As The Pokeball Turns

"10,999 Reasons Mega Swampert Used Bide" ft. Swampfactor | TRAINER'S EYE #183

• David Hernandez • Season 1 • Episode 178

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It started with a kid in West Virginia, a copy of Alpha Sapphire, and a feeling that he didn’t quite fit anywhere, until shiny hunting and streaming gave him a home.

Swampfactor shares his Pokémon story from discovering Mudkip in Alpha Sapphire to turning late night shiny hunting into a lifeline. He talks about the 10,999 encounter Roggenrola that taught him patience, the janky days of propping his phone on a box of Legos to stream, and how becoming a Twitch streamer gave him life-long friends. Along the way, we explore how simple games create real community, why world-record shiny marathons still feel unreal, and how his charity “Spiced Out Shiny Hunting” streams are helping kids eat this Thanksgiving.

If you’ve ever needed a reminder that your hobbies, your people, and your nostalgia can keep you going, this one’s for you. Listen now, follow for more Pokémon podcast stories, and remember: your next Pokémon adventure might start with one small “why not?”

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Opening Song: "Forget You" by Alex_MakeMusic from Pixabay 

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Your next Pokemon adventure begins here!

SwampFactor:

My name is SwampFactor and this is my Pokemon story.

David Hernandez:

Welcome to As The Pokeball Turns where every voice, every journey, and every memory brings us closer to the world of Pokemon. I'm David Hernandez and I'm joined by Swamp Factor here, who had to break into his own house to come to this interview. The cops behind him breaking down doors, going through traps that he set into his own house, and he's here to break this episode like an Earthquake Swamp factor. Welcome to Taz. The hook of ball turns.

SwampFactor:

Phenomenal entrance. Thank you very much for having me.

David Hernandez:

Absolutely. Absolutely. And for those who know, he kind of had to break into his own house to do this interview. So if we happen to hear him get arrested while doing this, we know why.

SwampFactor:

Yeah, thankfully. I think I'm good.

David Hernandez:

all jokes aside, let's have a little bit of a fun question before we dive into this interview. Okay. You know, you're here to share your experience with Pokemon. You had shared some very interesting tidbits about. doing charity stuff, you streaming on Twitch and we'll dive into all that later. But I just wanna start on the easy question, a fun one. Okay.

SwampFactor:

All

David Hernandez:

So if you could choose a Pokemon to be the mascot for a fast food restaurant, which one would you pick and what would you call the place?

SwampFactor:

Oh, now that's a good one. if I had to pick, it's better of a Hear me Out. But I would pick Bound Suite and I would call it. What would, what would be the name? Hmm. I think we'll go something simple. Call it,

David Hernandez:

Juice.

SwampFactor:

Juice Bar.

David Hernandez:

Aloha Juice bar. I gotta ask. So.

SwampFactor:

Kind of go for a, a Jamba Juice

David Hernandez:

I was wondering why did you chose Bounsweet. So you're kind of seeing it as a fast food place for a Jamba Juice kind of thing.

SwampFactor:

Yes. Because like having that. Would be a little different.'cause I don't really have that around So I think having something like that would just be kind of

David Hernandez:

Well, now, of course you're here to talk about your Pokemon experience. I want to ask, so where did your Pokemon journey start? What was your first experience with the franchise?

SwampFactor:

Oh. So I think we all know at least somebody who in elementary school had The Pokemon cards and you know, people would, you know, play those at like recess or whatever. A fun fact about me. actually hated Pokemon at first,

David Hernandez:

This sounds,

SwampFactor:

is kind of

David Hernandez:

this sounds familiar. Continue. Yeah.

SwampFactor:

Yeah. but this was, I think I was like 10 years old. And then about a year later, I, watched The Pokeball anime, the episode Ash Challenging Grant. In Sewage City Gym. I don't know what it was, but that episode immediately made me love, like Pokemon saw, like Pikachu Froakie, because it's a frog who doesn't like frogs. And then I got a gif that Easter, and it was a copy of Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. And that's when everything began.

David Hernandez:

Nice, so. I mean, obviously one of the questions I wanna ask is what made you wanna hate Pokemon? But it sounds like that episode kind of changed your viewpoint on it. Is that kind of fair to say?

SwampFactor:

Yeah. I just thought it was really overrated at the time, and then my viewpoint changed and I'm like, okay, see why people love this so much.

David Hernandez:

Just from that one episode in the anime when he Ash faced the The Gym Leader Grant. Yep.

SwampFactor:

Yep.

David Hernandez:

Wow. Do you remember anything particular about that episode that sticks out to you?

SwampFactor:

it was Froakie versus Tyrunt, something about that battle just made me love it.

David Hernandez:

And at that point, that's when you got Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. What was it like to play the games compared to watching the anime?

SwampFactor:

My mind was blown because I am very easily entertained by things I like. Just if something can be entertaining, I will

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

or I will watch it or whatever. And just having. a little tiny little Mudkip to travel the world with in the Hoen region. Something about it just made me fall in love with it even more every single day.

David Hernandez:

What were some of your favorite parts about playing Alpha Sapphire?

SwampFactor:

Discovering the vast, selection of Pokemon, going through the story. Randomly stumbling across, Legendaries, not knowing exactly what I was doing, but just going into that with like no knowledge of what I was doing. But at the same time, picking up things as I went. Just felt there's no feeling beating that.

David Hernandez:

It sounds like you enjoy the idea of just getting dropped into a world and just having fun with it in your own different ways.

SwampFactor:

Yeah.

David Hernandez:

I can kind of relate. I think that's what hits a lot of Pokemon fans, especially from the video game aspect, because you know, a lot of people can criticize The Pokeball games are very bare bones. But that's kind of what makes them so appealing is that they're so bare bones that they can be your own journey. You can kind of mold them into what you want it to be in a way.

SwampFactor:

Mm-hmm.

David Hernandez:

Do you remember some of the first Pokemon you chose, obviously Mudkip was one of your first ones, but what other Pokemon would you, lean towards?

SwampFactor:

I actually have my final team, you compare 11-year-old Mees team standards to

David Hernandez:

Right. Yeah.

SwampFactor:

my final team was

David Hernandez:

mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

because reasons Ludicolo. And I still love that dancing pineapple to this day. I had a Swalot, an electrode, the cosplay, Pikachu, because it's Pikachu and Latias, because Flying Dragon legendary that could take me anywhere and it just looked cool and I had, and it could mega, so why not?

David Hernandez:

Right. That was also a fun part was just seeing it fly around and you kind of got to fly to different areas. So like actually the move fly, it actually, you got to fly there directly. I kind of wish they brought that back in a way.

SwampFactor:

Yeah. And the the flute where you could call and you could just fly around, on Latias.'cause that's how you've found a few things.

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm. well, I think that's also something else because you know, you got both the underwater, which is dive, you had both the land, which is, you know, the basic, but then you got to explore the sky. You got to kind of experience all three layers of Pokemon world. If so, you will,

SwampFactor:

Yep. And that's kind of what draws me back to ORAS is just that feeling of you can just go anywhere and have fun with it.

David Hernandez:

I wanted to know, so you clearly have some tie to Mudkip or the Swampert line. What is it about that Pokemon? Is it your favorite? Is it just something that you enjoy about it?

SwampFactor:

It is my absolute favorite. this is the first Pokemon that I ever had, and I have always loved it. I even have, I'm holding a Mudkip plush right now. If that tells anything how much I care about this Pokemon?

David Hernandez:

What'd you think of a mega swamper? Because I think that's when it made his debut as well.

SwampFactor:

yes. Well, it is my mascot because I mean, buff mud fish, that looks like it could absolutely just one hit KOU. That's just cool. cool. Again, I am easily impressed. So you give me buff mud fish that can absolutely beat you hell and

David Hernandez:

right.

SwampFactor:

Absolutely.

David Hernandez:

I feel like one punch from a a mega Mudkip would probably knock me through a couple. Or a Mega Swampert would probably knock me through like a couple buildings almost.

SwampFactor:

Yes, and that's why I love it. He's adorable and I love him.

Hey you. Yes, you with the ears. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. Love hearing real stories from real trainers. Help As The Pokeball turns become the best Pokemon interview podcast like no one ever was. By joining our Patreon, you're not just supporting the show. You're helping more fans share their journeys with the world. As a thank you, you'll get accustomed Pokemon Wristband each month themed after a featured Pokemon Hand on over to patreon.com/ As The Pokeball Turns and join our community today.

David Hernandez:

Well, after you know, ORAS,'cause that was your first game. Where did your Pokemon journey begin after that? Did you play more of the games? Did you go back into the anime?

SwampFactor:

I watched the anime and I also, started, picking up some more of the games. I believe the next one I played was either X or it was Sun. both.

David Hernandez:

Did you have a preference on either one between those two?

SwampFactor:

You both have, a lot of meaning to me.'cause Sun, I played the living daylights out of

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

I, that was the first game I got the shining jar in

David Hernandez:

Oh, wow.

SwampFactor:

it was just so, it was so much fun. That's really the game I started doing content creation with as

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

And it brings a lot of early memories back. My Ex is really good too. But cause I've played Gen six and seven

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

I just really enjoyed, I enjoyed the experience overall.

David Hernandez:

Well, let's, dive more into Pokemon Sun because you said that was your first game. You ever got this shiny charm. What made you even want to get the shiny charm? And were you interested in shiny Pokemon as heavily you are now? Or like, what was that kind of like?

SwampFactor:

Well, We have the wonderful world of YouTube and I saw so many shiny reaction compilations, from a lot of great people, blo, Pokemon, A Drive, you know, all, all those lovely folks. And I kind of was like, huh, I want to do that too. And so I was like, I'll complete the polka deck and get the Shiny Charm. I can, and that's kind of what started, this whole thing is now evolved into whatever this is.

David Hernandez:

so you just wanted to get it just to say you could get it, but then it turned into you being, I guess, more interested in trying to get the shiny versions of Pokemon at that point.

SwampFactor:

Yeah.

David Hernandez:

Wow. Do you remember the first shiny Pokemon that you ever tried to, actually hunt?

SwampFactor:

yes. So I have two answers to this. I have the first one that I

David Hernandez:

Okay.

SwampFactor:

and I have the first one that I actually went outta my way to hunt

David Hernandez:

Hey, let's do both.

SwampFactor:

So the first shiny Pokemon I got whenever the three DS, internet was still here with us. I did a lot of wonder trades and so I was just grinding out the Dex in alpha sapphire and I was just catching a bunch of Poochyena, Zigzagoon, Wurmple, and I look and I'm like, that's a purple Wurmple. So I got a full lodge, shiny Wurmple, my first ever, shiny mainland game. But the first one I went outta my way to hunt was I was doing two hunts at once. I was Masuda hunting, Rowlet in Sun. And then I also went for SOS Caterpie. Which I got in like 20 os calls.

David Hernandez:

so you basically, you kind think almost got the bug types almost except for T

SwampFactor:

Yeah, I, I, I like Shiny Rowlet, it is board, and I looked the.

David Hernandez:

What was it about the Shiny hunting that appealed to you, you think?

SwampFactor:

Eh, I wanted to really test my patience, and that has actually helped a lot later in

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

So like shiny hunting me the patience to do things that I need to do in my day to day life, Which sounds weird, but when you. Or constantly doing something and over and over, but it has an end result that you wanted and you got, because you waited long, it just makes the payoff so good.

David Hernandez:

I guess, could you give us an example of how the, how that kind of connects with each other? Because you said shining hunting gave you patience. I guess how did that translate to you being patient? In what way? If that makes sense.

