⚡️🐉 Pokémon Trainer’s Journey
Gotta catch team improvements! Embark on a Pokémon-themed retrospective to catch successes, battle blockers, and evolve our teamwork. Let’s become Agile Masters together!
Template Columns
🌱 New Moves to Learn
Suggest new practices, tools, or habits our team should begin to level up.
Base column: Start🗿 Release the Weight
Identify processes or habits we should let go of to avoid fainting from burnout.
Base column: Stop⭐️ Evolve Stronger Skills
Share existing strengths and good habits to keep on evolving as a winning team.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Pokémon Trainer’s Journey retrospective uses fun, game-themed prompts to help your team explore new practices, let go of what’s holding them back, and celebrate strengths for continuous improvement.
When to use this template
Best used when you want to energize your team, introduce some creative reflection, or after a demanding sprint to rekindle motivation. Great for teams who enjoy pop culture themes and boosting engagement.
How to facilitate
Kick off with a light Pokémon icebreaker to set a playful tone and explain the purpose of each column and how the theme relates to team growth.
Invite everyone to individually add cards to each column: ‘New Moves to Learn’ for new ideas, ‘Release the Weight’ for practices to drop, and ‘Evolve Stronger Skills’ to highlight strengths.
Give the team time to silently review all cards and cluster similar thoughts together as a group.
Facilitate a discussion on each column, focusing on why suggestions were made and prioritizing the most impactful items.
Agree on key actions or experiments to try in the next iteration, documenting owners and next steps.
Close with a quick round of appreciation or a Pokémon-themed kudos, celebrating what makes your team awesome.
Pro Tips
Encourage storytelling—ask teammates to connect their suggestions to specific ‘battles’ or victories to make insights memorable.
Use themed backgrounds or virtual props to keep the energy up and help disengaged team members re-engage.
Limit discussion time for each column to avoid getting bogged down and leave room for action planning.
Invite someone else to facilitate if you want to boost engagement or try out different moderation styles.
FAQ
What if my team isn’t familiar with Pokémon?
The template’s concepts are easy to relate to even without Pokémon knowledge—just focus on learning, letting go, and improving strengths.
How do I keep the session productive and not just fun?
Balance playful elements with structured discussion. Set clear time limits for each step and always end with concrete actions.
What do I do if the same blockers come up every time?
Highlight recurring barriers and discuss what’s preventing progress. Consider experimenting with small, actionable steps or revisiting them in another format.
At a glance
- Duration
30–40 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective