Nov. 12, 2025

"Electivire's Community Shock Wave" ft. LaserGator | TRAINER'S EYE #182

Show Notes
Transcript

What sparks a lifelong bond? For LaserGator, it was the crackle of Electivire on a TV screen and the warmth of cousins huddled around the Sinnoh anime, lightning outside, belonging within. Years later, that same charge pulled him back into the Pokémon GO community, where raid hours turned into real friendships and golden-hour memories at Klyde Warren Park.

LaserGator traces his Pokémon story from SoulSilver car rides and Bianca’s courage to say “I’m choosing my own path,” to losing a day-one GO account and starting over, only to find his Pokemon GO community led by Community Ambassador, Starfire. We relive the thrill of rivals like Paul, the lessons that stick, and the simple kindness of celebrating the “little guy” at raid night with a card, a snack, and a shoutout. It’s a love letter to nostalgia that grows up with you and a reminder that the spark you’re chasing might be community all along.

🎧 Celebrate Pokémon through the eyes of Asian Trainers.

Tap to explore the Asian Pokémon Trainers playlist now!

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

Send us a text

Support the show

Visit our website: www.asthepokeballturns.com
Join Our Discord Community!
https://discord.gg/AqAbD7FbRt

Your next Pokemon adventure begins here!

WEBVTT

00:00:00.003 --> 00:00:02.762
my name is Laser Gator and this is my Pokemon story.

00:00:02.986 --> 00:00:32.466
2 x chain 3 x blue 5 x white 6 x red សាសំប្រាន់រិជរាន្រាត្រោះារម្ម្ម៉្រោះារត់ប្រីម្យះាប្រោះ។

00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:49.539
Welcome to As The Pokeball Ball Turns, where every voice, every journey, and every memory brings us closer to the world of Pokemon.

00:00:50.048 --> 00:00:56.499
I'm David Hernandez and I'm joined by a local community member, laser Gator from the Carrollton community.

00:00:56.859 --> 00:01:06.549
If you wanna know a reference, go to episode 25,'cause that's the community ambassador that he is known for years, but he's here to share his Pokemon story and how Pokemon's influenced his life.

00:01:06.938 --> 00:01:07.448
These are Gator.

00:01:07.448 --> 00:01:08.618
Welcome to As The Pokeball Turns.

00:01:08.618 --> 00:01:09.218
Thanks for coming on.

00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:11.558
I'm glad to be here, man.

00:01:12.376 --> 00:01:20.376
it's been so long since I've had a local on this podcast and you have a lot of experience with Pokemon Go, which we're gonna dive in, but let's start it off slow.

00:01:20.915 --> 00:01:22.715
What is your favorite Pokemon?

00:01:23.313 --> 00:01:25.358
My favorite Pokemon is Electivire.

00:01:25.932 --> 00:01:26.352
Really?

00:01:26.352 --> 00:01:27.231
Why Electivire?

00:01:27.921 --> 00:01:37.012
Because I grew up watching The Pokemon, uh, Sinnoh Anime and there was this one rival, I would say is Ash's Best rival.

00:01:37.371 --> 00:01:41.659
His name was Paul and Paul's Ace was Electivire.

00:01:42.358 --> 00:01:45.918
He was the foil for Ash's Chimchar,.

00:01:46.418 --> 00:01:50.802
Monferno, Infernape Every single time that that Electivire.

00:01:50.802 --> 00:01:53.978
Comes out of Paul's ball, you know, it was about to go down.

00:01:54.962 --> 00:01:56.731
I mean, Paul was such an interesting character too, right?

00:01:56.731 --> 00:02:07.534
Because he was like the complete opposite of how Ash viewed the world, and I think Paul was probably one of my favorite rivals, if not the favorite rival For those who don't know, Paul was very, I.

00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:14.109
Say choosy about The Pokeball he raised and he was very kind of, if you were weak, then he really showed you you were weak.

00:02:14.109 --> 00:02:15.758
That's kind of what the story with the team tar, right?

00:02:17.424 --> 00:02:21.234
So imagine a casual player versus a competitive player.

00:02:21.637 --> 00:02:23.167
That's how I would, you know, think of it

00:02:23.679 --> 00:02:26.258
so you see Paul as a competitive player and Ash is the casual player.

00:02:26.770 --> 00:02:35.383
kind of, because I remember a scene where he releases like three starleys and he kept one of the, you know, better IV or like nature ones.

00:02:35.721 --> 00:02:36.542
that's crazy.

00:02:37.461 --> 00:02:41.307
very similar to Pokemon Go, But what was it about VIR for you?

00:02:41.307 --> 00:02:42.598
Because you said that's your favor.

00:02:42.598 --> 00:02:47.638
What was it about just seeing that VIR was just the fact that it was such a difficult Pokemon to defeat?

00:02:47.788 --> 00:02:48.957
Was it just its attitude?

00:02:48.957 --> 00:02:50.098
What drew you to it?

00:02:50.661 --> 00:02:59.703
the reason why is because, it was the cockiness of it because at this point EL had not lost against Ferno infer in charm.

00:03:00.633 --> 00:03:07.173
That dominance it, it was until the very end essentially haunting and like, come on, get up.

