All the Missing Pieces

I noted in my Thanksgiving post this year that there would be a few Pokémon opportunities happening this weekend, but I would only be able to fulfill some of those due to one thing or another. In fact, I really fulfilled... only one, which happened to be yesterday's major collaboration with a band near and dear to many, including me. The rest of the opportunities have become the "missing pieces" in my Pokémon experiences so far. I'd like to take this post to consider them.

At the same time as the collaboration - more specifically on the same afternoon and evening - there was a raid group tournament with a slightly different format. I actually had thought about participating in it, but as I was considering my team for it, the invitation for the collaboration came, at which point I immediately scrapped the plan to participate. But I'm not fed up; by now a raid group tournament is routine and, by my experience, has not often led to good results for me personally, and the collaboration is far more valuable and a far rarer experience, which is why it had to take precedence. There will surely be some room for me in future tournaments.

Then there was also the theme event from yesterday, which also happens to last until today. As noted, yesterday I missed (or, let myself miss) the opportunity to participate in the J-Song (singing) competition simply because I didn't consider the effort to be sufficiently and feasibly rewarding, including the possibility of obtaining a prize. Today I missed the cosplay competition for partially the same reason, and partially because I couldn't stay for it like I did for a different two-day event earlier this year, which would minimize the amount of effort and make it feasible. The collaboration, of course, is wholly rewarding, but even more so with togetherness, which was why what happened happened.

Meanwhile, today my figure group held a gathering, which is to be a unique one because it is a collaboration with a gaming group. Obviously, it would be at the same time as the theme event, and I could only go to one or the other, if I was in the area... which I'm not, due to my return after last night. I had intended to make up for it by attempting to double back for it this morning, but I couldn't muster up the energy. However, a different group I'm involved in that has little relation to Pokémon also held a local gathering, and I went there instead; it proved to be rather insightful, and the insights could be applied to my other groups, including some of my Pokémon ones.

The "missing pieces" have certainly left some "holes" that are difficult to fill in or couldn't be otherwise. But as I've stated in the Thanksgiving post concerning gratitude, I'm still grateful and thankful for them all and their existence. That sense of gratitude will allow me to rest easy regarding those "holes", knowing that someday I might be able to find the "missing pieces" - even if they might look different - and comfortably fill them in then.

One year ago: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee Uptake
Two years ago: Poké-Friends and Gratitude