Chazingdra Chats (A Pokémon Podcast)

23 Luca Ceribelli - VGC Pokémon World Champion 2024

#6Pokemon1LifeStory
And to round out this trilogy of Pokémon Worlds '24 competitors, give it up for your World Champion in the Masters Division: Luca Ceribelli! Come discover Luca's fascinating journey up to this point, how he went from a decent performance at his first ever Pokémon tournament to winning the Turin Special Event 9 months later, how he was close to quitting the game heading into the London 2022 World Championships, and, of course, a detailed account of his Worlds run this year and his thoughts & feelings around his phenomenal achievement. What about his Dream Team: the 6 defining Pokémon that have been the most special to him over the years? What's his advice for aspiring World Champions, and would he recommend his winning team to a new player, both questions submitted by members of the community? It's all here in the 23rd episode of Chazingdra Chats: learn from a true Pokémon Master, get to know the man of the moment & have a laugh with Luca & me - let us #MakeYourDayMerry !
Luca preferred to record without video, and unfortunately was pushed for time so we were unable to record a Rapidash Round - quickfire bonus questions my guests haven't prepared for, about Pokémon & beyond! Check out my Patreon for hours & hours' worth of Rapidash Rounds with all my other guests: https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra
Keep up with Luca's latest on X @cereevgc - https://x.com/cereevgc
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 (https://youtu.be/0WbasD4_bmM), where you can see Luca'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 Luca 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 . Episodes drop every Wednesday!
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!
01:22 Luca's First Ever Tournament
06:34 Luca's 1st Dream Team Pokémon
08:49 Victory in Turin
14:25 Luca's 2nd Dream Team Pokémon
17:01 One Last Shot: Worlds 2022
23:51 Luca's 3rd Dream Team Pokémon - "It saved my career"
24:53 Refreshed Perspective: Worlds 2023
28:09 Luca's 4th Dream Team Pokémon
30:47 "I'm not gonna top cut": EUIC 2024
33:33 Luca's 5th Dream Team Pokémon
36:22 Worlds 2024
43:10 Luca's 6th Dream Team Pokémon
45:47 Luca's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon
46:47 If Luca were a Pokémon, what would he be?
48:41 Community Questions for Luca including his advice for aspiring Pokémon World Champions
55:20 What's next for Luca?
57:32 What advice would Luca give his younger self?
59:05 Get involved & see you next time!
*Regional forms: Certain species of Pokémon have alternative forms depending on the region in which they appear in the games, changing in appearance, type & other ways. For example, Kantonian Persian is a Normal-type whereas Alolan Persian is a Dark-type exhibiting a rounder face & different colours; Kantonian Marowak is a Ground-type whereas Alolan Marowak is a Fire & Ghost-type whose bone is on fire and has a more slender physique & different colours & markings.
Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

22 Jesse Parker - Pokémon Trading Card Game 3rd Place, World Championships 2024

#6Pokemon1LifeStory
He attained 3rd place at the Pokémon World Championships 2024 in the Trading Card Game with a Miraidon deck - now hop on your own electric bikes and join us for an insightful ride: Jesse Parker Photon Blasters his way onto Chazingdra Chats! From winning a copy of Pokémon Gold by cracking an Unown code on the back of a cereal box when he was 8, all the way up to taking you through this stellar Worlds run, via the stops along the way that made Jesse the incredible TCG player he is today, come and experience his fascinating life story - and, of course, discover his hand-picked Dream Team: the 6 defining Pokémon that have been the most special to him throughout his journey. Kick back, join in the laughs and let Jesse & I #MakeYourDayMerry!
Want to get to know Jesse even better? Head over to my Patreon for his Rapidash Round: quickfire bonus questions he hasn’t prepared for! Take an even deeper dive into his phenomenal Worlds 2024 performance - would he tweak anything about his deck in hindsight? What were the key differences between when he and eventual World Champion Fernando Cifuentes met in Swiss Rounds VS in the Semi-Finals, Jesse winning the former? - and learn more about Jesse beyond Pokémon: did you know he’s one of seven siblings? All this & so much more lies in store, so let the merriment continue! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra
Keep up with Jesse’s latest on X @JessePrker (without the a)! https://x.com/jesseprker
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 Jesse'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 Jesse 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!
02:18 Young Years: Cracking the Unown Cereal Code
09:17 Jesse's 1st Dream Team Pokémon
11:07 Early Teen Years: Playing Pokémon Platinum Competitively
16:53 Jesse’s 2nd Dream Team Pokémon
18:42 Late Teen Years: Mewtwo Strikes Back
27:38 Jesse’s 3rd Dream Team Pokémon
29:34 Early Adult Years: Jesse The Local Legend
39:26 Jesse's 4th Dream Team Pokémon
40:40 ‘Try-hard’ Years: The Unstoppable Rise of Jesse Parker
48:55 Jesse's 5th Dream Team Pokémon
50:19 Current Years: From Lockdown to Third Place at Worlds
1:02:25 Jesse’s 6th Dream Team Pokémon
1:03:24 Jesse's Complete Dream Team & Partner Pokémon
1:04:47 If Jesse were a Pokémon, what would he be?
1:06:27 Community Questions for Jesse
1:13:21 What’s next for Jesse?
1:15:50 What advice would Jesse give his younger self?
1:17:24 Jesse's Rapidash Round Teaser
1:17:52 Get involved & see you next time!
*Nuzlocke Challenge: A play-through of a Pokémon game employing certain fan-made rules, such as only being able to catch the first Pokémon that appears in a new area and being unable to use any Pokémon that faints for the rest of the play-through. 
Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.

21 Inadequance - Pokémon GO Runner-Up, World Championships 2024

#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.
 

20 GlitchxCity - Music Producer & Pokémon Content Creator

#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.

19 Gabby Snyder - Pokémon Video Game & Pokémon GO Caster

#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.

18 Doobsnax - Pokémon UNITE Caster

#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.

17 Taran Birdee - Pokémon VGC Competitor & Perth Regional Champion 2023

#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. 

16 Connor Hayward - Graphics Operator for EU Pokémon Streams & Limitless Stream Coordinator

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. 

15 OutOfPoket - Pokémon GO NAIC Champion

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.  

14 Freya Pearce - Pokémon Trading Card Game Caster & Competitor

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.