New Takes in Pokémon Unite

Recently, Pokémon Unite has introduced a few new elements in the game that change up existing ways of doing things in the game. Consequently, for the purpose of this post, I'm referring to them as new "takes" for all their ways of offering novelties - and of course, the post serves to discuss them to allow players like me to take advantage of them. The new "takes" may also be considered significant in their regard.

One of those is the addition of a "Solo Mode". This is essentially an expansion of the previous iteration of Solo Challenge, and now it consists of many challenges arranged in paths and stages. Each challenge has a battle with one player and the rest CPU players, to be played like a regular five-on-five battle; each challenge also has tasks to be completed and might even restrict the selection of Pokémon. This new mode becomes a diversion from the regular all-human battles while also presenting players something to grind.

Because of the addition of Solo Mode, battle selection has been changed up. Now there is a mode selection screen with six buttons, for which Ranked play and Solo Mode are made front and center. The rest of the battle modes (Quick, Custom, Standard, and Practice) are all half-size buttons beside the two buttons for Ranked play and Solo Mode, the former also showing the current rank of the player and the season deadline. The new battle selection process now becomes a way of showing the game's diversity of play modes.

As well, move selection in battle has been changed. Now most Pokémon with branched move selections (often two at certain levels) will need to have their moves pre-selected from the available options prior to the start of the battle. This gets rid of the chance that a move may be wrongly selected - even if the other is already pre-selected - and may even allow for making considerations in the selection, although this means more effort in setting up the Pokémon. It may just be something welcomed with the way the game is now.

These new "takes" do have their ways of changing things up for the game, with some benefits to be had while keeping a lot of things relevant. While other efforts still need to be made in order to set one up for playing the game, the new "takes" can help the setup in other ways, and that may be the most important thing right now - aside from making sure that the players can still play the game as intended in all of their ways.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 3/8/2025

Two years ago: Taking Pokémon "Sabbaticals"

Three years ago: Pokémon Tidbits from Different Places

Four years ago: On the Planning of Posts

Five years ago: At (and Beyond) the Beginning

Six years ago: Pokémon Conferences?

Seven years ago: Add Hope and Tears...

Eight years ago: Cultivate or Gather Berries?

Nine years ago: Pokémon and Music Games

What Would I Spend for in Café Remix?

It is known (or at the least could be understood) that Café Remix can and does demand some monetary payment for great(er) success, especially with some recent facets. With that in mind, spending for some of the paid aspects may be desired or in order, and perhaps that could also apply to me personally. I've decided to take up that discussion topic as such and to put forth the possibilities of what I'd spend for in this game with money.

One likely possibility is the monthly Premium Pass, which as I've mentioned does have an exclusive Pokémon in many of its editions. Since I enjoy having additional Pokémon to play with, this becomes a sensible spend; moreover, the additional score bonus that it affords for the events in the period is also lucrative, particularly with regular play. Therefore, for me and others with the same situation, the Premium Pass may just be a go-to spend.  

Besides the Monthly Pass, some paid pass tracks have additional Pokémon and/or associated outfits, so these could also be potential spending targets - again, to satisfy my inclinations for additional Pokémon as above. They also often come along with additional bonuses, but the primary bonus will remain the additional Pokémon and/or outfits. The spending may be justified regardless, if that is the primary thing to be obtained.

Recent game events have included paid elements in the form of the Mighty Menu and/or High Score Skip, and they are of lower priority for me to spend on, but their usefulness may be warranted in some cases. For example, the cheapest Mighty Menu to unlock its benefits and an occasional paid High Score Skip might just help to earn other bonuses associated with an event. As such, they also become potential yet occasional spending targets.

While spending on paid aspects in Café Remix might still be something that's not yet in my future, I can still identify some of the paid aspects that I will likely spend on if the opportunity might present itself. Those paid aspects, which comprise the above, are the ones that are the most relevant to my needs with my continued playing of Café Remix, and therefore paying for them might just be justified, especially if it becomes possible.

One year ago: Rotations in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: Quickies: One Day on a Pokémon Ranch

Three years ago: Factions Battlefields, Season 2 Cycle 4

Four years ago: Working for Pokémon?

Five years ago: Outsourcing Pokémon Development

Six years ago: Cosplay: Robotto no Sekai + SUCOFEST 2020

Seven years ago: The Marketing of Expectations

Eight years ago: How Many to a Raid?

Nine years ago: To Be Continued... maimai ORANGE (PLUS)

Days (and Weeks) Full of Pokémon Go Activities

I had already said in my Pokémon Go season opener post that it would have some dynamicity, one way of which is through the restructuring of some things. One of those things is the daily goings-on of Pokémon Go, which has in fact been restructured to fill all days of the week, thereby manifesting the scenario that I had posited approximately a year prior. However, the manifestation is slightly different than what I had posited, and therefore I have to explain them all, certainly in one post for convenience.

For starters, they've all been rounded up as a part of a cohesive whole that is called "Daily Discoveries". By the name, it's evident that they'd be available each day of the week, and that would be true for most common days. Yet it's been given with the caveat that they won't be available in the weeks of big-time paid events (Go Tour, Go Fest, Go Wild Area), which in the past have been made evident to have weekly goings-on of their own. So, at least there would be a regularity for when regular days are concerned.

As for the goings-on, starting on Monday, it would be a "Fast-Track Monday" with double Go Pass task points, along with the regular Max Monday. Tuesday would be a "Showcase Tuesday" with many kinds of Showcases in one day, although Spotlight Hour is no more - which needs to be discussed separately. Wednesdays remain with Raid Hour, which means that it's still entrenched and necessary among Trainers. Apart from the one major change above, these three days are lively and might be even more so.

Then there are new things for Thursday and Friday. They would be "Go Battle Thursday" (with more Stardust from winning battles and being able to go through twice as many battle sets) and "Friendship Friday" (featuring slightly discounted trades, increased Lucky chance in them, an extra Candy XL in each one, and an extra Special Trade). It's remarkable that the former somewhat aligned with my posited idea of battle bonuses, but at least having it for just GBL is better than nothing at all.

Ending the week is "Community Saturday". It's not called that actually (nor is it really a part), but that's because of a good reason: all Raid Days, Max Battle Days, even Community Days (of course, involving local communities wherever) will now take place on this day. It's then followed by "Double-Time Sunday" with double lengths of Incense and Lure Modules. For those who are only free Sundays, this might be a bit of a burden, but it's a burden that is paid for the standardization of weekly goings-on. 

"Daily" is a word that would describe how many Pokémon Go players play the game, so it makes sense to fill all those days with some goings-on as I had posited earlier. For that, it seems evident that someone took note of this and has finally manifested that for all days of the week starting this season, albeit with some twists and turns. Yet those twists and turns are still representative of how dynamic things can actually be in Pokémon Go, and so it is that a new dynamic is presented now.

One year ago: Everyone's Battle Client??

Two years ago: Let's Go and Activate Adventure Effects

Three years ago: Ionic Bondings in the Silph Arena

Four years ago: Need Some Help, Game Freak?

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 3/6/2021

Six years ago: Tell Me Why, My Brother

Seven years ago: (Make Way for a) Local EX Raid, 3/6/2019

Eight years ago: Bipeds and Quadrupeds

Nine years ago: Ride the Pokémon

New Mega Evolution Elements in Pokémon Go

As mentioned in my coverage of Pokémon Go Tour this year, the Mega Raids that became a part of the festivities were not of the regular sort. They're somewhat different than those regular raids, and for good reasons to be detailed shortly. They're also a part of a "wave" of new elements related to Mega Evolution that have been introduced in the game, and for that reason, I thought I'd round them all up for a single discussion to elucidate how they are all interrelated for the implementation of the concept. 

The first of these elements is an item called Link Charge. The item can be used to enter Mega Raids of all kinds in lieu of the Premium Battle Pass (since if there are free passes, they take precedence), although if entering them remotely, they are required along with the requisite Remote Raid Pass; in that respect, they are a lot like Max Particles for Max Battles. They can be earned through opening Gifts and from Weekly Challenges, and in the case of special events like Pokémon Go Tour in bunch amounts as well, further showing their similarity. They do not take up item space in the bag and are held collectively with a Link Holder. Of course, they may also be purchased... which in a way would reflect further monetization of the game.

