TRAINER'S EYE #160 - "Where Lugia's Aeroblast Finally Landed" ft. KojinAtojin

From Pokémon Red to rediscovering the franchise through Pokémon Platinum, KojinAtojin’s journey is one of nostalgia, neurodiversity, and creative expression. After growing up with Pokémon during the height of its Gen 1 craze, his relationship with the franchise took a new turn, first through performance and cosplay, then through rekindled friendships in Pokémon GO.

KojinAtojin shares how mental health, autism, and ADHD shaped his early experience with gaming and how Pokémon provided comfort, curiosity, and connection. From catching his first Lugia in SoulSilver to starring in an award-winning Eeveelution cosplay skit at A-Kon, he reflects on how Pokémon fueled not just his imagination but his sense of belonging. After a brief break from Pokémon GO, Pokemon has once again become a meaningful way to build relationships, celebrate nostalgia, and create new memories with friends and coworkers.

Whether you’re a fan of classic Pokémon games, the Sinnoh region, cosplay culture, or stories of resilience and rediscovery, this is one Trainer’s Eye episode you don’t want to miss.

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

Chapters

• 0:00 TRAINER'S EYE #160 - KojinAtojin
• 29:55 Commercial Break

Transcript

TRAINER'S EYE #160 - KojinAtojin

KojinAtojin: [00:00:00] I'm KojinAtojin, and this is my Pokemon story.

David Hernandez: Welcome to as the Pokeball Turns, where we interview people about their experience with Pokemon. My name is David Hernandez. I'm joined by KojinAtojin here to share his Pokemon experience about when he first started playing as well as a play they did back at A-Kon.

David Hernandez: I'm excited [00:01:00] to kind of dive into this. KojinAtojin, welcome to As The Pokeball Turns. Thank you for coming on.

KojinAtojin: And

KojinAtojin: Thank.

KojinAtojin: for having me. I, it, it has been way too long since I've done something like this.

David Hernandez: Oh, okay. So you're, uh, you wanna take over the show, you wanna take the lead, and since that way you're already used to it.

KojinAtojin: It like, so,

David Hernandez: What's your experience? I'm curious.

KojinAtojin: I have to really think how far back I wanna start on this, because like, I was born in a time period where basically like as I grew up, I pretty much got to know Pokemon ever since the beginning.

KojinAtojin: like I was, four or five years old when, you know, our family, we have. Our Super Nintendo in the living room being able to play it, as much as we were able to, you know, I couldn't be all like 24 7 on it, but I remember one of the things that we had one, the super Game boy

KojinAtojin: that was always a, a massive thing to us. 'cause. some days I didn't feel like looking at my little handheld Game Boy screen and trying to interpret all the graphics on it, but being able to then have that little attachment for the Super [00:02:00] Nintendo and then at the same time, that's when I had my first cartridge of Pokemon Red,

KojinAtojin: I remember seeing those. original visuals of what it was like to, explore this brand new world and, you know, I didn't know it at the time, but really understand what an RPG felt like,

David Hernandez: Right.

KojinAtojin: and that really was kind of like a life changing experience for me. I wish I could go back to little 5-year-old me and just be like, Hey, that's that one little game is gonna

KojinAtojin: get you a podcast.

KojinAtojin: someday.

David Hernandez: It comes full circle. Right. That's what I would've told my, uh, younger stuff. I'd be like, this game's gonna eventually make you have your own podcast someday. But I think it's kind of amazing. You touched on two things. And I always coming up to two words. I feel like Pokemon during those days, the first days was untapped potential.

David Hernandez: You talked about you were a 5-year-old. I was around the same age to where I just, we saw the game and we're like, what could happen in this game? You know, compared to, Super Mario Legend Zel, I feel like Pokemon just had a different niche compared to [00:03:00] those groups.

KojinAtojin: Yeah. And at at the time I didn't really know how to even play it correctly. I just liked the thought of, I've got little friends I'm traveling with, and We're sending our creatures over at other people who have other creatures, and it felt like almost like kind of you're pitting belief against the belief a way.

David Hernandez: Ooh, that's a good way to put it. So would you battle with your friends, I assume?

KojinAtojin: I didn't have like a ton of immediate battle. experience in terms of, or with friends? At that

David Hernandez: Sure.

KojinAtojin: I was mostly kind of comparing with my brother who would play the game too. Uh, he had blue, if I recall correctly,

KojinAtojin: he and I would always, like, we wouldn't battle per se, but we would have this little competition with ourselves. And we'd be like, oh, you got this Pokemon, well, here's the one that I got. Uh, what's your level of that one? Oh, mine's higher. And if we were lucky, [00:04:00] maybe we would've been able to do something like, let's take our two teams and let's, track how quickly we get through the Elite four, or something like that.

KojinAtojin: so it wasn't like your traditional competition, but at the same time. it did kinda like spark that little bit of rivalry to think, wow, could I be doing better with my team

David Hernandez: Right,

KojinAtojin: I'm doing now?

David Hernandez: Now, when it came to just playing Pokemon red, blue, and yellow, you know, you played with your brother at the time, did you progress into the gold, silver, and crystal age?

