July 26, 2023

TRAINER'S EYE #48 - "Turtwig Capturing Pokemon" ft. KittyPokemonsALot

In this Pokemon interview, we are joined by KittyPokemonsALot, a Pokemon GO Trainer from the United Kingdom and an author from Pokemon GO Hub, who has a unique and creative approach to playing Pokémon GO. Our guest's passion lies in taking augmented reality (AR) photos, capturing the magic and charm of Pokémon in the real world. Join us as we embark on a visual journey, delving into the art of AR photography and the beauty it adds to the Pokémon GO experience.

Beyond her photography endeavors, KittyPokemonsALot reveals her love for writing, which has opened doors to exciting opportunities within the Pokémon GO community. She shares her journey as a contributor to Pokemon GO Hub, the biggest Pokémon GO news site, publishing several informative guides, analysis, and news articles every month. Through her writing, she empowers the Pokemon GO Community with valuable tips and strategies to enhance their gameplay.

Trainer's Eye is a series where the stories are real and people still play this game. From PVP to Shiny Hunting, each person's Pokemon GO journey is unique and we dive into each journey here on As The Pokeball Turns!

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

Connect with KittyPokemonsALot: Twitter | Instagram | GoHub

MY Interview with Round Table Chat(ot): LISTEN HERE

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

Chapters

00:44 - Introduction

01:32 - Interview with KittyPokemonsALot

24:35 - Thank You For Listening! :)

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.569
My name is David Hernandez, and you're listening to As the Pokeball Turns.

00:00:44.003 --> 00:00:49.704
Welcome to as the Pokeball Turns, where the stories are real and people still play this game.

00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:55.701
In past episodes, I've had the privilege of diving into both journalism and photography with certain guests.

00:00:55.997 --> 00:01:04.578
In this episode, We combine both of them, and we have a guest who has spent hours promoting the creativity of the AR community through works like the AR showcase.

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With her passion for AR photography and her love for Pokemon Go, she has written 666 articles for GoHub at the time of this interview.

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What may initially sound like the devil's number for many is a sign of her dedication and passion from her when it comes to writing, photography, and Pokemon.

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One could say that she really loves Pokemon a lot.

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From the United Kingdom, Here's her origin story into the world of Pokemon Go, this is Kitty Pokemon's A Lot.

00:01:32.474 --> 00:01:35.534
today I'm joined by Kitty Pokemons A Lot.

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She is a writer for Pokemon Go Hub, the self proclaimed AR queen, and a lover of horror movies.

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Kitty, thank you for coming on to the show.

00:01:43.162 --> 00:01:44.623
Thank you so much for inviting me.

00:01:45.075 --> 00:01:48.775
For sure, and I gotta ask this question because I know we're not going to be able to ask this later on.

00:01:49.036 --> 00:01:50.945
What are some of your favorite horror movies?

00:01:51.546 --> 00:01:54.585
I am a huge lover of found footage horror films.

00:01:54.585 --> 00:01:56.286
so Blair Witch is a classic.

00:01:56.591 --> 00:01:58.652
I have a Blair Witch tattoo even.

00:01:58.686 --> 00:02:03.236
and then there's a film called As Above So Below, which is all set in the Paris catacombs.

00:02:03.236 --> 00:02:04.037
That's amazing.

00:02:04.352 --> 00:02:18.564
there's some really obscure ones I keep, like, a list of all of the ones that I watch because, sometimes they're really hard to find but there's one called, Alien Abduction Incident in Lake County that's really old and it's all filmed on like the worst camcorders ever but so creepy and brilliant the way it's done.

00:02:19.086 --> 00:02:23.806
I'm also really into scream like I have a, I have a ghost face tattoo but it's like a subtle ghost face tattoo.

00:02:23.973 --> 00:02:28.062
So like every now and then I'll find people staring at me being like is that, a ghost face tattoo?

00:02:28.062 --> 00:02:29.724
And it's like yeah it is, just a small secret.

00:02:29.724 --> 00:02:29.875
Whichever.

00:02:30.524 --> 00:02:33.044
I grew up on, Freddy Krueger and Halloween.

00:02:33.044 --> 00:02:34.443
All those are more slasher films.

00:02:34.449 --> 00:02:36.368
Yes, I love, I love slashes as well

00:02:36.673 --> 00:02:38.223
but anyway, we're not here to talk about horror movies.

00:02:38.223 --> 00:02:39.853
Unfortunately, that's going to be different podcast.

00:02:40.182 --> 00:02:42.152
I want to ask, like, what's your experience with Pokemon?

00:02:42.212 --> 00:02:43.573
Like, when did you first start playing?

