It's Been a Month...

Well, it's only been a month since I've started this blog, and I've somewhat fulfilled my "promise" - not a day goes by without my thinking of Pokémon, and I've posted my thoughts every single day about Pokémon, from the realities of my interest in the franchise, to the musings of what I could do or could be done with Pokémon, and even the oddest things related to Pokémon. Certainly there are many, many more things to explore regarding Pokémon, and I want to tag along for the ride, and if I'm there for it, you'll most likely see it on here.

I consider writing to be my strong suit, and I consider writing about what I like to be my strongest suit. I've been writing for years and years, whether because I need to or because I want to, and that is why I started this blog - I want to share my everyday feelings of Pokémon with everyone, and this is the best way I could think of. It is awesome for me to be able to share and express everything about Pokémon through things that I can do, including through writing. In the future, I may expand to other media to do just that, but for now, I'm just happy to do it through the written word.

So for those who have been reading this blog, thank you so much, and I hope that my words have displayed how much I like Pokémon for you. I cannot wait to share even more of my experiences with this great franchise with you so that they may also lead to your own Pokémon experiences. Please look forward to them; I know I already am!

Always 21 - Memories of 21

On the top of the world
I don't wanna be alone -
No, no, no, not me...
-- "C'est la Vie (Always 21)", Ace of Base

While it's still my birthday month, I want to flash back to a time that is inspired by this song. That time is, of course, when I was 21, which was quite a few years ago. I've dug up my notes from that time, and I can say that it has some pleasant moments. Back then, Pokémon was still on my mind, though there were other things that carried some of my attention away.

At that time, I was really starting to make use of my Nintendo DS Lite, which I had only gotten about a year prior. When I first got it, I only used it to play my GBA games that I already had; it was only at this point that I started to get ahold of the Nintendo DS games, including the Pokémon games, and made intermittent yet steady progress. Of particular note was getting back to the main series with the fourth-generation Diamond version, which I also finished in the same year. For the other Pokémon games, I played them to take a break from the main series, including the Ranger series new to the NDS and the continuance of the Mystery Dungeon series on the NDS.

Meanwhile on TV, the Indonesian dub showed the episodes near the middle of the Hoenn saga, which I had already seen years prior in English. It was nice that this was happening as it provided a fresh perspective on the episodes as I viewed them for yet another time, mostly for the second time. Not only did the dub show episodes, it also showed the movies - the sixth and seventh ones, to be exact. However, the movies were shown in pieces, which meant that it took a few weekends to show the entire movies. While this was convenient on one level, it also made the movies feel episodic on another, an impression I don't find necessary.

In regard to the above quote from the song, I really wasn't alone in these times, as I did still have Pokémon with me, as much as Ash had his with him. These too could be considered happy times amidst other things I had on my plate at the time. In short, another line from the song says it best:

Life is good for you, oh when you're 21 - remember you're Always 21.

Fire Power!

One of the types of Pokémon I like the most is the Fire type. As one of the three types every Trainer is introduced to at the start of the journey, it represents one of the most common types of Pokémon. It's what Trainers need most when they're up against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel types, while it is countered best with Water, Ground, and Rock types.

It is these type match-ups as well that determine whether the progress of the game at the beginning will be easy or hard for those who select the Fire-type starter at the beginning in older games. For example, in Generations 1, 3, and 4, the first Gym is a Rock-type Gym, which means that those who select Fire types as the starter will have a hard time unless they catch other Pokémon to supplement the battle, while in Generation 2, those that do will have an easier time as the first Gym is neutral and the second Gym is a Bug-type Gym, favoring the type's advantage.

Regardless of these match-ups, I do have one tradition regarding Fire types: I always choose the Fire-type starter no matter what happens. It's a tradition I have maintained ever since the first-generation games and one that I will never break. Due to the versatility of their type match-ups, I consider it convenient if I have one right at the beginning of the game rather than to hunt for one as the game progresses. Some of the final evolutions of these Fire-type starters look supremely tough rather than supremely terrifying; Typhlosion, Blaziken, and Infernape best represent the former. The latter is represented by Charizard and Incenroar - the latest member - while Emboar and Delphox look more cutesy.

It's hard not to appreciate Fire types for their versatility, convenience, and appearance. Yet it is for all three of these that I like this particular type of Pokémon.

[BTW, it's the Lunar New Year, the year of the Fire Rooster, isn't it? Happy Torchic New Year! ☺]

The First-Generation Bicycle Theme

One of the most iconic pieces of Pokémon music has to be the Bicycle theme from the first generation games. If you often use the bicycle while playing these games to increase your movement speed, you'll without a doubt hear this piece many times. If you use the instant-messaging program LINE, you can get a Pokémon sound sticker with retro images, and one of the stickers is a "bicycle" sticker that plays the first few notes of this piece. This piece was also arranged for use as BGM in the anime during the Kanto saga.

Of the several arrangements on this piece, I like the original 8-bit arrangement as heard in the Game Boy games and the anime BGM; the latter is especially well-made and maintains the feel of the 8-bit original with more lively sounds. I've listened to the arrangement in the remade first-generation games, and somehow I'm less thrilled with the arrangement there. It seems to be missing some of the jolly, lively quality that I sense in the other two arrangements. Even so, it is an important part of the game and without it, the game wouldn't be complete.