KojinAtojin: So I have a very interesting transition period with kind of what happened. with my Pokemon history,

KojinAtojin: got the chance to experience some of gold, silver, and crystal. I didn't own a copy of it, but I knew people that did,

KojinAtojin: I heard a lot more about how they were expanding the universe. It's a new region.

KojinAtojin: There's new variants and you know, here's we're at, we're expanding the Pokedex. I was like, whoa, this is getting me even crazier than I ever could have dreamed of. at that time when I was starting to think if I would get my own copy of the game, [00:05:00] that's when I started getting with kind of recognizing other facets of my life that really helped pivot me into the kind of person I am today.

KojinAtojin: Uh, you know, I was like the most well behaved kid. Not 'cause I was bad or anything, but you know, we were navigating a lot of different. mental health challenges with me getting into brain health, uh, know, diagnoses of, autism, A DHD in the family and things like that.

KojinAtojin: so, you know, kind of helped reprioritize, Exactly what was gonna be beneficial for me in making sure that I could engage well in the school system. So I wasn't actually playing a lot of Pokemon up until probably about the end of high school. through high school been able to. myself through music and get, connected with a group of people and, you know, things are hunky-dory at the end of the school system there. So, funny thing, uh, I end up discovering because of a Dave and Busters of all things. [00:06:00] Here we, me out here.

David Hernandez: No, no, I like this. Keep going. Yeah.

KojinAtojin: so I am. I'm going into the state of I busters because I have a bunch of like coupons to get tokens to play, like, uh, whatever games I want. And I found out, hey, I'm fairly lucky with those coin drop games that can get you a whole buku of tickets

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: you get all like the coins to drop off the ledge. So finally used up all those coupons and. I ended up going into the prize redeem section just curious of what could I afford. I've never had this many tickets before. I didn't have enough for any systems per se, but there was something on a shelf that stuck out to me. It was Pokemon Platinum.

KojinAtojin: So, I had gone from like exposure to gen two, completely missed gen three. And then didn't play again until the back end of Gen four. And

KojinAtojin: as I,

KojinAtojin: I look at this, I'm like, whoa, what have

KojinAtojin: I.

KojinAtojin: [00:07:00] been missing here? it,

KojinAtojin: It's

KojinAtojin: how much interest kind of ramped

KojinAtojin: back up with my brain. 

KojinAtojin: as I

KojinAtojin: I just

KojinAtojin: I'm staring

KojinAtojin: down,

KojinAtojin: the massive size of a. Land a shark that'll tear up your entire team in five

David Hernandez: oh no, I see, I see. PTs is added to that, uh, list You have.

KojinAtojin: a little bit. I, I got used to hearing that particular battle theme several times over.

David Hernandez: Oh yeah. I'm just like many other trainers too. But it's so interesting, like you went from Gen one, you briefly touched Gen two and all the way you come into Gen four, and by the luck of Chance, uh, you basically turned in tickets to play Pokemon on Platinum.

KojinAtojin: Mm-hmm.

David Hernandez: what was it like to make that jump into a whole new world, especially for Pokemon Playdom in the center region, on how deep in depth, much depth there is to that game compared to what you're used to?

KojinAtojin: Yeah, it was a very jarring experience. like after I finished playing Platinum, I ended up kinda like repeating a [00:08:00] couple more play throughs of it. And then it's like, you know, now, now I've, I feel like I've gotten even more immersed in this new world. Now I need to see exactly what I missed.

KojinAtojin: And then I was able to borrow not just a fellow, you know, friend copy of Emerald to play through that. So I, I eventually went backwards to experience gen three, but then I really wanted to get the full touch of like my own gen two play through. And so then another buddy had a copy of Silver that, uh, they were gonna let me, borrow for a little while. I got the play through, started then unfortunately had to give it back because they were moving. So I was like, ah, darn it.

David Hernandez: Aren't you a good friend? Most friends would've just said, oh, you're moving anyway. I'm not gonna see you again. But no, you gave it back to your friends.

KojinAtojin: Uh, well, irony once again shows its face because it was after that they had made the announcements for heart gold and soul silver.

David Hernandez: no. Those are such good [00:09:00] games too.

KojinAtojin: that's like, ah, this must be the universe finding its way back to me.

David Hernandez: Before we dive into those games, what compelled you to want to go back to the other two generations? 'cause you could have just stuck with one in four, but you felt so compelled to play Pokemon Platinum, that you had to go back and experience Johto and Hoenn for some reason.

KojinAtojin: It felt

KojinAtojin: Like there was.

KojinAtojin: like, even though each generation for a while was trying to keep itself pretty self-contained and like I'm a person He likes his sense of completion, not just from the sense of like a hundred percenting a game and things like

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: but also it felt like there wasn't like a gap of knowledge, but almost a gap of connection.

KojinAtojin: Mm-hmm. 

KojinAtojin: you know, like I, I had heard little murmurs and whispers about. It's like, ooh, the legendary Pokemon that can, you know, they control the weather and then there's this other one that, that balances them out and makes sure that they aren't fighting. And I was like, man, it's like all these other little miniature stories.