00:02:44.176 --> 00:03:08.389
I think, I was, like, about 11 or 12 when the card game really started taking off in England, and so very early was collecting the cards and I have a very like distinct memory of being, like, I was, like, the first kid in my school to get a Charizard, and everyone was so excited And I was, one of the youngest in the school and an older kid trying to buy it off me and things but it all started with the cards and then spiraled out of control from there.

00:03:08.474 --> 00:03:11.534
base one Charizard, you're probably sitting on potential retirement money right

00:03:11.789 --> 00:03:12.590
I hope so.

00:03:13.930 --> 00:03:14.639
It would be good.

00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:16.340
I've got some of my early ones.

00:03:16.340 --> 00:03:26.485
I found a few out recently, but I know there's like a whole, it's like a old CD case full of them because I never had anything like proper to store them in but I know that they're all in little card sleeves and stuff and they are somewhere in the attic.

00:03:27.091 --> 00:03:28.531
Do you have a favorite Pokemon at all?

00:03:29.441 --> 00:03:32.350
I have several, but the one I'm most known for is, is Turtwig.

00:03:32.866 --> 00:03:34.627
I am known as Turtwig's number one fan.

00:03:34.627 --> 00:03:36.217
but then Psyduck is a close second.

00:03:36.543 --> 00:03:40.403
I have, chronic cluster headaches and hemiplegic migraines, so I identify very much with Psyduck.

00:03:40.703 --> 00:03:42.496
Now, do you have any Psychic Powers, though?

00:03:42.496 --> 00:03:44.536
I wish I did, but no, unfortunately not.

00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:47.306
Did you ever get a chance play any of the main series games?

00:03:47.575 --> 00:03:51.966
No, I never had any consoles or anything until I was like about 18.

00:03:52.346 --> 00:03:53.846
my little brother always had a Game Boy.

00:03:53.885 --> 00:03:59.449
So we went to Texas to visit some friends and he bought a Game Boy Color when we were there and bought, red, I think it was.

00:03:59.746 --> 00:04:01.376
it was his game, not mine.

00:04:01.385 --> 00:04:04.718
So it was always, having to be sneaky when he wasn't playing it.

00:04:05.052 --> 00:04:11.575
So I bought a Switch a few years ago and then got really back into it with Sword and Shield and then I'm very obsessed with Scarlet and Violet.

00:04:11.575 --> 00:04:12.556
I think they're really brilliant.

00:04:12.855 --> 00:04:17.685
I just think the open world mechanic worked so well, and just made it so much more interesting.

00:04:17.983 --> 00:04:28.658
I can just, stay in one area for hours and feel like I'm not really accomplishing anything story wise, but there's just so much to do and so much to see that I don't care that I've not really gone anywhere and accomplished anything technically.

00:04:29.259 --> 00:04:31.720
What's your team that you're playing with, Scarlet or Violet?

00:04:32.322 --> 00:04:34.963
I've got a shiny great tusk in there.

00:04:34.963 --> 00:04:40.423
which was the first shiny I found, and I just found it randomly the first time I got in Area 0, so that went straight on the team.

00:04:40.872 --> 00:04:47.209
Mycorrhidon, because I love the way that they let you bond with the legendaries in it, so as soon as I got my second one, that went in the team.

00:04:47.716 --> 00:04:51.237
I'm trying to switch everything out for shiny variations of stuff at the moment.

00:04:51.536 --> 00:04:58.500
I think I've got Warchan in there just because I love the idea that it's like a snail, like, or a slug, it's just a ridiculous creature and I love it.

00:04:59.112 --> 00:05:01.141
So Pokemon Go comes out in 2016.

00:05:01.192 --> 00:05:02.632
Did you play the very first day?

00:05:03.052 --> 00:05:10.201
I downloaded it a day before it got released in England through like a dodgy APK because I was desperate to be playing it.

00:05:10.504 --> 00:05:15.944
it was like everyone's childhood dream come true to get to play Pokemon like in real life and walk around and catch them.

00:05:15.944 --> 00:05:17.535
You know, what we'd all dreamed of as being kids.

00:05:17.862 --> 00:05:21.552
So the second I found an APK, it was immediately downloaded so I could play it.

00:05:21.581 --> 00:05:23.432
And then the next day it got released properly.

00:05:23.432 --> 00:05:25.062
So then I downloaded the proper version of it.

00:05:25.365 --> 00:05:26.064
But from day one.

00:05:26.064 --> 00:05:29.776
So I think from in England, I think it was like the 13th of July, I think it got released.

00:05:30.377 --> 00:05:33.007
What was it like when Pokemon Go debuted over in England?

00:05:33.016 --> 00:05:34.547
Like, were people going to parks?

00:05:34.547 --> 00:05:36.786
Like, what was the hotspot that people would go to?

00:05:37.057 --> 00:05:39.447
Yeah, it's definitely like where I live, I live in like a smaller village.

00:05:39.456 --> 00:06:06.817
So there's still no one really here who plays all these years later, but the nearest town, it was so many people you could, turn up to anywhere and it was so easy to spot all the go players because there'd be groups and little herds of people on their phones and you'd see everyone suddenly fleeing, looking for a Snorlax that had been rumoured, and there used to be so many of us for like the early events and things, they're petered off a bit now, but back then it would be, you could easily guarantee there'd be at least 50 people in the local parks nearly every day playing.

00:06:07.416 --> 00:06:10.687
You said you're in a small village, so is that kind of like you were in a rural area?

00:06:11.447 --> 00:06:22.382
Yes, I write a bit of a series on GoHub and I tend to call myself semi rural because I'm very aware that the difference between like my rural in England and then someone's rural in some states in America, etc.

00:06:22.382 --> 00:06:24.163
can be very drastically different things.

00:06:24.173 --> 00:06:26.966
So where I live, there's probably like one and a half thousand people.

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Um, you know, there's like a little, a little shop and that's about it.

00:06:30.007 --> 00:06:37.735
I travel pretty much for every event that I do over to the nearest towns because there's no one else to play here with like we've got a lot of Pokestops and gyms because I've submitted them.

00:06:37.735 --> 00:06:39.232
but no one else actually play with.

00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:43.089
What's the biggest challenge, you know, playing in a small town like where you're from?

00:06:43.615 --> 00:06:44.774
A mobile signal.

00:06:45.898 --> 00:06:51.704
And there's like a whole part of the village that I live in is just completely unplayable because there's no signal at all.

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So there's like another little park and things that could easily be a Pokestop, but there's no signal here to even attempt to submit it or load up the game with even.

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Not even worth attempting to play.

00:07:01.699 --> 00:07:04.560
It's like basically the phone just goes dead whenever to go into that area.

00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:06.009
It's like a force field almost.

00:07:06.245 --> 00:07:08.541
Yeah, probably more of like, the newer buildings and things.

00:07:08.701 --> 00:07:11.601
You get to a certain point you just walk across the line and that's it.

00:07:11.904 --> 00:07:18.009
You're in an immediate dead zone and that whole area is a dead zone, so you're very restricted in the area you can actually play in.

00:07:18.822 --> 00:07:20.432
What was it about Pokemon Go that appealed to you?

00:07:20.432 --> 00:07:22.023
Because you said it was a dream come true.

00:07:22.233 --> 00:07:31.177
Yeah, like when you're a kid, like, I never, I didn't really have any pets growing up or anything, so for me it was, like, the idea of being able to have, like, a Pokémon and actually have them come around with me in the real world.

00:07:31.468 --> 00:07:42.487
That idea was just so cool to me, and it didn't matter that I was in my late 20s by that point, it was still very much a dream come true to be able to actually have Pokémon in the real world to go and catch, so straight away that appealed to me.

00:07:42.812 --> 00:07:55.641
then obviously once they'd introduced, like, the buddy system and things, like, getting to bond with your Pokémon more it was all I'd wanted from being able to collect Pokémon as a kid to actually then be able to collect them as an adult and take them out with me on adventures and, you know, make memories with them and things.

00:07:55.641 --> 00:08:00.641
As weird as that sounds, like I like to try and collect Smiggles whenever we go like away on trips and things.

00:08:01.028 --> 00:08:03.894
You know, like name them after places we've been and things like that.

00:08:04.187 --> 00:08:06.978
They're all like little memories of all different places that I've been to.

00:08:07.579 --> 00:08:08.170
That's awesome.

00:08:08.180 --> 00:08:13.389
So you actually do the AR snapshot for Smurgles wherever you visit and you just name it after the place you're from?

00:08:13.389 --> 00:08:15.259
Yeah, I've got quite a few different ones.

00:08:15.259 --> 00:08:24.033
And then, like, a lot of, like, the mythicals, I'll try and wait and catch them in special places as well, so, like, Cosmog it was mine and my husband's seventh wedding anniversary, and we went on a trip to a city called York.

00:08:24.345 --> 00:08:31.576
so I waited and deliberately caught it there instead you know, rather than catch it locally, I wanted to make sure I could catch it somewhere that was a little bit more special.

