Jan. 15, 2025

TRAINER'S EYE #125 - "Obstagoon's Alley Mates" ft. ThePokeNetwork

Show Notes
Transcript

In this Pokemon interview, we are joined by ThePokeNetwork, leader of The Back Alley, and a Pokemon Twitch Streamer.

ThePokeNetwork starts his Pokemon journey in the Hoenn region where he fell infatuated by the mechanics of catching Pokemon and traveling through the region. His interest with Pokemon would continue through each generation until he found a connection with Dark-type Pokemon.

Dark-Type Pokemon are often misunderstood, which helped ThePokeNetwork related to them more, due to how his autism caused people around him to misunderstand him growing up. We give examples of different Dark-type Pokemon and how they were misperceived based on their actions in the Pokemon anime.

ThePokeNetwork gives insight into his content creation journey and mental health struggles. ThePokeNetwork building a group of supportive friends, found comfort and solace with some of his fellow creators. However, not all people were there for him during his dark times and ThePokeNetwork shares insight in how that has shaped his life moving forward.

Finally, ThePokeNetwork shares his motivation for starting the Poke NERDS Inc. Podcast where he interviews Twitch streamers about their experience with Pokemon. Sound familiar?

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

Connect with ThePokeNetwork: Linktree

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

00:00:00.297 --> 00:00:04.298
I am the PokéNetwork, and this is my Pokémon story.

00:00:49.057 --> 00:00:53.917
Welcome to As the Pokeball Turns, where we interview people about their experience with Pokemon.

00:00:54.396 --> 00:00:56.436
My name is David Hernandez.

00:00:56.966 --> 00:00:59.506
Today, I'm joined by the PokeNetwork.

00:00:59.942 --> 00:01:04.831
A fellow Poki NERD here to tell us how great Alolan Persian is.

00:01:05.932 --> 00:01:07.501
Welcome to the podcast.

00:01:09.186 --> 00:01:11.527
you just had to run that ballpark.

00:01:11.557 --> 00:01:12.486
Did you buddy?

00:01:12.531 --> 00:01:13.951
Of course, it's part of my show.

00:01:13.962 --> 00:01:16.962
Welcome to As the Pokéball Turns where I troll my guests sometimes.

00:01:17.807 --> 00:01:22.316
Yeah, yeah, well, I'm also glad you emphasize the nerd like I like to

00:01:22.632 --> 00:01:30.191
The NERD! NERD! How could I not do it?

00:01:30.191 --> 00:01:32.581
That's like one of the key parts of what we're going to talk about later.

00:01:32.581 --> 00:01:33.471
I had to include it.

00:01:36.057 --> 00:01:42.477
I mean after all it's a whole it's like a whole concept of my channel I mean after all I do have a podcast myself called pokey nerds Inc

00:01:44.001 --> 00:01:59.242
Well, what's unique about you is that you know, you do years live on Twitch and you know We're gonna dive into more the heavy part, but I kind of wanted to start, you know I'm one of the first Pokemon interview shows around and I know you came in a little afterwards What made you kind of want to dive into that kind of part of the Pokemon content sphere?

00:01:59.893 --> 00:02:09.590
well, it's actually quite a funny story because, I was more of a entwined with, some of the variety content community before I was like really in depth with the Pokemon community.

00:02:09.889 --> 00:02:17.419
So I knew this guy on Twitch who did a podcast and I told him, Hey, when, if you, if you ever need a guest for the show, feel free to contact me.

00:02:17.610 --> 00:02:18.520
And so we did.

00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:20.893
And, I really loved doing the podcast experience.

00:02:20.893 --> 00:02:23.794
I've been on a few, a few other podcasts, aside from that.

00:02:24.114 --> 00:02:25.454
And I was like, You know what?

00:02:25.663 --> 00:02:33.883
There's a lot of Pokemon community members out there that I know but don't really know so I'm like I want to start my own podcast.

00:02:33.894 --> 00:02:38.433
So I asked around various people that I knew and see if they would be interested in doing this with me.

00:02:38.433 --> 00:02:39.734
So I jumped the gun.

00:02:39.734 --> 00:02:40.824
I made a discord.

00:02:40.824 --> 00:02:44.128
I got some graphics made and, almost two years later we're here.

00:02:44.128 --> 00:02:47.228
And I've interviewed, uh, almost, over 30 creators so far.

00:02:47.877 --> 00:02:49.117
That's amazing because it's kind of cool.

00:02:49.117 --> 00:02:54.617
You just like thought it was a good idea because you were a guest on and then you're like, I don't really know these other creators.

00:02:54.627 --> 00:03:00.407
Let's like kind of dive into their own kind of, I guess, experience with Pokemon because you'd kind of dive in on like what started with him.

00:03:00.728 --> 00:03:02.168
You know, what's their favorite shiny Pokemon?

00:03:02.168 --> 00:03:05.807
What's a Pokemon they hate, which I kind of actually love because you don't really hear that kind of question too often.

00:03:06.467 --> 00:03:31.018
Yeah, yeah, I like to try to, like, learn as much about them, Pokemon wise, as I can, and also, like, about them, per se, because, like I said, I'm all about learning about the origin stories of the people that I know, and I'm just glad that I've been able to not only learn these stories, but also, you know, blessed with them taking time out of their lives to spend it with me so I can pick their brains.

00:03:31.587 --> 00:03:38.978
I think one of the best things I loved about your show is you actually spent the whole season honoring, I think his name is Turbo because I think he passed away, right?

00:03:38.978 --> 00:03:39.027
Yeah.

00:03:39.478 --> 00:03:53.229
Uh, yeah, TheTrueTurbo, he was the season one finale guest, And, that was actually the last time anyone ever saw him on a live streaming platform, Because after that, he got really sick, about a couple months later, he unfortunately passed away.

00:03:53.628 --> 00:04:05.074
So, I decided to dedicate my whole second season to him, And I had People wearing bow ties or putting a bow tie on a plushie to help help help honor him.