00:03:07.502 --> 00:03:08.552
I wanna fight you more.

00:03:09.092 --> 00:03:10.293
I like that energy.

00:03:10.858 --> 00:03:12.027
It's like it, said, come on.

00:03:12.027 --> 00:03:12.777
Like just bring it.

00:03:12.777 --> 00:03:15.957
Remind me of the rock a little bit cockiness, but kind of a cool cockiness.

00:03:16.497 --> 00:03:17.098
Oh yeah.

00:03:17.725 --> 00:03:20.695
Was that anime, the intro for you into Pokemon?

00:03:20.695 --> 00:03:22.795
When did you first get in, dive into that?

00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:25.540
Oh, no, no, no, no.

00:03:26.031 --> 00:03:32.850
I was kind of through, at the beginning I had, three, no, five older cousins, right.

00:03:33.510 --> 00:03:36.061
And we all lived near the same, you know, same block.

00:03:36.510 --> 00:03:42.864
So I have a 8-year-old, you know, eight year, age gap between three of my older siblings, five year age gap.

00:03:42.864 --> 00:03:46.278
So for one and a three year age gap for another one.

00:03:46.609 --> 00:03:59.993
So we would play, The Pokemon anime while we were, you know, all there amount of times we saw I think the anime show where it was like giant Pokemon on the VHS that would always, you know, have a cycle.

00:04:00.534 --> 00:04:06.400
It sounds like y'all would all just get together, kind of like little family, like watch party, and y'all would just watch Pokemon Anime episodes.

00:04:07.973 --> 00:04:09.204
it's either that or rush hour two.

00:04:10.173 --> 00:04:14.312
Did it bring you closer, do you think, to your family being so close to be able to watch Pokemon?

00:04:15.242 --> 00:04:16.083
yes, it would've.

00:04:16.322 --> 00:04:17.372
Yes, it, it did.

00:04:18.146 --> 00:04:21.925
I guess, how often or how long did this kind of happen for you growing up?

00:04:22.870 --> 00:04:32.517
I would say about, um, like couple months reason why, um, look, I don't really remember much'cause I was like really young at that time and I moved away.

00:04:33.497 --> 00:04:42.617
you know, that art like three years old, so, but I still do remember, I still do remember, you know, actually watching Pokemon from their home.

00:04:43.218 --> 00:04:55.668
The fact that you still remember at such a young age, age of three, you know me, sounds like that left impression on you or left a mark on you, like you kind of wish you still kind of had that even growing up as you got older or like,

00:04:56.254 --> 00:05:04.947
It's mainly that, you know, family all being there together because, some of'em are, you know, in Colorado, some of'em are in, Philly right now.

00:05:05.786 --> 00:05:10.982
And some of'em actually just got, they told me like two weeks ago that, hey, they're expecting so

00:05:11.132 --> 00:05:11.351
Wow.

00:05:11.855 --> 00:05:12.305
I know.

00:05:12.742 --> 00:05:26.213
Now for you specifically, you watched the anime, you mentioned how you were watching Paul, that was kind of Electivire was your favorite Pokemon from Paul's team, you know, how did your, I guess, connection with Pokemon Progress, did you get into the games, the cards, or were you just exclusively just the anime?

00:05:26.648 --> 00:05:29.779
I had my DS back in like 2007.

00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:35.834
I picked out, my first Pokemon game was actually, Pokemon, soul Silver for the Ds.

00:05:36.286 --> 00:05:44.512
I remember when I got it, like I remember playing that and like falling asleep to one of the more soothing, I can't remember the route name.

00:05:44.541 --> 00:05:52.545
Like it was rather soothing, just asleep in the car, like long drives until, until the DS died.

00:05:52.545 --> 00:05:52.709
Of course.

00:05:53.550 --> 00:05:54.240
Right, right.

00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:56.699
So it's like you're a little MP three player for those who know.

00:05:58.694 --> 00:05:59.175
Yes.

00:05:59.610 --> 00:06:01.230
I'm trying to think what route it would be though.

00:06:01.230 --> 00:06:05.238
It must have been that route between Olivin at Critique or Could have been.

00:06:05.612 --> 00:06:06.723
It's another soothing one.

00:06:07.189 --> 00:06:08.778
I think it was like a park or something.

00:06:09.310 --> 00:06:11.439
Oh, it must be, where the bug catching contest was.

00:06:13.449 --> 00:06:14.680
Oh, I could see that one.

00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:15.639
I forgot about that one.

00:06:16.108 --> 00:06:19.197
So you would just sleep and listen to that and you would just snooze through that.

00:06:19.197 --> 00:06:19.947
Just listening to it.

00:06:20.404 --> 00:06:20.735
Yeah.

00:06:21.223 --> 00:06:21.939
I mean, it's good though.

00:06:21.939 --> 00:06:26.949
It is some of The Pokeball music, especially to now today, it's really decent.

00:06:27.384 --> 00:06:27.803
Mm-hmm.

00:06:28.088 --> 00:06:32.480
really, not, not really to sleep to, but it's, really heart puffing.

00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:34.819
What do you remember about playing Soul Silver?

00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:39.064
Besides the, listening to music to sleep, was there anything else particular about those games that remember?