00:08:31.877 --> 00:08:34.211
I've got one that I caught when I was at Worlds last year.

00:08:34.244 --> 00:08:40.344
so I always keep that and then like, you know, a few named after different holidays and things and places I've been, so they're just nice little memories to keep.

00:08:40.946 --> 00:08:50.975
the fun part is, is just how people have gotten creative with Pokemon Go and how they can store memories of, even if you would just think everyday trips, like your case, you did Smurgles, which is very creative.

00:08:51.282 --> 00:08:55.912
Now you can do stuff like with postcards, which thankfully Niantic did that because that really made it a lot more easier.

00:08:56.511 --> 00:09:02.836
Although I'm always running on about five spaces for postcards, I'm terrible, and I'm obsessed with the postcard system.

00:09:03.139 --> 00:09:14.172
all my friends when they go on holiday will send me things from like iconic historical places and things, so I save them all and, All of my Japanese AR photographer pals are always sending me them from all the um, all the manhole covers and stuff that they have.

00:09:14.471 --> 00:09:18.782
so I am that person that has actually paid cash money to expand my postcard collection.

00:09:19.176 --> 00:09:20.114
to have some more.

00:09:20.602 --> 00:09:21.702
No, no judgment at all.

00:09:21.999 --> 00:09:23.918
So what's your way to play Pokemon Go?

00:09:23.918 --> 00:09:26.051
Like, what's, what do you enjoy doing within the game?

00:09:26.648 --> 00:09:28.337
so I'm definitely shiny hunter.

00:09:28.653 --> 00:09:34.331
as soon as a new shiny is released, my gameplay is going to go up dramatically compared to in between events times.

00:09:34.634 --> 00:09:39.153
but I tried to do my daily adventure incense every day, I've got like a nice little route worked out where I live.

00:09:39.538 --> 00:09:41.538
My other favorite thing is the AR thing.

00:09:41.567 --> 00:09:48.051
So I will travel out sometimes to specific areas with the only intention being to take photos because...

00:09:48.089 --> 00:09:58.296
particularly during like, the lockdowns and stuff during COVID, it was one part of the game that you could play all the time, and it didn't really matter, that I couldn't go out properly, and actually go around and hunt or anything and see people.

00:09:58.576 --> 00:10:06.923
I could still go in my garden and make my Pokémon teeny tiny, and take photos of them and things, and at least feel I had some sort of creative outlet.

00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:10.428
No, that's fair and I love how creative you get with your photos actually.

00:10:10.428 --> 00:10:13.308
Cause I know that there's a teeny tiny glitch that you've introduced, right?

00:10:13.308 --> 00:10:15.198
Or is that you found it, or I know you did an article on it.

00:10:15.538 --> 00:10:15.948
Yeah, I've done.

00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:22.155
I've done a few articles on a few different techniques, but the tiny Pokemon I think it was, the photographer called Ash Ketchup.

00:10:22.155 --> 00:10:24.145
he was the first person I saw doing it.

00:10:24.442 --> 00:10:37.375
And then there's another technique called Pokemon, which is like a throwback to An actual photography style where using a really shallow depth of field, with like lights and things behind and people would call it bokeh, because the lights out of focus would look really beautiful.

00:10:37.395 --> 00:10:57.749
So you kind of trick your camera into being in focus on your hand or something blocking the lens, move your hand away and then really, really quickly take the picture before your phone's had the chance to readjust and put everything back in focus, because obviously, like, if you're taking a photo with a real camera of someone, like, a portrait, not everything is going to be in focus, so it's kind of a way to trick it with Pokemon Go AR now to kind of make it a bit more realistic.

00:10:58.349 --> 00:11:00.586
What is it about ar photos that you enjoy the most?

00:11:01.182 --> 00:11:03.072
many years back, I was a photographer.

00:11:03.375 --> 00:11:07.235
I used to do like a lot of fashion photography, odd weddings and things.

00:11:07.254 --> 00:11:10.602
but I developed carpal tunnel syndrome, so I couldn't lift the camera anymore.

00:11:10.623 --> 00:11:12.855
Basically, my hands are Kind of ruined from that.

00:11:13.163 --> 00:11:18.831
I've had the surgeries and when I had the surgeries, I thought great I'm gonna be able to put my camera up again and unfortunately no such luck.

00:11:19.284 --> 00:11:38.096
I've got permanent nerve damage Thankfully, I'm left handed, my left hand is a lot better than my right hand but obviously kind of need both of them with heavy equipment and things and that all happened Early 2016 that was all happening, and then just as Pokemon Go was coming out was when I had my surgeries, so then realizing that I could take photos with that, I was like right, okay I can hold my phone for a lot longer, I can do that.

