Gifts That Keep on Giving

Along with the addition of the friends feature in Pokémon Go, a related feature - or even, a sub-element of that feature - was also added to the game. That feature is gifts, and this contributes to the dynamics of the friends feature. It also complicates things slightly further, but it's a small price to pay for making and nurturing friendly relations.

Sometimes, by spinning the Photo Disc of a PokéStop or Gym, a Gift may be received as an item. A Gift may only be opened by giving a friend the item; to do so, the "Send Gift" button on the profile of a friend may be used. The friend will then receive the Gift and be able to open it. Each gift contains a few items that are typically received from spinning a Photo Disc, and some may also contain a special Egg, provided there is space for the latter.

As with some other elements in Go, some restrictions apply. A Trainer will only be given a Gift as long as the Trainer has already sent some of the Gifts that have been collected. A Trainer can only send one Gift per day to a particular Trainer (but can send more to others) and must wait for that Trainer to open the Gift before sending another. Finally, a Trainer can only open 20 gifts a day, so prudence must be possessed in opening Gifts.

Whatever happens, the opening of Gifts counts as one engagement for the friendship level of two Trainers. It is possible for two Trainers to build up their levels simply by sending Gifts, and I've done it with at least one friend. Yet it would also be wise to consider who a Trainer has engaged with before sending another a Gift. It is also wise to consider where to get Gifts as well as whose Gift or Gifts need to be opened to make things as special as possible for both giver and recipient.

Gifts offer an efficient way for two Trainers to build up friendly relationships, but they must also be considered wisely. Still, there's nothing like a relationship that's boosted with a few instances of gift-giving, and the benefits are sufficiently attractive as well. In that sense, they are really the gifts that keep on giving.

One year ago: After Six Months: Poké-Paradise in a Blog

Monotype (of) Sorts

There is a Pokémon concept that every now and then floats around, in particular when teams of Pokémon are concerned. As can be discerned by the title of this post, that concept is called "monotypes". The concept is simple: to have a team of Pokémon with one type being the same. As it stands, this concept is a novelty; no one in their right mind would conceive a team all of one type and seeing that team go down by the type's weaknesses. Yet aside from that, this concept seems to be workable in other respects.

Some time ago, I entered a Pokémon tournament (which I do believe was this one) and the results were surprising: a team of all Ice types - a monotype Ice, though quite a few are also half other types - took third place. It was intended to be a joke or "troll" team, and yet it worked out so well. The reason why that is the case seems to be tied to the move Sheer Cold, which anyone well-versed in the main series knows is a one-hit KO move that only occasionally works, if at all. The person who made the team can be said to have taken a gamble with the move, and it somehow worked out. While this team is a high-risk-high-return situation, I wouldn't personally create and work on such a team, even if I could, for what it involves. But if such a team could be ably created and worked on, by all means - luck of the draw will decide how things fare.

The concept of monotype teams might fare better in Go, where raids make it possible to battle against one powerful Pokémon, thereby exploiting its weaknesses to a single type. In fact, this may just be necessary for "minimalist" raids with the barest number of participating Trainers, where the weaknesses have to be fully exploited. As for having single Gyms with all the Pokémon having one type, that's a bit hard to do, unless all the Trainers putting in Pokémon are in agreement or know the plan. Even then, a monotype Gym is by and large a novelty, as someone else with enough knowledge of battling can quickly take the Gym down and set up operations, as is typical of any monotype situation.

The concept of monotypes is certainly a unique one, but it is quirky at best and unworkable at worst, unless one knows what one is doing. It may still be a usable and useful concept in some circumstances, so it shouldn't be fully counted out. Given the right situation and knowledge, one can take full advantage of it and implement a possible monotype, which may work just as well as normal teams, albeit and admittedly with quite a bit more flair.

One year ago: 3DS Circle Pad and Pokémon Games... Plus My Experience

Go Gets Social

Pokémon Go recently just had one of its greatest feature additions ever, and with it, the game could be described to have "gotten social". That's because the game added the feature of friends, allowing Trainers to build relations with other Trainers and do nifty things as well. For the first time ever, Trainers in the game can interact with one another in ways that benefit them, and there are plenty of those ways.

But first, Trainers must forge the connection with one another. Every Trainer has a 12-digit Trainer Code, which is remarkably similar to the Friend Codes used by the 3DS. Using these codes, Trainers can request to be friends with other Trainers, as the codes are known and/or distributed. Once a Trainer accepts the request from another, the two Trainers are now friends. Like some other social media, there is a limit to how many friends a Trainer can have, and the current limit is 200; this limit may perhaps change in the future.

At this point, a Trainer can then start to build up relationships. By engaging in activities that involve other friends, an easy example being raids, two Trainers can become closer to one another on different levels. Those levels are Good Friend, Great Friend, Ultra Friend, and Best Friend, which are achieved after 1, 7, 30, and 90 days of engagements respectively. The rewards for the upper level aren't too shabby either, which include attack bonuses and extra Premier Balls in raids, which are very helpful. Since the feature was rolled out just about a week ago, no one is an Ultra or Best Friend yet, but by now there should be many Great Friends and plenty of Good Friends.

As with some feature rollouts in Go, not all is perfect from the get-go. There have been reports of two Trainers engaging with one another, but the engagements are not synchronized for both - one could be seen to be 2 days left to go to a Great Friend with another, but this shows up as 6 days left for one. As well, this feature was also rolled out gradually; initially it was for level 35 and above, but this was quickly expanded for level 25, 15, and others. In any case, the feature now seems to work well for most everyone.

This is an amazing step forward for the game. Pokémon games have always provided a path for socializing one way or another, in and out of the games. The addition of the friends feature in Go only serves to affirm this fact. Go has always been a game that afforded social opportunities from its start, and this only takes things to the next level, even literally. Now great Trainers can show they're a great social player too, within the game.

One year ago: LINE Pokémon Themes

Leaders

A leader is someone or something that is followed in order to move forward. A leader is absolutely essential in many life matters, and they are as numerous as there are matters in life. The same could be said to be true for Pokémon as well, where many things in it are superficially similar to those of the real world. Being that they are so, it is then not hard to expect that there would be leaders as well. And there are, in various guises.

The most famous leaders that hail from Pokémon are of course Gym Leaders, the ones who are the bosses of their establishments where Trainers come to test their mettle and skills. They too are Trainers, but they're some of the best at what they specifically do and deal with. And through battling, they can also guide Trainers to do better when they lose or far better when they win, at least indirectly. They're leaders in every sense of the word, and that's saying something.

On a more outward side from the Pokémon world, the "generals" (in particular as related to Pokémon Go) that I discussed some time ago can also be considered leaders. I've elaborated on this on different occasions also, so they need not be mentioned again. What is important is that as long as they are in the capacity to guide others, then they are leaders. This capacity may arise naturally or from previous guidance, but this doesn't matter; as long as it guides others, then that is leadership by the leaders. It is up to the generals to use their capacity as they see fit.

Even Pokémon may have leaders of their own, especially when they are separated from care by people. These "leaders of the pack" can do things both like their animal brethren and like what people usually do. This is best illustrated in Mystery Dungeon and other games where Pokémon and not people are prominently featured. It's only fair that they do so, for they need to manage themselves and others however they can, based on their instincts. The Pokémon that manage to do so are rightfully leaders.

Leadership can be manifested in various ways, and this seems to be just as true for the Pokémon world as it is true for the real world. But that's a good thing for the people and the things that wish to advance or be advanced, because a leader can steer things in a certain direction to do so. It doesn't seem to matter which world one lives in - leaders and leadership are undoubtedly important and essential.

One year ago: A Little Dream

Retro Music and Modern Music

A couple of my friends met at my home the other day so that we can have a chance to see and talk to each other in person before we're separated for an extended time again. As it happens, the ones I met were from my clique, which as I explained a year ago, had some of its start in Pokémon. Sure enough, it became a hot topic when we gathered. One of the things we discussed (and experienced) was the music pieces from the older games and how they made us feel. They obviously have a different character compared to music pieces from more modern games, even of the same pieces as older ones, and this is what I wish to ruminate in this post.