Another thing I like about this piece is that most of the notes are in the major scale, so it is (or should be) easy to play on any instrument. In fact, I have been able to re-play the piece on a piano using sound memory and trial-and-error, albeit only just the melody. If I had much better piano skills, I might be able play the entire piece complete with accompanying chords.

As a hallmark of the first generation games, its bicycle theme is a nostalgic and unforgettable piece. Such qualities, along with the mood of the music itself, brings a smile to my face, and reminds me of all that I like about Pokémon.

A Loss Is... A Loss?

I happened upon an odd yet Pokémon-related image some time ago. Here is the image in question:

At the time I found this image, I wasn't aware of the covert symbolism in the image. All I cared was that it showed Ash in four different poses. It wasn't until later that I found out that this image is one of many related to an Internet meme called "Loss". To make a long story short, this meme is the result of a popular humor webcomic attempting to address a more serious issue (which was in fact a loss of sorts), but the delivery didn't go over well with some of its readers, who then took to parodying the particular comic in all sorts of ways... including in the above manner. Anything that fits an A-AB-AA-AC sequence (oftentimes in a 2x2 grid) can be construed as a "Loss" meme; for the above, pay attention to how Ash holds up the fingers of his right hand.

This particular incarnation of the "Loss" meme strikes a chord for fans of the Pokémon anime, including myself, because avid fans know that bearing one exception, Ash has never won a league title for one reason or another; his efforts were in fact stopped cold by a "loss". Thus the above image could be thought of as being somewhat prophetic, unless something changes in the future. Let us hope.

When something so odd can invoke something so true, it makes you and me wonder. And perhaps, Ash too is wondering.

The Times They Are a-Switchin'

Recently, Nintendo has announced their newest console, the Switch, which is slated for release this year. The crux of the device is that it is a hybrid console: you can take it anywhere to play like a handheld, or you can play it in front of a TV like a traditional console. Nintendo likes to "carve out its own path", and this concept definitely fits that principle. A bevy of games have been announced for the console, including a new Pokémon game, though there is not much more information for the latter.

I've never owned a traditional console; I've only owned handhelds like the 3DS. The prospect of the Switch is very exciting, being both a console that can stay put when you want it to or move when you need it to. With the fact that Pokémon is coming along for the ride, this makes me happy as a fan - there might be other Pokémon games to follow, which could bode well for all of us fans of the franchise.

All the same, the Switch is still in its early stages, and I'm wary about adopting something so early in its lifecycle, game console or otherwise; my experience with early adoption has been hit-or-miss, so there have been times that things have not worked out as much as there have been times that things have worked well. Plus, whatever the Pokémon game that is coming is still under wraps, giving another good reason to wait and see.

I'm sure that there will be a time for "switchin'", but I just don't feel that it's that time yet. But with Pokémon in the mix, that time might just come sooner rather than later. And once the game comes out, then it will really be that time.

Keychains!

I've gotten a few Pokémon keychains in recent times. They can all be seen in this photo:

Keychains are actually some of the most accessible merchandise I can get because they tend to be cheaper than other kinds of merchandise. Like quite a few of the Pokémon merchandise I've gotten recently, the ones above are all unofficial. Yet they still look strikingly interesting.

The Cobalion keychain on the left is actually a gift from a friend. He bought two Pokémon keychains, the ones he says looked most authentically like the Pokémon they represented, and I chose Cobalion for the exact same reason. The colors and anatomy are very accurate to how Cobalion looks like. Likewise, the Charizard keychain is detailed and colored accurately, which is why I purchased it. I also don't mind the comical appearance as it gives a unique character to Charizard.

The other two Pikachu keychains are purchases as well. I got the round keychain with the extra hanging Poké Ball along with the Charizard keychain from the same indie shop. There were several Pikachu keychains featuring just the body of Pikachu, but I wanted something different, which was why I chose the rounded shape that also featured the Pokémon logo. The Pikachu keychain still in the plastic bag is just Pikachu in 3D form, which is always interesting to have; this one I got at a Japanese event rather than a shop.

It's fascinating to see how Pokémon keychains can take shape. Certainly these are not the last ones I'll get; if I see other interesting ones in the future, I'll get ahold of it if I can.

Electricity: Harness, Don't Exploit

I've recently been having some electrical problems where I live and it has caused further problems for productivity or otherwise, including this blog. Of course, this leads me to think: how do they regard electricity over in the world of Pokémon? For many, it would seem that the answer is simple, since there's an entire type for a class of Pokémon that can generate the stuff - take it from them. While this makes sense, this approach is something that is more suited to the likes of Team Rocket et al., not to mention that if such a process occurs in our own world, it would bring up issues of animal rights et cetera.

Thus I've come up with a theoretical principle for electricity in the world of Pokémon: harness, don't exploit. Using Pokémon, in particular Electric types, for electricity is tantamount to exploitation, something that is frowned upon. It's much better to let them roam free and generate their own electricity for their own purposes, and whatever they don't use, the people can (at least, attempt to) collect for their use. Of course, if the Pokémon world is anything like ours, then the people can also draw electricity from renewable sources, just like we do with ours. Thus the people harness electric potentials rather than exploit the creatures that do generate electricity.

What can we learn from this? We can learn that if we treat animals kindly, they'll treat us back in return, which in the case of Pokémon means their willingness to become the people's comrades. We can also learn that we should try to find ways to let nature work to generate electricity that most benefits us as well as nature itself. We're not yet capable of harnessing lightning for electricity, for example, but who knows - maybe we'll get there soon enough.

