Lured Up - A Pokémon GO Podcast

Lured Up Podcast 408: Deflating Balloons

Live Streamed on - 9/10/2026

What a week it has been in Pokémon GO! Last weekend we had the GO Fest: Mega Finale, which came up a bit short for some Trainers. While we all play this game differently, the lack of Field Research seemed to impact everyone. The event would have felt a bit more rounded if we had it. We also discuss the increased Shiny rate that was advertised as part of the GO Pass Deluxe, but didn’t feel real during the event.

The event train continues to steam on, as we have Mega Squads this week and Gible Community Day Classic this weekend. The calendar is actually stacked for the rest of the month, including the Boston City Safari, that both Adam and I will be attending. Scopely released their map of the Eevee Stamp Rally and it is bonkers! We are ready for the challenge however and will be completing the entire thing on Saturday, 9/26! Stay tuned for details on out adventure if you would like to join us!

The big news this week has been about Scopely silently nerfing Rocket Balloons down to just one a day. While you would think this isn’t that big a deal, apparently all of X happens to be diehard balloon grinders. Ken mixes it up in the swamp and has some fun, but still managed to put together a nice blog that details his thoughts on why this could have happened. Could there be a silver lining in there somewhere?

Finally, our Professor’s Principle is about how easy it can be to confuse inconvenience for injustice. We find the parallel between life and Pokémon GO using the balloon situation as a palette. When things become so engrained in our daily routines, having that changed feels like a personal attack. We do our best to make sense of the situation and detail what could be the actual motivation behind the change. Will we ever get an official statement for Scopely about it? Probably not, so let’s inappropriately speculate on it instead!

Mega Finale

Mega Squads

Community Day Classic: Gible

City Safari: Boston

Rocket Balloon Madness

Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account!

Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor

LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639

Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork

Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp

Hosts

Ken Pescatore

Adam Tuttle

Writer and Producer

Ken Pescatore

Executive Producer

Xander

Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons

▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾

http://instagram.com/GameChops

http://twitter.com/GameChops

http://soundcloud.com/GameChops

http://facebook.com/GameChops

http://youtube.com/GameChops

http://www.gamechops.com

Intro Music

Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)

Tetracase

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

https://soundcloud.com/tetracase

https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0

Break Music

National Park

Mikel & GameChops

GameChops - Poké & Chill

http://smarturl.it/pokechill

https://twitter.com/mikel_beats

Outro Music

Vast Poni Canyon

CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats

https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity

Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.

#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast

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Lured Up Podcast 407 - You Can't Be Everywhere

Live Streamed on - 9/2/2026

The Mega Ascension is here which means it’s time for the Mega Finale! In typical Pokémon GO style, there is a massive lead in towards a big gameplay event. This means that you should have some awareness about the levels of your item inventory. Nothing will be worse than going into an event without the necessary supplies or bag space. Planning out and pacing your gameplay will be the way to go since we will have 16 hours of event gameplay this weekend!

San Francisco was jumping this weekend with the PokémonXP event and the World Championships! We had tons of updates including new Mega Levels, third attacks for Megas, and details on Mewtwo’s Adventure Effects. The announcement that really flipped the community on its head is the return of Armored Mewtwo, which will not be Shiny or Mega eligible! This obviously shocked the Community, and hilarity ensued online.

We also have a ton of September event details including Gible Community Day Classic, Phantump Catch Mastery, Mega Squads, Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day and the Pokémon Horizon’s Celebration! Re run through it all but make sure to keep the focus on the Ascension and Finale. Charge your devices!

Our Professor’s Principle this week covers how you can’t be everywhere at once. It was easy to get bummed out if you couldn’t make it to San Francisco. The flexibility of this game however, makes it possible to make the most of it wherever you are. Shifting mindsets from “What am I missing” to “What can I do” makes your action and motion part of the solution. The goal is to recognize the experiences that are available to you and be present enough to appreciate them.

KEEP TRAINING, TRAINERS!

Armwored Mewtwo

Best Tweet Ever

A Close Second

This One Is Fun

Mega Updates

Mega Finale

Savvy Games CEO Resigns

New World Champ

Twilight Trails GBL

Gibble Community Day Classic

Mega Ascension Global Challenge

Phantump Catch Mastery

Mega Squads

Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day

Horizon’s Celebration

Stay up to date by adding our Google Calendar to your account!

Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor

LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639

Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork

Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp

Hosts

Ken Pescatore

Adam Tuttle

Writer and Producer

Ken Pescatore

Executive Producer

Xander

Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons

▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾

http://instagram.com/GameChops

http://twitter.com/GameChops

http://soundcloud.com/GameChops

http://facebook.com/GameChops

http://youtube.com/GameChops

http://www.gamechops.com

Intro Music

Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)

Tetracase

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

https://soundcloud.com/tetracase

https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0

Break Music

National Park

Mikel & GameChops

GameChops - Poké & Chill

http://smarturl.it/pokechill

https://twitter.com/mikel_beats

Outro Music

Vast Poni Canyon

CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats

https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity

Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.

#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lured Up Podcast 406 - Happy Trails

Live Streamed on - 8/26/2026

Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor

When the pacing of the game is nonstop, even a slow down feels like a break. While we had the wrap up of the Water Festival, the kickoff of the Worlds event and Mega Starmie over the weekend, we still know that the road to the finale is upon us. We will be swimming in events and activity over the next few weeks, so it’s time to prepare both on and off screen.

The news cycle never cares about how exhausted we are with the announcement of the next season in Pokémon GO, Twilight Trails! While we have the key art and a few bits of information, it will likely be a few weeks before we can really start to get the vibe of things. It brings up the discussion of the importance of seasons, and if they are necessary to the game anymore. We don’t really see any narrative, and the events just flow into each other. We would love to hear what you think about seasons and what you want out of them.

Wayfarer is having a major update that moves it further to being an independent tool outside of Pokémon GO. Beginning on September 1st, you will be taken to the Wayfarer Website to manage nominations and all of Wayfarer, rather than remaining inside of Pokémon GO. The reaction is mixed, with more casual Wayfinders being reluctant to want to move, and the experienced map-makers loving the decision.

We wrap up with a Professor’s Principle about “Protecting your peace”. There are plenty of things within the game and community that can have an impact on your mental state. We see tons of anger and negativity online every day. That has a negative impact on your peace, as it drains some energy out of you that could have been used for something positive. We discuss how finding things that being you joy while letting go of things that drain you is a fantastic approach to shifting your energy. Rather than needing to find more energy (we are already exhausted), we talk about releasing energy that we are spending in a negative way, and reallocating it to something that supports your joy and peace.

Pokemon XP & Worlds Events

Starmie Super Mega Raid Day

Twitlight Trails

Wayfarer Update

GO Pass: September

Ken on Incensed

LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639

Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork

Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp

Hosts

Ken Pescatore

Adam Tuttle

Writer and Producer

Ken Pescatore

Executive Producer

Xander

Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons

▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾

http://instagram.com/GameChops

http://twitter.com/GameChops

http://soundcloud.com/GameChops

http://facebook.com/GameChops

http://youtube.com/GameChops

http://www.gamechops.com

Intro Music

Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)

Tetracase

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

https://soundcloud.com/tetracase

https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0

Break Music

National Park

Mikel & GameChops

GameChops - Poké & Chill

http://smarturl.it/pokechill

https://twitter.com/mikel_beats

Outro Music

Vast Poni Canyon

CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats

https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity

Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.

#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lured Up Podcast 405:

Live Streamed on - 8/18/2026

Publish Date - 8/20/2026

We got back to basics last week, so we get back to gameplay this week. We start with a recap of the last week including having a week off of events, Nickit Community Day, and the kickoff of the Water Festival. Adam worked a card show but was able to squeeze in the final hour, and Ken was able to play in Red Bank with a solid group of Trainers. The Water Festival is a pretty awesome event, with new Pokémon, boosted Shinies, and some solid Tier 1 and 3 Raids. This week is also a great one to put in some grinding as we earn more and more XP and Stardust bonuses as we progress through the event.

That week off was a nice break but Lunala and Mega Starmie mean that it is time to get back to Raids.Lunala’s Shiny debut will be a popular one for sure, and a Super Mega Raid Day for Starmie will be 6 hours of Mega Raid goodness. We take a look at both Pokebattler and GO Hub to put a little Raid Guide and Battle Party together for them both. We will likely see plenty of Mega Mewtwo Y in the lobbies as it is a top counter for both bosses.

We have some time before the end of month push with XP, Worlds, Mega Ascension, and the Mega Finale take over our lives for a bit. This week is the perfect opportunity to perform your Pokémon storage and item maintenance. It has been a struggle for many to recover from GO Fest, so you should have awareness now if you want to make sure your GO Plus can run non stop during the events. Is buying box storage the answer? It is really only a short term solution because if you don’t have an inventory plan, you will end up out of space very quickly.