00:04:05.412 --> 00:04:09.812
That's why I also wear a bow tie for, every show that I have to honor my brother.

00:04:09.812 --> 00:04:17.194
And that's why I also at the end of every podcast, I always say, stay safe, stay rock and stay true to yourself because that was his outro.

00:04:17.194 --> 00:04:21.995
And I don't think he would mind at all if I honored him by, you know, doing that at the end of every show.

00:04:22.567 --> 00:04:28.567
What is it like to have a guest who, you know, after you interview them, they kind of pass away, was it kind of shocking and kind of weird

00:04:29.127 --> 00:04:52.947
Um, It's it's a little bit of both because I mean I I knew turbo a little bit before I interviewed him But after I interviewed him, I knew I knew more about him But I also knew people connected to him that were like just as like devastated for his loss Like the idea that the last time somebody was on camera as a content creator was on my show it it Don't get me wrong.

00:04:52.958 --> 00:05:09.964
It did it did like mess You Not, I wouldn't say mess, like, it would, it definitely hurt me emotionally and psychologically, but at the same time, I knew that if, I just, tucked myself away that I wouldn't be honoring him the way I have been.

00:05:10.321 --> 00:05:19.644
And, Turbo had, like, the biggest heart of anyone that I ever met, heck, I mean, I deal a lot with my autism, but he had a lot of other issues aside from his physical impairments.

00:05:19.665 --> 00:05:32.697
But, the sheer fact that that man could not only do content creation, but also inspire hundreds of people around the world, I mean, it just, it just meant a lot that I had him on my show, it was definitely a big loss for the Pokémon community.

00:05:33.285 --> 00:05:33.915
Absolutely.

00:05:33.925 --> 00:05:43.495
And I think Nobody can really say like how difficult that would be to kind of go through that because I would struggle even myself trying to imagine like if I had a past guest go through that and I'm like, I don't know how to handle it.

00:05:43.495 --> 00:05:46.875
So Bravo for even taking consideration to do that for a season.

00:05:47.454 --> 00:05:49.185
it's easy just to say like, Oh, it just happened.

00:05:49.185 --> 00:05:52.214
But you actually gave him a full season dedication with all the bow ties.

00:05:52.214 --> 00:05:54.814
And it was very sweet to see for an entire season.

00:05:55.504 --> 00:06:01.204
Yeah, some of the people that I had on season two were close to Turbo, so it just made the season a lot more special.

00:06:01.754 --> 00:06:10.154
Well, I want to ask you this so obviously, you know, Pokemon brought us together and you know We're gonna talk about the ways you kind of engage with the franchise now But where did your origin story start?

00:06:10.154 --> 00:06:11.824
When did you first start playing Pokemon?

00:06:12.353 --> 00:06:13.052
let's see.

00:06:13.132 --> 00:06:21.879
I first started playing Pokemon games in, I believe 2006, 2007, because that was the era of, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

00:06:22.252 --> 00:06:24.713
Sapphire was the very first Pokemon game that I ever played.

00:06:24.983 --> 00:06:26.903
I didn't actually start and finish it.

00:06:26.913 --> 00:06:30.052
It was just a pre loaded copy with everything done on it.

00:06:30.052 --> 00:06:36.802
So all I was doing was just knocking out, various things like, Seviper, Zangoose, and Nuzleaf, with, my buddy Swamper night.

00:06:36.802 --> 00:06:39.353
It was like, this is a really, this is a really cool game.

00:06:39.353 --> 00:06:45.716
I mean, this is a really cool franchise the very first Pokemon game that I started and completed was Pokemon Leaf Green.

00:06:45.716 --> 00:06:50.439
And, I remember using a Venus or the first time I played, and Venus Source is still my favorite, gen One star to this day.

00:06:50.826 --> 00:06:59.505
it really also got me thinking about, like, actually strategizing because, you know, I made the careless mistake of overleveling my starter and then I didn't train up an actual team.

00:06:59.865 --> 00:07:02.505
So, I learned how to play the game and, the rest is history.

00:07:02.505 --> 00:07:05.706
I've played pretty much, I've played pretty much every single Pokemon game there is in existence.

00:07:05.706 --> 00:07:07.646
I've even gone back and played the older games.

00:07:08.130 --> 00:07:08.360
Mm hmm.

00:07:08.370 --> 00:07:08.841
That's amazing.

00:07:08.841 --> 00:07:12.350
So even before Leaf, Green, and Fire Red, do you go back to play the ones that came on the Game Boy Color?

00:07:12.649 --> 00:07:19.069
Yeah, like, uh, um, some of my stream endeavors were actually, runs with, the very first Gen 1 mechanics of Pokemon.

00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:22.300
Like, I did a Charizard solo run, in Red.

00:07:22.850 --> 00:07:25.290
And, uh, it was

00:07:25.404 --> 00:07:25.964
I imagine

00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:30.115
um, it was difficult in some ways, but, it was still a pretty doable run.

00:07:30.516 --> 00:07:34.696
the very first time I complete, started and completed Pokemon Red was actually on stream.

00:07:35.571 --> 00:07:39.170
Oh really, so the first time you ever beat the game, your audience to see you do it.

00:07:39.545 --> 00:07:40.485
Uh, yep, exactly.

00:07:40.870 --> 00:07:42.581
That's awesome dude, that's crazy.

00:07:42.944 --> 00:07:50.495
I remember when I played, Pokemon Leaf Green, and I loved it, because for me, I was revisiting Kanto, but it felt kind of empty compared to like some of the remakes nowadays.

00:07:50.894 --> 00:07:53.805
But I always loved the Hoenn games though, those have always been one of my favorites.

00:07:54.235 --> 00:08:01.165
I've always said I'm a Gen 3 baby, so, people will say, like, what Pokemon region you like to live in, and, I always, like, give them two answers.

00:08:01.185 --> 00:08:06.154
Uh, the first one would obviously be Hoenn, because it's my home region, it's where I first started playing Pokemon games.