KojinAtojin: I, I wanna hear about 'em, I

KojinAtojin: I,[00:10:00]

KojinAtojin: I

KojinAtojin: I

KojinAtojin: catch 'em for

KojinAtojin: for myself.

David Hernandez: Ooh, I like that. So you felt like your experience with Pokemon would've been incomplete had you not gone back to those stories, not had you gone back to Sinooh or experienced Jotto. Is that kind of fair to say?

KojinAtojin: Yeah,

KojinAtojin: it really turns into like a sense of belonging in a way.

David Hernandez: And I was curious, I guess since we're up to this point, you're about to go back to Hark Gold, soul Silver. So you re-experienced gel to real right away. Did you have, I guess, particular favorite Pokemon at that time, or do you have a favorite Pokemon?

KojinAtojin: Well, so, oh my gosh. I, I have a couple that I could really think on here. Um, Like in Gen one, uh, I remember attaching very well initially to my Charmander. he was definitely my first starter. even though he was my first starter, I can al always have a soft spot for him. I have really gotten more in love with, uh, with Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise lately.

KojinAtojin: They've really been kinda speaking to me on a deeper level lately.[00:11:00]

David Hernandez: oh, in what way?

KojinAtojin: Uh, I, I've been finding myself really vibing with the concept of, my spirit animal basically being like a turtle. Uh, like I, I, I've been a person lately that. Has been just so like, like a get out there and really just vibe with people and be chill and then as soon as I'm uncomfortable.

David Hernandez: oh, wow. That's, so, that's gonna, that's a nice meaning to it. I like it.

KojinAtojin: Blastoise definitely for sure.

KojinAtojin: I

KojinAtojin: also have

KojinAtojin: the luck of the draw in my original Gen one play through, I was able to experience my time with Pikachu. But

KojinAtojin: not necessarily,

KojinAtojin: Pikachu being the favorite, but his evolution. Raichu\ being my favorite.

David Hernandez: Hey, right. You need some love. I'm not gonna complain on that one. Yeah.

KojinAtojin: I, I'm one of like the few out of the people that I knew within my circles. it's like you would evolve your Pikachu at the thunderstorm and then just, I envision the, the picture from the Joker movie and it's like, And I'm tired of people [00:12:00] saying that we shouldn't.

David Hernandez: I feel like they should just make a shirt for you guys. Y'all could wear is like, I evolved my Pikachu and Pokemon Yellow. I feel like that should be a fashion statement. I really do. Yeah.

KojinAtojin: definitely.

KojinAtojin: if we're talking Jen two next after that, there were quite a few Gen two Pokemon that I feel like. I have an equal appreciation

David Hernandez: Well, let's do gen four, um, 'cause we're gonna do gen two after heart goes all silver. So what would be like, yeah, yeah, yeah,

KojinAtojin: order. Got it,

David Hernandez: yeah. Since we're going this order, so let's do gen four. What Pokemon did you like outta gen four next?

KojinAtojin: Um, well I, you're, you're gonna find a theme here.

David Hernandez: I'm trying to see if there's any turtle Pokemon in. Um, I can't think if there's a turtle Pokemon in Gen four. Oh, turt wig. No.

KojinAtojin: yes, I

David Hernandez: Yes, I know.

KojinAtojin: you know that there are.

David Hernandez: Look, my mind's not gonna think of it on the, give a second and it'll come to you. It's like, oh wait, there is a turtle Pokemon Turt wig. Yeah, yeah.

KojinAtojin: Yes. As far as starter wise, uh, tur wake has my heart. Uh,

David Hernandez: [00:13:00] Especially, uh, tarter. Tarter is a very cool evolution, I will say.

KojinAtojin: definitely. Um. And if there were any others to fit in there that were non-starter. this one's a little bit more common favorite,

David Hernandez: Sure, sure.

KojinAtojin: e even though he scarred me for a bit, I, I learned to overcame my fears. And Garchomp is, Garchomp a bro.

David Hernandez: You've learned to embrace something that we all learned to hate, so it's okay.

KojinAtojin: Yep.

David Hernandez: So as we step into the HeartGold Soul Silver, I know you play, went back and played Johto. How was it to kind of play the remake and how was it to kind of just go back to gen two when you just came from it really?

KojinAtojin: it felt in its own way magical.

KojinAtojin: I first experienced a majority of Gen two through like the Pokemon movies. Uh, so like watching like the second movie and the third movie, like second movie especially like that movie changed my brain chemistry

David Hernandez: Oh.

KojinAtojin: told me just for so long. It's like I want to eventually have my own way of capturing and befriending [00:14:00] Lugia, I love Lugia. So much

David Hernandez: Well, let's segue a little bit. So what was it about Pokemon? I'm guessing you're talking about Pokemon 2000. What was it about Pokemon 2000 that I guess spoke to you differently to maybe other Pokemon games?

KojinAtojin: It's, it's the way that they portray. Such a unique conflict by association, I suppose the first movie did this well also,

David Hernandez: Sure.

KojinAtojin: also keeps that high in my ranking list. But just the Pokemon movies in general, like in in two, in 2000 especially, where they portrayed this unique conflict and you've got, Ash. He was not asked to be a part of this. He didn't have to be, and yet he gets thrown into it anyway Like, he can't even solve everything himself by like, right at the start.