Retro music pieces at the least have the component of nostalgia when viewed in a modern light. They may only be rudimentary in their arrangement and instrumentation, but that is what is perhaps liked about them. They're simple and no-frills the way as they are, evoking the greatest feelings from the past when we played the games as they were. One of my friend seemed to agree, as we discovered when we played some of the retro music pieces as they were arranged back then. For my friend, there was a rush of feelings from way back when as we did so. It's certainly a great feeling to have, if nothing else.

Modern music pieces may not be as nostalgic or simple as retro music, but they do have complexity going for them. They don't necessarily have to be arranged in the same way as the older pieces for even the same ones, but that is what makes them unique. They can introduce arrangements and instrumentation that may at times be quirky or just plain different, but this may just be a good thing, as is their richness, something that the retro pieces don't really have. These are all qualities that are appreciable.

Of course, "retro" and "modern" are relative; what is now "modern" may later become "retro" as we perceive them to be less of the qualities that make them the former and more of the qualities that make them the latter. Yet when it comes to Pokémon and in particular the music from the games, we'll take them however we see them fit, as the "retro" of yesterday and "modern" of today. And then later on in the tomorrow, we'll talk about them and listen to them again as we did the other day.

One year ago: More LINE Pokémon Stickers

Promoting Local Establishments with Go

A few days ago, I raided a Gym (needless to say, in Pokémon Go) that was close to another Gym that was unique: the Gym is for a mom-and-pop library that offered picture books, comics, and so on for checking out and reading. The Gym description itself, accessible through its Photo Disc, even had the complete address of the library, which allowed me to pinpoint its actual location. However, when I was able to do so, I found that the library no longer existed, being replaced by a motorcycle rental establishment. Even so, this left a bit of an impression on me and got me to think about how other establishments (businesses, shops, and so on) could be promoted with the help of the game.

I've mentioned how this could be done in an older post about hard-to-reach PokéStops and Gyms, where establishments could simply promote existing PokéStops and Gyms around them. It's something that has been done in the past by several establishments, and it's something that's still doable today. While a PokéStop is attractive, a Gym is even more so today thanks to raids, and an establishment could take advantage of this by manning someone to watch a Gym for raids, in particular of higher levels, to inform other people that a raid is occurring and invite them to come. Once they come, they can be given promotions and other similar things to allow them to stay during the raid and to come back later on. This is simple and effective for those who play.

An establishment could also perhaps take things to the next level. It has often been conjectured that it may (soon) be possible to request for new PokéStops and Gyms, perhaps by providing enough evidence. And yet, the case is that new PokéStops and Gyms can and do appear every so often - a new PokéStop appeared recently in my area, while another got "upgraded" to a Gym, becoming a new hot spot for my raid group. Should this process come to be, it may just be possible to leverage this to help local establishments as well, no matter how things eventually turn out.

But what if an establishment decides to move out, or even close altogether, as in the case of that library? It would certainly be fine to report that the PokéStop or Gym be removed, but perhaps the effort would be just as great as having them appear in the first place. Instead, it would be trivial to just leave them be and consider them "digital memorials". Establishments that cease to exist in one place may still provide info on what happened, though ideally it would help also to inform players that things are no longer what they are. At least the players may still sense the connection.

Go is all about real places in a virtual setting, and those real places will inevitably involve establishments that people pass and stop by on a daily basis. So there seems to be nothing wrong about promoting them to those that still play the game, and in fact it may make them more attractive in their eyes. That's certainly what that Gym did the other day, even if it no longer exists. I would think the same would be true for other establishments that can further integrate the fantasy of Go with the reality of life.

One year ago: Four Notions

Jumping the 'Karp

I recently was finally able to download and play Pokémon Magikarp Jump, which as I've noted in my mobile games post last year, was released at around the same time. I also noted back then that I had hoped not to get addicted, and... well, that seems to not be the case. I'm now somewhat addicted, sometimes even playing it while I'm handling Shuffle on my 3DS at the same time. It's hard not to, given how the game is played.

The objective of the game is to raise Magikarp so that they can jump as high as the sky. The player starts out by fishing for a Magikarp; once one is obtained, a series of phases come into play. The Magikarp can be fed Berries to increase its level and Jump Power - abbreviated in the game as JP and succinctly displayed in abbreviated points - and training Magikarp further increases JP. Once that is done, the Magikarp can battle other Magikarp in a series of leagues, the winner being determined by the one with the higher JP. These phases then repeat as needed. It's a simple thing.

What makes things not so simple are the things that hinder or limit this progression. Each Magikarp has a limited maximum level (and therefore limited JP as well), and when that is reached, the Magikarp has to battle one last time as far as it will go before it retires. Unfortunately, there are hidden dangers as well; certain events in the game, if one is unlucky, will force the Magikarp to retire early, such as being scooped up by a Pidgeotto, never to return again. In both of these cases, the player has to start again with a fresh new Magikarp, bringing it back to prime.

There are, of course, helpful things that aid the player's progress. Higher-level Berries and even other treats can be bought to increase JP rapidly, as well as other training regimens. Different Pokémon pals may also be invited that can do special actions. The pond can even be decorated with objects to enhance progression. All of these certainly do not come cheaply, as they are earned through victories in leagues or purchase by Coins or Diamonds, of which the latter in turn can also be purchased by real money. The investment is up to the player to make.

This game is very simple but very addictive. It's hard not to keep raising Magikarp, building up its JP, and battling others. At the least, it's a great way to pass the time when one is bored. And even if one isn't bored, this is a potentially useful time-waster. As a fan of all things Pokémon, I'm delighted with this game, and I hope that my fellow fans and even those who like mobile games in general would find it a delight as well.

Now, it seems that my latest-generation Magikarp is calling me to be fed and trained for glory.

One year ago: Married... to Pikachu?

Gym Rework, One Year Later

It almost escaped my realization that one year ago, more or less, was when Pokémon Go was updated with a rework of the Gym system plus the addition of raids (see below). Since then, Gyms have become more interesting and there have been countless raids and raid bosses, including the highly anticipated Ex-Raids. One year ago, I wasn't active in the game, but I knew this was quite an exciting change. After getting back in the game a few months later and experiencing the system until its anniversary, I can say that this is indeed so.

While I never experienced Gyms prior to the rework because of not claiming a team, some insights may be gleaned from records of the old system. In the old days, Gyms ran on a "Prestige" system which increased and decreased according to interactions among teams; notably, this allowed same-team Trainers to train Pokémon at a Gym and increase the Prestige, which is now not possible. The Prestige system also determined how many Pokémon could be in a Gym, whereby if this was depleted, the Gym was defeated and could be taken. Though it is no longer possible to train at a Gym, the new system seems more egalitarian as anyone can put in a Pokémon with little effort so long as the Gym is not full. The six-Pokémon and "species clause" limits also seem fair enough to represent individual Trainers in a way, and the "Gym stops" - spinning the Photo Disc of Gyms - makes a fine alternative to a PokéStop (and in fact does count as one in certain situations). The rework seems to have done a fine job of giving new life to Gyms.

And then of course, there are the raids. These have been instrumental in allowing a different kind of battle to occur, one that occurs among one or many Pokémon against one powerful one, and providing an entry path for Legendary Pokémon to be captured. The cooperation that these require on higher levels have really brought together Trainers of different teams to unite, as I can attest through my experience with my raid group, which has been a wonderful one. Even for the non-Legendary bosses, these have also allowed the capture of uncommon or hard-to-get Pokémon, which further increases the utility. And as I've said in my first-ever Ex-Raid, these have helped realize one of the initial promises of the game made through its trailer. It is fair enough to say that raids are major successes and will continue to be so.

