Friday, October 9, 2026

More Ways to Earn Macarons - Possible?

Some three years ago, as part of its third anniversary, Café Remix introduced Macarons, a new item to uncap Pokémon at level 20 and allow them to reach level 25. Since then, the pace of obtaining the item has been steady... at a low rate, that is. That pace may seem to need some help somehow, and for that, I'd like to discuss how these items could stand to be earned (as well, possibly in greater amounts) to allow even more Pokémon that are hired as staff to reach those high levels.

Currently, the items are earned through daily missions that reward two or three of the items (different kinds), which totals 20 of the items, five of each kind, over the course of a week. It can already be surmised that the amount is low, so I would propose a "weekend special" that rewards another - that is, one more - of the items for each kind on the weekend, and that would accelerate the earning of the items, even just a bit, for old and new players alike to help the leveling progress.

Meanwhile, as an alternative (or addition) to the above, current and future Pokémon visit events could be made to allow more of the items to be earned. Presently, the ones with Slow Cooking allow one to be earned for free, but the ones with One-Minute Cooking require a Mighty Menu purchase, and even then only one can still be earned. Two free and two paid would perhaps make for a better alternative for both kinds of players while allowing some freedom in earning.

It should be noted that the monthly goals right now do allow the items to be earned - but this is only for those who have paid for the Premium Pass, which means that free players are at a disadvantage. Of course, this can and should be rectified to allow free players to obtain some of the items, even if just a little bit, to even out what they may have obtained (or not) from the current daily efforts. Whatever efforts will certainly have to wait for the game to update its state to a better one.

Even though many Pokémon can and have already been prepared to level up with whatever Macarons have been earned in the game up to now, it does seem that it's still limited, in a sense, especially with the multitude of Pokémon that are already in the game. Adding more ways to earn Macarons may be helpful in that regard for all current players in any state, and it may make up for the current deficiencies as outlined above; not to mention, the Pokémon won't be deficient.

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Thursday, October 8, 2026

Touring the Local Card Game Shop

In past years, I had discussed about a local card game shop that had its grand opening just a couple of years ago as well as the follow-up to that happening. It's a fascinating card game shop - even more so by its continued presence to this day - which is why I thought of making a post that serves as a "virtual tour" of the place, albeit verbally. It's something that I probably should have made ever since the opening back then, but it's also fine to do it now post facto.

The card game shop is composed of three floors, which is an impressive feat and indicative of the difficulty of maintaining it, as per the power problems during the grand opening. The first floor is the "showcase" floor, where cards for the Pokémon TCG as well as a few other TCG are shown. Some accessories for them are also displayed, and so are some Pokémon figures that could be obtained by opening blind boxes. There is certainly a cashier for buying the goodies, as well as some benches for people to wait on other people at the shop or just to view all the things the card shop has to offer - at least on this floor. They would have to go up for more.

And they do, to the "action" floor, passing a blue Gyarados art installation... at least in the early days, for the last time I was there, the installation was removed. Here resides the tables, chairs, stage, and video wall as mentioned previously for the tournaments and events that the card game shop hosts. Another kind of "action" here is for buying (and selling) the cards of the  Pokémon TCG, which are also displayed in galleries for individual cards of repute, or just the regular selection of booster packs and such. Dolls, if available, also appear on this floor, and they have their own dedicated (and money-spending) fans ready to purchase them at once.

Meanwhile, the topmost floor is the "relaxation" floor, which mostly offers diversions from TCG goings-on. It has a café and extra tables if somehow players also need to practice (especially if a tournament is happening downstairs), and more recently, tile games have been on offer for their own dedicated fans. This floor can be described as a miniature hobby and game shop, or at least as a sub-section of the shop itself, which at heart is focused on collectible items, in fact being the namesake for the shop - though I'm not obliged to say more on this aspect. It's still a vital part of the shop experience itself, especially for those who plan to spend time there. 

Having three floors for a card shop might seem strange or over-the-top, but my local card game shop has made it work for two years and counting. All of that also deserves to be toured for those who just might make it to said shop and want to know what to experience, or even those who might never have a chance of making it there and want to know the general vibes. Certainly, Pokémon vibes are still to be expected regardless from this shop for all it's worth.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Becoming a "Child of..." with Pokémon

A certain divination in an obscure place determines the kind of personality that a person has according to three elements - or they may also be considered types as well - establishing them as "children" of those aspects. Pokémon fans certainly recognize that the world has more than three types, more precisely six times as many. To that effect, it seems interesting to try to align the perspectives of these elements and flesh out the natures of each other accordingly.

One of the "children" is the "child of fire", which obviously would correspond to the Fire type in Pokémon. Those having this particular aspect may be described as having personalities that are brash and wild - and so too are many Pokémon of this type. Yet that may also be true for those of the Electric and Rock types, which in the real world are also precursors to fires; that would make them supporting types to personalities having this specific aspect.

Then, there is the "child of wind"; it has a practical equivalence to the Flying type in Pokémon. The personality of this particular aspect is described as being neutral - not too wild but also not too calm. The same would also go for Pokémon of the stated type as well as the Normal and Ground types, which may exhibit or be emblematic of such a personality despite being less in the air. At least, the wind may still guide all of them to where they need to be.