We wrap up with our Professor’s Principle of the week, which takes a look at how important it is to position yourself in a way to achieve small victories. From setting fun and unique personal challenges in the game, to letting Party play guide you, there are ways to keep momentum pushing forward to make a gameplay session more fun and engaging, without needing a big reward at the end. It parallels well with life too. Pride is an awesome feeling that is helped along when you feel accomplished. Finding a process that includes small and achievable goals is an awesome way to keep yourself feeling driven and motivated to press on.

Nickit Community Day

Water Festival

Starmie Super Mega Raid Day

Pokebattler Lunala Counters

GO Hub Lunala Counters

Pokébattler Mega Starmie Counters

GO Hub Mega Starmie Counters

Pokémon XP & Worlds Events

GO Fest Mega Ascension & Finale

Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor

LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639

Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork

Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp

Hosts

Ken Pescatore

Adam Tuttle

Writer and Producer

Ken Pescatore

Executive Producer

Xander

Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons

▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾

http://instagram.com/GameChops

http://twitter.com/GameChops

http://soundcloud.com/GameChops

http://facebook.com/GameChops

http://youtube.com/GameChops

http://www.gamechops.com

Intro Music

Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)

Tetracase

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

https://soundcloud.com/tetracase

https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0

Break Music

National Park

Mikel & GameChops

GameChops - Poké & Chill

http://smarturl.it/pokechill

https://twitter.com/mikel_beats

Outro Music

Vast Poni Canyon

CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats

https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity

Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.

#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lured Up Podcast 404: The Plan All Along

Live Streamed on - 8/13/2026

Publish Date - 8/14/2026

What a week, am I right? Seriously though, this week has been a wild ride as Scopely Explore dropped multiple massive news bombs this week. While we start things off recapping the Summer Marathon, it isn’t long before we spill into the larger news stories. The first being the details of the Mega Finale, which have come to little to no fanfare. Trainers are not too happy with the Raid lineup of the event, as we won’t be able to grind the Kalos Mega Starters and we will once again have Mewtwo in the mix. That is of course, after everyone in the game just got a free Hundo Mewtwo with a background.

Trainers were shocked to learn about a free Timed Research that rewarded a Hundo Mewtwo, and of course the internet was ablaze with reactions. From Trainers thinking it is the best thing since sliced bread, to some that somehow found a way to still be upset about things. At the end of the day, this was an unprecedented move that opened up a lot of questions. Was this a reaction to the online community’s complaints or was this the plan all along? While we will likely never know, there is plenty of speculation flying around.

The final big news drop was that the Explorer Gadget has now rolled out globally to Trainers level 20 and above. While not a direct replacement for the GO Plus+, the tool is a bit clunky and cumbersome to figure out, with limited explanation of how it truly works for it to be effective. We are sure that Trainers that do not have autocatcher hardware will love it, for those of us that have a GO Plus+, it just doesn’t stack up and isn’t the tool we hoped it will be. Adam feels like it will evolve over time, so we will have to see!

Our Professor’s Principle this week is about Expectation vs. Reality. With so many Trainers online being upset about the Mega Finale, it really comes down to them being upset about something they never even had. It opens a discussion about how to balance standards against expectations to find a place in the middle where you leave room to be flexible. The journey is part of the process and when you allow some uncertainty to the outcome, it allows you to adapt to manage emotions and ultimately disappointment. Let us know what you think!

Listen to this episode ad free on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/PokemonProfessor

Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers

GO Fest: Mega Finale

Hundo Mewtwo

Explorer Gadget

LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com | Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639

Grab some merch: https://crowdmade.com/collections/professornetwork

Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/LuredUp

Hosts

Ken Pescatore

Adam Tuttle

Writer and Producer

Ken Pescatore

Executive Producer

Xander

Show music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons

▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾

http://instagram.com/GameChops

http://twitter.com/GameChops

http://soundcloud.com/GameChops

http://facebook.com/GameChops

http://youtube.com/GameChops

http://www.gamechops.com

Intro Music

Lake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix)

Tetracase

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

https://soundcloud.com/tetracase

https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0

Break Music

National Park

Mikel & GameChops

GameChops - Poké & Chill

http://smarturl.it/pokechill

https://twitter.com/mikel_beats

Outro Music

Vast Poni Canyon

CG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)

GameChops - Ultraball

http://gamechops.com/ultraball/

http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beats

https://soundcloud.com/glitchxcity

Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2026Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Scopely ExploreLured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.

#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices