437 --> 00:04:51.257
It looks like a swim, like a swim floaty, you know, like it's just, it's so round.

00:04:52.427 --> 00:05:05.482
And when I, when I found out it was fighting type, cause the thing, the thing with the newer games is I don't, I used to, when games would come out, I would kind of like keep my eye on the news and like look at new Pokemon that were revealed, but I don't do that as much now.

00:05:05.482 --> 00:05:08.581
So everything, when I start playing is kind of a surprise.

00:05:08.887 --> 00:05:12.906
So when I caught one and I saw like the fighting type symbol, I was like, what?

00:05:13.956 --> 00:05:15.509
I was so, taken aback.

00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:17.250
It was, it was very strange.

00:05:17.858 --> 00:05:20.937
You remember Articuno and Pidgeot when you were younger, playing the games.

00:05:21.247 --> 00:05:22.648
When did this experience with Pokemon start?

00:05:22.648 --> 00:05:24.307
Did you start with the original games, or

00:05:25.492 --> 00:05:31.733
I have been playing Pokemon games basically since they came to the United States in 1998.

00:05:32.033 --> 00:05:36.593
I, yeah, we don't need to talk about how long.

00:05:37.137 --> 00:05:38.877
I'll leave the listeners to do the math on that one.

00:05:38.877 --> 00:05:39.648
I'm not going to say it.

00:05:39.697 --> 00:05:40.947
I can't, can't stomach it.

00:05:41.403 --> 00:05:50.449
So, I started out with a copy of Pokemon blue I believe I played it actually on a Game Boy color.

00:05:50.766 --> 00:05:52.675
I think I played it on a Game Boy color.

00:05:52.675 --> 00:05:55.555
I just have a memory of like a lime green Game Boy.

00:05:55.565 --> 00:05:57.685
And I feel like they didn't do that until the color release.

00:05:57.973 --> 00:06:01.403
but yeah, my parent, like I remember sharing a Game Boy with my brother.

00:06:01.733 --> 00:06:08.970
But since me and my brother successfully argued that the games were different enough, we each got, you know, a copy.

00:06:08.970 --> 00:06:13.910
So he picked red and I picked blue because I thought Blastoise looked so cool.

00:06:14.454 --> 00:06:15.555
Ooh, shots fired.

00:06:15.564 --> 00:06:17.464
that's a controversial opinion sometimes.

00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:18.290
I know.

00:06:18.300 --> 00:06:18.740
Right.

00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:21.180
my brother didn't really stay with it.

00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.740
Like he didn't really, like he played the game, but he didn't really play any other ones.

00:06:24.740 --> 00:06:36.964
But I was, you know, I was but I didn't play, I didn't always get like the newest thing, like right when it came out, like I didn't actually get a Game Boy Advance, which I believe the next, you know, few games came out on.

00:06:37.264 --> 00:06:40.904
so I didn't play them immediately, but I did play them later.

00:06:40.915 --> 00:06:46.824
I think I was in high school when I found a friend who had loaned me their Game Boy Advance so I could play, Pokemon Sapphire.

00:06:47.281 --> 00:06:54.937
Yeah, well, again, I just, you know, blue and green are like also tied for kind of my favorite colors.

00:06:54.937 --> 00:06:56.228
Like I'm a real teal fan.

00:06:56.228 --> 00:07:04.398
So yeah, blue tends to be, if that's like the cool color family that they've chosen to go with, that's like the one that I'll go with.

00:07:04.427 --> 00:07:06.377
Cause I just like those colors better.

00:07:06.708 --> 00:07:15.052
And when I was in college, I think, Pokemon, Diamond and Pearl came out followed by And loved Pokemon.

00:07:15.322 --> 00:07:20.983
Those games, it just like renewed, like a whole sense of how much I loved the games.

00:07:21.012 --> 00:07:33.160
The story in those games is still one of my favorite, stories told in the Pokemon games, which are not always known for their very strong stories, but I felt like that one really stuck the landing.

00:07:33.786 --> 00:07:37.009
I could see that because, with Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, it's teamed Galactic.

00:07:37.009 --> 00:07:37.069
Mm hmm.

00:07:37.410 --> 00:07:42.100
I think he's trying to start a brand new world depending on whether you're doing Diago or Palkia.

00:07:42.355 --> 00:07:42.834
Mm hmm.

00:07:43.029 --> 00:07:48.569
And it's just a very, I'll say ambitious, because we're so used to like criminal organizations with Team Rocket.

00:07:48.865 --> 00:07:58.812
I think the closest we got to world ending was maybe Team Magma and Team Rocket because they were trying to add either more land or more ocean, but Team Galactic was on a vengeance to try to really destroy the world for the first time in the Pokemon franchise.

00:07:59.608 --> 00:08:03.327
it felt very threatening, like, even when I was playing through it.

00:08:03.430 --> 00:08:07.012
and this idea that like, yeah, we don't want to just change the world.

00:08:07.012 --> 00:08:10.091
Like we want to break it and start a new one.

00:08:10.091 --> 00:08:10.781
Basically.

00:08:11.151 --> 00:08:14.408
I was like me and my Pokemon were like, well, we won't stand for that.

00:08:15.487 --> 00:08:24.475
And my, I think the, final team that I had the first time I played through, And I remember this because I found some sketchbooks that had like some original drawings.

00:08:24.475 --> 00:08:24.886
I just,

00:08:25.550 --> 00:08:25.701
Oh,

00:08:25.836 --> 00:08:31.786
team that I went with was the three final, like final versions of the starters.

00:08:31.836 --> 00:08:35.105
So Empoleon, Infernape, and Torterra.

00:08:35.424 --> 00:08:39.842
And then I also had Drapion, Luxray, and Staraptor.

00:08:40.003 --> 00:08:40.993
Because of course.

00:08:41.177 --> 00:08:41.717
of course.

00:08:41.768 --> 00:08:42.957
You gotta have two birds in there.

00:08:43.222 --> 00:08:44.062
Yeah, exactly.

00:08:44.403 --> 00:09:04.397
because I just thought like those designs just seem so cool to me and like Diamond and Pearl also had like a lot of really good typings, like Empolium with that water steel type that I already mentioned, Firefighting was not unheard of, but still pretty strong, you know, and the Grass Ground, like it brings in double weakness, but I mean, it also covers a lot, so.

00:09:04.585 --> 00:09:05.904
the three starters by themselves.

00:09:05.904 --> 00:09:07.164
I was like, this is amazing.

00:09:07.205 --> 00:09:12.815
Also, like, I know I love birds, but I thought Drapion looked so sick.

00:09:12.815 --> 00:09:17.985
I was like, this is the scariest demon Pokemon I've ever seen.

00:09:17.995 --> 00:09:19.365
This giant scorpion.

00:09:19.384 --> 00:09:21.465
And I want to bring it with me everywhere.

00:09:21.775 --> 00:09:26.936
No, I agree, because I remember when I first faced Drapion, you know, Skorupi's a bug poison type when it starts out.

00:09:27.275 --> 00:09:31.316
And I think it was on one of the Elite Four, the bug type Elite Four guy, I can't remember his name.

00:09:31.631 --> 00:09:33.642
He brought it in, but it was a poison dark type.

00:09:33.672 --> 00:09:36.121
And I'm like, why is his fire attack not super effective?

00:09:37.581 --> 00:09:39.081
didn't know it loses its bug typing.

00:09:39.397 --> 00:09:40.136
yeah, exactly.

00:09:40.136 --> 00:09:41.616
It just breaks your whole world.

00:09:41.616 --> 00:09:44.057
Yeah.

