In this bonus episode of A-Squared Ramblers, Alex recaps his full-day adventure at Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos in Los Angeles - hosted at the Rose Bowl and surrounding golf course - and breaks down what makes a live GO event feel totally different from everyday gameplay. From an Uber ride crawling into a sea of trainers “coming from all angles,” to the reality check of a strict clear-bag policy (and the chaos of people trying to talk their way through security), the day starts with a lot of patience… and a lot of lines.

Once inside, it’s all tradition and energy: photo ops with costumed Eevee and Pikachu, AR snapshots with shiny catches, a pre-order pickup saga featuring a bold line-cutter, and then finally the calm, casual pace of Tour gameplay across themed habitats. Alex shares the stats (over 41,000 steps across the weekend), the Sunday city add-on at Santa Monica Pier, plus an unexpected bonus: walking laps around LAX while TSA headlines swirled in the background.

And then comes the grand finale - Mega Night - with packed raids, constant cheering, and Alex somehow managing to raid and snack his way through a literal bucket of Cathy’s Cookies (about 35 warm chocolate chip cookies… allegedly). It’s Pokémon fandom at full volume, and a perfect warm-up for what’s next: GO Fest Chicago.