The Start of a Decked-Out Adventure

Earlier, I had mentioned in a post regarding being expectant of the Pokémon TCG that I was actually awaiting a physical deck, but I wasn't able to get it then because of some problems that weren't mine to begin with. Today, I finally got the physical deck I was promised, by way of an outing for them at a place I know well around my locale. In a way, I had surmised that this could happen, and it did; it affirmed my decision to write up the Pokémon Go event rollup the other day, so that I could write about this today.

This starter deck (evident from the wording on the box) has all the cards needed to start playing - 60 of them - as well as the damage counters necessary to keep track of damage to Pokémon as they are affected. It doesn't have a coin, but this can easily be made up. Any player, budding or blooming alike, should have no trouble breaking out the deck and start playing right away, especially as it includes a single-sheet "quick start guide" to playing, for those new to the game or who just need something to review. Needless to say, the cards are of the localized variant.

"Start playing" was also definitely something that I did the very same day, also as expected the other day, though it was against a more experienced player with a constructed deck, a deck that had been adjusted. Thanks to playing the TCGO, I already knew most of what I can and needed to do in order to play, though I kept the quick start guide handy just for review... until someone took it to take a look at it mid-way through my match, and when I wanted to retrieve it, it had gone missing. Further, as it was my first time playing with a physical deck outside the confines of the TCGO, the automated "checks and balances" were missing, and it might have affected my gameplay. Predictably, I lost the match, and hope for a second practice match practically vanished over the course of the day.

Even with that, there were some bits of ingenuity that I discovered while playing. Because the locale is often full of people playing board or card games, they have tools I don't have, like plenty of dice to advance progress of certain games, and these can be used in the TCG match as well. Polyhedral dice could be used to keep track of damage to Pokémon, instead of my included counters. In lieu of a coin, a die could be used to call for an odd or even number, with similar effect. I've yet to discover any related to the actual physical game, but I will probably do soon enough.

It could be said that I've had a bit of a rough start to my physical TCG progress, and this somewhat confirms that I really am "not ready for prime time" despite experience with the TCGO. It was probably a good thing that I was kept away from that tournament, given this case. But now that I have a gateway to a physical start, I may be able to make headway very soon to become familiar with the game as it's intended to be played: a physical, hands-on adventure with Pokémon on a deck of cards.

One year ago: Solidarity Making
Two years ago: Reunions!

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/30/2019

As I had stated when I discussed the official Pokémon Go blog, I hadn't made the event rollup for this month. After some consideration and research, I've decided that today is the day to make this month's event rollup. I was thinking of delaying it by one day - in other words, by making it tomorrow on the last day of the month, but I decided it wasn't wise, for some things may happen on that day. With that, the rollup is set for this day, being the latest time possible.

Early this month, an interesting event came up, which I've dubbed the Gift Event. For a two-week period, a Trainer could open up to 30 Gifts a day (up by 10 from the usual 20), and could obtain up to 20 Gifts from PokéStops (double the usual). Further, all Eggs obtained from sent Gifts by friends were 2 km Eggs, but their contents are still from 7 km Eggs, essentially being sped up before incubation. I've actually alluded to this event in a certain post about limits in the game, so my desire to have some limits raised was fulfilled, though only for a limited time. A repeat of this event later on may be desired, if not to just raise them directly (and keep it that way) at some point.

The big thing this month was of course this year's Summer Tour, which has as its last stop the Pokémon Go Fest in Yokohama. For all players, the big rewards are Blanche's Stardust challenge, with bonuses that increase possibilities of obtaining more Stardust, which nowadays are becoming ever more important as the "currency" for improving Pokémon. But the biggest reward of all is the Suicune Raid Day, as with the other two beast raid days over the previous months; for this one, it took place on a special day for one of the world's most populous countries (mine), so the post alluded for that as well. I also caught a Shiny Suicune, which completed the Summer Tour nicely. And yet, the bonuses are not yet done; next month is when the big things come.

Just this week, another event started, which happens to be a repeat of an event from last year. That would be the Water Festival, which as with last year featured Water-type Pokémon everywhere, even in raids. Though this event regards no Pokémon in general - save for a few which has their Shiny forms unlocked today - I find some Pokémon become more lucrative than others, especially given that the event provides a chance for a few rarely-seen Pokémon to appear. This event therefore becomes a way to catch them and hopefully pave the way to beget a Lucky Pokémon. Beyond that, it's simply a way to revel in Pokémon of this type, which hopefully should allow for great things with them.

Though this last bit isn't an event per se, it does tie in to a few things now and a little later on. Those who were fortunate enough to go to the Go Fest events of the Summer Tour will have had the chance to complete a Special Research for Jirachi; with the conclusion of the Summer Tour, it has been unlocked for all. It's a neat epilogue for the series of events from the past three months, as well as a prologue for what will happen all next month. My advice is to hold on to your hats... and hunker down to complete this Special Research.

Events in Pokémon Go can be exceptional, major, rejuvenated, or significant, such as with the above events. But most of that is hardly caused by the game itself; to a major part, it's caused by the Pokémon involved. With just a bit of prior planning, one can take advantage of the events, and one too can outline what and how they were. The fun with the game continues in doing so.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/30/2018
Two years ago: Stories That You Don't Know

Adventurous Families

Having recently resettled in a new place, I find that not everything is all bad, despite the things that happened during the process. Around the new place, I often meet people who seem to be part of "adventurous families", being that they're young and old, and they've got a few things to show that they can go places and do nifty things, like Pokémon Trainers do. It gets me thinking of how this concept could be realized in the Pokémon world.

By its most common definition, a family involves more than one person who are linked by relationships of some sort. Thus, the double Trainers composed of an older person and a younger one that is found in some parts of the third-generation games could be considered to be a realization of this concept, though it is rudimentary, especially if the only thing they have to show off is their Pokémon. But that seems adventurous enough - they are actual Trainers with actual Pokémon after all, and they're not shy about going into battle and challenging the main character. That should be adventurous enough.

Still in the third-generation games, it's not hard to find another example of an "adventurous family"; that honor would belong to the Winstrate Family, found just off Mauville City, who deliver a four-in-one punch like the Elite Four, only without a sufficient break in between. They do indeed fit the bill as one, even though the only thing they have to show is their Pokémon. It's still somewhat distanced from the "adventurous families" I'm seeing, but it's close enough.

Though their family links are questionable, the Kimono Girls and "day Trainers" in Johto also seem to fit the bill. The former is extravagant and the latter is typical, but their thematic associations (Eeveelutions for the former and days of the week for the latter) seemingly delivers the impression of a "family". That being the case, they could be considered "adventurous families" in any case.

While I haven't connected with the "adventurous families" that I seem to have encountered, the concept is admittedly fascinating. A family that allows for wild things to take place seems like a remarkable family in some ways. Thinking about it in Pokémon terms allows me to get a grip on the concept, even if I seem to be removed from it in some ways. I'm sure that I stand to relate to this concept further as I go along, including with Pokémon.

One year ago: Media Master
Two years ago: Catching Up

Allying with Characters

Over a week ago, I discussed a pair of keychains, with one of them being for a character that might seem unfamiliar. That character is Riley, whose personage might seem minor and insignificant. And yet, he is in fact an ally character that assists the main player character at certain times. This becomes a prompt to think about the situation of different characters joining up with others, including the primary (player) character. A number of considerations also apply to this situation, including its realism aspect.

The main series games seem to indicate that the process of being a Trainer and becoming the best is a mostly solitary process, except of course for the parts where an ally character like Riley is involved. It seems rather idealized, as whether it's the Pokémon world or the real world, in some sense one cannot truly live alone. One can try, but eventually one has to coexist with someone else. The picture in that sense seems incomplete as well. The appearance of Riley and other similar characters can then be considered a way to rectify that.

In the anime, things seem a little better as the primary protagonist is most of the time banded, to other important characters no less. It seems to illustrate real life a bit better and affirms that Pokémon characters can, do, and likely will ally if given the opportunity. Then again, the anime is known for plenty of its departures from the games; it still seems like a departure that makes sense, however. Given the case, it may be that many Trainers in making their journey do indeed ally with others.

As for ultimate alliances of really great characters with one another, one game seems to suggest that this can just occur. That game is the upcoming Pokémon Masters game for mobile devices. From the indications, the game is to have the best and the greatest characters from all around Pokémon that can then collaborate together in battle. Such a case would seem to be exceptional if it truly happened for real, but it too affirms the alliance opportunity scenario.

All things considered, alliances seem to be the way that things lead to, no matter how implausible or out-of-reach it may seem. But to join up with others is a normal and in some cases necessary thing to do in life. The world of Pokémon has its own way for life to proceed, which may or may not give rise to alliances. Still, if life here is like life in the most realistic form, then alliances are without a doubt the way to go.

One year ago: PokéVerbalisms
Two years ago: After the Faraway Tournament

Blogging on Blogs: The Pokémon Go Official Blog

As a blogger, every so often I do (have to) check out other blogs to gain some insight or to find information that I need for my own posts. It's especially useful if I think I may have missed something along the way. Since I play Pokémon Go, I have to check for information on the game, especially for the creation of the monthly event rollups here. One of the ways I do so is by checking out and reading the posts on the official blog of the game. As it turns out, it's a pretty neat blog in and of itself.

As expected, the blog contains information on what goes on in the game, some of which may also be found through the game's News function, and if one has enabled it, the e-mail newsletter and updates... which may also refer back to the blog. Taken together, they constitute "support systems" for each other; each provides something that one doesn't. For example, the e-mail might only be a short tidbit or bulletin, while the game might provide greater details, but it's the blog that provides the most content. Likewise, the news announcements in the game may not be persistent, and the e-mails might get lost, but in the blog, they're all there.

Beyond this, the blog does contain some extra content that are not disclosed whether in-game or through e-mail updates. During the Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago, for example, the blog provided a weather advisory to those attending the event, which surely had to have been useful for some people. Recently, I've also been reading the Developer Insights that are also present on the same blog, which are fascinating in regard to how some things came about, including Team GO Rocket and Shadow Pokémon. Specifically, some of that involves details about why the latter became prevented to be traded: to thwart an easy way to get Pokémon with really good stats, something that was quickly conceived when it came about.

Unlike this blog, that one is not updated each day, every day; it is only updated when it needs to be (some updates even being on the same day as another), and that's just fine. The functions of the two blogs are different - this one being personal and overarching in regard to Pokémon, and that one being purposive and detailed in regard to the game. Any reader should find reasons to appreciate the two blogs, with those being the starting point. Likewise, I have to appreciate it as well in order to appreciate what I write on this blog.

That said, the Pokémon Go official blog is usefully informative. It keeps track of what I can't keep track, and the additional content is intriguing and attractive to read. Right now, it reminds me something I haven't done, which is to compose the Pokémon Go event rollup for the current month. Some of the content in that blog should hint at how my rollup will take shape, and I do believe this is something that will be true for later months as well as I continue reading that blog as it updates.

One year ago: My Pokémon Groups on Facebook
Two years ago: In-Town vs. Out-of-Town Events

Making Others (and Myself) Happy

A few days ago, I heard a statement that I thought was fascinating. The statement more or less goes like this: "When others are happy, I'm happy." As with many things that capture my interest, there's Pokémon somehow involved behind it. It has a loose interpretation when it comes to Pokémon, but it's an interpretation that is befitting nonetheless. It also speaks to me rather personally.

Pokémon Go is a fine example of where this statement applies. A few things in Pokémon Go demand that they be done with other players, so it means that for whatever success that happens with any of the players in a group of them, the other players have at least some contributory role. I've been in quite a few raids where I or someone else obtained a Shiny Legendary, and whatever happens, I have no doubt made my contribution to to it. I can only be happy for others and thereby myself, fulfilling the above statement.

Two months ago, there was the "National Dex fiasco"; this may also be considered in light of this statement. It was probably never the intention for the National Dex to be limited in the manner that it's planned, based on my personal observations. But I'm sure that with or without a limit, whatever goes on with Sword and Shield is to make every player as happy as possible, which then goes back to the creators. That effectively realizes the statement, making it truly apply.

The statement can also apply in a simpler way, one that's evident right here and now: for this blog. All the posts on this blog are designed to please any Pokémon fan that might be reading it; they are to be happy knowing what I can do and what I've done. Even if there are no obvious indications, I'm sure that someone out there is pleased by simply reading everything I've written. That of course goes back to me, bringing happiness.

There are many things that people do for others. Mine, and I surmise for a number of others out there, involve Pokémon. If it can make people happy, then that's a great thing; it means that it has been rewarding for them. It's never an easy thing to tell, but I'm sure that at least one or many will at least feel happy knowing that it's been done in such a way.

And that makes me happy to no end.

One year ago: Figure Gathering, Again
Two years ago: Cosplay: B-Bunkasai 2017 - Yume no Tobira

Expecting the Cards

It's been two weeks since the localized TCG was formally launched, and attention to them has been quite steady, apart from the initial hiccups I mentioned in the previous post. The trading card game in general has been around for quite some time, but with this localization, it has become an "old new thing", in a way. Even with that, it still seems to be a great thing.

One of the ways that is so is that there seems to be no shortage of tournaments. A preliminary list of the competition system has been issued, and things look good enough up to May next year, when the international championship is held in the country. That's how important it is. There are still other competitions, of course, and one of them happens to take place today, in a place I could stand to go to... but I didn't, because I had other things to do. Plus, even with a deck, I'm not really "ready for prime time"; I want to build up my mettle before I actually compete. That means having a deck that I trust myself playing with and being capable of sparring with others.

To that end, I turn back to the TCGO for some assistance. It turns out a couple of friends I know do play the TCGO, and I've added their names to my friend list. It's a meager amount, but since the ultimate goal is playing the physical cards, it suffices for now. And today, I just had my first matches with one of them. Even though I lost all the matches, it was great to be able to do so. The practicality aspect of the electronic game makes things neat. How I can translate this experience to the physical cards when I start to play and work with them will be the real challenge.

As for myself, I've decided to put my foot down and obtain a physical deck. I was supposed to be able to get it today, but it turns out that I couldn't due to technical reasons, mostly not on my end. In a way, I was expecting to be able to try sparring with the deck immediately, but this may or may not have been able to be realized. This week, I may have answers to at least some of these issues. It should be noted that if I actually went to that competition, I could have gotten a deck right then and there (and, needless to say, start playing), but understandably, things didn't work out. So the waiting game begins.

The Pokémon TCG has to be appreciated, and with the way things are looking, a lot more of that appreciation may be due real soon in my localized sphere. It's a real way to start playing Pokémon, even if some of it is aided electronically - but that's hardly a problem. What is a problem is if things don't work, but one way or another, they should work out, especially with me joining in. With that, new ways should present itself as I begin my local exploration of the TCG.

One year ago: PokéMusicians
Two years ago: Wallpaper: Ash XY Tribute Style

Cosplay: B-Bunkasai 2019 - Orihime to Hikoboshi no Monogatari

Me: Well, it's that time of year again. You know this theme event well, and so do I. It means a lot.

Ash: What's the theme this year?

Me: The theme this year is a fairytale, about a pair of lovers separated by a vast space and can only meet one day a year. It's a bit sad, just like a recent experience I had.

Pikachu: Pi... pika pika. ["Oh, I see."]

Ash: I guess we need this one, huh?

Me: Yeah, we really need it. I know it's a bit standard from year to year, but it's in an important place for many people, even me. So I always hope for different things.

Ash: Like what?

Me: In the past, there had been character performance competitions here, but recently, it's only been the parade.

Ash: Yeah, there's still one. I got in.

Me: That's great! I thought I was going to have problems getting you in, but it turned out OK.

Brock: Can you help me out with a game from my friend and your friends?

Ash: Sure! Oh yeah, we're all supposed to meet today! But where's May? And Misty?

Norman: I'm sorry, May went on a trip and she couldn't come back in time. Max is in a pinch.

Brock: Yeah, and Misty told me she had to watch the Gym.

Psyduck: Psyduck psy! ["That's right!"]

Ash: I guess we did OK with who we have. I still wish we could all be together.

Brock: Maybe it'll happen sometime.

Me: By the way, anything really different this year?

Ash: The stage is really big! It was so big for the bands and characters. But a few things seemed to be delayed, so it felt off.

Me: That seems to always happen somehow.

Ash: But everything was good, though! They looked a lot neater than in the years before.

Me: That must be a good thing, for at least they're doing something right.

Pikachu: Pi pika pika. ["I'd say."]

Me: OK, that just leaves the results for the parade. How'd things go?

Ash: No win, sorry. And this is the Hoenn outfit that you sent me with.

Me: Maybe the magic wore off a bit. That's OK, there will be other times. You know, I think this was still a good day regardless.

Ash: I guess you're right.

Pikachu: Pika pika pi. ["I guess so."]

Me: I'm sure we're in for good times ahead, no matter what.

One year ago: Trainers and Musicians Alike
Two years ago: Pokkén Downturn?

It's Gonna Be...

There comes a day
When I'll be the one, you'll see
It's gonna (gonna, gonna, gonna, gonna)
It's gonna be me
-- "It's Gonna Be Me", N*SYNC

Around a year and four months ago, I wrote about a particular boy band song that mentions about being "the one", of course with a Pokémon twist. There is another song that could be considered its "kissing cousin" not only because similar themes are involved, but also because it became popular at about the same time, perhaps in a way also with Pokémon. That song is the one for which I've quoted part of the bridge above.

As with the other song, a lot of it involves love, of the romantic kind of course. It's about becoming the perfect partner for someone who's lost, hurt, or otherwise estranged. That rather explains the music video for it, with the band members wanting to appease a certain girl. Beyond love, it could be construed as getting back up after an adversity to get into something greater, which perhaps might fit my current situation. The point is that when the time comes, there will be one - hopefully, "me" or "you".

Speaking of "the one", this song also became popular at the same time the English dub of the second feature film (movie) became popular. In it, Ash faces all kinds of adversity in learning that he is "the one" to prevent the Pokémon world from plunging into chaos. In a way, the song can be considered to loosely apply for depicting the movie. I'd love to run with this idea to make an AMV, but I'm not quite "the one" for that. Maybe someone else is that "one".

There is also an offbeat aside to this song. In the song, instances of the word "me" does not audibly sound like "me", but like "may", one denotation being "the month of...". Because of that, the song has been the butt of many jokes for that occasion (which is currently three months past). Another denotation for "may" is a particular character whose name is as such, at least in one linguistic universe. And if you're a Pokémon fan, I trust that you'll know this character well. It "may" be a sign.

This song and that previous song may seem to be oddballs for Pokémon. And yet, a part of Pokémon is wanting to be whoever one wants to be, and making time pass well before that happens. The discourse of being "the one" therefore still applies with this song. Eventually, when one gets to that point, with Pokémon or anything else, then it's gonna be... that one.

One year ago: A Mascot Reinterpretation
Two years ago: Local Hangouts and Pokémon

Mementos of...

A lot of things change in life, and mine is no exception. Many things simply disappear along with those changes, but if they're made into mementos, then they could be remembered indefinitely. Many of the things in this blog could be considered as such, as well as a few other things. One of those things is a little something that I received a few days ago from a really good friend, one that for frequent readers of this blog may be not too unfamiliar.

These are two styled Polaroid photos taken from when I met my girl fan one day at a certain mini-convention with a cat flavor. It was an interesting day at the least, especially for her. That day, I took part in the J-Song competition, singing "Together" by Akiyoshi Fumie, but I messed up, which most likely cost me a win. It's pretty much regrettable, but then something more interesting happened two months later.

At another gathering/mini-event, I sang "Together" again along with "Best Wishes", and I ended up taking second place, the first time that had ever happened with a J-Song competition. I'm impressed with my win, of course, but as she is a Pokémon fan as well, she can't help but be impressed as well. Eventually, when we met again a few days ago at a really great convention, she awarded these Polaroid photos of when we met at the other convention for that win.

Of course, that does call into question as to what these are mementos of. On one hand, it is a memento of the former mini-convention, as the pictures so clearly indicate. On the other hand, it is just as she said - it's a memento for a well-deserved win. However it is, it's also a memento of the both of us meeting each other, as well as this costume; it is after all the very first Ash costume I had, and I still use it to this very day.

Perhaps the best answer is that it is simply all of the above. Everything that involved the mementos here have come and gone, but the mementos remain. It's part of the cycle of things changing in life and disappearing, only this one isn't. After going through a really big change, this may be a way to recover from that. It becomes one thing that should (and will) never disappear despite everything that has changed.

One year ago: Cosplay Events, Wherefore Art Thou?
Two years ago: Connection Issues?

The Price of Cosplay Costumes

Many things I have in my life, and for that matter pretty much everyone's lives, cost some amount of money to have. My Pokémon cosplay costumes are of no exception, as with other cosplayers and their costumes. It's something that I don't give much thought, even though it's true; furthermore, I confess that I've lost track of some of it. Recently, though, I've been hinted again at this issue by something that has transpired.

During the most recent convention that I went to, I and three other cosplayers were asked about the prices of our costumes... or rather, were asked to play a game involving the prices of our costumes. Each cosplayer was asked about the parts to be evaluated, and the other three evaluated the cost of those parts in the same manner as a certain game show also involving prices of things; the closest one earned points. I gave an estimate of the price of my costume based on what I could remember, since it was such a long time ago that most of the costume was crafted; even so, I'm certain that it's not far off. The details of this game were also filmed and are present in a YouTube video, a vlog of one of my fellow cosplayers.

I've always spent money on my (Pokémon) costumes, and I'm certain to spend more as I'm interested in new ones. Perhaps the reason why I've never thought much about it or kept track of it is because I need it, not just for my personal satisfaction, but also for the satisfaction of other people, something I've become aware of over the years I've cosplayed; my costumes provide me with satisfaction, while cosplaying with them provides satisfaction to other people. Therefore, I'm always serving goodness for myself and everyone, which is good regardless of how it comes about. Still, I do sometimes desire something more.

At this point, I've cosplayed for over seven and a half years, and I've invested quite a bit of my money on my costumes, Pokémon or otherwise. With all of Ash's general outfits at hand plus two of Red, that amounts to quite a bit of money. I have to say that since it's an investment (as is anything that anyone buys), it could be expected to provide returns, but that hasn't much been the case for me, or perhaps even most cosplayers that I know. That's why I also sign up for as many competitions as possible in order to actually realize those returns. It might take a while, and it may not always be successful, but at the least I can still hope for at least some return on my costume investments.

There's something to be said about the price of my cosplay costumes. On one hand, it does matter because I'm spending (good) money for them, so I should consider it as well, especially for getting my investment on them back. On the other hand, they have totally been the "gifts that kept on giving", so I'm not inclined to think about them for what they cost. All the same, I'm sure however much I spend, it may be good to "keep track of where [I'm] going, and have many happy returns" about those costumes.

One year ago: Do Unusual Things
Two years ago: Futureproofing Transfers

Red and Riley Keychains

What I like about Pokémon merchandise is that it can really go any which way. That is to say, it can go in many different directions. Such is the case with a couple of Pokémon keychains that I obtained by way of the convention from the other day. They seem rather worthwhile to be gotten from there, not the least of which is by their looks.

As hinted by the title, the keychains are of Pokémon Trainer Red and Riley. Red needs no introduction; he's a popular protagonist character. Riley is a bit more complex, meanwhile. He's what one would call an "ally character", serving to aid the protagonist during certain situations. In the games, he battles alongside the protagonist, when prompted to, in a Multi Battle. Discussion about this is best reserved for another post, but that's the gist of it. The two are very much vivid characters.

The keychains are quite vivid as well. Red, as depicted with his new outfit, is also depicted with one of his most powerful Pokémon, being Charizard. Riley is also depicted with a Pokémon, but the one that is characteristically his - Lucario. The Pokémon link is affirmed with a Poké Ball in the background. Each keychain, in a way, shows off a particular aspect of the Trainers, with Red being of a fiery spirit and Riley being of solid strength, helped of course by the associations with each Pokémon.

These keychains are actually part of a series of related keychains that depict various Pokémon Trainers. The offered selection actually included Cynthia, N, and even Lillie. But mostly for aesthetic (Riley) and attachment (Red) reasons, I chose to obtain both. It's pretty much a coincidence that their names begin with "R". But they're great Trainers in their own regard, and that adds value to the keychains that I got.

In general, keychains constitute its own direction for Pokémon merchandise, as I've discussed in several posts on this blog. But this is still a different direction for this kind of merchandise. It's by no means unique, but with the way that these keychains are, these just become one way to go among those many ways.

One year ago: The Apple and Pokémon
Two years ago: Cosplay: Nimatsuri 2017

This Is My House

'Cause this is my house, it belongs to me
Inside my head, it's all that's left
This is my house, this is my bed
This is where I sleep
That was the dark, those are my dreams
They belong to me
This is my house...
-- "House", Elton John

Those who have been reading my blog in July might have come across a certain post that was deemed as "subtle" in some ways. That post actually concerns three things, and while I've bothered to explain about one of them, I haven't explained about the other two. This post intends to explain about one of the two that haven't been, but of course with a Pokémon perspective, and a little assistance from the song above.

So the truth is that I am (or have been) in the process of moving to a new house, something that I haven't done in over a decade and feels even more difficult now, since that house is a family house that has been so since far longer. It incites the third verse - due to the second line above - of this (probably) lesser-known song from this popular musician; overall, the song itself is about the sentiments one may feel when one is within one's own house.

The phenomenon of moving houses is something that many people in the Pokémon world may feel. It is even notably referred to as part of the beginning of the third-generation storyline in Ruby and Sapphire as well as the seventh-generation storyline in Sun and Moon (and all variants thereof). Though the tribulations of the process are not disclosed - and simply left to the imagination of the player - certainly there has to be some, especially if it is then part of the impetus to start a new Pokémon journey.

Today, the process is more or less complete for me personally, though some things remain to be done to complete the move. It's consoling that at least in the Pokémon world, it's something that happens there as well and is sometimes referred to. The rest of the sentiments, for Pokémon fans and characters alike, may be well-represented with the song above, for both of those whose houses are a little (a lot) less firm-footed, and those with a solid roof above their heads.

One year ago: Local Ex-Raid (and Changes), 8/19/2018
Two years ago: Pikachu Image Pillow

Cosplay: STARNIFEST 2019

Ash: Whoa! Now this is new.

Me: Nice, huh? Actually, this is not so new, since I had meant to send you to this one on two separate occasions, one of which being nearly two years ago, but they always conflicted with something else that took precedence. This time, the path is clear.

Pikachu: Pi! Pika pika! ["Yeah! It's neat!"]

Me: I've always heard that this convention is a big thing, and that my friends like it, and so on and so forth. Now that I've been able to send you, what do you see?

Ash: Well, I can see why your friends like it! It's indoors, there are a lot of people showing things off, and it's in a big place. We missed a lot when you didn't send me here.

Me: Yeah, but the others are important as well, so as they say, better late than never.

Ash: Hey, I met your figure friends!

Me: Yes, they told me they would be exhibiting, so it's always nice to see them, right?

Ash: Yeah, I like the Pokémon that's there. The leader likes Piplup a lot - I know that's Dawn's Pokémon, but I can speak for her.

Pikachu: Pi, pika pika. ["I like Piplup too."]

Me: That's always a thing. That exhibition should be enjoyable now that something like the localized TCG has taken hold.

Ash: Hey, yeah. A lot of people asked if you have played. You're still learning, right?

Me: Right. It's fun, and maybe you might like it too. Now, how about the other exhibitors? What did they have?

Ash: You know, it's the usual. There are lots of goodies, but not much food, maybe to keep the mess down. I think you might be interested in some of the goodies.

Me: I wonder if you can get something.

Ash: I just did! I think you'll love what I got.

Me: Fantastic! Also, I'm sorry that I couldn't set you up for the J-Song competition. The deadline was way past, and they would have auditioned you out of so many anyway. But I think the character parade is open.

Ash: It is! And I got myself in, with my Unova outfit.

Me: Great! How'd it go?

Ash: It was fun, but I didn't win. There were 80 characters and only three won. I think the judges had a problem deciding who won.

Me: Well, I can see that. 80 is a big number.

Ash: There was a weird dance at the end, but it looked fun, so I and some other characters joined in.

Me: Why not. That should be a relief from not winning.

Pikachu: Pika pi! Pi pika pika chu! ["Ash! It did look weird!"]

Ash: Sorry, Pikachu. I guess I just got caught in the moment.

Me: With a convention this big, this packed, and this fun, everything is still OK.

Ash: We should go whenever we can!

Me: Sure thing, whenever possible. It's definitely a part of the event calendar now. It might just happen next time.

One year ago: Cosplay: B-Bunkasai 2018 - Subarashii Maboroshii no Sekai
Two years ago: Battle of the Masters

...And Social Justice for All

In building civilizations, there are certain principles that are followed in order to be beneficial for everyone. One of them is "social justice". It's a nifty principle with many interpretations, with most of them being good; it's the good ones that matter, certainly regarding the above. And since it's on this blog, I have to relate it to Pokémon somehow. Fortunately, I know how this might work out.

One way that "social justice" may be interpreted is as "equal opportunity", wherein everyone is able to access something with relatively equal efforts. This may be taken as getting something for the same price, for example. In that case, the localized TCG would fit into this interpretation. Players are able to play the same cards as others, in a language they may better understand, at a reasonable price. I'd say that's accessibility, and I'd say that's social justice.

Another way to interpret "social justice" is being able to fulfill the hopes of others, even if things don't materialize as they should. Such is the case with certain Level 5 Legendary Pokémon raids in Pokémon Go, in particular ones that may beget a Shiny Legendary. These don't always turn out Shiny - in fact, they often don't. But to be able to realize a raid with others and give them a shot at getting one is noble. It may still be hard to become a benefactor of one, but at least the chance is there.

"Social justice" is indeed a nifty principle. It is, in fact, one of the "Five Principles", the be-all and end-all ideology of the country of Indonesia, which as I've indicated in previous years (see below), is my origin and residence. While the Five Principles work as a cohesive system, sometimes it's important to point out how any one of them specifically works. I may or may not be able to discuss the others in due time, but at least I can discuss them based on what I know and how I've been exposed to them.

(And yes, although this post does discuss Pokémon Go, it doesn't specifically discuss the game... so my alternation pattern can be considered to have been broken. But that's OK - there's no time like the present to do so.)

And as always, I wish all my fellow Indonesians a Happy Independence Day.

One year ago: United in Diversity
Two years ago: Red and White Philosophy

Capital Convergence

As with two years ago and one year ago, I feel compelled (and required) to make this post. The post will concern, of course, the Pokémon World Championships, which start today in the U.S. and takes place over this weekend. As I'm not a competitor and have never been there - though one day I'd like to come whether to compete or to observe - I can only discuss it in a roundabout manner. This year, the Championships take place in Washington, DC, which anyone surely recognizes as the capital of the United States. That explains the title of this post, as it is a convergence (meeting) in the capital city.

As evidenced over the years and especially in the past two years, the Championships have been held in different cities in the U.S., not necessarily the capital or even the business center. It's a stark contrast to what would happen with events (Pokémon or otherwise) of similar scale where I am, which would often be invariably be held in the capital city, which serves as the business center. It's not that it's a bad thing, but it does affirm the "capital convergence" for just about everything. Lately there has been talk about moving the capital, so when it happens, there will be no capital convergence... but all the same, that city might still strongly be a magnet for major events.

At the same time, the holding of the Championships in the U.S. does affirm it as a "capital" of Pokémon, removed from its origins in Japan. In that sense, there is a convergence from year to year. The location might be in different cities, but each one will still serve as a "makeshift capital" for that year. The convergence might be considered to be in a loosely general sense, and yet it does happen, year in and year out. For many Pokémon players, there is probably the hope that this does continue to happen, and that they can be part of the convergence.

This year, the best of the best for the VGC tournament of the main series, TCG tournament with the cards, and the fighting game Pokkén converge in order to duke it out over three days' worth of rounds and come out the very best. There is also one important new thing: for the first time ever, and thanks to its introduction months ago, PvP tournament of Pokémon Go is part of the festivities. For now, the tournament is only an invitational one held with a small group of players on the first day, but if this is a rousing success, it may just lead to another point of convergence.

Whatever happens, there will always be convergence with the Pokémon World Championships. It will be in one city or another, but the convergence will happen somehow. It won't necessarily be at the capital city proper either, but wherever it is, Pokémon players (and the best ones of them) may be only too happy to converge. And when all is said and done, the point of the Championships is to converge to whoever comes out as the very best, a noble thing for anyone who knows Pokémon inside and out.

One year ago: Getting Lucky with It
Two years ago: I Want to Splurge

The Subtle Generational Spoiler

The social channels of Pokémon Go did something interesting on two occasions. In two celebratory images, a few Pokémon of the next generation that has not appeared in the game appeared in the images. The images themselves are rather busy - they have a lot of visible things in them, including a plethora of many Pokémon that are already available - so one would have to look at them closely to find the Pokémon in question. I call this a spoiler for the next generation, albeit a subtle one.

Last year, the image involved the fourth-generation starter Pokémon popping up in the periphery of the image. Lo and behold, later that October, the first wave of the fourth-generation Pokémon appeared, with the starters included in the first wave. This year, the Pokémon in question appeared close to the middle-bottom of the image, though still hidden among the mix of things. As can be predicted, they're of the fifth-generation starter Pokémon, so this hints at them coming sometime, though without a firm time frame (yet).

Admittedly, this is rather clever. The social channels expect a viewer of the image to be caught in the festiveness of the image and not notice fine details in the image until later on. And it's likely the one who will take notice is a different, more observant viewer. It's an amazing subtlety, akin to one that is present in a post I made not too long ago, which a reader commented upon. I still have not explained the majority of that subtlety, so I may have to do it at some point, even soon.

Thanks to this bit of subtlety, now fans of Pokémon Go have a bit of an expectation. That expectation is that Pokémon of an upcoming generation will be previewed (or rather, spoiled) by way of an image. Though the manner by which it is done is simple, the effect is profound. This is true whether one realizes it directly and soon, indirectly a little later by others, or even later when what has been spoiled has actually been realized. It seems to be amazing any which way.

(And maybe, perhaps that subtlety is present elsewhere too...? 😉)

One year ago: Don't Look Back... in Anger
Two years ago: Pokémon Desktop Wallpapers

Who's That...

Any person who has been involved with Pokémon for a long time will likely know a certain verbalism. (I've already explained the concept of verbalisms and three others in a different post last year.) That verbalism concerns something that the Pokémon anime does to get its viewers - which are most likely kids of all ages - to identify Pokémon by looks and name. The western version of that goes by a single, well-known question: "Who's that Pokémon?" For the purpose of this post, I've trimmed the Pokémon part in the title to be able to discuss it in a more general setting.

In the anime, prior to the middle break of an episode, the silhouette of a Pokémon is displayed, with the question being asked. After the middle break, the silhouette is revealed and the name of the Pokémon is stated and displayed (the statement being prepended by "It's..."). The Pokémon featured in this manner is often an important one in the episode and/or plays a pivotal role. The intent, of course, is to instill the name and appearance of the Pokémon in the minds of the viewers... and in one case on the Pokémon Christmas Bash album, through just voices. It's an effective tactic, really.

So effective is the tactic that it has inspired its share of memes and parodies. Quite a few of these memes involve a particular silhouette being forced to be named as a particularly different Pokémon, even though the Pokémon is clearly not that. I personally think that this rather points out how the tactic is practically foolproof. As for parodies, the tactic has been implemented for things other than Pokémon; a certain chain of local convenience stores, which so happens to be the one linked to the efforts to make the localized TCG a success, has promoted their mascot in a manner not unlike the tactic. What this tells me is that they identified the link of the tactic to Pokémon, and they can tell it would help those fans to identify that the cards are indeed being sold there. Therefore, this tactic is quite profound, especially in connection to Pokémon.

The way that it is, it's something that is distinctively Pokémon, especially when given the verbalism. To ask a viewer to identify something might seem normal, but doing it gives a sense of confirmation. It doesn't seem too much of a wonder that it ends up being parodied for other purposes. The verbalism and tactic is to make Pokémon very much recognizable - as well, to keep it that way among its most dedicated fans.

One year ago: Worldly Reverence
Two years ago: All in Good (Life)Time

The Changing of Boxes

A little over a year ago, I wrote about a useful facet of Pokémon Go. Its item shop provides bundles of items, collectively called boxes. They have always been helpful from the get-go with all the items that are contained in them and can be gotten in one fell swoop. However, lately, there has been quite a bit of change in the boxes, perhaps most likely due to the changing nature of in-game events. The boxes remain as neat bundles, so some of these changes deserve a bit of discussion.

First up, there are new boxes. The first new box is the Adventure Box, which is equal in price to an Ultra Box, but has a different composition of items. Typically, while the Ultra Box has loads of Premium Raid Passes, the Adventure Box has loads of Egg Incubators (of both the regular and Super kinds). The second new box is the Event Box, which is equal in price to a Special Box, but it too has a different composition. Notably, this latter box often contains many Premium Raid Passes, whereas the Special Box only has a couple. These certainly add to the previous variety of boxes.

With these boxes, however, something has changed. The boxes appear to be more persistent than they were before, seemingly being available for a bit longer. As well, more recently, the Great Box, which had often offered a "happy medium" of items between the Special Box and Ultra Box, has disappeared. It may be that the new Adventure Box has offered greater flexibility despite its greater coin cost, while the Special Box remains the general "budget" option. Meanwhile, the Event Box is not persistent; like the Community Day Box during such events, it only appears during events like the Raid Days, but because it costs the same as the "budget" Special Box, it offers better flexibility for coin-strapped Trainers to still be able to participate. In a way, the balance of needs has changed.

Because of the disappearance of the Great Box, Trainers will need to pay more to get more things, or settle for the general "budget" option as above. But because the most expensive box option is divided into two, they can choose whichever one is more suitable, whether the Ultra Box to help raids or the Adventure Box to help Eggs. During events, the Community Day or Event Boxes should be now more lucrative and useful; I can vouch for this, as I've bought both of them on at least one occasion and they have helped for the events in question. These are sure to be repeat buys - perhaps again and again, as some of my raid fellows can attest.

Strangely, despite the plentiful changes to the boxes recently, their utility seems to have increased. They've become rather suited to certain tasks rather than offering a general selection, save for the Special Box, which still does in a way. The in-game events of Pokémon Go have quite changed, so considering that, the boxes should too. In that sense, the changes are welcome, as is more spending on relevant boxes for anything that a Trainer may wish to do.

One year ago: Toy Block Pokémon?
Two years ago: Cosplay Briefings

Localized TCG (Not Quite) Taking Off

Over the past weekend, there was actually something important in the TCG scene. It was actually the formal launch of the localized TCG for Indonesia, in a weekend celebration with lots of Pokémon things. I wasn't there to attend the festivities - they were too far away and I have more pressing agendas, though a few of my other Pokémon fellows did attend - but from the looks of things, they seemed to be merry. The cards themselves, however, are another matter, and some cracks have begun to show, despite what seemed to be a great start.

Any printed material is bound to have errors sooner or later (a consequence of the law that belongs to a guy named Murphy), and for the localized TCG, the errors ("errata") couldn't have come any sooner. Most of the errors concern some already-printed cards that have some labels that are still in English. Because of these errata, it's not hard to see and reason that the Indonesian cards are based on a translation of the English cards, as if one prior example didn't already clearly suggest as such. Fortunately, the cards in question are being replaced, so this issue may soon become less relevant.

A more relevant issue concerns some cards that people (like me) have. It has been stated that the localized cards are not to be interoperable (interplayed) with the English cards, something that I've come to physically possess. That means if I want to play with the English cards, I have to shell out time, money, and effort to procure the English cards, then go somewhere which permits their play. In contrast, getting the localized cards will be a no-brainer, and it will permit me to play where I am. So now the path is clear: for me to play physically and locally, I have to get my hands on the local cards. Meanwhile, I can still get in some practice with the virtual TCG client with the English cards.

Another problem that has presented itself is the hunt for cards through booster packs. As predicted in my first post about them, the local chain of convenience stores associated with the conglomerate that also manages the localized cards have begun carrying the booster packs, though so far not nationally; this comes along with a card promotion for them. The problem is that the stores may not have been informed about the promotion, leaving the cards to languish. Worse yet, some fanatical players may have taken it upon themselves to wade through packs being sold for certain cards, and not in a good way. These are real problems to be sure, ones that need to be solved pronto before truly national distribution becomes at hand.

The localized TCG has potential to present itself as a fun and affordable way for local Pokémon fans and players to express themselves, but right now, I'm not seeing it yet due to the issues above. Still, the launch event has shown a promise for the enjoyment, and I trust that it will be so. Beyond what I've detailed, the local future for Pokémon will certainly involve these cards to a great extent, and once they really take off, I want to be in for the ride as well.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 8/11/2018 and 8/12/2018
Two years ago: Cosplay: DANOBU 4

Monthly GO Fest/Safari Zones?

It's no secret that Pokémon Go is popular all over the world. As a result, major player events/conventions are held every so often, in the form of GO Fests and Safari Zones. This year, even the two other regional events of the Summer Tour that used to be Safari Zones became "upgraded" to GO Fest status, and a new Safari Zone has been announced for Montreal next month. This does lead to an interesting proposition: can the two events become standardized as monthly events?

To answer this question, it would help to refer to last year's run of events. Last year, GO Fest was still only one, the one that started it all in Chicago. This was supplemented by four Safari Zones, including the two that got an "upgrade" this year. That's a total of five events, which is not even close to filling the twelve months in a year. Meanwhile, only eight months have passed this year, and there has been five Safari Zone or GO Fest events (counting next month, nine and six). Though things haven't quite filled every month, it's clear that there has been an advancement.

Meanwhile, Niantic as the developer of Pokémon Go continues to make improvements to its already-existing popular monthly event, Community Day. It may occasionally still have problems, but on the whole it has gotten better over time. There is also a ticket system for the Safari Zone/GO Fest events to keep them under control. These can be considered improvements as well, as they may be regarded as "baby steps" toward the goal I posed as a question.

The answer to that question is that the expansion certainly can happen. But just because it can, it doesn't mean that it will. Taking heed of the National Dex fiasco from two months ago, it may be desired to keep expectations low in the hope that instead they are over-delivered. As well, a major Safari Zone/GO Fest event likely has to go through many parties before one becomes viable, including the local organizers themselves. At this point, I have to draw the line and say that much of everything depends on the work of others.

It's still a fanciful thought that GO Fests and Safari Zones in Pokémon Go can be made to work monthly, but it would take lots of work as well. The ones that have already been instituted do already seem to work well, though, and that's a big blessing for any Pokémon Go player anywhere. The next big step to go each month would be a massive undertaking, but perhaps the results may just as massively pay off for everyone concerned.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Personal Feature Wishlist
Two years ago: Cosplay Scrapbooking

A Tale of Two (OK?) Performances

Nearly (or over) a month ago, I participated in not one, but two karaoke or J-Song competitions. In both of those, I performed the same song, which would be "OK!" by Rica Matsumoto. Alas, if I may say so, both of these performances somewhat deviated from what the song title would suggest; in other words, they're not quite so OK. Regardless, I do have to say something about both of them, not the least of which is because I have both of them recorded, with the intent being to critique them. I had planned on doing so separately, but since both performances are related by virtue of them being the same song, I've decided to do it in one post.

As I've noted in my post about this song, this is a "hyped" song since its lyrics are high-energy and the tempo is rather fast. They alone might have been the source of many problems during my performances. I had to put in a significant effort into memorizing the lyrics, in order to make sure I know how to sing all the parts and get the expressions right. It's something that is a challenge when you're not a speaker of the language, but then again even in my choir days I had to do just that. While this had worked out and I had done so prior to the first performance, it was a feat to even just prove that it had already been done.

The first performance was from the Konbini Anime theme event early last month. At that time, after I performed it, I realized that I blanked out or was off on some of the lyrics. When the judges reviewed my performance, they thought that I couldn't keep up with the lyrics, being that the song is rather fast. That could be said to be true to some extent, but I attributed my off performance on my recall of the lyrics. However, after listening to the video of my performance from then, I found out that there was another thing that was off: the very first stanza, which sounded like it was out of tune. So in short, this performance was somewhat regrettable, though it did seem to get better toward the end. The only other good thing was that I was accompanied by (a friend who cosplayed) Psyduck during the performance, but that is wholly unrelated.

"OK!!"

The second performance was from the COSTHNIFEST theme event in the middle of the month. The intent was to see if I could fix my errors from my first performance, and I did, to a good extent. I didn't forget any of the lyrics, and I sung a lot better this time. The only problem, as Brock (a friend of mine) explained, my voice was barely audible over the karaoke backing track. He said that the look of confusion was apparent among the judges - he recorded my performance directly behind them - and they probably couldn't figure out why things went the way they did. On stage I sounded fine, but apparently it wasn't to others. A second recording, made and given to me by my girl fan, affirmed the sound issue for the audience and judges. Personally, I feel "gypped" for being the first one to perform, and I was indeed just that - whoever registered first sung first, and that was the case.

A look of confusion?