00:08:06.375 --> 00:08:12.324
And the second would be Galar, because, of course, that's where Obstagoon resides, and the only region he resides as of this point.

00:08:12.410 --> 00:08:13.975
uh, uh,

00:08:14.350 --> 00:08:15.870
since, I mean, give us some time here.

00:08:16.322 --> 00:08:18.668
uh, uh, uh,

00:08:19.490 --> 00:08:21.899
Because I haven't seen Galar, I haven't seen Opsigun so long.

00:08:23.029 --> 00:08:33.450
I yeah, I mean, uh, I still, I still say to this day, I'm still pissed off that they didn't integrate, the Linoone line, whether it's Huinian or Galarian into the, teal mask or.

00:08:33.450 --> 00:08:34.759
Indigo Disc DLCs.

00:08:34.779 --> 00:08:36.279
I'm still pissed off about that.

00:08:36.883 --> 00:08:39.493
I think what's amazing, and we're going to dive into some of your favorite types.

00:08:39.602 --> 00:08:44.332
Originally, I think it was Darkrai was your favorite, but once you saw Obstagoon, I think that became your number one.

00:08:44.342 --> 00:08:44.962
Is that correct?

00:08:45.363 --> 00:08:53.113
Uh, yeah, um, Obstagoon, uh, on looks alone, jumped into my top ten instantly because I just, I've never seen a Pokemon like this before.

00:08:53.113 --> 00:08:54.413
It looked so badass.

00:08:54.816 --> 00:08:59.615
I'm a really big fan of black and white, color schemes, and, this thing just looked menacing.

00:08:59.899 --> 00:09:04.428
and you know, the fact that it's a dark type, my favorite type, just made it all the more special to me.

00:09:04.568 --> 00:09:10.828
And then when I finally started using it in Sword and Shield, it pretty much became my second favorite Pokemon, toppling everything else.

00:09:11.148 --> 00:09:17.107
And, the reason why it's, became my favorite is because when I started doing Twitch streaming, I needed a Pokemon mascot.

00:09:17.347 --> 00:09:23.227
And I know for a moment at that Paters was using dark rice like a co mascot, so I didn't wanna feel like I was copying anyone.

00:09:23.437 --> 00:09:26.437
So that's why I chose Stego because no one else was using it.

00:09:26.467 --> 00:09:29.048
So I jumped on the gun and the rest is history.

00:09:29.393 --> 00:09:33.780
It's cool just to see how both Pokemon that you kind of got attracted to is basically how you build your channel.

00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:38.150
And you know, you have a very deep passion, not only for Dark type Pokemon, but especially for Obstagoon.

00:09:38.191 --> 00:09:39.421
It's kind of amazing to see.

00:09:39.875 --> 00:09:43.596
I know I'm currently actually getting a full gon line tattoo on my right arm.

00:09:44.191 --> 00:09:44.630
Really?

00:09:44.660 --> 00:09:45.230
No way.

00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:50.030
Uh, yeah, the pinned photo on my Twitter page is actually, the progression of my tattoo.

00:09:50.456 --> 00:09:52.606
you said earlier, Dark type's your favorite type.

00:09:52.844 --> 00:09:56.658
what is it about the Dark Type that makes it your favorite, and when did it first happen, do you remember?

00:09:57.773 --> 00:10:15.764
Well, I think it generated from, you know, Darkrai becoming my favorite Pokemon, and I think Dark types became more of a staple for me, like Gen 5 and beyond, because Gen 5 introduced some really good Dark types, you know, like Hydreigon, Crocodile, Bisharp, and, so.

00:10:15.764 --> 00:10:19.654
The reason why it started becoming my favorite is because, like, I'm not gonna sugarcoat shit.

00:10:19.948 --> 00:10:23.139
I've been through hell and back, as a kid and as a teenager.

00:10:23.458 --> 00:10:28.058
I guess, like, Dark Types just kind of spoke out to me because, like, Dark Types are always giving a bad rep.

00:10:28.357 --> 00:10:31.738
like as we both know, it's called the evil type in Japan.

00:10:32.048 --> 00:10:39.927
And, you know, that's why dark types are like, evil menacing creatures, but I just, I just, you know, become like, I feel like more at home with them.

00:10:39.927 --> 00:10:49.240
And I feel like I can, you know, kind of relate to them because I've had such a pretty dark past and, they are actually some of the strongest mods in the game, in my I can, be at home with them.

00:10:49.370 --> 00:10:50.620
That's pretty much all I can say about it.

00:10:50.620 --> 00:10:52.960
It's just, I feel at home with dark type Pokemon.

00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:58.200
And on top of that, I've used Dark type Pokemon on pretty much every team I've had, now that I think about it.

00:10:58.424 --> 00:11:00.365
I used Crocodile in Black 2 and White 2.

00:11:00.465 --> 00:11:04.784
I used Greninja and Pangaroo on my first run of X and Y.

00:11:04.784 --> 00:11:07.832
I had a Sheesh, what was that first team I had?

00:11:08.123 --> 00:11:12.120
Um Actually, did I have a Dark type on my first run through of the game?

00:11:12.149 --> 00:11:12.460
No.

00:11:12.549 --> 00:11:13.690
Oh, yeah, I used Incineroar.

00:11:13.690 --> 00:11:15.220
I was I was like thinking.

00:11:15.659 --> 00:11:21.269
I used Incineroar I used Incineroar Gen 7, and I used, obviously, I used Obstinator in Gen 8.

00:11:21.299 --> 00:11:26.090
I used Grimmsnarl in Gen 8, so just like, I've always wound up using a Dark type Pokemon on my team.

00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:27.620
It's pretty much since Gen 5.

00:11:28.048 --> 00:11:39.597
I know there's some Dark Types, specifically Absol's always been the prime example, to where people think that it's a sign of things, that it brings disaster But if you watch the anime, it actually is kind of foreboding, of a disaster coming.

00:11:39.748 --> 00:11:42.067
But people think that it brings the disaster with it.

00:11:42.077 --> 00:11:44.307
So it seems like it's almost a misunderstood type in a way.