And now I need to harness a solution for those electrical problems.

Two Pokémon Pillows

I have two Pokémon pillows, and they're both interesting in my view. They're both unofficial merchandise, but that's what makes them all the more interesting. These look so impressive you could almost consider them official.

These are the two pillows:

The one on the left is a Pokémon pillow I picked up at a mall. It's clearly unofficial by the fact that it has the Go emblem with a scene that is very clearly from the anime. Yet it is that scene that makes the pillow impressive - it has Ash and nearly all his Pokémon friends up to the fifth generation. This pillow is similar in story to one of the shirts I posted a while back, but also in part because I extremely like the scene. I don't care that there is the Go emblem on it; all I care is that it's a Pokémon pillow that looks really, really nice. which is why I got it.

The one on the right is a Pokémon pillow I picked up from a Japanese event in the middle of last year. The pillow looks glossy and is adorned with members of the Pikachu family, including Pichu and Raichu, as well as Poké Balls. It too is unofficial, but the quality of craftsmanship and design makes you wish that it was. Still, I got this pillow because I'm partial to anything Pikachu and colored blue, and this pillow is definitely both. Plus, it's a good boost for the indie stall selling the goods.

These two pillows that I have may not be official merchandise. But admittedly, in the end, they do have distinct styles and they are distinctively Pokémon. And that is why I got them as they are.

Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...

If you're a fan of the Pokémon anime and in particular its old English dub, you'll no doubt recognize one of its old theme songs titled "Pokémon World". This was used as the theme for the Orange Islands saga, and it's got a good, strong beat to it. Guess what also has a good, strong beat? How about the first Japanese opening theme for Naruto: Shippuuden, "Hero's Come Back"? In fact, doesn't it seem that the musical qualities of the songs resemble each other? I think so - enough for me to think about the other when one is played.

I therefore propose that a mashup could be done with both of these songs. Certainly there would have to be some rearrangements of the musical segments, but one thing that I foresee is butting up the chorus of one with the chorus of the other, most likely "Hero's Come Back" first, then "Pokémon World" second, because in this way the lyrics also segue from one song to the other.

I must confess that I am ill-suited to producing mashups, so this is one thing I cannot create on my own. I know basic audio editing, but that is pretty much it; I'm also into music theory, but it's not enough to make "music reality". Nevertheless I can still think up of the concept while leaving it up to others to make it reality, and then I can comment on the finished work.

And perhaps, maybe you too would also like to see the Hero's Come Back of the Pokémon World, lyrically speaking.

Dreams of Itasha

One of the ways Japanese culture fans show their passion is through the art of itasha, applying imagery to all sorts of vehicles. Most often this would involve images of a character being proudly displayed as motifs on cars, bikes, and so on. I would love to do the same, but of course, it would have to involve Pokémon.

The most logical, accessible, and popular Pokémon itasha concept is to put the likeness of the de facto series mascot, Pikachu, onto a vehicle; and in fact, this has already been done, as some years ago there was a photo of a VW clad in Pikachu yellow and certainly with a Pikachu on it. I have no problem with this concept - I like Pikachu and would put Pikachu on a vehicle. Yet I also want to think about how I can make this more original in its design and execution; it doesn't have to be how Pikachu is typically depicted, nor do I have to use Pikachu yellow in copious amounts. Other Pokémon would certainly be fair game for itasha; I foresee something as cute as Oshawott on a sedan, or Charizard on a motorcycle. The former would definitely be cutesy while the latter would be impressively cool.

I am somewhat skilled (through self-learning) in graphic design, so that is helpful in this regard, as itasha is all about graphics. But as this is a very specific field of graphic design, I will either have to design in tandem with someone who knows about itasha very well, or simply resort to being the conceptor. Either way, I'll have to be somewhat involved in the design process. I know a few friends that know their way around itasha (and do have itasha of their own), and this would be a great way to cooperate with them.

Further, there is one thing that holds me back from the world of itasha: I lack a showy vehicle for such a purpose. I don't own a car, and I don't own a motorcycle, but I do own a bicycle. While it is possible to itasha a bicycle, it is not necessarily the showiest thing around. Such dreams will therefore need to wait for a more showy vehicle, if at all possible.

The world of itasha is a world of many possibilities, the same with the world of Pokémon. I don't see why the former can't reflect even more of the latter, and I would be glad to make this happen.

All in the Cards

One well-known segment of the Pokémon franchise is its Trading Card Game, or TCG for short. So popular is this segment that it has its own world championships as well, alongside the VGC world championships for the video game counterpart. As a result, the TCG also has to keep pace with the video games, and I've been made aware that the TCG has done just that with the Sun/Moon expansion packs, which were just recently released.

My history with the TCG has been somewhat limited. I've previously acquired some of the cards in the early times of the game, but they were only for collection purposes. There was really no one around that I could ask to teach the ways of the game or even to have a battle with - and even now this is still true. In those early times, I could also have picked up the electronic version of the TCG for play on the Game Boy, but I didn't, for reasons of inconvenience.

It has come to my attention, however, that more recently the TCG is being made to be more accessible through online means. Should I find a moment of convenience to play, I will definitely take that moment to play. This too would be an opportunity to "right the ship"; recently I've been interested in certain TCG games other than that of Pokémon, yet I haven't played the one for something that I truly like.