00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:41.389
so funny story.

00:06:41.389 --> 00:06:44.089
I used to watch a lot of, um, rom hacks.

00:06:44.524 --> 00:06:46.444
I did not know what a rom hack was.

00:06:46.954 --> 00:06:58.630
So there's, there was these, YouTube videos and, oh, if you go to this place, you'll be able to find, like a shadow Lugia we could clearly see that it was, modded.

00:06:59.028 --> 00:07:00.588
again, I was like nine or 10.

00:07:00.677 --> 00:07:02.314
I didn't know that these were moed.

00:07:02.641 --> 00:07:11.398
So one day me and my friends, we watched a video saying, Hey, if you catch a Relicanth and a Wailord, on this route or something.

00:07:11.487 --> 00:07:13.077
This is like post game stuff.

00:07:13.468 --> 00:07:19.608
If you'd catch those two, go to this certain cave or something, you'll be able to find a Regigigas.

00:07:19.997 --> 00:07:20.358
No,

00:07:20.882 --> 00:07:21.512
interesting.

00:07:21.958 --> 00:07:22.958
there was no Regigigas.

00:07:22.978 --> 00:07:25.648
It was all, it was for a different rum hat

00:07:26.139 --> 00:07:27.218
But you believed it though.

00:07:27.278 --> 00:07:29.588
You like you've invested time and to get to it.

00:07:30.608 --> 00:07:32.574
I didn't really know what ROM hacks were.

00:07:33.182 --> 00:07:35.043
I mean, I think that's the fun part about Pokemon, right?

00:07:35.043 --> 00:07:40.593
you know, anybody who's played the main Sears games knows that there's always that myth or rumor we think it's true.

00:07:41.072 --> 00:07:47.033
For me, playing Hoen, I always thought if you got to a hundred rockets, you go up to see Jirachi.

00:07:47.132 --> 00:07:53.913
And I think that's the fun part about Pokemon for all of us, is that there's that potential for a story, even if it's not true, it's that mystery.

00:07:54.517 --> 00:07:54.858
Oh, yeah.

00:07:55.543 --> 00:07:57.194
how did it feel when you found out it wasn't true?

00:07:57.540 --> 00:08:07.880
I kind abruptly because me and my friends, we took turns trying to catch the Wailord as the Wailord, in one of these, routes, like only a 1% chance.

00:08:08.185 --> 00:08:14.810
So when we learned out that it was not real, we were both defeated because at that point we spent like, I don't know, like.

00:08:16.355 --> 00:08:18.065
Seven hours trying to catch that damn way.

00:08:18.425 --> 00:08:19.550
Only realize, hey,

00:08:20.687 --> 00:08:21.497
I were determined,

00:08:21.564 --> 00:08:21.838
yes,

00:08:22.403 --> 00:08:26.644
hey, at least the romack didn't show you had to catch a Shiny Wailord or a Shiny Relicanth.

00:08:26.663 --> 00:08:28.403
'Cause then that would've been more heartbreaking.

00:08:29.173 --> 00:08:29.663
exactly.

00:08:30.278 --> 00:08:32.318
Would you and your friends share a game together?

00:08:32.318 --> 00:08:33.489
Would y'all like trade and battle?

00:08:33.489 --> 00:08:35.318
Like what did that dynamic look like for y'all?

00:08:37.464 --> 00:08:45.323
On his Gs his parents brought him, oh, I'm gonna close my age, I guess, but, do you know what the G four, G four was?

00:08:45.999 --> 00:08:47.214
Yes, I do know what G four was.

00:08:47.717 --> 00:09:00.224
one of his, older sibling, older cousins, he bought, you know, GAG four cartridge and it had had mostly all of The Pokemon games, already inserted into that thing.

00:09:00.541 --> 00:09:03.211
I don't really know if I could have traded with that thing.

00:09:03.211 --> 00:09:06.360
'cause most of them were, I don't know if they were legal or not.

00:09:06.614 --> 00:09:14.583
Like he had almost every single Pokemon game, like, fire, red Leaf Green, all the GBA, you know, GBA games, the DS games.

00:09:14.894 --> 00:09:21.566
so I, I watched him, you know, play some of them because, I only had Pokemon white, SoulSilver and Black 2.

00:09:22.009 --> 00:09:24.499
do you have a preference on which games you played out of those three?

00:09:24.961 --> 00:09:26.778
outta the most ones that I played the most.

00:09:26.868 --> 00:09:27.977
It was Pokemon White,

00:09:28.499 --> 00:09:29.428
Why Pokemon White.

00:09:29.894 --> 00:09:31.941
Zekrom, easily, Zekrom.

00:09:32.816 --> 00:09:33.686
Oh, you love Zekrom?

00:09:34.099 --> 00:09:34.538
Yes!.

00:09:34.958 --> 00:09:35.889
Noticing a little pattern.

00:09:35.889 --> 00:09:37.928
You your favorite's electric type and you like crom.

00:09:37.928 --> 00:09:39.428
It sounds like you have a preference for electric types.

00:09:39.428 --> 00:09:39.788
Maybe.

00:09:40.254 --> 00:09:41.629
Probably, probably

00:09:42.308 --> 00:09:43.178
Maybe just a little bit.