Pokémon Go is a mobile game that continues to receive changes, and this was one of the larger ones that took place a year ago. While it may be possible for the Gym system to change again, it may not be likely, given that what is currently in place is sufficiently successful and exciting that it warrants them to be kept as they are. It will be fascinating to see where and how the results will take Trainers in the later future. Until that point, anyone playing Go can really reap full enjoyment of all that has changed with one of the most important facets in the game.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Gym Rework

Food Chain Axioms

In the real world, there are food chains that determine what organisms eat what. In the world of Pokémon, there coexist humans and creatures, which do have parallels to the real world. If so, then it is most likely that there are food chains as well - and it seems to be so. If the Pokédex text and certain games are to be believed, then they indicate certain relationships within these food chains. These relationships can be summed up in three axioms, which have been theorized by a fellow Pokémon fan:

People eat Pokémon. The thought of people eating Pokémon may seem outlandish until it is considered that some Pokémon do resemble real-world animals often harvested for meat - Miltank (cattle), Combusken (chicken), and Grumpig (pig) to name a few. It is not hard to think that the situation is quite similar, even if it's never actually heard of.

Pokémon eat people. Despite the fact that the word "Pokémon" is partially derived from "monster", a good number is not monster-like, but quite a few are. The situation that a Gyarados could attack and devour a person, as depicted in the early loading screen for Pokémon Go, could plausibly occur as wild animals in the real world could also attack and devour people.

Pokémon eat other Pokémon. It can be expected too that Pokémon eat others of their own in predator-prey relationships. An example cited in the Pokédex is Pidgeotto eating Magikarp, as the latter makes effective targets for the former due to their relative lack of defense and weakness. Some Pokémon (notably Sneasel) have also been cited to even steal and eat Eggs of others, in an extreme case.

It should be noted that the fact that situations like these are relatively unheard of may be because they represent a less glamorous side of the Pokémon world, no matter how apparently true they may be. No one really wants to hear about things like these and everyone prefers to stay happy with Pokémon. That is certainly something anyone is entitled to, even children who do enjoy this great big world.

Regardless, these axioms seem to be a fairly accurate picture of how things work out among the people and creatures of Pokémon. It's just how things would work, given how they parallel the real world. People and Pokémon need to eat one way or another, and both of them may just get caught up within the dynamics of interactions of eating and being eaten.

One year ago: Technology, Good and Evil

Local Ex-Raid (and Complications), 6/21/2018

So yes, today was again the day of an Ex-Raid scheduled at the (so far) only spot in my area for an Ex-Raid. The story of this one actually began almost two weeks ago. Those who have been reading this blog might have noted that around back then, I posted something on "the spirit of giving"; the activity of giving that I partook in with my Pokémon style actually occurred around the same spot with the Gym where the Ex-Raids take place, and since at that time an Ex-Raid had been completed just three days before, raids would naturally show up there for players to take part in and qualify for an Ex-Raid Pass. A raid did occur while I was in that activity, and I also did almost everything that I mentioned in that post for that raid. The result, of course, was an Ex-Raid Pass given just a few days later for the Ex-Raid today.

Not only that, this Ex-Raid had another commonality with one that took place two months ago: it was scheduled at 6 PM in the evening. It should be noted that the one that occurred then occurred one month before the extension of raid times into the night, which meant that for all practical purposes it could be considered the last raid of the day, but now with raid times extended, it may just be the prelude to more raids; this in fact did happen, but I didn't take part because I had to go and do other things. Meanwhile, this extension has brought about the possibility for an Ex-Raid being scheduled even later, perhaps at 8 PM. This possibility is remote or perhaps simply impossible, but it is at least a conjecture, given the situation.

As for the "complications" part, quite a few people were still in a "special time" mood, so they had to make alternative arrangements or bow out altogether. Notably, one of the "generals" that usually obtains an Ex-Raid Pass (and did in this case) had to suddenly bow out for reasons unknown to me. Things may become clearer once I talk again to the person. Another complication was the issue of whether the Gym of the Ex-Raid should be blanked out or left belonging to one team or another - in a way supporting that team. For the past few Ex-Raids, this was the case: the Gym was blanked out and left belonging to no team, with no Pokémon. Today the practice was to be repeated, but then at the last moment, someone - whether accidentally or intentionally - filled the Gym, and there was not enough time to empty said Gym once it happened. This becomes a debatable practice that may or may not be continued.

"What's next?" (I took the picture.)

The only complication I had today was being patient in capturing Mewtwo, which is also true for practically any raid, but perhaps more so for this one. The patience involves making sure that a Golden Razz Berry was given before each throw and then landing each throw so that the Pokémon enters the ball. I accomplished both, but it did take six throws before Mewtwo finally cooperated. I have to say that the challenge will be repeating this for any and all raids, including Ex-Raids. It's a complication that I may be able to work out.

All complications aside, this was a successful Ex-Raid to say the least. It's safe to say that almost no raid is completely free from complications, but this one was quite noticeable. And yet that's a good thing; it means they can be recognized and prevented in other raids later on. That remains to be seen and told, as are the stories that may unfurl before, during, and after the raids take place. I can't wait.

One year ago: Resets and Redos

Losing Touch and Keeping in Touch

Earlier today, I had stopped by a place where I could do many things with friends - which may or may not be related to Pokémon - but surprisingly, I was not able to meet the friends I knew I could usually meet there. A little later on, however, I was able to meet a few of my raid group fellows for an opportune raid nearby; the meeting was enhanced by a more or less successful raid. This got me to thinking about relating to friends or the loss of such relations, especially with regard to Pokémon.

In a way, this post could be considered an extended version of a post I made one year ago on the coming and going of Pokémon friends, but the focus is more on maintaining communication (or the failure to do so) with them. This becomes an even more relevant matter given that recently a special time had passed for which communication among people, including and beyond friends, becomes important. And yet, it's something that is to be kept up even outside of the special time, as a certain public figure has suggested.

That said, I'm a bit dejected that I have somewhat lost contact with the first group of friends I was hoping to meet. It's something that in actuality has happened over the course of several months, it seems, but it was only today that I felt the physical realization of this. Though my Pokémon relations with them stand at low levels, not being in contact with them is like not being in contact with any of my other friends to whom I can relate more with Pokémon, like those of my raid fellows or the ones I mentioned in the other post.

It's a good thing, then, that I could get in touch (and keep it) with my raid fellows through the opportune raid. Even so, I do have many other Pokémon colleagues to keep in touch with, as the ones involved in VGC battling. It's something I'm not quite proficient in, yet all the same I've managed to reach out to a good number of them, even physically. Thus it becomes important to keep tabs and connect with them no matter the circumstance. I'm told that the grand final of this year's local tournament series is at hand, so that is something to keep watch and discuss with them, as a way to connect with them.

To lose touch and to keep in touch with friends is seemingly something that isn't trivial. This is even more so when it concerns something like Pokémon that is liked by many. It becomes a challenge for me as a fan to manage to maintain as many as possible of the relationships that concern it. I hope to avoid as much as possible the earlier situation of today while always encountering the later one as much as possible, all the while keeping Pokémon throughout my life's journey.

One year ago: Pokémon Exclusivity

The Super Incubator

I've already discussed in a previous post how incubators in Pokémon Go are used to hatch the Pokémon Eggs received from various PokéStops. They're indispensable tools for any Pokémon Trainer in the game. What I've neglected to discuss is that there is a third type of incubator, and that is the Super Incubator. It is likewise a useful tool for dealing with all the Eggs obtained over the course of the game.

The Super Incubator, as its name suggests, is a powered-up version of the regular Egg Incubator. Functionally, it is similar to the limited-use incubators, being able to be used up to three times before breaking and disappearing. However, there is one important difference: any Egg incubated with this will have its hatching distance cut by one-third. This means that 2-kilometer Eggs only take 1.3 kilometers to hatch, while 5-kilometer Eggs only take 3.3 kilometers, and 10-kilometer ones only take 6.7 kilometers. This can be a significant difference, especially if there are many Eggs to be hatched - and that's a good thing.

