Off We Go... to Alola!

Yesterday's announcement of Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! (hereinafter abbreviated as LGP/LGE) is important, because it brought back Pokémon Go into the spotlight, due to the similar play mechanics and the planned interlink. To that end, Go also did something important of its own: for the first time ever, the Alola Form of a Pokémon has been introduced into the game. This is a major forward step for a game with only three generations of Pokémon included so far.

Actually, this inclusion had been announced a couple of weeks ago, but much of the details were not divulged. I and my other raid fellows talked about this during one of our raid meetups, and we asked several questions about the inclusion: Is it to be all at once, or gradual? Will there be events, items, or whatnot alongside them? How are these forms to be included, given their Kanto counterparts? And most importantly, what is the significance of bringing in something that's light-years ahead of where Pokémon Go is now? Yesterday, much of the answers to these questions became apparent.

The first Alola Form added yesterday to Pokémon Go is Exeggutor's, and the rest will come in due time, thus answering the first question. Realistically, the addition of the form itself constitutes an event, where the form appears quite often, and this answers the second question. The form itself is treated separately from regular Exeggutor as well as its predecessor Exeggcute, answering the third. And of course, yesterday's reveal of LGP/LGE provided the answer to the fourth question. So the stage was set.

After a couple of days with this neat new addition, I have to say that it's quite entertaining. I have caught a few Alola-Exeggutor, as have the other members of my raid group; a few of the ones caught have stats that are not too shabby as well. But what's important is that we also get to play around with this form: we try to do all sorts of things while we catch it, and then afterwards we put them in Gyms to see how they fare. Of course, because of its unusually tall size, it became a laugh to see how it fits certain circumstances. It's a unique form that fortunately does allow this to happen.

This is the first of many fun times we'll have with Alola Forms in Pokémon Go. Granted, perhaps not all are as unique and fascinating as this one is, but we'll still deal with them just like we deal with all other Pokémon. And with LGP/LGE on the horizon, it gives some of us something to work towards. The prospect of this and the rest of the Alola Forms in Go promises lots of exciting things and times ahead.

So off we Go... to Alola! (and perhaps, beyond)

One year ago: I Need More Rumble World Players

Old Adventure, New Sensibilities

Pokémon just shook up, and in a big way. A new game - actually, make that a pair of games - have been announced: they are Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, they're for the Switch, and they're coming this November. The teaser trailer is phenomenal; so phenomenal, in fact, that a few of my Pokémon fellows are blown away. I'm blown away too, not the least because of the things that the two games bring to the table.

As indicated by the title of this post, the games will comprise an old adventure... or at least a new adventure in a place familiar to many Pokémon fans. The games will feature Kanto and the first 151 Pokémon, although those with their Alola forms are due to appear as well. As such, this game can be considered a "second remake" due to the inclusion of these elements; it's actually not too far off, as the games are said to be indeed based on the Yellow Version of the first-generation games. Even so, it's not a faithful remake due to the addition of new sensibilities.

And those new sensibilities include Pokémon capture in the style of Go (as suggested by the games' titles), the phenomenal Pokémon game of recent memory. While there won't be any battles with wild Pokémon, at least there will be battles with other Trainers, something that Go hasn't had even now, at least not directly against one another. Another sensibility is the addition of cooperative play, which means that a friend can join and revel in the same adventure. These are all new frontiers for every fan, in combination with the renewed adventure.

Things don't stop there. The games promise an interlink with Pokémon Go, and the result of this interlink seems to be bonuses for all the games involved. It's somewhat of an affirmation to the existence and success of the mobile game as well as its relation to Pokémon in general. The games also appear to be linkable to a Poké Ball Plus, which can be used to play the game and do other nifty things; it's the game's analogue of the Pokémon Go Plus, which is Go's own nifty peripheral to assist in playing the game. These are wonderful to be sure.

These two games won't be released for another six months or so, and not everything is set in stone yet for that release, but at the least it has captured the attention of many Pokémon fans and aroused quite a bit of interest among them. I'm one of those fans, given that these games appear as a perfect blend of the main series and the phenomenal Go. They're revolutionary, they're big, and they're the next step; I'm all for enjoying them, however they may be.

One year ago: Ad Astra per Aspera... and the Third Games

The "Attractors"

One of the neat things about Pokémon is that sometimes there are multiple ways of doing things across different games, and yet they rely on mostly the same principles. One of those things is summoning Pokémon on the field for encounter or battle, which takes place in Go and the main series games respectively. These two games let the Trainer summon Pokémon for an altercation before their capture, and they occur with the help of certain methods or items. I've taken to call these as the "attractors".

In the main series games, the "attractors" are the move Sweet Scent and the item Honey. Pokémon that know the move Sweet Scent can be asked to perform the move on the field, out of battle, in order to instantly summon a Pokémon where one may be encountered. The item Honey does the same thing, and can be also slathered on certain surfaces as an alternative approach. Both of these methods effectively rely on attracting Pokémon by way of their sense of smell, leading them to appear where the Trainer is. And that is quite respectable.

As it turns out, in Go, the "attractors" work in much the same way. A Trainer may install a Lure Module at a PokéStop in order to attract Pokémon in much the same way as an instance of the Sweet Scent move, and they even have similar action animations; this lasts for 30 minutes except in the case of certain events. When PokéStops are not available, the Incense item can be used to achieve a similar effect, in a partial parallel to the Honey item from the main series - though obviously this can't be spread - and the item can enhance or be enhanced by a Lure Module if one has been installed at a PokéStop. These two items effectively boil down to attraction by sense of smell as well.

The point of these methods or items is that Pokémon can be attracted through overwhelming their sense of smell, leading them to come to specific places where a Trainer is present to be battled and/or captured. It's a principle that they all share, even though the games are separated by dimensions and devices. The end result is the same: Trainer and Pokémon meet, perhaps to try to join forces with each other. I find this amazing as much as it is neat.

One year ago: A Hero Looks to the Sky

Helix Fossil Understands

There's an event going on right now in Pokémon Go, and it's a good one. I'd like to save most of the details for later, but what's important right now is that part of it involves the Pokémon Omanyte, one of the fossil Pokémon from the first generation. Because of this, I'm also reminded of a bit of Pokémon humor, which involves the site Ask Helix Fossil (askhelixfossil.com). Helix Fossil, of course, is the item in the main series games that when reanimated gives rise to Omanyte.

The site is very simple. Upon navigation, one is presented with a text box with the label "Consult the Fossil" and an image of the said fossil on top. One types in a question (of the yes/no type) and presses Enter. The fossil then "reanimates" and gives an answer tagged with "Helix Fossil says"; the answer page for the question can then be saved for reference. Now, if some of the answers seem familiar, it's because they're the same answers as those that would come out of a Magic 8 Ball, which means that this site is fundamentally an electronic version of that. The only difference is that it has a Pokémon twist with the Helix Fossil and Omanyte.

The humor part is that this site casts a role for the seemingly insignificant Omanyte. The lowly Pokémon has a clairvoyant role in this site, which allows it to answer and give predictions regarding just about anything. Whether or not it is to be taken depends on the person, but on the whole, it just seems funny that this is the case. Like the results of any method of clairvoyance, it's a take-it-or-leave-it thing, but given the Pokémon orientation of the site, it seems more apt that Pokémon fans will take it.

