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This week, Chris and Jamal celebrate one full year since the Scopely/Niantic deal officially closed and ask the big question: Is this the greatest 12-month stretch in Wayfarer history? The guys break down nearly every major Wayfarer change from the past year, including: Web submissions The Wayfarer map Draft mode Upgraded nomination caps The new Wayfinder rating system Appeals cooldown reductions Ambassador announcements Roadmap updates Rural gameplay improvements and more. Chris and Jamal discuss how the Wayfarer team has handled community feedback, why Scopely's approach has surprised many players, and how modern Wayfarer may actually be entering its “good old days.” Also this week: Chris shares the forgotten Wayfarer tracking spreadsheet with Patreon members Portland officially remains weird Bigfoot apparently lives in the Pacific Northwest Old Gmail, AOL, MySpace, and Friendster nostalgia Hockey playoff talk Jackson's incredible 53-save lacrosse performance and a deep dive into how photo thumbs actually determine Wayspot images in Pokémon GO. Plus: Wayspots of the Week Coal of the Week Dad jokes for new dad Hank and classic Wayspotters banter throughout. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 29 May 2026 Published: 31 May 2026 Season 5, Episode 20 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 395: Forward Progress Live Streamed on - 5/27/2026 Publish Date - 5/28/2026 We are less than 2 weeks away from GO Fest Chicago! This window of time is the funky period where some are getting ready to travel to GO Fest, while the majority of others are still ready to play and grind at home! We break down some of the details of the Chicago event as well as the Team Leader Summer Quests that we will have globally over the next few weeks. Being a live service game, Pokémon GO definitely doesn't have time to rest on its laurels, as Season 23 of the game has been unveiled. Forever Forward will be our next season, and by the look of the promotional video, Niantic is doubling down on their core value of exploration. From Trainers walking an adventuring, to images of remote Pokéstops, the game has positioned itself as a key motivator in keeping Trainers moving forward. We unpack what we know so far, and how GO Fest season will drive the first few weeks of the season, leading right into Global in mid-July. We also have our June Content Update, bringing back some Raid favorites like Necrozma and some Ultra Beasts. Frigibax has been announced as the June Community Day Pokémon, and we have a few events called out for the month. If IRL GO Fests are not in your future, there is still plenty to do in game and from home, which can be considered a long, winding road to GO Fest Global. We cover some random notes like the Pokémon Fossil Museum in Chicago and the release of Excavator Pikachu. This will likely be on all Chicago Trainer's bingo cards for the weekend. Pokémon GO has once again partnered with 100 Thieves to release some killer Mewtwo merch. We are hoping to get our hands on it, and ultimately give it away to the community. We also run through our announced Chicago plans so far, including our Podcast Community Mixer with the GO Cast Podcast and our Pokémon Pop Punk night. We hope to have even more news to share by next week, and GO Fest will be here before you know it! Finally we reflect on how it has already been a year since the Scopely acquisition. We discuss our experiences working with Niantic and how our confidence in their goals has only increased since Scopely came in. If their 1 year promotional video doesn't get you going, I am not sure what will! GO Fest Chicago Team Leader Summer Quests Forever Forward Forever Forward GBL June Content Update Frigibax Community Day Pokémon Fossil Museum 100 Thieves Lured Up at Chicago GO Fest Scopely - 1 Year Later 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
This week Jamal is joined by special guest host Agent X as Chris is out this week, and the timing could not have been crazier. Just hours before recording, Niantic dropped a massive new Wayfinder rating system announcement that could completely reshape the future of reviewing, submissions, contributor rewards, and Wayfarer progression. Joining the roundtable are community members JQN, Keller, and Winston representing longtime Ingress veterans, newer Wayfarers, rural players, PvP grinders, and everyday contributors whose voices aren't always heard in the larger Wayfarer conversation. The crew dives deep into: the current state of Wayfarer, how the platform has evolved since OPR and Recon, misconceptions about bans and reviewing, S2 cells and map strategy, rural gameplay challenges, the loss of Recon in Ingress, and what motivates people to keep building the map years later. The conversation also gets surprisingly philosophical with debates about natural features, waterfalls, eligibility logic, reviewer behavior, and whether Wayfarer finally feels like it's moving in the right direction again after years of uncertainty. Plus: ✅ Check out Keller's Twitch! https://www.twitch.tv/kellers_pokemon ✅ New Wayfinder Rating System discussion ✅ The future of reviewing and contributor rewards ✅ Rural vs urban gameplay perspectives ✅ One's Gotta Go: Waffle House / Taco Bell / McDonald's / Wendy's ✅ Dad Jokes (of course) ✅ Incredible Wayspots of the Week ✅ One VERY deserved Coal of the Week Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Agent X Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 20 May 2026 Published: 24 May 2026 Season 5, Episode 19 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 394: That's a Lot of Raids Live Streamed on - 5/19/2026 Publish Date - 5/22/2026 Video podcast now available on SPOTIFY! The Community is split on how they feel about the sheer volume of Raids we will be seeing during GO Fest Global. With 50 or so different Raid Bosses, Trainers were feeling like they may not have the amount of opportunities to Raid a specific Pokémon as they would like. Plus, with Mega Mewtwo only showing up at Super Mega Raid eligible Gyms, some min/maxers are a bit annoyed with the deep roster. This led to Niantic announcing that each of the rotating, 3 hour habitats will have a specific Mega and 5 Star Raid Pool. Even with this news, some Trainers are still feeling like the Raids will be overwhelming to manage, especially if they really have their sights set on Mega Mewtwo. Coming off the heels of successful Community Celebrations in cities like Philadelphia and Washington DC, Niantic is bringing a major wave of Celebration events across the globe. New York City is going to be a blast and both Ken and Adam will be in attendance on Saturday! It's going to be an incredible day of gameplay and we hope to see you there! After the break we jump into some gameplay including Community Day Classic: Deino and the upcoming Falinks Super Mega Raid Day.For the latter, we put together a little Raid Guide and Battle Party, with a flying spec Mega Rayquaza coming in as the best counter. Be sure to tag us on social using #BattleParty so we can see what you are bringing, as well as your best catches! Looking ahead in the calendar we have a trio of weekly events being announced with the Team Leader Summer Quests. We will see events run through the IRL Go Fest window, each themed around a different Team Leader with different spawn pools for each. One thing worth noting is that the first of the three events takes place in what many presumed was another event-less week in May, but, SURPRISE! Niantic has blocked out the week, which reminds us of how great it can be when the game can actually surprise us. Sometimes, it's better to not know all the information up front! GO Hub: GO Fest Global Raids GO Fest Global: Community Celebration Community Day Classic: Deino Falinks Super Mega Raid Day GO Hub Mega Falinks Pokebattler Mega Falinks Team Leader Summer Quests 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
This week Chris and Jamal dive into the latest updates surrounding Wayfarer, including improvements to the Wayfarer map and a deeper discussion about how the system actually works compared to what many Pokémon GO players think it should be. The guys break down a viral Reddit thread about rural gameplay frustrations, AI rejections, reviewer cooldowns, and the social psychology behind Wayfarer reviewing. Along the way, they discuss nomination quality, community misconceptions, and why not every location-based complaint is actually Wayfarer's fault. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 15 May 2026 Published: 17 May 2026 Season 5, Episode 18 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
This week Jamal and Chris kick things off with a brand-new intro before diving into some real-world Wayfarer conversations, from Raid Hour stories to a hilarious (and slightly questionable) discussion about fake nominations and why anything bought off Amazon is an immediate no-go. They break down the announcement of Wayfarer Ambassador Cohort 5, highlighting six new ambassadors from around the world and what makes this group stand out from grinders with massive review counts to community-focused guides helping others level up. The conversation evolves into a deeper discussion on what truly makes a great ambassador, including the importance of balancing experience with approachability, the value of “translators” who can simplify criteria, and the ultimate test: would you send a brand-new Wayfarer to this person for help? They also explore Niantic's potential shift toward a staggered ambassador system, comparing it to a hockey line change to preserve institutional knowledge while bringing in fresh voices. To close things out, the guys jump into a fun “One's Gotta Go: MLB Expansion Cities” debate featuring Charlotte, Nashville, Portland, and Montreal, plus the usual mix of Wayspot of the Week, Coal of the Week, and community shoutouts. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go - Gaming Edition ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 06 May 2026 Published: 11 May 2026 Season 5, Episode 17 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 393 Live Streamed on - 5/5/2026 Publish Date - 5/8/2026 Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor We are very excited to welcome LandorAlpha back to the show! We have known Joe for many years and have been a major fan of his from the beginning. His dedication to creating content that combines entertainment and information with incredible production value and a positive focus has earned him the respect of many core Trainers in the community. He covers the game with a positive lens, focusing on gameplay, community, and of course, the grind. We start of by learning about his approach to content, and how he has recently added a community focus to his gameplay experiences, which in our opinion, is the perfect compliment to his content style. Capturing the community experience, along with creating memories off camera, brings an organic feel and a relatable perspective. Like us, Lando feels that the future of this game is in the hands of new Trainers, which is why being there to foster a great experience is so important. You wouldn't expect it after watching some LandorAlpha content, but he is creating part time, as he still works full time outside of his content. This brings a unique motive and workflow that makes you think and consider things differently. When TikTok was off the app store for a few days, it was a direct blow to his content. This created an epiphany of understanding that while you may be creating the content, it is the platform that holds all the chips. Enter, Spawn Point, LandorAlpha's weekly Pokémon GO Newsletter. A project that not only provides valuable info to Trainers worldwide, but one that is completely owned an operated by Joe. This security is important and shows the street smart approach to protecting content. We relate to this and admire how he has rolled this project out, making it exceptionally easy for Trainers to sign up. The newsletters provide complete game and event information for the week, while also aggregating all relevant and important links in a single place. After the break we talk GO Fest and how the IRL experience is like no other. Looking back on some of our favorite GO Memories and GO Fest stories. We rate our favorite park and city experience cities, and start the hype train for Chicago. Make sure you connect with LandorAlpha on all of his platforms, and be sure to subscribe to the newsletter! LandorAlpha's Links - https://landoralpha.tv/ Subscribe to LandorAlpha's Newsletter - https://landoralpha.beehiiv.com/ 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
Lured Up Podcast 392 Live Streamed on - 4/9/2026 Publish Date - 5/4/2026 We spent some time with Ashlee the Artist to discuss the state of the game, different gameplay styles, and of course, Wayfarer! We did in to her history with the Pokémon franchise, and how a career in digital marketing transfers skills to content creation. Ashlee shares what her favorite ways to play the game are, and how understanding gameboard mechanics create a better environment for everyone to play in. The importance of Wayfarer is present in most of Ashlee's content. We discuss how Wayfinders end up having “Wayfarer” goggles on at all times, and when out doing some standard grinding, everything can be a potential Wayspot. She highlights how a single Wayfinder can have a dramatic impact on a location. It speaks to how important Wayfinders are to the overall game board experience, and how more Trainers should get involved in the process. This episode will be the first in many of guests coming on to Lured Up this Spring! Stay tuned for more details and dates! LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week, Jamal and Chris dive into one of the most debated updates yet... AED PokéStops in Japan. They break down what AEDs are, why Niantic may be adding them to the map, and the real-world impact this could have on player awareness and emergency preparedness. From clear pros like life-saving visibility and more stops… to concerns around safety, crowding, and unintended behavior, this one sparks a serious debate. The conversation also expands into a bigger topic—should the Wayfarer map be global, or shaped by local communities? And is this even a Wayfarer issue at all… or just another example of the Pokémon GO team doing their own thing? Plus: A quick but important nomination tip: don't mention “Wayspots” in your submissions A breakdown of generic infrastructure signs (and why they're not eligible) Wayspot of the Week featuring a creative upcycled bench and a massive mural Coal of the Week highlighting obvious pin abuse All that, plus hockey talk, dad jokes, and the usual chaos. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 29 April 2026 Published: 3 May 2026 Season 5, Episode 16 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 391 Live Streamed on - 4/28/2026 Publish Date - 5/1/2026 Listen to this episode ad-free on our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor This week we dig in to an interesting juxtaposition in the Pokémon GO Community. It seems the divide between sentiment towards the game is widening. One one hand you have the Trainers that spend a lot of time on platforms like X. They may not have or do not engage with their local Campfire Communities so much of their PGO social interaction is actually para-social. This crowd has been sharing feelings of being unsatisfied with the state of the game. With monthly content updates going from a full disclosure of the month's events to having as few as one announced, is festering feelings of boredom and stagnation. Talks of the game feeling dead and not exciting will show up in most PGO feeds on X, even without searching it out. On the other hand, you have exceptionally robust in-person communities with active Campfires and plenty of meetups. In NJ we are seeing meetups increase in both frequency and turnout. Trainers are engaged and active and the vibes are always excellent. So how could both of these completely opposite takes exist at the same time? On paper they seem as if they are talking about completely different games? There is plenty to unpack and we do our best to find validation where it is warranted. From a news perspective, we have a TON to get through as we speedrun through the May calendar. We have Entei Shadow Raid Day this weekend, followed by the Spring Marathon and Community Day Classic: Deino. Phalanx Super Mega Raid Day takes us up to GO Fest Japan, making this month still pretty packed with action. We also had some fresh news from Niantic about a new branching Timed Research that Trainers will get for free during weeks without an in-game event. Things like Skill, Exploration, and Raiding will all be options to pursue in this new Research. While we don't expect the rewards to be anything crazy, we do think this will be a nice push to supplement some Evergreen Week gameplay. The big news of the week is all about the debut of Mega Mewtwo at GO Fest. It will set a new precedent for split Mega Evolving Pokémon, which will soon require require specific Mega Energy for each evolution. We now have a ton more info about GO Fests including the rotating spawn pools by type during extended, 9 hour event gameplay days. Things are beginning to look incredible and we are still over a month away. We are so ready for GO FEST! Mega Mewtwo GO Fest Global Updates May Content Update GO Pass: May Entei Shadow Raid Day Spring Marathon Community Day Classic: Deino Falinks Super Mega Raid Day Pokémon GO Map Play! Pokémon Orlando Statement Firestar73 Statement 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
Justin is joined by guest host Lane for a wide-ranging episode of Special Conditions covering the collector side, the player side, and the “wait, what just happened?” side of Pokémon TCG. Lane shares what it's like working at a card store during modern product drops, while Justin talks Collect-A-Con pickups, Arcanine binder goals, and the continued explosion of Pokémon 151 prices. Then it's time to look at the post-rotation format. The crew talks Okidogi single-prize decks, Festival Lead, Dragapult's early dominance, upcoming Regional Championships, and the rise of “Slop Box” — or as Lane puts it, Good Stuff: The Deck. They also dig into Chaos Rising preorders, Pokémon Center queue survival, and why getting product online still feels like its own competitive format. Finally, Justin and Lane discuss the Orlando Regional controversy, the difference between the Pokémon TCG and Pokémon GO incidents, and why competitive Pokémon rulings keep spilling into the wider gaming conversation. 00:49 Lane Joins Special Conditions 04:47 Pokémon Market Shifts Beyond 151 09:52 Justin's Arcanine Binder Quest 14:00 Chinese 151 and International Exclusives 21:00 Post-Rotation Deck Testing 28:18 Dragapult and the Early Meta 41:38 Slop Box vs. Good Stuff Decks 50:15 Orlando Ruling Controversy
This week, Jamal and Chris dive into a packed episode discussing whether Wayfinders are running out of quality POIs, and how location plays a major role—dense cities may be tapped out while growing suburbs still offer opportunity. Jamal shares a massive run of 19 approvals (17 live in-game) in under a week, sparking a debate on “stretching criteria” and the future of nominations. The conversation shifts to S2 cell strategy, where both agree it's not cheating—unless you're manipulating pin placement outside the rules. They break down the difference between smart optimization and abuse, and Jamal introduces his “Confessions of a Cell Optimizer” segment, explaining how he maximized a local area into a fully optimized cluster. They also explore the idea of “remove and replace” as areas redevelop, debating whether outdated Wayspots should be removed immediately or left until replacements are ready. In lighter moments, the episode features a “One's Gotta Go” gaming debate (PS5 vs PC vs Switch vs Mobile, with Xbox catching strays), standout Wayspots of the Week featuring incredible murals, and a clear Coal of the Week example highlighting what not to nominate (a PRP tree). As always, the episode wraps with community shoutouts, patron love, and the reminder: “What's a few meters between friends?” Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go - Gaming Edition ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 24 April 2026 Published: 26 April 2026 Season 5, Episode 15 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
This week, Chris and Jamal kick things off with some fun tangents—from time being a construct to bold sports predictions and a dose of nostalgia with upcoming movie announcements—before diving into Wayfarer news, including reports of missing Wayspot images and how the community can help fix them. In Topic #1, the guys take a deep dive into sports fields, breaking down how to properly maximize nominations through smart pin placement, understanding S2 cells, and why “a few meters” can make a big difference. They also debate dugouts, scoreboards, and how far is too far when it comes to maximizing a single complex. In Topic #2, it's time for Wayspot Madness 2026, where the community bracket delivers surprises, upsets, and a Cinderella run—culminating in restaurants taking home the title over libraries. The episode wraps up with Wayspots of the Week, including a long-fought restaurant nomination success story and a perfectly framed mural submission, plus a Coal of the Week that highlights the importance of quality photos. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 17 April 2026 Published: 19 April 2026 Season 5, Episode 14 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 390 Live Streamed on - 4/14/2026 Publish Date - 4/17/2026 As we make our way out of the first of two, “no-event” weeks in April, this would be the perfect time to start talking about GO Fest prep. Nothing will be worse than showing up to GO Fest unprepared. We run through our best recommendations for both on and off screen prep. When it comes to in-game prepping for an in-person event, you will likely be spending some real cash, so it will be important to identify a budget that you feel can carry you through a weekend of serious gameplay. Look for deals and take advantage of boxes that have the items you care about. Start thinking about ball maintenance and stockpile A LOT of balls. Depending on your gameplay, you will likely have plenty of opportunity to restock. Your effort now will pay off during GO Fest when you don't have to spend any energy on it during the event. Utilizing the tag system will help you stay organized and manageable. Finally, make sure you plan your Park Experience gameplay to fit your needs and style. Remember that the bulk of your weekend gameplay will happen outside of the Park, so you will want to be as efficient as possible. Off screen prep is extremely important. From things like sunblock to having comfortable shoes and extra socks, there is plenty to think about now to get prepared. Battery packs, charging blocks and cables, and even things like phone coolers can be important over your event weekend. If you run hot you can consider a neck cooler, which offer a silent and hands free way to drop your overall body temperature. Don't forget about food, and remember that things will likely be more expensive than you're used to. Finally we run through the current event announcements that take us into early May. Sustainability week will have us on the new Pokémon and Shiny Costume hunt. This weekend brings Replay: Rioulu Hatch Day. Next week we have another event week off, but you will need to save your energy for the GMAX Battle Day coming next weekend. Keep Training Trainers! Tinkatink Community Day Sustainability Week Replay: Riolu Hatch Day Pokémon GO x MLB Lechonk Community Day Learn the Metro System Neck Cooler Power Banks Phone Cooler 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week Jamal and Chris kick things off with a lively discussion around “Don't Blame Emily,” diving into whether AI rejections are really the problem—or if nominators have gotten complacent. They explore how faster approvals and shifting reviewer dynamics have changed submission quality, and why adapting your nominations still matters. The conversation expands into the impact of the Ingress community stepping back, and how that shift may have affected overall map standards in today's “need more stops” era. From there, the guys reflect on how building Wayspots can transform local communities, turning quiet areas into active social hubs. In Topic #2, Jamal and Chris tackle the debate of cleaning vs policing the map, discussing local control, global enforcement, and when removing Wayspots goes too far. It's a thoughtful look at balancing map quality with player experience. Plus, a fun One's Gotta Go: BBQ Edition, some classic dad jokes, and standout submissions including two awesome murals and a not-so-great high school nomination for Coal of the Week. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go - BBQ Edition ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 08 April 2026 Published: 12 April 2026 Season 5, Episode 13 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 389 - Unsportsmanlike Live Streamed on - 4/7/2026 Publish Date - 4/10/2026 What a wild week in the Pokémon GO Community. While PvP isn't something we typically dig too deep into on the show, this weekend's drama from the Orlando Regionals was not only shocking, but has the community rallying. We saw Firestar73 claw his way through the losers bracket to an incredible final table run, where he defeated Nighttimeclasher, or so it seemed. Shortly after the match, Firestar73 was handed a loss for an unsportsmanlike celebration, which gave the championship to Nighttimeclasher. This is not sitting right with the bulk of the community, and many are speaking out. First things first, there was nothing unsportsmanlike about his celebration. He tossed his headphones on the table, gave a fist pump, and immediately extended his hand to shake Nighttimsclasher's hand. After a few short moments, Firestar73's dreams were crushed, and Play!Pokémon is yet to make a statement. When things like this happen, they don't fade away quickly, instead, they fester, amplify resent, and damage the brand. Orlando actually had a few controversial rulings, making Trainers question not only the integrity of the tournament series, but also the overall demeanor of the sport. If Pokémon GO was to ever share the stage with other competitive games, this is not the way to do it. Could these rulings sterilize future events and squash the excitement? We hope not, however things are not looking good. After the break we rip through the news and talk about how April still has plenty to offer. Even with two weeks of vanilla spawns, the calendar is still healthy as we learn about the event slate that will carry us into May. We are also speculating on how Memories in Motion got its name, as we are seeing 2 more Replay events with Riolu Hatch Day and GO Bigger. Is this the new normal for the middle months of a season, or is it unique to April? Time will tell as we get through the rest of the month! Be sure to let us know your feelings about the Orlando Regionals situation, we are eager to hear from you! ItsAXN Tweet about Orlando Firestar73 Nighttimeclasher Hungrybox GO Hub IGN Coverage Ethan Chen - Junior's TCG FishNugget4 - TCG Guest Lineup A Shockingly Good Time GO Pass: April Sustainability Week Replay: Riolu Hatch Day Replay: GO Bigger Steeled Resolve Steeled Resolve: Taken Over April Content Update GO Pass April Fashion Raid Day Replay: Riolu Hatch Day An Egg-cellent Adventure Sustainability Week Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week Chris and Jamal dig into how to build your Wayfarer toolbox and set yourself up for success—whether you're brand new or a seasoned Wayfinder. Inspired by real-world onboarding strategies, they break down practical ways to improve your nominations through better photos, stronger supporting information, and cleaner titles and descriptions. They also discuss how to gain momentum in Wayfarer by doing consistent reviews, making meaningful edits, and learning from others through reviews and forum discussions. The goal? Build confidence, avoid common mistakes, and create higher-quality submissions from the start. Along the way, the guys touch on GO Fest excitement, community discussions around removals and reviewing behavior, and a preview of next week's spicy topics. Plus: Building Your Wayfarer Toolbox (photos, supporting info, titles & descriptions, tools) Gaining Momentum (reviews, edits, and learning from others) Community Talk (removals, Reddit vs forums, and reviewer behavior) Wayspots of the Week (including a creative transit-themed sign & a powerful multi-story mural) Coal of the Week (what NOT to submit) Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 3 April 2026 Published: 5 April 2026 Season 5, Episode 12 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
This week Jamal and Chris dig into the current state of Wayfarer and ask the big question: has the system become too easy—or is it finally working the way it should? They break down the shift from strict “gatekeeping” to a more open, fast-moving system, and debate whether community-driven approvals are helping or hurting overall quality. The conversation then moves into one of the hottest topics right now: local vs global reviewing. Does local knowledge still matter most, or is global reviewing the key to speed and fairness? The guys also tackle the rise of “voyeur removals” and whether players should be removing Wayspots in areas they don't even play in. They wrap up the discussion by exploring what the “Wayfarer standard” really is today—and whether different players are playing by completely different definitions of that standard. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go - Potato Edition ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 26 March 2026 Published: 29 March 2026 Season 5, Episode 11 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 388: Pokémon GO Anonymous Live Streamed: 3/24/2026 Publish Date - 3/27/2026 Listen to this Podcast ad free on Patreon! We jump head first into this episode's deep dive as we explore some of the symptoms of gaming addiction. Pokémon GO does have some systems in place that make it difficult for players to disconnect. We discuss the line between being an avid hobbyist and someone obsessed or addicted. From not wanting to stop playing, to over spending, to neglecting responsibilities, having this game in our pockets could be a slippery slope. We also take a look at the topic of how the game has been heralded to have therapeutic qualities. It's no surprise that this game can be a great platform to use while exercising, exploring, or in some cases, escaping. We look at how escapism and addiction can cross paths, by posing the question of how being locked out of the game for 24 hours would make you feel. For most of us, it would be a pretty rough day. We want to hear your perspectives on the topic, and encourage everyone to join the conversation. Let us know how the game makes you feel, and if you ever have concerns that you are putting the game ahead of your responsibilities. Our live chat did an incredible job of opening up and sharing stories. We would love to hear more of them. After the break we recap the last week of gameplay. We had the conclusion of the Bugout as well as Water Research Day this past weekend. The April Content update has been released, and we will be sing the return of many legendaries, but the release of a few new Pokémon. Will next week's A Shockingly Good Time event satisfy our Spotlight Hour fix, or will the flood of Pikachu lose its spark a few days into the event? Let us know your thoughts! Video Game Addiction Hanke CNBC Interview 2019 Class Action Lawsuits Bug Out Replay: Water Research Day GMAX Pikachu A Shockingly Good Time April Content Update Sustainability Week Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week Chris and Jamal kick off Episode 218 of the Wayspotters Podcast with some personal updates, including Chris preparing to start a new job and celebrating his son making a lacrosse rep team. After the catch-up, they dive into the latest Wayfarer and Niantic news. The big topic this week is the pause of Operation Portal Recon (OPR). Chris and Jamal discuss Niantic Spatial's announcement that OPR has been temporarily shut down and share their speculation about why it happened. Reports surfaced showing large-scale cheating, bots, and automated portal submissions creating thousands of fake reviews and portals. They explore how the abuse may have overwhelmed Niantic's ability to manage the system, why OPR may stay offline for a long time, and what the future could look like for Ingress mapping and community review. They also talk about what this pause could mean for Ingress players and the long-term health of the portal network, including concerns that without new portals the game could feel stale and lose player engagement. On the Wayfarer side, the hosts highlight a major quality-of-life improvement: web submission drafts. The new system allows Wayfinders to create and store multiple nomination drafts, review photos and descriptions at home, and submit them later once everything is polished. Chris and Jamal explain why this could improve nomination quality, reduce “coal” submissions, and help reviewers overall—while noting the limitation that submissions still require available nomination slots. The episode wraps up with Wayspot of the Week, featuring a striking globe installation in Dublin and an abstract art installation in Rockford, Illinois, followed by Coal of the Week, showcasing a great nomination ruined by using a watermarked photo pulled from a website. Overall, the episode explores the evolving future of Wayfarer, the challenges of community-driven mapping systems, and how new tools might improve the quality of Wayspot nominations going forward. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Tales From Canada ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 5 March 2026 Published:8 March 2026 Season 5, Episode 10 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 387 - Clutch Your Pearls Live Streamed on - 3/17/2026 Publish Date - 3/19/2026 We switched up the show format this week as the community news was too good to hold off on discussing. Social media was on fire thanks to a hit piece style tweet from a non-credible source was viewed over 20 million times. It shared the horrors of Niantic building a network to train automated pizza delivery robots using data collected through Pokémon GO. The pearl clutching and fauxrage was rampant with so many feigned gasps of air coming mainly from X. We look at the actual article that sparked interest in Niantic Spatial's dealings from the MIT Technology Review. We discuss how Niantic's vision for a complete 1:1 digital to IRL map of the world has always been the goal. Could we have known that pizza delivery robots would be amongst the fist to benefit from the map? Of course not but it is amazing to see Niantic's vision start to be realized. The VPS is an amazing tool and LLM that Pokémon GO, Ingress, and Wayfarer have always been a part of. Wayfinders and keepers of the Gameboard have been enthusiastic about being a part of this process. Anyone saying they had no idea that this GPS based game is tracking our GPS data is simply feigned ignorance. We run through some wishlist ideas that we have for the game, where the gameboard and environment is the focus. From persistent AR instances to the introduction of HMs allowing you to traverse different terrains, the gameboard truly is paramount to our experience. The question is, with Niantic Spacial separating from the Niantic brand which was acquired by Scopely, will we ever see the technology behind the VPS be utilized in PGO going forward. Finally we recap the last week of gameplay including the Pokopia Event and Scorbunny Community Day. We have some new Event announcements and nao everything out on our Google Calendar. Newsforce Hit Piece MIT Technology Review Dexerto Article Niantic Spatial VPS Pokopia Event Scorbunny Community Day Fashion Raid Day April Community Day Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
How Card Show Vendors Actually Make Money | Special Conditions 200 Episode 200 of Special Conditions is a real behind-the-table conversation with two guests who live the hobby from the vendor side. We're joined by Zach and Niche from the New England card scene to talk about how they got started, what made them fall in love with vending, and what the card show grind actually looks like once you're the one buying, pricing, trading, and trying to keep inventory moving. This one isn't about fake guru advice or hobby mythology. It's about the stuff that actually matters: why repeat customers matter more than squeezing every percentage point, why sticker prices and presentation change the whole buying experience, and the mistakes you only make once if you're lucky. The stories about bad buyouts, early inventory mistakes, and learning how to price for negotiation make this one especially good for anyone who has ever thought about setting up at a show. On top of that, the episode wanders exactly where a good hobby podcast should: Whatnot growing pains, 151 spikes, Prismatic frustration, Japanese cards, oddball collectibles, and the kind of side quests that happen when four cardboard degenerates get talking. It feels like hanging out at the table after a busy show — which is probably why it works so well. 00:00 Intro + guest setup 01:30 How Adam knows the Zachs 06:00 Why card show vending is a volume business 06:45 Whatnot selling, shipping headaches, and singles 13:30 Buying strategy: moving cards 15:30 Dallas spend vs New England spend 17:15 Pricing philosophy at shows 18:45 Big trades, slabs, and hot table stories 29:00 Could Pokémon ever do serialized cards? 32:30 151 spikes, Prismatic, and current market talk 40:00 How both guests got started in the hobby 45:00 Biggest mistakes new vendors make 48:00 Why sticker prices matter 55:00 Show layout, traffic flow, and vendor setup 01:00:00 Slab guards and deal friction 01:10:00 Growing as a vendor 01:20:00 What actually belongs in the showcase vs binders 01:27:30 Rapid-fire advice for new vendors 01:42:30 Why Pokémon's community keeps people in the hobby 01:46:00 Final thoughts + where to find everyone
This week Chris and Jamal dig into a packed episode full of Wayfarer news, hot takes, and a lot of common-sense discussion. They cover the fix for the Pokémon GO nomination spacebar bug, the nearby map issue, Niantic Spatial pausing OPR and retiring Overclock, and the arrival of Wayfarer nomination drafts—an update they both see as one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements Wayfarer has had in a long time. The main topic asks a bold question: what if Pokémon GO removed the ability to nominate POIs in-game and pushed all nominations through the Wayfarer website instead? What starts as a spicy hot take turns into a thoughtful conversation about better onboarding, higher-quality nominations, clearer expectations, and reducing the constant confusion from players who think they are nominating PokéStops instead of submitting Wayspots to Niantic's larger database. Chris and Jamal weigh the pros and cons, from better education and fewer junk nominations to the risk of losing casual contributors and slowing map growth. They also talk about whether Wayfarer may be entering a post-backlog era, with eMiLy filtering out more coal, review areas feeling wider, and nominations moving faster than ever. From there, they jump into a fun “One's Gotta Go” debate featuring Pokémon, Mario, Call of Duty, and EA Sports, before wrapping up with two great Wayspots of the Week and a Coal of the Week that serves as a reminder that even a beautiful mural is still ineligible if it sits on K-12 school property. https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/t/whats-the-point-of-having-pokemon-go-if-my-nomination-wont-show-up-in-game/108679 Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 12 March 2026 Published: 15 March 2026 Season 5, Episode 9 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 386: The Highs And Lows Live Streamed on - 3/10/2026 Publish Date - 3/13/2026 The 30th Anniversary Event is a perfect example of how the changes being delivered by the game can impact Trainers differently. Even with the basic wild encounter pool during an event can be dissected in countless ways. We saw Legendaries in the wild for the first time, but super low catch rates and super high flee rates, the experience was soured for some. March has been really strong so far, and the upcoming events look to continue the trend. Pokopia, Scorbunny and the Bug Out will keep us busy for a few weeks, while Pikachu will join us at the end of the month. We are also seeing more GO Passes, which aren't that much different from the amount of Event Tickets that we were previously seeing. We will need some month over month data to really determine how the shift has impacted our spending habits. The GO Memories campaign is underway and Niantic is looking to hear your best stories and memories made through Pokémon GO. We live for this stuff, and can't wait to dig into some of the stories that are shared. Also, you can win an all expense paid trip to any of the three GO Fests! Be sure to share your favorite GO Memories with us! Finally we dig into how the game is evolving and changing with Memories in Motion. The Scopely Effect is becoming more and more noticeable, but we can't tell what the Community thinks just yet. Multiple GO Passes a month sounds scary at first, but once you realize that it is the same frequency of cost as the now retired event tickets, you can see that the value is actually greater. We have PLENTY to unpack here! 30th Anniversary Event Pokopia Celebration Scorbunny Community Day Bug Out A Shockingly Good Time GMAX Pikachu Max Battle Day GO Memories Monk's Pub Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week Chris and Jamal talk about a packed week of Wayfarer news, including the Pokémon GO nomination screen spacebar bug, a new 24-hour delay before upgrades can be applied, eMiLy returning to photo reviews, and fixes for missing monthly recap emails. They also share plans for Pokémon GO Fest in Chicago, talk about meeting listeners in person, and officially put out their invitation to connect with the Niantic team while they're there. The main discussion digs into a fascinating theory about Wayfarer review distances. After a nomination from a friend of the show appeared far outside the expected review radius, Chris and Jamal explore whether Niantic may have quietly expanded review areas while keeping them locked within each reviewer's home country. They compare examples from across North America, weigh several possible explanations, and make the case that a larger review pool could be helping reduce backlog, speed up decisions, and keep the system moving more efficiently than before. They also talk about the recent removal of questionable “couch” Power Spots and share advice for anyone trying to restore a legitimately removed Wayspot. From gathering proof and photos to treating the request like a brand-new nomination, they explain how to give the Wayfarer team the best possible case. To close things out, Chris teases the upcoming March Madness Wayspot bracket, Jamal gives a shoutout to Ingress agents he met in Charlotte, and the hosts reflect on how much better Wayfarer feels when strong nominations move through the system faster. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Tales From Canada ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 5 March 2026 Published:8 March 2026 Season 5, Episode 8 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 385 GO Tourist Trap Live Streamed on - 3/3/2026 Publish Date - 3/5/2026 The last week of gameplay has been some of the best Raiding the game has seen. With multiple chases and backgrounds, this week was either a collectors best dream or worst nightmare. One thing was for certain, and that was how both the Road to Kalos and the GO Tour itself were set up to accommodate spending. We both had a different approach to the event, but we both felt the pressure of spending throughout. March is shaping up to have some great events. Blogs have been released covering the next three weeks of gameplay. This comes after last week's March Content Update felt very light on info. The 30th Anniversary Event brings an ambitious amount of Pokémon to the gameboard, with plenty of availability for Legendaries. After the anniversary event we get a one-two punch from the Pokopia Celebration Event and the Bug Out! The schedule may be structured, but it hasn't slowed down at all. Details for each of the IRL GO Fest events has been released and Mewtwo and Zeroara are leading the charge. The event will switch up the habitat style for this event, and even offers a stand alone city experience ticket. If the Early Bird ticket sales are any indication, this year's GO Fest is going to be sold out across the board. We end the show with a discussion about how the Road to Kalos trained us to be prepared to spend, only to be followed up with an even bigger weekend of Raiding. We discussed the Scopely Effect last week, and we think this may be another side of that coin. It looks like a future “Global” events could be increasingly more demanding on our wallets! Kalos Tour: Global GO Pass: March 30th Anniversary Event Pokopia Celebration Bug Out Festival of Colors Replay: Water Research Day GO Fest Early Bird GO Fest: Chicago GO Fest: Tokyo GO Fest: Copenhagen GO Fest: Global Ticket Comparison Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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 1996-2026 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
This week Jamal and Chris get into a no-news week in Wayfarer (no eMiLy updates, no Ambassador news) while shouting out a wave of new listeners and Chris powering through sickness and a whole lot of Canadian snow to keep the weekly streak alive. For Topic 1, the guys react to a forum post about a 30-day ban that spirals into a masterclass on what not to do—photos taken from inside the car, dashboard in frame, and using Google Maps images. From there, Jamal lays out his “If I ran Wayfarer for a day” list of instant 30-day ban offenses, from zero-effort submissions to fake trail markers, emoji-only titles, and more—plus the legendary return of the “Gazebo Bandit.” For Topic 2, they bring it back to the basics with the three pillars every review should revolve around: Explore, Exercise, or Social. They break down what each category really means (and why nominations only need to hit one), including a passionate defense of restaurants as legitimate social spaces. Then it's time for One's Gotta Go: Pizza Edition—New York vs Chicago deep dish vs Detroit vs Hawaiian—with some spicy takes ahead of Go Fest Chicago. Finally, they wrap with Wayspots of the Week (a stunning stained glass memorial window and a Three Stooges tombstone) and Coal of the Week featuring a “McPokey Place” nomination that's as bad as it sounds, plus a tease for an upcoming March Madness-style POI bracket. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 26 Feb 2026 Published: 01 March 2026 Season 5, Episode 7 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 384 - The Scopely Effect Live Streamed on -2/24/26 Publish Date - 2/27/26 Happy Pokémon Day! This episode is releasing on a very important day, and we hope everyone has an excellent time. Niantic has given us an incredible amount of information, not just about events, but about the new Season and some significant changes that are coming! We start with a recap of the last week of gameplay including The Lunar New Year Event and the kickoff to the Road to Kalos. If you have been feeling like things have been building towards something, you have been feeling correctly. We will be seeing major changes to event and scheduling structures, a move away from event tickets to GO Passes, and some fun QOL updates like the ability to catch evolved form Shinies in the wild. Memories In Motion will be the potential dawn of a new era, with all of the announcements kicking off with the start of the new season. ITL Kalos Tour gave us a preview of the new Mega System. Link Charges have caused a stir online, however we feel strongly that they are a massive win for Trainers as a no cost option to Raid. The March Content Update has been met with mixed reviews. Niantic's new strategy seems to give us even less news than before, which was already a sore spot. With the top secret debut of Mega Dragonite, it does feel good to be pleasantly surprised.This all feels very calculated, and we will keep a close eye on it over the Season. Our final discussion takes a macro look at the upcoming changes. For better or worse, the Scopely Effect is beginning to take shape. Is the Community ready to embrace the change, or will they form a resistance? Time will tell, and we are exceptionally here for it all. Lunar New Year Road To Kalos Early Bonus Road To Kalos New Mega System Memories In Motion March Content Update Scorbunny Community Day Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week on the podcast, Chris and Jamal talk about the current state of Wayfarer, including eMiLy still being down, the lack of updates around the Ambassador program, and growing frustration with Recon especially among the “I want to do both” crowd who feel stuck waiting for meaningful changes. They also dive into a great community discussion around trail markers, breaking down what actually makes them eligible. The key takeaway: it's not the marker itself it's the trail. Chris and Jamal explain how to position trail markers as anchors for a larger point of interest, and why details like trail names, locations, and official maps can make or break your nomination. Finally, with bad weather keeping everyone inside, they share productive ways to stay engaged with Wayfarer reviewing nominations, exploring the new Wayfarer map, digging into forum discussions, and revisiting past rejections for better resubmissions. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Tales From Canada ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 19 Feb 2026 Published: 22 Feb 2026 Season 5, Episode 6 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 383 - The Long Way Live Streamed on - 2/17/2026 Publish Date - 2/20/2026 The love in the air is starting to disperse, but not before we recap the Valentine's Day event and our Raid and Max Battle double-feature over the weekend.After SerAmanda's voicemail last week discussed how were to get just a single Spinda encounter (or so we thought), we were all pleasantly surprised that we had Spinda galore. It opens a great conversation about how harsh the community can be when if comes to Niantic sharing info, and how it actually feels really good when they can pull off a surprise. Therian Anamorus and GMAX Meowth kept us busy and spending money, even though Furfrou and Luvdisc tried to take the spotlight. It was an interesting weekend of activity, but one that brought the community together twice, which is never a bad thing. The Lunar New Year event runs through Saturday and gives us all a chance at Shiny Gimmighoul and a whole lotta luck when it comes to gifting and trading. Kalos Tour IRL is taking place this weekend and we have additional info on the event and a little bit of new info for Global. Ken and Adam will both be out on the grind during Kalos Tour, so make sure you stop to say hi if you see them! GO Battle League has been completely rebuilt from the ground up and this could be the update that the Battlers have been demanding for years. I think we should all put in some time behind the wheel before jumping to conclusions, however the early sentiment seems to be that some of the long standing issues with the system have been addressed. Let's check back in on this during next week's episode! Finally we have a fun discussion about how spending time on the toilet can be a great catalyst for gameplay. We run down our top 5 things to do while we are on the toilet! Make sure you contact us to share your toilet habits! We want to hear from you! Valentine's Day 2026 Therian Enamurus Raid Day GMAX Meowth Max Battle Day Lunar New Year New Kalos Tour Info GBL Update ItsAXN GBL Update Video 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week Jamal and Chris talk about recent Wayfarer news, including eMiLy's photo-edit outage, ongoing email issues, and a reminder about properly handling location edits through help chat instead of inching Wayspots around the map. They also react to some listener comments before diving into the main topics. In Topic #1, they discuss a “Measure Twice, Cut Once” approach to nominations, introducing a practical pre-submission checklist. They cover the importance of strong photos, clear unique features, accessibility details, cultural or historical context, and smart use of supporting images to answer reviewer questions before they're even asked. In Topic #2, they explore whether reviewers are actually getting better—or if the so-called gatekeepers have simply disappeared. They break down possible reasons for faster approvals, including improved submitter quality, shifts in the reviewer pool, and potential backend or automation changes. They also challenge the “gatekeeper” label, talk about community bias, and ask whether quality could drift if approvals stay this fast. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 12 Feb 2026 Published: 15 Feb 2026 Season 5, Episode 5 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 382: We Love This Game Live Streamed on - 2/9/26 Publish Date - 2/13/26 Love is in the air during the Valentine's Day Event! We start by recapping the last week of gameplay and how Oricorio Catch Mastery overlapped with the Carnival of Flamigo. This type of double event format gave Trainers flexibility over the day to play when they could, without creating FOMO. Let's hope that this is something they do again in the coming seasons. Valentine's Day weekend brings us Raids and Gigantamax Battles as we take on Therian Enamorus and GMAX Meowth. Taking a look at GO Hub and Pokebattler, we put together some parties to take them on, with some usual suspects and some unique Pokémon making appearances. Between event tickets and consumables, this will likely be an expensive weekend for the hardcore. We had an update that no one asked for, but many are happy is here, with GO Snapshot getting a significant update. Partnering with Pokémon's 30th Anniversary campaign, “What's Your Favorite” looks to create some social buzz by having Trainers share pictures of themselves with their favorite Pokémon. The interface is easy to navigate and the features are pretty cool so we recommend giving it a try! Niantic will be hosting Community Celebrations across the globe including in Washington D.C.! Ken will be attending so if you plan on being there, send us a message! He will be giving out codes and stickers throughout the event! Our final discussion is a recap of some critically important settings and features that you may not even know about! Did you know that there are two different ways that the game measures walking distance? Do you know if you are running at 30Hz or 120Hz refresh rate? We hope you can find something to take away from our discussion and start using today! Carnival of Flamigo Oricorio Catch Mastery Valentine's Day 2026 Therian Enamurus Raid Day Therian Enamorus Battle Party GO Hub Therian Enamorus Battle Party Pokebattler GMAX Meowth Max Battle Day GMAX Meowth Battle Party GO Hub GMAX Meowth Battle Party Pokebattler What's Your Favorite Community Celebrations Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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 1996-2026 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
This week Chris and Jamal talk about the latest Wayfarer news, including issues with map sync delays that are causing approved Wayspots, edits, and removals to take hours (or even more than a day) to appear in games. Niantic is currently running manual syncs while investigating the problem, and the hosts also highlight a community comment suggesting that player-submitted Wayspots should replace some of the newly generated street PokéStops. The bulk of the episode focuses on a deep dive into the newly released Wayfarer Map. Chris and Jamal review what the first version can currently do, then walk through a long list of known issues pulled from forum discussions — such as delayed live data, broken location searches, visual problems with Google Maps layers, missing Street View, translation gaps, and the inability to filter certain Wayspot types. They also discuss features they hope appear in future updates, including improved zoom controls, filters for personal contributions, the ability to edit locations directly from the map, plugin support, and results from Jamal's recent experiment using the tool. Finally, the hosts evaluate Niantic's 2025–2026 Wayfarer roadmap and measure progress so far. They run through each promised improvement — from appeals and distance changes to quality surfacing, leaderboards, and rating systems — noting that only the Wayfarer Map and web submissions have fully launched so far. Chris argues that despite many items still pending, these two features are major wins and, when broken down mathematically, put the team roughly on pace if development continues steadily through 2026. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Tales From Canada ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 5 Feb 2026 Published: 8 Jan 2026 Season 5, Episode 4 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 381: Three Flamigos Live Streamed on - 2/3/2026 Publish Date - 2/6/2026 Last weekend brought us a double header with Vulpix Community Day and DMAX Ho-Oh Max Battle Weekend. This weekend brings Carnival of Flamigo and Oricorio Catch Mastery. Double dipping may be the best way to get the most out of the game. With next season's Saturdays being blocked out, we think it safe to assume there will be some weekends with overlapping events. We have two annual events making their return this month with Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year. Adam thinks that with Enamorous and Luvdisc not being in the announcement, that there will be more info coming. Lunar New Year will be your next chance for Shiny Gimmighoul, which will likely lead the charge of the event. It's been a while since we last visited Reddit to find some interesting Pokémon GO posts. We picked some of our favorites and enjoy the sweet vibe of Reddit and how it is so different from X. We look back to the old avatar aesthetic, the Meowth Balloon, and hear two great stories from the community. Finally we wrap up with a discussion on game-work-life balance and how we are currently approaching the topic. We share what we are doing right and wrong in the daily battle to find balance. We also want to hear from you! What are you succeeding or failing at when it comes to balance in your life? Into The Depths Community Day: Vulpix & Alolan Vulpix Ho-Oh Max Battle Weekend Carnival of Flamigo Oricorio Catch Mastery Valentine's Day 2026 Lunar New Year Old Avatars 6 Year Gym Defender Meowth Balloon 50 POI in 25 days 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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
In this week's episode, Jamal and Chris dive into Niantic's controversial experiment of adding PokéStops directly to street corners and bus stops in select U.S. areas, weighing the potential benefits for underserved communities against concerns around criteria, fairness, safety, and visual clutter. They break down what this could mean for Wayfarer's philosophy, reviewer morale, and future map growth—plus what success (or failure) of the test might signal long-term. Jamal and Chris also spotlight Niantic's newly launched Wayfarer Map, now the default landing page for Wayfinders, which lets players search the globe, filter by game-specific objects, and distinguish between community-submitted and Niantic-added locations. They discuss how the detailed info panels, satellite views, and reporting tools could transform scouting, improve nomination accuracy, and influence how players explore new areas—while also touching on early questions around privacy, data accuracy, and long-term gameplay impact. Links: https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/t/testing-new-wayspots-in-pokemon-go/109242 Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 29 Jan 2026 Published: 1 Feb 2026 Season 5, Episode 3 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 380: Daily Routine Live Streamed on - 1/28/26 Publish Date - 1/30/26 This week was packed with gameplay as we saw Precious Pals get Taken Over, Shadow Raikou Raid Day and Into The Depths! These events delivered a diverse menu of gameplay styles, with Raiding, Shiny Hunting, Routes and more. This weekend brings us Dynamax Ho-Oh, which may be hit or miss with Communities and might require more coordination than usual to get Trainers together. You will however, have a relaxed pace with many hours of the day available to track down Ho-Oh. Next week looks even stronger with Carnival of Flamigo kicking off on Tuesday and stretching out over Oricorio Catch Mastery Day. This will make grinding next Saturday a fantastic time to play so block out your time now! The Road to Kalos event is just ludicrous with how much it has going on. Plenty of costumes and backgrounds will make this either a collector's dream or worst nightmare. Wayfarer had some big updates this week with the release of their official map! Wayfinders will no longer have to use third party tools or work with outdated maps. With the forums blowing up over it, I think Wayfarer may have a winner on their hands with the Community. We also saw the expansion of Niantic's Street Corner experiment to all 50 US states and the forums are melting down about it. We hope this will make underdeveloped/populated gameboards receive some POI that don't have to follow criteria that would normally make them ineligible. Finally, we wrap up with a conversation about daily gameplay routines, and how they can bring some consistency and efficiency to your play. We discuss our morning, afternoon, and evening routines and how it impacts what we do. From inventory maintenance to gifting strategies, developing loops for your tasks can help you stay focused and on task. That is until you accidentally forget to do it, making the entire day's progress a bust. Let us know what you do in this game, day in - day out! Precious Pals: Taken Over Shadow Raikou Raid Day Into The Depths Ho-Oh Max Battle Weekend Carnival of Flamigo Oricorio Catch Mastery Road To Kalos GO Hub: Road To Kalos February GO Pass Wayfarer Map Street Corner PokéStops GO Hub: Street Corner PokéStops 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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
This week Chris and Jamal dive headfirst into fresh Wayfarer movement, community chatter, and one of the trickiest topics explorers face: when — and how — to report problematic Wayspots. The duo opens with some classic banter before jumping into the latest Wayfarer News, including long-stuck nominations finally reaching resolution, speculation on when 2026 Wayfarer Ambassador applications might open, and why some Niantic reviews seem to clear faster than others. From there it's on to From the Comments! as the hosts react to listener feedback about restaurant nominations, broken Wayfarer tools, and Jamal's infamous tinfoil-hat theory about shifting approval speeds. The main discussion centers on a hot forum topic: “To report, or not report?” Chris and Jamal break down why cleaning up the map matters, what actually qualifies for removal, and where things get murky with private residential property, emergency services locations, nonexistent Wayspots, and borderline cases that are bad — but not necessarily abuse. They also tackle what real abuse looks like, how to recognize it, and whether AI and suspicious photos should raise red flags. Plus… the Professor steps in for a heartfelt moment of tough love about reporting correctly — hand-holding included. Let's explore. Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Tales From Canada ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 22 Jan 2026 Published: 25 Jan 2026 Season 5, Episode 2 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
New year = new segments! In Episode 198 of Special Conditions, we roll out Burned or Learned, Behind the Booth, Sleeve it or Leave it, Sleepers & Steals, and Status: Recommended—plus a festive Card of the Day to kick things off.
Lured Up Podcast 379 - Solo Leveling Live Streamed on - 1/21/2026 Publish Date - 1/23/2026 New week, new show! January is chugging a long after an active week of gameplay. High Zaptitude, Grookey Community Day, and the start of Precious Pals has kept us busy over the last few days. With the Taken Over portion of Precious Pals landing this weekend, we will see a ton of activity in-game as it overlaps with Shadow Raikou Raid Day. This week gave us a little bit of everything, and we are loving it. Into the Depths is coming up with the release of Flimmet, however its Evolution, Glimmora is nowhere to be found. Will we see more Megas from Legaends Z-A being announced? With the announcement of Mega Victreebel and Mega Malimar being added to GO Tour: Kalos, it appears so. Let's hope the Mega meta continues to develop in a positive way, while allowing the game to stretch its legs and release things over time. Our Save the Dates for next season are here, and what we are already seeing is event EVERY Saturday. We speculate on what this sudden structuring of events could mean, and how it blocks gameplay from those that work on Saturdays. With event announcements rolling out leading to and after the Seasonal announcement, we could see the most packed event calendar yet. We dig into the listener mailbag with a voicemail, text and email. From new listeners to great ideas to feel good stories, the mailbag delivered big this week. After the mail, we discuss how different group sizes and gameboard environments have a dramatic impact on gameplay. We touch on Solo grinding, car grinding, and small and large scale Campfire events. There is no wrong way to play this game, and we want to hear from you. Hit us up and let us know your favorite ways to play the game. We also ask, is there any difference from how you WISH you can play the game vs how you ACTUALLY play the game? Let us know! High Zaptitude Community Day: Grookey Precious Pals Precious Pals Taken Over Into The Depths Shadow Raikou Raid Day Dynamax Ho-Oh Max Battle Weekend Mega Victreebel and Mega Malamar Community Day: Vulpix & Alolan Vulpix Season 22 Save The Dates Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
In this week's episode, Jamal and Chris break down everything kicking off Season 5 of Wayfarer, starting with the surprising speed-up that has nominations flying through in hours instead of weeks. They explore what this means for queues, backlogs, and overall Explorer behavior, and whether Niantic might be testing something under the hood. The conversation then shifts to the big Quality Question — are these faster decisions still accurate, or are reviewers becoming more lenient as systems evolve? Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ One's Gotta Go ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 15 Jan 2026 Published: 18 Jan 2026 Season 5, Episode 1 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 378 Live Streamed on - 1/12/2026 Publish Date - 1/15/2026 This week didn't finish too strong with some Trainers in the Community. While Pinch Perfect and its rotating Timed Research was a blast, Kyurem Fusion Raid Day left a bad taste in some Trainers' mouths. The inclusion of Reshiram and Zekrom in the Raid rotation hurt Trainers with less developed gameboards, as some reports saying that all the Raids in some rotations were not White or Black Kyurem, making the event fall flat until the opportunity arises to try it again during the next rotation. Adam brought up a great idea of putting Fusion Energy in Field Research for defeating Reshiram or Zekrom. This week brings High Zaptitude and a double release. Wattrel and Shiny Tadbulb make their debut during the event, giving two different Pokémon to chase that are available in different ways. You'll have to work to unlock Wattrel, as it is a Level 2 Reward of a Global Challenge, which confused some Trainers that didn't read the fine print. In all, this is a solid double header and a fun Electric event. Precious Pals and Precious Pals Taken Over will keep us busy in the week ahead, with Giovanni bringing Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus. We also have boosted Shinies for catching Goldeen, and hatching Espurr or Fidough. Make sure you remember to TM away Frustration before the event ends! Weekly Challenges added matchmaking and a bigger invite list this week. With the leveling grind being so popular, Weekly Challenges are a great way to fast track to Forever Friends. The Challenges themselves however, pose little to no actual challenge for moderate to hardcore Trainers. We spitball some ideas of how this mechanic can be developed to provide a tougher challenge while targeting Trainers of different skill and dedication levels. Finally we drop our top 5 gameplay loop lists and talk it through. From the Friendship Grind to Adam's Max Battle obsession, we dig into what keeps us engaged with the game and coming back for more. Pinch Perfect Kyurem Fusion Raid Day High Zaptitude Grookey Community Day Precious Pals Weekly Challenges 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/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week, Jamal & Chris dig into the first recorded episode of 2026 and the Season 4 finale! We look back at the incredible growth of the show over the past four years and share what's ahead for Season 5. Then we break down the surprising Wayfarer update that caused years-old failed uploads to suddenly appear in Niantic review — some only half-uploaded — and what this means for reviewers. We also share our personal 2026 Wayfarer commitments, including Chris' push for WDD Top 35, nomination and edit goals, and Jamal's plan to boost reviews, re-engage positively on the forums, and bring in new guests. Finally, we dive into the growing trend of previously “impossible” nominations getting approved — restaurants, neighborhood signs, barbershops, business artwork — and discuss whether this shift is good for Wayfarer or just blurring the grey areas even more. Here's What We're Talking About: Kicking off 2026 with the Season 4 finale Niantic's “attic clean-out” that released years-old failed uploads What half-uploaded nominations mean for reviewers Chris' 2026 commitments: WDD Top 35, nominations, edits & more Jamal's 2026 commitments: daily reviews, forum presence & new guests The rise of “previously impossible” approvals Restaurants, signs, barbershops & business artwork in today's grey zones What this shift means for the future of Wayfarer Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Tales From Canada ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 08 Jan 2026 Published: 11 Jan 2026 Season 4, Episode 52 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 377 Live Streamed on - 1/6/26 Publish Date - 1/9/26 We are back from our holiday break and ready to get back on the grind! We hope everyone had a great end to 2025 and a positive outlook on 2026. From everyone at the Pokémon Professor Network, we hope you have the Happiest of New Years. Trainers woke up this week to a major spawn point shuffle, with reports of house spawns updating from 10 to as few as 2. Keep in mind you will hear more about the bad stuff than the good, but there have also been reports of spawns increasing in other areas. Our best hunch is this could either have been influenced by an update to the game's feed from Open Street Map or it is Niantic slash Scopely trying to influence where we play the game. We will have to pay attention to the community to find out if increases are to be found in parks and rural areas.Unfortunately, Niantic Support has been spreading some seemingly incorrect reasoning for the updates, which will only add to confusion and upset Trainers. This week brings a new Dex entry with Klauf and a new Shiny with Dhelmise during the Pinch Perfect event. Field Research should keep you busy looking for the Win a Raid task which could bring you either of the two of the event's featured Pokémon. This weekend is going to be great with Kyurem Fusion Raid Day. Thanks to GO Hub, we will run through the best counters for each of the four Raids from the event, with four separate Battle Parties, as well as a single party you can use for all of the Raids during the event. The January GO Pass is here with the major reward being a Lucky Trinket. End Game Trainers may think it has a little less value, as the post 70 Lucky Friend grind is bringing Trainers multiple Lucky Friends a week. The total rewards as a whole still give the GO Pass great value, with the free version still providing some fun and consistent and daily gameplay. We wrap up with a chat about some of our plans for the new year, including some IRL short form video and some travel for events. We can't wait to roll things out soon! Spawn Point Shuffle New Year's Event 2026 Piplup Community Day Pinch Perfect Kyurem Fusion Raid Day Black Kyurem GO Hub White Kyurem GO Hub Reshiram GO Hub Zekrom GO Hub January GO Pass Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
This week the boys talk about… Part 2 of our 2025 Wayfarer retrospective — where momentum turned into mastery. From the mid-year surge of new Wayfarers to roadmap clarity, recognition, and early automation, the community didn't just grow… it leveled up. We break down how July through December reshaped reviewing habits, mentorship, and what it really means to Wayfind heading into 2026. Here's what we're talking about: The mid-year Wayfarer check-in and how contributors evaluated their own performance Pokémon GO Wayfarer opening to Level 35 and the wave of new reviewers it unleashed How mentorship, Discord guides, and peer coaching became core to community success Why supporting statements evolved from “helpful” to mission-critical Ongoing Scopely speculation — and how the community adapted without official answers The shift from growth to refinement as reviewers focused on quality and efficiency Wayfarer Roadmap 2025–2026, the AMA, and what clarity did for community confidence The rise of recognition emails, reviewer spotlights, and year-end acknowledgments Early signs of automation and how reviewers balanced speed with integrity How 2025 closed with collaboration, preparation, and excitement for 2026 Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: December 18, 2025 Published: December 21, 2025 Season 4, Episode 49 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
On this week's episode of the Wayspotters Podcast, Jamal and Chris hit rewind on 2025 and take a month-by-month look at how Wayfarer really changed — not just through updates and announcements, but through reviewer behavior, community strategy, and shifting trust in the system. This isn't a “Niantic did this” or “Scopely did that” episode. It's about us — the reviewers, nominators, veterans, and newcomers who adapted as the rules stayed mostly the same, but the reality around them didn't. In Part 1, we cover January through June 2025, including: Reviewer fatigue and growing inconsistency early in the year How supporting info, upgrades, and edits quietly lost trust The moment skepticism replaced benefit-of-the-doubt Community adaptation through Discords, strategy sharing, and mentorship The impact of Niantic's games business being acquired by Scopely Think of this episode as the Wayfarer yearbook — fewer signatures, more opinions. Here's what we're talking about: Why 2025 felt different in Wayfarer — even before anything officially changed Reviewer fatigue, inconsistency, and the rise of “will this pass?” thinking How supporting information became the real battleground The growing distrust in edits, upgrades, and appeals When skepticism replaced benefit-of-the-doubt How the community adapted through strategy, Discords, and peer leadership The ripple effects of Niantic's games business being acquired by Scopely Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: December 23, 2025 Published: December 28, 2025 Season 4, Episode 51 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
On this week's episode of the Wayspotters Podcast, Jamal and Chris wrap up the year by taking a look at Wayfarer at the end of 2025. From a holiday-themed Wayfarer Christmas Wishlist to reflecting on what the year actually taught us about nominations, eligibility, and reviewer consistency, the conversation balances insight with end-of-year perspective. The episode also covers recent Wayfarer news, seasonal submission realities, and wraps with the debate no one asked for but everyone has an opinion on: Cake vs. Pie — dessert supremacy. Grab some eggnog, queue up a few reviews, and close out the year with the Wayspotters. Here's What We're Talking About: Here's What We're Talking About: Year-end Wayfarer news, including recent web submission issues A Wayfarer Christmas Wishlist, from realistic improvements to total long shots What 2025 taught us about Wayfarer, including consistency, eligibility, and reviewer interpretation How local knowledge and presentation still impact nomination outcomes The debate no one asked for: Cake vs. Pie — dessert supremacy Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ The debate no one asked for ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: December 18, 2025 Published: December 21, 2025 Season 4, Episode 49 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice:
Lured Up Podcast 376: A Ticket For Every Event Live Streamed on - 12/16/25 Publish Date - 12/19/25 The game is overrun with costume Pokémon which has to mean that the Holiday Season is upon us! Are you Team Sudowoodo or Team Charjabug? One thing is for sure, we know Adam will be out catching every Delibird he can find! With two weeks of Holiday events ahead of us, we start things off with a recap of the last week of gameplay including Well Armed, GMAX Snorlax, and Citi Safari events. With the Well Armed's Global Challenges powering extra Candy XL for GMAX Snorlax, Trainers had good reason to get out there and grind over the last week. The Holiday events kicked off this week and brought a GO Pass along with it, but the rewards may not be the strongest this time around. Will a Snom Beanie be enough to sell the GO Pass? We don't think so but Trainers may be in it more for the process at this point. Part 2 of the Holiday Event picks up on Christmas Eve and brings back some past costume Pokémon as well as the debut of the Rolycoly line. The Winter Weekend mini-event opens the GO Pass progression up and adds a Timed Research as well. While Niantic hasn't shared the January Content Update yet, they are giving us plenty of event blogs to get us excited. Of course we will have a New Year's event which will bring back some popular costume Pokémon and some fancy avatar boots to boot. Grookey has been announced as the first Community Day Pokémon of the new year, while Piplup will show up during Community Day Classic. If that wasn't enough of a January preview for you, Kyurem Fusion Raid Day is also on the docket, which will will surely be a strong IRL and remote event. We wrap things up with a discussion about the state of the game, and how even with some performance issues like crashes and dropped frames, the game overall is in a really good state. Trainers have tons of options of how to spend their game time, with multiple mechanics taking Trainers down different types of experiences. One thing we have noticed, is that with increased item and Pokémon storage available, inventory maintenance has become a long and monotonous task that takes up a lot of our valuable screen time. Well Armed GMAX Snorlax City Safari Miami Celestial Research Day Winter Holiday Part 1 Winter Holiday Part 2 New Year's 2026 Piplup Community Day Classic Kyurem Fusion Raid Day Grookey Community Day Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
Lured Up Podcast 375 Live Streamed on - 12/9/2025 Publish Date - 12/12/2025 Temperatures are dropping for Ken and Adam in the Northeast, but that isn't stopping the game from keeping things hot! In the last week we journeyed to Paldea, recapped the year's Community Day lineup, as we continue to grind through the GO Pass and the leveling update. The announcement of Forever Friends has rekindled old friendships and has remotivated Trainers to get back on the gifting grind. This week also brings us the Well Armed event with the release of Clobbopus along with boosted Shiny rates for DMAX Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. Well Armed's Global Challenges will be the perfect complement for GMAX Snorlax this weekend, as rewards include increased Candy XL from Max Battles. Niantic has been doing a great job with events supporting each other, and allowing for some great stacking of bonuses. Forever Friends brings Remote Trading, which is a feature that Trainers never thought they would see. With a slick interface and a fair trading process, this will keep Best Friends engaged and interacting. Having a Prestige based leveling system will make Forever Friends earn their namesake, and worth keeping on your list. The Friends List will also be increasing from 450 to 650, rolled out in waves of 50. While there hasn't been any announcement about increased gifting ability, the additional friends are still a huge win. December still has a lot of fight left in it with the Winter Holiday events and Celestial Research Day coming soon. We also can't forget about the City Safari events happening this weekend as well. It's pretty wild to think how aggressive the pacing of the game is and how it keeps packing out the calendar. We also have confirmation on GO Fest locations, with the confirmation of Chicago and the announcement of Tokyo and Copenhagen. We wrap things up with a conversation about remote play, and how Niantic has done a great job in rolling out remote features, without it having a big impact on IRL play. Smaller communities will still feel a sting if they lose 10-20% of their attendees, but the remote accessibility can at least make up for the gameplay elements, allowing the smaller groups to take down the tougher bosses. We wonder if there is anything left to add to the remote lineup, or if we have seen everything there is to be done already released! Journey to Paldea December Community Day December Content Update December GO Pass Well Armed Forever Friends GMAX Snorlax Winter Holiday Part 1 Celestial Research Day GO Fest 2026 Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
Lured Up Podcast 374 Live Streamed on - 12/2/2025 Publish Date - 12/5/2025 It's officially Delibird season and Adam already has a laser focus on the delivery Pokémon. He will have to wait a little longer, but there is plenty to do in the meantime, with December looking to be very strong. We kick things off with a recap of the last week of gameplay, which kept many Trainers very busy. Final Justice closed out Tales of Transformation, with DMAX Lugia Max Battle Day and Pikipek Community Day caring us right to the launch of Precious Paths. With Precious Paths kicking off, we immediately see notice the shift in wild encounters as we are thrust right into the Journey to Paldea event. It brings the Nacli line to our Pokedex, and brings some pretty solid Three-Star Raids. Shadow Raids will be a focus for many this month, as Shadow Heatran slides in, whose typing and heavy DPS will make it very usable in PVE. Thanks to GO Hub and Pokébattler, we put together a little Raid guide and Battle Party, whoop-whoop. We take a peek at the December Content Update and plot everything out on our Google Calendar. With no new Tier-Five or Mega Raid Bosses, we will let the events lead the charge. This upcoming weekend's Community Day round-up will get things going as we wait for the two part Holiday event to come in a few weeks. A new month also means a new GO Pass, and the Timed Incubator returns, which will help out a lot of Trainers that need to hatch eggs to level up. The Well Armed event and GO Tour details round out or event coverage and get us to our episode discussion. We take a look at what the ideal event would feel like. What types of gameplay would you like to see in an event, and what would keep you engaged? Do those desires change when playing in different geographies or with different size groups? Get in touch with us and keep the conversation going? What would make up your perfect Pokémon GO event? Final Justice Dynamax Lugia Pikipek Community Day Precious Paths Journey to Paldea Shadow Heatran GO Hub Shadow Heatran Pokebattler December Content Update December GO Pass Well Armed GO Tour Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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
Lured Up Podcast 373: Daily Adventure PokéStop Live Streamed on - 11/25/25 Publish Date - 11/28/25 As November comes to a close, the Tales of Transformation are not going quietly. With High Voltage keeping Trainers on the hunt for Shiny Morpeko, Dynamax Eevee brought Adam out for some serious grinding. There is something about DMAX Eevee that pushed a lot of Trainers to do a fair amount of them. We wonder how this will impact the release of GMAX Eevee, whenever that decides to debut. Final Justice brings Resolute Form Keldeo as well as a $7.99 Masterwork Research. Without a story pushing the Research along, this really feels like a direct transaction for Shiny Keldeo. Is a little story too much to ask, or does the community at large simply not care about it at all? Longer tasks are fun to grind through, but they can feel someone one-note when all we are do is checking boxes and going through the motions. The weekend brings us DMAX Lugia, which is coming to little fanfare. WIth regular Lugia and Shadow Lugia making appearances recently, the DMAX version seems a bit poorly timed. What we can hope for, is that DMAX Lugia is common during Pikipek Community Day, so groups will have an easier time taking it down, and won't have to make both events into a full weekend affair. Precious Paths is our next season, and the announcement trailer has us thinking. It shows Trainers adventuring along different paths, that feature PokéStops in locations that don't appear to follow any inclusion rules. We don our special tin foil hats and inappropriately speculate on what this could possible be. While it is likely nothing, what if it was a type of deployable and temporary PokéStop. Let's jump down the rabbit hole. High Voltage Dynamax Eevee Final Justice Pony Tales Masterwork Research Dynamax Lugia Pikipek Community Day Precious Paths GO Battle League: Precious Paths Journey to Paldea Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account! LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork 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