Chazingdra Chats (A Pokémon Podcast) – Détails, épisodes et analyse

#6Pokemon1LifeStory

A Pokémon fan since the very beginning, little did Marti imagine that years later she would be invited to the Pokémon Black & White Versions Premiere. The only girl in her college Game Development class, once a journalist for the Official Nintendo Magazine, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as an adult - come discover her story, as well as the 6 Pokémon she would choose for her Dream Team. Kick back with Marti & me, and let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Want to get to know Marti even better? Head to my Patreon for her Rapidash Round: bonus quickfire questions she hasn't prepared for... Let the merriment continue! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Keep up with Marti's latest on X and check out her fantastic streams and content on Twitch and YouTube!

https://x.com/virtuallymarti

https://www.twitch.tv/virtuallymarti

https://www.youtube.com/virtuallymarti

And my name's Charlie Merriman - Merri by name, merry by nature - a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see Marti's Dream Team Pokémon, drawings and her dog Mochi - and share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Marti has shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com 

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy all the treats that the Pokémon video games have to offer, competitive & casual, then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

03:29 Childhood

07:33 Marti’s 1st Dream Team Pokémon

10:24 Creativity

16:48 Marti’s 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

19:15 College

22:55 Marti’s 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

24:19 Competitive

29:35 Marti’s 4th Dream Team Pokémon

31:29 Content

39:09 Marti’s 5th Dream Team Pokémon

40:30 Current

51:38 Marti’s 6th Dream Team Pokémon

53:42 Marti’s Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

55:11 If Marti were a Pokémon, what would she be?

56:50 Community Questions for Marti

1:04:14 What’s next for Marti?

1:05:00 What advice would Marti give her younger self?

1:06:36 Marti’s Rapidash Round Teaser

1:07:13 Get involved & see you next time!

*Shiny Pokémon: Each Pokémon has a Shiny version, an incredibly rare differently-coloured variant that sparkles when encountered.

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

#6Pokemon1LifeStory

The 30th episode of Chazingdra Chats presents, as ever, an incredible guest: Lou Akcoş-Cromie, veteran caster for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series & more recently for Pokémon GO too - and what a fascinating story she has. She’s traversed the globe since childhood, her parents having been in the military, and she’s competed at the World Championships for Irish dancing; a 30-second interview at a Pokémon tournament she was playing turned out to be life-changing - she even arguably has a starring role in Pokémon Sword & Shield… You’re in for an inspiring time as Lou opens up about all this & so, so much more - as well as takes us through her 6 Dream Team Pokémon, the ones that have been the most special to her over the years. Don’t miss your chance to get the insight of a figurehead of the Pokémon community: kick back and have a laugh with Lou & me, and let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Want to get to know Lou even better? Head to my Patreon for her Rapidash Round! Bonus quickfire questions she hasn't prepared for: What's the biggest thing she's learned from casting? What's her favourite item out of all the Pokémon merchandise she's accumulated over the years? What advice would she give to aspiring casters? These questions & so many more lie in store - let the merriment continue! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Keep up with Lou's latest on X and check out her stunning artwork on Instagram!

https://x.com/louthepikachu

https://www.instagram.com/louthepikachu_paints

And my name's Charlie Merriman - Merri by name, merry by nature - a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see Lou's Dream Team Pokémon - & her cats! - and share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Lou has shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com 

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy all the treats that the Pokémon video games have to offer, competitive & casual, then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

01:51 Childhood in Cyprus with parents & ‘sister’

12:19 Lou’s 1st Dream Team Pokémon

15:53 Creativity in England; dance & dyslexia

28:44 Lou’s 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

32:18 A Fateful Encounter with Pokémon in Wales

40:04 Lou’s 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

42:17 Worlds 2016 in San Francisco and an epic 2017 season

50:23 Lou’s 4th Dream Team Pokémon

52:16 From Alola to Galar: the 30 seconds that led to a casting career

59:22 Lou’s 5th Dream Team Pokémon - and cats!

1:07:01 Settling & Teaching in Germany - ‘Never the intention’

1:13:34 Lou’s 6th Dream Team Pokémon

1:19:42 Lou’s Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:21:33 If Lou were a Pokémon, what would she be?

1:23:04 Community Questions for Lou

1:33:06 What’s next for Lou?

1:35:37 What advice would Lou give her younger self?

1:37:22 Lou’s Rapidash Round Teaser

1:37:55 Get involved and see you next time!

