TRAINER'S EYE #154 - "Sylveon Was The Only Move Left" ft. Kelosaurus

From teaching in Australia to casting on the global Pokémon Unite stage, Kelosaurus shares how Pokémon helped her rediscover her identity, embrace her gamer roots, and find unexpected connection from Tokyo arcades to Twitch streams. We talk first games, emotional Worlds debuts, and how trading tokens with a kid who didn’t speak her language became one of her most meaningful Pokémon moments. Whether she’s battling with Sylveon or balancing life as a creator, her story is full of warmth, growth, and real-world power-ups.

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Sources
Opening Song: "Forget You" by Alex_MakeMusic from Pixabay

Transcript

Kelosaurus: 0:00

My name is Kelosaurus and this is my Pokemon story.

David Hernandez: 0:42

Welcome to As the Pokemon Ball Turns, where we interview people's experience of Pokemon. My name is David Hernandez. I'm joined by Kelosaurus, a native from Oz, here to share her Pokemon story and how she kind of grew up as a creator, as well as becoming almost a caster with Pokemon Unite. Kelosaurus, welcome to the podcast.

Kelosaurus: 1:01

Hello. Thank you so much for having me here, David.

David Hernandez: 1:05

Absolutely, and thank you for taking the time outta your day. It's always a fun time, like I was telling you before on the podcast, to have somebody from Oz And I kind of wanna start with that. Like what is it like to experience Pokemon over there for those who maybe have never been to Australia?

Kelosaurus: 1:17

like it's probably the same as anywhere else except we're in a wacky time zone, so it makes it so difficult to actually I. with all those friend that are overseas. but the limited thing here, now we do have the online Pokemon Center, but in terms of getting Pokemon merch. That's usually pretty difficult. I usually get a, a little bit of fomo or get a little bit jealous of seeing all the, all the cool stuff, that my overseas friends are able to get.

David Hernandez: 1:45

I mean, they should just put a Pokemon Center in Oz. I don't know why they don't. I feel like that'd just be a very good location to do it.

Kelosaurus: 1:51

Oh, 100%. I think I'd be there every day just window shopping really. I think it's just being in that atmosphere surrounded by plushies and, being able to go to my first Pokemon center in, in Japan was so amazing. just the way they decorated as well, having all the statues and everything like that. I mean, online, yeah, we can get the things, but I, I think it's a different experience actually. there in person.

David Hernandez: 2:15

You know, you mentioned briefly how you went to Japan. That was your first time ever going to worlds. Can you give us insight to like what it was like to step into not only the homeland, but also just your first worlds experience?

Kelosaurus: 2:26

it was surreal. I mean, I still can't believe that it ended up happening. not only, yeah, was it my first world, my first in-person casting event. Japan's always been a place that's been on my bucket list. So I think to be able to have the opportunity to actually go, and just experience everything that I love. Was amazing. It was actually really funny though. I ended up getting so overwhelmed within the first five minutes after popping on camera that as soon as I hopped off I started crying. I made a mistake, so I was crying about that, but I think it was just all of the emotions just. got to me at once where it was just like, wow, I'm actually here. This is real. I'm not dreaming. So, sometimes you just gotta have a good cry to, you know, when you can't exactly understand those emotions.

David Hernandez: 3:11

It sounds like you're just appreciating that time period because I can imagine you like being so anxious building up to the moment like, oh my gosh, I'm a couple days from Pokemon Worlds in Japan, and then when you're finally there, it's beyond what you could have imagined.

Kelosaurus: 3:24

100%. I think it's also the opening shows they always do such a good job with the opening shows and being able to watch that and especially because we were up on the caster booths, like above the crowd and everything. Just seeing, I think it's just being in an atmosphere where everybody's there. Because they all love the same thing. And it's like, even though you don't actually know these people, I don't know, there's kind of that connection and you can just, feel that I'm, I'm, I'm quite a sappy person, so I know that probably sounds ridiculous, but it's just like, I think admiring that afar. I don't, I don't know. It was, yeah.

David Hernandez: 4:01

Well, Heracross is our first name, so we love sappy stories like that. So you're in the right company. I wanted to ask, so you know, you said you went as a cast rep, I believe it was for Pokemon Unite. You know, obviously you were there for a lot of work side things. What kind of tourist attractions did you get a chance to go see and what were the ones that kind of stick out to you the most?

Kelosaurus: 4:17

Ooh. We did end up going into Aki Harra, so doing a lot of, shopping there or just window shopping, having a look, at some of the retro game shops and everything, a few TCG shops. I absolutely love going to the arcades there. We ended up going to an arcade and they have

David Hernandez: 4:35

Ooh.

Kelosaurus: 4:36

which gives you. Tokens. Like you have to try and catch the Pokemon, but when you actually catch it, it prints out a, a plastic token, which was actually pretty cool. While we can't, I can't use it over here in Australia. And there was a kid, Sitting next to me, which was quite, quite cute because he was really excited and he ended up offering me one of his tokens and we ended up doing a trade. And I thought that was actually just so adorable because even though we don't speak the same language, it was just, trying to try to work out, okay, this kid wants to, wants to gimme this, wants to trade. And it was, it was just really cute. It was just like a really cute experience.