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: only when like everything kind of comes together at the [00:15:00] end and just, just then that whole aina song and then maybe the whole, you know, everything coming back together and all harmony. Listen, I'm a, I'm a sucker for that trope. I will die on the hill.

David Hernandez: Hey, go for it. Hey, we all got our, we all got our likes. Like, I'm not gonna hate somebody on doing that. But that, I will say that theme is so underrated. I don't think people really remember how good that, uh, a arena, that a arena arena time, uh, not arena time, oak arena theme from that. Movie's really good.

KojinAtojin: Yeah, it, it, it was one of those songs that it spoke to my soul, and then of course just having Luga front and center during it as well.

David Hernandez: that makes sense. And it just like, he just happened to fall into it. 'cause I think it was a storm just like the First Moon Valley enough. And I think he gets pushed into the island and apparently it's some kind of festival that apparently they didn't think was real. But lo and behold it was 'cause it was around the guardians of the ice.

David Hernandez: Uh, I forgot what the beast of the sea and Yeah. No, I get you.

KojinAtojin: as I experienced that movie, and just like, man, Lugia is awesome. I [00:16:00] can't wait to encounter Lugia in a game. I never got the chance to, until Soul Silver came out, so that, that really

David Hernandez: Ooh.

KojinAtojin: me my, my true full play through of

David Hernandez: Yeah.

KojinAtojin: two.

David Hernandez: So you didn't encounter Lugia during your initial play through back Pokemon and Soul Silver was actually your first time you ever got to ca to catch Lugia. Really?

KojinAtojin: Yes.

David Hernandez: Wow. How did that feel to finally catch one? That must have been kind of a long wait. Yeah,

KojinAtojin: Yeah, it was,

David Hernandez: it was a part of,

KojinAtojin: childhood finally catching up to my vin growing adulthood.

KojinAtojin: I got to kind of reflect

KojinAtojin: On it.

KojinAtojin: you know, I looked at my inner child and it's like, Hey, the thing you always wanted to see.

David Hernandez: How did you like it? I think if I remember the scene correctly, when you go to the rural islands and you walk up, I think it's behind a waterfall, right?

David Hernandez: What did you, what was it like to kind of see that scene before you actually got a chance to battle and catch it?

KojinAtojin: it was the same kind of lead up that I felt when I remembered beating my [00:17:00] first final fantasy game for the first time. it's like an ominous lead up,

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: but it felt magical. It felt, felt as though I'm meant to be here.

David Hernandez: I always loved how Lugia, I just liked kind of it. You would think it'd be a psychic water type. You really would, but it's just such a very majestic Pokemon, especially when you see it in the graphics. You see it in Pokemon Go. You just. It just, I've always had that kind of calm, floaty nature.

David Hernandez: I guess that's really the best way I can word it.

KojinAtojin: Yeah. it's interesting you

KojinAtojin: say that,

KojinAtojin: I,

KojinAtojin: but

KojinAtojin: I

KojinAtojin: I also thought too,

KojinAtojin: like, you know, it could be a psychic water. Turns out it's a psychic flying. And I'm like, okay, I can deal with

KojinAtojin: yeah.

KojinAtojin: But then like ever since then I've had this, I've had this weird thought in my head where, in a future Pokemon title of some sort, they, they've had all these, mechanics and gimmicks.

KojinAtojin: Here's the mega evolution. Here's, the ax and tariff forming and all that.

David Hernandez: [00:18:00] Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: And I guess the, the Tara element now might be the closest thing to what I'm thinking of here,

David Hernandez: Right.

KojinAtojin: um, it's like, what would it eventually look like if Pokemon legitimately had triple typings? 

David Hernandez: So, you know, as you progress through Pokemon, eventually Pokemon Go comes out. What was your first experience with that game? 

KojinAtojin: So I was part of the initial crowd back in 2016 to try it out and just kind of get my bearings with it. it had substance at the time. Don't get me wrong, it was decent for its start. I remembered, my goal at the time was, Hey, I feel limited least too much by, you know, like, I don't need to have different versions of the game to get all this stuff.

KojinAtojin: You know, I, I could see myself possibly getting all original 151 Pokemon

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: that time, and for a long while. I'd been pretty close, I think within. [00:19:00] The year or so that Gen one was strictly in there. I remember catching like a good a hundred thirty, a hundred thirty five

KojinAtojin: Only ones that, uh, alluded me where, farfetched, wrist, Mr.

KojinAtojin: Mime, the legendary birds. 'cause I don't think we'd had like a full blown raid system for them yet.

KojinAtojin: Kan alluded me for a while as the first, like year or two started moving along, I started seeing their updates where they were put in gen two and. When I saw that announcement, I remember my brain just up and it's like, gen two's coming. I can get Lugia in here.

David Hernandez: Oh my gosh. You already knew.

KojinAtojin: I

KojinAtojin: I already knew. Yeah.

KojinAtojin: The unfortunate thing was, um, I hadn't quite gotten used to the in place where they were gonna try and like debut it as part of their raids and such. So I think when they first cycled it through. Uh, I didn't have many people to [00:20:00] attempt raids with at that time,

David Hernandez: Uh oh.

