Episodes

Pokémon can introduce us to a much bigger world. Sometimes, it can even give us the confidence to explore it.

For autistic self-advocate Andrew Arboe, Pokémon has been part of his life since Pokémon Yellow. What began with exploring Kanto eventually grew into a love for JRPGs, traveling, public speaking, and discovering new experiences beyond the screen.

In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, Andrew Arboe shares his memories of secretly searching for Wi-Fi to use the GTS, putting 900 hours ...

Pokémon’s older games were filled with experiences many Trainers never got to fully enjoy. Experiences like perfect Pokéblocks, record mixing, and trading with people sitting right beside you were dormant for many Trainers.

For Adam Woodward, organizer of Sky Arrow Club, those forgotten multiplayer experiences are worth bringing back.

Adam Woodward shares how a Black 2 and White 2 Funfest meetup grew into a community dedicated to experiencing retro Pokémon together. He discusses organizing eve...

Sometimes the Pokémon we carry with us aren't our own favorites. Sometimes they remind us of someone we love. In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, David Hernandez meets PiplupITW, a father who walks into card shows dressed as his daughter's favorite Pokémon. What started as a Piplup collection after his grown children moved away became a handmade costume, created alongside his wife, that now brings smiles to kids and adults throughout the Pokémon community. Behind those smiles is a deepl...

Sometimes Pokémon is the thing that brings us into the room. The people we meet there are what make us stay.

SaiyaRan shares a Pokémon story rooted in family, creativity, and his belief in putting community over keyboards. From learning to read through Pokémon Yellow and bonding with his older brother, to saving his own money for Pokémon Diamond and eventually discovering his love for Electivire, gaming has followed him through every stage of his life. That passion eventually grew into content ...

Can choosing joy be one of the bravest things you do? Sometimes the smallest voice can spark the biggest conversations.

Politichu, the Pokémon VTuber who unexpectedly turned a free Pichu model into a platform for community, compassion, and meaningful conversations shares their Pokémon story. From growing up with Pokémon Silver, embracing Chikorita out of pure spite, and navigating life with autism, to finding belonging through content creation, Politichu shares how Pokémon became more than a ga...

Sometimes the sweetest creations begin with the memories that shaped us as kids. In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, David Hernandez sits down with Professor Rosemary, a Pokémon-inspired baker and food scientist whose kitchen has become a laboratory for transforming beloved Pokémon into unforgettable desserts. From discovering Pokémon Sapphire on a shared Game Boy with their brother to finally catching the elusive Feebas and realizing a childhood dream of raising a Milotic, Professor Ro...

Most people dream about real-life Pokémon. Officer Granite decided to build them. In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, David Hernandez sits down with Officer Granite, the creator behind incredibly lifelike animatronic Pokémon, to uncover the story behind one of the Pokémon community's most creative projects. What began as a childhood fascination with Jurassic Park animatronics eventually evolved into building moving Pokémon that delight fans of every generation. From teaching himself rob...

Every journey begins with a choice. For years, As The Pokéball Turns has shared the stories of Trainers from around the world. Stories of friendship, belonging, adventure, community, resilience, and the impact Pokémon has had on our lives. What started as a personal journey to discover my limits became something much bigger, a journey to discover ours. This trailer marks the beginning of the next chapter of As The Pokéball Turns. Whether you're an outcast, a dreamer, a leader, a wanderer, or ...

For years, I’ve helped other Trainers tell their stories. This time, I’m telling mine.

I step out from behind the mic to share my Pokémon story. Not as a highlight reel, but as a timeline of survival, wonder, and healing.

From finding refuge in Pokémon Red and Blue during a lonely childhood, to learning friendship, curiosity, and identity through each generation, Pokémon became the place I could breathe when real life felt too heavy. Later, Pokémon GO pulled me back into the world into movemen...

Some comforts don’t just distract you, they keep you breathing when life gets heavy. Jess, an admin for a Pokemon Facebook group, shares how Pokémon story moments became a lifeline through hospital stays, family pressure, and the quiet loneliness of feeling “different.” From a taped-up Game Boy Color in a medical room to the chaos and joy of her first midnight release for Sun & Moon, Jess unpacks why Popplio, and its misunderstood femininity, mattered so much and what it means to finally ...

Ever felt lost in your job search and wished your love for Pokémon actually meant something in the real world?

Career Coach Jason Hopper (BadHopper) from Jewish Family Services of Great Dallas shares his Pokémon story, from learning the TCG for a relationship to rediscovering it years later through his son, wandering neighborhoods with Pokémon GO and accidentally building a walking habit, a community, and a new sense of purpose. Jason breaks down how the Pokémon GO community can quietly become ...

It started with a kid in West Virginia, a copy of Alpha Sapphire, and a feeling that he didn’t quite fit anywhere, until shiny hunting and streaming gave him a home.

Swampfactor shares his Pokémon story from discovering Mudkip in Alpha Sapphire to turning late night shiny hunting into a lifeline. He talks about the 10,999 encounter Roggenrola that taught him patience, the janky days of propping his phone on a box of Legos to stream, and how becoming a Twitch streamer gave him life-long friends....

