Quickies: In Puffs of Smoke

Some Pokémon are known to manipulate smoke (or make it appear) in order to enable themselves to avoid attacks or make things harder for opponents to deliver their attacks. This may be in the form of the Smoke Screen attack, usage of the Smoke Ball, or other ways that the mechanisms as depicted in the games or other media may or may not adequately explain. Yet it's a unique aspect for the Pokémon species of concern - and possibly the Trainers they are related to, if they have ones attached to them. It's also a fascinating aspect of these Pokémon to consider for all that they are and that they can do.

In popular culture, especially that which is tied to Japan, also the land of origin for all things Pokémon, acts involving smoke are sometimes associated with ninjas - the warriors of the darkness who lurk about in especially shadowy ways. Those familiar with Pokémon will no doubt recognize that there is a Pokémon called Greninja, literally a "ninja" in both appearance and (English) name. As for other Pokémon that can use smoke in all their different ways, they may not necessarily be ninjas or considered as such, but at least their skills may be comparable with regard to their particularly unique ways of using smoke.

Admittedly, smoke is a useful diversion, given what the ninjas have figured out with all their acts that involve the aspect. Some Pokémon species no doubt have figured out to use smoke or make it appear in their own ways (as mentioned above), and especially in battle where the techniques would be most likely be used. In their puffs of smoke, there is likely to be a bit of confusion as some attacks miss their mark and a few things disappear or change, but that may be considered the hallmark of the usage or appearance of smoke. Its cloudy and shadowy appearance, for Pokémon or people, may just disclose and reveal.

Now, it seems I have to get things going and make this post puff out like smoke...

One year ago: The Batik Motifs of Pikachu's Journey

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/23/2023

Three years ago: New Factions Battlefields Plus

Four years ago: Unite Uptake

Five years ago: Making Time, Taking Time

Six years ago: Doubleheaders and Such

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Panniversary 2nd

Eight years ago: Pikachu and Poké Ball New 2DS XL

Pikachu's Indonesia Journey: After One Year

Looking at my post from the previous year (see below), it is apparent that today is the one-year anniversary of my local major Pokémon event - or rather, a series of it - specifically on the biggest one of it all. Also looking through posts from past years, it's also been a long time since I've made a post covering the one-year passage of anything related to Pokémon. For that, I've decided to make this post to commemorate the one-year anniversary of that grand event as well as to discuss what has happened since then.

So, after the series of grand events last year, the series of events this year really downscaled. It visited four cities, none of which were the same as last year (although one may be called a "suburb" of last year), which may be considered a move of introducing lesser locales into the ways of Pokémon. It also had no accompanying Pokémon Go paid event for each city, focusing more on TCG, merchandise, and general entertainment - arguably becoming a focus on the more popular aspects of the franchise at present.

Because of the absence of accompanying Pokémon Go paid events, the things gained from them throughout last year have become special and exclusive for those who obtained them, like me and others. The absence has also meant that it might take time for Pokémon Go paid events to revisit the country, in particular something along the lines of last year's City Safari. Planning for a future expansion of its concept may also be in order.

Regarding overall impressions, the quality of the event series last year has been impressive, especially its "finale edition". This year, therefore, might be considered a "backseat" or "back burner" year, also with consideration of other goings-on - shaky ones, at that - that make things a little less savory for holding something as festive as the event series. After things have settled and improved, there is hope for the event to be seen again in greater grandeur.

With the way things are for Pokémon and local affairs, at least some of the former has settled into the latter, in part thanks to the event series as discussed above. The future of that may bode for some expansions... perhaps once the "hump" of current events have been passed. It may be considered a wonderful journey since last year, and the rest of it awaits.