00:09:44.101 --> 00:09:44.932
what you did there.

00:09:45.312 --> 00:09:45.562
did there.

00:09:45.562 --> 00:09:45.711
Mm hmm.

00:09:45.986 --> 00:09:55.506
And then, the champion for that game, Cynthia, like, I really loved her design and her team as well, like, and honestly, so hard.

00:09:55.716 --> 00:10:02.336
Like, that is one of the most difficult, like, champion battles that I remember from my early time playing the games.

00:10:02.629 --> 00:10:12.124
and I think a lot of people have that memory because I feel like there was a post recently where, like, Like just shared her theme music and they were like, Cynthia, that's it.

00:10:12.163 --> 00:10:12.864
That's the post.

00:10:12.864 --> 00:10:13.604
And I'm like, Oh my God.

00:10:14.124 --> 00:10:16.933
Get goosebumps in your hair, it's just going up when you hear the music.

00:10:17.183 --> 00:10:17.604
Yeah.

00:10:17.673 --> 00:10:18.964
Core memory unlocked.

00:10:19.557 --> 00:10:23.236
But it's true though, because, first A, that's the first female champion.

00:10:23.466 --> 00:10:26.626
And B, it's one of the hardest ones in the entire franchise.

00:10:26.626 --> 00:10:32.187
People still talk about it to this day, and then the games are already, how old, I think, 15 years old at this point?

00:10:32.547 --> 00:10:32.886
Yeah.

00:10:32.907 --> 00:10:34.697
Again, we don't need to talk too much about the

00:10:34.917 --> 00:10:36.076
Yeah, true, true, true, true.

00:10:36.866 --> 00:10:37.397
yeah.

00:10:37.729 --> 00:10:39.278
Oh my god! That Garchomp!.

00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:40.440
Gosh.

00:10:40.789 --> 00:10:43.169
It just was so, Difficult.

00:10:43.462 --> 00:10:52.176
And it seemed like, even though it has, again, a double weakness, it seemed like no matter what you threw at it, it was just like, oh, you know, that was okay.

00:10:52.206 --> 00:10:54.535
That was, you know, hurt a little bit, I guess.

00:10:55.051 --> 00:10:55.561
Mm hmm.

00:10:55.941 --> 00:10:56.500
And then the rest of

00:10:56.615 --> 00:10:57.485
happening now?

00:10:57.956 --> 00:10:59.725
I know, but then the rest of our team is not as easy.

00:10:59.725 --> 00:11:02.485
You got Milotic back in the day with the high special defense.

00:11:02.745 --> 00:11:03.936
You got Roserade.

00:11:04.216 --> 00:11:06.929
You have, Lucario, which is fighting steel type.

00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:09.940
That's a solid team even for back then.

00:11:10.115 --> 00:11:12.585
Yeah, it was so difficult.

00:11:12.615 --> 00:11:18.735
I think I might have lost, like, the first several times I tried, and it took me a while to, like, find the right combination.

00:11:19.105 --> 00:11:24.524
And especially since the main series games, there are a lot of different, you know, even in the older ones, there are a lot of different, rules.

00:11:24.554 --> 00:11:34.054
You know, you gotta consider your abilities, and you gotta consider your items, and the order your Pokémon can make a huge difference, like setting things up for your later team.

00:11:34.740 --> 00:11:35.240
Oh yeah.

00:11:35.552 --> 00:11:43.633
And unfortunately, Dunperl, the only thing I don't like about it is the slow gameplay, but it was definitely very changing for the Pokemon because it added the new typings you mentioned.

00:11:44.133 --> 00:11:45.182
champion, the story.

00:11:45.182 --> 00:11:47.322
It really had a lot of good things going for it.

00:11:47.518 --> 00:11:48.067
Yeah.

00:11:48.158 --> 00:11:58.138
I just remember, like, that was kind of the first Pokemon I had picked back up in a while, even though I always had a special place in my heart for the franchise, and I remember playing it and being like, oh yeah.

00:11:58.418 --> 00:12:00.398
I'm gonna play this, like, I can play this forever.

00:12:00.398 --> 00:12:08.505
laughs And lo and behold, like I still continued to play every single game as it came out.

00:12:08.802 --> 00:12:11.682
I didn't play like the mystery dungeon series.

00:12:11.682 --> 00:12:13.982
That actually was one that I never really touched.

00:12:14.269 --> 00:12:26.676
but I did enjoy like the stadium games and I also very much enjoy like the Pokemon snap games, like the old one and the latest one that they released, Those are just real, so chill by comparison.

00:12:26.686 --> 00:12:30.125
I'm like, yeah, let me live my wildlife photographer dreams.

00:12:30.125 --> 00:12:30.706
Thank you.

00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:32.941
real, in the virtual world.

00:12:32.941 --> 00:12:33.061
It's

00:12:33.145 --> 00:12:33.946
Exactly.

00:12:33.946 --> 00:12:34.235
Yeah.

00:12:34.235 --> 00:12:37.785
I have a friend, I had a friend who lived, uh, used to live here by me.

00:12:37.785 --> 00:12:42.926
And whenever it came out, one of us would go pick up Boba and then go to the other one's house.

00:12:42.956 --> 00:12:54.926
And we would like play through the same levels together, trying to like unlock all the secrets and get all the different levels of, for every Pokemon, like you can get like kind of a basic photo and a good photo and like an excellent photo, that sort of thing.

00:12:55.230 --> 00:13:00.539
and you have to like do things to entice the Pokemon to like act certain ways.

00:13:00.850 --> 00:13:04.730
so we would always kind of like sit and do the same levels and try and figure them out together.

00:13:05.393 --> 00:13:08.056
It also goes back to your hobby of birdwatching.

00:13:08.296 --> 00:13:11.296
Cause get to kind of, cause you get kind of the Pokemon.

00:13:11.336 --> 00:13:11.525
Yeah.

00:13:11.525 --> 00:13:13.035
You get to experience Pokemon in their habitat.

00:13:13.296 --> 00:13:17.263
You get to see how they interact with out human interaction, I guess, to a degree.

00:13:17.722 --> 00:13:19.822
And that's what I've always enjoyed about the snap series is that.

00:13:20.128 --> 00:13:22.018
what do Pokemon do when people aren't around?

00:13:22.018 --> 00:13:23.077
It's like the old question.

00:13:23.388 --> 00:13:26.758
If a tree falls in the forest, does it, nobody hears it, it actually fall.

00:13:27.347 --> 00:13:33.008
And it kind of allowed us to kind of live that dream out and see what, what they do when we're not around, you know,

00:13:33.467 --> 00:13:53.418
and for as much fun as like the battling is, you know And especially like the community that has come from that both, you know for the main series and for Pokemon Go It's also fun to have a part of the series where it's not about that You know, you're just kind of like you said experiencing nature and seeing you know What Pokemon are up to what their lives are like?

00:13:53.878 --> 00:14:02.423
It's just it's very fascinating and again, I I feel like it's A very chill experience compared to the way that I play some of the other games.

00:14:03.010 --> 00:14:05.681
I was going to say in Pokemon go, you're more of the competitive side.

00:14:05.681 --> 00:14:07.750
You do a lot of battling, you're involved in that side.

00:14:08.091 --> 00:14:10.400
When did you transition to start playing Pokemon go?

00:14:11.013 --> 00:14:14.350
So I started playing Go when it first came out.

00:14:14.653 --> 00:14:17.482
That was, what, the summer of 16?

00:14:17.577 --> 00:14:18.427
We don't talk about it.

00:14:18.702 --> 00:14:19.043
Yeah.

00:14:19.893 --> 00:14:21.153
I mean, I'm just guessing.

00:14:22.192 --> 00:14:26.013
Um, so I started playing it when it came out because, of course, it's a Pokemon game.

00:14:26.013 --> 00:14:27.173
I love Pokemon.

00:14:27.470 --> 00:14:34.620
and like many other people have said, you know, I feel in the meme, like that's as close to world peace as we'll ever get,

00:14:35.450 --> 00:14:36.320
We need T-shirt.

00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:37.549
We need a T-shirt of that.

00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:37.700
For

00:14:38.259 --> 00:14:43.500
we do, because like, I just remember I was living in Savannah, Georgia at the time.

00:14:43.855 --> 00:14:46.504
Which if you've never visited, it's a great place to play.

00:14:46.644 --> 00:14:49.764
So many stops because of the historic nature of the city.

00:14:50.105 --> 00:14:52.945
Very walkable everywhere in the downtown area.

00:14:52.945 --> 00:15:00.095
So I just remember being, you know, downtown walking around and everyone, it's also a very tourist heavy city.

00:15:00.125 --> 00:15:01.955
So it's not just like locals.

00:15:01.955 --> 00:15:05.304
It's, you know, there are a lot of people there from all sorts of walks of life.

00:15:05.644 --> 00:15:09.738
And I remember walking around downtown and basically seeing everyone play.

00:15:10.049 --> 00:15:17.072
Which was so strange to me because I always felt like I'm a grown woman and you know, people don't expect me play Pokemon.

00:15:17.072 --> 00:15:20.493
And a lot of people, you know, even my age don't play Pokemon anymore.

00:15:20.883 --> 00:15:24.525
But now everyone is playing it and everyone is talking about it.

00:15:24.525 --> 00:15:32.893
Everyone's like walking up to strangers and talking about what they're seeing like on their phones, and it was just such a like, surreal, magical moment.

00:15:34.311 --> 00:15:36.010
and it was, and it was really incredible.

00:15:36.041 --> 00:15:40.620
Of course, that like kind of faded pretty quickly for most people who weren't Pokemon fans.

00:15:40.927 --> 00:15:49.207
but I did find a community of other people that played, but unfortunately, like at first the game was a little stale, you know, for a long time.

00:15:49.207 --> 00:15:51.107
It was just the first 150 Pokemon.

00:15:51.107 --> 00:15:55.327
There wasn't really much to do with them except kind of put them in gyms.

00:15:55.643 --> 00:16:01.783
So, I took a break for maybe a year, I think it was until they introduced raiding.

00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:10.289
They announced that they had this new concept they were going to introduce to the game of raiding for legendaries, and the first one that they did was Articuno.

00:16:11.155 --> 00:16:14.850
And I heard about this and I was like, I have to have that.

00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:17.940
I must have one.

00:16:18.220 --> 00:16:26.240
And so, uh, I remember opening my game, for the first time in a long time and seeing an Articuno raid a few blocks away from where I lived.

00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.899
And I was like, you know, I'm going to walk over there and check it out.

00:16:28.929 --> 00:16:34.159
I had no, like no concept of how difficult this would be to achieve.

00:16:34.179 --> 00:16:42.419
If I could even do it by myself, like what I needed, like what It would be like in the game, but I was like, I'll go just check it out.

00:16:42.702 --> 00:16:49.450
So I walked over a few blocks and I want to say there was like 50 people all just milling around.

00:16:49.763 --> 00:16:56.133
it wasn't even like the spot that it was in was arguably not even one of the more walkable parts of the city.

00:16:56.133 --> 00:16:58.775
Like it was kind of like where it starts to get a little bit busier.

00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:03.059
And there were just like, yeah, 50, at least 50 people milling around.

00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:06.660
And I was like, are you guys here to play the Pokemon?

00:17:06.890 --> 00:17:08.559
Like play like this Articuno.

00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:12.512
And they're like, yeah, we're, uh, we're organizing our, raid lobbies by team.

00:17:12.522 --> 00:17:13.972
So who, like, which team are you?

00:17:13.972 --> 00:17:15.163
And I was like, I'm team mystic.

00:17:15.163 --> 00:17:18.563
And they're like, you, okay, you want to go over there and talk to this guy.

00:17:18.792 --> 00:17:20.643
And it was like already so organized.

00:17:20.653 --> 00:17:22.262
And I was just floored.

00:17:23.303 --> 00:17:25.762
I was like, this is absolutely incredible.

00:17:25.803 --> 00:17:26.792
it's like where you been most of my

00:17:27.002 --> 00:17:31.673
I know where, where have I been, like, doing?

00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:38.976
and so, yeah, once they introduced rating, that's when I picked the game back up very seriously and just have not put it down since.

00:17:39.286 --> 00:17:41.715
and I remember I was also, I was teaching at the time.

00:17:41.715 --> 00:17:50.976
I was an adjunct professor at the time, so I had to kind of, Be a little secretive that I liked Pokemon because if my students found out they would always try and use it to their advantage

00:17:51.596 --> 00:17:52.016
Really?

00:17:52.445 --> 00:18:00.496
Yeah, I was teaching like drawing classes at the time and they would always try and like insert Pokemon into their assignments And I was like, no, this isn't this is not win you

00:18:00.570 --> 00:18:01.800
They're trying get more points

00:18:01.965 --> 00:18:04.665
Yeah, they're trying they're trying to squeeze out some bonus points.

00:18:04.675 --> 00:18:07.615
I was like, this is not what you want to be doing right now Trust me

00:18:08.121 --> 00:18:12.211
They'll be like, hey, if you want to get on this teacher's good side, draw a Pidgeot on your project.

00:18:12.211 --> 00:18:13.968
Sinistea,

00:18:13.971 --> 00:18:15.290
this is a life drawing class.

00:18:15.461 --> 00:18:18.121
I you to draw this cup like 20 more times.

00:18:19.275 --> 00:18:20.974
do not put an Articuno on it.

00:18:21.015 --> 00:18:21.615
Oh God.

00:18:22.887 --> 00:18:23.317
so yeah.

00:18:23.317 --> 00:18:28.067
And sometimes like, it would be really awkward when I would encounter students like out at raids.

00:18:28.067 --> 00:18:30.393
I'm like, no, no, no, we don't need to talk about this.

00:18:30.393 --> 00:18:32.968
This does not need to take over our time.

00:18:33.387 --> 00:18:36.728
It's just like professional versus personal is blurry, a little

00:18:36.923 --> 00:18:40.182
I really, I really wanted to try and keep it as separate as possible.

00:18:40.182 --> 00:18:42.762
But I mean, that's just how popular the game is, you know.

00:18:42.762 --> 00:18:48.903
And, and it was art school, so a lot of students are, are a little bit on the nerdier side, like I have always been.

00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:50.390
so sometimes it did happen.

00:18:51.654 --> 00:18:52.984
I did want to ask something real quick.

00:18:53.260 --> 00:18:58.494
you talked about how when you start playing Pokemon Go, You, you mentioned how like, Oh, I'm a grown woman.

00:18:58.494 --> 00:18:59.565
I should be playing Pokemon.

00:18:59.805 --> 00:19:07.861
Did you like have that kind of feelings beforehand and even into Pokemon go to where, you know, whatever age you were at the time, it's like, you didn't feel comfortable playing Pokemon.

00:19:08.715 --> 00:19:10.786
No, I always felt pretty comfortable.

00:19:10.826 --> 00:19:13.588
I just knew, that it was considered a little weird.

