Nostalgia: Episode 672 - "Here Comes the Trubbish Squad!"

One of the episodes I really like from near the beginning of the Black and White series of the anime is the episode where Ash, Iris, and Cilan come across a school with a group of kids that really like a particularly trashy Pokémon known as Trubbish. The gist of the episode is that the kids like Trubbish but their teacher doesn't, and conflict ensues on whether they can keep and take care of Trubbish; after Trubbish proves its worth, the conflict became resolved.

The kids and Trubbish.

Something I particularly like about the episode is that it indirectly puts Ash at the heart of the conflict. Early on in the episode, Ash loses his cap to the kids as they rush past him on the street; in the middle of the episode, Ash attempts to become a negotiator, then becomes a supporter for the kids. He realizes that what they are doing is much like what he did at a younger age prior to becoming a Trainer. You could say that it brings nostalgia to him; this is one of the reasons I like (re-)watching this episode so much.

"I kind of understand what they're talking about..."

Another reason why I like seeing this episode is because the first time I watched this episode, it was with the Indonesian-language dub, and unfortunately, the Indonesian dub cut out some of the vital parts of this episode, including the beginning of the episode, which explains how Ash lost his cap. This cutting out of parts also resulted in the loss of the part where the middle part of the conflict is, just exactly after the part where (in the English dub) Ash yells:

"TRUBBISH STINKS!!"

After re-watching the episode in English, I finally understood the conflict and how it became resolved, in its entirety. And a good message out of that resolution is to take an opportunity to listen (and understand), no matter which side you're on. I think the world could be a better place if we all take this message to heart. The kids are all right - so I think we can be as well.

The resolution.

Ice Is Nice with Pokémon

Ice and Pokémon go hand in hand. There's a whole type of Pokémon that are related to ice, and like in our world, they live in places with a wintry and cold (micro-)climate. Some of these Pokémon are even not to be underestimated, as with Abomasnow and Glalie, both of which can Mega Evolve into stronger and scarier forms. While you can't really count on them to produce ice for purposes related to eating, they can do other things related to "cold" and "freezing". Even so, ice is much a part of the Pokémon world as it is a part of ours.

We don't have the fantastic icy creatures of the Pokémon world, but we do have everything else, including ice for eating purposes. But if you're an intense Pokémon fan like me, it's hard not to be reminded of Pokémon when faced with ice for that reason. This is especially more so when icy things and Pokémon things congregate, as I discovered, again in that event of last Sunday. As I was browsing through the bazaar side of the event, I came across a refreshment stand that offered many kinds of drinks and treats, one of them being shaved ice (kakigori in Japanese parlance). I was offered the shaved ice, and I took the offer. Why? Because the container it came in was decorated with a Pokémon motif. It's that simple.

In truth, the shaved ice is nothing too special as it was just ice, fruit syrup, chocolate syrup, and chocolate wafers; further, there were other containers than the Pokémon one. However, admittedly having the Pokémon container made it even more tasty. Such was the case that I decided to keep the container - or at least the Pokémon portion - in similar fashion as the snack wrapping from earlier. The container was actually composed of two parts: a plastic bowl to hold the shaved ice, and a paper cone wrapped around the side of the bowl to support it, which actually has the Pokémon portion. I've discarded the bowl after I've finished eating the ice and just kept the paper cone, the only part I was interested in.

The cone folded...

...and unfolded.

The design of the cone graphics is eclectic and striking, which tells me that it was likely custom. Pikachu is holding the badge from the Mystery Dungeon series of games and Fennekin is illustrated similarly to Pokémon from those games. There is also Piplup and Pachirisu, for which the latter I only saw when I opened up the fold of the cone. The only unfortunate part is that a small part of Fennekin and the Pokémon logo were cropped in order to form the design into the cone shape. But that's a small price to pay for an icy delight with a little Pokémon thrown in.

We practically don't have anything of the likes of the Pokémon world in regard to ice, except for the environment, but we can still speculate about and enjoy Pokémon with the icy things we already do have, like the shaved ice I had at the event. It just makes everything all that more amusing - and not too cold. 😁

Pokémon Mechanical Fan

If I'm going to own tools and trinkets, I like to make sure that they work as expected and that they have some functional purposes, perhaps not just one (in that last regard, they're what Alton Brown calls "multitaskers"). I think both of them qualify for something I found again from the event on Sunday. It's a Pokémon/Pikachu mechanical hand fan, which is kind of unique; so unique that although there were several sold during the course of the event, I decided to buy the last one displayed. Oh, it's also unofficial by the Go emblem on it, but that's the least of my worries.

As I've mentioned, this is a mechanical fan. It's not electric, and it's not powered by batteries, so in some sense it's also environmentally friendly. How it works is you push and let go of the part of the handle that sticks out, and the fan will spin for around three to four seconds. If you want the fan to spin longer, you can push and let go repeatedly for as much as you like. I think the way that the fan works is like a wind-up car that you roll backwards to store energy then let go to let it cruise, except you do the motions by pushing the handle, and it turns a fan instead of wheels.

But then what about the criteria? Let's consider:

• Does it work as expected? Yes, it does. The fan turns sufficiently fast to produce a cooling flow of air. Granted, the flow does not last long with a single press, but with multiple presses, you can make it go some ways. It's obviously not for continuous use as you would get tired of pressing, but it works fine in a pinch.
• Does it have functional purposes? Yes, in some ways. You can fan yourself to cool yourself down, or you can fan others to cool them down. You can also fan other things to dry them, for example. I'd say there's sufficiently a multitude of purposes for this mechanical fan.

Based on these criteria, the mechanical fan fulfills them both, so I'd say it's a worthwhile tool to have.

That said, I didn't buy it just for its practicality; I bought it because of the Pokémon motif. But if you look at it closely, you can notice another Pokémon connection: it almost looks like a miniature version of Fan Rotom, only of course not electrified. I'm tempted to make it look like as such, but alas, I don't have the skills, time, or materials. Still, I'm just happy that it reminds me of Pokémon in at least one way. A little function to the form doesn't hurt either. 👍

A Pikachu Wall Hanging

I love wall hangings. They're somewhere in-between posters and framed wall art, as they are already outfitted with a rope loop for hanging, unlike the former, but are not covered up by a glass pane, unlike much of the latter. So when I found this wall hanging at last Sunday's event, I just had to buy and have it so I can decorate my room with it and to show you:

What I love is the composition of the art on the wall hanging. The background is a yellow sunshine with Poké Balls while on the foreground Pikachu is present with three poses and the Pokémon logo is neatly placed at the lower-right corner. It's bright, it's cheery, and it's full of Pikachu, which I absolutely adore. I don't mind putting this up someplace where I can prominently see it as I walk into or as I am in my room.

Speaking of prominence, this thing is pretty big, approximately 90 cm tall and 50 cm wide. You can see that the only place I've found as of yet to hang this neatly is beside my bed, and either I would have to hook it off-center or leave it hanging a little over the side of my bed. I've made plans to rearrange and reorganize my room, but that hasn't happened as of yet for odd reasons, mostly practical ones. I think I know where I could put up this wall hanging should I realize those plans, and I'll be sure to integrate it.

While I may be able to create wall hangings of this sort by myself, I appreciate that great minds think alike and save me the trouble of making something like this. The artistic design is pretty neat too, which is a big plus. I don't regret buying it for these reasons as well as to add to my collection and increase the Pokémon presence in my room.

Cosplay: CLAS:H/ICGP 2017, Regional Edition

Now here's a cosplay event that's (mostly) really all about cosplay. CLAS:H is short for Cosplay Live Action Show: Hybrid and is a series of events around Indonesia designed to find the hottest cosplay talents around the nation. Since ICGP (Indonesia Cosplay Grand Prix) has similar aims but with the added objective of sending winners to the World Cosplay Grand Prix, it was folded into this series of events some years back. I went to one of the regional editions of this event on Sunday, and I had a great time; I chose to go as Ash in his classic outfit.

I'm unfit for the CLAS:H/ICGP-specific competition - they have a stringent list of requirements, for which I and my costumes hardly qualify - but fortunately they do have a general cosplay competition in the form of a cosplay parade or walk, which I took part in, something that I've done since last year with Pokémon costumes. Unfortunately, so did the nearly 200 (!) other cosplayers who also took part in, and this made for a long parade or walk. It's safe to say that with such an immense number of cosplayers, there were problems during the event, for the cosplay parade and otherwise.

One of these problems is that when the organizers told us to stand by on the right 15 minutes before the parade, they meant the stage right, not the audience right. As a result, a number of cosplayers (including me) who misunderstood the instructions had to trudge across the audience to the other side after being told as such during our supposed standby time. And during the parade, as the CLAS:H parade always has everyone on stage at the end, we were all herded and penned in a (perhaps too) small space before we were all brought back for the finale. As an aside, I didn't win anything, as did approximately 190 of the others; the judges only chose the top 10 of what they were impressed with, so the chances of winning from the start were small and got even smaller with the growing number of participants.

The event itself had a few other problems. The venue was smaller than previous years due to a drastic shift in locations, but did sidestep weather problems, something that quite played a part in previous years. However, the weather did cause the immense number of cosplayers and the burgeoning number of visitors to be crammed in the small venue, something that was less of a problem in previous years. In addition to cosplay, there was a small bazaar, and unique to this year, a computer game tournament and a card game tournament; it is clear that these too occupied space, leaving even less space for cosplayers. A corollary of Parkinson's law (not related to the disease) for cosplay events is that "cosplay events expand to fill the venues allotted to them", and that is definitely true in this case.

As mentioned, this event series is for finding great cosplay talents, and so the winners from here will get a chance to participate in the national edition which will be held in May. I only saw one of the performances before I had to go home, as this year the event-specific competition was held much later in the day. You can imagine that the competitors for that event had to struggle to stay all day until the moment they have to perform.

While I'll likely remain unfit for the CLAS:H/ICGP-specific competition, I will still come in later editions and cosplay, in particular take part in the general competition, as that is the heart of the event. Hopefully I can take away something next time while in my Pokémon cosplay.

Slowpoke Moments

I absolutely adore Pikachu, as being the ever-faithful companion of Ash. But that doesn't mean there aren't other Pokémon I identify with. One of them is Slowpoke. Slowpoke always has that blank facial expression and seems like an amnesiac, (perhaps blissfully) unaware of its surroundings. This is part of its charm, but it may also be a source of frustration for Pokémon and humans alike. In what I have termed as a "Slowpoke moment", it appears that I often lapse into the state of being like a Slowpoke.

When I am stressed or squeezed into a small space, or even with just ordinary everyday activities, I often blank out and have a hard time understanding what's going on, or lose track of my thoughts. Even as I'm writing this post now, I'm getting ideas, for within this post as well as new posts, and struggling to keep them in my mind as I write, trying hard not to blank out. These are my "Slowpoke moments", and while I'm not exactly blissful in them, I still much resemble a Slowpoke otherwise.

Am I happy that I feel like I identify with such a strange-looking Pokémon? On one hand it seems a bit comical, but on the other hand it may be a cause for concern. It's funny how I sometimes have behaviors that resemble a Slowpoke, but it's also an annoying feeling to have as it affects my everyday routines. I'm not a perfect human being, but at least I can try to be, and this feeling is certainly a setback that I can do without, for this blog and just about everything else.

Conversely, Pokémon can't do without Slowpoke, as it is much a part of the universe as is the de facto series mascot Pikachu. I'm sure most Pokémon and humans understand and get along with Slowpoke just fine, and that's all that matters in the end.

"Grow Old Along with Me..."

If you've ever seen an old sundial, it might have the quote "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be." These are the first two lines of Robert Browning's poem "Rabbi Ben Ezra", which was also put to music by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It's a long poem, so it doesn't really warrant a discussion here. What does warrant a discussion, however, is the quote as an excerpt of the poem, which, like with many other things seemingly unrelated to Pokémon, does remind me of Pokémon.

An example of such a sundial.

For me, the quote can be likened to an invitation by Ash (or perhaps Pokémon personified) to do exactly as it says. The quote contains two premises: to grow old alongside, and to expect that the best will come someday. And to some extent, these premises have been fulfilled in regard to me and Pokémon. I have grown old with Pokémon, and Ash is still yet to be the best (there ever was). These are romantic promises that take on a fanciful air when Pokémon enters the equation.

Most of all, these premises are timeless; they apply to all Pokémon fans - past, present, and future. No matter when you start to enjoy Pokémon, there is always the allure to continue enjoying through all the times ahead, as you and Pokémon both develop. And even if Ash becomes the best there ever was, perhaps the quest will never be complete, and thus the second premise continues to apply. That these premises continue to be relevant as people continue to enjoy Pokémon adds to the romanticism and fancifulness even more.

I'm happy to have grown old with Pokémon, and so may be most Pokémon fans of around my age. I'm sure that Ash is happy, having accomplished so much in so many places, though he may be far from being called the best there ever was. And thus the premises hold. But just maybe, in the future, we can change that quote for the benefit of all Pokémon fans, and Ash himself:

"Keep growing old along with me, the best is here and now."

The Many Forms of Pikachu in Shuffle

In Pokémon Shuffle, when you're selecting a Pokémon, you're actually also selecting the form or Forme that goes with it. For example, if you've captured them, then you might have two Landorus, one for the Incarnate Forme and one for the Therian Forme. These forms occupy the same list number (#339) as they technically are the same Pokémon species, only with different skills in puzzle play. And with the exception of Charizard and Mewtwo which lets you select one of two Mega forms by their Stones for the same Pokémon, these forms have to be leveled up independently of each other.

If you've played Shuffle from the very beginning (or at least started within a year or so), you'll notice something odd yet fascinating. Pikachu (#16 in Shuffle's list) has a lot of forms. A lot. 13 in all, up to now:

• Normal (no specific form name)
• Angry
• Winking
• Sleeping
• Enamored
• Smiling
• Happy
• Spooky
• Holiday
• Ho-Oh Costume
• Lugia Costume
• Kimono Boy
• Kimono Girl

And all of these forms have different skills to go with them. For example, Normal Pikachu has the Paralyze skill, which occasionally paralyzes the enemy Pokémon, while Angry Pikachu has the Super Bolt skill, which may deal greater damage at times. It follows that if you want to use their skills with the greatest possible power, you'll have to raise the levels of the forms as much as possible, which can take a lot of grinding. The Skill Swapper enhancement does not apply to Pikachu and its various forms most likely due to this reason.

One of the virtues of Pokémon Shuffle is raising Pokémon to the highest level possible to use the skills they have with a greater power (thus, grinding), and this is no more true than with Pikachu, which has so many forms and as many different skills to go with it. What applies to Pikachu applies equally well to other Pokémon in Shuffle, if you really want to maximize their potential. And it's safe to say we'll likely be getting even more forms of Pikachu in the future to work with, in addition to other Pokémon, and thus a Trainer's work in Shuffle is never done.

Pokémon Food... For Us

I love food and cooking, as evidenced by my interest in Food Network. I also love Pokémon a lot, which is why I have this blog now. So with the exception of certain food items, for which I have my own reservations, I would most likely love food items in any form featuring Pokémon.

Granted, due to the recreational nature of Pokémon, most of these food items would be in the form of snacks, like candy, chips, and so on. I enjoy these things, but not on a regular basis, not constantly, and in certain specific flavors - the ones which I do not have reservations toward. Consider the following:

I don't know much Japanese, but this is apparently one pack of corn-flavored snacks (likely chips) that is heavily branded with Pikachu. I love anything (roasted) corn-flavored, so I probably would like this snack very much. I say "apparently" and "would like" because I have not actually tried the snack inside the package; I'm ashamed to say that I found the packaging lying around on the floor from the Japanese event last Sunday. What I am NOT ashamed to say is that at least I stopped the waste pile at the event from growing; the packaging looks mostly intact anyhow and it would be such a shame to see something nice as this go to the waste pile. (Don't worry - I've cleaned the packaging thoroughly for storage and collection.) As for the snack itself, I think the taste would be similar to the roasted corn snacks available in my local shops.

Judging from the snack above, it is foreseeable that many Pokémon snacks and food items are found (only) in the Land of the Rising Sun. It follows that if I want to try out these food items and snacks, I would have to do so while I'm in Japan, or else have someone bring these out of Japan. I don't see either of these happening for a foreseeable amount of time, but at least I can hope.

There's nothing wrong with putting Pokémon branding on food; I think for a Pokémon fan, it just makes food that much more enjoyable. If the food item in question warrants it, then it can be an incredibly amusing way to enjoy food. I for one don't mind Pikachu staring at me while I enjoy a bag of corn chips, or anything else for that matter. 😁

A Passion for Red

Let's get one thing straight: Red is a quite intense character. He's the Kanto League protagonist in the games, though this does not preclude his appearances in other games and other leagues. He's also obviously the inspiration behind Ash in the anime, being that he also has a Pikachu; the only difference is that while Ash has attained a laid-back trait over time, Red has remained serious-looking. Any way you cut it, he's a cool chap with some hot Pokémon.

Red also happens to be the only other Pokémon character that is different from Ash that I cosplay as of yet. I wasn't initially intending to cosplay Red, although that was a back-burner plan that I wouldn't realize too soon. The impetus to cosplay Red came when I was blessed to be offered the vest and cap which I recognized as perfectly belonging to Red. It was an offer that I gladly took up as a fan of everything Pokémon and led to my cosplaying of Red. With the parts I was provided, I completed the Red costume and made it my own. Oh, and you know that Red Nendoroid I discussed the other day? One of the hidden reasons I hesitated to buy the Nendoroid was because of cosplay - why buy the Nendoroid when you can be the Nendoroid? This led me to develop a Nendoroid Red costume set. Even so, the tables have turned; now I have the Nendoroid, but I haven't cosplayed as Nendoroid Red recently due to an issue. I would like to rectify this issue and cosplay as Nendoroid Red again. In the meantime I can still cosplay as classic Red just fine.

Red is such a strong character that I bought this as a way of honoring him:

It's a poster, and it's also something that I got off of the Sunday event as well. When I saw the poster, it captured my feelings, and I bought it without hesitation due to its much lower price compared to the Nendoroid. The image is intense with Red in a serious pose as well as Pikachu and Mega Charizard X, which perfectly captures the essence of his character. It's something that I like very much, despite it being a bit big, which is why I'm not putting it up just yet, so I can't fulfill that part of the promise I mentioned regarding posters just yet. Moreover, I found there were a few nicks in the poster, so I'm tempted to change its function to a framed wall art. I'll have to debate with myself before I make any final decisions on putting it up.

It's hard for me not to ignore Red. As the archetype for Ash, it is rightful that I like him as well and enjoy all things related to him, and even cosplay as him, which I have somewhat realized. It's a passion that is warming up and will definitely get hotter, perhaps as hot and intense as his personality.

GSC Nendoroid Series #425: Red

Good Smile Company makes an amazing series of mini-figures called Nendoroids, and they are extremely popular among fans of Japanese items. As it so happens, they have made some Nendoroids of Pokémon characters, one of them being Red, the main character of the first-generation games for the Kanto League. When I first saw the Red Nendoroid in pictures that show off its appearances, I thought it was quite a captivating figure to have and maybe to fiddle with. But then I decided on something.

I thought that it was an impressively cool figure and all, but then I said to myself that I wasn't going to buy it. I didn't want to become obsessed with hunting for it and then to hand over prodigiously large amounts of money to get it, even though I did develop an admiration for it and thought it would be very, very nice to have it. It was going to be one of those inner desires that I wasn't going to fulfill, if ever. It wouldn't be something that I'd realize, even if given the chance. And...

I take that back. Thanks to that event last Sunday and a well-stationed collection shop, I bought the figure for a low price without even being offered. I saw the figure early on during the event and debated with myself whether or not to buy it before I settled on buying it mid-way through the progress of the event. It's a similar story to the Ash figure I bought last month. Now I have no regrets for having the figure. It's a small yet impressive figure for any fan of Pokémon. Period.