Another friend also provided input on my latter performance, the same one that remarked about the ways of the song. The "OK!" parts certainly require high energy to perform, and I confess I may not have had that during the performances. Also, Rica Matsumoto - the singer and Japanese voice of Ash - is really considered the "queen of rock" in Japanese music, so any performance should really stand up to that. In the end, that friend also suggested performing something else that isn't rock music. I can't exactly say that I will heed this advice fully, for after all a part of me is inextricably linked to Ash and Ash is inextricably linked to her (thus explaining why I perform her songs related to Pokémon), but it's a worthy consideration for another competition.

"Aitsura ni aitaiNDA!!"

As for the future of me performing this song, I may be apt to perform it at least once more in the company of really good friends. The "when" and "where" are to be decided later, but this may just work out - that much I can say for now. For actual song competitions, I'd like to venture into other unexplored territory and see if they can beget favorable results. In that sense, I already had done so for this one, except things didn't work out in my favor... at least not yet. But things can and have to turn out "OK!" in the future.

One year ago: Ode to Magikarp
Two years ago: Snorlax's Awakening

Raid Stories

By now, I've been involved in lots and lots of raids in Pokémon Go. Some of them were by myself, others were with people I know well (that is, my raid group), and still others were with people I've met for the first time or at the least very rarely meet. I've already discussed challenges that are faced while the raid takes place and lead to certain "dramas", but this time I want to discuss happenings that occur around and about raids and add some spice to them. They're the stories that occur along with raids, and I've got a few of them.

Sometimes, even though attendance lists have been made for a raid party that is supposed to be united, the division of parties still occur. At one time, that division occurred due to the location of the raid Gym; often, the "usual spot" for raids is not at the spot of the Gym itself but somewhere slightly removed, such as a Gym that is actually located across a busy street and the "usual spot" is the opposite of that. It can be a difficult thing to make these divisions come together. At another time, due to priorities and expediencies, a raid party is forced to divide into two or more groups, one that demands a quicker and more intimate battle, and another that is more relaxed and open; as such, this time it becomes on the whim of those already involved. Some divisions may have to occur, of course, but it does seem a bit shameful to divide something that is already supposed to come together.

As mentioned at the beginning, I can take advantage of raids to meet new people for the first time or even link up with those I don't get to meet often. It's a blessing to be able to do so. They may be members of my raid group that often raid without me, or a truly new group of raiding Trainers that I'm likely to only meet for that day. On occasion, there may also be completely new Trainers in my local area trying their hand at a raid, waiting for someone to refer them to my raid group... which sometimes ends up being me. It can be both expected and unexpected at the same time, like the times new Trainers appear in the raid lobby, as well as the raid habits of people I thought I'm familiar with, but then turned out to be different. In any and all of these cases, I'm effectively using my "solidarity-making" ability to different extents. This is, of course, in contrast to the previous divisive situation.

Raids are certainly great, but what's not so great is being ushered out by other people or otherwise while in the process. A few of my raid fellows have experienced this to a greater degree than I have, and that strangely led to good results. Meanwhile, at the most recent occurrence that I and some raiding Trainers were ushered out, we were fortunate that the ushering was at the beginning, barely before anyone had a chance to throw raid passes into a Gym we were supposed to raid. At that point, we just moved on to the next. It would perhaps have been disastrous if many people had thrown raid passes. This is a situation that is ideally to be avoided, but sometimes it just can't, leaving me and the rest to "roll with the punches".

Every raid in Pokémon Go brings a different story. It's often the whims of the Trainers involved (and sometimes the people outside of the involvement) that decide how things go. That said, these are some of my stories from my end of things - these are what "perk up" the experience of each raid. The raid process itself is more or less set for the times ahead, but the stories involved really make each one unique.

One year ago: Evolution Is a Change
Two years ago: Historical Pokémon

The Other Side of "Childhood"

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
-- "Childhood", Michael Jackson

Over two years ago, I wrote a post about Pokémon and childhood, and how they link up. It became one of a few posts that concern the links of Pokémon with children and other relevant things. Part of that post was also tied to the song "Childhood" by Michael Jackson, albeit the more positive aspects. The song itself has a darker side, and after letting the song occupy some of my mind recently, I feel like I need to discuss it, but still, of course, with Pokémon in tow.

Michael is known in part for some of his childish tendencies, and the song is pretty much an answer to the question "why": it is to make up for what could be termed his "lost childhood". It explains the mentioning of the two kinds of fantasies in the song's lyrics and the "plea" for understanding. Overall, Michael's music career, while immensely successful, has been troubling for him as well, perhaps until the very end. The song may be considered a testament for that, even during his younger days.

As for this song and Pokémon, I personally consider the latter to be my "escape" in some ways. Though Pokémon only came about years after my "child" phase, I find it evocative of something that could have been in that phase of life. It's a "wonder of youth" removed from my youth, which while filled with other wonders, was also "lost" in a way, somewhat like what Michael experienced on his path to stardom. It was as troubling as much as it was pleasing. And so this song incites that.

As a concession, the two fantasies described in the song may be described in Pokémon terms. The "pirates and conquests" fantasies obviously evokes the Pokémon Conquest game, while for me personally, the "stories to share" evokes the fourth feature film. Both of them are well-liked by its fans, and I have to say I agree with them. They are wonderful to recall, especially with this song in mind, which only adds to the sentiments.

This song has a nostalgic feeling to it, but also a sorrowful one. It speaks of youth wonders as well as the loss of that. It speaks for both the singer-songwriter and perhaps a good number of people out there, including me. And most of all, it also evokes or is linked to Pokémon for me personally. I'm sure if Michael were still around today, he would perhaps agree with my sentiments.

One year ago: Making Decisions in Magikarp Jump
Two years ago: Pokémon Wrapping Paper

The Persistence of Legendary Raid Hours

Ever since they've been introduced in March in Pokémon Go, Legendary Raid Hours have not disappeared; they in fact have persisted, even up to this point. The event - at least in its early incarnation - was dubbed an "experiment", but at this point, I'm not sure it should remain to be called one. Its persistence seems to indicate that this will be a regular event going forward. That persistence may also be helped or hindered by a few things.

The Legendary Raid Hours help because of their certainty; at the specified time, the majority of open Gyms will have a level 5 raid for a Legendary Pokémon, instead of them randomly appearing at all other hours of the day. It means that Trainers may be easily gotten to raid this attractive target, and there are more Gyms and more raids available to do so. In my area, the event has proven to be quite popular, which leads to the formation of several groups for doing so; it's likely to be this way in other areas as well. I'm sure that it's also an incentive for those who stock lots of Premium Raid Passes to use them here. All this seems to bode well for its persistence.

On the other hand, with many Gyms being rendered unavailable for anything else than raids, this limits the movement of those not interested to raid. And unlike certain special Raid Days, Gyms are not "sterilized" (prevented from issuing other raids) prior to the event, allowing for some Gyms to concurrently have raids of other levels; yet this hindrance may also alleviate the above. As well, unlike special Raid Days, no extra free passes are made available, forcing a Trainer to use up Premium Passes if no free passes are available or they have been used up prior to the event. Some of my raid group fellows have been known to pass up certain Raid Hours for this exact reason. Despite these obvious hindrances, many Trainers seem only too happy to raid rather than do anything else, which assists persistence rather than impeding it.

It seems that one way or another, Legendary Raid Hours are here to stay for the foreseeable future. It makes raids convenient and even more popular. Successive improvements to the concept can only make this more so. The concept was born out of a so-called "experiment", but by now it can be said that the "experiment" is pretty much over, and it happens to be a rousing success. That should mean and support a continued persistence.