As an all-around Pokémon fan, I truly think that I should try to play the TCG for at least the experience. I am certain that the TCG is here to stay for the future... and it's a future I don't mind being a part of.

Ash, Satoshi, or... Ali?

Anyone who is a Pokémon fan, in particular a fan of the anime, knows about the protagonist of the anime series. But dig deeper, and it becomes apparent that the protagonist, in fact, goes by different names in different parts of the world. Among these many names, there are three that I either often encounter or have to deal with.

Ash. This is his English name, often appended with the last name "Ketchum". Since I grew up watching the English dub of the anime, this is the name I am partial to, and the name I use to refer to him when I communicate in English, as is the case on this blog. Even so, I might use this name in non-English settings if I know that we can be "on the same page" regarding our understanding of the Pokémon anime.

Satoshi. This is his Japanese name, which is obviously a nod to the creator of Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri. "Satoshi" is also a common name for Japanese people, just like how "Jim" is common in the West; there are other anime with a character named Satoshi, and I even have a real-life friend named Satoshi, but by and large, when Pokémon is concerned, then it's all about the protagonist. This is the name I use to refer to him when Japanese influence is abound, including in Indonesia, where for years the local dub has mostly adopted the Japanese character names rather than the Western ones.

Ali. This is his Indonesian name. At some point in time, the local dub of the anime adopted this name. However, in practice, this is a "legendary" name of sorts, as most Indonesian Pokémon fans prefer to use either of the two names I have previously mentioned. As such, I hardly use this name, except in the rare case that this little piece of history is brought up.

While there are other localized names ascribed to the protagonist of the Pokémon anime, these are the ones that I am most connected to. Regardless of how he is called, his spirit remains the same anywhere.

Pokémon Art Academy - More Than Just Pokémon Art

One of the game cartridges I have for my Nintendo 3DS is Pokémon Art Academy, although probably it shouldn't be called a game at all. I liken it as an interactive art book that takes you through lessons on a variety of art techniques, all the while learning how to draw and the principles behind drawing a number of Pokémon species. I picked up my copy as a result of a friend selling his; ironically (and incidentally) the game had become his own personal art instructor and to draw a different kind of monsters. It could be said that I wanted to "right the course" as well.

Due to other things I had going on, I have only progressed only about a third into the world of Art Academy. Even so, what I have learned from Art Academy has magnified what I know about art and made it all the more pleasant by combining it with Pokémon. While I am not an artistic person, I have previously dabbled in art and have sometimes created small works of my own based on my own knowledge. Art Academy has made me more confident that I can create better works of art - in particular Pokémon art - later on in the future.

If you're both an art lover and a Pokémon fan, and you have a 3DS, I highly recommend getting this game, even a used copy, as I did. It's a worthwhile spending for the creative soul of a Pokémon fan. I know I won't regret it.

A Pokémon Party?

I've always wanted to have a Pokémon-themed party. It's true that Pokémon is often geared for children, as evident in the most recent iteration of the anime, Sun and Moon. But I don't see why adults can't get in on the fun as well, especially when it's people like me that actually buy and play the games, and enjoy all things Pokémon. Such a party for adults would therefore have to give a different impression than a party geared for children.

If a party for children has so many decorations and is in-your-face cheery and festive, then this would have to be toned down for adults; thus a Pokémon party would still have some Pokémon decorations, but they would be only sparingly and perhaps in subtle ways, like on name cards. Similarly, not everything present has to be immediately obvious that it's a Pokémon thing; it could be something that is inspired by some element of the Pokémon universe. So there could be food, for example, that is named after something Pokémon or contains ingredients that evoke something Pokémon. Finally, since it's a Pokémon party, any activity that involves Pokémon is fair game for the party. It could be an anime/movie marathon, or there could be a mini tournament with the games. The possibilities are many and seemingly endless.

I'm posting this today because... OK, I admit it - today is my birthday, and thus it would be a great occasion for a party. As it so happens, though, I found myself busy in the days approaching this day, so I couldn't realize this by myself today. Plus, today is a weekday after all, a day less conducive to partying; last year my birthday fell on Sunday, which is a day that is great for parties. Still, it is something I would like to realize sooner if not later. I even don't mind waiting a year, as next year it will be a truly special birthday.

If Pokémon can truly bring people together, then this would be one of its greatest expressions.

My Pokémon Anime Epoch

"Epoch" is the starting point, the point from where things begin. My starting point for where I began to enjoy the anime came just after I started playing the first generation games. It all started with a discovery that was quite incidental. While I was in a space where a turned-on TV was quite visible, someone started to flip through the channels. The channel-flipping ended when the Pokémon anime came on screen; I knew it was the Pokémon anime because I did recognize Pikachu, the de facto series mascot, on screen. Since the audio was turned down, at that time I could not tell what was going on, and shortly after that I had to move away from the space, thus not affording me much time to watch.

I did, however, look up the TV schedules after this occurrence and confirmed that it was the Pokémon anime being shown on a channel that I could readily watch. I also found that I was somewhat late to this fact as the airing of the anime at that point was nearing the end of the Kanto saga. Regardless, at this point I already became attracted to the anime and started to follow it, though on an off-regular basis. For the Kanto saga, I picked up the novelizations - the transformation of specific episodes into prosaic form - as well as other episodes scattered on different media, which allowed me to catch up with some of the episodes I didn't watch initially. I am interested in replaying the entire Kanto saga should I have the time and the resources to devote to this effort.

The discovery of the Pokémon anime was really a turning point for me. It was as if a game that I had just picked up and became interested in suddenly came to life in a more vivid manner. This, combined with the games, was really an epoch for the marvelous Pokémon things of the future, as well as where I stand today.

Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition, Day 2

AsiA Cosplay Competition continued with Day 2. Today I chose to go retro and cosplay with the "classic" Ash costume from the pre-AG sagas. After the complex Lucario Prince Ash costume from yesterday, today felt like a refresher.

Actually, that's not the only reason I chose this costume. On the promotions for this event, the organizers posted a promo for one of the cosplay competitions with silhouettes of characters that are definitely from Pokémon. I am certain one of these looks like "classic" Ash... and so I took their "bait", so to speak, by cosplaying it today.

Guess whose silhouettes are these?

The competitions today were single and team performances, as well as street cosplay. The former is an area where I'm not quite prepared in regard to my tendency to cosplay Pokémon characters, and thus I skip them; the latter is something I am more prepared for and was the one I undertook. Even so, for the latter, the organizers say that the evaluation is based on interaction with visitors; I am not quite sure how they do so when so many street cosplayers are all over the place.

The winners' announcements were also today. The selection of winners, though, were quite limited; from the live cosplay competitions held yesterday and today, only two winners were selected from each competition. Thus the chances of winning were relatively slim for the cosplay walk and street cosplay, which had a much larger pool of entrants. Unfortunately I won neither this time around, but there'll be other times.

Overall, I thought the competitions were well-organized this time around compared to the previous two years. The organizers were (mostly) informative, and that is quite appreciable. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition, Day 1

Today I went to a cosplay event called AsiA Cosplay Competition. "AsiA" here refers not to the continent, but a local college with programs in management, computer science, and economics. I'm told that as part of their Business Practice course, they have to hold a competition that would let them earn money. It seems they understand that cosplay and Japanese things are big in where I live, so they've done their market research - early on, I might add, since this year is their third time holding it in a row.

I chose to cosplay another costume that I'm very proud to possess. If you've watched the Pokémon movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, you probably have seen Ash put on a costume of the Lucario Prince in the first moments of the movie; that is the exact costume I wore today. Even though it's not one of Ash's proper attires, as he did put it on in the movie, I think that it might as well be his; to signify that, I hold Pikachu as well. Another reason that I chose this costume is because they held a cosplay walk/parade today, which was the competition I participated in; thus I chose this costume because of its complexity. It could be said that I went all-out for this one.

Apart from the scheduled competition being late by 15 minutes, there was no problem for me; I arrived early, put on my costume, waited it out while mingling with the visitors, then did my short performance on stage when I (along with the others) was called. The only problem was maybe for the cosplayers involved; no one expected that after our short performances that we would all be called back on stage for a photo op, and this was not even explained to anyone. I had the fortune of being around the stage area when they called us back, but they had to search for the others, who were probably already on to other businesses. This could have been handled better.

Today was Day 1, and I plan to come back tomorrow for Day 2 with a simpler Ash costume, though I won't be performing. I will be just mingling with visitors and having fun with them. Plus, they'll announce the winners for all the competitions then. It'll still be fun.

Pokémon and Cosplay

Have I mentioned that I'm an able cosplayer? Maybe you would believe this:

That is indeed me, cosplaying as Ash in his fourth-generation (Sinnoh saga) outfit. This was the very first Ash costume I had - in fact, it was the very first costume I had - and I'm always proud to share this one.

As is the case with many things, it was Pokémon that drove me to start cosplaying. I've always wanted to cosplay as Ash even many, many years ago, but I never quite realized it for various reasons. It was only a few years ago that I finally realized this dream, and now I have many Pokémon costumes available for cosplay.

While I do have costumes for other characters outside of Pokémon, I come back time and again to Pokémon costumes simply because of the above; I just feel that cosplay for me is inescapable from Pokémon, as it was what gave the initiative to become a cosplayer. In fact, I'm thinking of making myself a near-exclusively Pokémon cosplayer, so I would cosplay not only Ash, but perhaps other characters that I'm interested in from this great franchise.

In light of the above, cosplay will be a frequent topic on this blog, and since cosplay/Japanese events come and go, if I do decide to cosplay Pokémon, I will cover them for sure, especially when there's Pokémon involved. Just that much makes me happy.

In-Game Trainer Name Inspirations

Another tradition that I have regarding the main series of Pokémon games is how I name the protagonist Trainer of the games - they are all named after (or the name is an inspiration from) sports athletes. Unlike my experience of choosing the main games, this one started later as I played the Generation III games onwards. Previously in Generations II and I, I had used only names that don't refer to a person or one of the names suggested by the game. I liken Pokémon Trainers to being the athletes of the Pokémon universe, and thus the choice to name them after sports athletes just fits in well.

Here are the names I have used, based on this tradition:

Generation III
Sapphire: Richard - Ricky Carmichael (motocross)
Emerald: Daniel - Dan Marino (American football)
Generation IV/II Remake
Diamond: Michael - Michael Phelps (swimming)
Platinum: Roger - Roger Federer (tennis)
SoulSilver: Derek - Derek Jeter (baseball)
Generation V
White: Bastian - Bastian Schweinsteiger (soccer)
Black 2: Phil - Felipe Massa (Formula racing)
Generation VI/III Remake
Y: Bode - Bode Miller (skiing)
Omega Ruby: Patrick - Patrick Roy (ice hockey)
Generation VII
Sun: Rex - Rexy Mainaki (badminton)

The Generation I remake is missing from this list, and for a good reason: I broke the tradition once to name my protagonist Ash as a nod to the anime and because I never used it when I had the chance in the Generation I games. Given the chance to pursue this tradition retroactively to Fire Red, I would name my protagonist Anthony after Tony Hawk of skateboarding fame.

I know it might seem quirky, but it should be admitted that there is a kind of elegance in this tradition. I wouldn't have it any other way for later Pokémon games.

My Path Through the Main Series

The main series of Pokémon games is the one that most Pokémon fans play, including myself, and the games of these series are the ones I come back to time and time again. I've played at least one game from every generation and all of them are fun in their own ways. Through these games, I've followed a path or pattern for selecting which games to play.

Most games of the main series are paired, but due to certain restrictions, I'm able to play only one of the pair. These are the game pairs, and the ones in bold are the ones I have played:

Generation	Games
I	Red	Blue
II	Gold	Silver
III	Ruby	Sapphire
IV	Diamond	Pearl
V	Black	White
	Black 2	White 2
VI	X	Y
VII	Sun	Moon

It can be seen that the games I selected to play alternate with each successive pair, where the pairs are the games in the order as they are most commonly mentioned. Since I played Sun for the Generation VII pair, for whatever pair of games will come next, I will play the second game of the pair in the commonly mentioned order. Not mentioned here are the third games of Generations I-IV - Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, and Platinum - all of which I have played.

For the generational game remakes, the path is slightly different:

Generation	Games
I	Fire Red	Leaf Green
II	HeartGold	SoulSilver
III	Omega Ruby	Alpha Sapphire

The path is the exact inverse of the original games, where I chose to play the game I didn't play originally. Thus should a Generation IV remake appear, I will be playing whatever will be the analogue of the original Pearl version based on the pair.

This manner of selection may seem such a little thing, but it's a tradition that has worked well for me, and there is no reason not to maintain it.

Where It All Started

My interest in Pokémon goes back, way back. It all began with these two things:

Those would be a Pokémon Blue Version cartridge and a Game Boy Pocket. I had a Game Boy Classic once, but then I'm not sure where it went. Thus the Game Boy Pocket took its place. It was where I played some of the games I liked... and it was this that led up into my first Pokémon game.

I was introduced to Pokémon by way of my friends playing it. They played it on their Game Boys during recess at school and I watched as they did so. At that time Pokémon was something revolutionary for me, as it was a kind of game I never played before. Watching creatures duke it out on screen as the player gave commands was a fascinating experience, one that I had to try. And indeed one of my friends allowed me to try briefly; in the process I also performed one of the central tasks of the Pokémon games - catching a Pokémon, a Psyduck to be exact.

Thanks to this experience, I was inspired to obtain the Pokémon games for the very first time, and I chose the Blue Version, the same exact version that I tried on my friend's Game Boy, and coincidentally the same version that I would have gotten even if I knew of its partner, the Red Version. It was a risk playing a genre of games that I had never played before, but the risk was well worth the reward, and the reward is something that I still enjoy to this very day and that I am glad to share with you now.

It's hard to believe that such a small beginning has a large and profound impact, but yes, it does.

A Tale of Two Shirts

Most recently I bought two Pokémon shirts, one an officially licensed merchandise, and the other an indie-type product. You can see both side-by-side here:

You might have seen one of these if you've read one of my posts a short time ago. Now, can you guess which one is the officially licensed and which one is the "indie"?

Here's the answer. The one with just Pikachu is the officially licensed and the one with Ash is the "indie". The one on the left almost looks like a sports jersey but has a tag with official branding; the one on the right has no tag. In addition, for the shirt on the right, seeing the Go emblem with a feature of the anime is a bit odd; for the shirt on the left, the "e" is accented properly, making it at least look official.

Regardless of these details, I bought the shirts because I think they are still aesthetically pleasing - the elements are all centered except for the Go emblem for the shirt on the right - and they're still Pokémon merchandise after all. If you like Pokémon as much as I do, perhaps you would do the same.

On the Subject of Go

In the middle of last year, the world of Pokémon shook up with the instant success of the mobile game Pokémon Go, developed in partnership with Niantic. The launch coincided with a special time, as 2016 was the 20th anniversary year for Pokémon. The mobile game was a hit in many places, including in Indonesia. While its popularity has waned considerably at this point, the game is still being updated for the loyal players that still take the time to play the game.

My experience with Pokémon Go has been spotty at best and impeded at worst. The primary reason for this is that I have an older smartphone that can't go beyond Android Jellybean (4.2) while Go requires Android KitKat (4.4) or above. I was aware that some enterprising users had modified Go to be able to run on Jellybean 4.2, and I did indeed try this on my phone. But what I found was that Go ran very slowly - slower than molasses - and at certain points appeared to have frozen, thus necessitating me to force-close the game. Also, in the beginning Go wasn't regularly updated, so I could use the modified package with no problems, but when Go started to update, the modified packages had to keep up as well, and at the point where I could no longer update the game manually, I stopped playing. Yet I still wanted to continue.