00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:46.047
So I might not be able to like lift my heavy camera anymore and take photos of people, but I can take photos of Pokemon and that'll at least feel like I've not given up completely.

00:11:46.643 --> 00:11:55.552
It sounds like AR photos allowed you to combine, you know, the prior passion you have with photography with your love of Pokemon, as well as just living out the dream of going on a journey.

00:11:55.822 --> 00:11:56.672
Yeah, definitely.

00:11:56.761 --> 00:12:03.174
I'd say it was something that I was, I was really devastated to kind of lose that as a part of my life like I've still got all my gear, all my equipment all these years later.

00:12:03.284 --> 00:12:17.754
I'm not like let myself get rid of it because now I'm still hopeful that one day maybe my hands will be okay enough, but it's nice to be able to still have that little bit of my life I thought it was going to have to be gone, but actually, you know, just swapped people for Pokemon instead and Pokemon are much cuter and nicer to deal with than people.

00:12:17.894 --> 00:12:18.053
So,

00:12:19.245 --> 00:12:24.269
so you mentioned you have carpal tunnel syndrome, does that affect how you play the game at all, having carpal tunnel syndrome?

00:12:24.404 --> 00:12:25.575
Yeah, it definitely does.

00:12:25.908 --> 00:12:34.284
I do have to be careful, like when we do daylong events and things, cuz I know by the end of the day, I mostly hold my phone in my right hand and then use my left hand.

00:12:34.404 --> 00:12:38.485
I, I can't do it one-handed because I just don't have the dexterity in my hands to do it.

00:12:38.782 --> 00:12:42.754
I have to have, like a pop socket or something similar to help take the weight of the phone.

00:12:43.054 --> 00:12:48.154
the last time I upgraded my phone, important thing for me was the size and the weight of the phone being lighter than my old one.

00:12:48.195 --> 00:12:56.735
So I did loads of research on that to try and make sure I had, like, a good phone still, but that was a lot lighter than my old one because it was, such a problem for me but it, it also means that, like, PVP.

00:12:56.735 --> 00:13:02.511
just not that accessible for me because the repetitive movements over and over again quickly just it's not going to happen for me.

00:13:02.701 --> 00:13:06.131
My hands are not quick enough or good enough for the PVP unfortunately.

00:13:06.731 --> 00:13:12.711
Does it make it to where like it's too painful or it's just to the point to where you just can't do that motion fast enough?

00:13:12.711 --> 00:13:15.187
It's to the point where it's painful, so I just have to be careful with it.

00:13:15.187 --> 00:13:17.693
So like, I'm going to London for GoFest in August.

00:13:18.224 --> 00:13:22.533
I know that I am going to pay for it big time the next day, but that's fine.

00:13:22.903 --> 00:13:31.464
I will do one day of playing and then the next day will be socializing day and not really using my phone it'll be relying on the plus plus, and not having to worry about the hands too much.

00:13:32.065 --> 00:13:32.934
How excited are you for GoFest??

00:13:32.934 --> 00:13:34.735
Because it's right in your backyard, correct?

00:13:35.174 --> 00:13:35.705
It is, yeah.

00:13:35.705 --> 00:13:44.205
Um, I'm actually, I'm dragging my husband to it and I don't think he has any concept of what he's letting himself in for with it because he doesn't really play Pokemon Go.

00:13:44.504 --> 00:13:48.134
he's very supportive and all of my Pokemon nerdiness, but he doesn't really play it.

00:13:48.164 --> 00:13:54.121
He mostly has only played it over the years, more when, so events, obviously now events are all local time, but they didn't used to be.

00:13:54.451 --> 00:13:59.761
So most events used to start, like, when I was asleep, but he has to get up for work about four hours before I do.

00:14:00.072 --> 00:14:13.455
So he would wake up, log in the game, catch the new things, and then send me screenshots to torment me with before, you know, so that he already had the new shiny things in the game, or the new Pokédex entries before I'd even woken up, so his interest mostly in Pokémon has been there to tease me.

00:14:13.754 --> 00:14:15.134
But he's going to come down with me.

00:14:15.134 --> 00:14:17.488
We've got about, I think it's about four hours on the train for us.

00:14:17.827 --> 00:14:24.020
we're actually, we're going down from the Wednesday through to this Saturday with our play day being the Friday, very, very excited at this point.

00:14:24.030 --> 00:14:27.020
And nearly all of my local community are going as well.

00:14:27.462 --> 00:14:29.913
There's a huge amount of us going, so it should be brilliant.