David Hernandez: 5:14

It's like how both, both the same language, even though y'all two different

Kelosaurus: 5:17

Yeah,

David Hernandez: 5:18

countries apart.

Kelosaurus: 5:18

much. Pretty much. And I think it was just the excitement as well. I ended up having a Maria ride-on show up on my screen, so when he

David Hernandez: 5:25

Oh.

Kelosaurus: 5:26

he absolutely lost it because he's just like, he wanted, he wanted that Pokemon, but it didn't end up showing up on his one. But him also just trying to help me. I'm like, what buttons to press and stuff like that. I think it was just really cute like. for my background, I used to be a teacher, so working with kids a lot and everything, I think it's kind of the roles being switched around where, okay, yeah, I used to teach kids, but I think it's also just something special when the kids get to actually teach you something that's special to them. And once again, another one of those sappy things that when you, when you look at it, it's just really special.

David Hernandez: 6:01

did you show off like your Pokemon fandom as a teacher? Like did your students know that you were like really into Pokemon

Kelosaurus: 6:06

Yeah, I used to, do my nails, so sometimes I had these. that I'd get and I'd have Pokemon on them. So a lot of the kids would, would end up noticing my nails and being like, I really like your nails. And trying to, if they didn't actually know the Pokemon, like me telling them what the names were and stuff like that. So I think that was always a good icebreaker. But even when kids would bring in, say. A Pokemon book or something, I'd, go up to them and then just have, have a chat and just ask'em, you know, what's your favorite Pokemon? And I think it's just having that connection there. So it wasn't something that I hid, or anything. I mean, in the end, that's what it's all about, is trying to build that rapport and try to find that, connection of, hey, you know, we might be different ages, but there's still. Those similarities between you and I think it's just such a good icebreaker. Pokemon is just such a good icebreaker with kids really because

David Hernandez: 6:58

really can go wrong with it. Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 7:00

I mean you give us the opportunity and we'll yap for days. You give a kid opportunity they'll yap for days, you know?

David Hernandez: 7:06

Okay, well now you got expectations. You gotta make this episode go a couple days in a row. Okay. So,

Kelosaurus: 7:10

I think everybody needs sleep.

David Hernandez: 7:11

no, that's when we use sleep talk. Okay, that's we're Pokemon fans hands.

Kelosaurus: 7:14

We all dream about Pokemon, right?

David Hernandez: 7:16

But I want to touch on this point before we continue. It reminds me just how different it is the generation now growing up with Pokemon compared to when I grew up, and maybe you as well to where, you know, when we're growing up through Pokemon Mania or we're into Pokemon, a lot of our teachers weren't into it. They didn't understand it because, you know, it's just a certain age group that touched on it. But now the fans today get to have teachers like yourself or other people in professions who. Can kind of relate to it and it kind of builds a better gap between generations, I think, compared to maybe from when I was a young kid.

Kelosaurus: 7:47

Oh, 100%. I mean, this is pretty much what we grew up with when we were in primary school. I know here in Australia, Like a TV show hosting thing called Cheese tv. So

David Hernandez: 7:58

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 7:59

every morning 7:00 AM you whip on the TV cheese TV's playing and you know, you watch, usually it was what card? Captive Sail Moon, dragon Ball Z. one of them was also Pokemon. So pretty much you'd wake up early just to watch tv. you'd eat your breakfast, get ready while. Watching, watching Pokemon and everything like that, and, you know, you'd expect to be at school on time. most of the time I wasn't school on time because I wanted to go play handball with my friends before school. But that's, that's the whole thing. It's just growing up with, with Pokemon and all of those TV shows, whereas, yeah, when I was a kid, well, teachers didn't exactly have that. They would've had a different routine. So think it's definitely. going into that more that, that technology era, I feel like. So we were at that beginning of, that and then, you know, it's kind of just continued and while some, obviously dropped off and moved on and that's just all in the past, think it's nice to find a lot of others that have continued to still love Pokemon for what it is and Recognizing that there's absolutely no shame loving something that's in quotation marks supposed to be for kids,

David Hernandez: 9:16

So you mentioned shames that did, were you like shamed, like being a Pokemon fan at one point?