Unlike the Ash figure, this one has a lot more components, including two Poké Balls (one of which is the highly coveted Master Ball), small figures of the starters, a detachable Bag, a stand, and a plethora of interchangeable appendages and faces. I've also been told by a good friend who knows about figures that I need to be delicate with the head, especially when changing the facial expressions. It's certainly a demanding figure in that regard, which is why I'm not assembling or showing off the figure at the moment. And that's a good thing, as I found the plastic spacer for the figure was still sealed. Like the Ash figure, I'll also wait for a proper display space; until then, the sealed figure remains in the box, but even so, the box shows it off nicely with the window in front.

For a figure of a small stature, its details speak volumes, and perhaps even the price elsewhere. If you don't mind working with lots of details and don't mind forking over wads of cash for it, you are certainly welcome to pursue it. Even if you do mind, you might want to get it just because you love all things Pokémon, in particular a big fan of Red, just like I did.

Cosplay: Daisuki Japan 7 - Wanderlust!

Boy, have I got loads of Pokémon stuff to share in the next few days, all thanks to this event. So on Sunday I went to a Japanese/cosplay event that is considered a yearly highlight and reputedly the biggest one in the region. Daisuki Japan is a series of events started by a local Japanese event organizer; it was first held as a series of three events within 2013 before becoming an annual event in 2014, held in the largest event hall possible where I live. Coincidentally, after it became an annual event, I exclusively cosplayed Pokémon characters, and this year was no different; this time I chose to step backwards a bit and use my fourth-generation Ash outfit, something that lended itself well later on.

Now, have you ever heard of the adage "the more things change, the more they stay the same"? Well, that could be said true for this event. The layout of the event was nearly the same as it was held two and three years prior (last year was an exception due to its structure and guests), only this time visitor numbers were through the roof as it was last year. Ticketing was painless this year as the lines for purchase and entry didn't overlap. All the community stands were safely sequestered indoors in the hall while most food and collection stands remained outside to brave the elements and the changing weather (which did indeed change). All told, many things did feel the same as those years.

One thing that did change was there were no competitions. None. Nada, zip, zero. There were no cosplay, anime song, band, artwork, or other competitions related to and usually present at Japanese events (including the previous year's edition of this event), and so cosplay was pretty much limited to non-competitive street cosplay. About the only thing closest to a competition was a social media contest, but I hardly call that a competition. On one hand I was disappointed since I wanted to try my hand at something new, still involving my Pokémon cosplay, and there wasn't a chance here, but on the other hand, having no competitions did not cause unnecessary delays to the event schedule and did not burden me. Thus interred, this year the event was purely a great exhibition, but that's not a bad thing. There will be other opportunities to try that "something new" later on.

I should also mention the two guest stars of the event, of which I seemed to have developed some connections. The first was Hiroaki Kato; he is a Japanese musician now well-versed in many things Indonesian, and he's popular for his Japanese covers of Indonesian songs as well as other original material. The connection I have with him is amusing. As the story goes (as he explained Sunday on stage), the first time he appeared on stage in the region where I live was five years ago, at a now-popular Japanese event which only started the year prior. By coincidence, I also came to that event and cosplayed, and back then I only had my fourth-generation Ash costume. The second time he appeared in my region was two years ago, at a local campus event - and guess what? I cosplayed fourth-generation Ash too at that event. And then came this event, where he appeared, and I cosplayed the same costume again. It seems I'm destined to wear this costume every time he appears in an event. It's puzzling nonetheless, but I'm amused. Perhaps I might just continue this tradition in the making. Thank you for coming yet again; it's always wonderful to hear you sing.

The second guest star was Haruka. No, not that Haruka, the Pokémon character who in English is called May. I'm talking about Haruka who sung the opening theme of an anime which could be considered in the neighborhood of the Pokémon anime (hint: it involves light and shadow). I too have event connections with her. The first time I saw her was two years ago at an out-of-town event, but it was only limited to glimpses, and I didn't get to see her ultimate performance. Therefore this was the second time I saw her, and this time I got to see her to the end. More than that, I got to interact with her further this time around. We got to talk during a break in the show, and we also interacted a little more at the end, with this as the result:

Guess who?

Well. She's a charming lady with great messages that she carries in her songs, and I applaud her for that. Oh, and I think she's a fan of Pokémon as well - I think I saw Pikachu stickers on her phone, and I've been told there's a few more Pokémon things that floated about when she was there. In any case, thank you again for coming to entertain at this grand event and I hope to see you at other future events.

Notwithstanding the minute differences, this has indeed been a great event and perhaps the best installment yet. The organizers will have to do something spectacular to top it next time or at another event, which they say they have already planned. I can't wait to see.

Cosplay Hair

One of the important parts of cosplay is making your hair match that of the character. This is true for any character, not just ones from Pokémon. There are just as many ways of doing this as there are many different characters, but in general they can be shoehorned into a few approaches. I subscribe to some of these approaches for my cosplay and in particular my Pokémon cosplay.

Using own hair. I am blessed and grateful for the fact that I have black hair, the same as Ash. As such it is an asset that I have to protect if I want to continue cosplaying Ash with my own natural hair, which I am proud to do. I've been told that I can have long hair - even the same as Ash's - as long as I maintain it, and I find that this is true. Now whenever I go to get my hair trimmed to keep it in check for cosplay and other purposes, I follow my hair stylist's recommendations in order to maintain my hair. This is an approach that works well for me and my cosplay, but it's not for everyone, and certainly not for specific occasions. For that, there are the two other approaches below.

Modifying own hair. I could in theory apply extreme modifications to my hair so I can cosplay other characters, other than to keep it black and trimmed for cosplaying Ash, but this is something I'm loath to do for reasons of cost, risk, and practicality. I would have to do this every time I cosplay a different character, thus running up cost and practicality, and some processes (e.g. dyeing hair) do run the risk of something (bad) happening to my hair, which would be counter-productive to my intent above. But if you're willing and able to do this, by all means. I prefer not to do it and go with a less risky approach.

Wearing a wig. This is what I and most of my fellow cosplayers do when cosplaying a character with extremely different hair. It's cost-effective, not too risky, and practical. I've never really thought about it for cosplaying Ash since I use my own hair, but if I'm in really dire situations this would work, and it's something I could invest in. For other characters, this is practically required; so far the only one for Pokémon cosplay I really need is a brownish short-hair wig for cosplaying Red's modern costume, but I haven't been able to spend for that. If I want to cosplay a radically different character - like Gary, but I'm not likely to do that one, or Brendan - then this is practically required.

These are all fine approaches for my Pokémon cosplay and cosplay in general to suit hair to the character, though admittedly they work to different degrees for different characters and different people. No matter the approach, it is an important part of what makes cosplay what it is, for my own Pokémon cosplay or any other cosplay, and certainly for all other cosplayers out there.

Alton : Food :: I : Pokémon

(For those of you who are not used to analogies, the way to read the title is "Alton Is to Food as I Am to Pokémon".)

I've already mentioned about how I also like Food Network and how I have combined it with my liking for Pokémon, and I also dropped a bit about one of its (super) stars - Alton Brown - who also happened to be in the two programs I had long awaited to watch again. I feel that on some levels we're a lot alike. If Alton is passionate about food, then I'm just as passionate about Pokémon, and thus I perused the analogy as the title of this post.

I was introduced to Alton through his first hit program, Good Eats; I've watched Good Eats nearly from the very beginning, about the same time that I started to like Pokémon. Now thanks to Food Network appearing in Indonesia, I've watched almost nearly every episode of Good Eats, save for some odd ones and specials that have not yet appeared. In all that time, I've never felt Alton's love of food has gone away, ever, just like how my love of Pokémon has remained. Good Eats may be over (sadly), but the above is still true as Alton continues to appear on Food Network in other programs; likewise many things in Pokémon have changed, but I still feel attached to Pokémon, perhaps even more now, as I take up this blog.

More importantly, I think my writing style in this blog and in general is very much inspired after Alton's speaking style. The way in which we arrange our words, his for spoken communication and mine for written, are not too dissimilar. We're also somewhat alike in our usage of either large or uncommon words in our explanations of worldly matters related to our respective passions. We like what we like, so we're not apprehensive about putting to words what we think about them.

Lastly, we're humans, and sometimes we've made mistakes. I've recalled the few times Alton had messed up in certain episodes of Good Eats, and they're reminiscent of my faults in enjoying Pokémon. Regardless, we didn't discard our passions because of our petty errors, and we continued on our paths for them.

Our total passions may be different (though shared in some respects), but I believe that we are indeed alike in how we regard them. They're things that have never gotten away from us, and we even talk about them and regard them in much the same way. Again, they are what we like, and understandably we do things with them that we wouldn't otherwise if we weren't attracted to them.

So Alton, this one's for you. Your passion for food is similar to mine with Pokémon. I don't know if you know something about Pokémon, but if you do, then that brings us one step closer.

Pokémon X Food Network ...?

Aside from being a huge fan of Pokémon, I'm also a huge fan of cooking shows and cooking in general. So it's no surprise that when I was in the U.S., I tuned in to Food Network quite often - or rather, nearly all the time, and practically the only exception was for watching Pokémon. Down in Indonesia, Food Network recently became available to many through a pay TV subscription; here the channel is the Asia feed, and it contains a mix of U.S. and UK FN programs as well as Cooking Channel programs and sometimes unique programs.

Of the many programs I rejoiced to see again, there were two that stood out: Iron Chef America and Good Eats. However, my joy was accompanied with dismay as I knew I was already missing many of the ICA battles and found out that Good Eats had ended its run well before I was able to watch FN again. Regardless, I was in delight when I was able to see both programs again. And in that delight, I found a way to connect the two programs with Pokémon.

I thought the theme music of both Good Eats and Iron Chef America could be augmented with some Pikachu sounds, and I determined how and where they could be mixed in. To that end, I created three sound sequences containing Pikachu sounds that I could play at certain points of the theme music, and the sounds would mix perfectly. One sequence is for the Good Eats opening, another is for the Good Eats "splash" (the one on entry after the break), and the last is for the main part of the ICA theme whenever it plays (which is usually at the beginning, before a break, entry after break, and at the very end). All of these truly added a Pokémon "flavor" to the programs.

What relation do these programs have with Pokémon? Absolutely nothing - though for Iron Chef America, I can think of a definite self-inspiration (this is the part where Alton Brown would say, "that's another show"), but that's where it ends. Coincidentally both programs also have Alton Brown in them, but that doesn't help matters much. I think it's just because I like the programs so much that I'm tempted to add a Pokémon twist to them. It just goes to show that when you like something so much, you'll do crazy things to show it off. And doing the above is really a way to show off my liking for both programs... and especially Pokémon.

Multilingual Pokémon

It's no secret that the names of Pokémon are different (to a large portion) between English and Japanese. But they are in fact also different in French, German, and Korean, just to name three languages that Pokémon is also localized in. So a full localization of Pokémon also has to deal with the hundreds and hundreds of Pokémon names to make them suitable to the language. Sure, the most well-known ones can retain their names across several languages, but for the most part things have to change.

I'm a linguist by trade and I can tell you that while this seems to be a lot of unnecessary work, it's actually necessary so that the names of Pokémon don't sound odd or - Arceus forbid - inappropriate. This is what is called "domestication" in the linguistics trade. Every language, including English, has their own senses and sensibilities, so what works for one language may not necessarily work for another. Thus to avoid these senses and sensibilities overlapping, localizing the names of Pokémon becomes a good practice.

So which names do I use? As I communicate mainly in English - in this blog as well - I use the English names. All my friends also play the games in English because it's the foreign language they have the best chance of understanding, and so we speak the English names as well. But when it comes to talking about Pokémon in another language, especially the four others I mentioned above with local names, I'm not against using their names in that language if possible; they were made to ease communication in that language, so they should be rightfully used. Even so, many people, including me, will still use the English names since English is the most widely spoken language of communication, so that is not a bad thing as well.

Localizing and thus domesticating Pokémon names is not only a good idea, but also a way to avoid language and communication mishaps. No matter the language, the principles of linguistics always comes into play in different ways. And that makes me glad as a linguist just as I am glad as a Pokémon fan that there are many, many different Pokémon.

A Psyduck Headache

I'm still waist-deep in my business, and it's starting to hurt my head. Not enough that it's causing a headache, but the effect is almost the same. That reminds me of a particularly famous case of headaches in the Pokémon world, and it involves a little yellow ducky Pokémon known in English as Psyduck.

Psyduck looks quite unassuming yet identifiable. It's a bipedal duck with a nearly-classical yellow body, a prominent bill, and three tufts of black hair; though identifiable for these features, it always looks like as if it is staring at you blankly. Its behavior also suggests that it's a less capable Pokémon. Its real claim to fame, though, is when it gets a headache, because it is at that point that it can maximize its psychic powers to conquer any threats it faces - including the one that caused the headache in the first place. It's an awesome power that has been showcased a few times in the anime.

From this, Psyduck can be construed to have a "when the going gets tough, the tough gets going" act - its best capability appears when it is under pressure, or rather when its head is under pressure. It's something good to take away: when pressure comes, you shouldn't lose it, but you should try to use it to get back on top, and when you use that pressure, nifty things come out which may just get you out of the jam. For everyone who's busy and pressured - including me right now - it's an important thing to remember.

I'm not in a headache state of mind yet, but it's almost like I'm getting there. But like Psyduck, this is the time where I need to start delivering my best. I can use some of that Psyduck power now and do something spectacular to get my business in order.

Pokémon and Puzzle Games

I love puzzle games even before I began to take a liking to Pokémon. So certainly Pokémon and puzzle games are a natural match for me; I can enjoy spatial and mental fiddling with a theme that I enjoy. And actually, Pokémon and puzzle games have a somewhat interesting and lengthy history. Shuffle may be the most recent iteration of its type, but it has a few predecessors of its own on different consoles as well.