00:09:43.566 --> 00:09:44.826
not too on the, of course.

00:09:48.390 --> 00:09:52.586
what aspects of Pokemon White do you remember, what sticks out to your brain Whenever you think about that game.

00:09:53.176 --> 00:09:53.635
So,.

00:09:53.697 --> 00:10:05.307
Going back to, Andela Town, I think this was, one of the best things I've, I remember was, Bianca's talking to his, to her parents, essentially her dad was saying, Hey, I think you've done enough.

00:10:05.724 --> 00:10:09.725
Please come home while Bianca says, no, I'm gonna continue my thing.

00:10:10.296 --> 00:10:15.063
I feel like that, especially in The Pokeball game, that's really, you know, powerful, you know, standing up.

00:10:15.783 --> 00:10:18.214
With the nation parent standing up to your parents?

00:10:18.604 --> 00:10:19.923
That's crazy.

00:10:20.441 --> 00:10:21.880
Like that really spoke to you in a way.

00:10:22.158 --> 00:10:22.638
Yes.

00:10:22.967 --> 00:10:26.408
Did you go through something similar or you just kind of resonate with Bianca A little bit.

00:10:26.717 --> 00:10:28.727
I would say a little bit of both, honestly.

00:10:29.249 --> 00:10:29.668
That's fair.

00:10:29.908 --> 00:10:30.359
I mean.

00:10:30.714 --> 00:10:45.923
It is such a difficult thing to talk about, especially'cause you know, a lot of us grow up to where you're supposed to respect your parents, some of us don't have, maybe some of us don't have those kind of good parents that we kinda have to go against and it's hard to do that.

00:10:45.923 --> 00:10:48.083
It's one of your hardest choices you've ever had to make.

00:10:48.744 --> 00:10:56.783
For me personally, I remember when I had to go against my own mother,'cause my mom had this certain way of seeing the world, this certain way of.

00:10:57.129 --> 00:10:59.019
I'll say doing things.

00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:05.404
And one of the hardest things for me to do was kind of escape that because A, I love my mother, don't get me wrong.

00:11:06.095 --> 00:11:10.325
But B, I had to find my own path, had to kind of define who I wanted to be.

00:11:10.428 --> 00:11:17.619
As a person, and it's such a difficult challenge for people to do because we wanna love our parents.

00:11:17.619 --> 00:11:20.078
We want to kind of make them happy, make them proud.

00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:24.215
Sometimes at the end of the day, you're the one who has to live with the choices.

00:11:24.304 --> 00:11:25.870
You know, your parents are gonna eventually pass away.

00:11:25.870 --> 00:11:28.174
They're gonna eventually move on, and then it's your life.

00:11:28.575 --> 00:11:29.715
And it's so difficult.

00:11:29.745 --> 00:11:30.284
Like, I get it.

00:11:30.284 --> 00:11:32.205
'cause it's, it was an easy decision for me.

00:11:32.205 --> 00:11:34.815
It's still not easy sometimes, but I get it, man.

00:11:34.845 --> 00:11:47.078
It's, it's a very, what Bianca went through,'cause her choice was similar to where she had to either choose between listening to her dad and going home and just packing it up or keep going forward to see what that road led to her.

00:11:47.451 --> 00:11:54.351
And then the flip side was that dad had to accept that Bianca was growing up, that she was becoming a grown woman.

00:11:54.731 --> 00:11:56.201
So it's two different dynamics.

00:11:56.201 --> 00:12:05.111
'cause I'm sure I'm not a parent, never going to be, but I'm sure for parents out there, they probably relate to that to where eventually their kid's gonna have to make their own choices and that's hard.

00:12:05.292 --> 00:12:06.072
It's very hard.

00:12:06.490 --> 00:12:06.909
Oh yeah.

00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:07.450
Oh yeah.

00:12:07.942 --> 00:12:11.332
I really wanted, you know, at least our player to say something.

00:12:11.697 --> 00:12:21.447
I know Pokemon is not, you know, not known for, you know, the character speaking, but like I wanted to, you know, at least give us some text boxes just to say something

00:12:21.732 --> 00:12:22.783
I mean, we're not a Pokemon game.

00:12:22.783 --> 00:12:23.592
Let's talk about it.

00:12:23.863 --> 00:12:27.523
what would you have said to Bianca in that moment if you could have

00:12:28.416 --> 00:12:29.826
Do what you're hard is, right.

00:12:30.109 --> 00:12:30.288
do?

00:12:30.288 --> 00:12:31.369
What you think is right?

00:12:31.961 --> 00:12:32.230
Why?

00:12:32.816 --> 00:12:33.115
Why?

00:12:33.341 --> 00:12:34.360
Yeah, why that message?

00:12:34.958 --> 00:12:38.328
Because at some point it's your choices, right?

00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:40.558
It could be bad, it could be good.

00:12:40.558 --> 00:12:40.759
It.

00:12:41.259 --> 00:12:43.019
You gotta just choose.

00:12:43.854 --> 00:12:44.543
Hey you.

00:12:44.933 --> 00:12:46.583
Yes, you with the ears.

00:12:46.884 --> 00:12:47.964
Don't go anywhere.