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...

He quit Pokémon to fit in. Years later, a single sparkle pulled him back and rewrote what belonging means.

For DarthStormy, a lost Game Boy in a bathroom stall became the moment he shelved Pokémon until Pokémon GO brought him back with a new kind of courage. From playground trades in late-90s England to returning as an adult who proudly shiny hunts, DarthStormy shares how letting go to “fit in” cost him joy and how rediscovering it rebuilt patience, community, and self-trust.

We trace the long...

Behind every Pokémon story is someone who dared to rewrite the game, not just for themselves, but for others.

We chat with CaminoPreacher59, the creator who designed a custom Pokémon ROM hack that gave Harry the Handicapped Hitmonchan, featured in a past episode, the chance to adventure as a Trainer in a wheelchair. What began as a simple request became a heartfelt project, reminding us how games can bring joy, representation, and dignity to fans everywhere. Along the way, CaminoPreacher59 shar...

He didn’t plan to become a world finalist. He just wanted to play Pokémon GO with his mom. But one battle led to another and suddenly, Inadequance was standing on the biggest stage in the world, fighting for the title of champion.

We explore the rise of a competitive Pokémon GO battler who went from lonely early matches to building a global community. Inadequance shares how childhood games like Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness shaped his love for Shadow Pokémon, why Show 6 formats matter, and how a...

What happens when your childhood save file gets pawned but your Pokémon journey keeps going? Danny Steinbrecher takes us back to a childhood shaped by Pokémon story battles with his brother, a corrupted save file lost to a pawn shop theft, and a WiFi-only start to Pokémon GO in the Arizona heat. But this journey isn’t just about games, it’s about healing old rivalries, trading Yu-Gi-Oh! cards for something more lasting, and finding love through shared gameplay with his fiancée. Through laught...

He was ready to end everything, until one unexpected “new friend” comment changed his life.

Eastside Scrafty opens up about how Pokémon became more than a game, it became a lifeline. From a turbulent childhood spent in foster care to a breaking point that nearly ended it all, he shares how a bond with a fictional fighter and a Facebook page born from heartbreak helped him hold on. Discover how his defiance, team loyalty, and a deep-rooted love for black culture gave Eastside Scrafty not only a ...

Some Pokémon don’t just represent us, they help us become who we are. For Scintilla, that Pokémon was Incineroar, a powerful, misunderstood feline that gave him the confidence to build a new identity, both online and off.

We dive into Scintilla’s journey from reluctant art student to passionate Twitch streamer, from teacher to tiger. He shares stories of his grandfather winning Pokémon merch during the Mew craze, how a deaf friend helped him fall in love with the games, and the deep emotional m...

What do you do when your heart belongs to two worlds: Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!? Both! Ruxin34 shares how a surprising rule in his childhood home sent him deeper into the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, even as his passion for Pokémon endured in secret. From hiding his Game Boy under the covers to launching PokeRux, a second channel built on nostalgic Nuzlocke runs, Ruxin34 opens up about balancing two beloved franchises, the emotional weight of card collecting, and why Pokémon still feels like home, even no...

For Harry the Handicapped Hitmonchan, catching Pokémon meant something most of us take for granted: movement, choice, and belonging.

Born with cerebral palsy and bound to a wheelchair since childhood, Harry the Handicapped Hitmonchan shares a deeply personal journey of strength, storytelling, and self-expression through the world of Pokémon. From boxing dreams and custom wheelchair ROM hacks to trading Legendary Pokemon for friendship, Harry’s story redefines what it means to be a Trainer. He o...

From a mysterious Tangela to a full-blown Shiny Pokedex goal, GlaxonXIII’s journey is anything but ordinary. A teacher by day and Pokémon streamer by night, he opens up about the long road from childhood card hunts at 7-Eleven to shiny reactions that shake the internet. We explore the stories behind his favorite cards, his emotional shift toward content creation, and the deep pride of being named a Notable Trainer by The Pokémon Company. Whether it’s Shiny Applin serendipity or sleepless GO Fest...

When you lose everything, what brings you back? For Ginger Jirachi, it was Pokémon and a little wish upon a star.

After a painful divorce and losing nearly everything he collected, Ginger Jirachi rebuilt his life one Pokéstop at a time, powered by Pokémon nostalgia, the warmth of community, and the quiet strength of starting over. From sibling memories and clay-art cards to a wish for Worlds and a newfound path in sobriety, his story reminds us that sometimes, wishes really do come true.

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He just wanted to list it as his job on Facebook. Instead, it became a community.

For longtime fan Mr. Zigzagoon, a tiny raccoon Pokemon became the symbol of something much deeper like friendship, passion, and perseverance. We explore how a chance online connection sparked the beginning of a community, how a childhood Mew gifted through kindness shaped a lifetime of giving, and how love and support carry this Trainer forward in both life and Pokémon.

From Pokémon cards to late-night launches, ...