00:14:29.913 --> 00:14:31.129
Is this your first GoFest?

00:14:31.129 --> 00:14:31.408
It is.

00:14:31.408 --> 00:14:31.577
Yeah.

00:14:31.577 --> 00:14:31.908
Yeah.

00:14:31.908 --> 00:14:35.658
Um, a lot of my friends did Germany, but like because of my carpal tunnel over the years.

00:14:35.697 --> 00:14:38.168
And then I also, I have a chronic pain condition as well.

00:14:38.168 --> 00:14:42.898
So things like traveling to Germany and things was just not as viable for me when I was more unwell.

00:14:43.196 --> 00:14:46.035
So London is very doable because it doesn't involve any flying.

00:14:46.035 --> 00:14:47.245
It doesn't involve any jet lag.

00:14:47.441 --> 00:14:49.961
I can take things easy and I know the area and things.

00:14:49.971 --> 00:14:51.517
So very excited for it.

00:14:52.114 --> 00:14:54.063
Now earlier you said you got to attend Worlds.

00:14:54.364 --> 00:14:55.173
What was that like?

00:14:55.452 --> 00:14:56.307
It was amazing.

00:14:56.486 --> 00:14:58.226
I had no idea what to expect, really.

00:14:58.267 --> 00:15:01.813
I went by myself and met up with a few of the other GoHub writers.

00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:07.070
Until last year, I'd never actually met any of the other GoHub writers in person, which was, so that was quite a surreal thing.

00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:10.019
Like Adam had flown over from Australia to compete.

00:15:10.221 --> 00:15:19.572
which was amazing because I didn't think I would ever get to meet one of our Australian writers and then Jellybean who we consider like to be the mum of GoHub Uh was there and then Spindiana as well.

00:15:19.869 --> 00:15:25.828
All of whom bar Adam, he's going to be at the Japanese GoFest, But both Jellybean and Spindiana will be at London again as well.

00:15:25.869 --> 00:15:27.928
So we'll get to hang out again as well.

00:15:28.235 --> 00:15:38.621
got to meet a lot of like the influencers, content creators, and stuff that I really admire and I caught a shiny 0% Unown-N, so I got a real good trophy out of it as well.

00:15:39.062 --> 00:15:39.532
That's awesome.

00:15:39.532 --> 00:15:40.562
That's a good memory right there.

00:15:41.009 --> 00:15:45.773
I was very excited about that one, and I was in the hall while we were watching the finals as well, so really good fun.

00:15:46.378 --> 00:15:49.365
You've been listening to As the Pokeball Turns.

00:15:49.663 --> 00:15:51.063
We're going to take a quick break.

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We'll be right back.

00:17:42.761 --> 00:17:45.311
So, earlier you mentioned how you write for GoHub.

00:17:45.608 --> 00:17:46.608
how did that all begin?

00:17:47.211 --> 00:17:50.084
Years ago, I used to be a plus size fashion blogger.

00:17:50.384 --> 00:17:54.844
so I've written for a lot of years and I used to write for like a body positivity magazine.

00:17:55.183 --> 00:17:57.213
Pokemon go came out and I got really into that.

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I kind of slowly abandoned fashion blogging because, number one, I just don't care that much about fashion.

00:18:02.881 --> 00:18:04.901
So I don't know why I ever did it in the first place.

00:18:04.941 --> 00:18:14.228
and once you've written an article about Demi Lovato being treated badly by the media and had Demi Lovato's stans come after you, you can't have a lot less interested in the whole scene.

00:18:14.721 --> 00:18:23.000
so when I used to read GoHub every single day, it was always like my go to place for information, so then when, Zero, boss at Go Hub posted up that they were looking for writers.

00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:25.010
I was like, oh, I, I can I write things?

00:18:25.010 --> 00:18:25.963
I can totally do that.

00:18:25.963 --> 00:18:28.077
and that was, I think that was three years ago.

00:18:28.391 --> 00:18:31.151
This week I hit like 6 66 articles.

00:18:31.155 --> 00:18:31.451
So

00:18:31.451 --> 00:18:32.463
ooh, devil's number.

00:18:32.463 --> 00:18:38.817
where once I realized it, then I was like, well, now's a little screenshot of that cuz it's another one of those things that I got into and then it spirals out of control.

00:18:39.449 --> 00:18:43.598
Well, you must be pretty passionate about writing because before you did blog story, you did fashion.

00:18:43.903 --> 00:18:45.232
Now you do stuff about Pokemon.

00:18:45.536 --> 00:18:48.135
What is it about writing that makes you want to keep creating?

