Spilling The Sinistea

Happy Halloween! In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea talk all about the spookiest and scariest Pokémon. They break down who would be on their Halloween team and which Pokémon give them the heebee-jeebies to celebrate this final episode of the 2024 Halloween spookfest.    Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://bonus-action.com   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ba-origin...

In today’s episode, Ezra shares a story of how they and their bootleg Pikachu ended up on live television in Australia while on a visit to the Air and Space Museum in the early aughts.    Episode References: Mars Rovers: https://orbitalradar.com/mars-rovers   Happy Birthday, Curiosity!: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11331     Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://b...

With last week’s discussion on easy costumes, this week, Ezra and Chelsea dive into the world of the dream costume. These are idealistic or overly complex costumes they would love to dress as (or love to see someone else dressed as) that take time, engineering, or specialty pieces that are out of reach for most people.    Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://bonus-action.com...

On today’s episode of Spilling the Sinistea, Ezra and Chelsea dive into their top picks for easy (and maybe not so easy) Halloween costumes for both adults and kids. From Kigurumis (and yes, we said amigurumi in the episode and only now just caught it - just roll with it) to Poké-Bounding to full-blown cosplays, there are so many great options no matter your abilities and resources.    C...

To start this spooky season, Ezra and Chelsea dive into the cutesy, cozy nostalgia of their earliest and favoritest Pokémon memories from childhood. From stickers and cards to TV and video games, millennials all have a Pokémon memory from which to draw. Share them with us and with each other during this 30th Anniversary year!   Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://bonus-action.co...

In today’s episode, Ezra breaks down the Pokémon and Razer collab, giving both an aesthetic and a technical review of the headphones, keyboard, and mouse. With two options to choose from, a baby pink Pikachu and Eevee set, or a lovely purple Umbreon and Espeon set, there’s something for every Pokémon gamer in your life.     Disclaimer: Ezra and Bonus Action were gifted product sampl...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea try to break down the insane rise of the scalpers and influencer culture in the world of Pokémon and the Pokémon franchise. They talk about how it has impacted the TCG, the decline in quality of video games, and the rise in “luxury” Pokémon products no longer geared toward who should be their target audience - the 10-year-olds just starting on their own Pokémon...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea break down the mediocre closing ceremonies for the 2026 Pokémon World Championships. They discuss the over-focus that Pokémon has been giving to app games, and the under-focus they are giving their actual fan base. At its core, Pokémon is for children, and it feels like that is being forgotten in the midst of the pressure for more apps, more competition, and mo...

In today’s episode, Ezra breaks down how the Hide and Sneak gimmick from the Pitch Black TCG set worked on initial build and how it needs to be modified in order to run properly. They break down the Darkrai strategy from the set as well. Ez also discusses the lack of trainers when opening from standard packs and how to make the availability (or lack thereof) work for deck building.   Connect...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea break down their early thoughts on the $35 DLC expansion for Pokopia. They talk about the lack of narrative direction, huge map size, and the lack of things to do in such a large space. They also tell the tale of getting lost in dark holes with few ways out.    Episode References: How to Get to Bubbly Basin in Pokopia - https://bonus-action.com/guides...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea share their top picks for a real-life Pokémon team. They discuss why they chose each of their six picks and why both of them had one overlapping Pokémon on the list! Share with them your top six Pokémon for your real life on socials or in a review!    Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://bonus-action.com   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/p...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea break down the newest Pokémon TCG set, Pitch Black. They discuss the pros (few as there are), cons (of which there are many), and gimmicks of the deck. They break down the cards that are worth it and discuss the pretty art on some of the Special Illustration Rare cards.   Disclaimer: Ezra was gifted product samples of the Pitch Black TCG Expansion set...

Today, Chelsea and Ezra talk about why kids should be allowed to bring cards to school (as long as it’s not against the rules), why it’s good for kids to do so, and what to look out for. They dive into how to prepare kids for the possibility of loss or theft, and offer insight on how taking cards to school can be a learning experience and build responsibility in kids while supporting community and...

In today’s episode, Chelsea and Ezra sit down to chat about Ash Ketchum’s backstory and how Indigo League isn’t the best place to start when jumping into the series for the first time. Ez breaks down the history of Ash’s original journey and how I Choose You! streamlines and captures all the best elements of a character who had a bit of a cringe beginning.   Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: W...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea give their spicy takes and rank all the Pikachu clones. They give their rankings based on playability, attack, memorability, and vibes. Listen in to find out their top 3 (both used the same three Pokémon, but not in the same order) and share on socials or in your review who your top three would be and why!    Episode References: yapskew - https://www....

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea talk about the dark side of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary. They discuss the struggles with wanting to enjoy such a wonderful milestone amidst the hyperconsumerist, streamer-focused backdrop that has become Pokémon over the last few years. They discuss why and how it feels different from the 20th and 25th anniversaries, reminisce about being 10 years younger, and...

As long-time Swifties and in honor of the Taylor Swift album, The Tortured Poets Department (and again to celebrate her recent nuptials to Travis Kelce), we decided to revisit each of her Eras and play The Match Game with the Pokémon we think would fit best in each Era. Spoilers: It Gets Deep.  Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://bonus-action.com   Bluesky: https://bsky.app...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea dive into the creatures they would NOT like to encounter while out camping this summer. They talk about the ghosties, the buggies, the peoples, and everything in between.  Connect with Ezra & Chelsea: Website: https://bonus-action.com   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ba-original.bsky.social   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BonusActionVi...

In today’s episode, Chelsea asks Ezra for advice and game recommendations to play while we are waiting for the Pokopia DLC to drop later this year. Ez gives an excellent recommendation list of games that are out now, games that are coming out soon, and games you should just check out for nostalgic purposes. Take a listen and share with us what you’re playing on social media or in a review!  &...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea discuss the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass that was announced during the June 9, 2026, Nintendo Direct. They talk about the new mechanic - Dive - and about what they are hoping to see from the game, as well as some concerns that it may be another DLC full of nothing but bloat. They’re optimistic but cautious and refer back to the other DLCs that Pokémon has rel...

***Please Note - This episode was recorded on 6/7/26 before the Nintendo Direct on 6/9/26 was announced or aired. We are aware that there is now a DLC Expansion Pass with 3 New Towns that has been announced, with the first potentially to come with the patch scheduled for August 2026.*** In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea discuss their unintentional burnout on Pokopia after only a month or so of...

In this week’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea dive into the realm of Pokémon TCG deck building - specifically themed decks! Whether you have a favorite Disney character you want to honor, a superhero that’s calling for their own tough-to-beat deck, your favorite meal, or any other theme you can dream up, they’ve got tips for building your perfect deck! Listen in to hear about how we built some of our f...

Have you considered downloading Pokémon Go to play with your friends or kids? Are you interested in the mobile game as a way to jump-start your Pokémon Trainer journey? Listen in to hear our thoughts on why this might not be the best option for you…or maybe it is…   Episode References: Every Pokémon Type Weaknesses Explained: Which Is Best Against Which: https://screenrant.com/pokemon-type-we...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea share a giggle and a good message as they break down their top 5 Pokémon to help combat and reverse climate change in our real world. With some obvious choices and some not-so-obvious ones, guided by their lives in the Mountain West of the United States, join in the fun and share your picks. Which Pokémon could help with fires? With glacier melting? With rising...

In today’s episode, Ezra and Chelsea talk about the process of introducing children to video games in a healthy, media-literate way. They discuss some of the detriments of introducing content at the wrong age, the benefits of reading and listening comprehension before starting on video games, and how to help your child understand and respect healthy boundaries around video games and media.  &...