One of the earliest yet most well-known Pokémon-and-puzzle-game iterations is the famous Pokémon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64. The gameplay takes Panel de Pon or Tetris Attack and combines it with a heavy influence from the anime; the story practically involves a puzzle adventure with Ash around the Kanto league. One interesting twist that this game offers is a cylindrical 3D play field for certain stages; since it's cylindrical, the horizontal dimension wraps around and you have to be even more careful not to let certain parts of the field go out of control. It's definitely a game that requires fast button reflexes and a sense of direction when working the field.

For those that didn't have the Nintendo 64 but do have the GBC, they can play Pokémon Puzzle Challenge instead. The game is the same as Puzzle League, only repackaged in a portable manner; it has a Johto theme and story (not based on the anime) but some modes are missing, like the 3D cylindrical mode. It might seem a little slower, but once you get to the upper levels, you'll still need the reflexes and the sense of direction.

The age of Pokémon touch puzzle games began with Pokémon Trozei for the NDS. Its slogan is "four in a row, and you're good to go"; this is indeed your objective as you try to line up Pokémon as you encounter them, sometimes using Ditto as a "wild card". The storyline is also totally original and not based on the main series. On the 3DS, this game was expanded for all six generations and dubbed as Pokémon Battle Trozei. It was the latter game that provided the seedbed for Pokémon Shuffle; the graphics in Shuffle are carryover from Battle Trozei, though the mechanics were only vaguely similar.

Even before Shuffle came to town, Pokémon had already embraced puzzle games for some time. It was only natural that this happened; Pokémon had already provided room for a mental workout with the RPG main series, and with puzzle games, the mental workout expanded into a different kind. As a lover of puzzle games, I would play these again and again - in fact, that's what I'm already doing with Shuffle - and I look forward to future puzzle iterations and the mental workouts they provide.

Every Day We're Shufflin'

I don't know a thing about party rocking (thanks, LMFAO), but at least one line out of their song holds true. ☺

As I've said in the Pokémon Day post a while back, I've only been able to consistently play one Pokémon game nowadays, and that is Pokémon Shuffle on my 3DS. With the business I'm undertaking within the next few days, this fact will seemingly hold true for a little longer. But that's not a bad thing, because the way Shuffle plays, it seems to lend itself to busy people like me.

Pokémon Shuffle, if you don't know it, is a puzzle game reminiscent of certain popular match-3 puzzle games that people in recent times play on their smartphone. And coincidentally, Shuffle is also available for smartphones as Shuffle Mobile, so even those without a 3DS can join in the fun. Like those other puzzle games, the gameplay is divided into stages corresponding to particular species or forms of Pokémon, and your objective is to engage them in puzzle combat with your Pokémon to defeat and catch them, so you can use them for future battles. Along the way you can use items and enhancements to help you and your Pokémon win battles.

The crucial point of playing all these stages is that they (mostly) depend on Hearts. Each time you play a stage, you expend one Heart, in rare cases more. You can regain one Heart every half an hour, and you can also buy or earn bonus Hearts and play those after you've depleted your timed Hearts. The beauty of this approach is that once I've run out of timed Hearts, I don't have to continue playing my bonus Hearts, and I can stop playing and go about my other business. When I'm done with my other business, I have a full set of timed hearts ready to deplete and then replete again as I move on to something else. In this way I can also multitask as I play.

While this seems to be also a common property of those other puzzle games, what makes Shuffle different is that it appears less tedious than the other games as its playing field is smaller (6 by 6) and you often work with less than 25 or so moves. Combined with the Heart system as above, this makes for a more pleasant and not-so-brain-breaking experience, which helps when I'm also busy with other things.

I'm going back to my business and Shuffle now, and perhaps within a few days we can shuffle... and perhaps try that party rocking thing again.

Worldly Inspirations for a Small World

Faithful fans of the main Pokémon game series know that all the regions of these games were inspired by and designed after real-world regions, including the Japanese archipelago (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh), Manhattan and southern New York state (Unova), France (Kalos), and most recently Hawaii (Alola). It seems the Pokémon world is a small world after all, just like how some people believe ours is too.

As the trend of designing regions after our world is likely to continue, there's an intriguing possibility that ultimately we can geographically position all regions of the Pokémon world as we position ours in reality. At the pace that new regions show up, though, this might take a long time; consider that it took four generations to practically represent nearly all of Japan. And then there's the matter of linkages to consider - even though Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Shinnoh by and large make up Japan, the question lies in how those regions are connected if they are to resemble our real world regions. For Johto and Kanto this is obvious and definitive by way of the first and second generation games; for the others, this is less so. And this latter case is one of the things that is to be answered in realizing this intriguing possibility.

In short, the possibility that our world and the Pokémon world is fascinatingly imaginative but also hard to realize. If the two worlds are to accordingly resemble each other akin to parallel universes, then at least we're somewhat in the right direction, yet admittedly such a possibility is distant and incomplete for the most part. Anything can still happen, and the world of Pokémon can still expand. Perhaps in the future, this possibility will not seem so extreme, and we will be able say that both of the worlds are really small after all.

Have You Seen My Childhood?

The post I made about little boys got me thinking about (my own) childhood and Pokémon. It can be said that I grew up with Pokémon in the latter part of my childhood. It has been one of the things that made that time of my life as lively as can be, in its different forms. I took joy from playing the games and watching the anime, as well as taking in the spirit of creativity from related works. Arguably, many things about Pokémon are or can be directed for children.

Nowadays, though, it's older people that play Pokémon, perhaps even more than children do. The supreme section of the VGC championships, the Masters division, is where they show the teams they have concocted and duke them out to see who's better. This is in addition to the Junior division, which is the same thing, but for younger people. And it's even older people that still that enjoy all things Pokémon. It's obvious that some people never outgrow their passions, including me.

This also reminds me of the Michael Jackson song "Childhood", for which the first line of the song is the title of this post. In light of the above, some people might think that Pokémon is only reserved for children (thus considering the case of people like me childish), when in fact the reality is that older people also do like Pokémon. To this, the response is two lines from the song: "before you judge me/try hard to love me". Pokémon is for everyone, and there is no reason not to enjoy Pokémon at any age.

Also as stated in the other post, Pokémon is somewhat of a realization of its creator's childhood into a virtual form. Thus Pokémon is also an offer by its creator to experience his childhood. This doesn't change anything, though, as the offer is nostalgic in nature. It is meant as a way to relate with others by showing and sharing the experience. In this way, Pokémon is also a way for others to give the answer of "yes, I have" to the same question posed by the song above and here in this post:

Have you seen my childhood?

Thank Heaven for Little Boys

There are many things that I like in this world, and quiz shows are one of them - I'm partial to Family Feud and its kin, not the least because I grew up with it. Recently, a question was asked in the Fast Money round that puzzled some people, even Steve Harvey (the host) himself. Here's how it went, an answer that was given, and how many points it earned:

"Besides dogs, name an animal little boys love..."
"Frogs" - 23 points, number one answer

For me, this answer isn't puzzling at all. In fact, this answer makes sense in light of Pokémon, which is why I'm posting about it. Remember, if it's even slightly related to Pokémon, it's worthy of discussion here.

The reason this is related to Pokémon is because this was one of the things that inspired Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon, to create it. In addition to collecting insects (and understandably in effect other animals) to duke them out with friends later, which forms the main premise of the Pokémon main game series, he envisaged tadpoles - little frogs - being sent through channels or cables to others. This would form the premise of the trading system, one of the key points of the Pokémon main series, and the "tadpole" was realized as the Poliwag family; Politoed came later on and gave adult frogs an honorable place in the world of Pokémon.

And thus frogs played a pivotal role in the inception of Pokémon. A little boy's fascination with collection and competition of animals was realized in a virtual form that anyone can easily take up. What Satoshi Tajiri was really doing was sharing his childhood passion with the world so that we can share and revel in his joy. It's also in essence what I'm doing with this blog now with the help of Pokémon itself.

So Steve, don't be surprised of little boys that love frogs, because one of them is the brains behind one of the world's top-selling game franchises.

Thank heaven for little boys, for little boys get bigger every day.

Tonight, We Honor the Hero

Heavy fans of Japanese anime will undoubtedly recognize the line that I've used to title this post. I must say up front that I don't watch that particular anime, but I just happen to like the song in which the line is included. That said, "honoring the hero" is something that I do in my own ways. And when it comes to Pokémon, in particular the anime series, this is in relation to Ash.

I've already detailed my penchant for the art of cosplay, and how more often than not it involves Pokémon and Ash. I consider this my strongest suit in honoring Ash, as having watched the anime countless of times, I've understood his ways and behaviors somewhat well, enough to think that mine resembles his. On a more personal side, I also occasionally use his name to sign high scores in a game, as a game username, and so on, though this is mostly for private use; elsewhere I tend to use my own initials instead, not unlike a female anime character that does the same.

I think Ash and I are both a lot alike. We're both stubborn, determined, and goal-oriented. We both know what we want and will work for it, though it doesn't necessarily work out. We're also kind-hearted to all our friends, human and Pokémon alike. These are all characteristics that are (or can be) positive, and I'm glad to take after them. In a way, that becomes another way of "honoring the hero". It is also these characteristics that I am reminded of in my other ways of honoring, as above.

Someone who does something for goodwill is a hero. Based on this definition, Ash in some ways is a hero, and is fit for honor. Whoever your heroes are, it is not wrong to do this so long as what is taken is positive and the results are also positive. The end result of doing this is best described by another line of the song that is not too distantly related to the title of my post:

I swear, I'll respect the hero!

Pokémon and Music Games

As I've mentioned in the post about the maimai-Pokémon link, I enjoy rhythm or music games and can play some of them well enough. However, when it comes to music games and Pokémon in general, there doesn't seem to be anything definitive; it could be argued that this is a mostly uncharted territory. Even so, there have been times where Pokémon and music games mingle.

It has come to my attention that there have been a few rhythm-style mini-games that were created as tie-ins to the anime, but it appears these were Japan-only and for a limited time. In another Japan-only twist, it seems that the very first anime opening theme was featured in DanceDanceRevolution, a music game developed by Konami, but it was in an obscure version that was lower in quality compared to typical DDR versions. In any case, since these things have never (or perhaps rarely) surfaced out of Japan, I've never gotten a feel for them.

What seems to be lacking in this territory is a definitive, totally Pokémon-themed music game, akin to DDR Mario Mix. It's somewhat of a shame because Pokémon has a rich music history from the games and anime, all of which can make for a great and perhaps original music game. This is something I would love to see in the future, as is the featuring of Pokémon-related music in already-established music games, as in the above, but in a more visible way, and definitely in more popular games. (I dare say that there is a way that maimai, the current music game I am attracted to, came very close in this regard.)

I'm not an extremely skilled music gamer - I have friends who are much, much better in music games than I am - but it's one kind of game that I like. It's only natural, then, that as a Pokémon fan, I also want to see more Pokémon presence in music games, whether it be something original or in an already popular game. It's something that makes sense given that Pokémon already has plenty of musical content and is highly linked to gaming, and one that I await with the utmost eagerness.

To Be Continued... maimai ORANGE (PLUS)

Outside of Pokémon, another genre of games that I play is rhythm, or music games. One of these games that I play (and have gotten somewhat good playing it) is maimai, which is developed by Sega. For the uninitiated, maimai involves a circular playfield where taps, holds, and slides come at you and you hit or do them in time with the music. It's a fun game once you learn how to master it. Incidentally, there is a a small link between this game (or one of its versions) and the Pokémon anime.

As I've been re-watching the BW series, I've noticed that the font for the "To Be Continued" message that appears at the end of practically every episode suspiciously looks like the song title font in the ORANGE (PLUS) version of maimai. After much examination, I've determined that they are, in fact, the same. Have a look:

From the Pokémon anime.

From maimai ORANGE (PLUS).

The tell-tale parts from the above are the "e", "t", and "C", which are definitely the same. The rest of the letters have similar curvature. An even more detailed shot is shown below.

As for the font itself, it's something I've had difficulty finding. Furthermore, I'm told it's a paid font, which means not just anyone has access to it. By that fact alone, I'm not too concerned about finding it.

It's such a tiny thing, but it is also a wonderful thing to behold. And perhaps in the future, maimai will have even more links to Pokémon than just a simple font.

Ride the Pokémon

It's obvious that some Pokémon could be (or rather, meant to be) ridden on. Even before X and Y (and OR/AS) provided some of the means and Sun and Moon standardized the means for use everywhere in the game, it has been known that some Pokémon can be aptly ridden on, in particular through the use of the move Fly to... fly in the air. Outside of the games, this has been affirmed a few times in the anime, and one of these times is in the third feature film when Ash flew on his Charizard to the mansion. If Pokémon has the potential to be ridden on like real-life animal counterparts, they probably are.

For land-based Pokémon, it's pretty easy to get a feel of riding it - you can just ride something similar in the real world. But for Pokémon that fly in the air, it's a different story. You have to wonder, how would it feel to fly out in the open air instead of in a plane? Does it feel like a roller coaster, except at a slower speed? Or is it like riding a train in the sky? Or are even those too fast? However the sensation feels like, it's certainly a unique one that's hard to find in this world.

In any case, riding a Pokémon is an excellent example of how the Pokémon world much resembles our real world, yet at the same time surpasses it. There are Pokémon that can be ridden on that we know how it would feel, but there are also those that we aren't sure of how it would feel. Such a state leaves room for a little wonder in our minds, but also a reassurance that the two worlds work in much of the same ways. And perhaps in the future, we can make that similarity even closer.

