June 2026
Luca Journey — Python with Pokémon
An interactive course to learn Linux and Python from scratch, Pokémon-themed, with real Python running 100% in the browser.
- Astro
- TypeScript
- Pyodide (Python/WASM)
- NestJS
- Prisma
- PostgreSQL
- Docker
- Socket.IO
- Raspberry Pi
- PWA
Luca Journey is an interactive course to learn Linux and Python from scratch, Pokémon-themed and in (Argentine) Spanish, built for absolute beginners. It runs 100% in the browser — nothing to install.
Python code actually executes thanks to Pyodide (CPython compiled to WebAssembly). Exercises are graded with real pytest in the browser, and when something fails it translates the Python error into plain Spanish —cause and how to fix it— plus a test hint without spoiling the solution.
On top of that sits a full game layer: a League with XP, levels and badges earned by beating gym leaders; a Safari to catch Pokémon; a GO-style Pokédex with animated evolution; turn-based battles with types and status effects, including live PvP with ELO ranking; a shop, community challenges and trades.
By the numbers: 9 regions (gen 1–9), 77 chapters, 417 exercises across 72 topics, 81 capstone projects and 1025 Pokémon.
How it’s built
- Frontend: Astro as a static site on GitHub Pages, Pyodide to run Python, CodeMirror as the editor, and a service worker that caches Pyodide and sprites → fast loads and partial offline use (installable PWA).
- Self-hosted backend: NestJS + Prisma + PostgreSQL in Docker, running on a Raspberry Pi on my network. Google OAuth → JWT auth, cloud progress sync, and socket.io for live PvP and friend presence.
- Works server-less too: without a session, everything is stored in
localStorage(local-only mode). - Tests: unit tests with Jest (battle engine and collection) and end-to-end with Playwright.
