Cosplay: Ganbatte Idol Fest 2026

Ash, Goh: We're back!

Me: Good timing. There's this convention I'd like to send Ash to, and it's today.

Goh: I see that. This looks like it's new - for you at least.

Me: It's indeed new for me (us). It's been going on for a couple of years, though; I just never had a chance to do anything about it until now. 

Ash: And now I get to deal with it!

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Let's do it!"]

Me: Of course. Now, the place should be familiar...

Ash: Oh, it's the usual big mall for conventions and stuff.

Me: Well, sure. And inside there?

Ash: You said it. Just like the usual. Communities, goodies, and characters. I met the vehicle community and the tile game community.

Me: It's good to spend time with them... which hopefully you did.

Ash: I did spend time with both. I got a picture taken with the first and had a couple of good games with the second.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Good job."]

Me: Well, there you go. Did you find the rest of the booths interesting?

Ash: I got a couple of goodies... and that was it. I just had small talk with the rest.

Me: Uh-huh. Speaking of talking, where has Goh gone?

Goh: Hi!

Ash: Oh! You're actually here!

Me: Well, what do you know. Someone actually sent you in for real this time.

Ash: Maybe I should have had my world outfit instead of my special journey one. 

Me: And then I had been requested to have you with your Kalos outfit, but it wasn't exactly convenient. 

Ash: I guess we did what we can. 

Goh: Hey, doesn't it seem like there aren't a lot of characters around here?

Ash: But it's a big convention! There's still a good number.

Pikachu: Pi pika. ["Quite a bit."]

Goh: That's true, even if it's less than what you'd expect. 

Ash: I guess the ones who came were really serious about this one.

Goh: Well, you know, there's the character parade and the performance competition... but the latter isn't for you, and I think you need to deal with the former.

Ash: Oh, yeah! I need to do that.

Goh: I'll see you back after I do some stuff.

Ash: Sure!

Me: OK, so then there's the two competitions. For the character parade, did you have any trouble getting in?

Ash: Well, the people asked me to sign up for something, but I got around that somehow.

Pikachu: Pika chu? ["Tricky?"]

Me: Yeah, usually that's a bit of a sign. But I'm told this on had a lot of prizes?

Ash: Yeah! But a lot of characters wanted it too, so a lot still didn't win anything... and I didn't.

Me: Still a "lottery". Now, based on my research, the performance competition is a regional edition of a part of Indonesia Cosplay League (ICL) for a global series called GICOF, so a different one but still in a related vein to ICGP for WCS.

Ash: Oh. That does make it hard for us to get in. But all the teams (I saw) really had great performances!

Me: I'm sure they did. OK, and on top of all this, you must have met my other friends.

Ash: A lot of them - even one dressed in black... and... white?

Me: Sounds interesting, that one friend. Oh, and what about other entertainment?

Ash: Dance groups - but they were all in a stage in a separate space.

Me: OK, that's the "fest" part covered.

Goh: I'm back! So, after that person sent me, I guess we can say that the convention is like a smaller version of other conventions that are usually here.

Ash: Like ChibiCon and C4.

Pikachu: Pika! ["Like that!"]

Me: I'm told it's not meant to be this small. I heard that there's another convention some distance away and yet another one in a neighboring town.

Ash: Oh, so some people might have gone there instead of to this one.

Goh: That seems to explain things. But hey, I'm sure you still had a great a time - I know I also did.

Ash: And it's the first time for this one too!

Me: It's a first time (for us), and a bit of a "strange" time, but it made for a great time. This one is definitely in the books - and spirits, as the spirit of "ganbatte".

One year ago: Overnumbered Cards in TCG

Two years ago: My Favorite Pokémon Outfits in Café Remix So Far

Three years ago: One-Minute Cooking: A New Standard?

Four years ago: Scoring in Pokémon Unite

Five years ago: Friendships Like Pokémon

Six years ago: Everyday Discoveries

Seven years ago: Local EX Raid (and a Whirlwind), 4/19/2019

Eight years ago: Cracking the Case

Nine years ago: Oddest Things with Pikachu

Remote Trading in Pokémon Go

Alongside the new and "ultimate" friendship level that was introduced in Pokémon Go a few months ago, I had noted that there is another feature that comes with it, and that I would discuss it later because it's significant - and that time is now. For those who have friends from faraway places and have attained high friendship levels with them, they may have the desire to trade with them beyond the limits of the regular trading feature, and this new feature allows them to do just that. Accordingly, it's called the Remote Trade feature.

In order to be able to make use of Remote Trade (in contrast to regular trading, now called "Local Trade" to differentiate), two friends in Pokémon Go have to attain the Forever Friends level, which will unlock the first Remote Trade opportunity. After performing a Remote Trade, the two friends then need to interact again for 90 days to re-attain the Forever Friends bonus and the next Remote Trade opportunity. So, the opportunity might not come very often, but it is significant just as the new Friendship level is significant.