Now for the raids: the Mega Raids for Victreebel, Malamar, and Dragonite in said event are called Super Mega Raids. The mechanisms are a little like a Shadow Raid, in which at the midpoint, the raid boss becomes enraged and puts up a shield. This shield requires a number (seen in the shield icon prior to the lobby) of unique Trainers bringing Mega-Evolved Pokémon to break with their Charged moves, after which it is subdued and the raid proceeds as normal. If this cannot happen, the raid is essentially "dead". The requirement of Mega Evolution becomes a spur for Trainers to possess viable Pokémon for this purpose, especially since this kind of raid is here to stay and might be the precursor for even more formidable raid bosses.

Meanwhile, a new Mega Level (Level 4) has been introduced, but this is not attained by repeatedly Mega Evolving a Pokémon; it is instead attained by first getting to Level 3 (which requires carrying out Mega Evolution 30 times) and then paying Mega Energy as the cost - which is not little either, 5000 for a species. Further, it's currently only available for the species above as the subjects of Go Tour, though it's not hard to expect that it'll be available soon for other species. It also means that prospective Trainers will have to walk long and hard with their Mega Evolved Buddy Pokémon, if they don't already have the requisite Mega Energy by earning them from raids - and the implications for this in spending are evident.

If these elements have anything in common besides their current interrelation, it is that the landscape of Mega Evolution in Pokémon Go is slowly transforming, especially with the first entries of the "second batch" of species that were first introduced in Legends: Z-A before their appearances here. Whether that means more money to be spent and/or more adventures to be had, that may be up to Trainers to determine; at least the concept is staying put, and they'll have to deal with even more new intricacies for them.

One year ago: "Back to Basics" for Pokémon Unite

Two years ago: Continuity: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2024

Three years ago: Cosplay: Daisuki! Japan Fest x ICGP Regionals 2023

Four years ago: Made (Deep) in Obsidian

Five years ago: Pokémon First-Generation Drink Bottle

Six years ago: Hope For Problematic Pokémon Fans

Seven years ago: A Gold and Silver Postcard

Eight years ago: Being a Pokétaku

Nine years ago: I'm Swept Away

Cosplay: Weeb's Break Party 2026

Goh: Oh, did we miss something?

Me: More like, we couldn't deal with it until now.

Ash: It's a "break party" like last year!

Me: Indeed, with almost all circumstances the same... except this time it was with Go Tour instead of Community Day. 

Goh: So that means Ash handled a few things for Pokémon Go Tour that day.

Ash: Yup, but just in the base for my Unova outfit.

Goh: But it's Kalos this year!

Pikachu: Pika pika? ["So, how?"]

Me: Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. It's the only outfit I have that isn't broken out for Ash at the moment.

Ash: I see. You didn't want to make it too hard on yourself.

Me: Right.

Ash: Yeah, so after what I could do that day, I went to the party. They were really separated this time.

Me: Oh, yes. I hear that's by the whims of the others. So there's not much I can do about that.

Goh: Well, if you said this one is almost all the same as last year, then Bocchi Noizu has a hand in it.

Ash: They did!

Goh: So, the games, performances, and a character parade.

Ash: Plus the "break" in the middle!

Goh: You saw all that.

Ash: Yeah, pretty much.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Like you say."]

Ash: The games were neat, the same and different.

Me: I hear they do want to try some things, like at the anniversary.

Goh: That makes sense.

Ash: The performances were great.

Goh: Even if you weren't in it.

Me: If that happened, I'd still try to juggle it in somehow.

Goh: And... there's the character parade.

Ash: It was free, so nothing to lose.

Me: And that went...

Ash: No dice.

Goh: Well, yeah. It can't always work out.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Well, yeah. (shrug)"]

Ash: After that, I went back with a friend, but we got soaked in the rain.

Me: No kidding. At least it's not the first time that happened.

Goh: Hmm?

Me: It was a long time ago.

Goh: Oh, OK. So it's an experience thing.

Me: Yeah, pretty much.

Goh: So, are there going to be more of these in the short term?

Me: There was one the next day... but I handled Go Tour myself instead.

Ash: Aw.