I'm at least thoroughly entertained just by putting in different questions and seeing the different responses that pop up. I'm not really one for clairvoyance, but at the same time, I won't disbelieve what does pop up. Still, this is a humor site, which does mean that it may be best to take things lightly. Why not - at least it can serve to keep a level head with the Pokémon Go event, with possibly more Omanyte to come, though ones that may or may not give out answers to life's questions.

One year ago: Takara Tomy Pokémon XY Pikachu Plush Doll

Long Raid's Journey Into Night

Raids in Pokémon Go are not an all-day occurrence, but they do last for a good chunk of the day. The first eggs for the raid bosses appear early in the morning before they hatch an hour later, and the last eggs hatch 45 minutes before the cutoff time, which also means they appear an hour before that. Recently though, in my region it was discovered that the cutoff time was set back later, which meant that raids could carry on into the late evening, which is already practically night. It's a bit of a blessing as well as something to reflect upon.

Back when I started becoming active in raids, the first eggs appeared at 5 AM, which means raids didn't actually start until 6 AM, while the last raids ended at 7:30 PM (the cutoff time), which meant the eggs earlier hatched at 6:45 PM and appeared at 5:45 PM. Nowadays, the eggs still first appear at around the same time, but the cutoff time and all related times are two hours later. The first time this happened, many players in my raid group were caught by surprise - how did an egg for a raid boss appear later? Many who were still raiding were only too happy to continue, at least until the raids ended. It was later on that we found out several regions, including ours, had their cutoff times changed.

Even so, our region and others were not the first to receive such a change. Earlier, cutoff times in Europe were changed to a later time, possibly to coincide with Daylight Saving Time. The change was likely received well, which led it to being instituted in other regions. While it would be hard to expect that the cutoff time would be set back even later or removed altogether (thus allowing raids to occur at any time of day and night) for the concern that this may lead to suspicious gatherings, this change has already been welcomed: some of my raid fellows are glad that they can raid in the evening, after their daily activities are done, and I'm glad too because I may be able to get a few more chances in.

Anyone who is really into raids in Pokémon Go has to appreciate a change like this. Raids are already opportunistic and special as they are with their multitude of Pokémon and possibilities, and extended times like this only mean greater participation in them. While they're still restricted in some ways, that is perhaps less of a problem with the changed times to further extend them. If anything, players like me and my raid fellows will still take them wherever and whenever they take place.

One year ago: A Test of My Resolve: I Still...

Reconsidering Trade Evolutions

One of the greatest things about Pokémon is that in the main series games, players can trade for Pokémon from other players, and some of those Pokémon may evolve in the process. However, because the world of Pokémon has expanded, in regard to the games or otherwise, there are places where trading becomes less relevant. This leads to the possible reconsideration of evolution by trade.

It's important to also consider that evolution is regarded differently in different realms. Aside from the main series as described above, Pokémon that evolve by trade also do so in games like Go and Mystery Dungeon, the latter by way of a Link Cable item and the former by way of candies, like every other Pokémon. In other games, Pokémon don't appear to evolve, and only seem to exist naturally. The same is true of the anime realm, though actual trades have been displayed, and that it is expected that those that can evolve by trade will; the rest is an open question. What is unquestioned is that each of these are different realms in and of themselves.

With that in mind, it may be considered that these realms have their own quirks, and that the quirk of trade evolution is specific to the realms that facilitate them, and it may be assumed that it occurs naturally in other realms. In the words of a friend, it may be considered that these occur in their respective "logic", and there may not be anything wrong with that. And it seems not to make sense to force the same "logic" to everything. Each seems to be different yet is still appreciable.

In that sense, it may be understood that Pokémon that can evolve by trade can do so where they are warranted, but they may also exist as they are without such means. Pokémon is all around and exists in different ways, and this differentiation just affirms this existence. All things considered, this reconsideration may not need to be reconsidered at all.

One year ago: What's Appenin' (Mobile Games)

Read, Play, and Enjoy

If you've ever possessed the Pokémon main series games and their boxes, you might have snooped around the boxes to read the various notices written on them. And one of those notices might read something like this:

"Basic reading ability is needed to fully enjoy this game."

This notice is by no means unique to the Pokémon games; a few other games bear this notice, most notably RPGs on the same platform as the Pokémon main series games. Still, because of the notice majorly present among the Pokémon games, there is an implication that the games are best played and enjoyed when one is able to read the written texts in the games.

For the English versions of the games, this notice implies that some English proficiency is needed for playing and enjoying the games. Likewise, the same would conceivably apply to any of the other language versions of the games. This seems reasonable considering that there is a good amount of text in the games. It may be possible to get through the games by not reading every single piece of text, but some important details may be missed; however, if one's reading abilities in a language are lacking, then this may be a difficult proposition.

This does lead to the questioning of some of my local colleagues' achievements in the main series games, which are most likely played in English. For those who excel in the arts of VGC, it's somewhat clear that their reading abilities are beyond basic, for otherwise they wouldn't peruse the supplementary resources (necessary for these arts) effectively. Even if they don't play VGC but totally enjoy Pokémon, like I was before I knew about VGC, they probably have better-than-just-basic reading abilities. The ones that are up for questioning are those that have played the games but don't continue to do so; the question becomes how much of the games they enjoyed, as well as how much they were able to understand to get through. It becomes a real wonder.

The issue of reading abilities and the Pokémon games is worthy of some consideration. On one hand, because of the notice, there is an admission that one has to read so one can get the most out of the game; on the other hand, it seems that one can play and enjoy the games regardless, even if reading abilities are rudimentary at best. Perhaps the latter is more important than the former, yet it's also clear that reading abilities help, due to the amount of text in the game. It may just be that Pokémon holds a sense of wonder for those who are able to play and enjoy, regardless of their reading prowess.

One year ago: A Camera and a Pikachu Doll

Trading Items?

Players of the Pokémon games frequently interact with and consume items. They're an integral part of the game in many games, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of these items with players possibly having hundreds of each. With that many items, there surely has to be the case of players not having items they need and having the items they don't. This leads to the consideration of whether it may be possible to implement something that will let players trade up directly for items just as they can trade for Pokémon.

At a glance, the main series games may allow this to occur, but only by a single player. These games certainly allow certain items to be sold to get money, which then can be used to purchase other items. This is certainly an exchange, but it's not a direct one. Moreover, the exchange is for fixed quantities; certain items are only worth some amount of money, and the money gained is only sufficient for other items. There is no way to allow for variable exchanges or exchanges with other players. On the other hand, some games like Go allow players to get items, including by purchase, but not to sell them. The only options for items are to use them or discard them.

It may just be possible that some items may have greater utility than others at certain times. Considering this possibility as well as the above situations, item exchanges could prove beneficial to let players get the items they actually need. This could be especially more beneficial if item exchanges were made variable - for example, maybe one player could ask for 5 Razz Berries in exchange for 3 Pinap Berries one time, and 3 and 5 respectively the next. In this way, players can get the items they truly need.

As with other features, there may be the need to have limits in place for this feature. Quantity limits may be needed (for example, a player may only trade up to 10 items in one exchange) to keep items from losing or gaining value rapidly. Item types may also need to be limited, as in preventing non-consumable items like Mega Stones from being exchanged, or restricting what kinds of items may be exchanged for another kind. Even with these limits, the feature may still remain useful.

It is hard to escape interaction with items in many games, especially with Pokémon games, where there are so many of these items. Given this state of affairs, item exchanges may become something worthwhile to let players assist each other in terms of the items they need. At the least it makes items beneficial for different players when they aren't for others. Perhaps such a feature would be as appreciated as trading Pokémon, should it ever come to be.

