- 1 hour 19 minutesBuilding Momentum
Lured Up Podcast 405:
Live Streamed on - 8/18/2026
Publish Date - 8/20/2026
We got back to basics last week, so we get back to gameplay this week. We start with a recap of the last week including having a week off of events, Nickit Community Day, and the kickoff of the Water Festival. Adam worked a card show but was able to squeeze in the final hour, and Ken was able to play in Red Bank with a solid group of Trainers. The Water Festival is a pretty awesome event, with new Pokémon, boosted Shinies, and some solid Tier 1 and 3 Raids. This week is also a great one to put in some grinding as we earn more and more XP and Stardust bonuses as we progress through the event.
That week off was a nice break but Lunala and Mega Starmie mean that it is time to get back to Raids.Lunala’s Shiny debut will be a popular one for sure, and a Super Mega Raid Day for Starmie will be 6 hours of Mega Raid goodness. We take a look at both Pokebattler and GO Hub to put a little Raid Guide and Battle Party together for them both. We will likely see plenty of Mega Mewtwo Y in the lobbies as it is a top counter for both bosses.
We have some time before the end of month push with XP, Worlds, Mega Ascension, and the Mega Finale take over our lives for a bit. This week is the perfect opportunity to perform your Pokémon storage and item maintenance. It has been a struggle for many to recover from GO Fest, so you should have awareness now if you want to make sure your GO Plus can run non stop during the events. Is buying box storage the answer? It is really only a short term solution because if you don’t have an inventory plan, you will end up out of space very quickly.
We wrap up with our Professor’s Principle of the week, which takes a look at how important it is to position yourself in a way to achieve small victories. From setting fun and unique personal challenges in the game, to letting Party play guide you, there are ways to keep momentum pushing forward to make a gameplay session more fun and engaging, without needing a big reward at the end. It parallels well with life too. Pride is an awesome feeling that is helped along when you feel accomplished. Finding a process that includes small and achievable goals is an awesome way to keep yourself feeling driven and motivated to press on.
Pokébattler Mega Starmie Counters
GO Fest Mega Ascension & Finale
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
https://twitter.com/mikel_beats
Outro Music
Vast Poni Canyon
CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)
GameChops - Ultraball
http://gamechops.com/ultraball/
http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats
https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity
Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.
#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
21 August 2026, 10:00 am - 1 hour 10 minutesThe Plan All Along
Lured Up Podcast 404: The Plan All Along
Live Streamed on - 8/13/2026
Publish Date - 8/14/2026
What a week, am I right? Seriously though, this week has been a wild ride as Scopely Explore dropped multiple massive news bombs this week. While we start things off recapping the Summer Marathon, it isn’t long before we spill into the larger news stories. The first being the details of the Mega Finale, which have come to little to no fanfare. Trainers are not too happy with the Raid lineup of the event, as we won’t be able to grind the Kalos Mega Starters and we will once again have Mewtwo in the mix. That is of course, after everyone in the game just got a free Hundo Mewtwo with a background.
Trainers were shocked to learn about a free Timed Research that rewarded a Hundo Mewtwo, and of course the internet was ablaze with reactions. From Trainers thinking it is the best thing since sliced bread, to some that somehow found a way to still be upset about things. At the end of the day, this was an unprecedented move that opened up a lot of questions. Was this a reaction to the online community’s complaints or was this the plan all along? While we will likely never know, there is plenty of speculation flying around.
The final big news drop was that the Explorer Gadget has now rolled out globally to Trainers level 20 and above. While not a direct replacement for the GO Plus+, the tool is a bit clunky and cumbersome to figure out, with limited explanation of how it truly works for it to be effective. We are sure that Trainers that do not have autocatcher hardware will love it, for those of us that have a GO Plus+, it just doesn’t stack up and isn’t the tool we hoped it will be. Adam feels like it will evolve over time, so we will have to see!
Our Professor’s Principle this week is about Expectation vs. Reality. With so many Trainers online being upset about the Mega Finale, it really comes down to them being upset about something they never even had. It opens a discussion about how to balance standards against expectations to find a place in the middle where you leave room to be flexible. The journey is part of the process and when you allow some uncertainty to the outcome, it allows you to adapt to manage emotions and ultimately disappointment. Let us know what you think!