00:19:14.578 --> 00:19:21.259
I've always, yeah, I've always just been, like, I have one brother and I'm older than him, but, we are the exact opposite.

00:19:21.288 --> 00:19:23.358
And so I feel like I'm just the big kid.

00:19:24.199 --> 00:19:27.999
So, so I, yeah, I never felt uncomfortable playing.

00:19:28.344 --> 00:19:32.403
But I always was kind of aware that there was this like stigma about it.

00:19:32.634 --> 00:19:35.584
And, and that goes for just a lot of things in my life.

00:19:35.584 --> 00:19:41.773
Like I'm just a very like weird, nerdy person and, and anyone who's met me in person kind of knows that very quickly

00:19:42.249 --> 00:19:44.519
And what say, two birds, two birds flock together.

00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:48.848
So, I remember that Sigma, because I always felt like, you know, there was always that idea.

00:19:48.848 --> 00:19:54.048
Like Pokemon is more for younger kids and the nerdy stuff, you know, it wasn't accepted at the time.

00:19:54.375 --> 00:20:02.155
I think Pokemon Go kind of brought that acceptance out that allowed us Pokemon fans to kind of feel more at ease, I guess, playing the franchise.

00:20:02.155 --> 00:20:05.226
Cause you would see people who were even older than us playing the game.

00:20:05.415 --> 00:20:07.496
Yeah, I definitely think so, too.

00:20:07.536 --> 00:20:18.258
And I also think, honestly, I think the pandemic allowed a lot of people to embrace those nostalgic hobbies that they might have, you know, neglected before because we were all kind of at home.

00:20:18.268 --> 00:20:21.807
We all kind of had to figure out how to, Spend our time, you know?

00:20:22.154 --> 00:20:25.345
cause I know my, my husband is a big retro games collector.

00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:29.680
and he started noticing that a lot of other people were now buying retro games.

00:20:30.690 --> 00:20:33.617
so yeah, I think it allowed a lot of people to just be like, You know what?

00:20:33.903 --> 00:20:35.703
I can spend my time how I want.

00:20:35.913 --> 00:20:38.584
I can live my life and enjoy what I want to enjoy.

00:20:38.584 --> 00:20:40.794
Which is, I think, a great attitude.

00:20:40.794 --> 00:20:43.493
And I'm really glad that more people have, started accepting that.

00:20:43.786 --> 00:20:47.536
Because yeah, like in almost every way, I am just a big nerd.

00:20:47.546 --> 00:20:50.655
Like I'm a big nerd for Pokemon, but I play a lot of other video games.

00:20:50.695 --> 00:20:52.385
I'm a bird nerd, as we talked about.

00:20:52.726 --> 00:20:57.385
And I, I went to school for comics, you know, and I've always been a big comics nerd as well.

00:20:57.655 --> 00:21:03.151
so just on every front, I am a very nerdy, like weird individual.

00:21:03.497 --> 00:21:05.487
I know who I am and I, and I love it.

00:21:05.861 --> 00:21:11.769
Hey you! Yes, you with the ears! Don't go anywhere, just taking a quick ad break.

00:21:12.049 --> 00:21:13.059
We'll be right back.

00:21:50.872 --> 00:21:55.731
one thing that people may not know, or maybe they do, and I'm just naive, is you're actually a drawer.

00:21:55.731 --> 00:21:59.071
And that's actually how I found out more about your talent, is you used to draw for Ghost Stadium.

00:21:59.332 --> 00:22:01.162
You would draw the guests with their Pokemon, right?

00:22:01.382 --> 00:22:19.446
Yeah, that was actually, a really fun opportunity, Amanda Lundberg, who most know as one of the EU and now NA casters, for the play Pokemon circuit, she contacted me and she's like, Hey, you know, we're getting this podcast going and I kind of want to do something to make it a little more unique.

00:22:19.446 --> 00:22:24.729
And I was thinking about having artwork for the trainers that we feature with their favorite Pokemon.

00:22:25.028 --> 00:22:27.959
is that something that you'd be interested in helping us create?

00:22:28.328 --> 00:22:30.249
And I was like, Oh, absolutely.

00:22:30.249 --> 00:22:30.588
I would.

00:22:31.344 --> 00:22:32.519
hmm,

00:22:32.848 --> 00:22:36.638
because again, it's, you know, I love Pokemon and I do love art.

00:22:36.948 --> 00:22:41.527
I, you know, I went to art school and I've, done like several graphic novels that I have published.

00:22:41.549 --> 00:22:47.230
but I've definitely been trying to focus in more recent years on, you know, working on the things that I really want to work on.

00:22:47.230 --> 00:23:05.369
So this sounded like a really fun project with, Very cool people, in charge of it, So it was just a unique opportunity to kind of, like, Learn about a lot of other trainers and stretch some artistic muscles and, and just have fun, like drawing Pokemon, which is what I've always wanted to do.

00:23:05.430 --> 00:23:12.067
Like no matter what other, quote unquote, more professional project I was working on, drawing Pokemon is just fun.

00:23:12.258 --> 00:23:13.968
It's just pure fun for me.

00:23:14.238 --> 00:23:21.007
So having an outlet to do that, and be pseudo published for it with this podcast was just really cool.

00:23:21.007 --> 00:23:29.272
And, and I can't thank Amanda enough for inviting me to do that because some of those turned out really cool and I still look back on them like, yeah, that is awesome.

00:23:29.462 --> 00:23:30.373
And I did that.

00:23:30.972 --> 00:23:40.002
When it comes to just, you know, doing that and you also got more involved with PVP, you know, do casting, Where did the transition from raids to PVP happen and how did it happen?

00:23:40.607 --> 00:23:45.028
So, raids were introduced before, like, the concept of PvP.

00:23:45.038 --> 00:23:49.738
So that's how I got back into the game, you know, and kind of started playing it more consistently.

00:23:50.071 --> 00:23:58.890
And, I don't think it was too long after, I want to say maybe it was like the following fall or winter, that they introduced, the concept of battles.

00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:10.959
And at that time, when they first put battling into the Pokemon Go game, It was just, between you and your friends, and you also had to be, like, ultra friends or best friends with someone to, like, invite.

00:24:10.969 --> 00:24:19.969
You couldn't just, like, Have someone that you just met, you know, invite them or you couldn't, I'm not even sure if you could do it maybe in person first because I don't think they had the QR codes at first,

00:24:20.074 --> 00:24:20.703
No, didn't.

00:24:20.703 --> 00:24:23.034
You had to add them as a friend in order the PvP.

00:24:23.034 --> 00:24:25.473
Didn't have the option, quick option we have nowadays.

00:24:25.473 --> 00:24:26.284
We've come a long way.

00:24:26.459 --> 00:24:26.848
Yes.

00:24:26.888 --> 00:24:27.398
Oh my gosh.

00:24:27.979 --> 00:24:28.778
changed so much.

00:24:29.080 --> 00:24:33.560
so yeah, when they first introduced it, you could really only battle with your, higher level friends.

00:24:33.882 --> 00:24:39.851
And there was a small group of people I had moved, from, like, I started playing in Savannah and I'd moved to Atlanta.

00:24:40.280 --> 00:24:44.971
So I didn't really know anyone at all in the Atlanta area, especially anyone who played Pokemon.

00:24:44.971 --> 00:24:50.151
So I was still kind of chatting with people that I knew in Savannah that played, and they were kind of into the idea of battling too.

00:24:50.151 --> 00:24:55.861
So I just remember us like sending each other battles and just like throwing the wildest stuff out there.