One year ago: Retro Rendezvous

Favorite LINE Pokémon Stickers, Again

It's been a long time since I've discussed some of my favorite Pokémon stickers from the sticker packs in LINE. And yet, times have changed since that discussion, so I would be apt to use different stickers - and I do. There are a few others which I have become attached to because of their function, appearance, or both. These are the ones that at the moment have caught my attention by those regards:

1. "Hey!" and "Heya!" (from Chat Pals and Team Rascal Pikachu) - I am in quite a few groups in LINE now, and they occasionally welcome new members in. When that happens, I have either one of these stickers prepared. In the Chat Pals pack, the sticker features Oddish, while in the Team Rascal pack, the sticker features Popplio. Both of them look not only welcoming, but also lighthearted. It's a good icebreaker for anyone who joins one of the groups I'm in.

2. "Winking Pikachu" (from Pikachu's Lively Voiced Stickers) - This "winking Pikachu" is just as funny as heck. Pikachu starts off posing to the side, then turns and makes a funny winking face while saying "Pikachu!". It's so funny that I can only really use it in light situations, which do occasionally occur. I still like it, though, even if its appearance makes its usage a bit restrictive, and I always look for the opportunity to use it.

3. "*gawk*" (from Team Rascal Pikachu) - Not very many stickers feature the blank-looking Psyduck, but this one does. In fact, there are three of them in this sticker, all of them seemingly staring blankly. I use this sticker in odd situations where slight disbelief also occurs. Other than that, I can't say much else, much as this sticker doesn't seem to be able to say anything else.

4. "Annoyed Pikachu" (from Part 2) - In this sticker, Pikachu stares with a gloomy expression, while a tangled knot appears above its head. Obviously, Pikachu is annoyed, and sometimes I do feel the same way when such a situation is brought up in the chats in LINE. At that point I just can't help but use this sticker to show how I feel. It may just change the mood of the situation.

5. "Surprised Pikachu" (from Pixel Artwork and Sounds) - This "surprised Pikachu" is as interesting as it is surprising. The image is taken from Pikachu as it appeared in the Yellow Version when queried. Oddly enough, the sound that is played when displaying this sticker is the "item obtained" sound as heard in the first-generation games, which in a way works, but not as expected (and therefore surprising). It's still a good sticker for when moments of surprise just seem to pop up.

The stickers I've listed seem to have a wide range of emotions, but that's a good thing. It means the stickers are very expressive in what they show. In fact, all of them do, not just these or the ones I've previously listed. Considering that, it is only right to try to use as many of them as possible, which I will keep doing. I hope to be able to come up with new favorites as I keep doing just that.

One year ago: Becoming a Connoisseur

GiRL (Gyms in Real Life)

With Pokémon Go, I've had the chance to visit a few places in my locale that I wouldn't normally visit. This includes PokéStops and Gyms alike, but since Gyms are the places where many battles take place, raids occur, and coins get earned, they are more pronounced. And often, these Gyms can provide new insights about the places as they exist in real life. To that end, I'm motivated to organize them under the header of "Gyms in Real Life", or GiRL for short.

The insights that I receive are not only of the actual places where the Gyms exist, but also how they relate to their surrounding areas. I can illustrate this with an example of a Gym near where I live. The Gym shows a place that actually exists, and if one takes the effort to find it, the place can actually be considered "quaint", in a way. Yet because of the restrictions that apply to accessing the actual place of the Gym, the actual place suffices for battles involving a couple of people, but not for high-level raids, which definitely involve many more. For that, a friend has figured out that the actual place need not to be accessed; instead, a place on the other side can serve as a good place to hold many people for the affair. It's kind of tricky, but at least it shows a different consideration for the Gym's placement and therefore its relation to actual places.

I'm inspired to take all these insights and capture them in a photographic form. I'd like to take pictures of the actual locations of the Gyms as well as insightful areas like the ones described above, then present them in the style of an exhibition. For the purpose of this, I can either leave the pictures unedited as they are, or I can add Pokémon-related embellishments; perhaps the first is better so that the actuality of the settings are maintained, and the Pokémon embellishments can be added in the framing of the photos. This would be a really, really interesting project that I'd like to take on if there is enough demand for it and if it really is possible to have such an exhibition. It's one of the things I could at least do for my fellow players playing Go.

The objective of Go is to go out in the real world, capture Pokémon, and have all the fun in doing so. I like to think that this has been achieved with how I play the game, especially in relation to finding Gyms and where they are situated in the real world. It adds to the knowledge I have about my locale and gets me interested to show off this knowledge in pictures. All the insights I receive just makes the alternate reality of Pokémon Go that much more closer to the reality of real life.

One year ago: To Japan and Beyond

Throwing Poké Balls

Anyone who's into Pokémon, especially those who have been into it long enough, knows of the device called the Poké Ball. It's the device that holds any Pokémon in capture for use by its owner, and the device is used by throwing it. Of course, any device, real or fictional, has finer points of its usage, and the Poké Ball would imaginably be no different. The throw of a Poké Ball is something that merits a discussion.

If you've read my post on throwing curveballs in Go, you'll no doubt recognize that this is a stylistic flair that makes it akin to throwing pitches in baseball. But in a way, that may be where things end. While the throw can be given elements of style, it need not be given a speed that is equal to many pitches in baseball. In that respect, perhaps the throw can be thought of as pitches in slow-pitch softball instead. Whatever happens, the ball does the rest of the work once someone throws it, whether for the capture or the release.

It's not hard to expect that given a Poké Ball, people could throw it in different ways, as per the game pitches above. Some people might throw the ball underhanded or overhanded, depending on preference or comfort. This would also apply to the stylistic preferences, which also may depend on the ability of, and the situation that applies to, someone throwing a ball. The possibilities of actions are enormous and diverse, the same as the people throwing the balls and the Pokémon involved.

All this may seem obvious, but they're a part of what makes the device what it is. At the end of the day, Poké Balls are thrown for all their uses, whether to capture a Pokémon in wait or to let loose a Pokémon for battle or any other purpose. However a person chooses to personalize these throws is fully up to the person, but what is clear is that the Poké Ball does depend on the throw for a good deal of its usage.

One year ago: Cosplay: East and West

Shiny Obsessions... Again?

Along with yesterday's Community Day outing, a surprise other happening also broke out in Pokémon Go: Ho-Oh has returned to raid battles again, and as with Lugia two months ago, it has come back with a possible Shiny form. The difference from Lugia is that this reappearance does not replace current Level 5 raid bosses - Latias and Latios - and is instead concurrent with them depending on the region. This presents the possibility of having obsessions all over again similar to how it was when Lugia returned.

Shiny Ho-Oh is also not very different from its regular form; it features white and golden coloration instead of the rainbow-like coloration of the regular form. But again, this return with a Shiny form is a similar circumstance to that of Lugia earlier. It becomes a special thing, especially considering that Latias and Latios are still present, allowing for preferences of desired raid bosses to be satisfied. If a player becomes tired of one raid boss, the player can opt for the other.

This last situation seems to be exactly what is happening among some of my other raid mates in my raid group. They seem to have become tired of Latios and have indicated the desire to pursue Ho-Oh with its possible Shiny form. The only problem is that unlike Lugia's initial reappearance, it seems this Shiny form is incredibly rare; based on first- and second-day reports, very few players obtained Shiny Ho-Oh after the respective raids. This is already looking like a potential detriment and roadblock to pursuing a Shiny Ho-Oh.