KojinAtojin: like a really good team.

KojinAtojin: So I, I remember I'd just be sitting at some of those, uh, initial, uh, gym spots and there'd be a luie there and I'd just stare up at it and I'd just be like, hi,

David Hernandez: Like longing is,

KojinAtojin: yourself.

David Hernandez: I could catch you.

KojinAtojin: And so basically, from. probably like 2018 onwards. My time with it kind of went lesser and lesser and lesser. Like I, I, I trailed off every little bit more, going through a couple of more years. I think I put a full pause on the game. I think 2019, I'm pretty sure. So that was right around after they put gen three or four into there.

David Hernandez: Were you slowing down because you just throw, was part of the games just weren't accessible? Or is it just kind of life happening?

KojinAtojin: Uh,

David Hernandez: Life happening.

KojinAtojin: a lot of it,

David Hernandez: Okay.

KojinAtojin: uh, because I remember I, I was starting to play when I [00:21:00] was a few years into my current job. you know, I was finding a good way to be able to balance it. And my friend group at the time, you know, we were checking it out. as those couple of years went on, I started prioritizing my work more and, you know, the things I'd be doing with my friend group at the time, kind of funneled into kind of the, the direction of the game, taking a backseat to the more engaging activities that we would do, which you'll hear about in a minute.

KojinAtojin: after that break started in 2019, my return didn't happen actually until the beginning of this year in 25,

David Hernandez: Wow.

KojinAtojin: about a six

David Hernandez: Yeah. I guess, how much different was it to play Pokemon Go, I guess from the last 2019 to now? I mean, a lot's changed since then. I, it felt

KojinAtojin: it felt the

David Hernandez: the same way.

KojinAtojin: that jumping into cino felt like after gen one. It's

David Hernandez: Like, what am I even looking at here? Right? I don't recognize this game no more. What is it? It's like [00:22:00] what?

KojinAtojin: is this variance?

David Hernandez: Oh my, I'm trying to think. You would have PVP introduced. You'd have shadow raids. You would have all the new Pokemon almost up to the present day really. You had a lot that really happened between those years.

KojinAtojin: Yeah, the, the things that have thrown me for a loop the most, uh, I have people at my work that tell me all the time, all the stuff they like about the current generations of Pokemon, but I'm just sitting here like I'm a guy that didn't really follow it until after. X and Y was finished.

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: I don't, I don't know about, this Pokemon that's got like five little copies of itself and it's, it's not a, it's a fighting type.

KojinAtojin: It's failings.

David Hernandez: Looks like a bug type, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you have like trouble trying to identify with some of the newer Pokemon compared to the old Pokemon at times? Oh, absolutely. What, was it just 'cause of the design or was it more Joe because, [00:23:00] was it just different from what you're used to?

KojinAtojin: different from what I'm used to it, you know, being such an original player for so many years, you know, just, it's, it's really not used to seeing all this new

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: all it's wanting is just. You know, take, take me back to the years when I could just sit in front of the TV and enjoy my little sprites, and then the only thing I had to worry about was the choice of, uh, ham and Swiss or, or, or ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

David Hernandez: Oh my gosh. Please take me back to those times, these bills, these responsibilities. I don't like 'em. Then.

KojinAtojin: it, it, it will forever be just a reminder that of just hanging on the nostalgia that's. You know, the, the particular nostalgia that's keeping me going,

David Hernandez: I guess since, you know, you have such a huge break, you know, has the dynamic of doing like events changed for you when you played back in 2019 for your friends or to now? Or is it kind of relatively the same?

KojinAtojin: I'd say it's changed [00:24:00] distinctly because I know quite a few different sets of people now compared to the people I knew from six years ago.

KojinAtojin: of course, you know, with 2020 being a thing, you know, that certainly disrupted a lot of people's social connections I know a lot of people that I was close to, you know, were affected by that. So I can't deny its impact. Uh, but in a way It affected a lot of people socially, um, for them, but I felt also kind of affected as well because, I was so used to a lot of people wanting to reach out and, get me involved with these things.

KojinAtojin: I had almost wondered like, as, as I was hearing about the game, still doing its thing, if I really thought I would come back because I. I didn't feel like, like I belonged there in a way,

David Hernandez: Um,

KojinAtojin: kind of the direction my life was taking. And I do have to thank my friend who she would've vouched for this, that she was kinda that final push to say, it was like, oh, here's, here's all these things you can do now. And they, the events are a [00:25:00] little more varied and, you know, you can try to budget to try to pay for these things.

KojinAtojin: Just, you can have a bit of a leg up and I never was of the belief that I would ever be money invested into a, into a, a mobile game. I wanted it to be like free to play, so I could do everything. But the nature of games like this is, it's a little hard to do that these days. And so I thought like if I'm gonna put a part of my fund budget just wanting to invest in something that I feel I can. Be somewhat decent at,

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: social connections around it, and feel that sense of nostalgia. had actually been doing it with a Final Fantasy Mobile game before

KojinAtojin: and then that shut down after eight years of playing it.

David Hernandez: Oh, geez.

KojinAtojin: so I'm like, well, I thought this was the one that was gonna, last

KojinAtojin: survey says no.

KojinAtojin: and so that also motivated me to say. You know, clearly a final fantasy wasn't gonna be yet. Then that mobile app might as well be something related to my [00:26:00] childhood still, which was Pokemon. so

David Hernandez: that's when.

KojinAtojin: I finally re downloaded it after, or actually not after. I did it during a road trip in January I was able to head out to Long Beach. just kind of get my bearings around it again. And of course that was right at the time it was like the, the fashion week was going on. So like one of the first things I had caught after my break back. Wait a minute. What's this curlier doing with a hat on?

David Hernandez: I think you bring up so much in that just idea of how Pokemon Go has evolved for you. from early on, it sounded like it was just another experience of Pokemon, but now it shifted over from when you came back to an opportunity to make connections and memories with your friends and.

David Hernandez: The fact that you're willing to kind of budget money now for that game shows how important that friendship is to you, especially after 2020 where a lot of us lost those connections or life continued going forward with people just going to different stages of life. Do you think so?

KojinAtojin: For sure. [00:27:00] and in the sense of this, it's part of it is, you know, wanting to kinda keep the connections I already have and I have my, my current. now to think for that for

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: But like part of that has been, I'm trying to almost set up some new ones too.

KojinAtojin: And it's kind of a fight against my own just, uh,

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm. You.

KojinAtojin: that's like how I'm gonna put myself out there.

KojinAtojin: How am I gonna be able to connect in that way? Um, believe me, it's, it, it's been hard some days, but 

David Hernandez: I mean that's what all people could ask you to do. Like even for me, I think about how much. This relationship with this game has been for me. You know, I've had a very unhealthy relationship to where I was playing this game nonstop, to where I'm helping newer players out to where I'm a content creator doing a podcast to where now I'm, I don't know what I am at this point but throughout this entire time, I've seen the game evolve and change to where now you got families playing, you've got people coming back to the game, and it rejuvenates you a little bit to kind of have people who are newer come back and just see 'em excited for some of the stuff that.

David Hernandez: You kind of took for granted in a way, and I think that's for you, not only when you get to [00:28:00] experience, but also when you get to be for others. 

KojinAtojin: That's a great way to put it. Yeah. there, there wasn't a lot of stuff that I had back in the day that I thought was like unique or, you know, it's like, no, it's not, it's not the greatest thing. It's not a huge raid, killing, deem, or whatever,

KojinAtojin: but. As I look at it now, uh, uh, like quite a few of my, collection are Pokemon.

KojinAtojin: I still have caught from 2016 and 17 and 18.

KojinAtojin: It didn't dawn on me until just a couple of weeks ago of really just how much value that has now, just to be able to say it's like. someone may already have the Pokemon in their polka deck, but Oh, if it's from these years back, oh, it's a guaranteed lucky.

KojinAtojin: Ooh. And like, I didn't know the impact of that immediately when I started tossing some of these. over to friends for their deck entries, and then wait, well, lucky Pokemon, what does that mean? Oh,

David Hernandez: Oh yeah, yeah,

KojinAtojin: know?

David Hernandez: Yeah. 

KojinAtojin: in fact, just [00:29:00] like last week, I was able to fully establish the meaning of that and be able to help somebody out with something they were wanting that I had. of my first Rhyhorn from 2016 to send to him and in exchange now have my easily, my best fire attacker in Mega Blaziken.

KojinAtojin: it's kind of a,

KojinAtojin: you said earlier.

KojinAtojin: it felt like a full circle moment of, This thing from nine years ago got to help somebody else out to turn into a, a really good Rhyperior that they wanted.

KojinAtojin: And in turn, you know, uh, extra irony because this was something from gen three, which I did not have as much connection

KojinAtojin: Mm-hmm. But I did remember picking Torchic as my starter in gen three when I played it.

David Hernandez: Hey, it's hard to go for the chicken nugget. I mean, it's just very hard not to

KojinAtojin: chicken nugg.

David Hernandez: chicken nugget, but gonna be good in my belly.

Commercial Break

[00:30:00]

David Hernandez: Last thing I wanna talk about as far as just your Pokemon journey is, I know you had a chance to do a skit at AKON, you know, rest in peace to AKON, wherever you are, and I wanted to kind of talk about how that kind of developed and what is it for those who aren't familiar with it?

David Hernandez: Yeah.

KojinAtojin: so I, I definitely feel your sentiment there. Uh, AKON, you were good to us for a good few years. So,

David Hernandez: Decades. Yeah.

KojinAtojin: [00:31:00] Thanks for the, the, the really good years for us.