*Notes:

To explain a few of the things Lou talks about in the Pokémon in Wales section…

- ‘Adamant Xerneas’: From the Generation III games (Ruby & Sapphire) onwards, each Pokémon has a Nature, most of which impact one stat positively and another negatively. The ‘Adamant’ Nature boosts Physical Attack & reduces Special Attack, but Xerneas’ Special Attack stat is naturally higher than its Physical Attack - so basically, the Adamant nature of Lou’s Xerneas was hindering it massively!

- ‘Non-Same Type Attack Bonus Kangaskhan’: When a Pokémon uses a move that shares its type, the power of the move is boosted. Kangaskhan is a Normal-type Pokémon but Lou’s did not have any Normal-type moves, when you’d expect at least one in order to take advantage of this power boost.

- ‘Scald Burn Focus Sash Hitmontop’: Scald is a move that has a chance to Burn the foe, a status condition that reduces the power of physical attacks. The Focus Sash item enables a Pokémon at full health to withstand an attack with at least one hit-point remaining. So, Lee’s Hitmontop had its Focus Sash broken by Scald and then the Burn nullified its damage output, putting Lee at a huge disadvantage in the match.

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

#6Pokemon1LifeStory 

What an honour to have on the show one of the all-time greats of Pokémon GO PvP, and Runner-Up at the 2024 World Championships, Martijn Versteeg aka Inadequance! Later in the episode you'll hear about Martijn's meteoric rise through the scene, from the start of his GO journey via casting all the way up to a detailed analysis of his Worlds run, and before that - as always - get to know the person behind the Pokémon. Hear how Martijn wrote stories about Super Mario & entertained his grandma with them, learn about his bipolar disorder, discover why he identified with Shadow from Sonic the Hedgehog - and, of course, get to know the 6 Pokémon that are the most special to Martijn, his hand-picked Dream Team that have been there throughout his journey. Come take a deeper dive into all things Inadequance, kick back & have a laugh with Martijn & me: let us #MakeYourDayMerry! 

Want to get to know Martijn even better? Then head to my Patreon (linked below) for his Rapidash Round: 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions he hasn't prepared for - take a deeper dive into his mindset during the Worlds '24 Finals and get the stats of how many games he brought each member of his team to, discover how he approaches a day of casting, find out why he might never have even got into Pokémon GO - this and so much more lies in store... Let the merriment continue! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Check out Martijn's latest news, streams & content on X, Twitch & YouTube! 

https://x.com/InadequancePOGO 

https://www.twitch.tv/inadequance 

https://www.youtube.com/@Inadequance 

And my name's Charlie Merriman - Merri by name, merry by nature - a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment! 

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra 

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra 

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra 

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats: 

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats 

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see Martijn's Dream Team Pokémon and share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Martijn has shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com 

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy anything & everything the Pokémon video games have to offer then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke 

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!) 

TIMESTAMPS 

00:00 Welcome! 

02:35 Super Mario & an equally Super Grandma 

08:29 Martijn's 1st Dream Team Pokémon 

12:10 Shadow the Hedgehog 

17:09 Martijn's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon 

21:17 Bipolar Disorder 

25:47 Martijn's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon 

30:32 "Charlie, I don't like Dutch TV..." 

33:38 Martijn's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

37:22 Martijn's Father

43:04 Martijn's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

49:57 Martijn's Pokémon GO Journey

1:09:48 Martijn's 6th Dream Team Pokémon 

1:10:43 Martijn's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:11:45 If Martijn were a Pokémon, what would he be?

1:12:47 Community questions for Martijn

1:18:18 What's next for Martijn?

1:20:37 What advice would Martijn give his younger self?

1:22:02 Martijn's Rapidash Round Teaser

1:22:25 Get involved & see you next time!

*Shiny Pokémon: Each Pokémon has a Shiny version, an incredibly rare differently-coloured variant that sparkles when encountered. They are not otherwise different from regular Pokémon, but of course they are highly prized.

