From One Path to Another

Even if it sounds odd, I do learn a few things from games, including Pokémon games. In the case of an adventure/role-playing game like the main series of Pokémon games, there is something neat that I have learned. It is that if a certain path is not available, then another one may be found instead. It's something that may be vital in those games in order to advance, and in some cases, real life as well may also necessitate the same strategy for certain advancements.

A simple example can be found in the first-generation games. In heading from Cerulean City to Vermilion City, initially the player cannot go through the gates that lead to Saffron City. However, a little bit of exploration leads to the discovery of the Underground Path, which allows the player to bypass the gates (and therefore Saffron City) to head to Vermilion City, at least for that time being until the gates are opened to allow access to Saffron City. The Underground Path becomes the "other path" that allows for progress.

The real-life example is more complex, but it shares the same bones. Today I was on an errand to something, but when I was about to get there, my way was hindered by something I could not prevent and I had no involvement in. I eventually got to where my errand took me, but it took a roundabout approach, or perhaps it may also be called a "buying time" approach. However it's called, it is regardless the "other path" that eventually led me to where I needed to go, and progress was achieved.

This taking of different paths is by no means unique to Pokémon games - rather, it constitutes a basic strategy to those and many more games - but, as hard-wired to Pokémon as I am, it's something that resonates the most with Pokémon personally. It's something to follow in those games and may sometimes be applicable in some cases in real life as well. At the least, it's nice to know that sometimes there is just another way out by way of a different approach.

One year ago: (Again a) Local Ex-Raid, 3/24/2018
Two years ago: The Many Forms of Pikachu in Shuffle