00:18:48.732 --> 00:18:53.202
I was always interested in writing like when I was a teenager and I was a little emo kid.

00:18:53.202 --> 00:19:07.548
I used to write terrible poetry as many little emo kids did and things and then I got older and then I did an English degree thinking that that would be useful or helpful in some way, uh, my day job involves maths, so it's not useful or helpful in any way, as it turns out.

00:19:07.598 --> 00:19:07.919
Um,

00:19:08.878 --> 00:19:11.459
complete opposite of what usually people do.

00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:18.868
I couldn't be any further from it because now I do accounts for a living, so nothing helpful at all in my English degree, but I always wanted to just keep on writing.

00:19:18.868 --> 00:19:25.219
I had a teacher who was really adamant that I would get to do something really cool one day with writing, so I was like, I'll just keep doing bits and, keep doing things.

00:19:26.423 --> 00:19:44.201
Let's say now it's out to GoHub and I like that I can feel like I'm being helpful to the community because Obviously, we know that Niantic's communication is not necessarily the best and I know how helpful I found it like especially before I was writing things like the raid guides and you know Being able to share them with people and help people be able to take down raids more successfully and things.

00:19:44.471 --> 00:19:54.544
It's it's really I really love being able to be a part of that and, you know, help other people, in the way that I felt like I was being helped by GO Hub, and now I get to be that person, so it's a real privilege to get to do it.

00:19:55.141 --> 00:19:59.465
It's like you're giving back to the community that gave you the knowledge that you didn't know to begin with.

00:19:59.875 --> 00:19:59.996
Yeah, definitely.

00:19:59.996 --> 00:20:05.098
Like, I was always like, I was always a very like socially awkward and anxious kind of person.

00:20:05.098 --> 00:20:08.002
And Pokemon is that really an icebreaker with Pokemon Go.

00:20:08.333 --> 00:20:14.685
Pokemon gave me so much more confidence and things that it's, it's nice to be able to give back to the, a game that has helped me so much.

00:20:14.989 --> 00:20:26.376
if I told Kitty of seven years ago that I just started playing Pokemon that like, by the way, in 2022, you're going to go to London by yourself and meet up with complete strangers from the internet that you've never met before and have like the best time.

00:20:26.675 --> 00:20:30.846
She would have laughed at me and been like, no, she wouldn't go on the train by herself like don't be daft.

00:20:30.846 --> 00:20:32.165
You've never do any of that by yourself.

00:20:32.165 --> 00:20:34.395
And no, I did and I will be doing it again.

00:20:34.736 --> 00:20:41.762
At Worlds, I met all the Incensed podcast lads, uh, who are a really nice bunch and get to see them again, which will be good and let's say the other GoHub writers.

00:20:41.762 --> 00:20:49.556
And then also, let's say get to take my local community with me because like Facebook messenger chat, I think every single one of us is going, which is amazing.

00:20:49.913 --> 00:20:59.075
so just to be with them at such a huge event and, um, hopefully get some shinies, I'm also not like hugely fussed if I don't get many shinies because I just think there might never be another Go Fest in London.

00:20:59.075 --> 00:21:00.625
I might not ever get to go to one again.

00:21:00.625 --> 00:21:04.944
So just to actually be lucky enough that I can go to this one just to get to experience it.

00:21:05.525 --> 00:21:06.095
That's what I was gonna say.

00:21:06.095 --> 00:21:12.904
It sounds like you're more interested in trying to appreciate the moment that's gonna come into your backyard because you don't know when's the next time you go to a Go Fest

00:21:12.904 --> 00:21:16.778
Yeah, exactly like all the other ones have previously been like in Germany.

00:21:16.818 --> 00:21:20.209
So when there was rumors of this one, we all started to get quite hyped.

00:21:20.288 --> 00:21:23.566
And it was like, if this is a real thing, like this is viable for me, I can do this.

00:21:23.864 --> 00:21:29.523
I can travel to London and like that could work and Then obviously it has all thankfully fallen into place where I can get the time off work.

00:21:29.703 --> 00:21:30.763
I can afford to travel.

00:21:30.763 --> 00:21:32.144
I could afford the hotel and things.

00:21:32.243 --> 00:21:32.941
It's like fantastic.

00:21:33.246 --> 00:21:33.766
I'm going to do it.

00:21:33.816 --> 00:21:36.961
I'm going to spend far too much money doing it, but it will be worth it for the week.

00:21:38.498 --> 00:21:39.417
Oh that's awesome.

00:21:39.724 --> 00:21:41.255
let's go back to the Go Hub articles.