I'm Swept Away

Outside of Pokémon, one of my significant interests is in spiritual-instrumental music, or what some people call "new age" music, though some of the artists usually tagged as producing such music dispute and/or reject this labeling. However it is called, there are some pretty good music that comes out of this genre or category. And wouldn't you know it, some of this music also takes me back into Pokémon.

I've been on a BW series binge - reminiscing with the BW anime series - and watching the episodes therein. One of the episodes I watched was the bridge-and-Gothitelle episode (episode 681), and at the end when Ash and company entered Castelia City for the first time, a feeling of inspiration came up. It prompted me to be reminded of and to play "Swept Away", an instrumental piece by Yanni, which was one of the pieces that he included as part of his Acropolis concert. However, I was reminded of the original version rather than its extended live version with numerous solos in the middle. Regardless, it could be said that I was "swept away", as suggested by the title of the music.

Does this "sweep you away"?

I love that this kind of personal moment just seems to spontaneously occur. It's one of many I have with "new age" music and Pokémon, and it's something I feel pleasant to share.

I'm swept away. Are you?

Two Pokémon Notebooks

At the same event that I visited last Sunday, I passed an indie booth that sold all kinds of notebooks decorated with anime pictures. Lo and behold, two of them were Pokémon notebooks. Looking at them, I couldn't resist picking them up, especially because they were low in price. Even so, I think the designs on the notebook are clever and eye-catching.

The first notebook very much has a retro feel as it features a scene of the anime in the Kanto saga and the first-generation Pokémon. And to show it off, I have to take three pictures:

Front

Back

Inside

The Pokémon motifs in this notebook are everywhere; the front and back covers are totally unique, and Pikachu is on every page of the notebook. I wouldn't use it for any practical purpose, though, which is not a problem, since I don't mind leaving it as is as a collector's item.

The second notebook is a Pokédex-themed notebook:

This one is simpler, as the front and back covers are the same, except in different directions. Also, the inside is drab and plain, unlike the first one. It's still something neat to have.

It's fantastic to see that even an indie stall at an event can offer well-designed items nowadays, and these Pokémon notebooks certainly fit the bill. I'm glad that I was able to pick them up when I did and to make them part of my collection.

To Pre-Order or Not to Pre-Order?

Since Pokémon is a major game franchise, it's understandable that every time a new main series game comes out, it is usually also available for pre-order ahead of time before the release date. Some places will even give neat bonuses for pre-ordering, which is nice for those who like collecting.

I myself don't have much experience in pre-ordering, and I picked up nearly all my main series games after (in some cases well after) the release date. Up to X and Y, this was always the case, yet it wasn't something I was too worried about. When Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire came out, I had a chance to pre-order, but I didn't take that chance due to reasons of financial uncertainties. Eventually I got a used copy of Omega Ruby for a little less than its original price, but by then most everyone had already played through the game and started to play with each other, and I was late to the party.

When Sun and Moon was announced, I wasn't going to let myself end up late by the fact that I didn't have the game, so I took the plunge to pre-order at a local game shop which is owned by someone who is a friend with many of my gamer friends. The result was that I got the game fairly close to its release date, so I could begin playing somewhat immediately. The shop didn't carry any pre-order bonuses, but I don't miss this much - I'm just happy I got the game and could start play quickly. Of course, I ended up being late anyway for other reasons, which may be worth telling later.

So is pre-ordering worthwhile? By my experience, if you are after the bonuses, want to play relatively quickly, are not concerned about cost, or you play VGC and need to start tinkering right away, then the answer is yes. If none of these are pressing concerns except for cost, then you probably don't need to pre-order. In the end, whatever works for you is best - for me, I think I would pre-order again just for the convenience. As long as the intent is to play the game, then all roads lead to Rome... or rather, the region in question featured in the game.

Love My Life - Pokémon Too

I love my life.
I am powerful, I am beautiful, I am free.
I love my life.
I am wonderful, I am magical, I am me.
I love my life.
-- "Love My Life", Robbie Williams

Recently I have grown fond of a particularly recent song offering from Robbie Williams, not just because of its inspirational message, but also because it made me think of Pokémon. I first heard the song after I was watching something late at night; the music video appeared after the show I was watching concluded. I was just about to turn the TV off at that point, but then I changed my mind so that I could watch and listen to the song; it's a decision that I don't regret as now I like the song. Moreover, within a few hours after I re-listened to the song elsewhere, I suddenly thought about Pokémon.

The message of the song is that everyone has to have something to stand up for so that they can say they are proud to live. Since Pokémon Trainers are people too, there is no reason that the same message also applies to them. In fact, for the lines of the song above, I know no other better characters that exemplify them than Ash and his companions; since recently I've also been on a BW series binge, I've been imagining Ash, Iris, and Cillan singing those particular lines - Ash takes "powerful" and "me", Iris takes "beautiful" and "magical", and Cillan takes "free" and "wonderful". Really, though, there is no reason that any Trainer, Gym Leader, and so on can't lay claim to these qualities, so I'm also imagining them singing at the end as a whole.

If you haven't found a reason to be attached to this song, yet you like Pokémon, then perhaps I've given you a reason. So universal is the message of this song that it applies to those that aren't even real. I'm definitely inspired - maybe Ash is too. ☺

Posters

I like posters as they can be neat pieces of wall art for a personal space. I like Pokémon posters even more because they show off what I like. However, at the moment, I currently do not have any Pokémon posters, not even the space to put them up. While I was in the U.S., though, I did have some that I put up on the walls of my room. Fortunately I still have vivid memories of those, so I want to post about them while I still remember.

Interestingly, the posters came either from game guides or game magazines. Three of those contained all the Pokémon in the regional Pokédexes from the first, second, and third generation games, in their exact order. So I had one poster for Red, Blue, and Yellow with the first 150 Pokémon (minus Mew), one poster for Gold and Silver - Crystal hadn't appeared yet when I got this one - with all 251 of the first and second generation Pokémon as they would be ordered in the Johto Dex, and one poster with the 202 Pokémon of the Hoenn Dex, save for Jirachi and Deoxys, which hadn't been divulged at the time. These were nice to look at and served as memorization tools for the Pokémon of the games, so I liked them for that.

There were also two others for the second-generation games that were more artsy, just displaying the "box legends" of the games against an abstract background of appropriate tone colors, with motifs of all the other Pokémon in the game. One poster was for Gold and Silver with Ho-Oh and Lugia, and the other was for Crystal with Suicune. Admittedly they're pretty simple designs, but sometimes simple is best, and that is definitely true in this case and also why I like them.

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't have the chance to take these posters with me, but then again I would have struggled to find room for them on my walls, so I kind of lucked out. Even so, I feel nostalgic for these posters, and wish that I could have something to put up. I'm open to new poster designs should I find them, though, so should I find something attractive of the right size, they're definitely going up on my walls... and on here as well.