David Hernandez: Hey, look, if you're listening and you have a keyboard oh seven for AKON, if you don't have a keyboard, just salute in wherever you're standing. That's all I ask, 

KojinAtojin: so I hadn't attended many of those conventions up until probably like 2012 onwards. conventions and cosplay were what kind of got a lot of. my initial friend group altogether for a good few years, and this is the same group of people where, as the years went on, we connected with each other and were starting to realize, hey, if we all like these conventions, we all like these artistic. Interests and stuff like that. we had decided for one particular AKON, I believe this was the one in 2016, to attempt our first skit and the theme of it. Was actually gonna be based off of five nights at Freddy's. uh, the decision to do the skit, make the stuff off that theme, come up with like a skit theme and get, make props and things like that. we [00:32:00] had gone from idea creation to actual performance in the span of like four or five months. So. That whole process actually got us an award. So to make that story short,

KojinAtojin: yeah. Uh, more on that if anyone else ever feels curious another time. But that was the foothold that got us into, to grander idea for the year after. So our first skit went well. So, okay, we wanna do a second skit. What's that gonna be about? the group had, uh, made the decision the next theme should be Eevee-lutions. And so we, we had a lot of fun coming up with what each person's Eevee-lution was gonna be like, who was gonna be Glaceon who was gonna be, Espeon, who was gonna be Umbreon

David Hernandez: Was there any like fights? Was there any like fights of, for an EV [00:33:00] evolution, like somebody really wanted this one over somebody else or,

KojinAtojin: Um,

David Hernandez: Eevee-lutions, it's kind of hard not to get a little serious on that one, you know?

KojinAtojin: strangely, I don't remember a ton of conflict. I think I maybe only remember one.

KojinAtojin: And it wasn't necessarily a fight of who was going to be this one. Rather, it was the challenge of having one more body to fill in the slot.

KojinAtojin: Okay.

KojinAtojin: we were trying really hard to fill in a slot for Sylveon, and that comes with its own set of stories, but basically we were able to get that slot figured out how the rest of the planning then went was, everyone decided on their evolutions and everyone then thought of kind of how is each one gonna be themed. So for like Vaporeon, Vaporeon was gonna be, you know, super dapper and he'd wear like collared like tux vest and dress pants and stuff like [00:34:00] that.

KojinAtojin: Jolteon was gonna be this street punk. And so he is got

KojinAtojin: Like

KojinAtojin: he al

KojinAtojin: almost,

KojinAtojin: like a team skull punk in a way.

David Hernandez: I was gonna say, it sounds like a rocker, almost kind of person. Yeah. A punk rock. Yeah. Yeah. What was Ion, that's my favorite, so

KojinAtojin: So the way our s bion was represented, uh, was almost like, I

KojinAtojin: I,

KojinAtojin: to like a mystic. uh,

KojinAtojin: okay.

KojinAtojin: had lo, you know, kind of flowing dress, uh, did kinda like eastern inspired dances.

David Hernandez: Ooh, I like that. Okay. I like that. Yeah. Okay.

KojinAtojin: I

KojinAtojin: I.

KojinAtojin: a big fan of a couple of ours. Like I was a big fan of how our flareon did. Our flareon was like, did a really good style dress that had like massive fur on the top of it. Uh, that one was very eastern inspired,

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: like, like I'm more like far eastern inspired Japanese style.

KojinAtojin: so that one was really good. And then our reon, the reon, [00:35:00] I have to say, basically stole the show. and, you'll hear why in a moment.

KojinAtojin: basically what the skit ended up being was, you know, as we got it all planned out, we decided, this should be treated almost like episode of, of the show. Uh, the Pokemon show,

KojinAtojin: we have Ash and Brock, they're walking on stage to the, uh, with Pikachu and tow, and, uh, there's just, there's an Evie sitting on stage, so it's like this stuffed Evie. It was like,

KojinAtojin: Oh.

KojinAtojin: What's that? Let's go get a deck entry about it. This is Evie,

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: it can turn into eight different. Evolutions I was like, wow, wonder which one I should turn it into. And then here comes Brock on the side. It's like, man, so

KojinAtojin: So many choices.

KojinAtojin: And you know, because this is Brock we're talking about, he's not gonna think of them like your normal e evolutions. He's gonna think of them like. Pretty women. So, the skit just turns into, as he envisions each one, they all come [00:36:00] on stage and they do their dance and they do their cool theme.

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: Um, and it was funny because, you know how we said jolt on was basically like the rocker, right?

David Hernandez: Yeah,

KojinAtojin: So then as he thinks of that, JT on, he comes on as like, oh God, not like that. No. Oh, God. And, and then towards the end of it, uh. Uh, so the final one that we do, so Eon is the last one to take the stage and each one of the evolutions came on with their own song choice. So like, joltin comes on to, we're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue, and then we take it higher. Um, I, I think I remember like Glac on, we did Foreigner Cold as Ice. We had done, uh, uh, ion had, I think Taylor Swift outta the woods. Uh, you know that, that whole kind of spiel.

KojinAtojin: So with Umbrian, so she comes out to Katy Perry.

David Hernandez: Um,

KojinAtojin: Uh. I'm forgetting the actual name of the song, but it's The [00:37:00] Beep, the Perfect song. Perfect.

David Hernandez: oh, dark horse.

KojinAtojin: dark Horse. That's it. Yes. Thank

David Hernandez: Yeah. Yeah.

KojinAtojin: So she comes out to Dark Horse, and so to kind of end the fantasy for Brock, um, Brianna's the one that kind of lands a, uh, a kiss on his cheek, or, and so he is like, so he is like, oh, and then he like does like, kind of like the anime faint or whatever. So then Ash just looks over and is like, Brock, wake up. What are you doing man, whatever. We're outta here. Pink chair. So, so like that was the whole skit. So that was the one we performed a year later after

KojinAtojin: Our first.

