Curveball Wisdom

One of the things that makes Pokémon Go special is that the player can really get hands-on with the throw of a Poké Ball to capture a Pokémon. One of the things that contributes to that is the fact that the ball can be thrown not straight to the Pokémon, but in a curve. It's kind of fancy, but it's also beneficial. And beyond that, it may also appeal to the mindedness of players, including me.

To execute a curveball, the Poké Ball is held down just like starting a normal throw, but then it is spun in a direction until it starts to "whizz" and "shine", at which point it is released for the throw. It takes finesse and a little sense of direction so that the throw actually goes to the Pokémon instead of missing it. The benefit, though, is well worth the throw; there is a slight experience (XP) bonus, but it also helps to ensure that most Pokémon will be captured. By my experience, this is quite true, as I did manage to capture most Pokémon when I threw a curveball instead of a straight throw.

As for the wisdom part, that entails the history and ways of players like me. Back when I started playing for the very first time, I threw straight throws, until a friend told me about the curveball method. At that point I started making more curveball throws up until the point where I became unable to play. When I was able to play again, I went back to straight throws until a different friend reminded me about the curveball throw. In a way, it could be said that I was being "practical" when not throwing curveballs, but then I became "pragmatic" when throwing more curveballs, considering the reminders as "wisdom". I can't see myself throwing curveballs all or most of the time since I tend to miss a lot of them for some reason, so it seems hard for me to pursue "excellence"; meanwhile, many in my raid group do just that and very rarely throw straight. I may have to rethink my approach and embrace more of the "wisdom".

I still find this little tidbit of Pokémon Go interesting. For those who are used to playing other Pokémon games, it may be believed that throwing Poké Balls to capture a Pokémon is straightforward. Instead, in Pokémon Go, it evidently may be given a bit of flair, a little like a pitch in a baseball game. It's that little flair that may lead to big successes, so it seems only right that it may have "wisdom", in a way. At least that's how it seems to apply to me and all my friends who play Go.

One year ago: The Music of the Poké Flute