The bad thing is that this incubator, unlike the regular limited-use incubators, are not awarded for leveling up, and therefore they must be purchased. They're also a bit more expensive: the regular ones retail for 150 coins, while the Super Incubators retail for 200. Certainly they can be purchased as part of a box of items, especially to get more than one at a relatively much cheaper price for each, but this has to be part of a well-timed event. Interestingly, the Super Incubator first appeared occasionally alongside the boxes during their duration of appearance; it was only recently that the Super Incubator became a generally available item for purchase.

As for its use, it becomes clear that these are best used for 10-kilometer Eggs, especially when there's a lot of them, to save on distance and possibly time; they seem to be wasteful for the 2-kilometer Eggs, though sometimes it may be helpful to boost hatching 5-kilometer Eggs. Thus the infinite-use incubator is best reserved for Eggs of 2 and 5 kilometers when they appear, while the regular limited-use ones are best for Eggs of 5 and 10 kilometers when speed isn't essential. Situations and needs still affect which incubator to use for which egg, and therefore wise decisions need to be made.

While it is a little less cheap than the regular limited-use incubators, the Super Incubator is every bit as useful as those incubators, if not more so. They make Egg hatches occur earlier, which allows a greater set of strategies to come into play. If the regular incubators are indispensable, then the Super Incubator is almost essential. It may just help to unload the Egg burden of a Trainer venturing in Pokémon Go.

One year ago: The Badge Arcade Hit Its Limits

Boxes of Go-Goodies

Every so often, there is something special that shows up in the Shop for Pokémon Go. That something special is boxes containing loads and loads of helpful items. These items are often tailored to the (possible) needs of the current events, so they often change in compositions from one period to the next. Even with this in mind, some things can be gleaned from the boxes in order to make use of them efficiently.

The most common boxes that appear are the Special Box, Great Box, and Ultra Box; each subsequent box typically contains more items than the previous one and also costs more coins to get. There are also uniquely special boxes like the Community Day Box and the Anniversary Box for their respective occasions. Whichever box is purchased, sufficient item space needs to be made for the items earned, as with any bulk item purchases. As well, these boxes also appear for a limited time - as is clearly stated in the Shop - for the duration of the event, so they must and can only be purchased within the duration of their events.

Again, the compositions of the boxes vary depending on the occasion, but they often contain items that can be bought in bulk even without a box (like Lucky Eggs and Lure Modules), items that are typically purchased one at a time but are offered in bulk in a box (like Egg Incubators and Premium Raid Passes), and items that are hardly or not at all available for purchase even outside of boxes (like Ultra Balls in the Community Day Box and Star Pieces). Of these three kinds of items, the second kind seems to be the most lucrative and is considered by many to be the heart of their respective boxes.

As to the question of which box(es) to buy, that depends on economy, value, space, and other related factors. If one is short on coins, then it may suffice just to buy the cheapest box. Since many regard the bulk individual items as the go-to items, they typically disregard the other items, or rather consider them bonuses; others may differ and regard any or all items as having value, so purchase decisions can be made based on these. Those that can make room for the items may purchase the greater boxes while those that can't may purchase the smaller ones. These are only but a few considerations that may concern the purchasing of boxes.

All the boxes, when they're available, contain lots of items which may help a Trainer's endeavors during special events. In that regard, Trainers should take advantage of them if and whenever possible. It is fully up to them to decide how to do so for the best results. Regardless, these boxes really are special by way of their timed appearances as a "helping hand" for those still progressing on their journeys in the world of Pokémon Go.

One year ago: There Is Only One Ball

Viewpoints and Preferences

It has been suggested that while there are facts and things in life that are certain and same for everyone, there are viewpoints and preferences that may differ from person to person. It seems to be quite true, given my exposure to certain people's perceptions of different things. The same would be conceivably true for Pokémon, with its great variety of games and other things besides games. They exist for practically any aspect within the franchise and universe.

As I've detailed in a particular post, competitive VGC battling using the main series games can and do constitute a preference. Yet that preference also might depend on skills and preparations (including equipment) for such an undertaking. It's perfectly fine to pursue it when the means are available and there is the will to perform the necessary things for it, as it is not to pursue when these are lacking. It understandably takes a lot to commit to the participating side, so it really may do depend on the devotion to that as part of one's viewpoint, which would be otherwise without.

Even mere things such as collecting Pokémon items may be different from person to person. Pokémon figures are really great for those who can afford them, but for those who can't, there are other Pokémon things to collect. Even with figures, however, some people may like smaller ones, larger ones, people, creatures, and so on and so forth. Here, there's a lot of "nesting" of preferences and viewpoints of what to collect, and this results in a varied mixture of them, though all are within the same general direction of collecting Pokémon stuff.

On a grander scale, liking Pokémon is perhaps the biggest preference of all. It's the preference that gave rise to this blog, led my fellow VGC players to do what they do, led to the grouping of the players in my raid group, prompted the collecting of related goodies, and much, much more. It's a respectable interest that becomes a respectable preference for all of those involved, including me, and it may be hard to compare to other preferences. It's just something that we decide upon based on our viewpoints.

If anything is to be gleaned from the above, it is that there are a lot of parts where viewpoints and preferences play into how one likes Pokémon. They determine what things are liked and how, as well why Pokémon is liked in the first place. The fact remains that Pokémon has many, many facets which are also well-liked; it's the viewpoints and preferences that revolve around them that determine how this is so.

One year ago: Hounds and Hyenas, Canines of the Dark

Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/16/2018

The monthly Community Days of Pokémon Go seem to be events that are most well-liked and most problematic. They offer really good Pokémon and really good bonuses that anyone playing can stand to earn. However, on more than one occasion, they've been fraught with issues that affect gameplay, whether on the players' (my) end or the game's end. Both of these seem to be true today as I and my raid group partake in this month's edition of the event.

Community Day for this month involves the Pokémon Larvitar, and its exclusive move for this edition is Smack Down with triple experience for catches, plus the customary Shiny form and extended Lure modules. Two things are noticeable from this month's edition. First, the exclusive move for this month is a Fast move rather than a Charged move, the first time it has happened. Second, a pattern has definitively emerged in regard to the featured Pokémon: in January, March, and May, the Pokémon were all starters, while in February, April, and June (this month), they were all ones that would hatch out of 10 km Eggs. It should not be hard to guess what might come in the coming months for Community Day.

This month, my raid group is fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on whom you ask) that Community Day is being held during a special time of year, so a gathering in one place could be scheduled in partial commemoration. And that is exactly what happened: a gathering in a well-known spot for setting up Lure Modules was set up. Even so, some people also chose to be elsewhere for variety, and many also ended up going out to spin the many PokéStops located nearby - which also had Lure Modules installed - to take advantage of the Community Day "catch 3" research tasks. It was neat how this was so.

What wasn't neat are some of the issues that we faced. For myself, there seemed to be signal issues, but this was easily resolved by moving somewhere else. For everyone in my area, there seemed to be issues of Pokémon not appearing for encounter, not appearing to be captured, and so on. Thus like Community Day two and four months ago, the event was extended in the area for an extra two hours, which is substantial and more than makes up for the issues faced. Perhaps the biggest issue now is sorting through all the Larvitar that I caught; there are more than 50 I haven't dealt with, and I'd like to keep the strongest and most interesting ones.

Community Day has only been around this year, but it has thrust many Pokémon into the spotlight, including their Shiny forms. That could explain why it's so well-liked, and in turn that could also explain why it has had its share of problems. This month seems to be no different, yet I have to say that things were still great this time around, being that today's gathering has achieved its purpose of bringing together many for the occasion, though the special time did help. The next Community Days have to be just as special, if not more.

One year ago: Limited Editions

Number One for...

Mom I'm all grown up now, it's a brand new day
I'd like to put a smile on your face every day
Mom I'm all grown up now, and it's not too late
I'd like to put a smile on your face every day
You know you are the number one for me
You know you are the number one for me
You know you are the number one for me
Oh, oh, number one for me...
-- "Number One for Me", Maher Zain

It just so happens that this is a very special time of year for many people, one that prompts music and songs like the ones that the artist of the song above typically sings. Yet as with anything I post on this blog, things go to a deeper level - or rather, to the next level, where Pokémon is involved. This is true for me and the song that I've quoted above, which could be considered to be one of his more "universal" songs.

This song is another one that goes on two levels. On one level, I'm inclined to think that this song relates to Ash and his mother Delia. This song discusses the mother-child relationship, after all - it's about the child making the mother happy (and still regarding her as prime) with what the child does and after all that has happened. I'd like to think that Ash has some of the sentiments that are echoed in the song. Some of the lyrics may need to be changed to suit the state of things, but they overall just may fit otherwise.

On another level, I'm inclined to think that this song relates to me and Pokémon. This is where things really get fanciful, as they necessitate some changes in lyrics as well. Sometimes I think the first two words in the chorus (as above) blurs, and I only hear "I'm...", and thus it becomes personal. At that point I also tend to ignore the verses and focus on the rest of the lyrics, which relates to whatever I've experienced with Pokémon and how that was realized. In any case, I still regard Pokémon as something with a "number one" quality.

I know the meanings and relationships of this song may tend towards the abstract, but at least a good deal makes sense. Ash may have the sentiments for his mother, and I may have the sentiments for Pokémon. There is something we regard and do so highly, perhaps even as number one. It's a good thing to consider for a special time of year like this one.

One year ago: 15^th Feature Film Mini-Figures

More Pokémon Paper Things

I recently obtained a couple more of Pokémon things that feature paper in some way. Paper seems to be a good medium of expression for Pokémon, even if it's a bit two-dimensional and a little uninteresting. The way that it is, though, might not be so, depending on the form and appearance, plus intended usage. The same is true for the two paper things that I just got.

The first one I got is another roll of Pokémon wrapping paper. Yes, I've gotten two pieces of Pokémon wrapping paper before, but this one's somewhat different. For starters, I obtained this one in the area of where I live, instead of from far away. Another is that the wrapping paper is glossy and smooth like most other typical wrapping paper. Finally and most importantly, the paper constitutes officially licensed merchandise by a major stationery maker, whereas the previous two pieces of wrapping paper could be considered indie and were made by a local maker (where I got them). The paper unrolls to a size of about 50 x 80 cm, which is also significantly bigger than the other two pieces; I can really use this for a bigger present, if that is the intended use.

The second one that I got are envelopes that are decorated with Pokémon images and the logo. These are envelopes which can be filled with money and given to loved ones, which is exactly their intended purpose; I recently did so for a particular acquaintance with one of these envelopes. Since the envelope is taller than it is wide, any bills that are to be inserted must be folded at least once before doing so, while coins can obviously be put in as they are. The only problem is that in my zeal, I seem to have obtained too many of these; I intended to buy only five envelopes total, but I got five packs instead, and each pack consists of eight envelopes, which amounts to 40 envelopes total. I've already given away one envelope, so perhaps it's time to give away some more.

Incidentally, last year's post (see below) concerned Pokémon paper things of a different kind, though not distantly unrelated. In fact, the paper envelopes could be construed as a Pokémon paper creation, which given the patterns, materials, and graphics, could easily be made at home. The wrapping paper could certainly be made into these. Still, even with them available, I would settle for pre-made ones so that I could focus on the "payload" rather than the "missile", if you get my drift. In any case, these two paper things are indeed a kind of "missiles" to be fitted with their respective payloads: money for the latter and presents with the former.

These paper things are fascinating in that they have Pokémon on them, which is what I like. They are particularly expressive of that, and would be so for other people as well. There are certain aspects of the specific things that I got that transcends their two-dimensionality and quality of interest. I certainly welcome the things that I just got, and perhaps so would other people that like Pokémon, especially when given them.

One year ago: Poké-Crafts Made out of Paper

Singular vs. Multiple Focus Legendaries

The revelation of the conceptual beta for Gold and Silver, the second-generation Pokémon games, also came with a different, startling fact. Aside from the "beast trio" - which also received radical makeovers - Ho-Oh is the only "focus Legendary" present in the beta, suggesting that the game was only going to have one of this. This leads to considerations regarding their presence and the number by which they are present.

The first generation has so far been the only generation with a single focus Legendary, which is the ever-popular Mewtwo. The second generation has two, not taking into account Suicune which was forced into the role in Crystal. Since then, all other generations have had three Legendaries, typically a pair for the twin games of the generation (for example, Reshiram and Zekrom) and one that mediates the pair (continuing the example, Kyurem). All of them have had different roles in the games, being either a part of the storyline or downplayed for the sake of others, an example well-illustrated by the sixth generation with Xerneas and Yveltal in the spotlight and Zygarde more or less relegated.

In light of this, perhaps the initial decision (if it could be called that) to have one focus Legendary makes sense: it integrates well into the story of multiple games, which are essentially the same, and does not leave any behind by exclusivity, role, or otherwise. On the other hand, this would mean a loss in variety to the storylines - something like what happened in Emerald or even Platinum can't really happen with only one focus Legendary. Three seems to be a good number for a multiple of these, as demonstrated by the tendency of the Pokémon games to cluster into a duo or a trio, and this would help establish and maintain the tradition as well.

For as long as there are Pokémon games, there are sure to be Legendary Pokémon that become a focus. The only considerations left are what they are and how many will there be in a pair of games. Of course, the games themselves can and will also dictate what to factor in these considerations. The result can be as limited as in the first generation and the conjecture in the revealed beta, or as diverse as the Pokémon games have turned out today.

One year ago: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

Before Gold and Silver

Recently, a surprising piece of Pokémon history came to light. Before the second-generation games of Gold and Silver came to be, there was actually a beta version of the games created as a test of their concepts. This beta version was exhibited two years before the games were officially released, though only bits and pieces had been shown through other means. It is only now that the remainder of the beta version's data surfaced, and this becomes an insightful look into the game's history.

As is true of any Pokémon games, the creatures or monsters called Pokémon are the vital part of the games, and are therefore the most insightful part of this beta version. The 151 Pokémon of the first generation are present, as are the 100 new species... though many are not in their current recognizable forms. Some forms never came to light, like an odd flower-like version of Bayleef, the first evolution of the Grass-type starter, provisionally named "Hanamogura" in Japanese; it was perhaps cut since it looked disconnected to Chikorita and Meganium, which more or less survived, and this was perhaps a good change. Other forms that never came to light are bearlike Fire-type starter forms and a disconnected form of Slowking's shell. Some baby forms were also cut, like those for Meowth, Ponyta, and even Tangela; as well, evolved forms for Ditto and Qwilfish were discarded. Interestingly, the "seeds" of later Pokémon seemed to have been sown, as in early forms for what would later become Mime Jr., Gorebyss and Huntail, and the Snover line. It's remarkable how all of these and more existed before they were recast.

As for the game itself, the beta version was apparently an attempt to create an "all-Japan" world, not just Johto and Kanto, which still affirms "worldly inspirations" even as far back as this. Transportation seems to have been planned to expand, with options for a skateboard (which has an allusion to a post I made last year) and riding on Lapras. Aside from this and other odd things, which may be actual bugs that still needed to be fixed before release, the game seems to be like any typical main series Pokémon game. Of course, the end result was that the final games were quite different from what was demonstrated.

It's quite possible for any piece of software, including games, to undergo major changes before they are released, and this beta version of the second-generation Pokémon games did exactly that. And yet, it shows that many elements and concepts of the game were retained, and even further developed beyond the second generation. Everything here is a surprise and fascination for any Pokémon fan, and shows how deep the games go with the ideas, even if they look different from how they are realized today.

One year ago: Red on a Bike

The Myth of Shiny Pokémon

I've already discussed the stories that involve Shiny Pokémon as well as other points that regard them, but occasionally it's worth it to discuss other different sides, as I'm doing in this post. For some people, including me, Shiny Pokémon are totally something of a different sort. Their rarity in the games that permit many catches is enough to make players wonder about their existence, however unquestioned it may be. It's almost enough for them to regard these Pokémon as a "myth".

This "myth" of course differs from the "Mythical" status afforded to certain Pokémon. In fact, these Pokémon may even pale in comparison to the "myth" afforded to Shiny Pokémon. If their tales are to be believed - based on the games, the anime, and so on - it may be considered easier to come across Mythical Pokémon than it is to come across a Shiny Pokémon. And yet, the two qualifiers can overlap, thus resulting in Shiny Mythical Pokémon, which might be considered nearly improbable to say the least.

Back to other Shiny Pokémon, the stroke of luck needed to come upon a Shiny Pokémon by catching them or hatching them from eggs is sometimes just immense. Capturing or hatching one or a few may not suffice, and this is something that has been illustrated by a player repeatedly doing so for the sake of finding a Shiny Pokémon. And then there are those who do obtain the Shiny Pokémon within the one or few tries, even when not specifically looking for one in particular. Such a situation is likely to arouse wonder among both those who do have them and those who don't, lending credence to the "myth".

Less of a myth is what happens in Shuffle, where Shiny Pokémon every now and then makes a presence, and their presence allows for capture and permanent possession. Even so, their appearances are also erratic and limited, which means that any player has to be vigilant for their appearance and take advantage of the opportunity. Unfortunately, this does consequentially support the "myth" if they are waited and waited upon and do not come. It's still less mythic for those who do possess them.

Appearance and pursuit seem to be very much related to the "myth" of Shiny Pokémon. There's no telling when they might appear, and there's no telling if they'll appear at all during their pursuit. It's understandable that players will regard these in a puzzling manner, leading them to be uncertain, and to affirm the "myth" in the face of their existence. It's just another side to this variety of Pokémon, and a somewhat enigmatic one at that.

One year ago: On Skateboards and Pokémon

Variegated Pokédexes

The first word in the title of this post may seem scary, but it's not. "Variegated" means that something is made to be different, or in other words "varied". In regard to the title of this post, it means that the Pokédex may be made to be different depending on the situation. It may seem implausible, but the reality is that the situations of the Pokémon games are already different from one another, and more importantly, this variegation has happened. It becomes something to consider with this in mind.

Most of the main series games have something called the National Pokédex, which is simply all the Pokémon from every generation in chronological order and the order in which they are present in their games' Pokédexes. From this it's already clear that the games' Pokédexes constitute their own separate Pokédexes, tailoring the National Pokédex to suit the quirks and characteristics of the regions, which to some extent is organizationally sound as is employing the National Pokédex for all other Pokémon, which may or may not be involved in the Pokédexes depending on the game.

Other Pokémon games that do (or at least plan to) include all Pokémon may implement the National Pokédex in its prescribed order, since it just makes sense. These games are likely to be spinoff games that allow a player of the main series to adapt easily and gracefully to new systems while maintaining a semblance of order. One exception would perhaps be Shuffle; instead of the National Pokédex order, all the Pokémon are ordered based on when they were added to the game, which does complicate things a bit for those who are accustomed to the former. Since nearly every Pokémon that exists are now present in the game, it may be time to allow the order to be changed to the traditional National Pokédex order, but this remains to be seen.

If they don't include every single Pokémon, then certain games may be fine with their own Pokédexes, even if they're not called as such. If they hold information on where Pokémon may be found, vital stats or moves or others, and especially descriptors of their properties, then it may be considered the Pokédex for the game, since these are all exactly what a Pokédex does. It's rather straightforward to call them as such, given their similarities. Yet in the end, everything else relies on the nature of the games.

Games that involve Pokémon, let alone many of them, are likely to include a list of some kind of the ones featured in the game. If the function of such a list is to keep track of them in some way, then it's not unreasonable to call it a Pokédex, since it does index them - thus the derivation of the word. Still, the games are different among one another, which means that the realization of these indices must account for their particularities, and thus variance and variegation. It's not hard to expect that this will continue with different and varied Pokémon games.

One year ago: Pokémon and Sports

The Spirit of Giving

You know, right now is a special time for a very large group of people. It's a time for contemplation and doing good things, and one of the latter would be giving back. I participated in such an activity today, and what was special is that I also got to do it with my own style, and my style is Pokémon, if anything on this blog is an indication. This of course leads to the consideration of how far and where I can take this spirit with this style.

I play Pokémon Go and I'm involved with a local raid group, as many of the posts in this blog indicate. I'm not quite a "general", but I can do many of the things that the "generals" do: I can tell people where a raid will happen and start to inventorize participants, then when the raid comes, I can offer suggestions on when to start. Elsewhere in Go, I can provide little tips and tricks to improve gameplay of other players even by a little bit, whether at a glance through conversing or more descriptively by this blog. That seems to very much constitute giving.

In the primary realm of VGC battling, there's not much that I can do - in fact, I'm more likely to be given rather than to give in this area - but there are still things that I can do. I'm not able to heavily contribute within gameplay, but at least I can support things that go on around the gameplay, like filling in for participants as in the previous online tournaments, or provide backing for whatever happens next. It just so happens that I did exactly that last year out of a consideration I discussed in last year's post (see below), and I'm still proud that I did so. This year is a different story, though, and I'm not sure how I can possibly contribute - yet I will assuredly do so once I find out. I'm still giving in any case.

And then there's today. It's hard not to give back knowing it's a special time, and it's even harder not to do so without including my particular fondness for Pokémon when it's permissible and workable to do so. I'm sure I did a great thing today, as much as I did great things in other Pokémon-involving opportunities. The spirit of giving is likely to manifest itself in different forms as well as results, even beyond this special time of year.

One year ago: A Faraway Tournament and a Charitable Spirit

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 6/8/2018

After last month's event rollup for Pokémon Go, I felt that this could be useful to some degree to recap and recollect a few of the events that have occurred or are occurring in the game, especially if some of them are not major enough and thus may not merit an extended discussion. So this month, I've decided to do it again. Right now is a perfect time to do so, as a few events have made their way through the game.

What is perhaps the most phenomenal event in recent memory has to be the entry of Alolan Forms, starting with Exeggutor's. So phenomenal, in fact, that the event also lasted for a phenomenal period of only about half a week, after which the form was no longer seen. It's an exceptionally short period, which was perhaps a bit too short for some, as some couldn't get ones with good stats. Though the event was short, the impact will perhaps be felt for quite some time; because of its unique typing and stats, it may become a good battle fodder - something I found to be true - and its unique shape will be something that players will continue to show off, which is still true as I still spot the form in several nearby Gyms. Whether or not it will return is anyone's guess, but it may become an expectant one for that.

The week before, on May 24, a different event dubbed "Adventure Week" had started. This is somewhat of a misnomer, since the event ran for two weeks and just ended on Tuesday. The event in any case featured Pokémon of the Rock type with greater appearances by them - save for the Exeggutor-Alola interlude, which could explain the length of the event - including in raids as bosses, and in research task rewards. The latter is an important point, because the focal point of the event is the fossil Pokémon of the first generation and the addition of all their Shiny forms. One task in particular offered an Aerodactyl for evolving an Omanyte or Kabuto, which led me and my raid group to seek and list as many of these tasks as possible so that we could gather three of them, then complete them all in one shot for three possible shots at a Shiny Aerodactyl, though we weren't always lucky. And yet we took full advantage of them.

Just today, an event called the "Water Festival" started, which as can be guessed, features Water-type Pokémon, including special appearances as raid bosses, which does include a return of Kyogre as the top-level boss, along with a possible Shiny form (and therefore the things that may be entailed by this). In other fronts, Water-type catches reward triple Stardust and Egg hatches reward double Stardust and candies. One of my raid fellows has suggested that if things are set up just right, one could find oneself awash with Stardust, and that may just be a good thing. All the parts of this event look very rewarding, and I'll be sure to take advantage of them as much as I can up until its conclusion.

Like before, this has been a pretty eventful run. It's hard to conceive what things would be like without these events, and it's probably best not to. The important thing is to reap all the possible benefits from them and to enjoy the ride. And then, when the next run of events comes along, it will be time to repeat the process... and to prepare another one of these event rollups.

One year ago: Poor Zygarde

Pokémon Archetypes

Nowadays, there are hundreds and hundreds of Pokémon. Each one has particular characteristics that make them all unique. But what if only one needs to be represented, in the case of an example? That's where archetypes come in. An archetype in a general sense is a model or essential example of something, and Pokémon may be considered to have a few as well.

For a general representation of Pokémon without any particular connotations, there's nothing like the de facto series mascot, Pikachu. It's the one that people know, and it's the one popular among many in the know about Pokémon, especially its major fans. Considering its abilities and depiction, it's a pretty powerful one too. Sure, there are Pokémon that are much bigger, more powerful, and can do more things than Pikachu, but in a sense, Pikachu can stand up and equate to that. Because of this fact, it becomes an essential example or an archetype.

Of course, other archetypes can be considered. For a boss or boss-like Pokémon, a suggested archetype is Charizard. It makes sense, since Charizard is big and powerful, looking like a dragon, which most people think of when thinking of a powerful creature. Though it's a Fire- and Flying-type Pokémon, its Mega X variant is also a Dragon type, further affirming the dragon association. Meanwhile, for a lesser-strength Pokémon that could be considered powerful in large numbers, Pidgey seems to fit. One Pidgey can't do much on its own, but when large numbers of Pidgey are involved, many things and even surprising things can happen, like taking down a boss Pokémon as above.

Admittedly, these examples seem familiar, and they are, if you play Go; all these Pokémon are shown in the guides for Gyms and raids when a player navigates to one and taps the icon on the lower left. The thing about archetypes is that they may not be fixed, given the example of the main series games and the very first Pokémon being shown when starting a new game. They too can be considered archetypes, at least for the beginning player. It seems there may be as many archetypes as there are Pokémon.

But then, when it comes to Pokémon, not many archetypes may be needed - perhaps the three examples above suffice, along with a few others. It goes back to the definition of an archetype, being a model or essential example. With hundreds and hundreds of them, Pokémon are decidedly varied. And yet, it may not be that hard to find ones that are exemplary of certain characteristics, or even the entire collection of them altogether.

One year ago: New Paradigms

(The Least) Local Ex-Raid, 6/6/2018

It's been about a month since I last participated in an Ex-Raid, and today is the day that one was scheduled. As with several of the previous Ex-Raids, I earned this one about one and a half weeks before today. For this one, I got it off of an (in)opportune Ho-Oh raid at the location, as I had actually been looking for Latios instead. Incidentally, I failed to capture Ho-Oh, but I did capture Latios through another raid just shortly after that. The captures are of course bonus challenges, so it's rightful that they bear no effect on someone getting an Ex-Raid Pass.

Now, the reason why I tagged this one "the least" is because barring a couple of Ex-Raids in the past, this one has the fewest participants yet. Actually, many players had gotten Ex-Raid invites and passes, but they got them for the most inopportune time possible; some were out of town for urgent business, were visiting distant relatives, or simply just had other things to do. As a result, those who couldn't come had to leave their phones (yes, some have dedicated accounts on different phones) or their login details so that someone could do it for them, or the Ex-Raid altogether - meaning that they had to lose a chance at Mewtwo. It's kind of sad, but things happen.

Imagine the left side benches filled with the ones who didn't come today...
(I took this picture.)

The tale of the day was how the "account jugglers" had to deal with the absentee players' accounts. In addition to the usual battle flights - which were simplified to only four this time, one for each team and one more for others that didn't fit - they had to make lists of which player to stand in for at which flight, logging in and out and perhaps swapping phones if possible and as necessary. This resulted in some dramatics as one phone's faulty GPS led to its players being knocked out of battle, while at the end Mewtwo couldn't be caught for one of the stand-ins; for the latter, fortunately the Mewtwo was not very strong anyway, but it still leads to wonder of what will happen when the news has to be broken to the stand-in player.

As for me, I caught my Mewtwo. Though it turned out to be only mediocre, I was kind of nervous that I couldn't capture it, but I did, and things were fine. After the Ex-Raid, there was an invitation to go on three nearby Ho-Oh raids, and I accepted; I got only one out of the three and the only one I got wasn't Shiny. I still appreciate that at least Mewtwo got caught today.

This particular Ex-Raid was as maximal as it was minimal... if that makes sense. And it may perhaps be even more minimal next time as some players may have other things to do within the upcoming two weeks. We'll have to see what they hold. Yet however minimal Ex-Raids get, it is almost assured that the efforts that go into them are anything but.

One year ago: Pokémon Direct, 6/6/2017

Raid Preferences

Today's the last day for Latios raids in Pokémon Go in my area - for others, that would be Latias raids. Meanwhile, Ho-Oh raids will continue until the end of the week. And yet, what has happened over the past few weeks is that Ho-Oh raids had "stolen the spotlight" from Latios raids in my area; the same can be imagined to happen in areas where Latias raids are concerned, especially since Latias may be considered lesser-abled. This leads to a consideration of raid preferences, in particular for level 5 raids, which are prime targets.

Based on a conversation with one of my raid fellows, it seems that this kind of thing happens all the time, especially when raids for two or more Legendary Pokémon overlap. Players seem to like the "in" thing, no matter how strong it is in comparison to the others. Thus Ho-Oh is the current "in" thing, and the possibility of it being Shiny only helps to establish it as so. As recent as Rayquaza, however, it has been evident that even the "in" thing can beat previously introduced strong raid bosses (Kyogre and Groudon) even when they are both restored. It seems that this might be a simple determinant.

Even so, other things might determine preference, including strength; I was once told that if Latias and Latios appeared at the same time in the same places, then players might go for the latter rather than the former, due to their relative strengths. Aesthetics might also be a factor, as it can be conceived that some players might pursue a Shiny Ho-Oh first before going back to Latias or Latios, or pursue certain counts of Latias and/or Latios, then go on to Ho-Oh; the former may have been practiced by a few in my raid group, while I confess to have practiced the latter. And then again, some might just not have any preferences and will take any level 5 raids that appear, regardless of the raid boss.

The issue of preferences is a captivating one that comes into play when multiple raid bosses appear in one level. On one hand, trends are a major factor that may lead players to raid new bosses than old ones. On the other hand, other factors might just lead players to raid whatever bosses they like. In the end, it seems to just boil down to what most players will want, and then it proceeds from there, whether preferences have been stated or not - as it had happened for Ho-Oh. It may still deserve consideration as raid bosses keep changing.

One year ago: Sympathy for Villains

Keeping It Free... or Augmenting It

The advent of mobile gaming has brought a play paradigm into light: games can be completely free to obtain and then progress through, but to accelerate progress, some things can be obtained by spending some money. This paradigm is known as free-to-play or F2P, though it may also be called free-to-start. Since then, some Pokémon games have adopted this paradigm, whether on the 3DS or mobile phones. I've played through some of these games, and I've managed to keep my progress mostly free, though I'm also motivated to spend some money to augment them.

I've made significant progress through Shuffle on the 3DS since it was first released, and I've managed to keep all that progress completely free; I've never spent a cent to buy even one Jewel. Of course, this is also mostly because I've never been able to spend money for eShop vouchers, and therefore I don't have an eShop balance to buy Jewels with. Given how things proceed, and the fact that some Jewels may be obtained through daily bonuses, I don't foresee spending any money for Jewels, except if I ever accumulate an eShop balance and spend some of what remains after purchasing a different game. It would be a different story if I played Shuffle Mobile instead, in which case I'm likely to spend for Jewels there.

Likewise, my Rumble World progress has been completely free because of the inability to spend for Poké Diamonds, which I've noted last year. And yet, they can (and need to) be used for so many things, which means many are needed for them. Because of this, and also because of the fact I've worn out my 3DS last year - perhaps as an aftereffect of playing the game - I've effectively stopped playing. I'm not likely to resume playing the game in light of this, as even any leftover eShop balance I may have are better divested in Shuffle, something I've made better progress on, even without purchase of any Jewels.

In Go, the only mobile Pokémon game I've played so far, I've been more liberal in purchasing PokéCoins, and I've done so occasionally to make up for a deficit if I don't have any returning Pokémon from a Gym on a particular day. What I perhaps won't do is purchase large amounts of PokéCoins, since in my area, they exorbitantly get more expensive the more of them are purchased at once. I would rather purchase the smallest amount possible and continue to do so every so often, while earning the rest by placing Pokémon in Gyms. It may be a slow progress, but at least I can try to minimize spending.

It's great to simply be able to play Pokémon games for free, even if some parts invite, demand, or practically require spending for further progress. It's a standard paradigm for modern mobile gaming that isn't about to change any time soon. I'm certainly not against it - the developers need some money after all - but I also need to weigh my spending options. At least I can hope of making as much progress as possible without spending, then spend only as needed where it counts.

One year ago: Ball Redesign?

Classical and New HP Heal Amounts

In the main series of Pokémon games as well as in Go, there are various items that can be used to recover the HP of a Pokémon. For both of these games, they are notably the Potion series of items. Recently though, in the main series games, the HP heal amounts were changed, not just for Potions, but for almost every item that heals HP. Even so, Go has not followed in the footsteps of the main series and still uses the classical amounts. This becomes a point that is worthy of some discussion.

One of the more notable changes is that Hyper Potion was reduced. Classically, Hyper Potion healed 200 HP, but then it was changed to 100 HP. At a glance, this does seem like a drastic change, but when carefully considered, it does seem to make sense. Even when they're maxed out, many Pokémon only have a few hundred HP and players don't often let their Pokémon hit the red, and even if the Pokémon does faint, a Revive takes care of half the HP, while the other half is taken care of by the heal items; 100 HP seems to be sufficient in most cases, precluding the rare case where a single Hyper Potion is not enough.

I'm a person who doesn't like to waste things, so I cringe whenever I heal up a Pokémon, being forced to use a Hyper Potion but not to its full capability and none of the lesser ones because they're insufficient. This occurs even more often in Go, since there are no Pokémon Centers, which means full reliance on healing items. Whether or not Go will conform to the new heal amounts remains to be seen, but it would seem that it would eventually have to if it is to be an echo of the main series. At least it would open the door for some efficiency.

Things continue to change in the world of the Pokémon games, and this happens to be one of them. The main series games provide a paradigm for a small part of it, as the classical HP heal amounts, and then changes them to new ones. If anything, Go as something that takes after many things from the main series can and should perhaps follow the new paradigm as well. It's a way of harmonizing the two, considering that one takes after the other, and yet the two are rooted in the same great world.

One year ago: 3DS Pokémon Themes

Missing Ranger

The addition of research tasks into Pokémon Go two months ago leads to an interesting aside: its achievement medal, gained by completing field research tasks, is titled Pokémon Ranger, which is more than likely also a nod to the game series of the same title. That said, I do have my own connections with the game series, and I must say I somewhat miss playing the games of the series.

There are three games in the series: the first game, which has the same title as the game series; the second game, which has the subtitle of "Shadows of Almia"; and the third, which has the subtitle of "Guardian Signs". Each of these contains different subsets of Pokémon from the first four generations, as well as being set in regions that are considered distant from those of the main series. This differentiation makes them unique in that regard, and this is helped by their deep stories and plots.

The games are all action-oriented, involving the use of the Capture Styler to virtually ensnare Pokémon and allow the Ranger to bond with the Pokémon temporarily. Once the Ranger is finished with whatever the Ranger needs to do with the Pokémon, the Pokémon is released. Of course, a Ranger does own a Pokémon of the Ranger's own and can do nifty things with it to assist capture. I like the mechanisms of the latter two games the most, as I think they're largely improved compared to the first game. There's something to be said about not battling with a Pokémon of one's own, but reciprocating a capture to do other things is fun too.

What I'm sad about is that there are only three games in the series and it wasn't expanded to cover Pokémon of later generations or those that haven't been included. And since the 3DS is practically about to be deprecated, it's a shame a dedicated version can't appear there. Yet the Switch does have a touch screen, so there might be a possibility of a revival there, however remote. My progress in the Ranger games are perhaps the most thorough of anything I've ever done for any Pokémon game, including the main series games, so that's something I'm proud to have done. If the series ever gets revived, I'm sure I would play through it thoroughly as well.

I'm fascinated by the Pokémon Ranger series of games, not the least by what they bring to the table. The play mechanics are innovative and the storylines are enthralling, and these simply demand the games to be completed thoroughly. It's no wonder that I quite miss them, prompted by the achievement medal in Pokémon Go. It's a longing I'd be glad to alleviate by replaying the games or expectantly waiting for its revival.

One year ago: 3DS Pokémon Badges

Everyone's RPG vs. Hardcore RPG

The announcement of LGP/LGE two days ago was both revolutionary and shocking. It was revolutionary because it presented a new style for the Pokémon RPG, one that can appeal to everyone like Pokémon Go also appeals to everyone. It was also shocking because it seems like a total departure from how the main series games have progressed. And yet, it was reassured that another RPG is coming next year, which is most likely a member of the main series. This leads to a dichotomy of the Pokémon RPG, between one that everyone can play and one that the hardcore fans play.

Because of the dichotomy, an important concern is raised. The concern is that there may be some fans who wouldn't play this new-style RPG and are quick to judge those who only play it. While it is expected that fans who play the new-style RPG would be able to acclimatize to the point where they would be able to dive into the main series and expand their knowledge, there would also be fans who are only comfortable with the new style. In short, there would be those that like both and will play both, while there would also be those that remain in one camp or the other, and criticism from each other would arise out of these groups.

To this, I say things have changed. The main series Pokémon RPG is not what it was way back when, except for the core principles. It's akin to modern operating systems on PCs: it has many, many parts to keep track of and adjust so that it works out as well as it can be. That is indeed hardcore, and that can be a bit too much for some people. On the other hand, for the best of tinkerers, they can come up with great things, and thus there exists VGC, where those tinkerers can try (and retry) their skills, then rise to the top. It's an awesome thing, but then for any Pokémon fan, everything else is awesome as well.

In my view, there's no place for this criticism; things will change and continue to change. It's totally respectable that Pokémon is giving a simpler option for anyone who wants to dive into this great, big world. Even I as an old fan appreciate this gesture and see this as a great venue for everyone playing Pokémon. Who knows - perhaps in the future, there may be something similar to VGC for this new style of play, which to continue the culinary analogy from my most recent thoughts on VGC, would be like a state fair cook-off rather than a strict cooking challenge. That way, everyone can show their awesomeness as well.

With LGP/LGE, the dichotomy becomes evident, as these are games any fan can play, in comparison to the main series, which is at its greatest among the hardcore fans. I say any of these are welcome to any fan, whether a fan who wishes to rise to the heavens with the hardcore main series games or go down to earth with the new style of games. Wherever they are, Pokémon is surely to be enjoyed, whichever direction any fan leans to. And we're all in it together.

One year ago: (Self) References