The Trainer’s Guide podcast is going LIVE! Join hosts Veronica and Rena, for this premier poké-tastic event as we kick off New York Comic Con week at Caveat in NYC! This week Ash and Pikachu put their skills to the test at Officer Jenny’s Growlithe Police Boot Camp! Do they have what it takes to be the strongest and bravest team in the pack? Or will Team Rocket finally succeed in capturing Pikachu and the entire Growlithe pack before the training is completed? This episode will include the usual recap, personal stories, lessons learned, and, best of all, YOU! Join us for all your favorite commentary and fun, PLUS a live audience and an amazing Poké Wrap-Up!

It’s that time of year again when the Bulbasaur make their pilgrimage to the Mysterious Garden for their evolution ceremony! After battling a mountain man and his Rhyhorn, Ash’s Bulbasaur is forced to confront its own possible evolution. Will it choose to be part of the big evolve-arama? Or will it stay true to itself and follow its own path? Will Team Rocket be joining the Bulbasaur Bonanza or be blasting off again? In this week's episode, we discuss the importance of challenging oneself, evolving at your own pace, and the interconnectedness of the environment, plants, and animals.

After a quick chat with Professor Oak and a Pokédex upgrade, our trio find themselves in a fight for the right to keep the newly hatched Togepi. Will Meowth out ‘mother’ Brock? Does finders keepers work with Pokémon? Is Psyduck really that ticklish? We discuss the storyline that is told from the Book of Solomon to Bertolt Brecht to Pokémon, the importance of asking questions of those who may have answers, and going with the flow.

While taking a break in a meadow, our friends encounter a rare (and possibly delicious) Farfetch’d. This thieving Pokémon and its trainer prey on the weaknesses of others, rather than battling to “win” Pokémon. Will this dastardly duo ever change their ways? Will Team Rocket ever catch a break? Is Psyduck a duck (and equally delicious)?? In this episode, we discuss the importance of staying curious, challenging oneself, and appreciating the talents in others.

It’s double trouble time! After stumbling upon a missing persons poster that strangely resembles James, our trio is whisked away in a limo and entangled in a diabolical plot to get James to tie the knot! Will he succumb to the societal pressure from his parents and marry the controlling Jessibelle? In this episode, we discuss the importance of following your own path, acknowledging the needs of your friends and family, and references to traditional Japanese costumes.

After rushing Pikachu to the hospital for its vocal loss, our trio must help a tired and overworked Doctor Procter with a Pokémon emergency! With their lab coats on, Ash, Misty, and Brock must learn a quick lesson in bedside manner to help care for the injured. Is there enough superglue to put every Pokémon back together? Will anyone accept Dr. Procter’s pizza proposition? In this episode, we discuss the important role of first responders and healthcare professionals, the need for empathy and understanding for all, and how, in this case, an apple a day does not keep the doctor away!

This week, our trio find themselves in Grandpa Canyon in the midst of the Great Fossil Rush with Gary and Jigglypuff digging in to the story. As a result of Team Rocket’s dynamite explosion, ancient fossil Pokemon have been awakened. Can they all work together to avoid becoming extinct? Will Jigglypuff find an audience who appreciates its song? Who is the real loser…Ash or Gary?? We discuss fossil hunting, taking the environment into consideration before disturbing it, and the importance of having supportive cheerleaders by your side.

This episode finds our heroes in Neon Town amidst grouchy, sleep deprived townspeople. They seek solace in the woods and come upon a Jigglypuff who has lost the ability to sing its sleep inducing lullaby. Will the cure be found in medicinal fruit? Will Team Rocket succeed in getting the whole town to nod off? Will the marker ever run out of ink? We discuss the incredible talents of Rachael Lillis as Misty, Jessie, and Jigglypuff, the importance of acknowledging the talents of others, and how bullying often stems from difficulties at home.

This week, our trainers arrive in Moss Green Village where they encounter Cassandra, a Pokémon herbalist and her incredibly shy Paras. When they learn that Paras is having trouble evolving, Ash, Misty, and Brock do everything they can to help… even Team Rocket arrives to cheer on their Poké-pupil! Can Paras gain enough confidence and experience points to evolve in time? Will Meowth be able to convince Cassandra to let him stay with her? And can Ash ever get enough experience as a trainer to earn Charmeleon’s respect? This week we discussed the power of empathy in healing, allowing others to win, and the small steps toward achieving your goals.