Finally, there is the "child of water", another one with an obvious correspondence (the Water type). This particular aspect has a personality that is noted as calm and collected, much like streams of the representative object. Pokémon of the Grass and Bug types can also join in that regard with respect to what they can do and their demeanor - at least most of the time. They all have that life spirit that represents their respective substances within them.

In fact, going by the further divination of that obscure place, everyone has a life spirit as well, and that life spirit is made evident and maintained by that place. I (and perhaps other fans of Pokémon) would like to think that the eponymous species can be made to fit in somehow, and those of the types above - both the main and supporting ones - can show their true life spirit if they were divined as "children" in that obscure place and regardless in the Pokémon world.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Mythical Things Like Mythical Pokémon

Since I've made a post with reference to Legendary Pokémon, I thought I'd make another with reference to the other class of Pokémon that is often placed alongside it - which would be the Mythical class. Now, for this one, I don't have the secondary reference that the earlier post so conveniently has, but throughout the post, I can scatter references to other things instead just like with the other post, and they would illustrate just how the moniker applies.

For example, long ago I discovered something that reportedly could only be obtained by accomplishing a specific task a few times in a row and over a certain period. Whether or not that was true, I didn't seem to get close enough to find out. Accordingly, that specific thing fits the bill to be labeled as "mythical", and the story as it personally relates to me also seems to resemble the story of the Mythical Pokémon of Jirachi - specifically the part about being able to have wishes fulfilled when it appears. They're both fanciful in that sense.

Next on the things with a "mythical" quality is a thing that I know at one point had existed - with me actually seeing and interacting with it - but now seemingly no longer existing. It's as if the thing made it into one of Hoopa's rings along with certain other Pokémon and getting lost somewhere along the way. Hoopa might know something about it... or it might also not, and whatever the case, I'm still left wondering about it. That also leaves the thing with a persistent "mythical" aspect that also applies well in the case of the Pokémon above.

Then, the wonders of the past that are still in existence in the present day also have their own "mythical" quality about it. With the given topic, there's no doubt that Celebi has ties to this matter, seemingly allowing the things to persist even at large scales, like the big and bigger temples in my locale. If Celebi allows it, they might just persist into the future too with all the power of time travel that it allows, as well as some human effort for that very purpose. Though it could only be surmised, there is a "visionary" aspect about it for them both.

What seems to tie all these things together is that they all have an illusionary aspect in some way about them. Mythical Pokémon seem to be no less illusory in all aspects they deal with, like wishes, transport, and time as with the mentioned Pokémon above. If that is to be taken as being a key part of the "mythical" quality, then there really is something to be said about the above things being "mythical" - and perhaps having an associated Mythical Pokémon.

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Monday, October 5, 2026

TCGP: Deluxe Pack Strikes Back... with Mega

This post may turn out to be predictable in its structure, but that is also because the subject is similar to something I had covered in the past. That would be another instance of a "luxury" as well as over-the-top expansion, which serves as the ultimate and summative expansion of the B series cards released over the course of the year. Now, they all are (or were) centered on the concept of Mega Evolution, so the ultimate expansion also has to contain a shade of that - and it does, being called "Deluxe Pack Mega".

Much like last year's Deluxe Pack ex for the A series cards, opening a typical pack of this expansion furnishes four cards instead of the usual five, but one of them is a card of the four Diamond rarity. Most of the cards are likewise from prior B series expansions, but a good deal are also unique to this one; the latter cards are indexed here, and the former are also indexed in their original expansions if obtained. Finally, the expansion is also limited-time - only for this month - but given that Deluxe Pack has seen (temporary) revivals, this one could too.

For the number of cards, as a general outline, the numbered section has 402 cards, which is complemented by 27 overnumbered cards to make it 429 in total. That's a big number, but then that fits the aggregative nature of the Deluxe Pack. There too is a couple of Crown rarity cards, one of them for Miraidon, and a three Star "immersive" card of Mega Charizard X ex - say that carefully (three times, perhaps?) - that shows many other Mega Evolution forms in the "immersive" animation sequence and becomes an amazing visual summary.

Needless to say, this summative expansion practically represents the end of the B series of cards in TCGP, also much like the earlier Deluxe Pack for the A series. That would mean that big things are coming for the game, the most predictable being a new series that would likely be called the C series. But that's still a prediction in some ways - as is for the other big things - so their manifestations are still up in the air at this point. When they come down to the surface, that's when they also need to be regarded, in the case of this blog with a post.

With the above situation, though, the "card wars" of Mega Evolution will still continue in TCGP, at least for a somewhat extended period of time. The card "empires" of each player that have been obtained by each player over the course of the B series and now will continue to prove they've got what it takes. Meanwhile, this limited-time over-the-top expansion provides the last little bits that may just help players to succeed in those efforts and give them the power to "strike back" with their and against other Mega Evolution.

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Sunday, October 4, 2026

Cosplay: Tanoshii Matsuri 2026 @ Thrift Festival

Me: Now here's one that hasn't appeared for some time.

Goh: Oh, it was there last year, but at the beginning of the year.

Ash: I guess that's why it seems so long ago.

Goh: But this time it seems different... "thrift festival"?

Ash: Uh... I guess that's for later.

Pikachu: Pi... pika pika. ["Yeah... We'll get to it."]

Goh: Well, if we're talking about the same festival, then it's got to have the same things like last time.

Ash: Like a character parade and singing competition!

Goh: And did you get in either or both of them?

Ash: Um... no...

Goh: Well, our friend?

Me: Actually, I was about to put Ash in the singing competition, but when I went to do that, it turned out it was already full.

Goh: Oh. That does sometimes happen.

Me: And... I was preoccupied this week, so it would have been a problem for Ash to recall and practice the song.

Ash: Yeah, I get that.

Goh: But what about the character parade?

Me: Well, I think that has more to do with the festival itself.

Pikachu: Pika... ["So..."]

Ash: Yeah, so they put this one inside a cheap clothes festival, and people kept getting held up at the entryway to get into it even though it's free.

Me: Right. I don't trust that a bit. So... that's why no competitions for us, then.

Ash: I got inside for a little bit, and all the clothes are nice - for you, I hope. But yeah, it was a little cramped inside.

Goh: I'll bet that was also the case during the competitions.

Ash: Yeah. The people watching the stage were all close together - and the MC kept telling them to move.

Me: See, that's what I was afraid of.

Ash: But the singers all had some nice tunes!

Goh: I'll bet. So, if you weren't on stage, then...

Ash: I just met our friend's friends all day long.

Me: Well, that's not half bad. We get to see them, and they get to see us.

Ash: I mean, that's always something our friend wants me to do.

Pikachu: Pi pika chu! ["Certainly!"]

Goh: I'd like to think that the "thrift festival" wanted this festival to get people to come... just like so many others.

Me: Yeah, I think that's about the gist of it.

Goh: By the way, where was this?

Ash: It was at the usual mall near our friend's place. 

Goh: Oh, that also explains a lot of things. Perhaps your outfit did too.

Ash: I had my special journey outfit. But it's nothing too special for our friend right now.

Me: It was just what I had available for Ash at the moment.

Goh: Well, OK then. And I'm sure you'd want to have Ash sing something neat.

Me: Of course. But we'll discuss that if something actually happens. Well, now-

Ash: Wait! Before we leave off, I did get something special from the festival for being the last character around. It was a small pouch. 

Goh: Neat! A little memento for today, at least.

Pikachu: Pika! ["Good!"]

Goh: But maybe our friend could have used the clothes?

Me: I guess I'll deal with those some other time.

Ash: You definitely don't need a festival for that.

Goh: And you can make sure things fit. Maybe the festival that's ours can consider that.

Me: Certainly, we all have something to fit into our future...

Three years ago: Item Drops in Pokémon Go
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Saturday, October 3, 2026

Hitting the Big Time: Pokémon Unite at the Asian Games

For the uninitiated, some regions of the world have their own smaller but no less grand version of the Olympics... er, actually, I did go over that very many years ago for when my local place played host to it. Now, in fact, it's the same event (Asian Games) but with a different host this year: Japan itself. Their sporting events can and do change over time, more so for the latter, and for that, the latter added eSports with various game divisions - and one of them is indeed the team game of Pokémon Unite, which becomes something very notable.

With its inclusion of in the sports competition as above, it can be said that the game is "hitting the big time" insofar as major sports competitions are concerned, and Asian Games can be considered just a step away from the Olympics by the above fact. While eSports may or may not eventually make its way into the Olympics, the "big time" that is the Asian Games is big because, well... Asia (as the continent of said Games) is big. That makes it big enough for a consideration, especially for its competitive aspect that the above duly demonstrates.

Certainly, for that matter, Pokémon is big too. It is obviously big enough to generate the movement that led to the inclusion of this game in the Asian Games, and its following in the countries who sent their teams to compete in this event is also big enough for that purpose. Though the in-game commemoration was minimal (with a free and no-frills Unite License for Toxtricity, and a watch party), the effect was still surely maximal for those who kept up with the happenings of the game and especially for this purpose.

Now, as for how the national teams fared, Japan took home the gold medal - no surprise for that, since Pokémon hails from the country. But the strongest showing other than Japan - that is, for the silver medal - came from Indonesia, becoming Japan's opponent in the final. That too came after fending off other Southeast Asian countries, also effectively putting Indonesia as the best from and for this sub-region. Much may still be on the table if Pokémon Unite can be ensured to survive for this and other eSports competitions, especially those with countries.

Pokémon Unite being in a major tournament outside of the competitive Pokémon vernacular is still a pretty big thing, especially if national pride is at stake like at the Asian Games, this year becoming a "big time" for it. That "big time" should become an inspiration for everyone - the players who keep the game going, the developers who keep the game fresh for them, and the supporters who keep things lively whether on the playing or non-playing side - that they too can hit the "big time" as this game has, with this or even other Pokémon games.

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