I was lucky to have participated in one of the local Pokémon Go contests, though this was mostly for fun. I was also lucky to have discovered the starter trick that allowed me to reject Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle as a starter in favor of Pikachu, one of my personal favorite Pokémon, which meant that I didn't have to hunt for one later. Interestingly, I never entered a Gym to try to battle, so I remained unaffiliated to one of the three teams (Instinct, Mystic, Valor), though I tended to favor Mystic since many of my friends chose Mystic for one reason or another.

Had I had a more capable and modern smartphone, I would still have played Go to this day, although necessarily with reduced frequency considering my other needs. Regardless, I'm glad that Pokémon surfaced to mainstream again thanks to this game, if only for a brief moment. It's one of the things that make me happy and proud to like this franchise.

Tournament: Local Friendly, 1/7/2017

I just came back from a local Pokémon video game tournament using the Sun/Moon games and I had quite a bit of fun today. A few of my friends who also play the Pokémon games on the 3DS, as well as I myself, had decided to start an association of local players, and this was our first time holding our own tournament. We're a small bunch for now, but we have big hopes for the future.

Tournament in progress.

The tournament was divided into three parts: a Single Battle tournament, a Double Battle tournament, and a Battle Royal tournament. The Single Battle was more like a warm-up tournament for the Double Battle tournament, which followed this year's requirements for the VGC tournament rules; the Battle Royal was for a little bit of excitement to close the day. For the Single and Double Battles, they were just a straight knockout tournament plus an additional 3^rd place match with only a single match played, except for the Double Battle tournament, which featured a best-of-three series in the semifinals and finals.

I have to say that I was under-prepared for this tournament because of other issues, but I still managed to form a team that was compatible with the formats being used. The best I can do was to play in the first round... and that was it. But then again, in my overall tournament experience, I've never gotten past the first phase for one reason or another. I look forward to changing this trend in future tournaments. For the Battle Royal, I mostly became a target for the others and couldn't hit the others as much as I needed to, but it was all in good fun.

Overall, this tournament was a blast and a good start for our association. At the end of the day, what matters is not only the experience, but also the sense of camaraderie gained from playing with others. I think we're all in for more of these in the times ahead.

I'm on the far left. ☺

A 3DS Story

Many of the Pokémon things that I have come with a story, and the Nintendo 3DS I possess is included. It's not a New 3DS; it's an old 3DS XL and it works well for my needs, not the least of which is for playing the most recent iteration of the Pokémon games, Sun and Moon. One thing that makes it special is that it's the Pikachu Limited Edition, so every time I go to play it, Pikachu is always looking at me before I go to open it and do my business there. Plus, the overall white-and-yellow color scheme just looks nice. The other thing that makes it special is the story of how it came to be mine.

This 3DS actually previously belonged to a good friend of mine, who is also a big Pokémon fan. Prior to our first formal meeting, he told me that he often saw me attending local Japanese events, and we even took a picture together. It was only later on during another one of these events that we became formally introduced to each other and realized how much we liked Pokémon. At that time he was fudging with two 3DSs, including the one that would come to be mine. As it turns out, he was transferring all his data to another 3DS because he needed to sell the Pikachu LE 3DS for some cash that he desperately needed. And the first person that he chose to offer the Pikachu LE 3DS was me. Thus as a gesture of good will, I took up the offer; he got his cash for his pressing needs, and I got something that I can enjoy the most recent iterations of Pokémon games on. It's a deal that I don't regret, as it has worked well for me up to this day.

This goes to show that like food, Pokémon has the ability to bring people together. In this case I appreciate the fact that I and my friend were brought together because we like many things Pokémon. Even today we still have a tight relationship, and anything Pokémon helps to sweeten the deal. For that I owe a huge thanks to Pokémon, and I hope that it may lead to other pleasant encounters in the future.

Alt+0233 and Its Kin

For any Pokémon fan, the keyboard shortcut Alt+0233 (on Windows) is an important one. It's how you get the lowercase "é" with the acute accent (the strip above the "e") to show up properly for use in words that need it, including the word "Pokémon". What you do is - with the Num Lock on - hold down Alt, then press 0, 2, 3, and 3 on the numeric keypad, and release. If you're working on a laptop without a separate keypad, you'll have to hold the Fn key as well with the Alt key. This same trick works with any obscure letter or symbol that you don't see on a keyboard. As long as you know the "alt code", you can type the letter or symbol using the same method. (0201 gives you the uppercase letter.)

If you're working with Word, you don't have to do it this way - there's an even easier way. You press Ctrl+' (apostrophe), then type the letter "e" immediately afterwards. If you're on a Mac, the general procedure is similar to Word, but you use Option+E, then type the letter "e". If you're working with HTML code, you don't type it physically; you use the entity é which the browser will render as the "é".

French keyboards have it easy - they have a key for the "é" since the French use it so often. But then again, not all of us are French or possess a French keyboard. And in the age of smartphones today, all of them have a myriad of software keyboards that work in different manners regarding typing special characters; I encourage exploration for this one.

This may be such a small thing, but if you want to properly type the word "Pokémon", this is how you do it. It's something that I have memorized for this purpose.

"They can imitate you, but they can't duplicate you..."