Kelosaurus: 9:20

I think. I think when you reach that high school phase, I know for me, I wasn't somebody that continued through. yes, I've always kind of loved those things, but more. Being teased, or I guess it's more, you don't wanna just seem like, I, I know it sounds bad, but this weirdo that, that likes kitty things. And I think that's, you know, unfortunately that's the way that, some high school experiences go. So instead finding other, Things to love that your friends also like. I know I've always been one to enjoy games and everything, but I guess the group of friends that I had, lot of them weren't really gamers, so that's something that I kind of just enjoyed on my own. I was lucky in that sense of my dad was. a big gamer himself. So our first console being, a Seger, growing up with playing wonderboy and stuff like that. So we were lucky that was actually excited to get us a Nintendo 64, for example, when the PlayStation two came out, he was excited and he even played that getting to watch him, him play games or him getting to watch us play games and everything. But I think. of the friends, their, their families weren't exactly like that, so it's something that we kind of just hid because it was just like, oh, okay, this isn't exactly considered cool amongst, amongst the girls and everything. So I know even just in primary school, a lot of the times I would have. Male friends and, and hang out with them because that was the thing that they were interested in. But then as high school comes, it's like, oh, okay, maybe, maybe I need to find more, more, more female friends. And it's just like trying to really just discover fit in, but. Sometimes that's such a struggle and like, you know, if I, if I, if I could go back in the past and change things, I'd just be like, you know, stick to who you are. It doesn't really matter because even then I'm not even friends with those people now. and

David Hernandez: 11:14

if you were, they'd be jealous right now. Of course.

Kelosaurus: 11:17

Yeah. And not only, you know, still, still friends. I mean, thanks to my partner as well with, a lot of those guy friends. So it's, it's kind of crazy how, you know, some things end up turning out, but it is what it is and I think while it's a, journey of, discovering what it really. Means to be yourself. And I think coming into the online space like Twitch has actually really helped me, discover, you know, who I really am and that there's just shame in, in hiding that. And just to be proud and to, to love what you love because everybody's got different interests and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

David Hernandez: 11:51

you and your dad would play games, you know, specifically y'all started with Sega.

Kelosaurus: 11:54

Yeah.

David Hernandez: 11:54

what was his thoughts about Pokemon when it came out? And would y'all even play Pokemon together at times?

Kelosaurus: 12:00

we never really played Pokemon together. I mean, he was, always fine with it and everything. I know. we got this really cool printer. Well, I thought it was really cool, but it, printed on t-shirts. So you get like this specialized paper.

David Hernandez: 12:14

Yo. That's cool. Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 12:16

would, he, I remember there was a shirt that he made for me. My sister ended up getting a Britney Spears shirt printed and I had a Pokemon shirt printed for me. So, you know, yeah, he was always, really supportive of that. I'm pretty sure he probably enjoyed it. I never really asked to be honest, but

David Hernandez: 12:32

Now, you know, you talked about how you know you grew up playing Pokemon. What was your first experience? What got you started with the franchise?

Kelosaurus: 12:40

Funny story actually, we ended up getting, our first Game boy when we got our first computer. So our local computer shop had a deal at that time where if you pay an extra dollar, you would get a game boy color. So it was the Pikachu one, the yellow one with the, the blue background. so we paid the extra dollar. We ended up getting, a dollar Game, boy, I was gonna say free, but it's not free, but a Dollar Game Boy, which was actually pretty exciting. So

David Hernandez: 13:05

Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 13:06

that's your, pretty much your first handheld console. but. I had siblings, so I did have to share. So while I did have some time playing it and everything like that, when my sister moved out, she's the one that ended up taking it and she said she doesn't know what she did with it. So that's a bit disappointing, but it is what it is. But I remember, I remember having that and we'd usually. Argue over whose turn it is. So I think it, we, we did the rule of, okay, if you die in this game or, or you lose, then you have to pass it over to the next person. And kind of sharing it that way. But most of the time, I guess I just, I was a lot younger, so I didn't really have the skills, so I wouldn't have as much game time as she would

David Hernandez: 13:49

Sounds like there's a little of a manipulation trick, like we know she's gonna die. Lot. So let's just make that rule and she won't know any better.

Kelosaurus: 13:56

yeah, pretty much. So a lot of the time I would just be the person that would be sitting there watching, the other person play games and yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm okay with that, but I got forced, forced into that role.

David Hernandez: 14:08

It reminds me of, I can't remember where I got this from. I think it was probably a scene or something to where there's two brothers and the mom's saying like, you gotta play games for your brother. So he has his brother hold the controller, but it's not plugged in and the brother thinks he's playing and it's really just him. That's kind of what it reminded me of a little bit.

Kelosaurus: 14:24

I feel like that's where true frustration begins because you're trying to go left, but then the character's going right and it's like, what's going on?

David Hernandez: 14:30

Well, let me ask you like, what was your first Pokemon game?

Kelosaurus: 14:33

it would've been Pokemon One Yellow. So we ended up

David Hernandez: 14:35

Ooh, you did Pikachu and the Yell. I love it.

Kelosaurus: 14:37

Yeah. Yeah. So as I said once again, like in terms of memories and, and really remembering it, I don't really remember playing the game a lot, more being on the watching side. So that

David Hernandez: 14:48

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 14:48

the first game I remember as well. Heart Gold, soul Silver came out, they had a little giveaway prize thing where You could win a cover, for your game boy. So we ended up, getting some chips and, and winning and having that sent in the mail and receiving like this, cover that had luie on it. I'm just like, yo, this is really cool. I don't actually think we ended up using it for our Game Boy. I ended up using it for, other things because it was just like this little pocket handbag thing and I'm like, this is, this is really cute. So after that, I didn't end up playing gen three or Gen four. the Game Boy was the last. Handheld that we ended up getting. but then after that, it wasn't until I was in college actually when, Pokemon Black and White came out. So thankfully, my partner, that I'm with, he's very much very big into games as well. So I think he's helped me a lot in terms of that journey and. having the DS back then, it was a, one of the cyan blue ones I remember. I ended up getting Pokemon black and white. So getting back into the franchise through that, and then pretty much playing every generation till I didn't end up playing Sword and Shield. Please don't hate me, everybody. I never ended up playing Sword and Shield, but, every, every, every other single one since, since black and white.

David Hernandez: 16:06

I mean, that's not bad. I mean, you still engaged with Pokemon. You still loved it just because you missed one game. I mean, I didn't play Sword Shield until I think almost Scarlet Bobby came out. So I'm really late.

Kelosaurus: 16:15

I have it there. My partner ended up buying it for me, and it's there. It's just, I haven't really had the chance to play it. So it's definitely on the list of games to play. It's just, well, you end up just playing all your, your other games first, so, and then it's a new game comes out, oh, okay, I have to play this. But instead of playing that one, it's a never ending cycle really.

David Hernandez: 16:35

It is, and that's just how Pokemon gets us. We just keep going over and over and over and it's just like, yeah, I cannot stop playing. I always tell myself I'm gonna finish gen three and I still have not finished Gen three.

Kelosaurus: 16:43

Oh, yeah, finding the time, especially as adults. Ah, the struggle.

David Hernandez: 16:48

I know, right? It's so much easier. Just when we were now, it actually wasn't so much easier when we were kids. I wish I had the money. Well, I don't even have the money right now. I wish I had like some kind of perfect world where I had the money and then the time of when I was young. So somewhere in there is some kind of imagination where I'm like, right there.

Kelosaurus: 17:01

Yeah.

David Hernandez: 17:01

I,

Kelosaurus: 17:01

the time. But the thing is that it's the time you might have the, the, the money. It's the time that you just, that's the one that's hard to get.

David Hernandez: 17:09

so what's your favorite Pokemon?

Kelosaurus: 17:10

So my favorite Sylveon, Sylveon, I guess playing X and Y. it's a fairy type. absolutely adore all the fairy types now. But I think it's the friendship side of things, so being able to evolve your Eevee through friendship. also the aesthetic of Sylveon on is really cute, but I remember feeding pokey puffs to it and everything like that. trying to give its friendship level up, playing games and everything. So I think, I think overall it, it's the aesthetic, but it's also just that connection that. Sylveon brings as well,

David Hernandez: 17:48

You can also go wrong with the shiny too. It's got that cotton blue, shiny as well. It's, yeah,

Kelosaurus: 17:53

Top

David Hernandez: 17:53

top tier, easy, easy.

Kelosaurus: 17:56

aren't that great. Sylveon's definitely one of the better Shinies.

David Hernandez: 17:59

actually, is there even a bad shiny Eevee-lution? I think they're all pretty good for the most part.

Kelosaurus: 18:05

To be fair, I'm not really a

David Hernandez: 18:06

Oh,

Kelosaurus: 18:07

of the green from

David Hernandez: 18:08

ion,

Kelosaurus: 18:09

Yeah, no Espon like,

David Hernandez: 18:11

oh

Kelosaurus: 18:12

I know some would say,

David Hernandez: 18:13

yeah.

Kelosaurus: 18:13

okay, but I don't know, the green is just too bright for me. And even then I think, you know, say flay on, it's more like the dulled, the dulled colors. Like I like having the, the inverse. So I think that's why Sylveon and Umbrian are probably the two best shinies. Also

David Hernandez: 18:32

Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 18:32

blue, like blue shies are great.

David Hernandez: 18:35

And that's what I always imagined ion being, I think.'cause I agree. I don't care for the shiny green really. I really wish it was more, it's just too. I don't know either. I'm either burnt out a green shinies or I just don't care for the purple, the greens transition.

Kelosaurus: 18:46

Yeah.

David Hernandez: 18:47

I just don't care for it as much. It doesn't make it, it seems like it's a different Pokemon almost.

Kelosaurus: 18:51

Yeah, and even then the potential was lost with leafy on. They should have

David Hernandez: 18:55

Oh my gosh.

Kelosaurus: 18:57

so it's

David Hernandez: 18:57

I,

Kelosaurus: 18:58

the green and then turns to, to autumn or fall, I guess you would call it. Over there

David Hernandez: 19:03

oh, look. Look what they did to my boy. Ion had so much potential, but no, they have to make it green. There's a different shade of green.

Kelosaurus: 19:09

It isn't even

David Hernandez: 19:10

Oh,

Kelosaurus: 19:10

green,

David Hernandez: 19:12

You mentioned how, you found, more acceptance of your gamer side thanks to the Twitch community. Let's talk about that side real quick. So what made you wanna start streaming on Twitch? And I guess how did that kind of progress to you becoming more accepting of the gamer side that you kind of rejected for a while?

Kelosaurus: 19:27

I think like a lot of people, it was during the pandemic, so. Trying to just find connection with others really. I didn't really have many IRL friends, but, I actually had no idea that something like that existed. I'm very much, I. I think you could probably say I was a hermit crab before, Twitch and everything, so I wasn't really versed in terms of the online world. So, I started playing animal crossing and I wanted to find, the different colored items and everything to complete the collection because you only end up getting a. A set color depending on what island you have. So my partner's actually the one that said, oh, hey, check, Twitch out. So my first online community was actually animal crossing. and then from there, you just end up meeting other people and everything. So Pokemon was actually not my first game, funnily enough. I am somebody that actually also really enjoys horror, horror games.

David Hernandez: 20:27

You like to be a little scared of here and there. I get you.

Kelosaurus: 20:29

I love the adrenaline, the jump scares. I love that. so. I ended up finding a group of friends who, who also of enjoyed that. Like we were never really good at the games, but I think it was more for the thrill of it. So there was one day where we, we just liked, you know, making clips and, and everything from, from our gameplay. but one of my friends who was streaming at the time wasn't able to stream that day. So she's like, oh, hey, why don't you just stream it in that way? It's just there as kind of a record. so not really. Expecting anything from actually getting into the streaming side. It was more just, oh hey, it's just so we can have a video so then we can go back and watch it and laugh. And actually having people come into the chat and I'm like, wait, I've never experienced this before. This is actually kind of fun. And it kind of just progressed from there. So finding other games that I actually wanted to play with people, and everything like that. And then starting to develop my kick. So it's kind of a weird story in that sense of, I have so many different loves in terms of just games and everything. you know, horror is so different from, from animal crossing and, and Pokemon, but I love it all, but I think it's finding that, other people that also enjoy that as well. and just being able to just yap like you've just given me, you know, it's my, for me to, to just yap like, hey, I made everybody just like sharing, sharing stories and also listening to, to other people's stories and finding that connection. So that's I mean, it all began really.

David Hernandez: 22:53

One thing I wanna touch on, so, you know, you started your twitch journey. You were streaming on Twitch just for fun, animal crossing. How did Pokemon Unite kind of tie into it? When did you start playing that game?

Kelosaurus: 23:02

Oh, day one. Um,

David Hernandez: 23:03

one. Okay. So you were really into it right away.

Kelosaurus: 23:06

yeah, once again,

David Hernandez: 23:06

I.

Kelosaurus: 23:07

like, Hey, there's this new Pokemon game coming out. I think you should check it out. So, ended up. Downloading it when it, when it was first released. And we both played it together and everything. And after that he stopped playing. But I ended up getting hooked and, started streaming that. And I think it was pretty much while I had been streaming here and there in terms of like horror games and, and animal crossing and stuff, I Pokemon Unite, just, hit different, just finding a lot of success streaming that game kind of helped me stick it a lot. also I just enjoyed playing it like I was actually hooked. do not ask me how many hours of break of on night I have please.

David Hernandez: 23:46

It's okay. It's the same.

Kelosaurus: 23:47

many,

David Hernandez: 23:48

It's the same question with Pokemon Go. We don't look at our receipts, so I'm not gonna ask you to look at yours.

Kelosaurus: 23:52

No. I think it was, yeah, pretty much just playing it from day one, finding success and, and just being absolutely addicted with the gameplay. I mean, 10 minute games, hey, and it, that's the thing, I never played a mobile before or mobile style game before. So

David Hernandez: 24:10

Really. Okay.

Kelosaurus: 24:12

and it's like, I think it's also just, you know, you actually get to control your Pokemon, Which was really exciting thing from it. Yes. Like there are other games where, where you can do that, but, no, I, I had never actually played Mystery Dungeon and I guess Scarlet and Violet ended up coming out afterwards. But even then the, the Synchronization's a bit, a lot different to what Pokemon Unite was. you can't actually use your attacks and whatnot. But there was just something about it that. Just captivated me and pretty much just being hooked ever since day one release.

David Hernandez: 24:44

So you gonna forgive my ignorance, I've not played Pokemon Unite much, but what Pokemon do you like to use whenever you go into the game?

Kelosaurus: 24:49

Oh, see, for me, I pretty much play anything and everything. I'm somebody that really likes to learn. And master a lot of the Pokemon. There are definitely some Pokemon there that I am unable to master. For example, Zorark, Zorark is just beyond my skills, so I definitely admire anybody that plays Zorark whenever I see it in competitive or absolutely get annihilated by a Zorark myself pulling off those combos. I just, I cannot. it out. So in terms of my favorite Pokemon. I would say my main role in terms of when you look at the results supporters. Supporters are usually the ones that have the most playtime on them. Bliss is my only gold badge that I currently have on Pokemon Unite. Otherwise, I have a lot of of blue badges. So El Goss, Reon, which I suppose is a defender, but still that supportive type of role. Sylveon. While it's very different to that role, that's my second most played Pokemon. So that's currently on blue badge. Need to work on getting gold badge for, for Sylvie on there, but it's just not really meta at the moment. So it kind of struggles a fair bit.

David Hernandez: 26:04

What would it take for Sylveon to be back at the meta, I guess?

Kelosaurus: 26:07

Give it buffs of some sort. Just

David Hernandez: 26:09

it some attention. Yeah. Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 26:11

It's kind of that middle, that middle ground really. So, but I don't know, I, I am biased. I think it needs a little bit of something, especially'cause we're not just not seeing it in the competitive scene being selected much.

David Hernandez: 26:25

when it comes to just the competitive side of Pokemon Unite, Do you get a chance to participate at all with your schedule at all, or do you kind of have to just observe and do casting.

Kelosaurus: 26:33

for me, I, well, no, I don't, I don't participate in the UCS,

David Hernandez: 26:38

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 26:39

but for fun events, I'm totally down. Like there's a few that I've. in and entered in. So, while it's more on the, the casting side. I do enjoy actually playing competitively and everything like that, before casting that, that was where I began. I started as a, as a competitor on a team. So I think going back to, to those roots, but then realizing that is pretty stressful. I wouldn't be able to do that on the daily, really have to admire them, the amount of determination and everything, and it's just The mental strength to have when things don't exactly go their way. but even then, it's just like, there's so many skills that come into it. I think, I think one of the important skills is communication with, with teammates and actually, you know, kind of not. frustrated or, you know, getting frustrated at them. I think it's something that ends up, breaking a lot of, a lot of teams up is that that communication of how do you actually communicate effectively of, well, letting your teammate know, hey, that wasn't exactly a great play there, but also being able to bounce back from that and not kind of make. other feel horrible. Really. I know I really struggled at that department of, oh, I know I've messed up here and everything. And it's just that, that whole, you know, blame and it's just like, ah, I just feel, don't feel good enough. So,

David Hernandez: 28:04

See, I would struggle with the other. I would just blame everybody else besides me. So.

Kelosaurus: 28:08

fair enough. Fair enough. No, I won't blame anybody else but myself, so, oh gosh. I, I've taken, taken that on both, both of those weights. That's, that's less really heavy, you know?

David Hernandez: 28:21

That would be, uh, you would not laugh. That's why I stay away from it.'cause I know my, I know my competitive side. I know who I am when I get really into things I need, I don't need that kind of, drama in my life anymore. I'm too, too, too past my prime at that point.

Kelosaurus: 28:35

So I think, the casting side is definitely a lot more relaxed in that department. still being able to enjoy the game from afar, but then not having to go through. waves, um, that, that competitors have to go through. But for fun, like, hey, I mean, even then for fun, sometimes it can get really, really sweaty. Like I was doing some five stacks with some friends and you know, there were some moments where it was just like, Hey, you are inching here. You've gotta back up. And they end up getting knocked out and it's like, what are you doing? But after that you just, you just laugh and, and you carry on kind of thing because it's not. It's not the World Cup, it's not the end of the world. Don't worry about it. But

David Hernandez: 29:14

It is the end of the world in that moment, but then later on you realize. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wanted to ask, because you know, you talked about how originally you were a teacher, now you're, I guess you're a full-time con creator now as a caster, was it difficult to make that transition or were you kind of worried making that jump because it's kind of a, different line of work?

Kelosaurus: 29:31

I guess in terms of that, I started off, when I first came out of uni, I started off as a casual teacher, so more on the relaxed, my own schedule type of basis, accepting work whenever I wanted to, but

David Hernandez: 29:45

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 29:46

came with its own struggles in terms of, not actually getting the work. I was lucky enough that after, COVID had, settled down a bit, One of the roles that I ended up getting asked to at a school that I used to teach at, a fair bit was a support covid support teacher. Pretty much so, because a lot of the kids, working from home and everything, it's, there were a lot of gaps in their knowledge. So pretty much my. Job was to go in and identify these gaps and fill in those gaps and that way they could, I could help them catch up. So that ended up, I ended up picking that up as a full-time gig and during that time was, let's just say, not a very great time mentally for me. So while I was grateful to obviously have a full-time job, have that stability and everything like that, in terms of work life balance, I. just wasn't there. so I think that was one of the biggest struggles that I had is, okay, I go to work. you do your work, you come home, you do more work. And I found myself not being able to enjoy games or not really having the time to, to play games or anything like that because I was just so focused on job. And after that year was done, I ended up going back to casual work. So back to that. Flexibility and I preferred that a lot more, but I think it was more, I guess personal things just made me lose my love and my passion for it. teaching is a really hard gig, for sure, especially as a casual teacher. So I think just taking a step back from that and then delving more into something that brings me. More joy, more happiness, and a little bit more balance to my life, which was the casting and the content creation stuff. So I think, while that was something that I've done in my past and I explored it, I think it's also okay to just that we don't have to be locked into one singular path moving forward.

David Hernandez: 31:42

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 31:43

you know, I mean, that's the thing you end up seeing. Like people of all ages go to uni and, and change career paths and everything like that. So I think it was more, you know, to not beat myself up, of forcing myself into a, a job that I was no longer feeling it anymore. and it was, it was, Good that I ended up finding, finding the success that I have in terms of content creation and casting. But even then, it's a struggle trying to figure out how to take that a step further really.

David Hernandez: 32:14

it just sounds like you kind of lost your way a little bit.'cause you know, as you said, when you go to uni or college, however you wanna call it, you get kind of. Focused in like the, the major you chose is what you're gonna be doing for the rest of your life. And I think a lot of people, especially maybe our age, struggle with that idea because you know, like you said, life has different paths and there's a lot more variety than there was say, our generation before. And just from sounds like you, it sounds like you found more of a puzzle piece connection being both a caster and a content creator and the work-life balance, it allowed you kind of maybe. Touch a side of you that maybe would've been ignored had you stuck with the teaching side.

Kelosaurus: 32:52

Yeah, I think a lot of the skills that I developed as a teacher helped me in doing with doing this as well. so funnily enough, even then before, before I started casting and, and content creation, I've always been more on the shyer side of, of things a a little bit more reserved. you know, confidence. Confidence is, is, um. Do you call it a resource that's sometimes hard to come by within yourself? Um, so it's like, you know, as a teacher, well really you need a lot of confidence, so it's more fake it until you make it.

David Hernandez: 33:31

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 33:32

is kind of what I've done with this, but I think it's actually. Recognizing, Hey, you're not faking it, girl. Like it's actually there. You just, gotta trust and, and believe in yourself kind of thing. So

David Hernandez: 33:44

Absolutely. Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 33:45

of being in front of a bunch of people, while yes kids are kids and, and you know, adults are adults. I mean, hey, at poker mode events, there's a lot of kids there too, you know? But I think it's also. One of the biggest things is yes, being able to talk in front of people and, and gaining that confidence. But I think it's also one of the biggest things as a teacher is building those connections. And I think as a content creator and as a caster, that's another skill in itself of, You need to build those connections in order to actually be entertaining and, and for people to, you know, actually be engaged with, with what you're doing. So a lot of, a lot of those skills have definitely carried over from that. So I don't see it as a complete waste of time, me doing that, teaching and, and all that previous stuff because. You know, I'm, I'm still carrying on with that stuff and still building and, and learning on it.

David Hernandez: 34:40

what is it like whenever people come up to you and they actually recognize who you are? What goes through your mind

Kelosaurus: 34:46

and I get a little bit giddy little gi It's like my mind, you know me? No

David Hernandez: 34:51

a little bit.

Kelosaurus: 34:52

Just a little bit. I dunno. It's, once again, it's just one of those surreal things like, wait, this is actually happening. Hello?

David Hernandez: 35:01

Like, you actually know who I am. Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 35:03

what I, I'm just some, you know, don't know. Some weirder it puts, it definitely puts

David Hernandez: 35:11

Now then you aren't a weirdo. Come on.

Kelosaurus: 35:13

no, I'm not. But it definitely puts a smile on your face. It

David Hernandez: 35:16

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 35:17

smile on your face. I mean, even thinking about it, I have a smile on my face.

David Hernandez: 35:20

Right. I can't blame you. Yeah,

Kelosaurus: 35:23

I don't know. It's kind of that, it gives you that boost really, you know, just that internal, internal boost of, oh, that's really cool. I, I don't, I don't really know how to, how to explain, explain that feeling.

David Hernandez: 35:37

I mean, it sounds like you know, you're getting validated for your work and then also all. You know, the hours spent behind to going from a teacher to becoming a caster and being a content creator. It's kind of cool to just see people actually know who you are and I don't know, kinda look up to you. It see, you know, it's, you're almost sort of like a role model in the Pokemon community in a way. I.

Kelosaurus: 35:57

Yeah, which is weird. Like I just find that so weird.'cause I don't see myself as that. I just see myself as somebody that's, I don't know, just here. I, I wouldn't I'm anything different, so it's just like, yeah, I might, I might get recognized, but it's also. I have my idols in the space as well. So it's, you know, when I see somebody that I've followed or, or something and it's like, whoa, it's that person and that that, you know,

David Hernandez: 36:24

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 36:25

girl comes out and it's like, wow, you know, I follow them and like enjoy their content. So it's just like, I guess it's the both ways really. It's. being in that person's shoes of, oh, hey, you know, this is Keller. You know, I've watched and enjoyed their stuff, but then also being in their shoes and, and seeing somebody else that, you know, I've idolized and, just enjoyed watching. So I think it just, it, it goes, it goes both ways. So,

David Hernandez: 36:54

So we started about your experience with Japan, but you also got a chance to go to Hawaii. How was it different going to Hawaii compared to Japan, and did you get a chance to do anything differently?

Kelosaurus: 37:05

Ooh. I mean, besides different country for sure.

David Hernandez: 37:09

Of course, yeah.

Kelosaurus: 37:10

Um,

David Hernandez: 37:11

It's just an ocean in a away, I mean.

Kelosaurus: 37:13

I'm not gonna lie, Hawaii was a bit of a blur

David Hernandez: 37:17

Oh, okay.

Kelosaurus: 37:19

Yeah. I guess during that time there was just a lot of, lot of things happening, say behind the scenes.

David Hernandez: 37:28

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 37:28

I think, Hawaii, while, I'll go back and I watch it and I'm like, wait, I did that, like. I don't, I don't actually really remember, remember a lot of it. a lot of the time it was more just going through the motions. I think so, it's more just a bit of a blur and, and, you know, I, I know that I still enjoyed it going back through, videos or, or photos and everything. But in terms of doing things differently. I don't know. Hawaii hasn't really, wasn't really in terms of like personal side wasn't really somewhere that, wasn't on my bucket list kind of thing. So I think there wasn't really that, that connection of, oh, yay, I'm in Hawaii, kind of thing. Like it's

David Hernandez: 38:10

Mm-hmm.

Kelosaurus: 38:11

place. Absolutely stunning. but in terms of actually being at the venue, it felt a lot more overwhelming, It felt like there was a lot more people in Hawaii than there were Japan, I don't know. It could have also just been venue wise, but yeah, it seemed a lot more crowded and a lot more overwhelming, so I think it was more just. Remembering how to breathe, kind of going through those crowds and not kind of being, I, I, I would, I would say I was probably a little bit more overstimulated in Hawaii actually.

David Hernandez: 38:47

I was gonna say, Hawaii just needs to step, its game up because you literally cannot match Japan. So that's it. Just Hawaii just was nothing compared to Japan. That's really all it was down to.

Kelosaurus: 38:56

no, I mean, it, it was, it don't, don't get me wrong, like, as I said, it was still a really special experience and all that stuff,

David Hernandez: 39:02

yeah.

Kelosaurus: 39:03

it was more just, because I was just feeling a little bit more overwhelmed and overstimulated, even though I had already done it before. I think it was just a little, different in that, in that regard. So, it's Japan,

David Hernandez: 39:15

it's Japan. That's what I'm saying. Japan, the home of Pokemon. Yeah.

Kelosaurus: 39:18

Herman Pokemon. So I mean, even going out into the streets and seeing Pokemon, I mean, you didn't really have that in Hawaii. It kind of felt like two different worlds. You'd have the convention center, which was all decked out and. As soon as you step out of that, it's just like Pokemon Worlds is here. Wouldn't even know, literally wouldn't even know. But in Japan, as soon as you get into the airport, they had signs and everything like that. I remember, yeah, just walking down that hallway and seeing Pokemon Worlds and everything, up on their little television signs and it's like, oh my gosh, we are here for Pokemon. But they had none of that at Hawaii. They didn't have any decorations or anything like that. So it was more just this enclosed. Space that yeah. Okay. We are here for Pokemon Worlds when you are there, but outside of it, it's just you're in Hawaii, so.

David Hernandez: 40:09

Well, Kelosaurus, I wanna finish on this last question, and it's a fun one. I want you to give me your dream Pokemon team?

Kelosaurus: 40:16

you've really put me on the spot here. I'm just gonna say all my favorite Pokemon. I feel like that's probably the easiest here.

David Hernandez: 40:22

There we go. That's it.

Kelosaurus: 40:23

on, Sylveon on is definitely there. I'd say that would be my partner. Pokemon, Totodile would also be there. Azumarill a, another one of my, my loves. Amaura. I like Amaura. I, I do love auroras, but, I guess being the, the blue dinosaur. Is also on there. And one of my faves, Piplup because Piplup are cutie. And I'm going to say the last one is always the tricky one because there's always so many that that's the flexible one. So today, I'm feeling. Gonna tie it off with Lapras, because Lapras is

David Hernandez: 41:00

Oh,

Kelosaurus: 41:00

just one of those original loves.

David Hernandez: 41:02

I, I can do a.

Kelosaurus: 41:03

way to travel around.

David Hernandez: 41:06

Are you the original or GM Max

Kelosaurus: 41:08

original. Original,

David Hernandez: 41:09

Original.

Kelosaurus: 41:09

Yeah.

David Hernandez: 41:11

Harriss. Thank you for coming. As the pickle ball turns, before you go, people want to connect with you. If they wanna check out your streams or if they wanna watch your content, where can they go? By all means, please plug away.

Kelosaurus: 41:20

So over on Twitch, you can find me under Callisaurus. However, on all other socials it should be under Callisaurus, TTV.