Personally, at this point I'm still ambivalent in regard to opting between Latios and Ho-Oh. I already have three Latios, but I would like to pursue up to two more so that the five Latias I have can be "married" to a partner. As for Ho-Oh, an opportune raid that appeared after the conclusion of yesterday's Community Day provided the chance for a first crack at Ho-Oh, and the raid seems to be a smooth progression, so much so that I could foresee going for a few more to see if a Shiny one will appear. And yet, I shouldn't turn this into an obsession just yet, especially when I've yet to realize the Latios quota.

Perhaps things haven't quite progressed into the level of obsessions, but they might very well be if interest continues. I'm still wary about letting this turn into such, however, given that in general the current period of time is supposed to be a cool-down time for everything. Even so, there is the indication that players might be more inclined to aggressively pursue Ho-Oh for its Shiny form. With that in mind, it might be time to take up some of this Shiny obsession once again.

One year ago: Oddest Things with Pokémon

Pokémon Go Community Day, 5/19/2018

Community Day for Pokémon Go came back today, and it's a good one. If two months ago the Community Day featured the Grass-type starter Bulbasaur, today's edition goes on to feature its Fire-type kin Charmander. It's a good thing that naturally follows. Oh, and this Community Day returns to a Saturday after being on Sunday for two months. It's also a nice change of pace.

As with all other Community Days, special bonuses are in tow. Today's bonuses are the move Blast Burn for any Charizard begotten during the three-hour window and increased Stardust for all captures. And then there are also the Shiny forms for Charmander and its evolutions, which is perhaps the most excellent bonus this time around, one that players even in my raid group had anticipated.

One other thing that should be mentioned is that research tasks at PokéStops became somewhat different during the Community Day window. Instead of the usual assortment of tasks, all tasks received become "catch 3 of the featured Pokémon", which can be used to get extra items in addition to the ones typically gotten. This has been the case since the last Community Day. I find this helpful, especially if preparations are lacking.

As for today, I and a few of my raid fellows repeated the same situation as the February edition: set up Lure Modules around many PokéStops and walk through them all to find Pokémon. This time, quite a few of my fellows joined in the fun, so now it really did feel like a true Community Day. We even got to meet a couple of other players not in our group, even managing to get them in the group. This is what Community Day is really about: bringing people together and making more connections.

One good thing today is that it didn't rain - unlike some of the past Community Days - and the weather was pleasant and warm, allowing for full enjoyment of the event. Two bad things that happened today were that I had login issues in the third hour of the event and lost half an hour's worth of time that could be used to catch a few more Charmander and build up a sizable candy stock, and the other was that a friend didn't catch a Shiny form until near the end. In any case, I did manage to get three Charizard by evolving two Charmander I caught during the event and one Charmeleon I had previously captured before the event. It wasn't too bad.

This was a more or less successful Community Day, and I'm satisfied with how things turned out. And now that two out of three of the first-generation starters have been featured, it's not hard to expect that the third will also be featured. It's just a matter of when. I'm sure that I and my other raid fellows are eagerly expecting this, as well as any other Pokémon that might be featured in later editions of Community Day.

One year ago: On the Mystery of Dungeons

Marathons...?

The word marathon, in a specific sense, means a race that is conducted over a very long distance. In a general sense, it means a continuous string of activities. Of course, anything that's on this blog is related to me and Pokémon, so for me, this post would refer to a Pokémon marathon. It would be something that I enjoy, though I have not had the chance to enjoy this recently. This is even considering the various forms it would take.

One kind of Pokémon marathon that immediately comes to my mind is an anime marathon, which obviously means viewing as many episodes of the Pokémon anime as possible. This would be neat, but no TV channels in my area have planned this to occur, so I'd have to gather the episodes myself, but even then, I'm not fully sure if I can get this to happen anytime soon. It would be rather fun to go through many episodes and digest the plots all at once. It is still a good idea regardless, and if the chance ever arises, then I think I should go ahead and take advantage of it.

Another kind of Pokémon marathon is a game marathon, and the most accessible Pokémon game for this right now is Go. In particular, the most accessible marathon for it is a raid marathon. A few of my fellow raid group members have participated in one of this when Latios first appeared in my area. This too is a neat idea, but there are a few things that hinder this from happening. I don't have a way to get from one raid to another quickly, though this can be aided by my fellow members; I don't have a large stock of Premium Raid Passes, having preferred to have just enough on hand and to save coins for things that matter more; and finally, the current time is a better time for resting rather than a marathon. I can foresee one happening for whichever is next after Latios, but that will still be some time from now.

These are by no means the only two Pokémon marathons that can be realized; these just happen to be the most logical and accessible ones at the moment, even if they're not quite so. They are still marathons in a true sense because they involve a lot of activity all in a row and all at once. I'm sure that soon I would get to do a Pokémon marathon of some sort, and when that happens, I would feel quite pleased - hopefully not too tired as well.

One year ago: Pins and Pins

Beyond Gyms and Trials

For six generations, the main series of Pokémon games had an unchanging paradigm: beat eight Gyms, get eight badges, and go for glory. The seventh-generation games changed that to a structure of trials and grand trials, after which progress accordingly follows. It's a welcome and/or drastic change, depending on how one looks at it. And yet, this structure may be open for interpretation or expansion in later-generation games.

Since the Z-Move system is likely here to stay as with Mega Evolutions, it might as well remain part of the structure or paradigm; the Z-Crystals themselves are effectively progress markers for it. That said, the concept of "trials" may be kept as is, lending the system a continuity, or it may be renamed to suit the area concerned. This is where interpretation comes in, to allow the structure or paradigm to be refitted slightly with whatever new conceptions might be included. Certainly, at this point, there are still many possibilities to regard this.

As for expansion, the natural path for this is incorporating the structure or paradigm into a fourth-generation remake in place of or as a supplement to Gyms. Sure, it might decrease faithfulness to the original games, but then previous remakes have always had some departure from the originals, and while admittedly this would be a major departure, there might conceivably be a smart way to integrate it into the bones of the Gyms. As with the above, actual execution depends on the possibility that is chosen to be realized.

The "trials" concept along with its structure has undoubtedly presented something refreshing and quite different that is more than just Gyms. It's a big change, considering the long and illustrious history of the latter. The open question now is how the execution of integrating the structure will be in future games. After six generations, this paradigm shift in the seventh generation has become a change that marks it. Players might just be due for more in the next generations to come, depending on whatever is coming.

One year ago: A Pokémon Pencil Bag

The Living Dex

The most dedicated of Pokémon fans may have something that is extraordinary, perhaps to put it lightly. That thing is called a "living Dex", which in its simplest sense is keeping one of every single species of Pokémon; because of this, it plays into and is a realization of the "Gotta catch 'em all!" slogan. Given that now there are 800+ species of Pokémon, this is more than an extraordinary thing indeed. There's a lot of things involved in one that make it such.

Some of those things involve the preparation for it. In the most recent Pokémon games, the PC storage allows for at least 900 Pokémon in a single game, which means there is ample space for a living Dex within the game with a few variants of the Pokémon that need it - for example, the new Alola forms of Persian and Dugtrio to name a couple. But of course, the existence of multiple forms may mean that a single game may not be sufficient, which means that a second game may be needed not only for storage, but also to grab its exclusive Pokémon. And if that still isn't enough, perhaps because of the desire or need to keep even more forms, then the Pokémon Bank is definitely necessary. Thus the preparation for one becomes intensive.

What it takes to realize a living Dex is another matter entirely. Beyond the games needed for storage, other games may be needed to complete and supplement the Dex. Capture is a part of the process, as well as acquisition and transfer of Pokémon. This does mean that one should also be aware of any and all mechanisms to acquire specific Pokémon, and then to gather them all for the Dex, which may also necessitate different devices to aid the process. Any way things go, they imply that time, effort, and investment are required.

I know of at least one friend in possession of a living Dex, or so my friend claims; I'll believe it since that friend is a good VGC player too. As for my other Pokémon colleagues, I'm rather certain that quite a few of us don't have one. We've discussed what it takes, and it is a lot of work in any case for one person. Also recently, a challenge involving a living Dex came up (which is also the progenitor for this post), and we agreed that it would take dedication to participate in this, not to mention to realize it and fulfill its requirements, including optional ones. It's a tremendous thing.

The number of Pokémon species is now enormous. Even with that enormity, some players have managed to gather them all into a living Dex worthy of usage to make whatever team is desired, and even for display. Based on the considerations that go into it, it really goes beyond "extraordinary": it's a dedication that is unparalleled and exemplifies all that Pokémon has had to offer up to this point, even one of its well-known tenets.

One year ago: Pastrana and Pikachu

15 Minutes of Fame

The popular artist Andy Warhol (with some help from Nat Finklestein) coined the expression and concept of "15 minutes of fame" by which everyone can become famous - even for a few moments - free of social order. I would think the same also goes for the 800+ species of Pokémon, where any Pokémon may be able to obtain the same glory. The only thing is that this glory may be obtained in different ways, considering the breadth of Pokémon. This becomes something that is worthy of some consideration.

By way of VGC and its annually changing format, it seems many Pokémon can obtain their "minutes of fame" this way. A recently demonstrated example is the rise of Incineroar after its hidden ability was made available. Other Pokémon have similarly gained (lasting) fame, like Landorus, though as per the concept, it may also be temporary, while some have never gained fame at all through this area. Granted, some Pokémon just never do well here, and that's understandable given their particularities; even I would not realistically use those Pokémon. This is still an area of distinct fame for some Pokémon.

Even if they don't achieve fame in the main series or VGC gameplay, at least they may achieve fame in other games. Lugia recently had a phenomenal run as a raid boss in Go, which in a way was assisted by its possible existence as a Shiny form; it's no surprise, then, that its surprise rapid reappearance recently - probably by mistake - was something to wonder about. Meanwhile in Shuffle, Pokémon in Special Stages seem to have their own fame element, though these are quickly lost as they are (re)gained. These are clearly different forms of fame, but still fame nonetheless, and their "minutes".

Outside of the games, Pokémon just have their own different claims to fame. Pikachu perhaps exemplifies this the most as the de facto series mascot and by belonging to different Trainers, as does Wobbuffet and Meowth in the anime by their association with Team Rocket. Some people may even become affectionately attached to certain Pokémon and choose to display it. For them, these are their "minutes", whether specific to certain people or widespread to many people.

Since Pokémon is so big, different species don't have to be famous everywhere, and they may just be able to find their "15 minutes of fame" in different places. Sure, there's a certain order in how certain Pokémon things go, but beyond that order, there is a sense that fame awaits regardless. Andy Warhol was perhaps right about this, even if Pokémon is beyond his time; to that end, I and other Pokémon fans might have to see (and keep seeing) which species will get their own "15 minutes" next.

One year ago: Adventuresome Pikachu

Round Pikachu Keychain

Along with the typical memories that I got from yesterday's theme event, I got something else special. A merchandise stand sold a variety of keychains with just about every image related to Japanese series that people like, and one of the featured images is that of the face of Pikachu. Needless to say, I got one of these keychains to add to my collection and to discuss its finer points.

Now, the keychain is very cheap. The way that this keychain is produced probably allows for it, since no more than an image is required. Still, the printing is kind of nice, and the way that it's constructed, it looks like a medallion. I should point out that for this keychain - in fact, for all the keychains featured yesterday - that the same image of Pikachu appears on both sides, the one shown here and behind it. Depending on the production process, it may or may not be possible to put different images on both sides, though the former is my own personal expectation.

That said, I didn't see other Pokémon images being featured. Thus, the Pikachu image is the only featured Pokémon image. This presents the possibility of expansion in a later production. I'd love to see this keychain for the starters, since they're arguably among the most popular and well-known Pokémon, though others can also be included. In a similar vein, I'd like to see more than faces, so full-body images of the Pokémon would be neat to see. And since Pokémon is more than just the creatures, human characters could also be welcome. Anything might just be possible.

I like this keychain regardless. It's cute and appropriate, and crafted well enough. It's hard not to like it for those reasons. If anything, it also provides a connection to the event, or at least this particular edition of it. Should this ever reappear with more Pokémon images, it would become something I'd happily acquire for more than just memories, of which this one is a good one.

One year ago: Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 12

Cosplay: INOCHI 2018 - Yuki no Hana

[AshKetchumMode]

This one is a neat theme event. Actually, my friend has been wanting to send me to this one for some time now, but we were never able to make it happen, until today. Oh yeah, I almost thought this wasn't going to happen since on the way here I heard there was a bit of odd things, as my friend suddenly found out. He told me that I had to be really careful, and I agreed. I was a bit nervous the whole time, but in the end everything turned out OK.

The event is kind of simple. The stage is on one side, and food and merchandise stands are on the other side. There is a lot of open space between the stage and the stands, which is both good and bad. There were lots of places for me to be in, even to have a rest, but because the two places are separated, it was kind of a drag to get to one from the other. The stands had a roof, but it was crowded too, so because of what happened today, it made me nervous to be there. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, and I'm glad.

As this was the first time I was sent here, it wasn't the plan of my friend to have me perform, but then I saw that characters could register for the parade right away, so my friend gave the OK. The parade was really neat: the people who made it happen told us where to act and what else to do. Everyone gave a great performance that way. There were about 20 of us in the parade, which was enough for a good time. I didn't know how I did, though, since I had to leave before I could see things for myself. I might just don't need to know.

My outfit today was my Sinnoh one. As my friend keeps saying, it was the first one that we were able to show at an event like this. My friend tells me that he has lots of pride in this outfit. I understand, so I don't mind making this a real tradition for him, if it happens that we can. After that, then we can try to do great things. You'll help too, won't you, Pikachu?

Pikachu: Pika! [affirmative]

The name of the event, as my friend tells me, is short for "IFLS no Contest no Hi", which means "the contest day of IFLS". My friend thinks it's awesome that the people hold this kind of thing every year and even today. I had a great time even though other things almost got in the way, and today was a success.

Oh yeah, my friend says that there will be a long break of events and conventions soon. That'll be good for me and my friend, because we both deserve it. I'm going to get back to doing some Pokémon training, and I hope my friend will have some event plans for me soon. Until next time!

[/AshKetchumMode]

One year ago: Cosplay Photography

To Know the Unknown

To know the unknown (It doesn't mean very much to me)
To know the unknown (Some secrets are just meant to be)
Don't want all the answers, 'cause one thing is true:
As long as my heart beats, I'll always love you
So I don't need to know the unknown...
-- "To Know the Unknown", Innosense

After discussing the Japanese ending song to the third Pokémon feature film (or at least the English version of it), it is hard not to discuss about the English ending song. It's technically a "different creature" to the Japanese ending, based on its genre and messages, but because this song (and the other) are hard to dissociate from the movie, they're rightfully Pokémon songs. As thus, they deserve some appreciation in any way possible.

Genre-wise, this is a more pop-styled and upbeat song. It sounds almost like any one of the songs in the "interpretative soundtrack" to the previous two movies in English. Some fans may irk or cringe at this, but if the selection of songs are not too bad, then it's still a good thing. It does deliver a decidedly contrasting flavor than if the Japanese-turned-English version of the other song were used instead, but that may also be perfectly fine.

Now, the song's title is as such that it plays off of one of the featured Pokémon in the movie, which would be Unown and for which its English (and to some extent Japanese) pronunciation is more or less the same as the word "unknown". That said, the message of the song is one of love, that one loves someone no matter what happens in the world, which can be so mysterious and unknown, and yet the explanations or answers to those unknown things may not need to be known. Even for a know-it-all like me, there may be some wisdom in this message, especially considering things that recently happened. It's zen-simple and profound, as with the other song.

There's some beauty to be appreciated regarding this song, even if it's not the English version of the actual Japanese ending song. Though the genre may be considered too typical for an English showing, the message can be taken to heart as well. I find this respectable in many ways. I may not need the answers to why everything happens the way they do, but one thing is for sure: I'll always have love in this world, for Pokémon and life in general. I like that.

One year ago: You Are Blessed

Just Like a Rainbow

Together we can reach up high
And shine like diamonds in the sky
All your dreams will start to glow
Just like a rainbow...
-- "Just Like a Rainbow", Kumiko Mori

Let's discuss some real Pokémon songs for once, and this is a good one considering some of the things that recently happened in my life. For those that don't recognize this song, this is actually the English version of the Japanese ending theme for the third Pokémon feature film, titled The Spell of the Unown in English. Why this did not make it along with the English dub is beyond me, and yet it is a very good song.

The song is mellow and the lyrics are sentimental. They speak of the power of friends and the renewal that a new day brings, in particular the sun after rain, which gives rise to rainbows, a crucial point of the song. Essentially, the song also speaks about hope, in that rain and sorrow might occur, but they are temporary, being able to be replaced with sunshine and happiness the next day, which means that there is always hope. I find this such a profound message.

I first heard of the song by way of a Pokémon song playlist that someone suggested. It was on the playlist and I chose to hear it, and ever since then I've become attached to this song. With that playlist, it was as if the person was making a friendly gesture to other Pokémon fans. It could be considered reassuring as much as the song itself is reassuring. I'm glad that I encountered upon this playlist and heard the song for myself, which in turn led me to like the song.

And now that things have turned out the way they did, I seem to have found the hope that I need to find in this song. It gives me the inspiration and confidence to proceed again on the road of life, and even to take to the skies. Something there seems to want to glow, just like a beautiful and colorful rainbow.

One year ago: A Shout-Out to a Fellow Blogger

The No's of Go

Anyone who plays Pokémon Go knows that after the initial loading screen with its reminder to be alert and stay aware, a pop-up appears with one of three things selected at random that the game warns players not to do, to be read before being dismissed by tapping "OK". Anything can happen while players play the game, so the warnings are to counteract unsavory dangers that players may befall into. I've already discussed two of them, so now it's time to discuss the third and wrap it all up for cohesion.

Here then, are the three "no's" of Go:

Don't trespass while playing. I already discussed this one while discussing places that can't easily be accessed in Go. It just really means players shouldn't be playing where they shouldn't be, like in an area that belongs to someone else without permission or is not supposed to be available at a certain point in time. The takeaway is that as long as a player is OK to be in a certain area, then it's not trespassing and play can continue with no ill effect.

Don't enter dangerous areas. This is the only one I haven't discussed. This warning is similar in vein to and carries traits of the previous one, but it also means something different, and that is not to play in areas where they may present a risk to life or limb. For example, players shouldn't play in disaster areas, close to magma or deep rivers, in areas with big and sharp obstacles, and so on and so forth. Simply put, if an area may allow players to hurt themselves seriously while playing because of a threat present, then Go shouldn't be played there. It's better to play in a clearer area with more solid footing and less threatening features.

Don't play while driving. This one I mentioned while discussing about playing Go on a train. It's definitely not OK to play while driving, as is any other usage of a cellphone by the driver of a moving vehicle, which may in fact be also illegal. It's OK to play if the one playing is not in control of the vehicle, though this does present some inconveniences. In any case, Go is a walking game anyway and is better enjoyed through a trek on land rather than a ride in a vehicle.

These three restrictions are not meant to fully restrict players, but only to keep them safe and scot-free while they play. On the whole, these restrictions should be kept in mind and followed, even if only one of them appears at any one time at the beginning of playing Go. It is indeed very fun to play Pokémon Go, but it would be even more fun to play the game and to keep oneself together while doing it.

One year ago: Site Design

A Place for VGC

As I've said in a post where I envision a local VGC expansion, I'm not quite adept in the arts of VGC Pokémon battles. However, since Pokémon has been integral to my life, I'm compelled to participate anyhow and to respond to matters regarding it. So when a friend questioned about the local future of VGC, I felt that I have to address this. To me, the concern about whether there is a local place for VGC is a valid concern as an all-around Pokémon fan.

One of the key questions raised regarding the concern is on the importance of VGC. To me, the answer is "yes, it's important", because VGC has become the "gold standard" of Pokémon battling. Ultimately, anyone that wants to prove their worth in the main series games should participate in VGC battling. It's something to be fostered so that players have a way to compete at the highest level possible. As long as the main series persists, and local players take it up, VGC will surely follow along. To put it in another way: VGC is to Pokémon as Bocuse d'Or is to the culinary arts, a competition for the best of the best. As for myself, I'm not quite the best, but at least I can improve - however slow it may be - and perhaps take what I know and apply it elsewhere. VGC remains important in any case for main series players in general.

Another key question raised is on the problem of not having local VGC events anymore. This is a genuine concern, and the answer is also seemingly to be "yes, it would be a problem". Without local events, there's no way for great players who have "learned the ropes" to compete, and there's also no way to drum up interest in this style of battling. Granted, sometimes it's hard to drum up interest however way things go, but it would be even harder without the events. I would personally also miss them if that were the case. But once players get better and are interested, things will surely move along. Thus there needs to be a way to cater to as many interested players as possible and to keep that interest going, and these events are great for that. They should be maintained in some form to do so.

The answer to the overall concern of a place for VGC, in particular locally, is that there is indeed a place for it. It's important for those who play really well and for garnering and maintaining interest, for any player of the main series Pokémon games, even those that don't do well like me. VGC is important to Pokémon as much as Pokémon is important to me, and there's something good about maintaining them both.

One year ago: Blue and Yellow Philosophy

(High Noon at the) Local Ex-Raid, 5/8/2018

It is time, once again, for another Ex-Raid. This Ex-Raid brings back memories of when I first participated in them, as it took place in the daytime, but there are a few differences. As the title of this post indicates, the Ex-Raid took place at precisely high noon (12 PM), and since the weather had warmed up recently, it was also the hottest part of the day. And of course, this is no longer my first, and I am now sufficiently able to make better headway through it.

Everyone got their invites the same way - by raiding the Gym at the same place - but that doesn't mean everyone was successful in the bonus capture at that point. Notably, I let go of a Houndoom that I and some others had been victorious over. A similar instance had occurred in the past with a Machamp instead. Fortunately, these incidences did not stop me from getting the Ex-Raid passes, and that's a good thing. They are after all only small bonuses on the way to a bigger bonus, which is Mewtwo.

As hot as today was, my Mewtwo bonus today wasn't so hot. It was again subpar as the one from the previous Ex-Raid, though I did formally capture it. Also, today's battle (as part of my battle flight) wasn't so smooth, though I did scrape by. The good thing was that this time everyone was able to choose the battle flight they wanted (or are able) to participate in, instead of it being predetermined by someone prior. The fact that this is a mid-week Ex-Raid probably suits this system. Still, maybe I should have chosen a different flight.

This is what's left after a high-noon, mid-week Ex-Raid.
I took the picture.

After the Ex-Raid concluded, the ones that were left, including me, decided to try their luck and bid for a last-last chance Latias and a possible Shiny Wailmer. Neither succeeded; a few let go of the Latias, including me, and no one encountered a Shiny Wailmer. If at least Mewtwo went well, then that is perhaps where the luck should be.

If the results are to be believed, then today is a good day for Mewtwo, even with the other things that play into the circumstances. If anything, there will always be things that play into the circumstances. As long as we work things out, then perhaps it will make just enough of a difference for the best we can hope for with the Ex-Raids and anything else around them.

One year ago: Ash and Pikachu Keychain

Pokémon in Poké Balls Stickers

I love Pokémon, and I love Poké Balls. They go hand in hand, naturally; it's hard not to think of the other when thinking of either one. So these stickers at the theme event from yesterday are a sure thing to be gotten. Three of them could be gotten in one set for a special price, and I decided that only that amount was sufficient, even though I could stand to get more. That seems OK, though.

The three stickers I chose to get are of Pikachu, Ivysaur (pretty sure, since the bulb is open to the red flower but the flower is still somewhat closed), and Snorlax. There was a Magikarp one that looked like it was either Shiny or not, but I didn't get that one. Anyhow, the ones I got seem to be the best of the lot, and that's saying something; there were many of these stickers, but there were also many duplicates, some of which were in better state than others. These were picked based on that consideration.

The art style of the Pokémon appears cutesy and light, but that's understandable, since they seem to have just "appeared" out of their Poké Balls and therefore look lax as a result. The Snorlax one is notable for appearing upside-down (when the ball is in the correct orientation) and extending outside of the ball. It's apparent that these Pokémon are depicted not to their usual scales, but to the scale of the ball. Thus some accuracy is sacrificed for appearance, but that seems to work well.

Artistically, these stickers have some merit. Considering accuracy, these stickers are a bit off. And yet, the latter appears to be less of a problem than the former. Anyone who likes Pokémon as much as me are likely tempted to get them, and I did, thanks to their appearance in the event. On the off-chance that these stickers reappear, then I'd be tempted to get more, given my appreciation of Poké Balls and Pokémon in general.

One year ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 2 - Utsukushii Hana

Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 3 - Saikou no Yorokobi

[AshKetchumMode]

You know, my friend, you're so good at finding these theme events all over where you live. This one, which is only in its third time, was great two years ago when I was sent to it and even last year, when my friend sent in a different Pokémon character. And, well, things are still great this time, even if things are not that much different from what my friend saw last year.

I have to say that I like the new place, even though it's kind of small. That's OK - it brings everyone closer. But it does kind of get hot. Everything else was like what my friend found last year: merchandise stands, food stands, bands, dance cover groups, and lots of characters... including me!

Pikachu: Pikachu! [cutting in]

Yes, you too, Pikachu. You're with me, and we were in the character parade together, thanks to the efforts of my friend. We were one of 20 or so characters in it, and... I wasn't one of the winners. There were three of them, but I still didn't win. I'm a bit sad, as you must be, Pikachu, but sometimes that's the way things go. Sigh.

Since everything else is pretty much the same, what I like has to be meeting up with other familiar people and characters. I met a character who told me that the one who sent her might be interested in calling up Misty and sending her in. I hope it just might happen. And then there are just other people I met, including a band who knows my friend and I well, and in turn he and I know them well too. The hosts even led me to a game of rock-paper-scissors with the vocalist, and I won! Haha. It was the only thing I won today. I was even invited to be part of their picture after their performance. All of this was so fun.

The theme for this year, my friend tells me, is "the greatest pleasure". If last year's theme was "a beautiful flower", again as my friend tells me, then this is definitely a step up. My friend and I can't wait to see it expand next time, if possible. It would be very much the greatest pleasure if that happened, second of course only to our love of Pokémon.

[/AshKetchumMode]

One year ago: Shuffling Stages

Cosplay Team Projects

After seeing Misty at last Sunday's theme event, it got me to wonder. I've never really been in a cosplay team project that involves Pokémon; the best I've really gotten is to encounter others cosplaying Pokémon, such as Misty in the previous occasion and two people cosplaying Pikachu in past occasions - in fact, for the latter, I met one of those people the very first time I cosplayed. This is great as a chance happening, but it's hardly organized like a project. The further step of going into team projects is an interesting direction into which I could take my Pokémon cosplay.

As far back as last year, there was a suggestion by another cosplayer that we should cooperate; in fact, there was a direct suggestion that a Pikachu cosplay was to be involved, and the cooperation was slated to occur in January of this year. Nothing ultimately resulted out of this, however; had it happened, it would have been on this blog anyway, and no post back then was of such. Meanwhile, another cosplayer friend of mine has expressed the desire of cosplaying Iris from Unova. I told my friend that if this happened, I would gladly cooperate and furnish my fifth-generation (BW) Ash costume for the occasion; this too has yet to happen. At the event last Sunday, I also talked to another cosplayer who might be interested in cosplaying May from Hoenn, but again, whether this is to be realized is unknown to me.

Back to my friend who desired to cosplay Iris, recently that same friend also took second place at a team cosplay competition held on Sunday, no less. This prompts me to think that if the Iris thing is realized, it might as well be realized for a performance. I can't get over how well the previous performance by my friend and another friend was realized, which is why probably the judges thought it deserved second place at least. Given my friend's penchant for performance, it probably might just happen, though it might take some cooperation. And that, I think, is the key word: whoever I cooperate with and whatever the forms it will take, we'll really have to have cooperation to make the team project a success.

As an aside, it just so happens that the post I wrote one year ago (see below) is akin to the spirit of this post. Pokémon cosplay has become my thing, but it hasn't yet become the thing of other cosplayers close to me, let alone an organized cooperative thing as in a team project. As much as I love my Pokémon cosplay, I'm also interested in getting together with others and make this something for all of us. The possibility is there, and we only need to make the possibility a reality.

With the way things are, I wonder if cosplay team projects that involve me and Pokémon cosplay can be realized. If they do, and are done well, the results might just be as wondrous as those chance encounters with other Pokémon cosplayers.

One year ago: The "Me Thing" vs. the "We Thing"

Evolutionary Items and Their Limits

A fellow player in my raid group recently inquired about the use of evolutionary items, particularly those introduced in the second generation and are currently in use in Go. It made me think about the usage of these items in general across Pokémon. As it turns out, it became apparent that many of these items are of limited use, for evolutions or otherwise. This limitation surely deserves some contemplation.

