EXP. Share

This long and storied saga is finally drawing to a close. It was months in the making, but we’ve finally pushed through and all it took was some light penis trauma along the way. We are, of course, referring to Tanner’s kidney stone, but while we’re on the topic of penis trauma, we’ve got a HOT new segment for you this week and the best part is that we want to hear from you—so make sure to tag us when you take to Twitter and TikTok to tell us about your most #MountablePokemon. We also played a little Pokémon this week, but really, it was a VERY little amount. Yet somehow Josh managed to cheat for about half of it. 

Apparently seeking to clean up a Saffron City that's rotten to the core, Dorito Doug decides to burn it to the ground. After making such a move that's clearly not on-brand for Doritos, he's forced to cool his heels down south for a while. On the journey to Cinnabar Island, he and Caprica-Six are joined by "Daniel" aka Daniel Golson, whose team is like a delicious bowl full of pasta and named thusly. The trio debates saving the many struggling Swimmers on Routes 19-20 but ultimately decides that's the Kanto Coast Guard's problem, which may or may not exist. On Cinnabar, Caprica-Six is finally able to replace Golbat the Golbat after tapping into the Cinnabar Lab's resurrection technology. Then, they try to continue their gym challenge but are forced to scour the depths of the Pokémon Mansion in search of a key that lets them into Blaine's Gym, which is also a wildly fun trivia show. After those fun and games though, it's time to determine who will retain or take over EXP. Share's IP in the first guest battle of the season!

Notes: Thanks to Daniel Golson for joining us! Follow him and his sweet rides @dsgolson on Instagram & Twitter.

Look forward to some, frankly, phoned-in eulogies because Dorito Doug lost a ‘mon none of you had even MET yet and Caprica-Six can’t manage to keep the ‘mon she lost this week alive even if the fate of the entire human—sorry, Cylon—race depended on it. Otherwise, we pulverized the Power Plant. Destroyed the Dojo. Saved Silph. Sacked Sabrina’s gym. And Tanner managed to do all of that while only cheating just a little!

First, the Rules Court convenes once again to look at the eligibility of our request for rerolls last week. To resolve the issues with Josh's Favorite Pokémon Is Mewtwo clause, we're joined by @asteroidera, aka Kel, who was the first Bug Catcher to volunteer and benevolently offer up their Mewtwo. They do EXP. Share's first-ever live trade on-air, and then after some fawning by Josh, we begin our journey in earnest. Although one of us whose name rhymes with Burrito Chug is a Mayor Cheat who had already gotten the Poké Flute and released Marowak's soul, we quickly recount our ascent up the Pokémon Tower and then move onto greener pastures—the endless sea of green and literal sea that is the southerly Routes 12-15. After we've wound our way down to Fuchsia City, we find a place that's both never looked better and also decidedly worse without its iconic Safari Zone, which has been replaced with the non-functioning (at least for these two grown adult men) GO Park. What's left but to see what kind of traps Koga and his gang of Jugglers and Tamers have laid... and whether we'll finally make it to our first episode this season without a eulogy.

The leg was long and our legs are tired. Yours must be too, traveler. Take a seat and rest your weary body. We’ll get you a warm meal and a cold drink. Just sit back and enjoy a wonderful evening of music we have planned for you, because we’re more or less a house of blues this episode with all the damned eulogies we need to get through for all those tragically lost on Route 8. That was AFTER the grueling trip through Rock Tunnel, and BEFORE the monotonous grind through the Team Rocket Hideout, of course. It’s not all bad though! Sometimes you get a great trade, or a digital Pokémon duck will just swoop down and essentially crawl into one of your Poké Balls for you. Win some and lose some.

After a frankly disturbing experience on the Cerulean Cape, our trainers needed the kind of mind-clearing reprieve only the open sea can offer. Or, at least being on a nice big boat that's adjacent to it. But from a fan club with a chairman who's a little too enamored of his Rapidash to another devastating encounter with a Machop, their troubles only seem to multiply before climbing aboard the S.S. Anne—where they will be once again denied the reprieve they so desperately long for. Caprica-Six & Dorito Doug might be the ones holding the tickets, but you, Bug Catchers, are the ones in for the real show this week.

Here's what you're looking for: https://giphy.com/gifs/YTa2CNIsZZP9x4Zb74

We might somehow still be in Gen VII, but we're finally on the Switch, baby! And we're doing it big. We've put together our own Nuzlocke variation we're calling "EXPLocke," and in this episode we go over the rules in detail—perhaps too much detail—issue some rulings on some vagaries, explain our characters, and then let them loose on the road to Viridian City.

If you want to join in on the fun, we've posted the EXPLocke rules on our Twitter & Instagram @expsharepod as well as the text-only (and absolutist yet updating) version on Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/bugcatchers. May Arceus be with us all. 

The week starts with a little light teen murder and only somehow gets more explicitly illegal as Detective Tanner Greenring and his trusty “concierge” Fjillish manage to sneak themselves aboard a luxury yacht anchored in international waters where an “Eyes Wide Shut”-style bacchanal can take place without any government oversight. Detective Pikachu and Trusty Tim fuck around and find out with a cool 90 million and secure a few bags along the way before securing the biggest bag of the all… the friendships we made along the way. Oh, and Keith. They caught Keith. But he wasn’t even the main baddie. It’s a whole thing, you’ll have to listen. It’s wild. Anyways, that’s it for Detective Pikachu. Case closed on a great game. See you back in Kanto for the first ever EXPLocke!

After closing a slew of successful cases and nursing their celebratory hangovers, Detectives Tanner and Feebosh find their next lead: one Dr. Waals, who a tortured scientist reveals is the real brains behind the creation of R. He's living on the tropical island community called Cappucci, and everyone there is a suspect. The sleuths make landfall and immediately hit the ground running, interviewing a failing Pokémon Ranger, a scheming girlboss, a gross old man, a crooked cop, and then the notorious doctor himself. Of course, all was not what it seemed, and closing that case only leads to an even more disturbing discovery—it turns out that nearly a year ago to the day, there was a horrific incident at Fine Park during Pokémon Carnival. After chilling interview after chilling interview with the traumatized Pokémon who still reside at the abandoned theme park, they need to see just what triggered a Charizard to go on on a murderous rampage, leading them to Ryme City's local news outfit, GNN. But the trail doesn't go cold there, Bugshoes. It just heats the hell up. Whodunnit... all of it? You'll have to listen to find out.