Every Trainer Has a Story

They stole her Game Boy. They stole her Pokémon games. But they never managed to take away her love for Pokémon.

In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, The Prancing Ponyta, shares a Pokémon journey that began with an unexpected encounter with Jolteon during a difficult childhood.

Growing up through her parents' divorce and experiencing bullying at school, The Prancing Ponyta found companionship, comfort, and friendship through Pokémon. Even when classmates stole her Game Boy and games, her ...

What if the Pokémon game that shaped your childhood inspired you to create one for somebody else? For Mr Tadd, that journey began with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, where a mischievous little Turtwig became his first partner Pokémon and sparked a lifelong appreciation for video games. Mr Tadd reflects on his favorite Sinnoh memories, his fascination with Pokémon's storytelling, and how growing up with the franchise inspired him to study game design. He also shares his perspective on the Pokémon ...

He started selling his childhood Pokémon cards to get through a difficult chapter of life. What he found instead was a community that helped him keep going.

In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, David Hernandez welcomes SelfMadeSandwhich, a lifelong Pokémon fan whose journey began with Pokémon Yellow and eventually grew into a love for Sinnoh, Luxray, and the Pokémon TCG.

But when financial hardship and divorce brought unexpected challenges, he began selling childhood Pokémon cards to help...

Sometimes finding your voice begins by realizing you can't sound like somebody else. SteelAgentKyle shares a Pokémon journey stretching from Pokémon Blue and childhood battles to becoming a commentator and organizer within the Pokémon UNITE community. SteelAgentKyle reflects on why gaming has always been a way to connect with friends, how UNITE's team-based gameplay gave him something different from every other Pokémon experience, and the moment watching competitive UNITE convinced him to pur...

Lundberger missed Pokémon completely as a kid. Years later, she would help call its biggest battles on the world stage.


In this episode of As The Pokéball Turns, Pokémon GO caster Amanda Lundberg shares the unlikely journey that began when she saw crowds gathering throughout Antwerp during the game's 2016 launch. With no previous Pokémon experience, Amanda had to learn everything from scratch from type matchups written on notepads to the strategies that eventually carried her into the early P...

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 ...