00:11:44.638 --> 00:11:45.347
Exactly.

00:11:45.398 --> 00:11:49.355
Because that's also how I feel because like I said, I'm on the autism spectrum.

00:11:49.355 --> 00:12:11.381
So I feel I felt a lot misunderstood by my fellow students, my fellow, you know, Human beings in general because I just felt so Misunderstood but it did you know, I took later in life for me to start to realize that these people yes They misunderstood me because I didn't understand what was going on in my head So people don't really understand what's going on behind the scenes as a dark type.

00:12:11.672 --> 00:12:15.402
So that's why I kind of relate to them in so many ways and shapes and forms.

00:12:15.572 --> 00:12:18.322
And plus, I can also agree that they do have strong hearts.

00:12:18.322 --> 00:12:22.947
I mean, after all, if you've seen the anime, you'll know that Houndoom just loved Misty's togepi.

00:12:23.342 --> 00:12:33.643
And Houndoom has the flames that would, you'd feel the burn forever, but it also has a soft spot, which I think kind of shows contrast of both what you perceive and what can be reality at times.

00:12:34.158 --> 00:12:34.817
Exactly.

00:12:35.413 --> 00:12:44.886
I kind of want to focus on just Team Yell for a bit because the one thing that's unique about, not Team Yell, but the leader, he actually became the first Dark type Gym Leader within kind of Pokemon's franchise.

00:12:45.386 --> 00:12:52.817
Did you kind of feel some sense of pride that, yes, I finally have a Dark type Gym Leader after all this time, you know, after Karen and the guy from Gen 3?

00:12:53.897 --> 00:12:59.416
I definitely felt some pride because, well, you're also left out, uh, Nanu, the Kahuna of Ula Ula

00:12:59.730 --> 00:13:01.100
I'm not gonna remember guy's name, man.

00:13:02.446 --> 00:13:14.586
Well, I have to, well, I have to for certain reasons, but any But, yeah, um, I definitely felt, like, very, very, very, very happy that we finally got a Dark type gym leader.

00:13:14.655 --> 00:13:21.049
And, on top of that, Piers ace is Obstagoon, so that's why, like, he held a special place in my heart.

00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:23.230
Not just him, but also Marnie as well.

00:13:23.230 --> 00:13:35.509
Marnie's my favorite, not only my favorite Pokigirl, but she's also one of my favorite gym leaders because of the fact that she, it's a dark type gym leader and uh, Have you like have you seen that like that that that cut scene at the end game?

00:13:35.552 --> 00:13:53.883
post game where she's like in a hotel room and she like puts on a Like puts puts her fingers up to her lips and does like a real smile animation front her more pico I thought that was I thought that was the most like one of the most adorable things I have ever seen So that's another reason why marty has a little bit of a special place in my heart

00:13:54.452 --> 00:13:56.082
I actually always enjoyed Marnie as a character.

00:13:56.082 --> 00:13:58.273
She was very, I think, underrated in Sword and Shield.

00:13:58.273 --> 00:13:59.191
And, Grimsley actually.

00:13:59.191 --> 00:14:00.791
Grimsley, I loved Elite Four.

00:14:00.841 --> 00:14:02.870
He was the dark Elite Four, I think, in Innova.

00:14:03.130 --> 00:14:04.600
And I liked his style.

00:14:04.850 --> 00:14:07.873
He always had that very sentencing look, if that makes sense.

00:14:08.393 --> 00:14:09.052
exactly.

00:14:09.212 --> 00:14:28.842
like, Piers looks like the definition of a dark type, trainer because he has dark circles for days, he has the long, super long ass hair, his whole ensemble is just, you know, black and white, grim looking, and he's also, like, I don't know if, like, being super skinny is, a depiction of being a, a dark type master, it is, then I guess it is.

00:14:28.857 --> 00:14:28.918
Is

00:14:30.128 --> 00:14:33.107
Anyway, I want to dive into, you know, you starting to stream on Twitch.

00:14:33.107 --> 00:14:35.347
I think you started back during the pandemic, right?

00:14:35.847 --> 00:14:39.118
Uh, yeah, I actually started, June 17th, 2020.

00:14:39.118 --> 00:14:41.548
It was the, the day the Isle of Armor, DLC released.

00:14:42.413 --> 00:14:44.413
What made you want to start streaming on Twitch?

00:14:44.895 --> 00:14:53.505
it comes down to, uh, years of watching YouTube and seeing all these various, uh, creators doing, like, randomizers and Nuzlocke challenges.

00:14:53.535 --> 00:14:58.059
And, uh, it's like, I could do these myself, but I want to share my experience with the world.

00:14:58.059 --> 00:15:04.133
Like, my world seems so small because there's Pokemon fans, uh, where I was living at the time.

00:15:04.388 --> 00:15:10.841
So I decided to branch out and, actually reach out to, a Pokemon YouTuber known as MJTV.

00:15:10.890 --> 00:15:11.721
I think you know him.

00:15:11.926 --> 00:15:12.485
Yes, I do.

00:15:13.051 --> 00:15:14.421
Yeah, um, I actually,

00:15:14.466 --> 00:15:15.125
know him by name.

00:15:15.125 --> 00:15:15.316
Okay.

00:15:15.316 --> 00:15:15.485
Just

00:15:15.561 --> 00:15:18.660
yes, yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah, I know, yeah, we know him by name.

00:15:18.931 --> 00:15:25.046
So I, I actually emailed him and asked him if there, if he, you know, give me some advice on starting up, a Twitch channel or whatnot.

00:15:25.066 --> 00:15:29.025
And, uh, I didn't know if he was going to respond or not, but to my surprise, he actually did.

00:15:29.635 --> 00:15:30.735
That must've been very humbling.

00:15:30.745 --> 00:15:32.475
Like, Oh my gosh, he actually responds.

00:15:33.051 --> 00:15:33.591
Uh, yeah.