They can imitate you
But they can't duplicate you
Cause you got something special
That makes me wanna taste you
I want it all day long
I'm addicted like it's wrong
I want it all day long
I'm addicted like it's wrong
-- "Dessert", Dawin

Lately I have been hearing the song "Dessert" by Dawin again after it came into popularity a few months back. What does this have to do with Pokémon, you might ask? Well, going back to the title of this blog, not a day goes by without it - when I hear this song, I don't think of pretty girls, as this song might suggest. I think of Pokémon instead.

I think of this song on two levels. On one level, this song is about me appreciating all that I like about Pokémon, in particular everything official that Nintendo, Game Freak, cum sociis has done or bestowed their blessings upon. Done right, they are indeed games and media that are addictive and like no other, and can be played all day long if there ever was the possibility. That's not to say I don't like derivative works - after all, I create these as well - but it's just that time after time, I keep coming back to the original works for enjoyment. So I thank them for these.

On another level, this song is about Ash appreciating how different Pokémon have different qualities, specifically when they are pitted in battle against one another, and that this is something to be experienced in as many battles as possible, something that Ash might particularly desire. The "addiction" spoken of in the song particularly evokes an image of the latter. After having viewed so many episodes of the Pokémon anime, I am convinced that this is the case.

So there you go. This is how something only distantly related to Pokémon actually evoke and reminds of Pokémon for me - and thus Pokémon stays with me. And it's just one of many. There's just one final question:

Whatcha gon, whatcha gon do with that dessert?

Confessions and Concessions

While it's also still early, I would like to make a few confessions and concessions as I foresee that there would be occasional faults. The fact is, I'm not a perfect human; this applies anywhere, and my interest in and knowledge of Pokémon is not excluded. Sometimes I may miss something I already know. Sometimes I may overlook something that I'm not apparent to. And sometimes my knowledge or what I have is not thorough or complete. In any case, I would like to apologize should this occur or become apparent.

Case in point: Early last year I was able to visit the house of a friend and fellow Pokémon fan. While I was there, I saw an interesting object in a display case of Pokémon memorabilia. It was apparently a book that was a compilation of Pokémon graphics with a special focus on the Unova saga of the anime, almost like a coffee table book or encyclopedia. And it was something that I thought hardly existed. As it was in a display case, I figured that asking for permission to view it was out of the question. Had I realized its existence, I probably would have desired it, though it would still be hard to obtain.

I don't have all the collections that my friend have, but I am still a fan. I'm not an expert in VGC battling, but I am still a fan. I may have missed certain episodes of the anime, but I am still a fan. And I dare say that I'm just as big of a Pokémon fan as the people that have these special qualities. How much I like Pokémon is not measured by what I have or don't have; how much I like Pokémon is measured by how big of a heart I have for it. And I have a pretty big one.

In the words of the late Satoru Iwata: Please understand.

...And a Hoppip New Year

Before it's too late, I'd like to wish everyone a "Hoppip New Year!"

Yes, it's a Hoppip New Year. That's how it is according to Pokémon Christmas Bash, a holiday Pokémon music album featuring the voices of the old English dub cast for the Pokémon anime. In it there are some unique songs as well as adapted classical renditions, including the album's ultimate vocal track, which is an overarching medley of a number of songs in the Christmas-holiday songbook. As it so happens, the final song in the medley is a rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" - rendered as "We Wish You a Marrill Christmas" - which is then capped off by the phrase that you see here as the title of this post.

By now the album is over a decade old, but like many Christmas-holiday songs in general, the messages are timeless. I first heard of the album by way of a message posted on the web site of Veronica Taylor, the old English voice actress for Ash Ketchum, and while on a trip, I managed to get ahold of the album CD from a store I passed by. I still have the CD and case for this album, but I left it behind in the United States and don't foresee being able to get there anytime soon. Fortunately I already ripped all the tracks a long time ago so that I can listen to them whenever.

It has been said that some of the songs in this album are kooky; a popularly quoted example is "I'm Giving Santa a Pikachu This Christmas", which could be considered a signature song of this album by virtue of it having an off-vocal (instrumental, karaoke) version in the same album. Even the rendition of "The Christmas Song" in this album, sung by Team Rocket, is worthy of eliciting a chuckle. Regardless of this perception, I do believe that the songs are truly deserving to be played during the holiday season. They too are emblematic of those who love Pokémon as much as I do, especially during these festive times.

Why not. Let it be a Hoppip New Year every year for any Pokémon fan.

First Post Time!

After much thinking, I've decided to peruse my gift of language to express the one thing that has colored much of the days of my lives. And that is the world of Pokémon. As a gesture of "renewal", I've decided to post this first post in the first moment of the new year.

Please let me introduce myself briefly. My name is Bastiko Pradhana. I am an Indonesian by birth but worldly in my thoughts. It was while I resided in the United States that I discovered the Pokémon games, and the fascination I had with the game over time snowballed into all things Pokémon-related. And I never looked back.

The title of my blog is "Not a Day Without Pokémon". So fond I am of this franchise, this world, this universe, that in all the things that I do, Pokémon is never forgotten. As such I will post as often as I can about my thoughts and experiences - perhaps even once a day! I look forward to sharing with you how my days are so connected with Pokémon.

This is my world. This is my life. This is my inspiration.
This is Pokémon.

And not a day goes by in my life without thinking of it.