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
https://twitter.com/mikel_beats
Outro Music
Vast Poni Canyon
CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)
GameChops - Ultraball
http://gamechops.com/ultraball/
http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats
https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity
Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.
#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
14 August 2026, 11:39 am - 1 hour 6 minutesBack To Basics
Lured Up Podcast 403: Back to Basics
Live Streamed on - 8/5/2026
Publish Date - 8/7/2026
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
The last few weeks have been non-stop ups and downs over events, tickets, and the need for a break. This week we take a step back from that conversation to discuss some important topics about what made us originally fall in love with this game. It was likely NOT buying every event ticket, having every weekend consumed with events, and min-maxing every single mechanic in the game. It likely had to do with exploration, having fun exploring to catch Pokémon and spending time with fiends. We look into how important those basics are to keep your personal motivation and excitement over the game alive.
We get back to basics with conversations about the not so exciting but exceptionally essential to your success. Things like managing Pokémon storage, item inventory, and goal setting are important crucial to maximizing the time you do get to play. Our talk helps navigate some things to keep your eye on to make dedicated gameplay sessions as efficient as possible.
There are two in-game events to unpack this week, first the Spring Marathon and then the XP/Worlds event. Taking a look at the Marathon event, we are sure that Scopely has learned a lot about how the online community feels about Research with walking tasks. Spoiler alert, they don’t like it. Not surprisingly, we love it, and hope more Trainers can see how Walking is not only a core part of the game, but a mechanic that improves our experience by suggesting healthy choices. The XP and Worlds event is still three weeks away, there are some dates to put on your calendar. There will be 4 different Twitch drops during the Worlds weekend including a Timed Research exclusively available from co-streamers like us! Stay tuned for a date and time that we will be co-streaming during Worlds!
We wrap up with our Professor’s Principle of the week in a discussion about how when you lose your way, it’s best to get back to basics. The onslaught of events has burned a ton of Trainers out, and with it comes less motivation and drive to even open the game. Putting effort into finding what brings you joy and rediscovering it can help you get your groove back in our current post, GO Fest burnout phase. In life, things are a bit less tangible. We lose motivation to do the small things, which can be getting good sleep, eating right, drinking water. Returning to those basics will undoubtedly have a positive impact on other parts of your life.
The little things are vital. Little Things make big things happen.
Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers
Pokémon XP & 2026 Worlds Event
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
https://twitter.com/mikel_beats
Outro Music
Vast Poni Canyon
CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)
GameChops - Ultraball
http://gamechops.com/ultraball/
http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats
https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity
Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.
#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7 August 2026, 10:00 am - 59 minutes 55 secondsGO Fest: Mega Exhausted
Lured Up Podcast 402
Live Streamed on - 7/29/2026
Publish Date - 7/31/2026
We talked last week about the dust settling after the back to back flurry of the 10th Anniversary Event in NYC and GO Fest: Global. Trainers had a long week leading into the event and an even longer weekend of non-stop Raids. We have absolutely seen a shift lately from a focus on catching and grinding at events to Raiding. With the feeling of success from Raids being at the mercy of RNG, the return doesn’t always line up with the investment. This can really lead to fatigue, which is our main topic of the episode.
Every year after GO Fest, there is typically a window of events that seem like they drag. Each event seems to be trying to recapture the magic of GO Fest, but can’t actually pull it off. Blend this with the crazy pacing and relentless schedule of events, Trainers are feeling a bit drained physically, mentally, and financially. It is hard to be motivated to play when faced with this type of exhaustion, so when the Mega Finale was announced as a two day event, Trainers were gasping for air.
We take a look at what we would want from an event calendar, and how just a weekend off can make all the difference. This leads to a conversation about expectations, accountability, and finding joy in the things we do. That convo leads to our guiding principal of, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.
Ken shares how over the last few years his decisions were dictated by circumstance. Saying no to things was done out of necessity, not out of desire. As things changed over time and life stabilized, his ability to say yes to things returned, however it became an issue. Saying yes to everything put undue stress on his health and finances, with a side order of guilt if he said no. Navigating one's ability to say no to things as a choice, is an example of empowerment. We examine that empowerment and discuss the parallels between decision making on and off screen.
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
Shadow Giratina (Altered) Counters: Pokébattler
Shadow Giratina (Altered) Counters: GO Hub
Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
https://twitter.com/mikel_beats
Outro Music
Vast Poni Canyon
CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)
GameChops - Ultraball
http://gamechops.com/ultraball/
http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats
https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity
Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.
#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
31 July 2026, 12:46 pm - 1 hour 4 minutesTo The Highest Bidder
Lured Up Podcast 401: The Highest Bidder
Live Streamed on -7/21/2026
Publish Date - 7/23/2026
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
The dust has finally settled from the 10th Anniversary Event in NYC and GO Fest Global Weekend. We have a ton to unpack and discuss as the community has had some time to respond to the madness that was the last week. It was pretty wild to see the community turn on itself in anger. The creators were up first to feel the flames as it seemed the Community Ambassadors would come out untouched. Then… The Times Square Mewtwo hit eBay and things went nuts. People forgot about being mad at creators and turned on the CAs and their communities. RaspberryWeiner broke some news about finding out the in-game name of one of the sellers who even came forward to apologize and say that he didn’t know selling a Pokémon on eBay was against any rules. It was wild to watch as the internet delivered another reason for the X-mob to dislike the event.
We stuck around NYC to play GO Fest Global, where we put ourselves under a massive challenge to walk all the way from Bryant Park in Manhattan to Industry City, Brooklyn and back. Let’s just say our dogs were barking and we were just about out of gas when we got back to Bryant Park. Huge shout to LeBro for making the journey with us to Brooklyn. We were very surprised by the gameboard at the Community Celebration, as it seemed to be 90% Gyms. You could feel the lack of Lures as the spawns seemed pretty thin. It was a pretty cool setting, but definitely was a departure from the park style play that we have seen before.
Scopely Explore did have a first this week, and that was the announcement of their first make up event under their new name! In all seriousness, the community is buzzing in a positive way about the make up GO Fest Raids being a global make up. They are even throwing in a bunch of Raid passes to boot.The Scopely Effect is becoming more and more noticeable, and we are loving that even when parts of the community can feel a little rough around the edges, the masses online still seem to be rowing in the same direction as the developer.
The pacing and event calendar for the rest of the month into August is already looking packed. With Ultra Unlocks, new Shinies, and plenty of things to do, there is definitely no rest for the weary. The focus on IRL play with a consistent spattering of very remote friendly events have created a nice balance for different types of Trainers to come together.
Before we wrap up we have a few listener emails and a voicemail to play, with SerAmanda bringing a banger of a protip in the settings. We close with our guiding principal of the episode being: Everyone is playing a different game. Trainers with different goals and process can meet on the same gameboard and navigate an event together, even if they are concerned with very different things. In life, we interact with people every day and never really know what they can be going through.
Ultra Unlock: 10th Anniversary Edition
Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day
Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers
Ultra Unlock: Starmie Super Mega Raid Day
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
https://twitter.com/mikel_beats
Outro Music
Vast Poni Canyon
CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)
GameChops - Ultraball
http://gamechops.com/ultraball/
http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats
https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity
Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.
#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
24 July 2026, 10:00 am - 1 hour 3 minutes10 Years In The Making
Lured Up Podcast 400
Live Streamed on - 7/10/2026
Publish Date - 7/11/2026
We recorded this special episode from our hotel room in NYC in order to address our thoughts on the social media fallout about the 10th Anniversary Event in Times Square. While we had the times of our lives unlocking core memories, the online community was at serious risk of imploding on itself. It seems as though the online community was not a fan of how Scopely Explore handled the event, and subsequent reward from being in attendance. Be sure to let us know what you think and tune in to next episode as we continue the conversation!
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
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
11 July 2026, 10:00 am - 1 hour 3 minutesMystic Madness!!
Lured Up Podcast 399: Monday Madness!!
Live Streamed on - 7/1/2026
Publish Date - 7/3/2026
GO Fest: Global is on the horizon, but the game is still chugging along with a ton of content as July unfolds. This weekend in particular has an incredible 3 hour window of gameplay, that we highly recommend you take advantage of. That is of course, if you don’t have Fourth of July plans, as PGO is a global game, this weekend may be tough for US Trainers. If you can make it out to play on Saturday from 2-5pm, you get to double up on two events, Sobble Community Day and the 10th Anniversary Party. With 4x Catch XP and Stardust all weekend, on top of quarter hatch distance and massive spawn volume from Sobble Community Day, it will be a very efficient window of gameplay that can yield massive results.
As we move into July, the GO Pass brings Pokécoins and a Ho-Oh encounter, which can be hit or miss with Trainers. One thing that the GO Pass does well is keep Trainers engaged, and if coins are on the line, it could motivate many F2P Trainers to complete the first half of the pass to collect those coins. The Deluxe version of the pass steps up to 1,400 Pokécoins, which can translate into some great items in the shop.
The Road of Legends will keep most Trainers very busy next week, as Niantic stays true to their annual pre-GO Fest: Global event that will likely wipe out a whole bunch of consumable items. It will be absolutely imperative to figure out your priorities between the Road of Legends and GO Fest: Global. Figuring it out can be a slippery slope, especially next Monday when the Raids will be completely ludicrous. If you fail to plan, you will surely plan to fail.
After discussing how the temperature on X seemed oddly positive, due to the game being in such a great place (GBL not withstanding), the mobs finally found their prey that could allow them to bust out the pitchforks and torches again. We saw OG content creator, Mystic7 in the mob’s crosshairs, as infographic G47IX posted how his honeypot laden graphic seemed to be Mystic ripped off. The community jumped all over it and seemed to air out years of pent of feelings about Mystic7, only to have him double down on his position. It’s been a wild ride over the last week, and while things seem to have been settled between the two parties, the community is clearly not going to let this go that easy.
We wrap things up with another guiding principal that can be applied to both life and Pokémon GO. We look at the phrase, “Comparison is the thief of joy” and how we can draw parallels on and off screen. In life, some comparisons can lead to feelings of sadness or depression. Feelings of wanting what others have is powerful, because it has the same power to motivate or demotivate you. When you make decisions based on what others think, you put yourself in the back seat, which will limit your ability to grow and prioritize your own well being. In Pokémon GO, comparison to others can cause FOMO, which can not only lead to being demoralized, but also can influence some poor decision making. I’ve seen plenty of Trainers go from, “Just one more Raid” to “I have to stop Raiding because I’m broke.” Finding balance in using your environment to empower your growth and motivate you to succeed can be challenging on your own. It highlights the importance of having a support system that can be a cheerleader for you, to keep you making the right choices that are in your own best interest.
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
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
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
3 July 2026, 10:00 am - 1 hour 4 minutesBe Present, Not Perfect
Lured Up Podcast 398: Be Present, Not Perfect
Live Streamed on - 6/25/2026
Publish Date - 6/26/2026
First off we wanted to share a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who wrote in, shared feedback, and offered support after last week’s episode! It is truly amazing to see the community come together and rally around each other. It means the world to us and we are proud to be a part of this incredible scene. We follow up on last week’s topic, share some feedback, and look at the practice of being present, not perfect. It’s a powerful sentiment and absolutely has parallels to Pokémon GO.
In the gameplay space, it is all about IRL gameplay. With 6 new City Safari events being announced, the community will have a lot of opportunity to come together to celebrate the game. Adam and I will be attending the Boston City Safari, and we hope to have the opportunity to play along side of you! More info to come on our plans and what we have in store for the Chicago locals and inbound Trainers.
We touch on our Frigibax Community Day experiences and look forward to Skarmory Super Mega Raid Day, two events that are better when played with the community. From Community Day’s non stop gameplay to the volume and demand that Super Mega Raid Days present, we encourage everyone to get out to experience this game with others. We also look at how the Giovanni mechanic has changed and no longer arrives via balloon. This forces Trainers to get out there to track him down, adding difficulty, immersion, and some commitment to the process.While some Trainers and creators online hate everything about this change, we are all about it, as it encourages the exploration element of the game, and makes the hunt unique.
Be Present, Not Perfect
Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account!
Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
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
26 June 2026, 10:00 am - 1 hour 5 minutesThe Show Must Go On
Lured Up Podcast 397
Live Streamed on - 6/19/2026
Publish Date - 6/20/2026
This has been a WILD week! Not just in game and on screen, but in real life too. Ken opens up about a serious health scare, and how it is a wake up call not just to take care of yourself, but also each other. With June being Men’s Mental Health Month, it is an important reminder to understand how your mental health can have a direct impact on your physical health. Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear Ken share his feelings, and offer advice on how we can all do better at looking after on another.
In-game, the news has been completely bonkers. The Road of Legends event is by far and away the most packed event the game has ever seen, even making the upcoming GO Fest: Global pale in comparison. With a ridiculous amount of Raid Bosses in rotation, some great bonuses, and the ability to EliteTM Adventure Effects, this will be one for the record books. We still have a few weeks before the event kicks off, but we make our first pass through the blog and call out the highlights.
IRL GO Fests may be behind us, but JUne still has a lot of life left! We scan through the remaining events of the month including Frigibax Community Day, Skarmory Super Mega Raid Day, and Flying Taxi. We also had some updates to Daily Discoveries including clarifications about Friendship Friday, and a very cool direction for Scenic Sunday. Spotlight Hours also make a consistent return including the much missed Double Transfer Canty bonus.
We also look ahead to what we know for July including Raichu Super Mega Raid Day and Sobble Community Day. Also, an upcoming partnership with Lego Stores in select Countries will bring us a Stamp Rally, and special Lego Background Pikachu, exclusively obtained at Raids in-store. Check the links for the Lego Store Locator and plan an outing!
One last note from Ken -
Thank you to our entire community for supporting Lured Up for 10 years. We love what we do, and we are so proud to be able to have such a loyal and engaged audience. Your presence in our streams, comments, and at IRL events is the fuel that keeps me positive and motivated. Take care of yourself, take care of those around you, and keep things positive. Your energy is valuable, and should be treated as your most important currency. Thanks again!
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
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
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
20 June 2026, 5:44 pm - 1 hour 9 minutesBest GO Fest Ever
Lured Up Podcast 396
Live Streamed on - 6/9/2026
Publish Date - 6/12/2026
To all the new listeners: WELCOME and THANK YOU for checking out LURED UP!
We are back home from GO Fest Chicago and we are both in agreement that this was the best IRL GO Fest that we have ever attended. There is plenty to unpack to back up our sentiment, beginning with how the introduction of different gameplay “Districts” put you right into the gameplay, as soon as you stepped off the plane. It was an amazing feeling to have the event come to life as soon as arriving in Chicago, and the barrage of geo-based Timed Research kept Trainers tied to their games as the grind through a flurry of tasks.
Even moving from the airport to our hotel kept us immersed in the game, making the gameboard come to life. If really make Trainers feel like they were looking at an in-game world map at their feet. The geo fencing of districts paired with associated Timed Research had players covering a serious amount of territory. If this is any indication of how IRL events can curate and shape real life gameplay behaviors, than this is just the tip of a very exciting iceberg.
We had a full weekend of gameplay, including countless Raids and an insane amount of walking. Both of our Adventure Sync numbers were above 120km. In typical Lured Up fashion, we had stuff going on all weekend. On Friday nights we hosted our meetup at Monk’s Pub, the same place as our 2019 meetup. You all SHOWED UP and we had double the turnout than we expected, and we are so grateful to have been able to spend time with all of you. Next year we will need a new venue!
Saturday night was Adam’s idea, with a Pokémon themed Pop-Punk night. All of the bands on the bill were incredible, with Midway Down headlining and absolutely brought the house down. It was so much fun to hang with the community in that setting. We will absolutely be incorporating live music/entertainment into our plans next year!
Finally on Friday we met up with our good friend JT Valor for a final push of Raids at the end of the weekend. In typical Raid Train Fashion, we ended up picking up Trainers at every stop. It was VERY cool to see JT in action. He gives so much of himself to his fans and spends heaps of time with everyone. JT’s combination of hardcore gameplay, travel, and approachability is PGO video content at its best.
In typical live-service fashion, it seemed that about as soon as we stepped on the airplane to come home, new news was dropping about the events happening through the end of the month. We blast through the news and cover all of the new event info released post-Chicago.
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
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
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 #sponsored
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12 June 2026, 10:00 am - 1 hour 2 minutesForward Progress
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!
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
[email protected] | 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://soundcloud.com/GameChops
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
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
29 May 2026, 10:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App