KojinAtojin: skit. And we had thought after the first one. We thought, oh, this is just gonna be a one and done thing.

KojinAtojin: Like, we're, we're not gonna make an impact. Of course not. Um, no. So the, the Pokemon skit was arguably, some, might say even better [00:38:00] than the, the nights in Freddy's one that we did.

KojinAtojin: so like we had the quality step up and you know, planning things like this. They're not without some mistakes here and there, you know, it's like, you know, outta your con control can happen,

David Hernandez: sure. 

KojinAtojin: But, we

David Hernandez: you know, we an award there too.

KojinAtojin: too,

David Hernandez: Wow.

KojinAtojin: that, that got us even further inspired for one more skid after that for the last AKON that we had gone to.

KojinAtojin: , I do believe there are still recordings from people that were in the audience. Uh, so if that was something that people ever wanted to watch, uh, it exists out there.

David Hernandez: it's on the internet, you know, it stays there forever.

KojinAtojin: indeed.

David Hernandez: Well, I wanted to ask, so what was it like to get that kind of reception for that skit specifically when you were preparing for it and all the work? Did you feel like maybe you had touched on something big that you didn't think people would be into?

David Hernandez: 'cause it seems like you were surprised by that reaction that you weren't expecting how much of a reception it got. 

KojinAtojin: there,

KojinAtojin: There was definitely something

KojinAtojin: to it. just a bit of like, we were [00:39:00] unsure of our own capability.

KojinAtojin: with that comes a little bit of imposter syndrome too. 'cause we're people that just like to, you know, kind of sit in our own little corners and play games and, not really put ourselves out there very often, or at least I was, I can't speak for the rest of the group in that regard, but, uh, that's at least where I come from.

KojinAtojin: But, some of them I know had some similar mentalities on that too. and to, to see that something that we did, it left an impact on people and it made them really enjoy their time at the convention that day. Like, like people remarking, how it was like, oh wow, this was the coolest thing since sliced bread. you know, it, it kinda leaves you feeling it's like, we really did something good. we made our mark, essentially,

David Hernandez: Well, KojinAtojin,. I wanna finish this interview on this final question. If you could have a dream team of six Pokemon what six would you bring?

KojinAtojin: Oh, [00:40:00] oh, the, the question I get asked at work all the time, and I can never answer because I have decision paralysis.

David Hernandez: Oh my God.

KojinAtojin: Okay. Um, let me think here, because I have quite a few Pokemon that have they, they have been absolute ones I have cherished over the years. I would definitely say that.

KojinAtojin: Blastoise and Torterra. 

KojinAtojin: okay.

KojinAtojin: Going there. if I'm thinking for some additional coverage, I would definitely want to throw in. something dark in there. Oh wait, what am I thinking? What are my other favorites? Um, might, might be dual type, uh, like too much water typing in there, but I don't care.

David Hernandez: No.

KojinAtojin: greninja.

David Hernandez: Oh, that's a good one.

KojinAtojin: I love greninja.

KojinAtojin: Then I would probably wanna get a fairy type of some sort in there because I have been appreciating. The utility that Fairy brings [00:41:00] lately. So I would definitely say Tinkaton has been, uh, calling out to me lately

KojinAtojin: when I had heard it's, uh, it's initial, uh, Lauren or D entry about how, how it just hunts the, the Corvin Knights. And I'm just like, why do I find this? It's funny.

David Hernandez: It sounds, it, it fits me perfectly. It's oddly satisfying. I'm like, yeah, that would totally be me. 

KojinAtojin: I would then need to get some form of fire in there. I would probably to add in. I already know who my last slot is reserved for, so I gotta make sure this compliments well. 

KojinAtojin: ooh. Okay. You

David Hernandez: okay. You know what,

KojinAtojin: would do,

David Hernandez: um,

KojinAtojin: um,

David Hernandez: even though I

KojinAtojin: even though I don't have a ton of familiarity with it, one of my other favorite fire Pokemon has been Uh. knowing that there's variance of that thanks to Scarlet and Violet,

David Hernandez: Yep.

KojinAtojin: um, I am a fan of, its, its, [00:42:00] think it's the Violet Paradox version of it. The one that's futuristic,

David Hernandez: Okay. I'm trying to think what that one, it's iron something, obviously, I just don't know. Futuristic

KojinAtojin: iron wing,

David Hernandez: Iron wing. There we go. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

KojinAtojin: something like

David Hernandez: Yeah.

KojinAtojin: And then my last slot would be dedicated to Lugia,

David Hernandez: Iron Moth, that's what it's called. Iron Moth

KojinAtojin: what it was called. Yes.

David Hernandez: You be your final one?

KojinAtojin: Yeah. A as much as I could have thrown in some of my other powerhouses that I've known over the years, like guard, chomp, and meta gross, and it's like I would've wanted to, sure.

David Hernandez: Mm-hmm.

KojinAtojin: ones have personal connection with me,

David Hernandez: Absolutely.

[00:43:00]