Of course, they also need to be able to see what Pokémon that the other can offer, so the feature also comes with a special Pokémon tag for a Remote Trade. Within a few days of one's first Forever Friend, one can start labeling Pokémon with the tag for that purpose. It also goes without saying that one should make use of the feature as much as possible by labeling as many Pokémon as possible, especially once more Forever Friends come about who may just make the request for a Remote Trade at any time.

Then, there is the process. One of the Trainers starts the process by reviewing the other's tagged Pokémon (including moves) and selects up to three from the set to make the Remote Trade request. The other Trainer then reviews the request and makes selections to confirm the request, and then the originating Trainer makes the final confirmation. The trade is then made, and the two Trainers receive the Pokémon. It's a little similar to the process in the distantly related game of TCGP, only somewhat more involved.

Some other notes also apply to the process. Obviously, if the two friends are Lucky Friends, the Remote Trade will be a Lucky Trade as well. As for Special Trades, a Remote Trade can allow for an extra Special Trade to be made for that purpose, separate from ones for a Local Trade. In light of the above, it is also advisable that two friends who have attained an opportunity for a Remote Trade to take advantage of the opportunity, considering that it is gained from the continued dedication to interact as friends.

Remote Trade in Pokémon Go is regardless a very useful addition to Pokémon Go, especially for Trainers who are friends with others from all around the world and even those who are separated by great distances. Although it does require that they maintain friendship and increase that level to the "ultimate" degree, once that happens, a lot of things can become fair game through a Remote Trade opportunity. That might allow for just-as-lasting mementos to result, in a way affirming the "forever" quality of the friendship.

One year ago: Pokémon Concierge: The Resort of Fun

Two years ago: Cleaning Up Like Poison Types

Three years ago: Hunting for "Smurfers" in Pokémon Unite

Four years ago: On the Two Sweepers and Cleaners

Five years ago: Cosplay: "Pass-the-Time" Contest

Six years ago: Love and All

Seven years ago: Performance Critique: INOCHI 2019 Sing Cover

Eight years ago: Getting Social with Cosplay

Nine years ago: Console Renewal?

Chasing After and Catching Up with Suicune

If there's a Pokémon that could embody the spirit of a pursuit somewhat well enough, it could perhaps be one of the Legendary beasts of the Johto region, being Suicune. As most Trainers recognize, in the original games it appeared, a literal pursuit had to be made across the region for the purpose of encountering them - never mind getting a chance to capture them. This pursuing effort is definitely one that gets Trainers to chase after it and make it possible to develop a bond somehow with the Pokémon.

Of course, in the "third version" of Crystal, Trainers didn't need to chase after said Pokémon and could simply encounter it in one of the towers in Ecruteak City. This allows the "bond development" to take place sooner, especially with a capturing process involved, without the complications of the pursuit as above. In this way, one could be considered to have "caught up" with the Pokémon for all its relation, even if the relation is only specific to that one game. Yet it's still important in this case somehow.

Now, as for why this post brings up the topic and ideas above, there might be a few personal aspects that are to a certain extent related to the ideas, which brings about the topic. In particular, there is the relation to this very medium, for which some might have noticed a certain peculiarity even if the consistency remains... which I won't discuss too much in obvious terms. As for its relation to the topic at hand, perhaps Suicune itself might know - but that'll demand an actual chase-after and catch-up.

The games where it becomes pertinent to chase after and/or to catch up with Suicune may be considered to have their own points about meaningful pursuits, specifically for the Pokémon that is mentioned as such. Trainers may make interpretations of that in ways that are relevant to them - and that includes yours truly for certain pertinent affairs - but the "blue streak" that is the Legendary beast as mentioned above will likely have its own interpretations of the pursuit that truly embody situations at hand.

One year ago: Dreaming of Pokémon Friends?

Two years ago: Musical Emotion, Place, and Event

Three years ago: Going for (Real) Pokémon Cookies

Four years ago: Rotating to Objectives

Five years ago: Longing for Team Go Rocket

Six years ago: Impressions of Chef Mallow

Seven years ago: Choosing Pathways

Eight years ago: And Again, I Dream

Nine years ago: We're All Tied to Pokémon

Paper Crafters, Wherefore Art Thou?

Way back in the first year of this blog, I covered papercraft involving Pokémon as an outlet of artistic Pokémon expression - one that has some personal ties to me - with particular focus on a specific site that furnishes the patterns for the art form. Many years later, I've decided to bring up the topic again, but this time the focus is on the art form seemingly having gone into obscurity, which is why the "wherefore art thou?" title tag is involved. And when that becomes involved, the associated matter can become rather weighty.