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

#6Pokemon1LifeStory

You've heard her music - now hear her story! For the 20th episode of Chazingdra Chats, I have the honour of being joined by GlitchxCity, whose beloved Pokémon music remixes are ubiquitous - and it all started around the age of 13 when she sat down at a piano during a family reunion... Discover how Glitch got from there to here, via a fear of a very particular Gengar, the remix that made her name (it's not the one you think...), concerts conducted by the legendary Junichi Masuda - as well, of course, as the 6 Pokémon that are the most special to Glitch: her Dream Team that have been there for her every step of the way. With questions from the community like which Pokémon would she choose to write a signature track for and which of her remixes has been the most challenging to make, you do not want to miss the insights, wisdom - and laughs! - that GlitchxCity provides in abundance: come hang out and let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Want to get to know Glitch even better? Then head to my Patreon (linked below) for her Rapidash Round: 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions she hasn't prepared for - Which is GlitchxCity's favourite of all her Pokémon remixes? If she could play for any artist/band ever, which would it be? Who are her heroes? These and many more lie in store - let the merriment continue! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Make sure to check out Glitch's music & other content via the links below, keep up with her news on X @GlitchxCity, and support her craft on Patreon!

https://www.youtube.com/@GlitchxCity

https://www.youtube.com/@TheGlitchLogs

spoti.fi/3OxSsUb

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/glitchxcity/988572854

soundcloud.com/glitchxcity

https://x.com/GlitchxCity

patreon.com/GlitchxCity

And my name's Charlie Merriman - Merri by name, merry by nature - a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures - and plushies - of the Pokémon that Glitch is talking about and generally share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Glitch has shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy anything & everything the Pokémon video games have to offer then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

02:50 A Terrifying Gengar & Playing Gold on Repeat

12:15 Glitch's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

16:13 The Pokémon Trading Card Game & Early YouTube

22:55 Glitch's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

27:29 Music: 'If it weren't for my aunt, I wouldn't be here talking to you'

37:37 Glitch's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

39:59 Starting to Create Content

53:28 Glitch's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

55:55 Pokémon Symphonics & A Momentous 10th Anniversary

1:04:50 Glitch's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

1:06:41 Never Stop Learning

1:15:34 Glitch's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

1:18:29 Glitch's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:21:57 If Glitch were a Pokémon, what would she be?

1:23:47 Community Questions for Glitch

1:42:13 What's next for Glitch?

1:44:39 What advice would Glitch give her younger self?

1:46:15 Glitch's Rapidash Round Teaser

1:47:02 Get involved & see you next time!

Notes:

- 'BDSP', as mentioned in the Community Questions section, stands for '(Pokémon) Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl', the Nintendo Switch 2021 remakes of the original Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Versions (released from 2006 for the Nintendo DS).

- Safari Week, as mentioned in the What's Next section, is an annual event where Pokémon Trainers try to find Shiny Pokémon in the Safari Zone area of certain games. Shiny Pokémon are incredibly rare differently-coloured variants, and in the Safari Zone Pokémon can run away from you, so the tension is high in Safari Week!  

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

#6Pokemon1LifeStory

With the 2024 Pokémon World Championships taking place the week of this episode's release, let's get to know one of the Video Game casters: Gabby Snyder! Did you know Gabby's grandfather was a famous musician? Or that she met her fiancé at her very first competitive Pokémon event? That as a child she wrote to Pokémon asking them to bring an event to Boston - and they did? Trust me, this barely scratches the surface of the fascinating tales Gabby has to share - get in here and discover her life story! As well, of course, as her hand-picked Dream Team of 6 Pokémon that have been there for her along the way... Come hang out & have a laugh with Gabby & me: let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Want to get to know Gabby even better - and find out why she ends the episode with "It's about to get real degenerate in here"?! Then head to my Patreon (linked below) for her Rapidash Round: 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions she hasn't prepared for - Gabby might not have done her Bidoof Shiny hunt yet in Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, but what Generation IV Shiny hunt HAS she completed? If you're playing Pokémon Red with Charizard on the box, can you really choose a First Partner Pokémon other than Charmander - really? What's Gabby's favourite movie - and how many times did she see it at the cinema (brace yourselves for that one...)? These and many more lie in store - let the merriment continue! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Make sure to keep up with Gabby's latest - you can find all her socials, her Twitch and more at https://simplygabby.tv/

And my name's Charlie Merriman - Merri by name, merry by nature - a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures of the Pokémon that Gabby is talking about and generally share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Gabby's shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy anything & everything the Pokémon video games have to offer then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

03:11 Gabby finding her people at her very first Pokémon event

11:18 Gabby's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

14:39 Music runs in the family

19:46 Gabby's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

22:21 Gabby meeting her fiancé & her first live cast

35:32 Gabby's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

39:53 Building a Pokémon website in the Internet's early days

47:27 Gabby's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

50:28 Travelling and a globe-hopping quest

59:24 Gabby's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

1:02:10 Eva Snyder

1:07:01 Gabby's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

1:09:05 Gabby's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:10:52 If Gabby were a Pokémon, what would she be?

