TRAINER'S EYE #103 - "Pidgeot's Keen Eye" ft. HurricaneKaz

In this Pokemon interview, we are joined by HurricaneKaz, a Pokemon GO Trainer with an interest in Pokemon GO PvP and a huge passion for bird Pokemon.

HurricaneKaz shares her lifelong love of birds, which naturally extended into their affection for bird Pokémon such as Pidgeot and Articuno. The conversation delves into her early experiences with Pokémon games with her brother. The passion for Pokemon stayed with her throughout her life and eventually transitioned into her entry with Pokemon GO.

HurricaneKaz's story with Pokemon GO starts like many others during 2016. However, it wasn't until Legendary Raids were introduced where HurricaneKaz became more engaged with Pokemon GO. She found a Raid Community who would travel to different Legendary Raids within her community.

HurricaneKaz eventually transition from raiding in Pokémon GO to competitive PvP. She touches on her brief involvement with GO Stadium and the many other opportunities she has had within the PvP community such as such drawing episode teasers for GO Stadium, involvement with GIrlsThatPvP, and even casting for Gym Breakers. 

Finally, she touches on her amazing journey to GO Fest and what it is like to meet Pokemon fans both in-person and from the online community!

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

Connect With HurricaneKaz: Twitter | Podcast | Website

Transcript

HurricaneKaz: 0:00

I am Hurricane Kaz, and this is my Pokémon story.

David Hernandez: 0:43

Welcome to As the Pokeball Turns, where we interview people about their experience with Pokemon. My name is David Hernandez. Today I'm joined by Hurricane Kaz. Kaz, welcome to the show.

HurricaneKaz: 0:55

Hi, hello, thank you so much for having me.

David Hernandez: 0:59

Absolutely, and I know by the hurricane I've always heard that you have a very fond, loving of bird Pokemon. Is that true?

HurricaneKaz: 1:06

That is so true and accurate, 100%.

David Hernandez: 1:10

When did that start, like, was it just like initially you just saw a bird Pokemon, and you're like, I love bird Pokemon, or did it kind of grow over time?

HurricaneKaz: 1:17

Well, actually, I'm a very big bird fan in real life. I've always loved birds, and my parents really encouraged that when I was a kid. We would always, like, go on nature walks. you know, they bought me binoculars, so we'd go out and look at birds together. when I was a kid, I actually had this little like coloring journal where I could keep track of all the birds that I saw, which I still have, my parents kept, and I still have on my bookshelf with all my other nerdy bird books. so yeah, it's always been a passion of mine. I got back into it. during the COVID pandemic, like many other people got into birding for the first time and I was kind of coming back to it. I found a friend here where I live in Atlanta who also was into birds as a kid and, you know, hadn't really kept up with it. And so we were like, let's just go, let's start going out and looking at birds together. it became a really great pastime for us, like every weekend to just kind of go out early and. See what we could see and keep track. and yeah, now my life list of real life birds is up to 300 species.

David Hernandez: 2:20

Oh wow, just real life birds.

HurricaneKaz: 2:21

Yes. Yes. you know, I, I really love the connection between Pokemon and the natural world, like our, Living world. So seeing bird Pokemon, it's just kind of like the same way I feel when I see real life birds. It's just, it's fun. The diversity of species I see and like the adaptability of bird Pokemon. I feel like there are some of the more flexible, playable monsters in the game, so I just, I really enjoy them very much.

David Hernandez: 2:47

Bringing it back to Pokemon. So, you know, there's a lot of bird Pokemon in the Pokemon franchise. What are some of your favorite ones when it comes to like, Oh, we're going to be here for an hour. I'm here for it.

HurricaneKaz: 2:59

maybe cause I could literally talk all day. So, my all time favorites, it's always just a 50 percent dead heat tie between Pidgeot and Articuno.

David Hernandez: 3:11

Yes.

HurricaneKaz: 3:12

are my all time favorite Pokemon, like no matter what new birds come out and how cool they are. And they are very cool. I still always come back to those two as kind of my favorite. They're just, the first time I saw them playing the games as a kid, I was just like, these are the most beautiful creatures that I've ever seen. and I love them so much. So those are, those are going to be my favorites for, for all time. But as the series has like expanded and we've gotten so, so many more Pokemon. I also love the idea that there are bird Pokemon out there that aren't the flying types. So, Empoleon is one of my other top favorites because penguins are amazing, right? it is not a flying type, but it is definitely a bird and it's a very cool Pokemon. Like, it just looks so sturdy and strong. and again, it's so flexible. That typing of water and steel makes it absolutely incredible to use.

David Hernandez: 4:07

So it isn't just the Pokemon that just had the flying type that you, are drawn to. It's also just Pokemon that have. That bird like appearance, like you mentioned Napoleon's a prime example. I would think maybe Blaziken, because it's based off a chicken would be another one,

HurricaneKaz: 4:18

Yes, yes, that is correct. I actually have a whitelist, like tag, it's saved in my Pokemon Go game of bird Pokemon. Like it's just called birb and that's just the tag that I give all the birds so that I have all my favorites in one place.

David Hernandez: 4:34

The one that I love that came recently from Scarlet Violet. I think it's called Flamingo.

HurricaneKaz: 4:40

Yes. Yeah.

David Hernandez: 4:41

just a basic Flamingo with the fighting symbol, but it's so cool to see and use. I love it.