00:15:33.921 --> 00:15:43.120
Yeah, like I, yeah, it was, it was very humble of him and, uh, yeah, he just gave me some advice but this was in 2019 and I didn't have enough money to save up for, a starter PC.

00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:51.258
So basically what I did was I, pretty much, Put my entire stimulus into my startup PC and, I had no idea what I was doing at the beginning.

00:15:51.258 --> 00:15:58.238
I hadn't, I had no idea like I was, I was streaming off the Elgato software, not OBS.

00:15:58.248 --> 00:16:00.638
I didn't know how to integrate on social media.

00:16:00.658 --> 00:16:05.273
It was just like, I was doing something, but at the same time I wasn't growing because I just didn't know what to do.

00:16:06.393 --> 00:16:21.461
wasn't until my friend, uh, John, uh, aka PowerPunchPlays, uh, rated me for the first time, where he kinda like opened up my eyes to the world of Twitch, and that's where I, started, you know, actually started progressing as a creator and, a person in general, because, it took me about six months to finally get affiliated.

00:16:21.461 --> 00:16:23.792
And when I did, it just all, it just snowballed from there.

00:16:23.792 --> 00:16:26.402
I started doing a lot more randomizers and challenge runs.

00:16:26.672 --> 00:16:29.091
I just started doing a lot more types of shiny hunting.

00:16:29.091 --> 00:16:32.392
I started doing community, shiny hunting events, world record attempts.

00:16:32.558 --> 00:16:34.688
that's just pretty much how it's, got to that point.

00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:41.461
So, you know, initially you sent the email out to Mandy, to see what he would say in regards to, you know, starting the content creation journey.

00:16:41.788 --> 00:16:46.347
Do you think you would have kept going with Twitch or even think about trying it, had he responded?

00:16:48.384 --> 00:16:54.945
Yes, and no because like I said, it was always something I wanted to do, but I just didn't know where to begin.

00:16:55.399 --> 00:17:06.839
If he didn't respond, I probably would have just dove into The Google verse and then just started looking up about tutorials and how to get started and whatnot Like I didn't know how to do anything for my startup PC.

00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:09.240
I had to rely on my brother in law and my sister for that.

00:17:09.250 --> 00:17:09.609
So

00:17:09.903 --> 00:17:10.532
Shout out to them.

00:17:10.532 --> 00:17:11.002
Yeah.

00:17:11.320 --> 00:17:11.730
Yeah.

00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:13.089
You know what's cool about them?

00:17:13.089 --> 00:17:15.099
I actually had them on stream a couple of times.

00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:16.170
Oh, really?

00:17:16.900 --> 00:17:35.305
Yeah, I did a 24 hour when I got to a thousand followers and they were sitting with me when I was playing XD Gale of Darkness and and of course, and of course, my sister told embarrassing stories and I had to mute them out because I didn't want my dirty laundry to be spread all over Twitch like that.

00:17:35.625 --> 00:17:37.075
But you're the dark type trainer.

00:17:37.075 --> 00:17:39.644
Isn't dirty laundry supposed to be, like, your M.

00:17:39.644 --> 00:17:40.005
O.?

00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:47.940
There are just some things in my past that are just so embarrassing, I don't even want to explain them on this show.

00:17:49.265 --> 00:17:49.865
about this joke?

00:17:50.204 --> 00:17:50.934
You want to slay them here?

00:17:51.424 --> 00:17:52.734
I don't mind going to dirty laundry.

00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:59.140
Yeah, uh, yeah, not today, not today, not today.

00:17:59.397 --> 00:18:01.461
It's like you brought the family with you.

00:18:01.501 --> 00:18:05.811
I mean, besides the whole embarrassing stories, of course, you it must have been kind of, it kind of came full circle in a way.

00:18:06.402 --> 00:18:07.561
Uh, yeah, it definitely did.

00:18:07.582 --> 00:18:14.811
So, you know, and sometimes they, uh, came in to crash my stream, especially one time when I was, playing my, alter ego, dark king persona.

00:18:14.811 --> 00:18:20.142
And I had full blown face paint on they came in and I was all decked out in costume and face paint.

00:18:20.152 --> 00:18:21.721
They're like, what are you doing?

00:18:24.011 --> 00:18:25.842
It's like, is it Halloween or something, or?

00:18:28.392 --> 00:18:28.821
Yeah.

00:18:29.102 --> 00:18:29.521
Yeah.

00:18:29.632 --> 00:18:31.061
It was like, was so random.

00:18:32.142 --> 00:18:36.672
I think you go through every single region, and that's when you go and beat every game with dark types, right?

00:18:37.162 --> 00:18:38.122
Uh, yes, indeed.

00:18:38.122 --> 00:18:40.041
Uh, his name's the Dark King Zao.

00:18:40.332 --> 00:18:41.342
Mmm, okay.

00:18:41.501 --> 00:18:42.422
How'd you come up with him?

00:18:42.471 --> 00:18:44.832
Was it just something that came out of the head, or have you been working on him?

00:18:45.298 --> 00:18:49.980
it's kind of a mixture of spur of the moment and, uh, Let me further explain.

00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:59.513
Uh, you see, after I did my first ever dark lock and sword, um, I decided to do it again in Ultra Moon, but this time I decided to just, put a little gimmick behind it and I got a, cape.

00:19:00.013 --> 00:19:07.409
And a crown and I just said, the dark king is coming back to conquer the next region because I called myself the dark king of Galar.

00:19:07.568 --> 00:19:10.419
So now I wanted to proclaim myself the dark king of the Pokemon world.

00:19:10.648 --> 00:19:16.229
So I just, you know, bought, bought a crown and the cape and just started, you know, acting like a king when I was on stream.

00:19:16.608 --> 00:19:29.398
the Zeo part didn't come into play until later on, like halfway through that lock, when I decided to actually give my alter ego a name and Zeo is actually a name of, a character That I wrote in Avatar last Airbender Fanfic.

00:19:29.689 --> 00:19:30.088
Mm hmm.

00:19:30.098 --> 00:19:30.528
Wow.