One year ago: Cosplay+Pokémon Go: Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in Jakarta - Jakarta City Safari

Two years ago: More on "Shundo"... and Not-So-"Shundo"

Three years ago: Teams in Café Remix

Four years ago: Mallow and Ina, Chef and Contessa

Five years ago: The Place of Pokémon Go in the Pokémon Ecosystem

Six years ago: Cosplay: GACOS LEVELUP

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/22/2018

Eight years ago: Riot of Pokémon Color

The Pains and Gains of the Local TCG Registration System

While on the subject of Pokémon TCG miscellanies, I want to take out a post to discuss the local TCG registration system for competing in local tournament events. Owing to my current lack of suitability with the physical TCG, I've never really used the system to participate in those great events, but my TCG fellows often do. Besides convenience, though, the system also has a way of delivering other "gains" as well as "pains" when registering for those events, and that becomes a partial focus for this discussion - perhaps slightly in jest.

First up is the system itself. For those great events, many of them (especially the high level ones) require pre-registration, and the system facilitates that. Players sign up for an event through the system, and a few days prior to the event, players are selected by a draw to fill the pre-registration spots. Those who don't get a spot through the draw can try to take part in the event through on-site registration to fill for the no-shows, unless the event does not allow for pre-registration, in which case the players are resigned to their fate by the system.

The workings above are more or less the "gains". As for the "pains", some of my TCG fellows consider that the system may have a "mind of its own", with some players accepted for some events and not accepted for others. Furthermore, the events to which the players are accepted are sometimes ones that are out of town - certainly necessitating travel arrangements for that purpose - while they aren't accepted to the ones in town that are more convenient for them. It's often a strange situation even with the system... 

...and for that, some players have started to make that jest about the system. The jest involves taking plenty of time to practice their TCG skills only to get shot down by the (pre-)registration system when it comes time to compete in an event, which may force them to take extra effort to go through on-site registration for the event, including arriving early and camping out. Even then, the on-site registration involves another draw, which is further a jest to how things are basically decided by draws (along with just being able to show up to the events themselves).

Even though (pre-)registration is normal and expected for taking part in competitive events, especially for the Pokémon TCG, the ways of the local system for that seem to be just as ornery as they are useful, leading to some players to poke fun at it. Despite all the "pains" that the system presents, there's still a lot of "gains" to be gotten from it, the most important thing being to be able to play competitively. The necessities of the system might just outweigh its quirks, and the only thing left to do is to take that both in jest and in stride.

One year ago: Cosplay: Cosplay Creator and Community Convention (C4)

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Tour for Other Regions?

Three years ago: The New (Old) Legacy Trainer Challenge

Four years ago: Pikachu Fidget Spinner

Five years ago: Item Runs in Pokémon Shuffle

Six years ago: Remember, Remember

Seven years ago: Community Raid Days?

Eight years ago: Pokémon and Party Games

Am I (Really) Suited for Physical TCG?

The answer to the question I posed in the title of this post might seem obvious based on the way I play the physical Pokémon TCG and the virtual TCGL by extension or "proxy". However, a few factors are still relevant to that answer, so they're still suited for a discussion on the topic. For that, the topic concerns whether I'm actually apt to play the physical TCG. Irrespective of any other factors, the answer is always "yes", but when those other factors are put back into play, the answer becomes more complicated than a single word.

If I'm going to be active in the physical TCG, I'd need to be performing card management for my decks and loose cards, and that hasn't come easily even for the cards that I already do have, in and out of decks. In this regard, I may be somewhat less suited for playing the physical TCG - and it also explains why I would prefer (and somewhat need) the convenience offered by the virtual TCGL. It's a real major hurdle, especially given that the physical TCG takes up space, and managing its cards also means managing the space for it - also not necessarily easy.

At present, I also have to venture to find others to play, and I can't expect others to venture to me. This venturing requirement also takes a little bit of a toll and has to be fitted in along with my other activities, Pokémon or otherwise. The venturing is also necessary for certain events and/or tournaments, even if I am equipped for (to play in) them with the help of others. As such, it also makes me less suited to play physically; this, like the card management effort above, are external aspects to the game itself that affects me in this manner.

