FCG: Hello everyone! Fact Checking Gardevoir here! I am online with a fellow moderator of PokéCommunity, who takes care of PokéCommunity Daily, The Clubhouse and Pokémon Switch Games sections: Confused Piplup!

CP: Hi!

FCG: So, Confused Piplup, how have you got into Pokémon?

CP: It all started when I was a child. I loved animals and I aspired to become a veterinarian.

One Christmas, when I was 7/8, my parents bought me a DS Lite with a game called Dolphin Island, which was about taking care of some animals in an aquatic zoo. It was quite a nice game!

My older cousin had a DS Lite as well and he was playing Pokémon Diamond. I was looking at him and I was really amazed by the game. He told me that we could have played together, if I had bought the game. So, not much time later, my parents gifted me Pokémon Diamond. I didn’t really choose between the games, since my cousin told me to get the same version he owned, as he wasn’t sure we could have played together otherwise. Ever since those first years in high school, I haven’t stopped playing games in the Pokémon series.

FCG: A fitting job for a kind soul like yours! And a DS Lite? Such a nice gift! I will always remember the day my own family offered me a Pocket Gameboy with Pokémon Red in my younger years! Pity you did not acquire Pearl, but in uncertainty, better safe than sorry!

CP: After Pokémon X, I stopped playing and got back into the series in 2017 with Pokémon Ultra Moon. As I didn’t have a Nintendo Switch for a few years, I mostly followed Pokémon without playing.

FCG: I can relate! While my interest for the games dropped quite a bit after Ruby, I never truly left and have been playing games, official and fan-made. There are a few pearls (pun intended!) among the fan-made projects!

CP: Other than that, I have always been into the franchise and most of its products. I wasn’t fond of the card game or the anime, but I followed it anyway and I still kinda collected cards. As a child, I pretty much loved the fourth generation anime arc. I also liked the movies.

I have never had any interest in manga though. I have only read the part about the Diamond, Pearl and Platinum story some years ago, mainly out of curiosity. I was quite disappointed, to be honest.

FCG: We might have more in common than I thought! I have never had much interest in the card game and manga either. I enjoyed, and I still enjoy, watching the movies!

What are your highlights in experiencing Pokémon?

CP: There are quite a lot! Firstly, all the friends I could make thanks to it. As a child, I came to know many people that played Pokémon as well and I have always been seen as a true expert lol. I helped many people with the games and I had a lot of fun. If a kid had a DS, I would most likely become their friend lol. When I was a child, it was one of the best tools for socializing!

FCG: Hehe! The same thing happened to me sometimes! I once was asked for help by a parent, to help their child in catching Mewtwo without using the Master Ball in the first generation. I wrote the way to do so on a paper and gave it to them, and the parent later confirmed their child’s success! It was such a craze, when the Blue and Red games arrived… they were everywhere!

What did you do next?

CP: Growing up, the interest in the game changed, focusing more on the story rather than just playing with friends.

And that’s the other point: the variety of the games! Playing Pokémon, I have fun in many different ways. The story, the Pokédex and the competitive part are all really enjoyable and they definitely make the games longer and more interesting.

Talking about experience, I have learnt a lot of things thanks to Pokémon. I used the computer a lot, so I learned how to search things on the web, I developed some basic strategic abilities, got into some statistics and I also think it boosted my creativity!

FCG: I am happy to hear it helped you learn a lot of things! This truly is one of Pokémon’s main strengths: accessible to casual gamers who want to have light fun, while also offering complexity for the competitive gamers who want the best teams. With all the Natures, EVs, IVs and such… I have to admit I am more into casual gaming, but to each their own, right?

CP: Sure!

FCG: Now, how have you got in PokéCommunity and ended up in its moderator team?

CP: Well, it was the time of the pandemic and I started using the computer and chat rooms a lot. I used to do that even before, but for other reasons and I had both good and bad experiences. However, I used those tools mainly to get to know people.

At some point, quite randomly, I became extremely tired of the usual websites and I wondered if there was a place for people who enjoyed Pokémon just like me: it would have made things easier for me! Finding someone to finally share my biggest passion with sounded really good to me.

So, I found PokéCommunity. I wasn’t used to forums at all, in fact I felt a bit lost at first. I knew what a forum was because I had often found precious answers there before, but I had never joined one.

When I got into PokéCommunity, I felt at home: I could finally discuss with someone about one of the things I enjoy the most. It was one of the best feelings ever! I think that what got me into the mod team was being persistent with replies and showing particular interest in the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Indeed, I was chosen as a mod for that section!

When I was asked to be a mod, it was pretty unexpected for me, but I happily accepted because I was really excited for the game and because it could have been a nice opportunity to talk to other people too.

FCG: Same! I have never truly been into forums either, before. PokéCommunity’s forums are the first ones in which I realized I wanted to stay and in which I enjoyed being active. The offer to join the moderators was a surprise for me too! When I started, I was far from thinking I would become so involved!

CP: I am not a super social person, but very slowly I managed to make nice friendships.

After I became a mod, I was still a bit lost because I wasn’t familiar with all the forum sections yet and I had been missing for a while before being asked to mod.

So, I started exploring the main sections and learned more things about PC and even made some other friends. I was quite active in the Trivia section and in the Forum Games one, other than the usual ones where I discussed about the games. I even started exploring other parts of the Forum as well: Challenges, Travel journals and even the hack ROM section. That’s when I worked on Pokémon Lucian Diamond, which was basically Pokémon Diamond, but I had to play as Lucian. It was both a character challenge and a monotype challenge.

I also worked on the DS Rom to make it possible to use Lucian as the main sprite. It was nothing too crazy, but it was still pretty fun.

Then, I discovered Pokémon Daily and since they were looking for new members and since I used to write some articles for this quite big Italian website about Pokémon, I decided to apply. I think the Pokémon Daily team is awesome and I have always had fun and an incredible satisfaction every time I have written an article!

FCG: Again, I can relate! PC forums sure have a good number of nice – no, wonderful – users, and staff members, to befriend!

Same thing for the articles! Co-writing interviews with my new friends and sharing with them the excitement of seeing it published filled me with so much joy!

CP: I had to take a break because I felt the need to organize my days in a more efficient way. I started being less active in Trivia, but more active on Forum Games and the Clubhouse, which is a place on the forums that I have always loved. It’s such a good idea to let people have a space where they can express and discuss about all the other passions they have. I feel like it’s a great way to know each other even better!

I soon got involved in many clubs, because I have many interests. After a while, I advanced the idea of making an Animal Crossing fan club because I love the games and because I knew some people liked them as well. Despite the initial challenge of keeping the club active enough, it was still rewarded as “club of the season”, which made me really happy!

Just recently, I was asked to become a mod of the Clubhouse and I decided to accept because it’s one of my favorite sections in the entire forum and because the other mods are super lovely!

FCG: I am happy for you!

What is your situation in PC, now?

CP: Nowadays, I still try to do the same things: being active and exploring other sections!

I am currently trying to advance in some challenges I started this summer, I am keeping up the Animal Crossing fan club, I have some plans for other sections too and lastly, I am working on a new project called Pokémon Classical Platinum, which aims to change almost all the music in the original game with classical pieces. Just recently, version 0.1 was launched, containing new music for all the cities and towns. It’s indeed the first big step for the project and it’s real fun working on it!

I love PokéCommunity because it’s a place where I can express myself and all the different interests I have. I like trying and experimenting most of the things the Forum has to offer.

FCG: Another thing I wanted to ask you is: What are your favourite games and Pokémon?

CP: This might not be a surprise to many people. I am a huge fan of the fourth generation games: Diamond/Pearl and Platinum.

The story, the lore, the gameplay, the characters, the designs, the music and obviously all the memories make those games the best ones for me.

Following those, there is indeed Pokémon Emerald. It has amazing music, incredibly good Pokémon designs, a very unique geography, a nice gameplay and so on. What I didn’t quite like was the story, but that’s another matter lol. I love a good amount of spin-offs as well, like Pokémon Colosseum, the Mystery Dungeon and the Ranger series.

About my favorite Pokémon, it’s not a big secret to many people as well lol.

Without any doubt, Piplup and Empoleon are my favorite Pokémon and are at the number 1 spot together. That’s because of my choice in Pokémon Diamond. I trained my Empoleon to level 100, which required a lot of time and so much effort! I share a lot of good memories with my Empoleon, so he definitely has a special place in my heart. I remember playing with a friend against his level 70 Torterra and, in the end, my Empoleon won against his Torterra by using Surf, which was the move I usually spammed. Since then, my friends recognized how strong me and my Empoleon were.

FCG: We both have fond memories of our friendly battles with friends. One which stands out for me is the moment I sent my Charizard against a friend’s Blastoise, both Level 100. I went close to take it down by spamming Dig, but then, its Hydro Cannon hit my Pokémon… I stared with increasing fear as my Pokémon’s HP kept decreasing… then, everyone who was watching this screamed in excitement when Charizard’s HP stopped on one hit point! ONE!

CP: Haha!

I even got a lot of ribbons with Empoleon, so yeah, he was also a star, lol. Other Pokémon I like are mainly Water type Pokémon! I love Lumineon for its colors, Milotic, Kingdra, Lapras. I have many more, to be honest. In general, I would say my favourite Pokémon are almost all from the third and the fourth generation. As for the Legendaries, I am predictable as usual, since I really love Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus and Cresselia.

In addition to them, I also like Manaphy, Phione and Shaymin. Other Legendaries I love are definitely Rayquaza, Kyogre, Xerneas and Reshiram. Miraidon looks really cool and while I am still a bit mixed on it, I am pretty sure it will be one of my top five all time Legendary favorites!

FCG: I love Lapras, Milotic, Giratina, Rayquaza, Dialga and Cresselia, too! They have been part of some of my teams, be it in official or in fan made games. I am certainly curious about what Scarlet/Violet games will bring us!

Your strong Empoleon reminds me of my Swampert in Ruby… So strong that it singlehandedly plowed through the whole game, League included! At the end, it was like one move, one KO! Hehe!

CP: Lol!

FCG: Thank you, Confused Piplup, for your time!

CP: And thank you too, FCG!

FCG: And that’s it for today, everyone! See you later, for our next interview! Stay tuned! And if you’re interested in taking part in an interview – or being the interviewer – let us know in the comments!

Header image by Confused Piplup.

Edited by Arcaneum and bobandbill.