More Pokémon Fun with Soccer Players

Aside from doing what they do best on the field, soccer players are still people, and they can also have fun off the field, particularly involving Pokémon. I've already detailed about a couple of field challenges that integrate Pokémon for a selection of players, and now I'm about to detail a couple of (mostly) off the field activities related to Pokémon and involving a different batch of players, certainly still within the framework of the FA of England's Master the Ball campaign with the franchise. This time, the fun goes back to the roots, being the games of Pokémon and as their current iterations.

The three players involved with the two activities were Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Conor Coady. For the first activity, the trio played New Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo Switch and demonstrated their skills of attracting Pokémon in the game to be more camera-ready and then, when they are as such, catching them in their most striking moments for the best shots. Along with this activity, they reflected on a few of their own "best shots" along with highlights of their career in soccer, including a few of their recent best moments. The three appeared to have gotten the Pokémon in interesting situations, just as interesting as what has happened with them up to the present. Though there weren't really any winners, the three appeared to have a good amount of fun.

Next, in the second activity, the trio engaged in a goal kicking competition to select certain kinds of Poké Balls, and then played Pokémon Go to catch Pokémon around Rockliffe Hall with the selected kinds of Poké Balls. The three appeared to have mostly gone for the Poké Ball, which was big and in the center of the goal, or the Ultra Ball, which was in the upper corners of the goal; even with the latter being hard to hit, some of them still managed to do so - a mark of a professional. The catching part seemed to be the most humorous and offbeat as the three caught Pokémon, but not without some antics. Though Bellingham appeared to have come out on top, the victory may still be regarded as tongue-in-cheek.

But perhaps that's just what really matters. These soccer players may be mostly known for what they can do on the field that it's hard to see them as having a more loose and friendly side beyond that; the activities above, no matter how contrived they may be especially in regard to Pokémon, at least indicate that they can take the edge off their more serious side on the field (but still maintaining it for that purpose) and have fun with something that entertains people all over the world, showing that, well... they are people after all.

One year ago: Preparing for (Everyone's) Go Fest

Two years ago: Making Things Simple

Three years ago: The Greatest, Everyday

Four years ago: Pokémon School