Hello everyone. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and memories of Rachael Lillis. Please continue to do so. It helps us all navigate this difficult time. Just to let you know, this week’s podcast was recorded last week, before this devastating news. With love, Veronica & Rena Abracadabra! Our heroes find themselves at a carnival with a struggling Magician and his Execute. Will they be able to build his confidence before the Exeggutor stampede crushes the town. We discuss the Poké-fashion choices, coconut trees, and the importance of ancestors and community in achieving your dreams.

This week’s episode has our heroes seeing red or is that just ketchup? They find themselves in the middle of two rival gangs competing to be the best Pokémon gym. We discuss the importance of good sportsmanship between trainers and in the Olympics, ethical treatment of Pokémon, and fun nicknames.

After arriving in a town suffering from a mysterious water shortage, Ash, Misty, and Brock agree to follow the dried up riverbed to investigate. In this week’s episode, we discuss the importance of always treating people with kindness, an unexpected partnership with Team Rocket, and the power of a poké-flute.

This week, our trainers find themselves at a lovely garden party in Stone Town where festive party going trainers feast and evolve their pokemon with stones sourced from nearby Evolution Mountain. Could forced evolution be the best way to become a successful trainer? In this episode we discuss different Pokémon training methodologies, the importance of communication and trust with your family and friends, and the incredible fashion choices of the three Eevee brothers!

Deep in the forest, our trainers find a colony of wild Pikachu! After performing a dramatic rescue, our Pikachu is welcomed into the group. Now, Ash must come to terms with the fact that he may have to continue his journey without his trusty Pikachu by his side. In this episode we discuss the value of letting go in a relationship, the basic need for community and ritual, and what the plural of Pikachu would be… Pikachu? Pikachus? Pikachi???

Our trio sees double this week when they meet Duplica and her Ditto in the House of Imité. Dazzled by her knowledge and transformative expertise, the gang sets out to discover if imitation can ever be better than the “real thing”. In this episode, everyone gets to play a different role! We discuss the creativity and skill needed for imitation and the lack of it in AI, Brock’s “manly” intuition, and seeing “Hell’s Kitchen” on Broadway.

Our trio is out of the woods and back in the land of concrete and deep dish cheese pizzas! Tasked with delivering medicine for a sick Pokémon in Sunny Town, Ash, Misty, and Brock ride across the 10 mile bridge using bikes provided by Nurse Joy. During their ride, they are stopped not only by a bicycle gang who demand a battle in exchange for crossing, but also by a unicycling Team Rocket! Will Ash be able to deliver the medicine in time? Will Brock get a date? Who are Big Jess and Little Jim- and what keeps their hair so bouncy? In this episode we discuss the significance of the Golem in Hebrew mythology, the pitfalls of herd mentality and how to avoid them, and the resilience of recycled glass!

Deep in the Safari Zone, our heroes encounter a stampeding herd of Kangaskhan. They must work together with the Tarzan-like child Tomo and his parents to defeat Team Rocket’s plan to capture them all. We discuss protecting animals on a reserve, the importance of the family you choose, and our first foray into filming the podcast at CueTone Media in Auckland, NZ!

Howdy y’all! On the way to the Safari Zone, Ash and his pals make a pit stop at the Big P Pokémon Ranch, where they meet Lara Laramie and her Ponyta, just in time for Race Day! Ash must take the reins after Lara is injured… will he and Ponyta make it across the finish line? In this week’s episode we discuss the importance of trust and support in relationships, how having a singular focus can cut through the chaos, and our current travels!

On the way to the Fuchsia Gym, Ash and the gang find themselves lost in a mysterious mansion filled with traps and tricks around every corner. Ash’s skills are put to the test when confronted by two ninja Pokémon trainers and things get a bit sticky when Team Rocket appears. Will Ash earn a Soul Badge? How do Team Rocket carry all their costumes? What can cure Psyduck’s intermitable headache??? On this week’s episode we discuss the importance of never underestimating people (or Pokémon), thinking before you act, and how to communicate telepathically with your Pokémon.

On the way to Fuchsia Gym, our gang is thrust into an extermination scheme to get rid of the Diglett that are interrupting the construction of the Gaiva Dam! But, who is in the right? Are aliens really behind the construction zone? Will Gary Oak and his fan club be able to eradicate the pesky Diglett? Will Jessie and James ever get lunch??? In this week’s episode, we emphasize the importance of environmental protection, self interest vs interest in others, and insight into creating the voice of Diglett.