Me: But you never know. At least I don't know yet.

Pikachu: Pi pi pika? ["Maybe soon?"]

Ash: But today was still great - Go Tour and all.

Goh: Seems like it from the sound of things.

Ash: A good break for a "good break"!

Me: And yet there's never rest for the weary... but that's for me in it. 

One year ago: Realizing the Ninth Generation "Motorcycles"

Two years ago: Am I Communicatively Challenged?

Three years ago: Matters of Cosplay Teasers

Four years ago: Recent New Unite Facets

Five years ago: Pokémon, Anatomy, and Books

Six years ago: The Ups and Downs of Showdown

Seven years ago: A Mew Pouch

Eight years ago: How Do I Live, Without You?

Nine years ago: Two Pokémon Notebooks

One by Air, Two by Sea: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2026

Where February's Go Tour follows, Pokémon Presents does too - although that's more of a consequence of Pokémon Day rather than the mentioned game event. My discussion on the matter, as in many of the past years, has been tied to a certain theme that may or may not directly pertain to the contents of the feature, but it's still useful anyway as a guide to some of those contents at the very least. This time, the theme may be construed as means that some things may be delivered, but it's also relevant to a very important part of the feature.

That important part can be saved for later, so as usual, the discussion starts with updates to some current games. Pokémon Go had the festivities for Go Tour as well as on the road ahead, which promises to be exciting. Pokémon Unite had the three Legendary birds of Kanto as well as the first partners of Johto coming as Unite Licenses, which will surely fill up the field further. Physical TCG has something special on tap given this Pokémon anniversary, but that is a matter that will take more time to deliver and determine. 

For lesser games, Café Remix is on a celebration of first partners, TCGP has a new Themed Booster Pack (like clockwork, and for a few days now - something that I may need to get on soon), Masters EX is going back in time to deliver Trainer characters from bygone eras, and Pokémon Sleep is bringing in a famed Mythical Pokémon of origin and two Legendary Pokémon of sibling attachment - something that should be very clear. They're all delivering in drops and rounds, almost as if by the above means.

Next up was some news on the rather expected "battle client" game of Pokémon Champions. The game is shaping up, and in fact its release on Nintendo Switch has been set for April this year, with the mobile version to come later. Furthermore, once it's released, it's also set for use in the World Championships... which will also be the case this year (the World Championship preview itself, as usual, will come when it comes close at the end of August). This has many, many implications that can't all be covered here.

Meanwhile, this coverage continues with some upcoming content, both partial to an existing game and for a new game itself. Mega Garchomp Z is coming to the Legends: Z-A game by way of the DLC and Mystery Gift, another exciting addition to the main series "alternate". Then, Pokémon Pokopia is set for release on March 5, and more of its content continues to be divulged, including DJ Rotom and a Greedent chef named "Dente". Its "timesink" quality seems to be shaping up even shortly before its release.

Lastly, it's time to make the "delivery means" clear and to fill in the blanks I left in Pokémon Day. "Blowing air" refers to the winds and "riding sea" refers to the waves... and they'll be the subtitles of the next main series games, Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, which are due out next year. The "first look" or teaser shows an island region (name coming later) with vibrant islands and seas, and the first partners of the region and games have also been revealed alongside to start the hype for them.

Delivering new content updates is definitely the role of an edition of Pokémon Presents, and this particular edition for the 30th anniversary of Pokémon delivers (ahem) on that with what is set to be a fun-filled time with current and future Pokémon games and experiences. With that, the delivery means may not be all that important so much as it is the (essence of the) content that is important; whether they come by air or by sea, the best Pokémon happenings are those that will stoke and delight fans, and those from this edition may be some of the best yet.

One year ago: Ever Onward: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2025

Two years ago: Cosplay: Utsuru 8.5

Three years ago: It's All Relative: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2023

Four years ago: Newfound Glory: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2022

Five years ago: More PokéStops in Specific Areas?

Six years ago: Re-Experiencing Main Series Battles

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Daisuki! Japan Fest x ICGP Regionals 2019

Eight years ago: Investing for PokéCoins

Nine years ago: To Pre-Order or Not to Pre-Order?

Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos

With the usual late February and early March highlights out of the way, now I can cover the major Pokémon Go happening of the previous season... which in fact is actually still the current season for today, at which point tomorrow becomes the next - but I digress. Going back to that happening, as previewed, the happening involves the Kalos region, which has the claim to fame as the homeland of Mega Evolution. That makes it a big (Mega) time happening, so now it's time to unfold how big those happenings really were in their overall light.

Like in past editions, rotating habitats were the norm on both days of the Global edition. There were only three this time: Central Village, Mountain Manor, and Coastal Laboratory, with one more as a superset of these three, occupying hourly spans with one repetition. They contained thematic species of certain types, as well as Pikachu with Trainer caps and Unown forms that are of the region's letters (if one activates an Incense); and of course, all of them can be Shiny, if one is truly lucky. As with past years, no Collection Challenges means no catch pressure. 

Yet there is still pressure to raid, as the main feature was Mega Raids for Mega Victreebel (on Saturday) and Mega Malamar (on Sunday) plus the surprise entry of Mega Dragonite (on both days), the latter itself also having been a surprise entry in the Live editions' Mega Night feature. These Mega Raids were also not ordinary ones as well... but their technical details are best left for a separate post. Other Mega Evolution forms were present in "hourly special" (regular) Mega Raids on both days, while the "box Legendaries" of Xerneas and Yveltal were present as usual on the five-star slot, and one-star raids had the Pikachu with Trainer caps and Honedge, making for a rather massive range of raids.

Research had Field tasks for Bellsprout and Inkay as the evolutionary precursors of the above as well as Unown based on version selection. For that, version selection is accomplished by a Special set for those who paid for the event ticket, to go through tasks characterizing Mega Evolution and the Legendary Pokémon of the region, after which the Masterwork Research for Shiny Diancie follows. In the Timed realm, there is a set (for ticket holders) that deals with changing Furfrou trims by selecting a trim that one doesn't usually get to change toward, plus a free set (by a code revealed through Pokémon Day) featuring selection of a first partner from the region and completing daily tasks to get ones with special backgrounds.

Speaking of which, special backgrounds were also all the rage, with three in play: one based on each of the game versions, and one for Mega Evolution. Obviously, the latter was for all Pokémon caught through Mega Raids of any kind, as well as the Lucario caught from the Go Pass by the prelude Road to Kalos event earlier in the week. The "box Legendaries" get the backgrounds of their respective versions, and all others from raids can have either version background. Like in the prelude event, the stress is on "can", as Trainers may have had to put in effort to get any or all of these Pokémon with the respective special backgrounds.

Then, other bonuses involved Eggs with powerhouse species (2 km), Flabébé of any and all colors (5 km), and regional species (10 km), along with half hatch distance; CP boost for Mega Evolution; six Special Trades and halved Stardust costs for them; more Routes with Mateo and Zygarde Cells; and increased Shiny chances for a bevy of featured species, plus increased Shiny encounter chances in general (and an Eon photo bomb surprise each day) for those who bought tickets. After the main event hours, Hoopa brought back other Legendary Pokémon from earlier in the week (in the prelude event) for a massive "Raid Night" conclusion.

For my experience, I spent Saturday with the local Trainers (actually, not just myself - more on this soon) and Sunday with faraway Trainers (also looking for Special Trades with a few Lucky Friends among them). I got through the raids in order with sizable Mega Energy for the ones that were featured, and I got the most important ones with special backgrounds. Along with some extra Shiny Pokémon, it seems I had a mostly good turnout for all of its offerings.

Given all that happened over the course of the two days of the event, they can be construed to show that Kalos is a big (Mega) region for all the features that it has, even now as reflected in Pokémon Go from the features now included from the main series games, both the regular ones and the latest Legends alternate. The traces of those features and now this Go Tour event will likely remain to accompany the game in big ways.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Unova

Two years ago: Cosplay+Pokémon Go: Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in Bali

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Johto

Five years ago: Make It Make...: Pokémon Presents, 2/26/2021

Six years ago: Making Game Journeys... Literally

Seven years ago: Winds of Changing Teams

Eight years ago: Pikachu Cable Holder

Nine years ago: Love My Life - Pokémon Too