00:12:48.173 --> 00:12:49.073
We'll be right back.

00:12:50.966 --> 00:12:53.066
Love hearing real stories from real trainers.

00:12:53.426 --> 00:12:58.796
Help As The Pokeball turns become the best Pokemon interview podcast like no one ever was.

00:12:59.395 --> 00:13:02.395
By joining our Patreon, you're not just supporting the show.

00:13:02.546 --> 00:13:05.035
You're helping more fans share their journeys with the world.

00:13:05.576 --> 00:13:15.956
As a thank you, you'll get accustomed Pokemon Wristband each month themed after a featured Pokemon Hand on over to patreon.com/ As The Pokeball Turns and join our community today.

00:13:17.413 --> 00:13:19.663
Let's dive into, your Pokemon Go experience.

00:13:19.692 --> 00:13:21.102
'cause I know that's where I've known you.

00:13:21.102 --> 00:13:22.903
I know you've been in very active community.

00:13:23.322 --> 00:13:26.023
Talk to us about when you first started playing, what was it like?

00:13:26.023 --> 00:13:26.052
I.

00:13:26.811 --> 00:13:29.783
So I actually was a day one.

00:13:29.783 --> 00:13:34.216
on July 6th or seventh, sometimes like that in 2016.

00:13:34.538 --> 00:13:37.745
One of my friends saying, Hey, I don't know this type Pokemon Go.

00:13:38.192 --> 00:13:40.442
It's live now jump in.

00:13:40.851 --> 00:13:47.534
I did exactly that and what I didn't know though is I can't use my school email just to sign up.

00:13:48.794 --> 00:13:49.544
my school email.

00:13:49.942 --> 00:13:53.783
I played until 2016, all the way to 20, 2018.

00:13:54.562 --> 00:13:56.753
I've, I've kind of fell off at 2018.

00:13:56.753 --> 00:13:57.352
Not gonna lie.

00:13:57.643 --> 00:14:04.616
I feel like that year in particular, people really, dipped then, um, got back into it, you know, just a few years ago.

00:14:05.044 --> 00:14:06.424
I just want to get outta the house.

00:14:06.888 --> 00:14:10.807
after a trip going to India, I realized, Hey, your account is gone now.

00:14:11.225 --> 00:14:12.840
Your email no longer exists.

00:14:13.445 --> 00:14:13.625
Oh man,

00:14:14.580 --> 00:14:18.732
but now I created a new account and level 70.

00:14:18.732 --> 00:14:20.759
Now I'm big 70.

00:14:21.153 --> 00:14:27.486
I got so many different, you know, types of Pokemon that my previous account barely would not even be, you know, worth it.

00:14:28.019 --> 00:14:33.259
and that's how I managed to find the group just by, simple workout actually.

00:14:34.070 --> 00:14:36.320
So I used to go to the recreation center.

00:14:36.710 --> 00:14:43.515
So there was a sticker at the recreation center and on the sticker it was The Pokeball, go, gym logo.

00:14:44.043 --> 00:14:49.687
I made us run into two people who were doing a Regigigas EX-Raid.

00:14:49.988 --> 00:14:51.158
Do you remember those things?

00:14:51.585 --> 00:14:52.394
Oh yeah, I remember those.

00:14:52.394 --> 00:14:52.904
They were fun.

00:14:52.904 --> 00:14:53.350
I miss'em.

00:14:53.868 --> 00:14:57.995
So I asked, Hey, is this, you know, Pokemon Go is coming back, right?

00:14:58.684 --> 00:15:03.825
So they added me, of course, into the, the original Pokemon Go Discord.

00:15:04.144 --> 00:15:05.044
and then COVID happened.

00:15:05.044 --> 00:15:09.268
Of course I was there for missing number, EV event, the Super Bowl event.

00:15:09.687 --> 00:15:10.258
I was there.

00:15:10.591 --> 00:15:15.014
I sat back, ACE some popcorn, watched Star Fire crash out.

00:15:15.524 --> 00:15:17.115
Again, if you want to listen.

00:15:17.296 --> 00:15:28.826
go to 25, but going back into Pokemon Go, it truly did, bring me back, you know, love to Pokemon because this time, it was more about community rather than, Hey, we gotta catch'em all now.

00:15:29.475 --> 00:15:32.205
Well, when Pokemon Go came out, you were mostly inside.

00:15:32.205 --> 00:15:33.615
It sounded like you wanted to get outside.

00:15:33.914 --> 00:15:36.615
did you feel like you were very isolated and shut in at the time?

00:15:37.274 --> 00:15:41.894
I just did not want to go outside because at that time it was still summer.

00:15:42.177 --> 00:15:44.311
I did not have the greatest, phone data.

00:15:44.760 --> 00:15:45.207
So my.

00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:52.893
Usage of Pokemon Go was limited to malls and, you know, gyms, you know, like actual workout gyms.

00:15:53.057 --> 00:15:53.327
Right.

00:15:53.696 --> 00:15:55.503
That 2016 summer.

00:15:55.682 --> 00:15:56.763
Oh my god.

00:15:57.302 --> 00:15:58.798
I remember, I was taking a class.

00:16:00.062 --> 00:16:01.082
History class actually.

00:16:01.503 --> 00:16:16.600
And one of my teacher's, own mothers, she came in, she was actually playing Pokemon Go and a Snorlax, appeared right in front of McDonald's we were at, and you could see a line of people just pull up their phone and try to catch it again.

00:16:16.690 --> 00:16:18.429
I'm talking about an 80-year-old woman.

00:16:19.254 --> 00:16:19.764
Still playing.

00:16:20.695 --> 00:16:22.780
So yeah, we see it all the time now.

00:16:22.780 --> 00:16:26.110
Like back in, back in the days 2016.

00:16:26.740 --> 00:16:27.686
That was interesting.

00:16:28.317 --> 00:16:34.263
I think what's what else is interesting is how you talked about when you first started Pokemon You and your brothers, y'all both living next to each other.

00:16:34.263 --> 00:16:35.268
Y'all would come over and watch the anime.

00:16:35.975 --> 00:16:40.504
Now you come to Pokemon Go and it's kind of a similar reason Y all kind of come together to play Pokemon Go.

00:16:40.504 --> 00:16:43.414
And you said specifically when it became more about the community, you really enjoyed it.

00:16:43.684 --> 00:16:46.355
It sounds like that's kind of been what you've been chasing when it comes to Pokemon.

00:16:46.768 --> 00:16:47.258
Correct.

00:16:47.932 --> 00:16:48.363
Let's see.

00:16:48.368 --> 00:16:48.727
Yeah.

00:16:49.177 --> 00:16:56.477
You feel like that sense of belonging kind of helped you feel more welcomed and maybe, even cared for now that you found this community within Pokemon GO.

00:16:56.924 --> 00:17:02.934
I would say yes because my own group, they know me and we talk mostly all the time.

00:17:03.054 --> 00:17:06.924
You know, whenever we can, we talk about the cowboys and how they suck.

00:17:07.471 --> 00:17:14.371
we also talked about how we've all been doing, you know, workwise, how we've all been doing mentally because like.

00:17:14.545 --> 00:17:19.986
Where can truly drain us and just, oh, how, you know, how's your life been?

00:17:19.986 --> 00:17:22.326
How's, you know, how's, you know your work?

00:17:22.326 --> 00:17:23.195
How's life?

00:17:24.096 --> 00:17:27.425
Try to mainly make sure that everybody is, you know, well accounted for.

00:17:27.835 --> 00:17:30.599
It sounds like you kind of find your own, Pokemon goat family in a way.

00:17:31.438 --> 00:17:32.817
Yeah, I would say so.

00:17:33.087 --> 00:17:35.502
What is it about, I guess, when you think about those people.

00:17:36.613 --> 00:17:41.394
In what way have they influenced you and what have they bring to your, brought to your life that you wouldn't have otherwise?

00:17:41.875 --> 00:17:49.953
So for Star Hour, me and him, we usually talk about, you know, other than, you know, other than Pokemon, we talk about, you know, how's live, how's, his kid.

00:17:50.074 --> 00:17:56.928
His kid, and what he likes to do and what he, what he is, what is his drink of choice is, margaritas, by the way.

00:17:57.416 --> 00:18:00.492
he loves margaritas, but he's a good dude, right?

00:18:01.032 --> 00:18:01.718
I'm just gonna leave as that.

00:18:02.317 --> 00:18:03.866
it's so important to kind of find people.

00:18:03.866 --> 00:18:05.547
You can kind of be real with people.

00:18:05.547 --> 00:18:06.146
You can kind

00:18:06.297 --> 00:18:06.446
Oh.

00:18:06.987 --> 00:18:13.076
you know, as much as Pokemon Go is about Pokemon, there's also the behind the scenes, which is kind of what you're diving into, which is why I asked that question.

00:18:13.797 --> 00:18:17.126
It's finding those people who you can kind of connect with and can kind of.

00:18:17.298 --> 00:18:27.519
Hey, I guess maybe the mask or take the personality, or however you wanna call it, take whatever you're wearing off and just be like, Hey, I'm having a rough day.

00:18:27.578 --> 00:18:29.618
Or, Hey, this is going well.

00:18:29.679 --> 00:18:32.528
Or, Hey, my kid did something pooped on the wall.

00:18:32.528 --> 00:18:43.028
Or, I don't know what kids do, but but it's, it's important to kind of have those people you can kind of go and be real with, because otherwise you live a lie almost, and it gets tiring after a while.

00:18:43.461 --> 00:18:43.881
Oh yeah.

00:18:44.320 --> 00:18:50.906
We've had many times where, other people have been, you know, being a little bit, you know, crappy with their, own whatever happened with work.

00:18:51.116 --> 00:18:55.346
We try to be there for them, but like we also give them their space they need it.

00:18:55.520 --> 00:18:57.923
As being pestered about, Hey, are you okay?

00:18:57.923 --> 00:18:58.433
Are you okay?

00:18:58.433 --> 00:18:59.064
Are you okay?

00:18:59.604 --> 00:19:02.634
That can be, that can be very annoying.

00:19:03.090 --> 00:19:07.230
Now, I know you mentioned how there was a event y'all went down to in Clyde Warren Park.

00:19:07.471 --> 00:19:11.131
Would you fulfill to kinda share the story and what's the connection behind that?

00:19:11.464 --> 00:19:12.875
I think this is back.

00:19:12.938 --> 00:19:14.048
gimme a moment.

00:19:14.048 --> 00:19:19.298
Lemme see when, lemme just take a minute just to see when exactly this event happened,

00:19:19.748 --> 00:19:21.637
This guy's memory's written down in notebook.

00:19:21.637 --> 00:19:24.998
He's looking up, he's trying to find out what year it is, what day it is, what hour it is.

00:19:24.998 --> 00:19:26.192
He's gonna break it down fully.

00:19:27.593 --> 00:19:28.958
Oh, yes, yes, I will.

00:19:30.645 --> 00:19:32.776
So, April 23rd, 2022.

00:19:33.248 --> 00:19:35.768
This is not yet, super masked up.

00:19:36.270 --> 00:19:42.586
But during this time, Niantic announced, Hey, we're gonna be coming to Dallas on this day.

00:19:43.032 --> 00:19:44.472
You'll be able to meet us.

00:19:44.763 --> 00:19:47.230
We'll be giving out some swag, calm down.

00:19:47.678 --> 00:19:49.807
And on that day, we of course did.

00:19:50.238 --> 00:20:00.559
me, star fire and other people We all came down, took the dart and the sweltering heat, when we went to Klyde Warren Park, There were people wrapped around the entire park playing Pokemon Go.

00:20:02.150 --> 00:20:05.153
One other thing is that, EC had they had their own little booth.

00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:10.230
And in that booth they were given out like, stickers, their logo.

00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:15.703
I got my own a, wooden key chain of their logo, which I still, I'm pretty sure I still have that.

00:20:16.048 --> 00:20:18.160
But The amount of people there, it was immense.

00:20:18.692 --> 00:20:22.740
We also took one last, you know, picture with each other, when the sun was setting.

00:20:22.770 --> 00:20:25.381
So we have that little golden hour picture.

00:20:25.836 --> 00:20:26.056
Ooh.

00:20:26.580 --> 00:20:31.380
And, this is, around like 12, people right by the Klyde Warren Park Sign.

00:20:31.961 --> 00:20:38.921
Made it sound like it made your Pokemon Go Experience matter a lot more than It sounded like it made your Pokemon Go experience mean something,

00:20:39.357 --> 00:20:42.897
Not really mean something, but like this was a true event.

00:20:43.528 --> 00:20:45.597
Like, Hey, this has not happened before.

00:20:46.077 --> 00:20:47.788
I don't think it's gonna happen again.

00:20:48.567 --> 00:20:49.107
Not gonna lie.

00:20:49.742 --> 00:20:50.093
right.

00:20:51.115 --> 00:20:58.226
I mean, now that we talked about the community ambassador you talked about afterwards, how has that been, you know, experiencing Pokemon Go that way since the Community Ambassador has been assigned?

00:20:58.226 --> 00:20:59.576
'cause Starfighter is a community ambassador.

00:20:59.846 --> 00:21:02.211
How has that been for you now compared to what it was before?

00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:05.390
Ambassador has been truly, you know, one of a kind.

00:21:07.190 --> 00:21:11.299
But I try to do something different than other com command masters.

00:21:11.718 --> 00:21:17.159
I like to call myself the vice captain because, whenever Star Fire is not there, I steer the ship.

00:21:17.432 --> 00:21:19.662
I mean, people know you though, everybody knows who you are.

00:21:19.922 --> 00:21:21.432
Yes, yes.

00:21:21.875 --> 00:21:23.194
Thankfully they do.

00:21:23.734 --> 00:21:26.403
But, We also have a little game we like to play.

00:21:26.763 --> 00:21:27.693
Ooh, tell us.

00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:30.869
So this is back during, the team Harmony days.

00:21:31.354 --> 00:21:36.253
Starfire, he was tired of people complaining about getting the 10 10 tens.

00:21:36.753 --> 00:21:43.509
So what he would do was, while he was making his paragraphs and upon paragraphs of things that happened that rate hour.

00:21:44.170 --> 00:22:01.826
At the very bottom, he was, he would shout out, Hey, and this person, usually it would be, or like Adonto or someone different, he would met, you know, he would act then saying, and this lastly, this person got the 10, 10, 10, because we have a saying here.

00:22:02.329 --> 00:22:04.730
The shiny is, is his own reward.

00:22:05.196 --> 00:22:07.183
The Hondo is his own reward.

00:22:07.634 --> 00:22:08.989
What about the little guy who got nothing?

00:22:09.694 --> 00:22:28.950
it started off as just like a little, you know, shoutout on Discord and then it's, it eventually became something much more different and even to the, in a, started back in like 20 21, 20 22, still going on to this day, and I even upped the ante.

00:22:30.106 --> 00:22:34.160
I bring snacks, I bring Pokemon cards of the said, legendary.

00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:35.450
That shows up on radar.

00:22:35.670 --> 00:22:44.797
I used to collect a ton of Pokemon cards, still have Pokemon cards, so I have a ton of like basics double rares.

00:22:46.378 --> 00:22:48.106
V Max, whatever you got.

00:22:48.477 --> 00:22:49.721
That's very, uh, generous of you,

00:22:50.159 --> 00:22:52.999
Oh yeah, I tried to, you know, I try to do it.

00:22:53.420 --> 00:22:58.460
some of the, legends though, they don't have much Pokemon cards on them, for example.

00:22:58.500 --> 00:23:07.155
Azelf, they have not had a, you know, full rare since like 2019 and trying to find them from other Pokemon card shops.

00:23:07.434 --> 00:23:08.470
it is, difficult.

00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:09.700
It is difficult.

00:23:10.184 --> 00:23:13.140
I think the key word there is just try because.

00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:16.109
It gives those to show that you don't have to have a title to be a leader.

00:23:16.349 --> 00:23:20.039
You don't have to have a loud voice, you don't have to have like charisma.

00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:24.420
You just need to be willing to try and that's all you did.

00:23:24.930 --> 00:23:30.599
And that's all kind of leading a group or just being like in charge is just effort.

00:23:31.103 --> 00:23:33.113
Even when you know you don't get thanks for it.

00:23:33.576 --> 00:23:37.806
And that's why I said, you know, you may not be a community ambassador, but you sure do act like one.

00:23:37.955 --> 00:23:38.905
If I can say so myself.

00:23:38.905 --> 00:23:40.512
Thank you so much.

00:23:40.922 --> 00:23:43.652
Well, I wanted to just finish off this, question for that.

00:23:44.011 --> 00:23:48.547
Why do you feel it was important for you to kind of bring those cards to a Pokemon Go event?

00:23:49.213 --> 00:23:58.114
I'm gonna be honest I was having a lot of space in my binder and I just was really trying to get rid of some of the cards, but eventually it was more of a, hey.

00:23:58.210 --> 00:24:00.039
feel like they would actually enjoy.

00:24:00.513 --> 00:24:07.356
I feel like it feeds the theme nicely If people would actually want to, join in, try to actually, do something.

00:24:07.836 --> 00:24:12.450
In fact, Don one of the, members, one of the members, his.

00:24:14.615 --> 00:24:16.888
He was essentially the raid master.

00:24:16.971 --> 00:24:37.794
And so essentially he is friends with the, farmers branch or like Addison people and they're ambassadors I'll still never forget this, Essentially told me and Star Far, during one, the, G Max raids or something like that, one person actually said, hey Leader, are you gonna give out anything for the worst, like the Carrollton people do.

00:24:38.784 --> 00:24:42.084
That made me and Starfighters day.

00:24:43.193 --> 00:24:46.650
Because we've, we have been doing that for like years now.

00:24:47.074 --> 00:24:50.374
and just to hear that, Hey, are you gonna do something like that?

00:24:50.650 --> 00:24:54.390
it was heartwarming and also a little bit, Oh, we got you.

00:24:54.836 --> 00:24:57.477
Because the Addison people, there are rivals.

00:24:57.926 --> 00:24:58.916
Really why?

00:24:59.338 --> 00:25:05.162
No, I would say rivals, I would say, you know, like you know, friendly rivalry, I Friendly.

00:25:05.162 --> 00:25:05.701
Friendly

00:25:05.747 --> 00:25:06.346
Yeah.

00:25:06.644 --> 00:25:12.551
because we use, Addison Circle a lot whenever there's like a community days or like big events like that.

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:15.021
well, LaserGator, that is gonna be an interview.

00:25:15.382 --> 00:25:18.352
I do want to finish on one final fun question if you're down for it.

00:25:18.666 --> 00:25:18.957
Sure.

00:25:19.481 --> 00:25:24.769
If you were gonna come to a Pokemon battle, six on six what six Pokemon would you choose?

00:25:25.199 --> 00:25:26.638
You putting me on the spot, dude?

00:25:26.638 --> 00:25:27.028
Oh my.

00:25:27.058 --> 00:25:30.561
Okay, so I'm gonna be starting off with my ace.

00:25:30.959 --> 00:25:32.318
So of course it's gonna be Electivire.

00:25:32.763 --> 00:25:35.251
My, starter would be Feraligatr.

00:25:35.635 --> 00:25:41.771
you have gotta have a, Evie, so I would have Glaceon Gotta do, do, some powerhouses.

00:25:42.582 --> 00:25:44.092
So I would do, Landorus.

00:25:44.679 --> 00:25:46.058
Which one are the Incarnate or the other?

00:25:46.058 --> 00:25:47.138
Or the Ethereum.

00:25:48.064 --> 00:25:48.483
thethe.

00:25:49.148 --> 00:25:49.479
Okay.

00:25:50.001 --> 00:25:51.872
I really do like, uh, Tinkaton.

00:25:52.284 --> 00:25:55.233
I'm just gonna say my favorite mythical, which is, Vicini.

00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:03.681
Thank you for listening to As The Pokeball Turns, if this story resonate with you, share the podcast with the fellow trainer and don't forget to follow us.

00:26:03.681 --> 00:26:06.471
For more voices, more journeys, and more memories.

00:26:06.800 --> 00:26:11.151
I'm David Hernandez, and remember, your next Pokemon adventure begins here.

00:26:11.151 --> 00:26:11.181
I.