For this specific matter, I was made aware of it by one of my Pokémon figure fellows who I hadn't seen in a long time. We had the chance to meet each other a couple of weeks ago, and among the Pokémon topics we discussed, this topic became one of them as we practically introduced each other to it and mutually delved into it even in the time that we were mostly apart. As such, I thought about discussing that topic on this blog, and now its time has come; others brought up during that time may just be discussed in time.

Now, for the aforementioned site, it has apparently not been updated since 2022 (four years ago), with the last pattern that was posted being the one for Liepard on February 4. Prior to that, there was a "Halloween special" with the Gothita species family just a little over three months earlier. It goes without saying that the site itself hasn't been updated to include the ninth generation, although there have been a few sparse patterns for Pokémon of the eighth generation - and that's about it. Their fates and others are up in the air.

Though it has to be admitted that paper models like these do take time to develop - if some of the monthly gaps are of any indication - the lack of updates in the years between that last pattern and now is in a way something of concern. I had e-mailed the authors many, many years ago prior to starting this blog, but I didn't receive a response then... and given the state of the site as it is now, it seems unlikely that I'll ever receive a response if I try to establish contact. There is also no indication that the site may have noticed this blog.

Presently, I have other concerns that keep me from building papercraft models, even Pokémon ones, from this or any other source. However, to hear and see that the site I used to frequent for those purposes has practically gone "defunct" becomes an important concern, sufficient to be addressed on this blog (in a way especially so, since we're on the same Blogger platform). The question tag I posed in the title, as with other posts that have the same tag, thus becomes relevant to ask about and wonder, particularly for this site of Pokémon papercraft.

One year ago: Considering (My) Pokémon Relevance

Two years ago: Historical Pokémon, Revisited

Three years ago: Pikachu and Paldea Starters Headbands and Visors

Four years ago: My Current Holowear of Interest

Five years ago: In Need of Rotom, Right Now

Six years ago: Fanboys and Fangirls

Seven years ago: The First Unova Saga Japanese Opening Theme

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/15/2018

Nine years ago: Dialectics

Emblems in TCGP

Many Pokémon games seemingly have elements that players or Trainers can seemingly and easily overlook, and TCGP can fit into that regard. One of its elements is a nicety that serves a representative role for players in showing some of their accomplishments in the game from the past to the present. By the title of this post, that aspect is called "emblems", and it's an element that could deserve a bit of an explanation for posterity.

As stated, accomplishments are the primary things that the emblems represent. Many of them pertain to battle ("PvP") events in the game, from victory-based battle events to Ranked play seasons. They're earned when a player achieves specific milestones in the events (primarily for the former) or completes the season at a certain level (as is true of the latter). These are real accomplishments, and the emblems certify them as such.

Emblems are also obtained by completing the Dex Missions and earning Emblem Points, which can then be exchanged for an emblem of one's choice (or sometimes, the only one) for a particular expansion, through the in-game shop. Then, there are also emblems for special occasions that are given out through associated events. In this way, they're representative of the card collection and game progressions for the player.

Three emblems can be shown at a time in the player's profile by tapping the profile icon, going to the Emblems section, and choosing whichever three one would like to display for others viewing that player's profile. From this selection, then, others might be able to tell if the player is being rather competitive in the game or may just be involved in card collection and thusly less competitive - either of which are surely representative.

Now, another reason this becomes a pertinent topic for discussion is that starting with the next expansion, Dex Missions and Emblem Points are to be deprecated and replaced with a system that allows the same emblems to be earned through card collection. As such, this post also serves to remind players that if there are any emblems that haven't been exchanged by the manner above, it may be of their interest to do so before the system changes.

In any case, the planned system change for "Dex emblems" and the accomplishment-based system for battle emblems may be the indicators that the element seems to be overlooked by some players, even yours truly. For all their posterity and worth, it seems important to take note of them to take advantage of their appreciable benefits, and the discussion regarding the element as presented above can present some of the prompts for doing so.

One year ago: Spiritually Lost

Two years ago: Pokémon Profile Frames and Video Backgrounds

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/15/2023

Four years ago: Love Nature, Find Beauty

Five years ago: Great League, Remixed

Six years ago: On Pokémon and Computing

Seven years ago: The Fullness of the Cup

Eight years ago: Cosplay: GAME - Games Animation Marketplace and Exhibition

Nine years ago: True Colors (...of a Logo)

"I Like Shorts. They're..."

Following up on Bug Catchers as a kind of Pokémon Trainer personality that I addressed a few days ago, now I want to address a different one: Youngsters. Specifically, I'd like to address not the personality itself, but an aspect of that. Those who have played the early main series games (footnote: in English) will surely be able to complete the quote that I've mentioned in the title of this post, which pertains to this Trainer personality. The aspect therefore deals with the object topic that is addressed in the quote, which would be shorts as in the clothing item - one that can pertain to me personally as well as Trainers in general, not necessarily of the kind.

Now, the quote is completed with the phrase "...comfy and easy to wear." I find this true as well in my day-to-day activities, including ones that involve enjoyment of Pokémon. That also applies whether the shorts are intended to be worn around the house or when going out - certainly for some of my Pokémon Go activities, which has been the case for me. With that, I'll surely keep wearing them whenever and wherever they can be worn and it's fine for me to wear them. In this way, I'm also a "Youngster at heart" when it comes to this aspect personally.

Meanwhile, it is also certain that it's not only Youngsters that wear shorts, as other (kinds of) Trainers can and have worn them. Ash is one of them, as in his later appearances prior to "bowing out", he switched from long pants to shorts. It's a bit of an affirmation that even this clothing item is fine for many Pokémon Trainers, notwithstanding the type that has been mentioned above. For "locally confined" Trainers, including the previously mentioned Bug Catchers in some capacity, shorts would work well too for them and in all their activities.

Yet it has to be admitted that even for many Trainers, shorts aren't exactly distinguishing of their personage; many of them wear longer pants or similarly styled clothing items to make them stand out and distinguished. Much as how in some settings shorts aren't exactly warranted as a distinguished clothing item, many Trainers would seem to be aware of this perception and have something that is more their style as perceived by themselves and other people. And for them, that is just as completely fine as those who do choose to wear shorts.

Trainers are certainly free to choose their clothing styles for various reasons, and if they make their choice to wear shorts, then that is definitely their choice, at least as certain environments will dictate as such. Whatever the case, the testament by Youngsters through the quote as mentioned above remains true for many (including me) in many cases, and the clothing item has and will continue to have its impact and influence on the fashions of Pokémon Trainers.

One year ago: Possibility of Pokédogs (+ Cats)?

Two years ago: The Slowest Pokémon Day

Three years ago: Rising Heroes in the GBL, First Half

Four years ago: Keeping a Balance for the World Championships

Five years ago: Whence I Am, Whence We Are

Six years ago: Levels and Half-Levels in Pokémon Go

Seven years ago: Cosplay: INOCHI 2019 - Sengoku Jidai

Eight years ago: Shiny Here, Shiny There

Nine years ago: Friendly Plays

TCGP: Mega Forms in Brilliant Shine

About a year ago, TCGP introduced the "Shining Revelry" minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack, which contains the first batch of Shiny Pokémon as separate cards and sets a precedent for future expansions in containing such variants. The new expansion introduced for this month follows up on that and contains cards of similar composition and theme, but this time retaining the "grand theme" thus far of the B Series cards of which it is a part, being Mega Evolution. That is then appropriately reflected in the title of the expansion.

"Mega Shine", as it is called, features the entry of several other Mega Evolution forms with some distinct appearances, two of which are Mega Charizard X and Mega Gengar, who are also prominently featured in the pack image. It too is very similar in appearance to the aforementioned "predecessor" pack, with shades of white and other accent colors. Meanwhile, the pack also features other Shiny Pokémon, one of which is the Mythical Pokémon Mew; it's even there as an "immersive" card, making it unique thus far among expansions.

With regard to composition, the expansion contains 64 Pokémon cards, 2 Item cards, 2 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card for 69 cards in total in the numbered section. The "predecessor" pack, which has 68 Pokémon and 4 Supporter cards (72 total) in its numbered section, can then be considered to be comparable in composition in this regard. As for the overnumbered section, the new pack has 48 cards in it compared to the old pack's 39, and thus its total exceeds the old pack by only a little bit yet still making it comparable.

The target for this pack is certainly the Shiny cards, but that remains a challenge, especially since now (and has been for some time) all Shiny cards are the sixth "bonus" card in a pack, which also means they won't appear in Wonder Pick as well. So, a lot of pack opening is still needed for any pack and in particular this pack, whose Shiny representations may be some of the most coveted. Otherwise, the rest of the Pokémon are rather "stopgap" in nature.

It's plainly obvious that Shiny Pokémon are here to stay in TCGP, so continuing to celebrate their appearance is something great to do. This new minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack does just that, and this time it's also with Mega Evolution, making further inroads with the "grand theme" along with the Shiny theme. Both of these have their own brilliant qualities, and now together, they make for a fascinating part of the current series of cards in this game.

One year ago: Looking Back at Cycling Roads

Two years ago: More on Outfit Grades in Café Remix

Three years ago: The Minuscule and Enormous Qualities of Pokémon Species

Four years ago: The Type Icons, A New Standard

Five years ago: Differing Amounts of Pokémon Knowledge

Six years ago: Pokémon Helmet Covers?

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/13/2019

Eight years ago: Go at Home

Nine years ago: Paint It, Picross