More Virulent Impacts

Earlier in March, I posted about the impacts that the current global situation have on a few Pokémon-related things, for which sadly the impact is not few. Furthermore, over the course of two months, there have been more of those impacts on more things related to Pokémon. As regrettable as they are, I do have to discuss them on this blog for an added perspective and to keep things in the know. This time around, the impacts are quite severe - perhaps relatively more.

In January, a series of Safari Zones had been slated for Pokémon Go, with a lot of wonderful things planned for the people playing in the cities of St. Louis (in March - just after that first post, in fact), Liverpool (in April), and Philadelphia (in May, this month). However, due to the onset of the global condition, they were all postponed, with a new date to be determined later on. Tickets for the events had already been sold in advance, so this was a detriment for those who had planned on attending. To make up for this, the possibility of ticket refunds were opened, and a few of the special bonuses were still made available for those who purchased them, or in the case of select Shiny Pokémon, for everyone around the world. This is entirely a major disappointment for sure.

For fans and players of the main series games, they have their own major disappointment. I noted previously that the fate of the World Championships may be gloomy, and this has turned into reality: the grand tournament, scheduled for mid-August, has been canceled. As an adjunct to that tournament, the North America International Championships, scheduled for late June, have also been canceled. As a matter of fact, the entire competitive series for this year has been canceled, though points and invitations will roll over to the series for next year. This is obviously big for those who play, and this abrupt end means a big disappointment, even for the organizers themselves. Even so, there is hope that things will return bigger and better next time, and that may be something to look forward to.

Even on the entertainment front for Pokémon, there has been an impact. The anime in Japan is on hiatus; its production has been temporarily stopped and only reruns are being broadcasted, with no indication of when new episodes will resume. That is sour news to be sure, but there is an additional sadder news: one of the lesser voice actors but one for an iconic character, Kumiko Okae as the voice of Officer Jenny, has succumbed due to the virus disease. The news is certainly depressing for any fan of the anime, and they will certainly hope for things to normalize so that they may be enjoyed again.

The next bit, while not strictly related to Pokémon, has some personal ties and therefore I consider it related. The competitive arm of the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) has been canceled much like the Pokémon World Championships above. However, since the event itself is one with the competition, it may be considered not going to happen. I've always envisioned myself attending the event if ready, willing, and able, particularly with a Pokémon costume, and this is the reason for the relationship. Though in any case I am not able to attend this year, it may still be a neat goal for a distant future that I can work Pokémon into.

Five months have gone by in the year and so much has been put into disarray due to the global conditions, and that includes a great deal of things related to Pokémon. The ones that have happened recently may be considered the crux for everything. They are all surely regrettable, but what would be more regrettable is not having Pokémon in the first place to feel attachment to it. That attachment will likely still come in handy as a way to pass the time and wait for things to return, hopefully in a much better state.

One year ago: Respect for Rica Matsumoto

Two years ago: Throwing Poké Balls

Three years ago: Cosplay: East and West