00:19:30.548 --> 00:19:33.499
Okay, so you really went deep to dream bring him back, huh?

00:19:33.868 --> 00:19:34.499
Uh, yeah.

00:19:34.499 --> 00:19:46.799
So, um, I decided to give him the name and then, uh, I decided to speak in this deep, somewhat British, deep s Scottish accent to differentiate myself from the character.

00:19:46.805 --> 00:19:47.115
You know,

00:19:47.380 --> 00:20:02.329
but that's only the chain looks I got a chance to see some of your streams when you do that and you get so into character and you started out Saying that we're gonna go and conquer this region and expand our kingdom, you know I'm not doing you justice, but that's just like stuff like that was always entertaining to see

00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:08.679
I actually, so far I have successfully done, uh, dark lock in Galler, a Lola.

00:20:09.095 --> 00:20:11.634
Kalos, Unova, and Sinnoh.

00:20:12.064 --> 00:20:14.993
so you thought you've gotten Almost over half, you know, you've gotten over half.

00:20:14.993 --> 00:20:16.844
You're just missing a couple.

00:20:17.193 --> 00:20:23.693
Yeah, yeah, I was actually doing my Darklock in Omega Ruby before I took a hiatus.

00:20:24.013 --> 00:20:26.324
I still have yet to return to said lock.

00:20:26.324 --> 00:20:31.973
So, one day soon, someday soon, the Dark King Zael will come back and he'll complete that run.

00:20:32.253 --> 00:20:37.990
And, I'll finally be able to proclaim myself as the Dark King of the Hoenn region.

00:20:38.190 --> 00:20:41.299
There you go now you gotta do the dark king of kanto

00:20:41.752 --> 00:20:59.414
Ah confusing because you first, like that one's gonna be the final lock, cause, the plan is to conquer Johto and Kanto in one game, and we both know there's a game that has both of them, HeartGoldSoulSilver.

00:20:59.805 --> 00:21:16.259
So, so, basically, I have a plans to do it in SoulSilver, so that's gonna be a, two in one whopper because I'm gonna, Defeat the Johto region, get all the Kanto badges, and then defeat Red, and then as soon as I defeat Red I can proclaim myself the Dark King of the Pokemon World.

00:21:16.443 --> 00:21:32.359
I Have a friend who is the fairy king and I don't think there's a damn soul that can conquer him

00:21:32.664 --> 00:21:33.904
Okay, bug king.

00:21:33.914 --> 00:21:34.964
I don't know, that's all I got.

00:21:39.589 --> 00:21:40.529
You're killing me here

00:21:41.954 --> 00:21:45.065
Yeah, I think that's all I mean, uh, the fighting Nah, the fighting king's kinda overrated.

00:21:46.434 --> 00:21:47.585
call you the bug master.

00:21:47.904 --> 00:21:50.285
I don't know there's only a few bug pokemon I can stand

00:22:37.781 --> 00:22:42.031
you know, since we're on the topic of Nuzlocke, you know, sometimes you do that on Twitch, and sometimes you do that in private.

00:22:42.031 --> 00:22:44.001
Like, what is it about Nuzlocke that you enjoy?

00:22:44.692 --> 00:22:47.337
Well, I've always been good with challenging myself.

00:22:47.337 --> 00:22:58.565
I like to challenge myself and, those locks are like one of the easiest things you can do in terms of like, you know, trying to make a game that you've either not played before or have played before.

00:22:58.575 --> 00:23:00.740
Just a lot more, of a fun experience.

00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:14.678
So, Like, in terms of like, Nuzlocke's on stream, I started with a Shield Surprise Locke, which is, you know, the new term for a Wunderlocke, because I don't know why they changed Wunderlocke to Surprise, like, Yeah,

00:23:14.817 --> 00:23:16.208
Wonder Trade sounded so much better.

00:23:16.238 --> 00:23:17.157
But anyway, continue.

00:23:18.357 --> 00:23:36.250
so I started with that, it wasn't my first ever Nuzlocke, because I did a few Nuzlocke's off screen before, But my first one on screen was that, and I had a lot of fun doing it, I gained newfound respect for some Pokemon, like I gained a newfound appreciation for, you know, Excadrill, Leafeon, even Primarina, and I didn't, I didn't even like Primarina at the time.

00:23:36.415 --> 00:23:38.236
Ooh, you're tapping into your furry side.

00:23:38.502 --> 00:23:46.048
Yeah, I mean, there's only a few fairy Pokemon I can actually, you know, stand and like, but, Primarina's still off that list.

00:23:47.324 --> 00:23:48.153
Still off the list.

00:23:49.173 --> 00:23:50.733
it saved your butt, it's still off the list.

00:23:51.794 --> 00:23:54.364
yeah, pretty much, but yeah, yeah, just like that.

00:23:54.374 --> 00:23:58.365
Um, it always like gives you like a newfound respect for Pokemon you think you'd never use.

00:23:58.365 --> 00:24:27.836
Like for like biggest example I got is that, I did a electric only Nuzlocke in Pokemon shield and I used a lantern on my team and I nicknamed her Sushi and I gained a newfound respect for that powerhouse because she had such a versatile moveset, it was like, man, I mean, come on, Dazzling Gleam, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Scald, I mean, dang, this thing is the perfect powerhouse right here, like, like, if, if, if Lantern's stats were a little bit better outside of its HP, it'd be a lot more used, in my opinion.

00:24:28.301 --> 00:24:28.801
It would be.

00:24:28.801 --> 00:24:30.182
I love that water electric typing.

00:24:30.182 --> 00:24:33.751
I fell in love with it in Johto and I'm like, I love ice beam surf.

00:24:33.801 --> 00:24:36.261
And I think Thunderbolt was always my move set until it got rain dance.

00:24:36.261 --> 00:24:39.412
And of course I upgraded, but I've always loved the typing and the potential.

00:24:39.412 --> 00:24:41.662
It just, unfortunately the stats are very mediocre.

00:24:42.146 --> 00:24:49.296
Yeah, I know, exactly, but yeah, like I said, it gives you new, a new perspective and newfound appreciation for Pokemon you thought you'd never use.

00:24:49.898 --> 00:24:54.378
I know we just touched on Nuzlocke, but you also do shiny hunting Do you have a preference on which one you prefer over other?

00:24:55.039 --> 00:25:03.654
kind of like half and half because I always station myself as a variety Pokemon streamer.

00:25:03.664 --> 00:25:06.255
So I stream pretty much anything Pokemon related.

00:25:06.674 --> 00:25:09.734
But I do focus primarily on Shiny Humping and Nuzlocke.

00:25:09.734 --> 00:25:13.375
So it's kind of like a half and half batch because there's a lot of Pokemon.

00:25:13.390 --> 00:25:20.079
There are hunts that, uh, you're dedicated to that you just don't want to, you know, stop in the middle of it and then move on to something else.

00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:24.789
But then, you start getting dedicated to a muzzle lock project that you don't want to stop.

00:25:25.109 --> 00:25:28.309
So, you just, you know, wind up kind of putting shiny hunting on the backboard.

00:25:28.609 --> 00:25:34.586
So, I like how I can, like, try to blend the two, in sync as much as possible so that way I'm not doing one over the other.

00:25:34.586 --> 00:25:42.634
But sometimes I do things where I do, like, community events where I'm shiny hunting, So, I try to make it as even as humanly possible.

00:25:42.733 --> 00:25:44.263
And, uh, when it comes to my interests.

00:25:44.273 --> 00:25:46.263
Cause I love them both equally.

00:25:46.284 --> 00:25:48.013
So I try to like, you know, just, even it out.

00:25:48.598 --> 00:25:53.499
when it comes to Shiny hunting, you know, Game Freak's very good about picking shiny Pokemon in the colors, right?

00:25:53.499 --> 00:25:55.338
You know, they do such a good job with all of them.

00:25:55.679 --> 00:26:01.249
But if there's happened to be like one Pokemon that you could change the shiny form, which one would it be?

00:26:02.489 --> 00:26:03.439
Easy answer.

00:26:03.736 --> 00:26:06.478
The whole Charcadet, Armourous, and Saru Ledge line.

00:26:06.478 --> 00:26:07.188
The whole line.

00:26:07.788 --> 00:26:09.498
yes, oh my gosh.

00:26:10.032 --> 00:26:13.113
I say this every single time I do a podcast.

00:26:13.182 --> 00:26:22.853
All they had to do was make Char Kedet a burnt out charcoal gray color and then swap the color schemes of Armourers and Cerulidge, and they would have been some of the best damn shinies in the game.

00:26:23.123 --> 00:26:27.782
But new Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

00:26:27.782 --> 00:26:29.123
You don't get any good shinies.

00:26:29.458 --> 00:26:32.397
Nope, it's gotta just be the eyes, but nobody's gonna really pay attention.

00:26:32.397 --> 00:26:35.518
It's just for some reason just the eyes are different, but everything else is the same.

00:26:36.012 --> 00:26:36.853
I say this before.

00:26:36.853 --> 00:26:38.143
I mean, you've seen me on stream before.

00:26:38.143 --> 00:26:39.952
I wear sunglasses on stream as a gimmick.

00:26:39.982 --> 00:26:44.363
So people see me without my sunglasses are like, oh my God, this is a rare form of Spencer and it is.

00:26:45.528 --> 00:26:48.307
Well, I just figured the glasses were they power up your dark type moves early.

00:26:49.692 --> 00:26:56.272
Well, I guess they kind of do, but they kind of do, but yeah, but yeah, like kind of off topic.

00:26:56.272 --> 00:26:58.192
But yeah, the sunglasses are purely gimmick.

00:26:58.373 --> 00:27:03.093
Um, my, I wear regular prescription lenses that have severe monitor glare.

00:27:03.093 --> 00:27:04.833
So people can't see my eyes normally.

00:27:04.833 --> 00:27:07.432
So why not just, you know, make myself look cool?

00:27:07.432 --> 00:27:09.593
Yeah.

00:27:09.857 --> 00:27:13.718
Yeah, that one and Mal's Hold were the two that bugged me from that generation.

00:27:13.728 --> 00:27:18.367
There's others, of course, but Mal's Hold, I've always said, if they just made it brown for the color.

00:27:18.397 --> 00:27:19.337
That's all they had to do.

00:27:19.337 --> 00:27:20.357
It would have been a brown mouse.

00:27:20.367 --> 00:27:22.008
It would have been perfect, but no.

00:27:22.278 --> 00:27:24.478
It's just a different shade of white, and it bugs the hell out of me.

00:27:24.478 --> 00:27:26.407
But especially for Set Religion, the other one.

00:27:26.478 --> 00:27:27.958
That, that's just ridiculous.

00:27:28.413 --> 00:27:32.002
I also say this, like whatever, like They don't PK Hex shinies anymore.

00:27:32.002 --> 00:27:33.782
They, you know, they design them.

00:27:34.042 --> 00:27:39.843
So whoever designed the shinies just does not deserve to, be in the company anymore because they're so bad.

00:27:40.143 --> 00:27:43.762
Right, that's the worst part, like I would be understanding if it was like before, I think, what was it?

00:27:43.762 --> 00:27:48.133
Pokemon Sun and Moon was the last time, the first time they ever started designing their own shiny Pokemon?

00:27:48.492 --> 00:27:52.002
I would understand maybe if it was before, but no, this is after.

00:27:52.002 --> 00:27:55.883
They can design whatever they want, and they chose white on white, I don't get it.

00:27:56.083 --> 00:27:58.563
And same with the ones you talked about, they just changed the eyes.

00:27:58.752 --> 00:28:02.119
There's no reason outside of, I don't know, just trolling us, I guess?

00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:11.279
yeah, I mean, they, they, they've really dropped the ball with certain, like good shinies between sun and moon and, and Scarlet and Violet.

