The gleaming neon streets of Ryme City were buzzing with excitement as the detective duo of Tanner Greenring and his loyal Pokemon companion, Fjeloette, took the case in an exciting new episode of EXP. Share. Tanner's rugged exterior and sharp wit, coupled with Fjeloette's unwavering loyalty and fierce determination, make for a formidable team as the duo tracks down their elusive gumshoe Tim, who was on a mission to avenge the assault on an innocent Aipom. Along the way, Tanner and Fjeloette wou...
Feb 21, 2023•45 min•Season 7Ep. 18
In our final Alolan episode, we might not be able to go chasing waterfalls, but we do chase just about every dang other thing. We go island-hopping and check in on all our old friends and foes; collecting Totem Stickers and Zygarde Cells; Charizard Gliding and Mantine Surfing to see if Skull Lord can retain his title as King of the Waves. We go hunting for Tapus—one of us in a literal sense—and hunting for Ultra Beasts to see if there's anything good in those Ultra Wormholes (spoiler: there wasn...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 17
Greg Leatherman, this season’s over/Guzzlord joins us again to keep Tanner in check and also tell us what exactly goes on in the Sun/Moon story versus what we’ve just experienced now that we’re in Ultra Sun/Moon's postgame. The thing is, while we do learn that the story in this game is a total mess, we also had a blast with Episode RR and facing off against the series’ very baddest criminal minds up till this point. Team Rainbow Rocket Giovanni? An icon, and an ally, or maybe even one of the oth...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Skull Lord has crushed the Alolan Region under his boot at last and Parrothead has kept the good vibes and good GOOD Pinap Berry juice flowing from sea to shred-worthy sea. There’s just one last obstacle to overcome for the disjointed duo. No, like, literally—they had to climb a mountain this week. And honestly? They both felt pretty ishy about it since it was apparently SACRED GROUND to the Tapus. (By the way, Tapu-hunting season is OPEN!) When we finally overcame every challenge and crested ev...
Jan 31, 2023•49 min•Season 7Ep. 15
We take a quick moment to address the controversy spread 'round the internet last week, and finally give into popular demand for our official comment on Gholdengo's appointment as National Dex Pokémon #1000. Then, we set our watches back to Island Time and ascend the Altars of the Sunne/Moone to determine whether Solgaleo & Lunala and their alt formes Dawn Wings Necrozma & Dusk Mane Necrozma are as ugly as we originally thought. From there, Parrothead & Skull Grunt are sucked into an...
Jan 24, 2023•54 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Welcome to Mantine Surf's Up! An honest-to-goodness quarter hour dedicated to the greatest Pokémon mini-game athlete(s) this side of Wela Volcano: Skull Grunt. And Parrothead was there too, and he was doing his best and we’re all going to cheer him on too, guys, c’mon! Emmy committee, you can send our podcasting Emmys to our agents’ offices and our prize money directly to Atlantic City because we’re celebrating tonight! And there’s no better place to soak in the victory over that poor, sweet, Yo...
Jan 17, 2023•46 min•Season 7Ep. 13
The Aether Foundation is in ruins, Team Skull is under new management, Guzma is trapped in the Hell dimension, and little Nebby the Cosmog– er... Cosmoem is in the wind, but that’s not going to stop Skull Grunt and Parrothead from having a good time at the quaint little seaside resort of Seafolk Village. We picked up a few new villains and questionably chill teammates this week, as well as a couple of really sick flutes that may or may not influence the destiny of the entire Alolan region. Until...
Jan 10, 2023•47 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Join us for "#150—the Mewtwo Episode" as we spend the entirety of our journey this week inside of the kind of place that Mewtwo hates—a big, sterile, human-controlled lab! Where we are dragged into some serious family drama between the Aether royalty, its founder and President Lusamine and her two (apparently) spoiled brats, Gladion & Lillie, plus executive Faba and also Team Skull's Guzma who is caught under Lusamine's thrall. Eventually, freshly anointed Team Skull Admin Skull Grunt & ...
Jan 03, 2023•49 min•Season 7Ep. 11
We’ve added another host from PKMNcast to our collection with Greg Leatherman (also of vre.show and Glitter Hearts fame) joining us for a fun chat about the Alola region this week. Actually, “fun chat” is a generous term because it’s mostly just Greg taking Tanner to task for technical, character, AND personal decisions he’s made this season. Actually, “taking-to-task” is a generous term because Greg tears Tanner to absolute shreds. Like, scorched earth stuff. We also played some Pokémon. ¯\_(ツ)...
Dec 27, 2022•49 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Parrothead & Skull Grunt head back down one mountain and up another this week, where while Skull Grunt is spreading disinformation about how dirty geothermal power plants are, he also finally manages to evolve his Charjabug. Then, one trainer takes the lead in the Totem Tally count, and another ascends to the top of the Mantine Surf competition. But both have a variety of disturbing interactions with Swimmers, Veterans, and their ghostly companions—and that's before they even make it to Acer...
Dec 20, 2022•53 min•Season 7Ep. 9
We’re joined by Fionnuala Jones again this week, and she’s brought a whole island’s worth of trashy Pokémon with her. (And, weirdly, we’re not talking about the islands of Ireland, Cork, or Bainbridge.) Meanwhile, the boys have found their way to a new island themselves—Ula'ula Island—where they face an ass-backward “Kantonian-style” gym, dodge golf balls on the side of a mountain, and encounter the most punchable face this side of the Festival Plaza. And what do they have to show for it? Well, ...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 8
We're trying out the "route by route" versus "gym by gym" thing this season, and maybe we got it wrong this episode. The leg is short. We spend a lot of time discussing whether or not Pokémon like Hypno and Bewear are bad or chill guys, and encounter our first official (aka non-Pokémon Go) Ultra Beast, the least-hideous one Nihilego. Then, Parrothead & Skull Grunt have a rematch.
Dec 06, 2022•58 min•Season 7Ep. 7
To partially quote Rob Thomas feat. Santana: man, this is a hot one. Like, hot as in stolen because there’s a bit of a stir this week when it’s uncovered that Tanner is playing on non-regulation equipment. But as Skull Grunt always says, "you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few Exeggcutes and you can’t catch a presumably neon pink or green Poliwrath without playing the game at 2x speed." Or was that an Elon Musk quote? We meet a handsome old friend along Route 9, some not-so-handsome old...
Nov 29, 2022•48 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Parrothead & Skull Grunt go their own way this week, with Parrothead keeping himself and his flock roosted on Akala while Skull Grunt takes to the sky with Charizard Glide and goes off on some misadventures back on Melemele. Then they explore the newly unlocked northern half of Akala, encountering a string of strange characters, past and present—from the robots to Colress's confounding hair, to Kukui's wife and some mysterious golfers who practice their swings in a parking lot outside of a j...
Nov 22, 2022•54 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Josh & Tanner are joined by actual Pokémon Lore Master, Daniel Dockery, author of the book "Monster Kids"! They chat about their own Pokémon origin stories; some of the most interesting anecdotes Daniel learned while writing the book about the series' beginnings; whether or not the anime is good; and of course learn his Sweetie and Barfy. Plus, he gives a vibe check on if Parrothead & Skull Grunt's teams actually fit the themes they're trying to embody. From there, we head down Route 6 f...
Nov 15, 2022•53 min•Season 7Ep. 4
We say “Heya!” to Heahea City and the surrounding area this week, including what remains of Westworld now that HBO has decided they’re done with it; a big, mean spider who really put the hurt on us; and a disgusting/lovely little donkey (depending on which cohost you ask). We take on our third trial this week, and were promised a silly giant fish made out of silly small fish, but instead met a whole army of Barfy (and notably NOT bad-guy) Pokémon. Here’s a pitch: what if there was a Pokémon that...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Okay, so we’re still calibrating with the whole “no gyms” thing, so an oddly short leg this week, made to feel fuller and richer by the presence of our guest, Tony Smith, returning for his Gen Seven debut much earlier in the season than we’re accustomed to. The only thing keeping us on this little rock called Melemele Island is the Kahuna’s Grand Trial, so that’s the one and only thing on the agenda this week, but first we have to get caught up on Tony’s journey, learn about the new and improved...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Alola, Bug Catchers! We've made landfall on Melemele Island, and after a sort of strange interaction with a shirtless professor and his little sweetie Rockruff, we'll tell you about our new characters for this season. Although they're both Kanto transplants, their vibes couldn't be more different. One trainer is on a quest to find a like-minded flock to chill, grill, and hopefully not spill his drinks with; the other is looking to make his name in Alola's seedy underbellies. Join us for the SEAS...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 7Ep. 1
We’ve been tirelessly catching, training, battling, and in some cases even falling in love with Pokémon Go behind the scenes for the past 12 weeks, and we’ve brought our friend and Pokémon Go lifer David Sims on to discuss the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, and bursting sticker books from our summer with the game. Have we enjoyed Pokémon Go? Yes! Very much so! Will we keep playing Pokémon Go daily as David has for the past six years? Almost certainly not! We got a lot of truly disgusting...
Oct 18, 2022•49 min•Season 6Ep. 23
With the Primal titans put back to bed, the criminal syndicate dispatched, and Steven still as sultry as ever, Admiral Squirt thought he and his beloved Mrs. Squirt could finally enjoy their golden years; Papa Cultura had already packed his bags and hopped on his personal Concorde, Latias, back to Italia—but it turns out there's a bit of an "Armageddon"/"Deep Impact" situation and they have to save the Pokéarth once again. While not as compelling as either of those films, the Delta Episode does ...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 22
“And so we’ve come, to the end of [Victory] Road.” – Boyz II Men. A jam-packed leg and a jam-packed episode this week and we see ourselves to the exit of the game via an absolutely wild number of unstoppable water routes, a totally useless town on Corsola stilts, and an equally useless city outside of Victory Road. Wattson needed a little help with a power surge under his luxury condo in Mauville Hills, Sidney needed help figuring out how to sit in his chair, and May needed some help building a ...
Oct 04, 2022•57 min•Season 6Ep. 21
Hot on the heels of Team Magma/Aqua, the time has come for Hoenn's endless ocean-faring leg, folks. Even in 3D with the addition of scuba divers and overworld Pokémon sprites, it's still no picnic—well, except for Admiral Squirt, whose (mostly) Water team has made it an unstoppable force on the high seas. Meanwhile, Papa Cultura is still working on finding some more A-listers for his celebrity team. They get the job done thanks for Team Magma/Aqua's evil admins having a change of heart and reali...
Sep 27, 2022•56 min•Season 6Ep. 20
We didn’t have to look very hard to find Team Aqua/Magma’s secret headquarters outside of Lilycove City and we didn’t have to work very hard to unravel their entire criminal syndicate, but it wasn’t all a walk in the Safari Zone this week. Papa Cultura had to say a tearful arrivederci to a beloved friend, Admiral Squirt really took to Hoenn’s controversial “stand your ground” laws, and Kid Nation was disappointedly under-recognized as a brilliant and subversive piece of art cinema and I can’t be...
Sep 20, 2022•56 min•Season 6Ep. 19
With Surf and their HM Friends in tow, Papa Cultura & Admiral Squirt head over into eastern Hoenn and begin to settle into what could be their endgame teams... if no-one dies, that is. (Spoiler alert: someone does.) They head into the jungles of Route 119 and get inspired by its triumphant score and a variety of totally bangin' trainers, which the Team Aqua/Magma stooges at the Weather Institute certainly are not. Finally, blocked from accessing Winona's gym in Fortree, they are treated to a...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 18
Although it's a short leg this week as we cruise down Mt. Chimney en route to Petalburg Gym to take on Daddy, we first make a quick detour through the desert wasteland of Route 111. Unfortunately, things go south after that, so if you haven’t listened yet, prepare yourself both emotionally and sexually for not once, but TWO stirring eulogies this week. Eventually, we do take on Daddy and his suite of Slakoth evolutions, who are such a joke that we tack on a little extra to our journey. We join S...
Sep 06, 2022•57 min•Season 6Ep. 17
The extreme imbalance between the gyms continues this week, with Josh & Tanner bringing a chaotic, nearly defeated energy. The road from Mauville City to the very top of Mt. Chimney tested the limits of their podcast and partners’ unions, with the restraints of the Wedlocke preventing them from building viable teams and unable to catch Pokémon throughout most of this very, very long leg. In the end, can they take the Heat Badge, and who will prevail when Admiral Squirt and Papa Cultura battl...
Aug 30, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Papa Cultura & Admiral Squirt traverse the ocean to arrive in Slateport City, and the rest of their journey is a bloodbath. They beat up a bunch of beachgoers, get beat up by grunts in the Oceanic Museum, make their big debuts on the contest circuit, and manage to escape the Trick House—but not without sacrifice. And Gym Leader Wattson up in Mauville isn't finished with them yet. Papa Cultura is only at the start of his adventure through Hoenn, but he's beginning to long for his old Mediterr...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 15
A little jaunt this week as we make our way down to Dewford Town to take on Brawly, by way of a madcap side quest to take down some Team Bad Guy grunts. But it’s not all fun and games, because Josh’s Italian “accent” persists this week, unfortunately. We’ve drunk the Devon Corp. Kool-Aid, so when Steven’s sugar daddy Mr. Stone sends us on a couple of real fetch quests, we give it 110%, but unfortunately for Tanner, 110% is more than, well, a plurality of teammates can handle this week. Admiral S...
Aug 16, 2022•47 min•Season 6Ep. 14
The boys are back in Hoenn, and this time they're playing it not just in 3D—but under the rules of their brand-new, improved, and reclaimed "Wedlocke." Josh's husband Bobby and Tanner's wife Jaime have gone through the Hoenn Pokédex and selected the Pokémon their significant others, your beloved podcast hosts, are bound to use. Till death do they part. And maybe one of those hosts already did have to part with one of those Pokémon, and had to sing a haunting song about it in memoriam. Find out w...
Aug 09, 2022•59 min•Season 6Ep. 13
What’s that sound? Why it’s the single worst audio experience we’ve ever published! We both took to the streets this week for some live Pokémon Go-ing – Josh from vacation in Chicago (which he insists is “for work” but I’ve never heard of a company sending their employees to Coachella) and Tanner from suburban Connecticut. We head out to tackle some local gyms, catch some tasty little Pokémon, and find some local riff-raff to take on as our rivals. And of course, we have to go head-to-head in a ...
Aug 02, 2022•50 min•Season 6Ep. 12