SwampFactor:

one of the biggest things I've learned in my life is you can do everything right, but things take time. And a perfect example of this is. I was Shang rock and roll and sword, and fans of my channel know hunt full. That was a shining charm hunt in Pokemon sword. 10,999 was the number it took. but that hunt alongside many others made me feel like. I can do everything right. It just takes time. Whenever the time is there, the payoff is amazing.

David Hernandez:

I think I see where you're coming from.'cause basically it kind of goes to show that you don't always see the effort right away because you know you've gone through 10,998 checks, right? And you could have,

SwampFactor:

99,

David Hernandez:

well no I'm saying 10,000 before you got your, your shiny, right? That was on 10 99. So you went through 10,998 checks before you got your finding shiny. It could have been so easily to give up on things and like you said, you're doing things right and it's so important to come to some, sometimes. You kinda have to believe in the methods that you're following, even when you don't see the results right away. And I think that's so important because sometimes it's easier just to give up when we don't think that it's not getting the payoff that we think we should get.

SwampFactor:

Yeah.

David Hernandez:

What was the experience like when you got the shiny Roggenrola? I was very excited.

SwampFactor:

excited for it. It is, I think, my loudest, shiny reaction to date because it took seven phases, multiple hour streams, a pie to the face.

David Hernandez:

Apply to the face

SwampFactor:

through a lot for that one shiny, and I would do it all over again.

David Hernandez:

You mentioned how you know you're streaming on Twitch, you know you're going to an audience. what led you to start, streaming? What, like, what motivated you to do that?

SwampFactor:

A lot of things I do in my life, including streaming and making videos is just because why not?

David Hernandez:

Like why not just try it, see what happens, kind of thing.

SwampFactor:

Exactly, and if it's something I like, I'll continue to do it. If I don't like it, then I won't. I used to stream on YouTube stream in quotation marks. It was just me talking to my webcam because I didn't have a capture card and I'd sometimes show off the, the monitor I was using, but. Because I was also using my laptop, but that's about it until I got a capture card.

David Hernandez:

Mm. So what made you wanna return once, I guess, to Twitch?

SwampFactor:

so I started streaming on Twitch, August of 2020. So five years.

David Hernandez:

mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

And I was like, you know, it was COVID. I didn't start high school until that September. And I was just like, I'm just going to prop my phone on a box of Legos and shiny hunt Magnemite and see what happens.

David Hernandez:

So you put your phone on the Legos and that's how you streamed that first time.

SwampFactor:

Yes, and I did that for a solid, I think two months.

David Hernandez:

Oh, wow.

SwampFactor:

Yeah.

David Hernandez:

I mean, something must have appealed to you just to go through that kind of effort. I know it's just Legos, but it's kind of a weird setup to be honest.

SwampFactor:

Well, I had some friends that I met through, gotta give a, a shout out to this man. red Revenge nine nine. He helped introduce me to a lot of people that I still consider some of my best friends today. And because of them, they help me want to do streaming again, and actually stream games and not just, you know. Me

David Hernandez:

Right.

SwampFactor:

and then it just kind of snowballed into today

David Hernandez:

How important have those friendships been for you as far as streaming even Pokemon, in a way?

SwampFactor:

I'm gonna be a hundred percent honest. I have, I, I wanna preface this with saying I have never never contemplated ending my own life, guarantee. you if it was not for those people, I probably would not be here today.

David Hernandez:

Wow. They're that important to you.

SwampFactor:

Yes, because it's people that actually cared about me you know, through my best days. And Whatever, I was, whenever I was just like awful.

David Hernandez:

when you just had your shitty days or shitty phases. Yeah.

SwampFactor:

And you know, the fact is like I'm just a random kid from West Virginia. Ain't nobody knows what's going on here, but the fact that you know that these people could you? Yeah, me, it was like I would die for them.