HurricaneKaz: 4:46

It looks like a swim, like a swim floaty, you know, like it's just, it's so round. And when I, when I found out it was fighting type, cause the thing, the thing with the newer games is I don't, I used to, when games would come out, I would kind of like keep my eye on the news and like look at new Pokemon that were revealed, but I don't do that as much now. So everything, when I start playing is kind of a surprise. So when I caught one and I saw like the fighting type symbol, I was like, what? I was so, taken aback. It was, it was very strange.

David Hernandez: 5:17

You remember Articuno and Pidgeot when you were younger, playing the games. When did this experience with Pokemon start? Did you start with the original games, or

HurricaneKaz: 5:25

I have been playing Pokemon games basically since they came to the United States in 1998. I, yeah, we don't need to talk about how long.

David Hernandez: 5:37

I'll leave the listeners to do the math on that one. I'm not going to say it. I can't, can't stomach it.

HurricaneKaz: 5:41

So, I started out with a copy of Pokemon blue I believe I played it actually on a Game Boy color. I think I played it on a Game Boy color. I just have a memory of like a lime green Game Boy. And I feel like they didn't do that until the color release. but yeah, my parent, like I remember sharing a Game Boy with my brother. But since me and my brother successfully argued that the games were different enough, we each got, you know, a copy. So he picked red and I picked blue because I thought Blastoise looked so cool.

David Hernandez: 6:14

Ooh, shots fired. that's a controversial opinion sometimes.

HurricaneKaz: 6:17

I know. Right. my brother didn't really stay with it. Like he didn't really, like he played the game, but he didn't really play any other ones. But I was, you know, I was but I didn't play, I didn't always get like the newest thing, like right when it came out, like I didn't actually get a Game Boy Advance, which I believe the next, you know, few games came out on. so I didn't play them immediately, but I did play them later. I think I was in high school when I found a friend who had loaned me their Game Boy Advance so I could play, Pokemon Sapphire. Yeah, well, again, I just, you know, blue and green are like also tied for kind of my favorite colors. Like I'm a real teal fan. So yeah, blue tends to be, if that's like the cool color family that they've chosen to go with, that's like the one that I'll go with. Cause I just like those colors better. And when I was in college, I think, Pokemon, Diamond and Pearl came out followed by And loved Pokemon. Those games, it just like renewed, like a whole sense of how much I loved the games. The story in those games is still one of my favorite, stories told in the Pokemon games, which are not always known for their very strong stories, but I felt like that one really stuck the landing.

David Hernandez: 7:33

I could see that because, with Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, it's teamed Galactic. Mm hmm. I think he's trying to start a brand new world depending on whether you're doing Diago or Palkia.

HurricaneKaz: 7:42

Mm hmm.

David Hernandez: 7:43

And it's just a very, I'll say ambitious, because we're so used to like criminal organizations with Team Rocket. I think the closest we got to world ending was maybe Team Magma and Team Rocket because they were trying to add either more land or more ocean, but Team Galactic was on a vengeance to try to really destroy the world for the first time in the Pokemon franchise.

HurricaneKaz: 7:59

it felt very threatening, like, even when I was playing through it. and this idea that like, yeah, we don't want to just change the world. Like we want to break it and start a new one. Basically. I was like me and my Pokemon were like, well, we won't stand for that. And my, I think the, final team that I had the first time I played through, And I remember this because I found some sketchbooks that had like some original drawings. I just,

David Hernandez: 8:25

Oh,

HurricaneKaz: 8:25

team that I went with was the three final, like final versions of the starters. So Empoleon, Infernape, and Torterra. And then I also had Drapion, Luxray, and Staraptor. Because of course.

David Hernandez: 8:41

of course. You gotta have two birds in there.

HurricaneKaz: 8:43

Yeah, exactly. because I just thought like those designs just seem so cool to me and like Diamond and Pearl also had like a lot of really good typings, like Empolium with that water steel type that I already mentioned, Firefighting was not unheard of, but still pretty strong, you know, and the Grass Ground, like it brings in double weakness, but I mean, it also covers a lot, so. the three starters by themselves. I was like, this is amazing. Also, like, I know I love birds, but I thought Drapion looked so sick. I was like, this is the scariest demon Pokemon I've ever seen. This giant scorpion. And I want to bring it with me everywhere.

David Hernandez: 9:21

No, I agree, because I remember when I first faced Drapion, you know, Skorupi's a bug poison type when it starts out. And I think it was on one of the Elite Four, the bug type Elite Four guy, I can't remember his name. He brought it in, but it was a poison dark type. And I'm like, why is his fire attack not super effective? didn't know it loses its bug typing.

HurricaneKaz: 9:39

yeah, exactly. It just breaks your whole world. Yeah.

David Hernandez: 9:44

what you did there. did there. Mm hmm.

HurricaneKaz: 9:45

And then, the champion for that game, Cynthia, like, I really loved her design and her team as well, like, and honestly, so hard. Like, that is one of the most difficult, like, champion battles that I remember from my early time playing the games. and I think a lot of people have that memory because I feel like there was a post recently where, like, Like just shared her theme music and they were like, Cynthia, that's it. That's the post. And I'm like, Oh my God.

David Hernandez: 10:14

Get goosebumps in your hair, it's just going up when you hear the music.

HurricaneKaz: 10:17

Yeah. Core memory unlocked.