Even if all of that wasn't a problem, there is also the problem of keeping up with regulations and other novelties in the game, which might necessitate that I shell out regularly for them - something that I'm becoming incapable to justify at the moment. If I can't keep up, then I may not be able to consider myself suited for physical TCG, and like card management, it makes me gravitate to the virtual version for this purpose. All that's left to suit me then is just the gameplay of the TCG, which at least I have a grasp on.

With all of the above considered, realistically, my suitability of playing the physical TCG is certainly not very much, despite knowing how to deal with the cards. Again, if that was the only criterion for suitability, then I'm suited for playing physically regardless of any other things that are necessary for doing that - likely, any or all of the above factors that I've mentioned. At the least, I'm suited to observe the play of the physical TCG with my "fellows", and that may be all that I can do presently.

One year ago: Tournament: Championship Expansion Part 6 #3

Two years ago: Pokémon Brand Parodies, Third Take

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Goodies, Round 5

Four years ago: To Be a Snorlax

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/20/2020

Six years ago: The Friendly Manual

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 9/20/2018

Eight years ago: Meeting, Parting with, and Missing Friends

Little Transformations among Big Ones

As stated, this season in Pokémon Go is to be a transformative one, with a few big ones coming to Trainers sooner if not later. Among those transformations, though, there are also a few little ones, and they also lend themselves to complement the big ones. It is just as useful to discuss the former as it is to discuss the latter - which is likely to be in a certain way as is the norm for this blog - so I've taken this post in order to do just that for the former.

Some of those little transformations are in the form of UI changes, as in changing the Berry and Poké Ball tabs during Pokémon capture from horizontal to vertical, which many Trainers agree to be useful. Less useful was a change in the Pokémon information screen to bring the capture details front and center, as after only a few days, the change was reverted. Benefits certainly go into the considerations of making these transformative changes.

Resources for the game changed as well. Close to the start of this season, there was a great deal of changes in game assets, and Trainers were warned that they would have to redownload those assets, a process that becomes a good practice in a variety of conditions. Audio for the game has also been made noticeably louder even at the lowest setting, and Trainers will have to transform settings not only in-game but also for their play device.

PvP is (was) the target of a little transformation as well. As of this season, the switch timer is 45 seconds, even shorter than what it was a year ago (see below). This comes along with the usual flurry of move additions and changes, which surely has an impact on certain PvP dealings, ones that I may have missed by this point in time. In any case, the transformation is still as usual but with an additional and marked transformative change.

Even though the big transformations this season may have already been outlined early on and through later announcements, the little ones among them - as other changes to different Pokémon Go aspects - have their own major factors and deserve at least some highlighting. Change (transformation) is a constant thing for this game, if this season isn't about to make that even clearer; it's also clear that it can come in all scales.

One year ago: Major Shakeups in Pokémon Go Battles

Two years ago: Emily Rudd and Her Pokémon Links

Three years ago: Delivering an Authentic Experience

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/19/2021

Five years ago: On the Transcription of Pokémon Things

Six years ago: Taking Sides on Shiny Pokémon

Seven years ago: Raid Time Length Change

Eight years ago: Competitive Stages in Shuffle

BOGO Offers for Pokémon?

Along with the previously discussed FOMO aspect, I also had mentioned two other closely associated aspects to that - at least, by my personal experience - and ones that sound rather similar. One of them is now the subject of this post: "BOGO", short for "buy one get one". It may be that the relation of this aspect to the previous one (and perhaps the third, which will be discussed whenever) will appear rather superficial by way of that experience, but then there's a way of tying that aspect to Pokémon as I have done for the previous one.

Whether they're Pokémon fans or just ordinary ones, people will likely have heard or seen this aspect in relation to purchasing things. Essentially, it's a form of a discount where one buys an item and gets another one (of the same or similar kind) along with that item. Given this link, it becomes evident that the aspect is most pertinent for Pokémon merchandise, something that one could expect to buy one of and get something additional, although a few other purchases related to Pokémon might also qualify to have this aspect. 

Looking at the current offerings on the Pokémon Center web site, there may not be much leeway in anything that might allow a BOGO offer to take place, but the major end-of-the-year festivities are on tap, and even minor BOGO offers could be offered then... and may have been in the past, though that seems hard for me to discover for one reason or another. Meanwhile, the offerings of current Pokémon games with paid purchases often have bonuses, especially for those who purchase the offerings for the first time, and selected offerings may essentially be a BOGO offer for those who know when and how to look.

In attempting to relate this to the previous aspect, it's quite possible that BOGO offers might stimulate a FOMO feeling because of the way they are often limited-time. That may be especially so if one doesn't know how long the offers have appeared and how much longer they might be around for. In that respect, at least some games per the above may have lessened the FOMO feeling by way of informing how their "BOGO offers" have been and will be around, but even with that, at least some of the feeling might persist.

Perhaps it may be hard at times to justify the presence or existence of BOGO offers, or things that can be construed as such, for Pokémon matters. Yet as part of dealings and transactions, it may just sometimes make itself present, albeit not explicitly. As subjective as the relation is between this aspect and the previously discussed aspect, explicating them, that link, and the possible connections to Pokémon may still be warranted, and it may just be the prompt for looking out for and not missing the next (form of) BOGO offerings.

One year ago: Going Big in Galar Part 2: The Other "Big"

Two years ago: The Shared (International) Journey of One Piece and Pokémon

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/18/2022

Four years ago: To Care and To Protect

Five years ago: GOtcha Podcast Episode 1: Mega Evolution in Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Raid Failures

Seven years ago: A Restarted Fever?

Eight years ago: What I (Really) Like About You - Pokémon

The Problem of Scalpers and Pokémon

I have been mentioning a few times this year the issue of how scalpers have become involved in Pokémon matters and thus affected them. The focus, though, has been less of the latter and more on the former, and so the effect might not seem evident. Yet the effect is arguably just as important as the phenomenon in the first place, so it has to be discussed even to a certain length in order to understand what has taken place and its essence.

When the Van Gogh collaboration surfaced with its promotional card, those who "invaded" the museum in a flurry to obtain the card were undeniably of the scalper sort, causing somewhat of a hassle for its distribution and forcing a bit of a rework for this purpose. Thus, the effect becomes an illustration of how scalpers have caused problems for the distribution of Pokémon merchandise and how this necessitates changes in the method for doing just that.

Later on, it was apparent that scalpers had gotten ahold of Pokémon merchandise offered by McDonalds in Japan with complete disregard of the food that it's supposed to come along with, leading the franchise to cancel a later promotion for another series that is just as popular as Pokémon and surely has scalper problems of its own. Here, the effect goes beyond the merchandise itself and it poses further problems for distributing parties.

Meanwhile, TCG players in the U.S. still find it hard to get ahold of cards, for which it is cited that the display shelves of a major retailer for it is often seen empty - likely because the scalpers have gotten ahold of the products before actual players have. Evidently, the effect in this case becomes the burden of the players, whose need for the physical product cannot be fulfilled due to the products being in the hands of the scalpers rather than among players.

Out of these happenings that are brought upon by scalpers, their effects can be said to be somewhat profound for the fans of Pokémon merchandise and those who provide them, and it becomes a major problem for all. The solution to that problem, that which will satisfy the fans and providers while excluding the scalpers, may still need to be worked out; hopefully, concern will remain with the merchandise itself and not those who scalp them.

One year ago: More Waypoint Usage in Pokémon Go?

Two years ago: Cosplay: Helloweebs on the Road & TM Town Festival

Three years ago: Best Times for Community Day across Times and Places

Four years ago: (Un)finished Business, Again

Five years ago: Progressing Through the Go Battle League

Six years ago: At a Starry Night Time

Seven years ago: Approaching Field Research Tasks

Eight years ago: Restarting Go Fever Among Players