Kevkillerke – Creator Bio

The Interview – The Lightning Round

G2G: First, can you tell me your in-game Trainer name, level, and your favorite Pokémon? Is there a reason it is your favorite? Also, what do you do in your daily life?

Kevkillerke: My in-game name is Kevkillerke, and I’m level 40. Having a favorite Pokémon has always been super tough for me, since it really changes depending on which game I’m playing. I’m gonna say Golem, because it was on my team when I beat the Elite 4 for the first time.

In my daily life I’m a student of Product Development, and I’m starting my Master’s Degree this year. I also teach juggling/circus in my local circus club.

G2G: What got you into Pokémon/Pokémon GO? Were you into Pokémon before GO was released? What do you like the most about Pokémon in general? Do you have a favorite feature in PoGO?

Kevkillerke: I got into Pokémon when I was around 10 years old via my cousin. My first game was Pokémon Ruby. I really like the bond you can have with your Pokémon, alongside the collecting and battling.

My favorite feature in PoGO is obviously PvP, as I can safely say I spend more time with PvP than actually playing PoGO lately.

G2G: What made you start organizing PvP Tournaments and creating badges for them? Was it just something you wanted to do, or is there more to it?

Kevkillerke: At first we didn’t have tournaments in Nijlen, so I did my first one in the city where I study (Antwerp). It was an 8 player-tournament which I won, but there was no ranking system back then. While it was awesome to win, it didn’t felt like there was a reward besides bragging rights.

After that tournament I came up with the idea to 3D print a badge for the top 3 players. That’s how the ball started rolling, and for the months after I made badges for every participant, with something special for the 3 winners.

The first tournament I hosted myself was after we were 4 months into PvP. My ranking was pretty high and I was invited for Regionals. I kept asking people to join a tournament in Antwerp, until someone suggested to just host one in Nijlen. I never thought I’d get 12 participants in the first tournament.

Hosting tournaments wasn’t something I initially planned to do, but it has now became one of the things I’m most proud of. It feels very rewarding as a host if a bunch of people are having a good time. Some of them are in it for the competitive part, some are just there for fun, but they all enjoy themselves and I want to do everything I can to maintain that atmosphere. However, I also like to participate myself and climb my way up in the leader board. So, from that aspect, it’s also beneficial for me to host bigger tournaments. And lastly, I love collecting those badges myself, so I better make them good.
My future goals for tournaments is just expanding the strong PvP community I built in my community so we can keep organizing the biggest tournaments in Belgium!

For the badges, I would like start selling badges/trophies to other communities, and maybe even start a small business for custom laser engraving. I sure am motivated to continue making badges for Season 2 of the Silph Arena!

G2G: Is there anything else you want to share?

Kevkillerke: I’d like to encourage every community to come together for a PvP tournament once a month and just have a good time with people who share your hobby. It’s fun to get to know the players you briefly see while raiding or catching. PvP is so much more than just battling on a screen, it’s making your community stronger!

If you want to get into PvP, and are looking for a place to start, make sure to check out GoStadium! I am part of the GoStadiumElite service where I contribute to spreadsheets about the meta of each cup, and there’s coaching from even better players than myself! 😉

Don’t GO Far

Kevin is an extremely motivated PvP-player, but also a unique and amazing Community Leader. He cares a lot about his Community, and shows them his love by creating these wonderful badges and organizing Belgiums biggest PvP Tournaments. If you’re interested in staying up to date on Kevins rank, check out his Traveler Card.

Do you think Kevin’s work is amazing, and you would love to get your hands on a badge or plaque like the one from Season 1 below?

Kevin has recently, started selling his badges online. If you’re interested, check out this Google Form. 

Note: The items will be shipping from Belgium, but do not fear, Kevin ships internationally! Most overseas packages will take approximately two weeks to arrive between production and shipping. Keep that in mind when ordering!

Currently, he’s only available via Twitter, so if you want to keep up to date with his work, make sure to give him a follow!