New "Rare" Items in Café Remix

In a recent update, Café Remix revamped the look of its Delivery feature while also adding something else on top of that. That "something else" would be a couple of items that may be classified as "rare" items, which like their main series archetype (as the Rare Candy) provides a supplement for enhancing Pokémon. I thought I'd discuss those "rare" items since they seem rather fascinating for the items themselves and what they supplement.

The first is the Almighty Macaron, which of course supplements the Macarons of various Pokémon types here and can be used in place of them if one is short. Even so, a player will still need to obtain other Macarons each day from the Daily Tasks since these are more readily available, in effect saving these only for emergencies. At least, the newly introduced item is quite supplementary in its regard.

Next, there is the Classic Kitchen Note, which supplements the various kitchen notes for different Pokémon, making this item the first of this kind of item to be introduced after a long absence. Yet it doesn't exactly supplement, as practical usage of kitchen notes would require quite a bit more than one, and one of these may not cut it, with or without possession of the non-"rare" kitchen notes in the first place.

Both of these new items are in fact obtained by Delivery: by paying Golden Acorns for making deliveries or making the daily one, these items are obtained in alternating fashion after every 50 deliveries. Since delivery by tickets don't count, one has to spend the currency or else be patient to get these new items. It's a bit of an implicated pay-to-win situation given the means, and it's not necessarily easy for players to be on top of it. 

As functional as they are, the "rare" items remain "rare" by the way they are obtained and how they function. At least in some ways, their necessity of functioning to supplement existing items for supplementing Pokémon in Café Remix is welcomed and can already be useful right away, even if "right away" means making extensive use of the Delivery feature. The items may just suit the circumstance of the feature renewal and players' states.

One year ago: Staring at Faces in Pictures

Two years ago: Your Journey - A Poem

Three years ago: Concept Maps for Pokémon Unite

Four years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: The Final Month

Five years ago: BT's Coins, My Coins, Our Coins

Six years ago: Spinning Like a Spinda

Seven years ago: The Cards, Revisited

Eight years ago: Changes

Nine years ago: A Loss Is... A Loss?

My Favorite Vivillon Patterns

Vivillon is an occasional discussion topic on this blog, but it's a fascinating one with regard to anything about Pokémon. The fascination certainly comes from all the different patterns that make the species what it is. It would be expected, then, that some fans might have different preferences for these patterns, and in fact I do too. With that, I thought I'd discuss my own preferences, as the patterns I'm fond of - else, my "favorites".

I actually have a fondness for the Meadow pattern, even if it may be considered the pattern that is "archetypal" of the other patterns. Its design is plain with its pink motif, but I find that a charm considering that other Vivillon patterns may be considered somewhat complex and "busy". Sometimes, simple is best, and the Meadow pattern has that going for it, which also may provide support for its "archetypal" status.

Then, I also like the Marine pattern. In part, the same quality that applies to the Meadow pattern also applies to this one: it's simple (but blue instead of pink) albeit having less of an "archetypal" quality. It's also similar to certain blue and white butterflies in the real world, so there is an element of realism inherent in the pattern - something that also applies to the next one. It's still a pretty nice pattern overall.

As one more pattern that I'd like to mention, the High Plains pattern has its realism by being somewhat in close resemblance to the real-life monarch butterfly, being orange in color and thus true to at least one root of the inspiration for the species. Incidentally, the real butterfly itself resides close to the area where the pattern is found in Pokémon Go, so all of the inspirational characteristics are tied together.

Lovely as they are, Pokémon fans will certainly find some Vivillon patterns to be ones they're most fond of, and the three I mentioned above are mine. The "threads" that tie them together are of simplicity and realism, and those are great characteristics that make things fascinating. Fascination will surely be a present quality for any Pokémon species, not just Vivillon, but it has to be admitted that this species seems quite emblematic of that.

One year ago: Cosplay: Innoverse & Tanoshii Matsuri 2025

Two years ago: Towards the Sunny Horizon

Three years ago: How Many Main Orders to Complete?

Four years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights: Pokémon Unite Channels

Five years ago: Unity Power

Six years ago: Cosplay: Aishiteru Minna

Seven years ago: SwitchCon

Eight years ago: Private vs. Public Raids?

Nine years ago: The Times They Are a-Switchin'

Cosplay: Cosplay Expo Pre-Event

Me: And... this one's different beyond different. 

Goh: It's an "expo"! So... probably like a convention but more.

Me: Yeah, you can say that. I'm told this is the creation of an out-of-town organizer who wants to see big things happen for characters [OOC: cosplay/cosplayers]

Ash: Oh, so that's why the "pre-event" thing.

Me: Pretty much. Also, I have to say that this is (was) a two-day thing, but for convenience, I've decided to cover it all today. That said, you were there yesterday...

Ash: Yeah! I saw a few of your friends for some time, and then I went to raid for Shadow Raikou and then back to you for something you needed help on.

Goh: Oh, I guess that could explain why too.

Me: Yes, um... Anyway, today it's mostly full for this...

Ash: ...but I was hunting for Shadow Chespin around the area too! It took a long time.

Pikachu: Pika pika? ["Too long?"]

Me: [sigh] Lots of things happening this weekend. Anyway, what did you see?

Ash: There were lots of stands for goodies, and a few of your character friends opened booths.

Goh: Didn't our friend say that he wanted to do the same for you?

Me: I really wanted to, but I'm still busy with something very important and ongoing, so I just couldn't make the effort. But I promise at some point it can and should happen.

Ash: I heard you should, from one of your character friends.

Me: See what I mean? That's for when things can happen.

Goh: By the way, it's a character convention, so it's got to have competitions, right?

Me: Of course it does! There was a character parade... but that was yesterday, and the raids happened at the same time, so that's a struggle.

Ash: There was a performance one today.

Me: That's even more of a struggle that I really mean to take on but I haven't been able to for various reasons, technical or otherwise. I'm really, really sorry.

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["You can do it!"]

Goh: We'll be waiting for you. Oh, and how about entertainment?

Me: Based on the schedule, it was dance groups and DJs. 

Ash: I saw them today!

Me: There you go.

Goh: And... I guess the rest of today was about our friend's friends.

Ash: You bet!

Me: Hey, that's better than nothing. All the same, I still we (I) could have done more.

Ash: Maybe you'll get a chance when this is in the faraway place.

Goh: Oh! So you mean this convention is a series? As the "pre-event" for the big thing?

Ash: Seems like it, from what I was told.

Me: That's pretty nice. So, I'll see if I can plan out some things.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["It should happen."]

Goh: After all that, I guess we could say this one has some good things going on.

Me: Especially for what they're promising next.

Ash: Let's see if we can make good things happen!

Goh: I'm rooting for you two all the way. 

Me: We'll see. At that point, it would really be time to "expose" ourselves.

Ash: And our big things.

Me: True, that.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/25/2025

Two years ago: In a (Pokémon) World Like This

Three years ago: Recent Little Additions to the Pokémon Go Experience

Four years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 14

Five years ago: I Need Great Pokémon Friends

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/25/2020

Seven years ago: Keep Calm and Carry On Researching

Eight years ago: Performance Critique: ACC 2018 Single Performance

Nine years ago: Keychains!

The Importance of Community Tournaments

A few of my TCG fellows are currently in a faraway place yet one that is somewhat familiar to me for two tournaments, a "community" tournament today and then an official tournament tomorrow. That reminds me of what I used to experience with Pokémon Go, albeit with more "community" tournaments and less (nary, even) official tournaments. For that, I thought I'd take a post on discussing the consideration of their importance for the Pokémon realms above as well as Pokémon in general.

By the above, it becomes evident that "community" tournaments provide a kind of practice for the official ones, even in the great absence of the latter. For those who are truly passionate about their gaming skills as in any of the current games being featured in the Pokémon World Championships, this is somewhat important, as the chance to make it to official tournaments could come any time and so does the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships, for which they are meant to provide.

If practicing for official ones isn't in order, then practicing to hone up one's own skills may be. That seems to be the very least that even the most competitive of players like the TCG fellows I mentioned can do - and in fact, a few of the ones who came today came for a competitive side event they can play in rather than the main event that they did not qualify for. For those players, then being competitive means having perfected the skills to compete, and that seems considerably just as important.

