Lured Up - A Pokémon GO Podcast

GO Fest: Mega Exhausted

Lured Up Podcast 402 Live Streamed on - 7/29/2026 Publish Date - 7/31/2026 We talked last week about the dust settling after the back to back flurry of the 10th Anniversary Event in NYC and GO Fest: Global. Trainers had a long week leading into the event and an even longer weekend of non-stop Raids. We have absolutely seen a shift lately from a focus on catching and grinding at events to Raiding. With the feeling of success from Raids being at the mercy of RNG, the return doesn’t always line up with the investment. This can really lead to fatigue, which is our main topic of the episode. Every year after GO Fest, there is typically a window of events that seem like they drag. Each event seems to be trying to recapture the magic of GO Fest, but can’t actually pull it off. Blend this with the crazy pacing and relentless schedule of events, Trainers are feeling a bit drained physically, mentally, and financially. It is hard to be motivated to play when faced with this type of exhaustion, so when the Mega Finale was announced as a two day event, Trainers were gasping for air. We take a look at what we would want from an event calendar, and how just a weekend off can make all the difference. This leads to a conversation about expectations, accountability, and finding joy in the things we do. That convo leads to our guiding principal of, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. Ken shares how over the last few years his decisions were dictated by circumstance. Saying no to things was done out of necessity, not out of desire. As things changed over time and life stabilized, his ability to say yes to things returned, however it became an issue. Saying yes to everything put undue stress on his health and finances, with a side order of guilt if he said no. Navigating one's ability to say no to things as a choice, is an example of empowerment. We examine that empowerment and discuss the parallels between decision making on and off screen. Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor GO Fest: Mega Finale Shadow Giratina (Altered) Counters: Pokébattler Shadow Giratina (Altered) Counters: GO Hub Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp Hosts Ken Pescatore Adam Tuttle Writer and Producer Ken Pescatore Executive Producer Xander Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix) Tetracase GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/tetracase https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0 Break Music National Park Mikel & GameChops GameChops - Poké & Chill http://smarturl.it/pokechill https://twitter.com/mikel_beats Outro Music Vast Poni Canyon CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix) GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo. #pokemon #pokemongo #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To The Highest Bidder

Lured Up Podcast 401: The Highest Bidder Live Streamed on -7/21/2026 Publish Date - 7/23/2026 Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor The dust has finally settled from the 10th Anniversary Event in NYC and GO Fest Global Weekend. We have a ton to unpack and discuss as the community has had some time to respond to the madness that was the last week. It was pretty wild to see the community turn on itself in anger. The creators were up first to feel the flames as it seemed the Community Ambassadors would come out untouched. Then… The Times Square Mewtwo hit eBay and things went nuts. People forgot about being mad at creators and turned on the CAs and their communities. RaspberryWeiner broke some news about finding out the in-game name of one of the sellers who even came forward to apologize and say that he didn’t know selling a Pokémon on eBay was against any rules. It was wild to watch as the internet delivered another reason for the X-mob to dislike the event. We stuck around NYC to play GO Fest Global, where we put ourselves under a massive challenge to walk all the way from Bryant Park in Manhattan to Industry City, Brooklyn and back. Let’s just say our dogs were barking and we were just about out of gas when we got back to Bryant Park. Huge shout to LeBro for making the journey with us to Brooklyn. We were very surprised by the gameboard at the Community Celebration, as it seemed to be 90% Gyms. You could feel the lack of Lures as the spawns seemed pretty thin. It was a pretty cool setting, but definitely was a departure from the park style play that we have seen before. Scopely Explore did have a first this week, and that was the announcement of their first make up event under their new name! In all seriousness, the community is buzzing in a positive way about the make up GO Fest Raids being a global make up. They are even throwing in a bunch of Raid passes to boot.The Scopely Effect is becoming more and more noticeable, and we are loving that even when parts of the community can feel a little rough around the edges, the masses online still seem to be rowing in the same direction as the developer. The pacing and event calendar for the rest of the month into August is already looking packed. With Ultra Unlocks, new Shinies, and plenty of things to do, there is definitely no rest for the weary. The focus on IRL play with a consistent spattering of very remote friendly events have created a nice balance for different types of Trainers to come together. Before we wrap up we have a few listener emails and a voicemail to play, with SerAmanda bringing a banger of a protip in the settings. We close with our guiding principal of the episode being: Everyone is playing a different game. Trainers with different goals and process can meet on the same gameboard and navigate an event together, even if they are concerned with very different things. In life, we interact with people every day and never really know what they can be going through. Ultra Unlock: 10th Anniversary Edition GO Pass: August Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers Fire and Ice Hatch Day Ultra Unlock: Water Festival Ultra Unlock: Starmie Super Mega Raid Day GO Wild Area 2026 LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp Hosts Ken Pescatore Adam Tuttle Writer and Producer Ken Pescatore Executive Producer Xander Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix) Tetracase GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/tetracase https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0 Break Music National Park Mikel & GameChops GameChops - Poké & Chill http://smarturl.it/pokechill https://twitter.com/mikel_beats Outro Music Vast Poni Canyon CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix) GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo. #pokemon #pokemongo #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Years In The Making

Lured Up Podcast 400 Live Streamed on - 7/10/2026 Publish Date - 7/11/2026 We recorded this special episode from our hotel room in NYC in order to address our thoughts on the social media fallout about the 10th Anniversary Event in Times Square. While we had the times of our lives unlocking core memories, the online community was at serious risk of imploding on itself. It seems as though the online community was not a fan of how Scopely Explore handled the event, and subsequent reward from being in attendance. Be sure to let us know what you think and tune in to next episode as we continue the conversation! Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp Hosts Ken Pescatore Adam Tuttle Writer and Producer Ken Pescatore Executive Producer Xander Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix) Tetracase GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/tetracase https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0 Break Music National Park Mikel & GameChops GameChops - Poké & Chill http://smarturl.it/pokechill https://twitter.com/mikel_beats Outro Music Vast Poni Canyon CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix) GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2025 Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Niantic, Inc.Lured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic Inc., The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo. #pokemon #pokemongo #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mystic Madness!!

Lured Up Podcast 399: Monday Madness!! Live Streamed on - 7/1/2026 Publish Date - 7/3/2026 GO Fest: Global is on the horizon, but the game is still chugging along with a ton of content as July unfolds. This weekend in particular has an incredible 3 hour window of gameplay, that we highly recommend you take advantage of. That is of course, if you don’t have Fourth of July plans, as PGO is a global game, this weekend may be tough for US Trainers. If you can make it out to play on Saturday from 2-5pm, you get to double up on two events, Sobble Community Day and the 10th Anniversary Party. With 4x Catch XP and Stardust all weekend, on top of quarter hatch distance and massive spawn volume from Sobble Community Day, it will be a very efficient window of gameplay that can yield massive results. As we move into July, the GO Pass brings Pokécoins and a Ho-Oh encounter, which can be hit or miss with Trainers. One thing that the GO Pass does well is keep Trainers engaged, and if coins are on the line, it could motivate many F2P Trainers to complete the first half of the pass to collect those coins. The Deluxe version of the pass steps up to 1,400 Pokécoins, which can translate into some great items in the shop. The Road of Legends will keep most Trainers very busy next week, as Niantic stays true to their annual pre-GO Fest: Global event that will likely wipe out a whole bunch of consumable items. It will be absolutely imperative to figure out your priorities between the Road of Legends and GO Fest: Global. Figuring it out can be a slippery slope, especially next Monday when the Raids will be completely ludicrous. If you fail to plan, you will surely plan to fail.  After discussing how the temperature on X seemed oddly positive, due to the game being in such a great place (GBL not withstanding), the mobs finally found their prey that could allow them to bust out the pitchforks and torches again. We saw OG content creator, Mystic7 in the mob’s crosshairs, as infographic G47IX posted how his honeypot laden graphic seemed to be Mystic ripped off. The community jumped all over it and seemed to air out years of pent of feelings about Mystic7, only to have him double down on his position. It’s been a wild ride over the last week, and while things seem to have been settled between the two parties, the community is clearly not going to let this go that easy. We wrap things up with another guiding principal that can be applied to both life and Pokémon GO. We look at the phrase, “Comparison is the thief of joy” and how we can draw parallels on and off screen. In life, some comparisons can lead to feelings of sadness or depression. Feelings of wanting what others have is powerful, because it has the same power to motivate or demotivate you. When you make decisions based on what others think, you put yourself in the back seat, which will limit your ability to grow and prioritize your own well being. In Pokémon GO, comparison to others can cause FOMO, which can not only lead to being demoralized, but also can influence some poor decision making. I’ve seen plenty of