David Hernandez: 10:19

But it's true though, because, first A, that's the first female champion. And B, it's one of the hardest ones in the entire franchise. People still talk about it to this day, and then the games are already, how old, I think, 15 years old at this point?

HurricaneKaz: 10:32

Yeah. Again, we don't need to talk too much about the

David Hernandez: 10:34

Yeah, true, true, true, true.

HurricaneKaz: 10:36

yeah. Oh my god! That Garchomp!. Gosh. It just was so, Difficult. And it seemed like, even though it has, again, a double weakness, it seemed like no matter what you threw at it, it was just like, oh, you know, that was okay. That was, you know, hurt a little bit, I guess.

David Hernandez: 10:55

Mm hmm. And then the rest of

HurricaneKaz: 10:56

happening now?

David Hernandez: 10:57

I know, but then the rest of our team is not as easy. You got Milotic back in the day with the high special defense. You got Roserade. You have, Lucario, which is fighting steel type. That's a solid team even for back then.

HurricaneKaz: 11:10

Yeah, it was so difficult. I think I might have lost, like, the first several times I tried, and it took me a while to, like, find the right combination. And especially since the main series games, there are a lot of different, you know, even in the older ones, there are a lot of different, rules. You know, you gotta consider your abilities, and you gotta consider your items, and the order your Pokémon can make a huge difference, like setting things up for your later team.

David Hernandez: 11:34

Oh yeah. And unfortunately, Dunperl, the only thing I don't like about it is the slow gameplay, but it was definitely very changing for the Pokemon because it added the new typings you mentioned. champion, the story. It really had a lot of good things going for it.

HurricaneKaz: 11:47

Yeah. I just remember, like, that was kind of the first Pokemon I had picked back up in a while, even though I always had a special place in my heart for the franchise, and I remember playing it and being like, oh yeah. I'm gonna play this, like, I can play this forever. laughs And lo and behold, like I still continued to play every single game as it came out. I didn't play like the mystery dungeon series. That actually was one that I never really touched. but I did enjoy like the stadium games and I also very much enjoy like the Pokemon snap games, like the old one and the latest one that they released, Those are just real, so chill by comparison. I'm like, yeah, let me live my wildlife photographer dreams. Thank you.

David Hernandez: 12:31

real, in the virtual world. It's

HurricaneKaz: 12:33

Exactly. Yeah. I have a friend, I had a friend who lived, uh, used to live here by me. And whenever it came out, one of us would go pick up Boba and then go to the other one's house. And we would like play through the same levels together, trying to like unlock all the secrets and get all the different levels of, for every Pokemon, like you can get like kind of a basic photo and a good photo and like an excellent photo, that sort of thing. and you have to like do things to entice the Pokemon to like act certain ways. so we would always kind of like sit and do the same levels and try and figure them out together.

David Hernandez: 13:05

It also goes back to your hobby of birdwatching. Cause get to kind of, cause you get kind of the Pokemon. Yeah. You get to experience Pokemon in their habitat. You get to see how they interact with out human interaction, I guess, to a degree. And that's what I've always enjoyed about the snap series is that. what do Pokemon do when people aren't around? It's like the old question. If a tree falls in the forest, does it, nobody hears it, it actually fall. And it kind of allowed us to kind of live that dream out and see what, what they do when we're not around, you know,

HurricaneKaz: 13:33

and for as much fun as like the battling is, you know And especially like the community that has come from that both, you know for the main series and for Pokemon Go It's also fun to have a part of the series where it's not about that You know, you're just kind of like you said experiencing nature and seeing you know What Pokemon are up to what their lives are like? It's just it's very fascinating and again, I I feel like it's A very chill experience compared to the way that I play some of the other games.

David Hernandez: 14:03

I was going to say in Pokemon go, you're more of the competitive side. You do a lot of battling, you're involved in that side. When did you transition to start playing Pokemon go?

HurricaneKaz: 14:11

So I started playing Go when it first came out. That was, what, the summer of 16?

David Hernandez: 14:17

We don't talk about it.

HurricaneKaz: 14:18

Yeah. I mean, I'm just guessing. Um, so I started playing it when it came out because, of course, it's a Pokemon game. I love Pokemon. and like many other people have said, you know, I feel in the meme, like that's as close to world peace as we'll ever get,

David Hernandez: 14:35

We need T-shirt. We need a T-shirt of that. For

HurricaneKaz: 14:38

we do, because like, I just remember I was living in Savannah, Georgia at the time. Which if you've never visited, it's a great place to play. So many stops because of the historic nature of the city. Very walkable everywhere in the downtown area. So I just remember being, you know, downtown walking around and everyone, it's also a very tourist heavy city. So it's not just like locals. It's, you know, there are a lot of people there from all sorts of walks of life. And I remember walking around downtown and basically seeing everyone play. Which was so strange to me because I always felt like I'm a grown woman and you know, people don't expect me play Pokemon. And a lot of people, you know, even my age don't play Pokemon anymore. But now everyone is playing it and everyone is talking about it. Everyone's like walking up to strangers and talking about what they're seeing like on their phones, and it was just such a like, surreal, magical moment. and it was, and it was really incredible. Of course, that like kind of faded pretty quickly for most people who weren't Pokemon fans. but I did find a community of other people that played, but unfortunately, like at first the game was a little stale, you know, for a long time. It was just the first 150 Pokemon. There wasn't really much to do with them except kind of put them in gyms. So, I took a break for maybe a year, I think it was until they introduced raiding. They announced that they had this new concept they were going to introduce to the game of raiding for legendaries, and the first one that they did was Articuno. And I heard about this and I was like, I have to have that. I must have one. And so, uh, I remember opening my game, for the first time in a long time and seeing an Articuno raid a few blocks away from where I lived. And I was like, you know, I'm going to walk over there and check it out. I had no, like no concept of how difficult this would be to achieve. If I could even do it by myself, like what I needed, like what It would be like in the game, but I was like, I'll go just check it out. So I walked over a few blocks and I want to say there was like 50 people all just milling around. it wasn't even like the spot that it was in was arguably not even one of the more walkable parts of the city. Like it was kind of like where it starts to get a little bit busier. And there were just like, yeah, 50, at least 50 people milling around. And I was like, are you guys here to play the Pokemon? Like play like this Articuno. And they're like, yeah, we're, uh, we're organizing our, raid lobbies by team. So who, like, which team are you? And I was like, I'm team mystic. And they're like, you, okay, you want to go over there and talk to this guy. And it was like already so organized. And I was just floored. I was like, this is absolutely incredible.

David Hernandez: 17:25

it's like where you been most of my

HurricaneKaz: 17:27

I know where, where have I been, like, doing? and so, yeah, once they introduced rating, that's when I picked the game back up very seriously and just have not put it down since. and I remember I was also, I was teaching at the time. I was an adjunct professor at the time, so I had to kind of, Be a little secretive that I liked Pokemon because if my students found out they would always try and use it to their advantage

David Hernandez: 17:51

Really?

HurricaneKaz: 17:52

Yeah, I was teaching like drawing classes at the time and they would always try and like insert Pokemon into their assignments And I was like, no, this isn't this is not win you

David Hernandez: 18:00

They're trying get more points

HurricaneKaz: 18:01

Yeah, they're trying they're trying to squeeze out some bonus points. I was like, this is not what you want to be doing right now Trust me

David Hernandez: 18:08

They'll be like, hey, if you want to get on this teacher's good side, draw a Pidgeot on your project. Sinistea,

HurricaneKaz: 18:13

this is a life drawing class. I you to draw this cup like 20 more times. do not put an Articuno on it. Oh God. so yeah. And sometimes like, it would be really awkward when I would encounter students like out at raids. I'm like, no, no, no, we don't need to talk about this. This does not need to take over our time.

David Hernandez: 18:33

It's just like professional versus personal is blurry, a little

HurricaneKaz: 18:36

I really, I really wanted to try and keep it as separate as possible. But I mean, that's just how popular the game is, you know. And, and it was art school, so a lot of students are, are a little bit on the nerdier side, like I have always been. so sometimes it did happen.

David Hernandez: 18:51

I did want to ask something real quick. you talked about how when you start playing Pokemon Go, You, you mentioned how like, Oh, I'm a grown woman. I should be playing Pokemon. Did you like have that kind of feelings beforehand and even into Pokemon go to where, you know, whatever age you were at the time, it's like, you didn't feel comfortable playing Pokemon.

HurricaneKaz: 19:08

No, I always felt pretty comfortable. I just knew, that it was considered a little weird. I've always, yeah, I've always just been, like, I have one brother and I'm older than him, but, we are the exact opposite. And so I feel like I'm just the big kid. So, so I, yeah, I never felt uncomfortable playing. But I always was kind of aware that there was this like stigma about it. And, and that goes for just a lot of things in my life. Like I'm just a very like weird, nerdy person and, and anyone who's met me in person kind of knows that very quickly

David Hernandez: 19:42

And what say, two birds, two birds flock together. So, I remember that Sigma, because I always felt like, you know, there was always that idea. Like Pokemon is more for younger kids and the nerdy stuff, you know, it wasn't accepted at the time. I think Pokemon Go kind of brought that acceptance out that allowed us Pokemon fans to kind of feel more at ease, I guess, playing the franchise. Cause you would see people who were even older than us playing the game.

HurricaneKaz: 20:05

Yeah, I definitely think so, too. And I also think, honestly, I think the pandemic allowed a lot of people to embrace those nostalgic hobbies that they might have, you know, neglected before because we were all kind of at home. We all kind of had to figure out how to, Spend our time, you know? cause I know my, my husband is a big retro games collector. and he started noticing that a lot of other people were now buying retro games. so yeah, I think it allowed a lot of people to just be like, You know what? I can spend my time how I want. I can live my life and enjoy what I want to enjoy. Which is, I think, a great attitude. And I'm really glad that more people have, started accepting that. Because yeah, like in almost every way, I am just a big nerd. Like I'm a big nerd for Pokemon, but I play a lot of other video games. I'm a bird nerd, as we talked about. And I, I went to school for comics, you know, and I've always been a big comics nerd as well. so just on every front, I am a very nerdy, like weird individual. I know who I am and I, and I love it.

David Hernandez: 21:05

Hey you! Yes, you with the ears! Don't go anywhere, just taking a quick ad break. We'll be right back. one thing that people may not know, or maybe they do, and I'm just naive, is you're actually a drawer. And that's actually how I found out more about your talent, is you used to draw for Ghost Stadium. You would draw the guests with their Pokemon, right?