1:11:37 Community questions for Gabby - including her approach to learning how to cast new games and her proudest competitive achievement

1:20:25 What's next for Gabby?

1:22:45 What advice would Gabby give her younger self?

1:24:15 Gabby's Rapidash Round teaser

1:25:13 Get involved & see you next time! Including reveal of next week's guest...

Notes:

- If you're unfamiliar with the term 'hax' that Gabby uses e.g. around 28:00 - essentially bad luck. Like many games, in competitive Pokémon moves can miss, there's a small chance of a more powerful critical hit, certain moves can have a secondary effect etc.

- The 'Simple' Ability: any stat boosts & drops are doubled, e.g. Swords Dance would raise the Attack stat by 4 stages rather than 2, an opponent's Screech would also lower Defense by 4 stages rather than 2, etc.

- The changes for the 2025 season relevant to what Gabby talks about in the 'What's next' segment are that going forwards local Video Game tournaments need to be hosted as part of a card shop league, rather than Pokémon Professors hosting them separately up to now.   

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

#6Pokemon1LifeStory

'What's good ya beaut. Those first two podcast eps rocked. Obviously if you ever need someone, give the ol' kid a shout.' Kirk Dubé aka Doobsnax sent me this message a few months ago - I did indeed give the ol' kid a shout! Bubbling over with enthusiasm, Kirk talks us through his fascinating life story from how he got his rugby nickname 'Magic' via his first taste of casting with the Pokémon Trading Card Game up to becoming the stellar Pokémon UNITE caster he is today - in Kirk's own words, 'truly a joy ride I don't take for granted'. And who are his hand-picked 6 Pokémon for his Dream Team, right there by his side on this joy ride? Come find out, kick back & have a laugh with Kirk & me - let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Kirk also joined my Patreon as soon as he'd sent me the above message - as he says in the episode, "The bonus Rapidash Round has been one of my favourite segments, that's why after I watched the first Chazingdra Chats I was like I need to get into this Patreon. Keep this train going, we wanna have Chazingdra Chats with everybody!" So do consider subscribing there and join Kirk in listening to his own Rapidash Round(!): 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions he hasn't prepared for - Would Kirk ever consider commentating sport? If there were space for a 7th Pokémon on his Dream Team, what would it be? And was he into MOBAs at all before UNITE came out? These and more lie in store - let the good times roll on! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Make sure you're keeping up with Kirk's latest on X @doobsnax: https://x.com/doobsnax?lang=en 

And my name's Charlie Merriman, a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures of the Pokémon that Kirk is talking about and generally share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Kirk's shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy anything & everything the Pokémon video games have to offer then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

01:46 A 'Magic' Sunday on Pokémon Red

12:22 Kirk's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

14:35 Getting Married & Getting into the Pokémon TCG

20:55 Kirk's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

25:13 'The passion I never knew I had'

30:19 Kirk's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

32:50 Olive

37:24 Kirk's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

38:15 A Good Night for UNITE

44:03 Kirk's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

45:17 UNITE's Might

49:43 Kirk's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

51:26 Kirk's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

52:58 If Kirk were a Pokémon, what would he be?

54:04 Kirk's Community Questions

58:04 What's next for Kirk?

58:47 What advice would Kirk give his younger self?

1:01:08 Kirk advertises his own Rapidash Round!

1:02:18 Get involved & see you next time! 

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

#ChazingdraChats #6Pokémon1LifeStory

UK-based Pokémon Video Game Competitor Taran Birdee has been a force to be reckoned with especially since emerging from lockdown, with victory at the 2023 Perth Regional Championships and a slew of impressive results at the International level to his name - as well as all the Gold Symbols from Pokémon Emerald's Battle Frontier! Discover Taran's life story, from his undying competitive streak that got him where he is today, via taking the leap to attend live Pokémon tournaments and an encounter with a Shiny Wailmer... All this and, of course, the 6 Pokémon most special to him that he would choose for his Dream Team await you, with more besides - come hang out with Taran & me, and let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Keep up with Taran's latest news on X @AuraRayquaza: https://x.com/AuraRayquaza

And my name's Charlie Merriman, a pleasure to meet you! I'm a host & commentator for the Pokémon Video Game Championships Series and a content creator. You can find me as @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok - I stream Pokémon games, vlog events I cast, make comedy skits and loads more! Come join in the merriment!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating & review and drop a comment - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures of the Pokémon that Taran is talking about as well as the plushies he has of each of his Dream Team members - come share in the smiles! Leave a comment over there too as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Taran's shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

Consider joining my Patreon to hear Taran's Rapidash Round: 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions he hasn't prepared for... Who's a player Taran looks up to? Most underrated item in VGC in his opinion? These and more lie in store - let the good times roll on! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

And why not join the friendly Merrifolk! Become a member of my Discord community Chazingdra's Chocolate Factory here - if you enjoy anything & everything the Pokémon video games have to offer then it's the place for you. It would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

01:45 'The game I never stopped playing'

07:09 Taran's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

10:54 The battle loss that led to a competitive deep dive

18:36 Taran's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

22:17 Holding out for the right job

31:13 Taran's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

32:59 Lockdown

37:13 Taran's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

40:52 Hitting the ground running for the 2022 season

47:21 Taran's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

51:01 Perth 2023 & NAIC 2024

1:04:50 Taran's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

1:06:59 Taran's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:08:37 If Taran were a Pokémon, what would he be?

1:11:09 Community questions for Taran

1:19:50 What's next for Taran?

1:22:49 What advice would Taran give his younger self?

1:23:49 Taran's Rapidash Round Teaser

1:24:26 Get involved & see you next time! Inc. reveal of next week's guest...

*Shiny Pokémon: Each Pokémon has a Shiny version, an incredibly rare differently-coloured variant that sparkles when encountered. They are not otherwise different from regular Pokémon, but of course they are highly prized.

*As mentioned in passing by Taran, the 2024-25 season will have a slightly different tournament structure, and everyone with the same number of match points as the player in 8th position will advance to a top-cut bracket - further information can be found on the Pokémon website: https://www.pokemon.com/uk/pokemon-news/2025-pokemon-championship-series-update#adjusting-swiss-tournament-format-and-top-cut  

*Incidentally, 'za' mentioned in the second life story segment is a slang shortening for 'pizza'!

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International. 

Connor Hayward has a wealth of experience behind the scenes of Trading Card Game streams, and I'm excited for everyone to hear this perspective for the first time on the show. From getting very good at speed-running Pokémon Red thanks to being unaware of the ability to save the game(!), via a chance encounter with Limitless TCG after the finals of a tournament, all the way up to operating the graphics on official EU Pokémon streams now, come and discover Connor Hayward's fascinating story - as well, of course, as the 6 Pokémon he would choose for his Dream Team! Hang out with us, have a laugh, and let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

You can keep up with Connor's news on X @LimitlessConnor: https://x.com/limitlessconnor

I am @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok:

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating and review - it really helps! You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures of the Pokémon that Connor is talking about and share in the smiles! Drop a comment over there as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Connor's shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

Consider joining my Patreon to hear Connor's Rapidash Round - 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions he hasn't prepared for... Let the good times roll on! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

You can also become a part of my Discord community here - it would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

01:33 Origins with Pokémon

08:16 Connor's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

11:54 Pokémon Generation IV & Other TCGs

19:41 Connor's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

22:25 Moving to Munich

28:42 Connor's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

30:29 The Pandemic

38:04 Connor's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

40:43 Limitless Returns

46:22 Connor's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

48:43 Working on the Official Streams

53:26 Connor's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

55:42 Connor's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

57:01 If Connor were a Pokémon, what would he be?

58:30 Community Questions for Connor

1:03:30 What's next for Connor?

1:05:35 What advice would Connor give his younger self?

1:07:41 Connor's Rapidash Round Teaser

1:08:20 Get Involved & See You Next Time!

*Shiny Pokémon: Each Pokémon has a Shiny version, an incredibly rare differently-coloured variant that sparkles when encountered. They are not otherwise different from regular Pokémon, but of course they are highly prized for their rarity.

*Technician is an Ability that slightly boosts the power of weaker moves. Rough Skin is an Ability that deals a small amount of damage back to the attacker after the latter uses a move that makes contact.

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International. 

Hear how OutOfPoket aka Aiden Hedderly, winner of the 2024 North America International Championships for Pokémon GO, got to where he is today, from sharing a phone with his mum when they discovered the game via figuring out how best to balance school & games all the way up to what was going through his head during that fateful NAIC - and, as always, discover the 6 Pokémon he would choose for his Dream Team. This cheeky champion is sure to charm you - come hang out with Aiden & me and let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

Keep up with Aiden's latest news on X @HotPoket777: https://x.com/hotpoket777

I am @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok:

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

If you enjoyed, do give the show a rating and review - it really helps. You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures of the Pokémon that Aiden is talking about and share in the smiles! Drop a comment over there as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Aiden's shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

Consider joining my Patreon to hear Aiden's Rapidash Round - 15 minutes or so of bonus quickfire questions he hasn't prepared for... Let the good times roll on! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

You can also become a part of my Discord community here - it would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Welcome!

01:32 Childhood & Discovering Pokémon GO

07:57 Aiden's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

11:37 Other Games

15:54 Aiden's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

17:34 Grassroots Competitions

26:00 Aiden's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

27:47 Grassroots Judging

37:57 Aiden's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

40:13 Winning Peoria 2023

46:35 Aiden's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

48:14 Winning NAIC 2024

59:54 Aiden's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

1:02:45 Aiden's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:04:31 If Aiden were a Pokémon, what would he be?

1:05:56 Community Questions for Aiden

1:10:55 What's Next for Aiden?

1:13:11 What advice would Aiden give his younger self?

1:17:25 Aiden's Rapidash Round Teaser

1:17:50 Get Involved & See You Next Time!

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.  

It just so happened that the day I recorded with Freya, not only was it her & her husband's anniversary but she'd also been made a job offer! Freya Pearce is thriving as a Pokémon Trading Card Game Caster & Competitor - hear how she got here, from her childhood in Brazil all the way up to settling in Denmark, via reaching Top 16 of the World Championships twice, discovering the furry community, her transition, and - of course - her hand-picked 6 Dream Team Pokémon that have been there for her along the way. Freya's story is an eye-opening & heartwarming one, and her sunny personality is guaranteed to leave you with a smile - come hang out & let us #MakeYourDayMerry!

*Confused by what's going on at the start of the episode?! You can see the head of Freya's majestic Koraidon costume that she's wearing in the video version on my YouTube channel, where you'll also be able to see pictures of her Dream Team Pokémon, artwork & costumes for her fursonas, and images of cards she talks about: https://youtu.be/5iulvPjUWUE

Drop a comment over there as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Freya's shared with us - and what your own Pokémon Dream Team would be...

If you enjoyed listening, do give the show a rating and review - it really helps :) Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, from competitive to casual Pokémon players and beyond, feel free to get in touch - chazingdra@gmail.com

Consider joining my Patreon to hear Freya's Rapidash Round - 15 minutes or so of quickfire bonus questions she hasn't prepared for... Let the good times roll on! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

Freya's Pokémon accounts are @XanatuVPR on X & Instagram, and her furry account is @ViperDerg on X:

https://x.com/xanatuvpr?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/xanatuvpr/?hl=en

https://x.com/viperderg?lang=en-GB  

I am @Chazingdra on X, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube, where I also stream playing Pokémon and upload vlogs of competitive events I cast - come join in!

https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra

https://twitter.com/Chazingdra

https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast itself on X too @ChazingdraChats:

https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats

You can also become a part of my Discord community here - it would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.com/invite/f2ssjED4ke

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

P.S. I realised in the edit that I had the microphone slightly too close to my mouth when recording this episode, so I apologise for any overblown audio! 

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome!

03:47 Growing Up in Brazil

09:43 Freya's 1st Dream Team Pokémon

12:26 Discovering Pokémon

17:37 Freya's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon

19:30 Other Interests

27:32 Freya's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon

33:04 Getting into the Pokémon Trading Card Game

43:28 Freya's 4th Dream Team Pokémon

46:49 Casting, Pandemic & Freya's Transition

57:42 Freya's 5th Dream Team Pokémon

1:00:59 Now

1:06:43 Freya's 6th Dream Team Pokémon

1:10:09 Freya's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon

1:10:59 If Freya were a Pokémon, what would she be?

1:13:07 Community Questions for Freya

1:18:24 What's Next for Freya?

1:20:32 What Advice would Freya give her Younger Self?

1:22:01 Freya's Rapidash Round Teaser

1:22:36 See You Next Time! + My Guest Next Week...

Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.