Written by Jim Ziegler

Pokémon GO is a great way to get out and get active with your favorite Pokémon. As you walk around town you’ll discover and catch new Pokémon, visit important cultural sites, and build a deep bond with your buddy Pokémon.

Released in 2016, Pokemon Go took the world by storm and inspired Pokémon fans and hardcore gamers alike to go outside and touch grass. Eight years later trainers continue to explore, coerced to exercise by the promise of rare Pokémon hatching from their eggs if they just walk far enough.

When the game first released players and pundits joked that Nintendo was trying to turn couch potatoes into fitness fanatics. But how fit could you actually get just walking? You need more than just exercise to get fit, after all.

Enter Pokémon Sleep.

Released in the summer of 2023, Pokémon Sleep is a sleep-tracking app that rewards you for getting to bed on time and getting a full night’s sleep. Each week you take care of a new Snorlax that you feed and care for with the help of the Pokémon you befriend after finding them asleep in your camp each morning. The better and more consistent your sleep, the stronger and rarer the Pokémon that show up in your camp.

The game was even released in conjunction with an accessory, the Pokémon GO Plus +, which pairs with both Pokémon Sleep as a more accurate sleep tracker and with Pokémon GO as a hands-free, automatic Pokémon catcher. Through this device, each game also rewards you for playing the other game: Your buddy will get extra hearts in Pokémon GO if you slept well the previous night, and you’ll get more berries to feed your Snorlax if you hit more Poké Stops.

It seems like Nintendo is trying to make sure that their fans are healthy and fit, even going so far as to release Pokémon Smile, an app to help young trainers brush their teeth. Surely the reason for all of these health and fitness apps is to keep their customers healthy enough to keep buying their product, but it leave the question: When will Pokémon Kitchen be released?

IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON

Stellar Crown Pre-Release

Monday, Friday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM

Celebrate the newest Pokémon Set, Scarlet and Violet Stellar Crown at Gam3Escape's pre-release events.. Build & Battle using the most recent cards! Entry: $30

Standard Constructed Tournament

Sunday, 3:00 PM

Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7

Pokémon VGC League Cup

Sunday, 12:30 PM

Join the Pokemon VGC League Challenge and battle it out with other trainers in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet! Regulation H is in effect, so make sure your game is updated and your team meets the new requirements. Team sheets are due at 3:00 and are available in-store or online. Double battle format, best of three. Entry: $15.00

Pokémon VGC League Challenge

Sunday, 3:30 PM

Join the Pokemon VGC League Challenge and battle it out with other trainers in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet! Regulation H is in effect, so make sure your game is updated and your team meets the new requirements. Team sheets are due at 3:00 and are available in-store or online. Double battle format, best of three. Entry: $10.00

Pokémon GO Great League Blind 3 & Trade Night

Monday, 6:00 PM

Do you play Pokémon GO? Interested in meeting up with other players and playing in sanctioned Pokémon events? Gam3Escape hosts Pokémon GO League events. Stop in from 6pm to 9pm for our Great League blind 3 casual play and trade night. Entry: $5.00

Pokémon League Casual Play

Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon

The $10 entry fee comes with a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack.

GATHER FOR MAGIC

Bloomburrow Booster Draft

Friday, 6:00 PM

The tails are tiny, but the adventures are big in Bloomburrow, Magic’s newest set. Explore the valley with Ral, Mable, and others in Gam3Escape’s release draft event. Sealed format, 3 packs. Entry: $20

Bloomburrow Commander BINGO

Saturday, 6:00 PM

Gam3Escape's Monthly Commander BINGO Event plus September Bloomburrow Commander Party. Receive an extra ticket for playing any Bloomburrow Commander. Entry fee: $10

Casual Commander

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM.

The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes!

TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh!

Advanced Constructed Tournament

Wednesday, Friday 7:00 PM

Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10

Advanced Constructed Tournament

Saturday, 2:00 PM

Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $5

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Shimmering Skies Lorcana League

Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM

The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge)

THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)!

Casual Warhammer

Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. 

Cardfight! Vanguard

Divinez Constructed Tournament

Monday, 5:30 PM

Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6

STAR WARS: UNLIMITED

Casual Play League

Tuesdays, 6:00 PM

Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. 

Check out Jim's latest article in The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/pokemon-tcg-how-to-ditto-draft/