Trainers go from, “Just one more Raid” to “I have to stop Raiding because I’m broke.” Finding balance in using your environment to empower your growth and motivate you to succeed can be challenging on your own. It highlights the importance of having a support system that can be a cheerleader for you, to keep you making the right choices that are in your own best interest. Sobble Community Day 10th Anniversary Party July GO Pass Road of Legends GO Fest: Global Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor  LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639  Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork  Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp  Hosts Ken Pescatore Adam Tuttle Writer and Producer Ken Pescatore Executive Producer  Xander Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)  Tetracase GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/tetracase  https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0 Break Music National Park Mikel & GameChops GameChops - Poké & Chill http://smarturl.it/pokechill https://twitter.com/mikel_beats Outro Music Vast Poni Canyon CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix) GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/  http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2025 Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Niantic, Inc.Lured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic Inc., The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo. #pokemon #pokemongo #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Be Present, Not Perfect

Lured Up Podcast 398: Be Present, Not Perfect Live Streamed on - 6/25/2026 Publish Date - 6/26/2026 First off we wanted to share a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who wrote in, shared feedback, and offered support after last week’s episode! It is truly amazing to see the community come together and rally around each other. It means the world to us and we are proud to be a part of this incredible scene. We follow up on last week’s topic, share some feedback, and look at the practice of being present, not perfect. It’s a powerful sentiment and absolutely has parallels to Pokémon GO. In the gameplay space, it is all about IRL gameplay. With 6 new City Safari events being announced, the community will have a lot of opportunity to come together to celebrate the game. Adam and I will be attending the Boston City Safari, and we hope to have the opportunity to play along side of you! More info to come on our plans and what we have in store for the Chicago locals and inbound Trainers. We touch on our Frigibax Community Day experiences and look forward to Skarmory Super Mega Raid Day, two events that are better when played with the community. From Community Day’s non stop gameplay to the volume and demand that Super Mega Raid Days present, we encourage everyone to get out to experience this game with others. We also look at how the Giovanni mechanic has changed and no longer arrives via balloon. This forces Trainers to get out there to track him down, adding difficulty, immersion, and some commitment to the process.While some Trainers and creators online hate everything about this change, we are all about it, as it encourages the exploration element of the game, and makes the hunt unique. IRL Events July Content Update GBL Update Road of Legends Frigibax Community Day Skarmory Super Mega Raid Day Flying Taxi Flying Taxi Taken Over Be Present, Not Perfect Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor  LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639  Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork  Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp  Hosts Ken Pescatore Adam Tuttle Writer and Producer Ken Pescatore Executive Producer  Xander Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)  Tetracase GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/tetracase  https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0 Break Music National Park Mikel & GameChops GameChops - Poké & Chill http://smarturl.it/pokechill https://twitter.com/mikel_beats Outro Music Vast Poni Canyon CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix) GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/  http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2025 Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Niantic, Inc.Lured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic Inc., The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo. #pokemon #pokemongo #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices