How Adellion Built A Pokemon GO Community

When BrandonTan91 came to visit, we talked for hours. About Pokemon GO, about the grind, but more importantly, about the people. I remember opening up to him about my hopes for rebuilding the Pokémon GO community in Dallas after the pandemic. The fatigue of trying to do it all myself. The difficulty with trying to keep up with all the news and events. The many places that I wanted to build a Pokemon GO community. The experience I wanted to give people regarding this game. The pressure to make something happen when everything felt like it was fading.

He looked at me and said something I still carry with me:

“You can’t do it alone David. BrandonTan can’t do it alone.”

It was a reminder that community doesn’t grow because one person tries harder. It grows because someone is willing to reach out, to build something others want to carry with them. That’s what makes Adellion’s story so powerful. Because while many admire the spotlight, he never stopped doing the work in the background by wearing many hats, saying hello, and proving that quiet dedication can still change the game.

The Organizer Who Showed Up First

A local meetup for Pokemon GO from Adellion's Community

Adellion didn’t set out to become a community leader. He just wanted to play. But when raids launched, and someone needed to coordinate, he stepped up. Whether it was texting friends, posting in Facebook groups, or showing up in person when no one else would, he became the person others could count on. But over time, those moments began to stick. People remembered him. Trusted him. Counted on him to show up, even when no one else did.

“It became apparent that I was actually quite good at gathering people up.”
—Adellion

That’s how grassroots begins, not with recognition, but with reliability. And from that consistency, something bigger started to grow. For Adellion that was the beginning. And from there, it never really stopped.

PVP as a New Endgame

Silph Arena's Logo

Before GO Battle League. Before livestreams and leaderboards. PvP in Pokémon GO was raw, local, and a little uncertain. There were no in-game rewards, no spectator stages, just a few people gathering with their phones and a shared love for something competitive.

That’s where Adellion stepped in. He didn’t wait for Niantic to formalize a system. He leaned into what was already there, interest, curiosity, and the subtle energy of a community looking for its next chapter. Through the Silph Arena, he turned meetups into milestones, hosted events, built brackets, gave people reasons to come back, not just for the battles, but for each other.

“Most people that you’ll meet tend to be nice… You will get a lot of happiness out of them.”

—Adellion

What he saw wasn’t just a meta or an e-sport, it was a movement and he gave it room to grow. In a game built on walking, PvP offered something different, a place to stand still with others, a place to test yourself, a place to belong. What Adellion recognized was a missing piece and he helped bring it to life.

Building Something That Lasts

Devon Corporation's Logo

When the Silph Arena shut down, it felt like a door had closed for good. For years, it had been the backbone of grassroots PvP for Pokemon GO. A place where anyone, anywhere, could test their skills, try something new, and feel part of something bigger. Without it, the scene didn’t just lose structure. It lost identity.

But Adellion refused to let that be the end.

Instead of mourning what was gone, he helped shape what could be next. Devon Corporation was never about replacing Silph Arena. It was about reimagining what grassroots could be like flexible, inclusive, community-driven, with monthly metas, free tournaments, and a space where showing up still mattered, even if you couldn’t travel or afford a full weekend away.

“Just because Silph closed down doesn’t mean we can’t get something smaller-scale up and running.”

—Adellion

Leadership doesn’t always look like a megaphone. Sometimes, it looks like creating systems that let others shine. Systems that outlast a single season. Systems that remind people they still belong.

Representing More Than Just a Game

Adellion casting for Pokemon GO

Some people chase visibility, others carry it. Adellion never asked for the spotlight but he earned it by showing up with care, consistency, and character. Whether he’s hosting a tournament, mentoring new players, or casting on the global stage, his presence is intentional, measured, and rooted in respect for something bigger than himself.

He understands what it means to represent Pokémon, not just as a brand, but as a space people turn to for joy, connection, and belonging. And that weight isn’t lost on him.

“You never know when the eyes are on you… it’s important for me to always uphold the good principles that the Pokémon Company expects.”

—Adellion

In a world where attention is currency, integrity stands out. He doesn’t just wear many hats. He honors them. And that’s a rarity in any community.

Adellion Used Hone Claws

A Pokemon GO Community Day Meetup

I’ve never been good at asking for help. So when I see someone like Adellion, someone who leads by lifting others, without waiting to be asked, I feel that deeply. Adellion never needed the spotlight to know his value. He just needed a reason to show up and in doing so, he gave the rest of us permission to believe we could show up too.

This episode reminded me that not all legacies are loud. Some are built from consistency, from trust, from the willingness to build what others abandoned.

Adellion didn’t just organize events. He nurtured a future.

And you can too.

🎧 Listen to the full story here: TRAINER'S EYE #161: Adellion

🌟 Want more inspiring stories from Pokemon community leaders around the world?
Check out the full Community Leaders Playlist and discover how Pokemon continues to bring people together, even across the greatest challenges.