00:24:55.871 --> 00:25:00.988
Just stuff that we wanted to use, stuff that we could use, figuring out like the different leagues.

00:25:01.137 --> 00:25:11.346
Cause at that time they still had the idea of like, Oh, great league is for 1500 CP and under, and then you have ultra league that's 2500 and under, and then you have master, which is like anything.

00:25:11.665 --> 00:25:14.915
So we were kind of experimenting and just using wild stuff.

00:25:14.915 --> 00:25:24.395
And like, you could add second moves to things and I was just adding moves, like to whatever I wanted to no, no thought, no cares in the world.

00:25:24.405 --> 00:25:39.806
Just like, like playing how, like whatever I wanted to play and just like, Um, yeah, and I was just like, and one day I realized, I was like, oh, I have no more Star Trek, I literally wasted all on trash.

00:25:40.375 --> 00:25:45.195
so yeah, it was, it was quite fun at first, learning about it with, my friends.

00:25:45.208 --> 00:25:47.827
and at first, like I said, I didn't know anyone.

00:25:47.922 --> 00:25:55.041
In the Atlanta area, I knew there were some people that I had met raids before, but none of them seemed particularly interested about PVP.

00:25:55.051 --> 00:26:10.807
So, so I was kind of just staying in touch with these people that were interested in it back where I started playing in, and this was before the pandemic, mind you, they started what they referred to as a couch league where people would sign up to, you know, and we knew you had to level up friendship.

00:26:10.828 --> 00:26:15.128
and you could compete with each other, from afar, as long as you were, high enough friendship.

00:26:15.128 --> 00:26:20.699
So people would sign up and, you know, get to the appropriate friend level and then we could do little tournaments together.

00:26:21.022 --> 00:26:24.772
this was before I knew about Sylph as well.

00:26:25.032 --> 00:26:41.421
It wasn't until I started, like, I discovered that there was a lot of like Pokemon go content on YouTube that I started watching and I was like, Oh, there, there are other people that seem to be competing in like a league with like predetermined rules, you know, like I started hearing about boulder cup and I was like, what is this?

00:26:41.490 --> 00:26:42.101
You know?

00:26:42.488 --> 00:26:55.678
and so it wasn't, I realized that the Silph League, Had, organized itself into this like way of finding tournaments and playing tournaments with other people live, like in person, and I was like, that sounds amazing.

00:26:56.009 --> 00:26:59.210
so I missed boulder cup, which was the first one they ever did.

00:26:59.575 --> 00:27:00.664
you would love Boulder Cup.

00:27:00.710 --> 00:27:05.133
I know it was just, all, all rocks and, uh, and steals.

00:27:05.182 --> 00:27:06.022
And, uh,

00:27:06.637 --> 00:27:07.397
all Skarmories.

00:27:07.563 --> 00:27:09.303
Yes, all, oops, all Skarmories.

00:27:09.303 --> 00:27:15.363
so I missed that one, but I found out that there was going to be a different meta the following month called Twilight Cup.

00:27:15.702 --> 00:27:19.553
And so I read a little bit about it, how you were limited to certain types.

00:27:19.651 --> 00:27:23.671
but I still didn't know, like, how to find who was playing in Atlanta.

00:27:24.040 --> 00:27:28.550
But I did find out that my community in Savannah was hosting a tournament in person.

00:27:28.550 --> 00:27:31.641
And I was like, oh, we, actually are going to be down there that weekend.

00:27:31.641 --> 00:27:35.131
So I'll, I'll just go, like, I'll just go and meet up with my friends again.

00:27:35.131 --> 00:27:37.039
And we'll actually get to battle in person.

00:27:37.362 --> 00:27:45.201
like, I knew what types were allowed by the meta, but I didn't really, understand like a lot of PVP mechanics yet.

00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:51.287
So I was just kind of like using whatever Pokemon like had the right typings that I had heard people talk about.

00:27:51.287 --> 00:28:00.027
like I had Venomoth on my team and I had, like a Toxicroak and I remember that, I actually had Tentacruel in the back and at that time it did not have Scald.

00:28:00.336 --> 00:28:04.465
It just had kind of a, double nuclear move set is what we referred to it as.

00:28:04.465 --> 00:28:06.476
It had hydro pump and sludge wave.

00:28:06.859 --> 00:28:08.949
and I actually came in second in that tournament.

00:28:08.949 --> 00:28:15.394
and that was the, the first time that I had ever like, gone to a tournament, you know, battled with other people in person.

00:28:15.674 --> 00:28:19.134
And I knew some of them, but other ones were like new players that I didn't know.

00:28:19.134 --> 00:28:21.875
And it was just so, so much fun.

00:28:22.174 --> 00:28:26.487
And everyone was so friendly, you know, the community organizers at the time.

00:28:26.534 --> 00:28:31.904
We're just, really welcoming and like introducing me to other people and making sure that I was all set up

00:28:32.484 --> 00:28:33.934
And you just stuck with PvP throughout?

00:28:33.954 --> 00:28:36.595
Like, of course, you know, the pandemic happens, everything goes online.

00:28:36.954 --> 00:28:39.484
Is that what you still kind of find satisfying with the PvP?

00:28:39.484 --> 00:28:40.535
Is the people that play it?

00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:42.130
Yes, definitely.

00:28:42.150 --> 00:28:47.227
Like the interactions that you get with, people, you know, and people you don't know is, just really encouraging.

00:28:47.227 --> 00:28:50.977
And, and it's always fun to kind of learn how other people think about their battling.

00:28:51.547 --> 00:28:57.910
It took a few tournaments, before I got to know, an Atlanta local, whose trainer name is Sushi must write.

00:28:58.224 --> 00:29:02.865
And she's always like, she's always been like, she would always be at kind of the rate hours and stuff.

00:29:02.865 --> 00:29:08.194
So I got to know her a little bit better and she was like, Hey, there's this server I'm on.

00:29:08.305 --> 00:29:13.392
That's just for women battlers, called girls that PVP you know, would you like an invite to the discord?

00:29:13.412 --> 00:29:20.261
And I was like, I would love you know, cause at the time I was just like you know, way that I can get kind of more involved with other people who.

00:29:20.384 --> 00:29:22.973
Enjoy this aspect of the game that I do.

00:29:23.263 --> 00:29:24.913
that's where I want to be, you know?

00:29:25.269 --> 00:29:30.584
so she got me an invite to that server and that's kind of where I started learning about virtual only tournaments.

00:29:30.910 --> 00:29:43.400
but yeah, I got involved in that server and yeah, found this whole community of not only people who like to compete, but people who like to just like share information about the game and, share their successes, share what they learned.

00:29:43.505 --> 00:29:45.545
and help everyone else get better.

00:29:45.894 --> 00:29:48.025
And I was like, this is absolutely amazing.

00:29:48.085 --> 00:29:59.734
And, that's, I feel like where I actually started developing something of skill at this game rather than just kind of fumbling with like, oh, here's what's allowed and here's what I have.

00:29:59.734 --> 00:29:59.944
And

00:30:00.756 --> 00:30:05.824
It felt like you had somebody who can kind of teach you the ways and community that you feel comfortable with.

00:30:05.903 --> 00:30:11.804
Yeah, several people, because there are lots of amazing battlers, like, in that community.

00:30:11.814 --> 00:30:17.820
And I've since, like, joined other communities as well, and met other battlers, through the Play Pokemon circuit.

00:30:17.851 --> 00:30:26.928
And it's just, like, it's just amazing how friendly people have been, and ready kind of, like, share their knowledge and talk about their experiences.

00:30:27.236 --> 00:30:33.997
that server was kind of like the gateway into the, the PVP community, but like my experiences have only grown from there.

00:30:34.294 --> 00:30:38.914
and yeah, that's where I got my first, invitation to start trying my hand at casting.

00:30:39.424 --> 00:30:42.845
I can't remember exactly what the circumstances were.

00:30:42.845 --> 00:30:54.102
I know it was with Gym Breakers, which is like a sort of World Cup style tournament where every country can have, up to four teams And I'm a World Cup fan already.

00:30:54.112 --> 00:30:56.801
So, so I was kind of like, Oh, it fits.

00:30:57.132 --> 00:30:57.912
So I,

00:30:58.027 --> 00:30:58.596
piece of the puzzle.

00:30:58.781 --> 00:31:06.867
yeah, so I believe that, it was final boss AJ who put out kind of an open call, like, Hey, would there be anyone interested?

00:31:06.867 --> 00:31:10.577
In helping to cast over some of these gym breaker battles.

00:31:10.698 --> 00:31:13.827
And I was like, well, I've never done it before, but I'll give it a shot.

00:31:14.557 --> 00:31:16.891
You know, I enjoy battling.

00:31:16.911 --> 00:31:20.631
I enjoy learning and, and seeing other people battle.

00:31:20.641 --> 00:31:23.000
So yeah, I'd, I'd be willing to give it a try.

00:31:23.313 --> 00:31:24.722
it was like a whip is off the wind.

00:31:24.722 --> 00:31:25.923
You didn't really have any inspiration.

00:31:25.923 --> 00:31:27.373
You just it a shot kind of thing.

00:31:27.692 --> 00:31:37.171
Yeah, it just sounded, you know, I had seen coverage of battles before, so I kind of like knew what she was talking about, but yeah, I had absolutely zero experience.

00:31:38.131 --> 00:31:38.560
Of course.

00:31:38.836 --> 00:31:50.548
so I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I knew that it, you know, that I, felt good in that community and talking about Pokemon, so I just wanted to, to try and improve that a little bit.

00:31:50.852 --> 00:31:52.730
so I did and it went really well.

00:31:52.740 --> 00:32:03.846
I definitely, you know, I definitely do feel like my lack of experience might have showed a little bit, but I feel like what I made up for in like knowledge and experience at that time, you know, I made up for with enthusiasm.

00:32:05.161 --> 00:32:06.621
Hey, that's all you need is enthusiasm.

00:32:06.655 --> 00:32:06.895
Yeah,

00:32:06.911 --> 00:32:07.560
take far.

00:32:08.205 --> 00:32:22.742
so, because, yeah, I was so excited to watch like high level gameplay because a lot of people that play in Dream Breakers are some of the more talented battlers that we know of in the world today, now that we have sort of a more visible community through the PlayPokemon circuit.

00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:43.178
so getting that chance, that first chance to kind of experiment with that, I was like, this is really fun, you know, and so pretty much any, any opportunity that I saw come forth from then, as long as I had open time in my schedule, I was more than happy to try and you know, a way of experiencing the game and, and meeting people through this game.

00:32:43.553 --> 00:32:45.833
That has been super enjoyable for me.

00:32:45.843 --> 00:32:50.105
And I'm still not, you know, obviously the best, but I'm always trying.

00:32:50.770 --> 00:32:51.550
Hey, it's a journey.

00:32:51.550 --> 00:32:52.530
It's not a destination,

00:32:52.665 --> 00:32:53.605
Exactly, yeah.

00:32:54.189 --> 00:33:02.807
What's cool is that, you you met these friends online, you pvp through girls that pvp eventually, you know, live events come back.

00:33:03.131 --> 00:33:05.500
what is it like to meet that online community in person?

00:33:05.500 --> 00:33:07.601
Say like a go fest, say at a regionals.

00:33:08.011 --> 00:33:11.711
Oh my gosh, so thrilling, honestly.

00:33:11.902 --> 00:33:17.307
I went to my first GoFest, it was Chicago 2019.

00:33:17.625 --> 00:33:25.315
And this was kind of before I had a really strong, like, this was when I was playing in Atlanta, but I still didn't know a lot of people super well.

00:33:25.590 --> 00:33:40.564
so what I actually did in 2019 was I had a friend of mine, like a close friend of mine who kind of casually played the game and she had just moved to Austin, Texas, and I was like, Hey, what if I came to visit you and then kind of kidnapped you

00:33:41.242 --> 00:33:41.752
Oh my God.

00:33:42.094 --> 00:33:44.354
and then we go play Pokemon Chicago.

00:33:44.384 --> 00:33:46.249
And she was like, Yeah, that sounds fun.

00:33:48.729 --> 00:33:48.989
So

00:33:49.143 --> 00:33:51.093
you real quick you over state lines.

00:33:51.093 --> 00:33:51.242
That's

00:33:51.298 --> 00:33:52.278
yeah, exactly.

00:33:52.298 --> 00:33:56.679
Well, I hadn't, like I said, she just moved to Texas, so I hadn't visited her yet.

00:33:56.679 --> 00:34:01.148
So I was like, I'm going to come see you first and then we're going to go play this game.

00:34:01.848 --> 00:34:03.719
and that was like my first ever GoFest.

00:34:03.749 --> 00:34:06.368
That was her probably first and only GoFest.

00:34:06.368 --> 00:34:11.572
but it was, it was really fun to kind of have that really random trip with a close friend.

00:34:11.862 --> 00:34:12.682
And, um,

00:34:13.018 --> 00:34:14.398
it was a spur of the moment kind of thing.

00:34:14.402 --> 00:34:14.907
Real quick.

00:34:15.054 --> 00:34:16.954
it wasn't, it wasn't super planned.

00:34:17.523 --> 00:34:17.853
say

00:34:17.907 --> 00:34:18.748
a trend here.

00:34:20.043 --> 00:34:28.730
So, the coolest thing from that experience, I think though, that I remember is, you know, whenever you have a GoFest, you always have special research.

00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:32.920
I feel like it's definitely gotten way more intense in recent years than it was that first time.

00:34:33.260 --> 00:34:38.010
but we were at the event and part of the research said, you have to make two new friends.

00:34:38.565 --> 00:34:42.375
And so we were like, Oh, crap, we're already friends with each other.

00:34:42.385 --> 00:34:50.112
So we got to just find some people, you know, and we encountered these two other women who, I swear to you, this is real.

00:34:50.393 --> 00:34:52.643
They had done the exact same thing as us.

00:34:53.742 --> 00:34:55.193
of, one of them lived in New York.

00:34:55.193 --> 00:34:58.413
The other one lived in California and they said the exact same thing.

00:34:58.413 --> 00:35:01.793
Like, I'll come visit you and then we'll go to Chicago Go Fest together.

00:35:01.858 --> 00:35:03.467
no way, that's crazy.

00:35:03.507 --> 00:35:05.458
It's so wild.

00:35:05.487 --> 00:35:09.108
And we, we met them, we got their friend codes and became friends with them.

00:35:09.117 --> 00:35:12.047
And then we, you know, we did trades with them as well.

00:35:12.382 --> 00:35:14.871
so, and I still have that Pokemon saved.

00:35:14.882 --> 00:35:17.672
It was, I think it was a Pichu from California.

00:35:17.992 --> 00:35:18.902
I still have it saved.

00:35:18.922 --> 00:35:21.661
Cause that experience was just so wild to me.

00:35:22.371 --> 00:35:28.001
I'm like, I don't, we don't know these people and I'll probably like never interact with them again, but this is great.