A good example is the Metal Coat item. After seven generations and 800+ Pokémon, only a grand total of two Pokémon evolve with its use: Onix (to Steelix) and Scyther (to Scizor). The item has little use or benefit beyond evolution. Many evolutionary items are of the same fate, though some are not as limited. This leads to wonderings about their existence, especially considering that it may just be possible to see evolved Pokémon like these in the wild and naturally, just like how in the real world animals seem to just be present naturally without intervention. This leads into a consideration of "natural evolution".

While different games implement evolution in different ways (or not at all), it's not hard to see how natural evolution can take place: external stimuli drives Pokémon to undergo changes in their genetic makeup and to trigger evolution at the right time. Leafeon and Glaceon, both of which are "Eeveelutions", go through a process that more or less embodies this principle, rather than evolving by way of a Leaf Stone (which had existed from the beginning) or hypothetically via an Ice Stone. Similar things happen in the real world, but not as instantaneous as this.

The evolutionary items then seem to be a cop-out for this natural process, perhaps because it was not feasible prior. And yet now, it seems to be. Given that practically no other Pokémon use items like Metal Coat for the same purpose, a shift to a "natural" method may be imminent and practical, which again will be different for different games. Demise of the items then follows as a result, which can possibly be a good thing for less complexity.

It's hard to deny the fact that evolutionary items seem somewhat constrained in their use, and that they may never seem to breach this limit. It has been shown that a "natural" kind of evolution is possible, and this just may be the next step. It will likely mean that the items will be deprecated, but that would seem just about as natural as Pokémon evolving in their own environment. And if that ever happens, at least we won't have to wonder about the limits of their use any longer.

One year ago: 3D, 2D, and Everything in Between

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 5/3/2018

Many mobile games have lots of events that sometimes run together. Pokémon Go is no exception, and recently the game has had an active run of events. Sure, there's the usual menagerie of raids and Ex-Raids, but then there are also additional events that change the gameplay dynamics somewhat from the usual norm. And all of that has happened one after another, even up to now; some of those become worthy for discussion.

On April 10 and over the course of the week or so following that, there was a "Kanto special" where Pokémon from the Kanto region dominated encounters. Not only that, there was a double candy bonus for Pokémon during this time. It was said that the dominant encounters were for helping Trainers with their Mew quest, and I found this incredibly true. Knowing that a Magikarp evolution was needed for it, I had to take advantage of the event to gather the 400 candies needed to do just that - since my candy stock was woefully low - and I managed to do so. When it came time to execute the evolution, I only needed to execute it rather than run circles around my locale just to find the candies. And for the time of this event, it felt almost like when I first played the game. This one was handy and entertaining at the same time.

After April 22, which happened to be Earth Day, there was an event to celebrate the role of Trainers in the commemoration. For one week, Pokémon of the Grass, Ground, and Water types dominated encounters, and there was a bonus of increased Stardust for the Pokémon concerned. On one hand, this was a special celebration with all those Pokémon; on the other hand, this could be seen as a "second chance" event for those who didn't collect Magikarp during the previous one. It was regardless an attractive event for fellow players in my raid group, with some even showing the Shiny Wailmer they captured - the neat new addition - and taking the opportunity for Lure parties, though I didn't have the chance for either. It was still a good one in my view.

The latest one of these is something that has been dubbed a "Battle Showdown"; it started two days ago involving a Fighting-type festival, with dominant Fighting-type appearances in the wild - plus the new Shiny Makuhita - along with double experience and other bonuses in regard to Gym battles and raid battles. There are also additional raid bosses to celebrate the occasion. This is already proving lucrative to many players, as even the Gyms I frequent have become abuzz with activity, with raids or otherwise. I even took advantage of the latter part of today to see if I could raid, which luckily I was able to. I expect more of this and other similar activity in the upcoming days as the event progresses.

These events are certainly beyond the usual norm of things in Go. They bring many things, special things, bonus things, and just about everything good that Trainers can expect. They're happy, they get to do more things, and they get to achieve more things. I'm prompted to do the same too, and that's a good thing. At the least when things re-settle into a normal routine, they will be in a better position compared to without their presence or participation.

One year ago: Gender Mismatch Detected

Keeping the Demo Versions

Speaking of memories the other day, another place that has many of my Pokémon memories is my 3DS, in the form of the demo versions available for certain Pokémon games, including for the most recently released Detective Pikachu. Technically, I've completed the demo versions, so I have little need for them anymore. However, these demo versions are also unique in their own regard, and so I have the desire to keep them not only because of their utility, but also because of the links I have with them.

I confess that this keeping of demo versions applies for many kinds of games, even those outside of my 3DS. Even though many demo versions have something in common, which is that they're limited in scope or by usage, it is this limitation that makes them unique. It makes them good for quick one-off plays when I really need something different and nothing else suffices. They may even have quirks of their own that could potentially make the pace of play even more unique. The pace of play is something that I remember most, and like a good book, film, or song, sometimes it's worth repeating.

That said, the usage of the demo versions might be different. The demo for Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is the most restrictive, allowing me only 25 more uses before I have to really remove it, but perhaps those uses are good for occasionally trying to find dungeons. The mission style of the OR/AS and S/M demos might be memorable to replay, and moreover, at this point I still have not transferred the goodies to the actual versions of those games, so there is still something to do. Finally, it could be wise to experience the hard mode of Detective Pikachu before trying it out on the real thing, whenever that might be. To some extent, the demo versions do have some use after their completion.

Though I now have most of the full games that these demo versions correspond to - and will have all whenever I obtain Detective Pikachu - there is the desire to hold on to them for as long as possible. If anything, this desire is based on the experience that I've had with them, and this experience translates into a kind of memory. Their utilities may be (growing) scant, but the memories are as great as ever, at least until the point where they need to go to make way for new memories.

One year ago: Cosplay Laundry

Old Memories, New Memories

Recently, I've had an experience which has caused me to lose connections with many, many memories, including some Pokémon ones. It's a bit harrowing, frankly, as they are some of the deepest connections I have. But then I'm reminded that even with Pokémon, I'll still have a chance to make new ones. So I want to take the time and space to reflect on that, particularly with my linkages to Pokémon.

If I were to really consider it, perhaps this is not the first time that it has happened. Something like this could be considered to have happened on a smaller scale. The effect was the same, as it meant the loss of a connection to a Pokémon memory. Further, it could also be regarded as inevitable or simply unavoidable. Since then, I have somewhat disregarded it, though some of the link still lingers in my mind. In particular, this has come to the front of my mind again with the latest happening.

Within a Pokémon context, though, it's not hard to say that this kind of thing happens all the time, and what's more, newer memories have a greater role. In a Pokémon journey, new memories continuously supplant older ones. I'd like to think that the exact same thing happens for me, only sometimes things turn out to radically change in regard to the memories. But even then, sometimes the connection is not fully lost, and occasionally the old ones do return, so there might be a chance to reconnect with older and newer memories alike. It's a small hope, but there's some hope nonetheless.

On that note, it might be time to say my goodbyes to these old memories. As harrowing as it might be, my journey along with Pokémon continues, and there will likely be new memories that can supplant some of these old ones. Yet should the chance for a reunion with these old memories come about, it may very well be a blessing. This is my Pokémon journey, and memories will come and go about it.

One year ago: Indie Pokémon Stickers