00:28:11.640 --> 00:28:18.240
But I will say they have done decent compensation with some Pokemon, I won't, I won't say they've completely trashed us.

00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:24.539
They have given us some good Pokemon like vi vault, uh, grapple, locked ops, Sagoon, grim snar.

00:28:24.539 --> 00:28:25.440
I'll just name a few.

00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:30.619
Now, speaking of shiny Pokemon, you had a shiny hunt on your second favorite Pokemon, Darkrai.

00:28:31.619 --> 00:28:33.000
Actually, it's my third now.

00:28:33.369 --> 00:28:35.269
Oh, it's gotten downgraded even more, my gosh.

00:28:36.509 --> 00:28:37.140
Yeah.

00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:38.259
Uh, Greninja.

00:28:38.539 --> 00:28:39.220
Really?

00:28:39.512 --> 00:28:44.492
yeah, it is become my favorite, not because it's a dark type, it's because of its versatility and also its ability.

00:28:44.492 --> 00:28:47.282
And, uh, you know, my history with it, it's become my favorite starter of all time.

00:28:47.972 --> 00:28:48.692
Oh, okay.

00:28:48.992 --> 00:28:50.153
Ripped Darkrai.

00:28:50.153 --> 00:28:52.542
But what was it like to kind of shiny hunt and finally get Darkrai then?

00:28:53.722 --> 00:29:01.532
Like, I'm, I'm gonna take you all the way back to April 2022 when I first started this hunt.

00:29:02.113 --> 00:29:09.119
So, I started this hunt literally 2, 3 o'clock in the morning at the end of my 24 hour stream.

00:29:09.426 --> 00:29:18.502
And, when I started this hunt, I had no conceivable idea how long I would have spent just going after that purple nightmare.

00:29:19.319 --> 00:29:22.345
so, Yeah, pun intended.

00:29:22.484 --> 00:29:25.265
That's literally, that's the nickname I give it, the Purple Nightmare.

00:29:25.637 --> 00:29:30.077
after like the first few months, uh, I was like, okay, okay, this is getting a little bit long.

00:29:30.077 --> 00:29:35.077
And then all of a sudden we go at the end of the year and I'm like, oh my god, I'm starting hunting this thing into the new year.

00:29:35.428 --> 00:29:36.577
And I was.

00:29:36.833 --> 00:30:09.853
I was shining out into the new year and I was like, okay, so I knew at the time my community was also kind of getting bored seeing the darkrai hunt, so what I did was I got a second capture card and I started doing double hunting, so that way, you know, we could actually get shinies on screen in case this darkrai never shows up and I don't know the exact number, but I have gotten at least, at least Over two dozen shinies on the other side before I found Darkrai, INCLUDING a shiny Regieleki.

00:30:10.637 --> 00:30:14.887
Wow, he was dedicated for this shiny darkrai.

00:30:15.508 --> 00:30:17.498
Yes, um, I was too far gone.

00:30:17.498 --> 00:30:19.758
Once I hit 10k, I was too far gone.

00:30:19.897 --> 00:30:25.938
And once I surpassed one other content creator I knew that got his Darkrai at, 10, 522.

00:30:26.201 --> 00:30:27.810
I knew I had to please him no matter what.

00:30:28.020 --> 00:30:35.641
And then I entered the infamous 20k encounter club for Darkrai, and I'm like, oh my god, this can't get any worse.

00:30:36.117 --> 00:31:04.059
But, Like, uh, less than two weeks later, two weeks later, I was shiny hunting Drillbur and Darkrai at the same time, I got a shiny Drillbur in 82 eggs, and literally, the next reset for Darkrai Finally, after one year, nine months, three weeks, one day, 20, 118 resets, that frickin purple nightmare finally decided to pop up on my screen.

00:31:05.335 --> 00:31:07.285
And your reaction deserved it.

00:31:07.454 --> 00:31:12.055
Like it felt like, you know, you won the lottery that you couldn't believe what had happened.

00:31:12.055 --> 00:31:17.894
You were wondering if you were dreaming, like it was such an ecstatic reaction to finally getting a Pokemon like that.

00:31:18.345 --> 00:31:25.825
Like, I won't say that my reaction was better than Reversal's Feebas, because we all know how badly that was going on for him.

00:31:26.045 --> 00:31:28.826
But I will say that I, fully believe.

00:31:29.080 --> 00:31:31.381
I screamed louder than he did.

00:32:18.066 --> 00:32:25.164
And you know, here's the guys the more depressing part, you know in another world The poking network is still shiny hunting darkrai

00:32:25.869 --> 00:32:27.230
Oh God.

00:32:27.250 --> 00:32:27.559
Yeah.

00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:27.950
The mult,

00:32:28.164 --> 00:32:28.704
gosh

00:32:29.099 --> 00:32:32.740
or, or there's a multiverse where he's not hunting it at all.

00:32:33.193 --> 00:32:34.104
What would he be doing then?

00:32:34.104 --> 00:32:36.084
Just he probably like me with the feedback, huh?

00:32:36.084 --> 00:32:38.364
Mm

00:32:39.763 --> 00:32:43.584
Like, I don't know what I would have done if I wasn't doing Darkrai.

00:32:43.584 --> 00:32:48.003
I mean, that's one of the reasons, that's one of the things I'm known for now is my shiny Darkrai.

00:32:48.364 --> 00:32:50.804
I'm known for a few things now Twitch.

00:32:50.834 --> 00:32:55.834
I'm like the Obstacoon guy, I'm the guy that took nearly two years to find shiny Darkrai.

00:32:56.384 --> 00:32:57.294
I'm the Mr.

00:32:57.294 --> 00:33:01.173
Celebi finding two shiny Celebi within the span of like three days.

00:33:01.523 --> 00:33:04.951
And I'm also, please be female guy on on TikTok.

00:33:05.666 --> 00:33:06.457
What the heck?

00:33:06.507 --> 00:33:09.267
What's the what to please me female guy?

00:33:10.061 --> 00:33:11.491