David Hernandez:

I mean, I think it's important to have those people in your life who are gonna stand by your side, who's seen seeing you both at your best, in your worst, because it's easier for people to say when you're at your best, it's a whole different thing when they see you at your worse and you have nothing left to give,

SwampFactor:

Yep.

David Hernandez:

those are the people you want to make sure that. They know how much they mean to you in a way

SwampFactor:

Absolutely. that's kind of why I'm grateful for Pokemon is it's given me that friendship with people that. I am forever thankful for it.

David Hernandez:

In what ways? Just through the shiny hunting or the Twitch community or in other ways.

SwampFactor:

I've kind of dabbled in all realms of Pokemon and content integrations as a whole of, I've done playthroughs, I've done shiny hunting, I've done soul links. I've done, and I've done, I've even done some competitive. But kind of seeing that whole round through YouTube, twitch, all these different parts of the communities, just, it makes me feel good.

David Hernandez:

It sounds like it makes you feel included as well.

SwampFactor:

Yes.'cause that's something I, I didn't entirely struggle with that, but of, of people didn't have my same interests. So finding people that did helps a lot.

David Hernandez:

what type of events or stuff have you done with other, people on Twitch with Pokemon?

SwampFactor:

Ooh, there's a really good list. I've done charity events with, my folks over at Team Yell, which team I'm part of. We've done charity events together. We've done collaborative events together, the Shining Race tournaments, also this was about three years ago, the 1 51 Shiny Challenge ran by Naomi and Nerd out. Where we broke, I think it was three Guinness World

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

which were the broken later on, but still having the ability to be with people and break world records is insane.

David Hernandez:

What was that experience like for you when you at the time broke the world record?

SwampFactor:

Then a whole 24 hour span was amazing of getting to meet new

David Hernandez:

Mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

shiny hunting for anything in everything. I got the Shellder and it's in the, the video that, is on nerd ass channel. I got the shelter and I'm very happy with that. Because that orange clam is a beautiful, shiny, but also I needed an redemption for the nightmare. It caused me 4,000 casts. And, I can say that, I've been in the Guinness Book World Records Than, than once because of that. And I think just having that as like. Being in the book is crazy

David Hernandez:

mm-hmm.

SwampFactor:

Being in it multiple times is a whole other thing, and doing it with other people just makes it even sweeter.

David Hernandez:

It made you feel like you were a part of something bigger than yourself.

SwampFactor:

Yes,

David Hernandez:

Well, swamp factor, that's gonna be an interview. before you go, if people want to check out your content, if they wanna connect with you. Where can it go? By all means, please plug away.

SwampFactor:

So, on I do have a YouTube, youtube.com/wan factor. I upload every Monday at noon East Eastern time. we also have a short uploaded every Thursday. We also have V Channel Swamp Factor vds. We have a new VD uploaded every Wednesday at three o'clock Eastern. I stream on Twitch, right now. I tend to stream Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. That's my usual days. you can follow me on Twitter, at Swamp Factor. I have an Instagram. Just look up swamp after you'll find me there. on November 23rd, I will be streaming on Twitch. A featured event on the channel. We do this twice a year. It's called spiced out shiny Hunting where Shiny hunt, Pokemon, eat a bunch of spicy food we raise money for charity. the charity that we will be raising money for Children. children with, I generally don't like talking about politics, but sometimes you just got to with everything that's been going on in the United States, kids may not able to eat, and that's something that they should not be worrying about. So we're gonna raise money so that we kids can have some food on their table for Thanksgiving. And any monetary actions, whether direct or anything towards the channel, every cent will be going to the charity. So if you can show up, on Twitch or Steve slash One Factor, if you are not able to donate, perfectly fine. Just show up, hang out, have a good time. spread the word, let's feed some kids for this Thanksgiving.

David Hernandez:

Thanks for listening to As The Pokeball Turns, if this story resonated with you, share the podcast with the fellow trainer. Don't forget to follow us. For more voices, more journeys, and more memories. I'm David Hernandez, and remember, your next Pokemon adventure begins here.

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David Hernandez

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Layla

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