HurricaneKaz: 22:01

Yeah, that was actually, a really fun opportunity, Amanda Lundberg, who most know as one of the EU and now NA casters, for the play Pokemon circuit, she contacted me and she's like, Hey, you know, we're getting this podcast going and I kind of want to do something to make it a little more unique. And I was thinking about having artwork for the trainers that we feature with their favorite Pokemon. is that something that you'd be interested in helping us create? And I was like, Oh, absolutely. I would.

David Hernandez: 22:31

hmm,

HurricaneKaz: 22:32

because again, it's, you know, I love Pokemon and I do love art. I, you know, I went to art school and I've, done like several graphic novels that I have published. but I've definitely been trying to focus in more recent years on, you know, working on the things that I really want to work on. So this sounded like a really fun project with, Very cool people, in charge of it, So it was just a unique opportunity to kind of, like, Learn about a lot of other trainers and stretch some artistic muscles and, and just have fun, like drawing Pokemon, which is what I've always wanted to do. Like no matter what other, quote unquote, more professional project I was working on, drawing Pokemon is just fun. It's just pure fun for me. So having an outlet to do that, and be pseudo published for it with this podcast was just really cool. And, and I can't thank Amanda enough for inviting me to do that because some of those turned out really cool and I still look back on them like, yeah, that is awesome. And I did that.

David Hernandez: 23:30

When it comes to just, you know, doing that and you also got more involved with PVP, you know, do casting, Where did the transition from raids to PVP happen and how did it happen?

HurricaneKaz: 23:40

So, raids were introduced before, like, the concept of PvP. So that's how I got back into the game, you know, and kind of started playing it more consistently. And, I don't think it was too long after, I want to say maybe it was like the following fall or winter, that they introduced, the concept of battles. And at that time, when they first put battling into the Pokemon Go game, It was just, between you and your friends, and you also had to be, like, ultra friends or best friends with someone to, like, invite. You couldn't just, like, Have someone that you just met, you know, invite them or you couldn't, I'm not even sure if you could do it maybe in person first because I don't think they had the QR codes at first,

David Hernandez: 24:20

No, didn't. You had to add them as a friend in order the PvP. Didn't have the option, quick option we have nowadays. We've come a long way.

HurricaneKaz: 24:26

Yes. Oh my gosh. changed so much. so yeah, when they first introduced it, you could really only battle with your, higher level friends. And there was a small group of people I had moved, from, like, I started playing in Savannah and I'd moved to Atlanta. So I didn't really know anyone at all in the Atlanta area, especially anyone who played Pokemon. So I was still kind of chatting with people that I knew in Savannah that played, and they were kind of into the idea of battling too. So I just remember us like sending each other battles and just like throwing the wildest stuff out there. Just stuff that we wanted to use, stuff that we could use, figuring out like the different leagues. Cause at that time they still had the idea of like, Oh, great league is for 1500 CP and under, and then you have ultra league that's 2500 and under, and then you have master, which is like anything. So we were kind of experimenting and just using wild stuff. And like, you could add second moves to things and I was just adding moves, like to whatever I wanted to no, no thought, no cares in the world. Just like, like playing how, like whatever I wanted to play and just like, Um, yeah, and I was just like, and one day I realized, I was like, oh, I have no more Star Trek, I literally wasted all on trash. so yeah, it was, it was quite fun at first, learning about it with, my friends. and at first, like I said, I didn't know anyone. In the Atlanta area, I knew there were some people that I had met raids before, but none of them seemed particularly interested about PVP. So, so I was kind of just staying in touch with these people that were interested in it back where I started playing in, and this was before the pandemic, mind you, they started what they referred to as a couch league where people would sign up to, you know, and we knew you had to level up friendship. and you could compete with each other, from afar, as long as you were, high enough friendship. So people would sign up and, you know, get to the appropriate friend level and then we could do little tournaments together. this was before I knew about Sylph as well. It wasn't until I started, like, I discovered that there was a lot of like Pokemon go content on YouTube that I started watching and I was like, Oh, there, there are other people that seem to be competing in like a league with like predetermined rules, you know, like I started hearing about boulder cup and I was like, what is this? You know? and so it wasn't, I realized that the Silph League, Had, organized itself into this like way of finding tournaments and playing tournaments with other people live, like in person, and I was like, that sounds amazing. so I missed boulder cup, which was the first one they ever did.

David Hernandez: 26:59

you would love Boulder Cup.

HurricaneKaz: 27:00

I know it was just, all, all rocks and, uh, and steals. And, uh,

David Hernandez: 27:06

all Skarmories.

HurricaneKaz: 27:07

Yes, all, oops, all Skarmories. so I missed that one, but I found out that there was going to be a different meta the following month called Twilight Cup. And so I read a little bit about it, how you were limited to certain types. but I still didn't know, like, how to find who was playing in Atlanta. But I did find out that my community in Savannah was hosting a tournament in person. And I was like, oh, we, actually are going to be down there that weekend. So I'll, I'll just go, like, I'll just go and meet up with my friends again. And we'll actually get to battle in person. like, I knew what types were allowed by the meta, but I didn't really, understand like a lot of PVP mechanics yet. So I was just kind of like using whatever Pokemon like had the right typings that I had heard people talk about. like I had Venomoth on my team and I had, like a Toxicroak and I remember that, I actually had Tentacruel in the back and at that time it did not have Scald. It just had kind of a, double nuclear move set is what we referred to it as. It had hydro pump and sludge wave. and I actually came in second in that tournament. and that was the, the first time that I had ever like, gone to a tournament, you know, battled with other people in person. And I knew some of them, but other ones were like new players that I didn't know. And it was just so, so much fun. And everyone was so friendly, you know, the community organizers at the time. We're just, really welcoming and like introducing me to other people and making sure that I was all set up

David Hernandez: 28:32

And you just stuck with PvP throughout? Like, of course, you know, the pandemic happens, everything goes online. Is that what you still kind of find satisfying with the PvP? Is the people that play it?

