When a pro Pokemon GO player gets hacked

Howdy Cooltrainers and welcome back to another week of the freshest Pokémon news across the world wide web.

I thought I’d seen everything in Victory Road until last week: a Rhydon stumbling around with Golbat latched onto its head. I mean it had completely swallowed this Rhydon’s head.

Craziest thing. Stay tuned for update. I’m not sure how this will play out.

This week’s rundown (estimated read time 6 minutes):

• The biggest Pokémon GO streamer gets hacked

• Introducing the Twilight Masquerade TCG

• Cooltrainer Chronicles Part 3

Hacker hits world-famous Pokémon GO player FleeceKing

The GO community got a scare last week when a world-recording holding Pokémon GO streamer shared footage of a hacker in his account, deleting 100% IV shiny Pokémon (RIP Mareep).

Professional streamer FleeceKing, the world’s first player to hit Level 50 (and also has some 2 million+ captured Pokémon under his belt) broke the news on Twitter with some scary footage of the hacker going full Team Rocket on his account.

(To avoid giving that jerk any more attention for this, I’m not going to share the account or the pic.)

When FleeceKing shared the news, he was understandably distraught:

Fortunately, Niantic recovered the account, and although FleeceKing said he couldn’t go into details, he was happy with the outcome.

It’s unknown at this time how the hacker gained access. According to FleeceKing, they didn’t have the password and also bypassed other security alerts.

The story might have ended there, but the hacker couldn’t let it go. In a since-deleted tweet, they shared a picture of what appeared to be a Dell computer in high school, which prompted this gem from a Pokémon GO player who works in cybersecurity.

Trust me, it’s worth the read. It prompted the hacker to remove whatever they shared, so you’ll have to go to the link to view the absolute burn.

If the hacker really is a minor from California, we likely won’t hear the outcome of this story.

However, one more side effect of the incident is worth mentioning:

While it’s great that FleeceKing had his account and Pokémon recovered, Niantic set a double-standard after refusing to do the same for other, less notable hacked players in the past. Not cool, guys.

All about the Twilight Masquerade TCG

Get ready for a late night party in the land of Kitakami and Ogerpon is the belle of the ball!

I feel like I need a tux and white gloves just to touch some of these cards.

Coming May 22, the Twilight Masquerade TCG expansion stars Ogerpon in all four of its masks—Grass, Fire, Water and Fighting types. The all-new Ogre’s Mask Item card allows players to swap any Ogerpon ex in play with another from the discard pile.

All together, six new cards featuring Ogerpon were revealed: Teal Mask Ogerpon ex, Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon ex, Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex, Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex, Teal Mask Ogerpon and Ogre’s Mask.

Pokémon originally discovered in The Teal Mask DLC, such as Okidogi, Munkidori, Fezandipiti, and more also make their Pokémon TCG debut.

The expansion also features:

• Six ACE SPEC rare Trainer and Special Energy cards

• Seven Pokémon ex and seven Tera Pokémon ex

• 21 illustration rare Pokémon

• 11 special illustration rare Pokémon and Supporter cards

• Six hyper rare gold etched cards

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks leading up to release in the Card of the Week section!

The Cooltrainer Chronicles, pt. 3

The countryside got surprisingly rough and wild as soon as I veered off the beaten path away from Victory Road. 

Somewhere, deep in those hallowed halls, the very best trainers in the world tested themselves against forces of nature, powerful wild Pokémon, and each other.

One day I vowed to enter its dangerous depths. Today, I needed a Pokémon.

The foothills below the Indigo Plateau were a collection of forests, boulder fields and small meadows. Prime Pokémon habitats.

And yet I hadn’t spotted a single Pokémon.

With the hot spring sun shining down on me, it didn’t take long to work up a sweat. I hiked on, determination melting like my deodorant.

I’d resolved to head back to the road and take my chances down by the little lake to the south when a clattering sound caught my ear.

Pausing, I slowed my breathing and listened. The noise continued, accompanied by occasional grunts and squeaks. On hands and knees, I crept closer.

Past a ring of rocks, a strange sight greeted me. A half dozen Mankeys formed a semi circle, chucking rocks and sticks at a stump several feet away. 

Whenever one hit the target, they shrieked and hopped up and down. Whether they were mad or pleased, I couldn’t tell.

What mattered was they were facing away from me and totally engrossed in the game.

I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled closer, ignoring the bits of rock digging into my palms and kneecaps.

Once I reached what I estimated to be striking distance. I reached for one of the Poke Balls clipped to my belt. The Mankeys continued their game, oblivious to the human a short throw behind them. 

I pushed the button. The Poke Ball clicked and whirred.

Rising into kneel, I hauled back and threw with all my might at the one in the middle.

A red light enveloped it, sucking my target Mankey inside. 

The ball shook once before the rest of the group realized something was up.

They turned, screaming and shrieking, literally hopping mad.

The ball shook again.

I gritted my teeth.

In a burst of light, the Mankey broke free.

Before I could say Snorlax, all six Mankey attacked.

Card of the Week

This sinister full art Flutter Mane from Temporal Forces Elite Trainer Boxes feels like you’re watching it float away from the POV of its latest victim.

Random encounters around the internet

• Get Liko’s Sprigatito in Scarlet or Violet with Mystery Gift Code L1K0W1TH906. It comes with the “Liko’s Sprigatito” Ribbon so you’ll never mix them up.

• Bagon is coming to Pokémon GO for Community Day Classic on April 7.

• Brute Bonnet and Iron Hands (random Tera-types, version exclusives) are in 5-Star Tera Raids starting today at 5 p.m. PDT to Sunday, March 24 at 4:59 p.m. PDT.

• The Temporal Forces TCG expansion launches tomorrow! Finally, you can own giraffe-form Raikou as a card. Check out the full card list from PokéBeach.

Obscure Pokémon Fact (from u/Mx_Toniy_4869)

Until next time,
Cooltrainer “OgerPWNED Kieran” Ace