00:35:28.072 --> 00:35:29.422
This is pure moment.

00:35:29.552 --> 00:35:31.291
real quick, what are the chances?

00:35:31.362 --> 00:35:42.302
You and your friend go on the spur of the moment, you kidnap your friend, take her to Chicago, meet these two people who do the exact same thing from opposite sides of the states, that's, that's a wild coincidence.

00:35:42.327 --> 00:35:52.050
it, is, I can't even begin to analyze like how random of a chance that is, that we would actually find two people who had done the exact same thing.

00:35:52.061 --> 00:35:53.501
That's crazy.

00:35:53.971 --> 00:36:10.407
So that was the first time I ever went to a GoFest and then obviously the pandemic happened and we got kind of global events started taking off from there, Which was great because by then I had kind of like met a few other people in the Atlanta area that I, started playing with.

00:36:10.416 --> 00:36:15.974
So I still had kind of a, a little community that I could, play events with here at home, which was nice.

00:36:16.273 --> 00:36:23.498
and then I went to New York Go Fest, in 2023, because I used to live in New York as well, before.

00:36:23.605 --> 00:36:25.068
Pokemon Go, had started.

00:36:25.405 --> 00:36:29.585
And I had, a friend who lived there who was like, she also plays casually.

00:36:29.905 --> 00:36:32.396
She was like, yeah, you can just come stay with me and it'll be cool.

00:36:32.496 --> 00:36:35.775
And, uh, and then we had another friend who, who flew in as well.

00:36:36.085 --> 00:36:39.405
So we had like a little mini vacation and went and played Pokemon together.

00:36:39.405 --> 00:36:40.945
And it was, it was a really fun time.

00:36:41.126 --> 00:36:42.155
We're all bird nerds.

00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:48.811
So we actually had matching bird shirts that we were wearing at the event too to just be extra, like, nerdy.

00:36:49.036 --> 00:36:50.056
that's it.

00:36:50.670 --> 00:36:51.460
so it was nice.

00:36:51.490 --> 00:36:55.181
What was funny is we had actually, like, done a group vacation earlier in that year.

00:36:55.181 --> 00:37:00.170
So we were, like, seeing each other for, like, we all were coming from different states for the second time that year.

00:37:00.701 --> 00:37:01.121
right?

00:37:01.121 --> 00:37:01.510
Yeah.

00:37:01.646 --> 00:37:10.338
but it was, it was a really good time and that, I had had the chance now to, like you're saying, meet people that I had really like only ever met online.

00:37:10.668 --> 00:37:21.519
you know, I met someone from my team, the, the Queen Bees that you, you mentioned briefly, you know, I got to meet her for the first time and she actually from California and she had a Hawlucha saved for me.

00:37:21.815 --> 00:37:23.875
And I was like, this is the best day.

00:37:24.405 --> 00:37:24.695
Yeah.

00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:25.820
That's awesome.

00:37:26.114 --> 00:37:50.929
and then from there, like, like I've said a few times now, we have the play Pokemon circuit, which gives Pokemon go, PVP kind of a very visible competitive outlet that is on, I would say now it's like almost on par, Maybe not in numbers, but, you know, working our way up to it, uh, on par with like the video game series and the trading card game, because they, they're all taking place at the same time.

00:37:50.949 --> 00:37:57.039
So it's these huge venues that are just filled with people who love Pokemon, which in itself is an incredible experience.

00:37:57.378 --> 00:38:11.871
But on top of that, going to these tournaments now, and again, just meeting people that I've only ever kind of interacted with online, uh, Not to mention incredibly talented battlers that I've seen battle and like, have watched their skill.

00:38:12.271 --> 00:38:13.771
It has just been amazing.

00:38:14.101 --> 00:38:25.956
it's, have a hard time putting into words, like how incredible it feels to like make a real, like the community feel more real because, you know, you're here and you're getting to know people better.

00:38:25.956 --> 00:38:30.327
You're getting to interact with people in a way that's like outside of a screen as well.

00:38:30.635 --> 00:38:34.686
it's really nice and, has been, incredible learning experience.

00:38:35.293 --> 00:38:44.016
I think it's hard to put into words because, you know, you take the stigma that online friendships have and people will say like, oh, it's not real.

00:38:44.021 --> 00:38:45.697
You know, how do y'all really know each other?

00:38:46.034 --> 00:38:49.681
But then, you know, you take it into real life and you get to kind of meet them in person.

00:38:49.681 --> 00:38:51.922
It's a different kind of connection, and it's almost like.

00:38:51.922 --> 00:38:57.253
you get to experience that human level type of connection instead of over a computer and stuff like that.

00:38:57.603 --> 00:39:01.963
And it's just a good feeling because it's like I always compare it to like a family reunion, really.

00:39:03.233 --> 00:39:08.592
I guess that's weird because it's like, yeah, people always do say that about like, you know, virtual or digital friendships.

00:39:08.592 --> 00:39:10.302
There's always that like stigma about it.

00:39:10.663 --> 00:39:13.333
But to me, it's like when I meet people in person.

00:39:13.434 --> 00:39:15.153
It doesn't feel different.

00:39:15.768 --> 00:39:23.498
It just feels, it just feels like just a little extra you know, like I'm getting to put a face, like a real face to the name.

00:39:23.887 --> 00:39:29.429
but the relationship still is just getting like stronger, it's nothing different.

00:39:29.778 --> 00:39:31.139
it's just sort of growing.

00:39:31.309 --> 00:39:34.179
And, and that just, and it just feels really fulfilling.

00:39:34.179 --> 00:39:34.608
I think.

00:39:34.900 --> 00:39:38.360
Because yeah, the, the reverse has also happened to me there.

00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:44.673
Like I've mentioned, there are friends that I met here in Atlanta that I started playing with, but they moved out of the area.

00:39:45.003 --> 00:39:49.373
But now we still have ways to play with each other and interact with online a lot.

00:39:49.643 --> 00:39:56.034
They're not as into PvP in Pokemon as I am, so they just kind of help me with raids sometimes, which is very, very nice of them.

00:39:57.146 --> 00:40:03.027
but, you know, we have other things in common and we play, other games online with each other as well.

00:40:03.782 --> 00:40:06.041
Pokemon Go that are online.

00:40:06.411 --> 00:40:14.086
well, in a, in a move that surprises no one, there's, a board game called Wingspan that is bird themed.

00:40:14.387 --> 00:40:22.586
Um, and there it's a physical game, obviously, since it's a board game, but there is a version available on the Switch and you can play online with friends.

00:40:22.597 --> 00:40:28.746
So like, if, if anyone can ever see my Switch account history, it's the game that I have spent the most hours on.

00:40:28.757 --> 00:40:30.606
Cause I'm, we're always just playing with each other.

00:40:32.047 --> 00:40:36.626
And it's like, so like 700 something hours according to my switch.

00:40:36.626 --> 00:40:37.907
And I'm Hey, don't judge me.

00:40:37.907 --> 00:40:41.257
Yeah,

00:40:41.282 --> 00:40:42.672
anybody as long as you and I are in somebody

00:40:43.266 --> 00:40:43.706
Yeah.

00:40:43.706 --> 00:40:45.867
So, so yeah, the reverse is also true.

00:40:45.867 --> 00:40:56.943
Like we met doing things in person in the game, but unfortunately, since they don't live here anymore, we have to find ways of, of interacting digitally, you know, to kind of just hang out with each other and enjoy.

00:40:56.974 --> 00:40:59.003
We usually do a voice chat while we play.

00:40:59.003 --> 00:41:00.114
So we can just kind of like.

00:41:00.114 --> 00:41:06.429
Talk about how things have been going and, um, and that only happened because of our interest for Pokemon first.

00:41:06.731 --> 00:41:15.675
so yeah, I mean, both, both sides of the coin are equally valid, you know, in person relationships and digital relationships, and I value both immensely.

00:41:16.186 --> 00:41:22.896
And you basically described a thing to call what they call it back in the old days, the land parties, basically you and your friends have a land party, but it's online.

00:41:23.545 --> 00:41:23.865
Yeah.

00:41:23.865 --> 00:41:25.306
I used to go to some of those.

00:41:25.376 --> 00:41:25.956
Oh my God.

00:41:26.476 --> 00:41:28.536
Yeah, that, that's a flashback for sure.

00:41:28.666 --> 00:41:29.865
Don't do the math on that.

00:41:29.976 --> 00:41:32.445
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not even mapping right now.

00:41:33.248 --> 00:41:36.048
Well Hurricane Kaz, thank you all for coming on the show.

00:41:36.088 --> 00:41:38.708
I need to finish off with the last question before we let you go.

00:41:39.657 --> 00:41:44.536
Say somebody's coming to step into Atlanta, Georgia, and they want to challenge you to a six on six battle.

00:41:45.317 --> 00:41:47.016
What six Pokemon would you bring?

00:41:47.391 --> 00:41:52.652
oh My gosh Well, obviously I gotta have a flyer there.

00:41:52.891 --> 00:41:58.221
I think my team would consist of like my bird Pokemon specifically.

00:41:58.251 --> 00:42:01.731
But again, we've talked about how they don't necessarily have to be flying type.

00:42:02.094 --> 00:42:04.744
So I feel like Pidgeot still has to be on there.

00:42:04.755 --> 00:42:08.585
Because even though it is like the normal flying, it's a pretty versatile Pokemon.

00:42:08.902 --> 00:42:09.652
and it's my fave.

00:42:10.112 --> 00:42:10.682
Obviously.

00:42:10.722 --> 00:42:11.512
Can't go wrong with that.

00:42:11.512 --> 00:42:11.833
Yeah.

00:42:12.998 --> 00:42:21.228
I think some of the other ones I would include would also be Empolion, because I think it counters a lot of flying weaknesses and is still a bird.

00:42:21.248 --> 00:42:22.318
So very important.

00:42:22.628 --> 00:42:28.719
I also like Cresselia and I believe firmly that it is a moon duck, Just a duck.

00:42:28.719 --> 00:42:28.773
Okay.

00:42:29.704 --> 00:42:30.554
of moons.

00:42:30.804 --> 00:42:31.384
It is.

00:42:31.864 --> 00:42:39.501
And it's a very bulky Pokemon, has a lot of great coverage, so I feel like that has a place on there as well.

00:42:39.811 --> 00:42:49.791
other birds that I think are very valuable and would have a strong place, Staraptor is another good one, because I feel like, is a little faster.

00:42:50.101 --> 00:42:54.942
Staraptor hits a lot harder and has a lot more powerful moves.

00:42:54.942 --> 00:43:06.492
Like not only does it have in Pokemon Go, I know it has access to Brave Bird and Close Combat, which like is a wombo combo of like, I will damage myself, but I will make sure you go down with me.

00:43:06.661 --> 00:43:07.842
I'm taking you down with me.

00:43:07.882 --> 00:43:08.981
Yeah, that's I was about to say.

00:43:09.117 --> 00:43:10.317
Exactly.

00:43:11.146 --> 00:43:18.056
Um, and then other bird Pokemon talonflame, I think, would be another one that I would include.

00:43:18.094 --> 00:43:26.445
because, like Staraptor, has a lot of high damage moves, but it also has, like, the added, sort of, unique typing of Fireflying.

00:43:26.777 --> 00:43:29.867
so getting access to some of that fire damage, I think, is also pretty cool.

00:43:30.304 --> 00:43:34.063
And then, last but not least, I'm gonna go with a weird one.

00:43:34.699 --> 00:43:36.769
I'm gonna go with Ludicolo.

00:43:37.650 --> 00:43:39.190
Whoa,

00:43:39.534 --> 00:43:42.275
it is a duck and no one can convince me otherwise.

00:43:42.677 --> 00:43:43.567
Look at that bill.

00:43:43.880 --> 00:43:44.960
So, uh,

00:43:45.175 --> 00:43:45.936
yeah, a duck.

00:43:46.101 --> 00:43:48.210
got, and it's got a really unique typing.

00:43:48.210 --> 00:43:50.920
The water grass I think is really valuable.

00:43:50.931 --> 00:43:55.947
Cause I mean, the thing that often gets sent out against flyers is like the rocks.

00:43:55.976 --> 00:43:56.427
Right.

00:43:56.733 --> 00:43:58.054
and electric type.

00:43:58.054 --> 00:44:03.853
So I feel like having kind of Cresselia and the Ludicolo on there to kind of maybe counter a little bit.

00:44:04.027 --> 00:44:04.686
Of the electric.

00:44:04.686 --> 00:44:08.257
I mean, it has the water typing, but it has grass damage to throw at the electric.

00:44:08.257 --> 00:44:09.396
So pretty good.

00:44:09.487 --> 00:44:09.666
Pretty

00:44:09.782 --> 00:44:10.831
That's a curveball.

00:44:10.831 --> 00:44:12.311
You know, I never would imagine Ludicolo.

00:44:12.351 --> 00:44:13.152
It is a duck.

00:44:13.152 --> 00:44:15.061
I just never thought of it as a bird, to be honest.

00:44:15.186 --> 00:44:17.527
Also, I just love, it's a little dance.

00:44:17.952 --> 00:44:20.016
always, always having a good time.

00:44:20.211 --> 00:44:20.831
It is.

00:44:20.976 --> 00:44:21.036
Yeah.

00:44:21.695 --> 00:44:24.085
Well, HurricaneCast, for coming on the podcast.

00:44:24.364 --> 00:44:25.445
Before we close it down.

00:44:25.494 --> 00:44:29.375
If people want to connect with you, if they want to check out your latest projects, where can they go?

00:44:29.375 --> 00:44:30.925
By all means, please plug away.

00:44:31.789 --> 00:44:36.320
So, you can find my personal, Twitter, at the Hurricane Kaz.

00:44:36.639 --> 00:44:43.590
that's just kind of where I post anything that I might be up to, or anything that I see that I have thought is cute for the day.

00:44:44.041 --> 00:44:50.148
And, I also recently joined the, co host of the Battle Cats podcast.

00:44:50.608 --> 00:44:54.987
So you can find our podcast link at, battlecatspodcast.

00:44:54.987 --> 00:44:55.277
com.

00:44:55.385 --> 00:44:58.445
Pod and cats has a Z instead of an S.

00:44:58.838 --> 00:45:12.284
so that's where we'll post our episodes, post polls, and we have a lot of fun discussion about current in game events, as well as PVP, because we're all interested in battling and we're all casting, as well, you know, so we have lots of things going on.

00:45:12.583 --> 00:45:16.074
So, check us out for some good battling times.

00:45:16.626 --> 00:45:19.257
Thank you for listening to As the Pokeball Turns.

00:45:19.577 --> 00:45:26.016
Follow all my socials and join our Discord community to stay connected by clicking any of the links in the description of this episode.

00:45:26.451 --> 00:45:31.931
Tune in next time for more episodes featuring more people, more stories, and more Pokemon.

00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:33.260
Until next time.