Even without all of that, the opportunity to socialize with other players is a given at the venues of the tournaments, and the "community" ones have a leg up on this aspect by their nature that tends to the informal side of things. It's not hard to expect that informal events lead to less structured happenings, and within those happenings, participants can squeeze in chances to mingle and talk with others. People are of course social beings, and that as far as things go is important, even in events.

Now, I'm sure at this point some of those TCG fellows are already gearing up for the official tournament scheduled for this day, which definitely has an importance of its own. But with regard to both TCG and Pokémon Go (by my experience) as well as any other competitive Pokémon realm past and present, the "community" tournaments can present their own points of importance, including those explained above. For me and others, those are as important as the games themselves.

One year ago: Biggest Mistakes Involving Pokémon

Two years ago: Forever in the Palms of Our Hands

Three years ago: Friend Experiences with Factions

Four years ago: The Sinnoh Cup of GBL

Five years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 8

Six years ago: Little Bits of the Pokémon Anime

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/24/2019

Eight years ago: Local Ex-Raid (and More), 1/24/2018

Nine years ago: Electricity: Harness, Don't Exploit

The Unluckiest Wonder Picks

The Wonder Pick is a key part of TCGP since pretty much the beginning, allowing players to obtain a duplicate card off of someone in the world, although by luck (chance). However, many people know all too well that luck doesn't necessarily bode itself well, including for Wonder Picks as a luck-based situation. Based on several recent observations, including a few of my own, I thought I'd discuss how this can manifest in Wonder Picks, as in ones that are very unlucky for the players that make them.

Recall that I've discussed how the Deluxe Pack ex forces Wonder Picks from the "expansion" to have Pack Hourglasses in lieu of the fifth card, and this is definitely a source of unluckiness. I've had my share of picking the Hourglasses instead of a desired card in the past, and certainly others are experiencing it now - with a temporary return of the expansion for a few days more - making the "unlucky" aspect somewhat evident for the Wonder Picks of concern. It's a "specialized" case that is not all that "special". 

Meanwhile, there have been a few cases of Wonder Picks having multiple desirable cards, but a player ends up picking the undesirable one. This has happened to me with three of the former cards in a Wonder Pick, yet I end up picking one of the latter cards instead. It's a rather unlucky situation for all concerns, and I'm sure I'm not the only one in this regard. In comparison, Wonder Picks with just only one desirable card seem meek and understandable for what they are and the chances that are involved.

Finally, it is possible that a player is targeting a specific card from Wonder Picks - perhaps aided by their Wishlist - but can never seem to pick that one card. For a friend of mine, this has actually been the case, having lost count of the number of times trying to pick a targeted "full art" card but unsuccessfully. I've also had a partial experience with this situation with some cards from an event rather than an expansion. Either way, the unluckiness is apparent, and it may be frustrating for many players, even me.

Being that Wonder Picks have the chance, luck, or gacha element (whatever one likes to call them), some unfortunate results are surely to be had from time to time. Even so, some of these unfortunate results seem to just be able to manifest themselves in patterns that very much resemble the situations that I've described above, and possibly even more beyond what I've observed. With Wonder Picks, some results are certainly enthralling, but others may just put one into another sense of "wonder".

One year ago: The Ship Guiders

Two years ago: Our Sails Are Set - We've Come Home

Three years ago: Quickies: The Fire Inside and Out

Four years ago: On the Referencing of Stats in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: Beyond the Immensity of Life

Six years ago: New Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - Selections

Seven years ago: Islands and Continents

Eight years ago: Passing the Guard

Nine years ago: Two Pokémon Pillows

I Miss My Unite Friends

What I like about Pokémon Unite, as its name suggests and just like other games of its genre (MOBA), is the way that it can bring together various players and have them connect as friends. In fact, that is now something I long for, with the seemingly recent forced "downturn" of the game and the fact that it seems many of my in-game friends seemingly have been inactive for a very long time (even if they're active when I'm not and vice versa). I've thought about that "longing" and have decided to make it into a discussion point here, certainly.

I have recently made some new friends in and for the game, yet I haven't had a chance to play with for a major timescale - and just when I do want to, they go and play other games instead, making them "seasonal" gamers - and that makes me miss them somewhat. The feeling of being so close and yet so far to these friends is a frustrating one as well, which adds to the feeling of longing, especially for those who I can trust to get things done in the game, and if they can be met in person, to do just that with additional communication.

Then there are friends who have publicly announced they'll stop playing the game due to the forced "downturn", and those for whom the downturn might have affected them by making them play the game rather erratically. Incidentally, I might be considered to fall into the latter camp due to my sometimes regular and sometimes erratic times of playing the game, so some friends on the other end might miss me for that. All the same, I do miss them for what they may or may not bring to the game with their current way of dealing with it.

As for other friends, I've made more than my fair share of "one-off" friends, those who I encounter just once in a match and then almost never after that, with either them befriending me or me accidentally befriending them. Depending on who they are and how they played with me, I might miss them just a little, or perhaps even more than a little. What is clear is that some longing is established for them, though the same might not be true on the other side, which could mean that I may just need to move on from them as they probably should also.

Now, friends are always important in any game, especially those that require a team of players to play as in the case of MOBA games in general and Pokémon Unite as a specific case. Such an importance then lends itself to any player longing to play with their friends, as I do for the friends on my Pokémon Unite friend list. It's a longing that may or may not be satiated by further play with other people, and it'll just have to be a feeling that remains there while I continue to deal with the game, at least before a real "downturn" occurs.

One year ago: Spending for Café Remix Deliveries

Two years ago: A Journey's Anthem

Three years ago: Let's Talk About Living and Letting Go

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/22/2022

Five years ago: Best in the World and Universe

Six years ago: On the "Invisible Forces"

Seven years ago: Fan Art... for Me!

Eight years ago: Costume and Cosplay Checklists

Nine years ago: Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...

Holding Out for a Howl

Much of my recent non-Pokémon dealings lately have been influenced by a "howling" (not humming - that's another matter) of a certain sort. In a way, it's kind of natural, since those dealings happen to occur late at night, the time at which those sounds are expected to occur. Evidently, the matter creeps back into my Pokémon dealings, one of which is this blog... and I figured I'd (and might as well) put in the discussion with my thoughts about it, and of course the relevant and necessary Pokémon elements.

"Howling" would surely evoke the creatures that make such a sound, which would be wild dogs, two of which I'd brought up a long, long time ago. They're also natural in the time of day that I mentioned above. If the conditions are right and a Trainer - or even just a regular person - finds oneself in those conditions, they and their other Pokémon might just be tempted to howl along with them. In fact, that might be considered the essence of that situation with the "howling", where some might just do it together.

Some Pokémon, meanwhile, are only doglike in resemblance or nature, but they might just put out a pretty good sound themselves that closely resemble a "howl". In that respect, they could join in the "howling" as well with that sound. As for Trainers or regular people who join in the "howling", they might do so for other reasons, including to relieve stress from certain daily life issues and to have a bit of fun with others, especially where Pokémon is concerned. That too seems to be quite linked with that situation.

Perhaps, as the title of this post suggests, that may be what I really need right now: a good "howl" for all my current happenings in and out of Pokémon, both good and not so good. That may or may not need the specific situation I've mentioned, but it seems a pretty good add-on (and for adding in Pokémon, if I can do so myself - or just through the composition of this post). After the "howling", the problems that be can let themselves be, and additional joys can then manifest. So, given all that have been said...

HOWLLLLLL.........!

One year ago: Quickies: The Little Bugs in Life

Two years ago: Waiting to Break into Pokémon Spinoff Games

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/21/2023

Four years ago: Six Degrees of Separation

Five years ago: Seeking Comfort with Pokémon

Six years ago: Getting Too Technical

Seven years ago: Takara Tomy Arts Manmaru Pokémon Netsuke Sun & Moon - Torracat

Eight years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition 2018, Day 2

Nine years ago: Dreams of Itasha