HurricaneKaz: 28:40

Yes, definitely. Like the interactions that you get with, people, you know, and people you don't know is, just really encouraging. And, and it's always fun to kind of learn how other people think about their battling. It took a few tournaments, before I got to know, an Atlanta local, whose trainer name is Sushi must write. And she's always like, she's always been like, she would always be at kind of the rate hours and stuff. So I got to know her a little bit better and she was like, Hey, there's this server I'm on. That's just for women battlers, called girls that PVP you know, would you like an invite to the discord? And I was like, I would love you know, cause at the time I was just like you know, way that I can get kind of more involved with other people who. Enjoy this aspect of the game that I do. that's where I want to be, you know? so she got me an invite to that server and that's kind of where I started learning about virtual only tournaments. but yeah, I got involved in that server and yeah, found this whole community of not only people who like to compete, but people who like to just like share information about the game and, share their successes, share what they learned. and help everyone else get better. And I was like, this is absolutely amazing. And, that's, I feel like where I actually started developing something of skill at this game rather than just kind of fumbling with like, oh, here's what's allowed and here's what I have. And

David Hernandez: 30:00

It felt like you had somebody who can kind of teach you the ways and community that you feel comfortable with.

HurricaneKaz: 30:05

Yeah, several people, because there are lots of amazing battlers, like, in that community. And I've since, like, joined other communities as well, and met other battlers, through the Play Pokemon circuit. And it's just, like, it's just amazing how friendly people have been, and ready kind of, like, share their knowledge and talk about their experiences. that server was kind of like the gateway into the, the PVP community, but like my experiences have only grown from there. and yeah, that's where I got my first, invitation to start trying my hand at casting. I can't remember exactly what the circumstances were. I know it was with Gym Breakers, which is like a sort of World Cup style tournament where every country can have, up to four teams And I'm a World Cup fan already. So, so I was kind of like, Oh, it fits. So I,

David Hernandez: 30:58

piece of the puzzle.

HurricaneKaz: 30:58

yeah, so I believe that, it was final boss AJ who put out kind of an open call, like, Hey, would there be anyone interested? In helping to cast over some of these gym breaker battles. And I was like, well, I've never done it before, but I'll give it a shot. You know, I enjoy battling. I enjoy learning and, and seeing other people battle. So yeah, I'd, I'd be willing to give it a try.

David Hernandez: 31:23

it was like a whip is off the wind. You didn't really have any inspiration. You just it a shot kind of thing.

HurricaneKaz: 31:27

Yeah, it just sounded, you know, I had seen coverage of battles before, so I kind of like knew what she was talking about, but yeah, I had absolutely zero experience.

David Hernandez: 31:38

Of course.

HurricaneKaz: 31:38

so I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I knew that it, you know, that I, felt good in that community and talking about Pokemon, so I just wanted to, to try and improve that a little bit. so I did and it went really well. I definitely, you know, I definitely do feel like my lack of experience might have showed a little bit, but I feel like what I made up for in like knowledge and experience at that time, you know, I made up for with enthusiasm.

David Hernandez: 32:05

Hey, that's all you need is enthusiasm.

HurricaneKaz: 32:06

Yeah,

David Hernandez: 32:06

take far.

HurricaneKaz: 32:08

so, because, yeah, I was so excited to watch like high level gameplay because a lot of people that play in Dream Breakers are some of the more talented battlers that we know of in the world today, now that we have sort of a more visible community through the PlayPokemon circuit. so getting that chance, that first chance to kind of experiment with that, I was like, this is really fun, you know, and so pretty much any, any opportunity that I saw come forth from then, as long as I had open time in my schedule, I was more than happy to try and you know, a way of experiencing the game and, and meeting people through this game. That has been super enjoyable for me. And I'm still not, you know, obviously the best, but I'm always trying.

David Hernandez: 32:50

Hey, it's a journey. It's not a destination,

HurricaneKaz: 32:52

Exactly, yeah.

David Hernandez: 32:54

What's cool is that, you you met these friends online, you pvp through girls that pvp eventually, you know, live events come back. what is it like to meet that online community in person? Say like a go fest, say at a regionals.

HurricaneKaz: 33:08

Oh my gosh, so thrilling, honestly. I went to my first GoFest, it was Chicago 2019. And this was kind of before I had a really strong, like, this was when I was playing in Atlanta, but I still didn't know a lot of people super well. so what I actually did in 2019 was I had a friend of mine, like a close friend of mine who kind of casually played the game and she had just moved to Austin, Texas, and I was like, Hey, what if I came to visit you and then kind of kidnapped you

David Hernandez: 33:41

Oh my God.

HurricaneKaz: 33:42

and then we go play Pokemon Chicago. And she was like, Yeah, that sounds fun. So

David Hernandez: 33:49

you real quick you over state lines. That's

HurricaneKaz: 33:51

yeah, exactly. Well, I hadn't, like I said, she just moved to Texas, so I hadn't visited her yet. So I was like, I'm going to come see you first and then we're going to go play this game. and that was like my first ever GoFest. That was her probably first and only GoFest. but it was, it was really fun to kind of have that really random trip with a close friend. And, um,

David Hernandez: 34:13

it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Real quick.

HurricaneKaz: 34:15

it wasn't, it wasn't super planned. say

David Hernandez: 34:17

a trend here.

HurricaneKaz: 34:20

So, the coolest thing from that experience, I think though, that I remember is, you know, whenever you have a GoFest, you always have special research. I feel like it's definitely gotten way more intense in recent years than it was that first time. but we were at the event and part of the research said, you have to make two new friends. And so we were like, Oh, crap, we're already friends with each other. So we got to just find some people, you know, and we encountered these two other women who, I swear to you, this is real. They had done the exact same thing as us. of, one of them lived in New York. The other one lived in California and they said the exact same thing. Like, I'll come visit you and then we'll go to Chicago Go Fest together.

David Hernandez: 35:01

no way, that's crazy.

HurricaneKaz: 35:03

It's so wild. And we, we met them, we got their friend codes and became friends with them. And then we, you know, we did trades with them as well. so, and I still have that Pokemon saved. It was, I think it was a Pichu from California. I still have it saved. Cause that experience was just so wild to me. I'm like, I don't, we don't know these people and I'll probably like never interact with them again, but this is great. This is pure moment.

David Hernandez: 35:29

real quick, what are the chances? You and your friend go on the spur of the moment, you kidnap your friend, take her to Chicago, meet these two people who do the exact same thing from opposite sides of the states, that's, that's a wild coincidence.

HurricaneKaz: 35:42

it, is, I can't even begin to analyze like how random of a chance that is, that we would actually find two people who had done the exact same thing. That's crazy. So that was the first time I ever went to a GoFest and then obviously the pandemic happened and we got kind of global events started taking off from there, Which was great because by then I had kind of like met a few other people in the Atlanta area that I, started playing with. So I still had kind of a, a little community that I could, play events with here at home, which was nice. and then I went to New York Go Fest, in 2023, because I used to live in New York as well, before. Pokemon Go, had started. And I had, a friend who lived there who was like, she also plays casually. She was like, yeah, you can just come stay with me and it'll be cool. And, uh, and then we had another friend who, who flew in as well. So we had like a little mini vacation and went and played Pokemon together. And it was, it was a really fun time. We're all bird nerds. So we actually had matching bird shirts that we were wearing at the event too to just be extra, like, nerdy.

David Hernandez: 36:49

that's it.

HurricaneKaz: 36:50

so it was nice. What was funny is we had actually, like, done a group vacation earlier in that year. So we were, like, seeing each other for, like, we all were coming from different states for the second time that year.

David Hernandez: 37:00

right? Yeah.

HurricaneKaz: 37:01

but it was, it was a really good time and that, I had had the chance now to, like you're saying, meet people that I had really like only ever met online. you know, I met someone from my team, the, the Queen Bees that you, you mentioned briefly, you know, I got to meet her for the first time and she actually from California and she had a Hawlucha saved for me. And I was like, this is the best day.

David Hernandez: 37:24

Yeah. That's awesome.

HurricaneKaz: 37:26

and then from there, like, like I've said a few times now, we have the play Pokemon circuit, which gives Pokemon go, PVP kind of a very visible competitive outlet that is on, I would say now it's like almost on par, Maybe not in numbers, but, you know, working our way up to it, uh, on par with like the video game series and the trading card game, because they, they're all taking place at the same time. So it's these huge venues that are just filled with people who love Pokemon, which in itself is an incredible experience. But on top of that, going to these tournaments now, and again, just meeting people that I've only ever kind of interacted with online, uh, Not to mention incredibly talented battlers that I've seen battle and like, have watched their skill. It has just been amazing. it's, have a hard time putting into words, like how incredible it feels to like make a real, like the community feel more real because, you know, you're here and you're getting to know people better. You're getting to interact with people in a way that's like outside of a screen as well. it's really nice and, has been, incredible learning experience.

David Hernandez: 38:35

I think it's hard to put into words because, you know, you take the stigma that online friendships have and people will say like, oh, it's not real. You know, how do y'all really know each other? But then, you know, you take it into real life and you get to kind of meet them in person. It's a different kind of connection, and it's almost like. you get to experience that human level type of connection instead of over a computer and stuff like that. And it's just a good feeling because it's like I always compare it to like a family reunion, really.

HurricaneKaz: 39:03

I guess that's weird because it's like, yeah, people always do say that about like, you know, virtual or digital friendships. There's always that like stigma about it. But to me, it's like when I meet people in person. It doesn't feel different. It just feels, it just feels like just a little extra you know, like I'm getting to put a face, like a real face to the name. but the relationship still is just getting like stronger, it's nothing different. it's just sort of growing. And, and that just, and it just feels really fulfilling. I think. Because yeah, the, the reverse has also happened to me there. Like I've mentioned, there are friends that I met here in Atlanta that I started playing with, but they moved out of the area. But now we still have ways to play with each other and interact with online a lot. They're not as into PvP in Pokemon as I am, so they just kind of help me with raids sometimes, which is very, very nice of them. but, you know, we have other things in common and we play, other games online with each other as well.

David Hernandez: 40:03

Pokemon Go that are online.

HurricaneKaz: 40:06

well, in a, in a move that surprises no one, there's, a board game called Wingspan that is bird themed. Um, and there it's a physical game, obviously, since it's a board game, but there is a version available on the Switch and you can play online with friends. So like, if, if anyone can ever see my Switch account history, it's the game that I have spent the most hours on. Cause I'm, we're always just playing with each other. And it's like, so like 700 something hours according to my switch. And I'm Hey, don't judge me. Yeah,

David Hernandez: 40:41

anybody as long as you and I are in somebody

HurricaneKaz: 40:43

Yeah. So, so yeah, the reverse is also true. Like we met doing things in person in the game, but unfortunately, since they don't live here anymore, we have to find ways of, of interacting digitally, you know, to kind of just hang out with each other and enjoy. We usually do a voice chat while we play. So we can just kind of like. Talk about how things have been going and, um, and that only happened because of our interest for Pokemon first. so yeah, I mean, both, both sides of the coin are equally valid, you know, in person relationships and digital relationships, and I value both immensely.

David Hernandez: 41:16

And you basically described a thing to call what they call it back in the old days, the land parties, basically you and your friends have a land party, but it's online.

HurricaneKaz: 41:23

Yeah. I used to go to some of those. Oh my God.

David Hernandez: 41:26

Yeah, that, that's a flashback for sure.

HurricaneKaz: 41:28

Don't do the math on that.

David Hernandez: 41:29

I'm not, I'm not, I'm not even mapping right now. Well Hurricane Kaz, thank you all for coming on the show. I need to finish off with the last question before we let you go. Say somebody's coming to step into Atlanta, Georgia, and they want to challenge you to a six on six battle. What six Pokemon would you bring?

HurricaneKaz: 41:47

oh My gosh Well, obviously I gotta have a flyer there. I think my team would consist of like my bird Pokemon specifically. But again, we've talked about how they don't necessarily have to be flying type. So I feel like Pidgeot still has to be on there. Because even though it is like the normal flying, it's a pretty versatile Pokemon. and it's my fave. Obviously.

David Hernandez: 42:10

Can't go wrong with that. Yeah.

HurricaneKaz: 42:12

I think some of the other ones I would include would also be Empolion, because I think it counters a lot of flying weaknesses and is still a bird. So very important. I also like Cresselia and I believe firmly that it is a moon duck, Just a duck. Okay. of moons.

David Hernandez: 42:30

It is.

HurricaneKaz: 42:31

And it's a very bulky Pokemon, has a lot of great coverage, so I feel like that has a place on there as well. other birds that I think are very valuable and would have a strong place, Staraptor is another good one, because I feel like, is a little faster. Staraptor hits a lot harder and has a lot more powerful moves. Like not only does it have in Pokemon Go, I know it has access to Brave Bird and Close Combat, which like is a wombo combo of like, I will damage myself, but I will make sure you go down with me.

David Hernandez: 43:06

I'm taking you down with me. Yeah, that's I was about to say.

HurricaneKaz: 43:09

Exactly. Um, and then other bird Pokemon talonflame, I think, would be another one that I would include. because, like Staraptor, has a lot of high damage moves, but it also has, like, the added, sort of, unique typing of Fireflying. so getting access to some of that fire damage, I think, is also pretty cool. And then, last but not least, I'm gonna go with a weird one. I'm gonna go with Ludicolo.

David Hernandez: 43:37

Whoa,

HurricaneKaz: 43:39

it is a duck and no one can convince me otherwise. Look at that bill. So, uh,

David Hernandez: 43:45

yeah, a duck.

HurricaneKaz: 43:46

got, and it's got a really unique typing. The water grass I think is really valuable. Cause I mean, the thing that often gets sent out against flyers is like the rocks. Right. and electric type. So I feel like having kind of Cresselia and the Ludicolo on there to kind of maybe counter a little bit. Of the electric. I mean, it has the water typing, but it has grass damage to throw at the electric. So pretty good. Pretty

David Hernandez: 44:09

That's a curveball. You know, I never would imagine Ludicolo. It is a duck. I just never thought of it as a bird, to be honest.

HurricaneKaz: 44:15

Also, I just love, it's a little dance. always, always having a good time.

David Hernandez: 44:20

It is.

HurricaneKaz: 44:20

Yeah.

David Hernandez: 44:21

Well, HurricaneCast, for coming on the podcast. Before we close it down. If people want to connect with you, if they want to check out your latest projects, where can they go? By all means, please plug away.

HurricaneKaz: 44:31

So, you can find my personal, Twitter, at the Hurricane Kaz. that's just kind of where I post anything that I might be up to, or anything that I see that I have thought is cute for the day. And, I also recently joined the, co host of the Battle Cats podcast. So you can find our podcast link at, battlecatspodcast. com. Pod and cats has a Z instead of an S. so that's where we'll post our episodes, post polls, and we have a lot of fun discussion about current in game events, as well as PVP, because we're all interested in battling and we're all casting, as well, you know, so we have lots of things going on. So, check us out for some good battling times.

David Hernandez: 45:16

Thank you for listening to As the Pokeball Turns. Follow all my socials and join our Discord community to stay connected by clicking any of the links in the description of this episode. Tune in next time for more episodes featuring more people, more stories, and more Pokemon. Until next time.