00:21:41.605 --> 00:21:49.924
The one thing I love that you do is I love that you do the AR showcase cuz it really brings out the creativity that's within the Pokemon Go community, especially with the AR community.

00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:56.502
I think I feel like we're such like a small kind of underappreciated community, as the communities go for it and it is.

00:21:56.583 --> 00:22:00.732
It's my absolute favorite thing that I get to do every single month like it wasn't my idea originally.

00:22:00.732 --> 00:22:03.042
There was another writer who used to do it, who's left.

00:22:03.053 --> 00:22:04.903
So when they left, I was like, can I take that over?

00:22:04.962 --> 00:22:09.980
Cause I wanted to be able to keep doing it and seeing all the different submissions every month and seeing how creative people get.

00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:11.880
And that inspires me in turn.

00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:14.512
And I used to submit to them before I was in charge of them.

00:22:14.832 --> 00:22:34.833
The buzz from seeing your work on a website that you read is amazing, and like, maybe you'll make the header one day or something, like, every month I try to pick someone different who's done something amazing to be the header, because I know how buzzing I would have been if my picture had ever been chosen for the header, so I consider that to be, like, my ultimate little, like, you're awesome stamp for someone, and I hope, people are as excited as I am when I pick them for it.

00:22:35.133 --> 00:22:50.660
it's just such a nice thing to be able to do and highlight our little community, because like, there's so many bugs and stuff in AR and Niantic just don't even acknowledge them existing, so I feel like we're very much left by the wayside considering it is an AR game, but there's a good group of us, there's a good bunch of us that are still doing it and still enjoying it.

00:22:51.263 --> 00:22:55.826
What's something would like to see implemented within AR that doesn't currently exist?

00:22:56.609 --> 00:23:05.386
I'd love to see them do more expressions and things for the Pokemon because the animations are so limited and lots of the animations are broken from what they used to be as well.

00:23:05.713 --> 00:23:10.777
buddy mode is broken and has been for a year and a half, two years at this point, they don't want to acknowledge it as broken.

00:23:11.076 --> 00:23:20.924
so I just want to see more options in variation for the expressions and things, and then there's some of the other Niantic games, like I also play Pikmin Bloom, the AR in that is so much better.

00:23:21.164 --> 00:23:27.884
Obviously the AR in Peridot, so much more intelligent, but like none of that seems to be transferring into Go, but I think that's because.

00:23:28.074 --> 00:23:30.433
People just don't think about that side of it as much.

00:23:30.433 --> 00:23:31.574
So people aren't as interested.

00:23:31.624 --> 00:23:34.084
So they're not as interested in developing it, but like we're here.

00:23:34.664 --> 00:23:47.604
That's what I noticed, because I play Peridot as well and I noticed the AR, like you said you get the expressions, there so much to do with it, Peridot, was like, can we do that Pokemon can I like throw a ball to an Eevee or a Growlithe and let them go catch it?

00:23:47.604 --> 00:23:48.886
Like I would love to see some of that stuff.

00:23:48.886 --> 00:23:49.817
Implement, didn't go.

00:23:50.297 --> 00:23:57.993
it would It really would be like, having the option to do, like, a bunch of different tricks with it, like you can in Peridot and things, like, just more than the two animations that we get.

00:23:58.017 --> 00:24:03.294
it would make the Pokémon so much more real and make people bond with them further, and it would be so good to see that.

00:24:03.943 --> 00:24:05.203
Well, Kitty, that's a show.

00:24:05.507 --> 00:24:08.247
Before we do close the show, where can people check out your articles?

00:24:08.247 --> 00:24:09.257
Where can people connect with you?

00:24:09.257 --> 00:24:10.666
By all means, please plug away.

00:24:11.606 --> 00:24:25.973
Uh, so I have, both TikTok and Instagram, uh, under KittyPokemonsAlot then Twitter is currently KittyRambles and then on GoHub, if you go on the GoHub front page, there will always be an article by me, and then if you click on my name, you'll see everything I've written, which there is far too much to read.

00:24:26.273 --> 00:24:29.554
I'm nearly always got something on the front page on there, so, easy to find.

00:24:30.163 --> 00:24:30.692
Cool beans.

00:24:30.692 --> 00:24:34.603
And I'll make sure to include links to everything she said in the description of today's episode.

00:24:35.803 --> 00:24:38.853
Thank you for listening to As the Pokéball Turns.

00:24:39.155 --> 00:24:46.782
If you want to support the show, consider becoming a patron by either clicking the link in the description or going to patreon.com/asthepokéballturns.

00:24:47.098 --> 00:24:50.528
Now here's a sneak peek for the next episode of As the Pokéball Turns.