One year ago: Poké Ball Mini Pokémon Figures
Two years ago: Metal Unova Cap Pikachu Keychain

There Is Always a Way

A certain company - specifically one that I've hinted about in one post and Poké-parodied in another - recently changed its slogan (or rather, officiated one). That slogan forms the title of this post. The reason for the new slogan is because the company has quite expanded from its humble origins, and so it instituted a brand refresh in order to reflect its new identity, part of which being the new slogan. Personally, I consider the slogan to be quite evocative of the company's brand... and my experiences with Pokémon.

Though probably not in the sense that the slogan is supposed to evoke, I find that the slogan parallels how I go about doing things with Pokémon, specifically the games. In Shuffle, I can work with stages in different ways; if one way doesn't work, then I can try again in a different way even with the Pokémon I already have caught. In Go, if I don't like certain Field Research tasks, I can opt not to do them if I don't have to, in order to keep them ready for my Field Research stamps. And for the main series games, I can opt to play just one game of a pair, not necessarily both; I can enlist help in my progress where necessary. In that way, I really do always have ways to take care of things.

Come to think of it, Pokémon itself came from humble beginnings with two games on the Game Boy, and now it's so much more than that. There are now many, many ways to enjoy Pokémon, some without even having to play the games, although one may eventually gravitate to playing at least a few. I speak, of course, for some of my figure friends as an example, who may not have played quite a few of the games, or those who only watch the anime or read the manga. Pokémon is hardly in need of a brand refresh like that company, but in a way, the same slogan might be considered to apply. Pokémon is a big thing now for many people in many ways.

As far as I'm concerned, the company was right to refresh its brand, in particular by the slogan, due to the way that it is now. The company hopes that its customers will take advantage of its many services in different ways, not just as expected. At the same time, Pokémon for me seems to be just as evocative of that slogan as that company - and perhaps it may be true generally. I'm sure that for either, the way to go about things will always present itself, one way or another.

One year ago: (More) Plastic Poké Balls
Two years ago: Cosplay: Tomodachi 2

Increased Limits in Go... Indefinitely?

Some things that can be done in Pokémon Go are limited, most often on a daily basis. Every so often, these limits are relaxed, which makes things a little easier... but also, often for a limited time, after which the limit is reaffirmed. This leads to the wondering of relaxing or increasing these limits indefinitely, without being tied to a specific time period. I've identified a few of these limits that could be increased in this manner based on personal experience, and they're worthy of some discussion.

Currently, friendship has quite a few limits of its own. A Trainer is limited to 200 friends, after which one must remove a friend to add another. For a community of small players, this limit may be fine, but for players who maintain large communities and/or travel far and wide, 200 might seem small; I myself am nearing this limit with all the friends I maintain. A better limit would perhaps be 250 or 300, and they could be purchasable rather than applied for all, just for those who actually need it. Gifts too are limited to 20 being opened a day, and Lucky Friends have made Best Friend gifts feasible to be opened; I would suggest 25 from here on out to allow for 5 Lucky Friends feasibly. Increasing these limits would probably resolve quite a bit of friend woes.

Trades, as an adjunct to friends, have their own limits too. The act of trading itself has a limit, but I and some of my friends rarely reach this limit, so it's likely not a major problem overall. What does become a problem is that there is an increasing number of Pokémon that can only be traded by way of a Special Trade, which now includes Purified Pokémon. When this kind of trade occurs only once a day for a Trainer, it could become difficult to trade away hard-to-get Pokémon rather than to transfer them immediately (waste not, want not). Special Trades can occur multiple times at special events, but these may be far and few between for some. It would perhaps be wise to increase the limit to two a day; this would at least allow a little freedom in scheduling Special Trades, especially between Lucky Friends.

One last thing with limits is raids. Though there really is no limit to how many raids can be done a day, what does become a limit is how many passes one has for that purpose. For those who don't often purchase Premium Raid Passes or are loath to spend them on anything else other than Level 5 raids for Legendary Pokémon, this may become a problem. One may get more than five free passes during certain Raid Days, but these too don't often occur enough to take advantage of them, let alone for anything other than the featured Pokémon. Therefore, to be able to have two free passes per day indefinitely may help. It may close a potential revenue through Premium Raid Passes, but this could be made up in other means.

Pokémon Go gets more complex over time, as is the nature of many games. What adds to that complexity are the limits imposed on certain things as above. With that, those limits may just become a hindrance to further progress. Were they to be relaxed or increased from this point forward, not necessarily for a limited time as with certain events, it could prove to be useful for a good number of Trainers out there, including me. It may just lead to lots and lots more boundless adventures for them.

One year ago: Cosplay: YASUMI
Two years ago: Perfection and Excellence

Cosplay: Utsuru SX

Me: OK, so this is one of those can't-miss days... and conventions. Lots of things go on here.

Red: Yes, I'll say.

Me: You know, it's been some time since I've sent you to an event or convention. Most of the time, I send Ash, but today I felt like sending you.

Red: Sure. I don't think I've seen much of this one anyhow.

Me: Well, I think you remember a few of the past "community" conventions I've sent you to, right? This one is a lot like that.

Red: I see that. And it's always, always crowded. There was a line at the ticket booth, and then there was a line to get in. And once you're inside, it's obvious.

Me: Was there anything interesting?

Red: Oh, I think you'd love the car and motorcycle stand. Sometimes I wonder about one. Then there was a card game stand - that might be good for both of us. Other than that, there were a lot of game, collectibles, and food stands.

Me: OK, so it's pretty much standard by now. What about the entertainment?

Red: I like the bands that performed. The dance groups were great too. And I think a few of your friends sent in their characters for a group performance - that was wonderful. Everything else was the usual, but still enjoyable.

Me: Yeah, things are pretty much standard, but they're great each time. Now, it wouldn't be a great time if I couldn't get you to take part in a competition. You did, right?

Red: I did! I got in the character parade for you. It's always great to show others what you and I can do with Pokémon. I and Pikachu did something short for everyone to see.

Me: And the results?

Red: No win for me. There were only four winners out of 37 characters.

Me: Maybe it was hard for the judges to pick. More characters mean harder decisions. Oh well. OK, so... overall impressions?

Red: Things seem great, but I think there was one thing we all didn't think about: the wind. It was really windy, so a few stands had problems with loose things. The stage even had some problems, and even I had problems with my cap!

Me: Sorry about that. This time of year where it is, it may get windy and cold.

Red: But things were really good, though. The whole convention was a success. To take the time to send me here was worth it, even with what you're doing.

Me: Hmm. It's kind of bittersweet - actually, more like bitter and stinging - but life and Pokémon have to go on somehow. Thanks for a good day.

Red: You're welcome.

One year ago: (A New) Local Ex-Raid, 8/4/2018
Two years ago: Pokémon on My Bed

Pokémon Go Community Day, 8/3/2019

Hot on the heels of one Community Day is another, which would be this month's (August). And yet, it's barely two weeks after the previous one had taken place, and it's not even a repeat of that one due to a technical error of some sort. It's fun, but it's also quite jarring in some ways due to them being so close together. It means that one may not have much time to prepare for the event, except for one's wits. Regardless, this is the way things are - and this could be so as well for upcoming things in the game - and one can only follow them as they are.

As always, there are the particulars of the event. Like last month, the schedule shifted to one hour later in the day, from 4 to 7 PM. This month, the featured Pokémon is Ralts, which has some significance that will be detailed shortly. The special move to be gained from evolution is Synchronoise, a Psychic-type move that may bode well in some respects. The side bonus repeats the one from two months ago, being accelerated Egg hatching, which may also prove to come in handy shortly (but will be explained later). Finally, extended Lure Modules and Shiny forms are natural and expected for any Community Day, certainly.

Because the featured Pokémon is Ralts, this Community Day holds significance for four Pokémon: Ralts (as expected), Kirlia, Gardevoir, and Gallade. As is known, Kirlia of any gender can evolve into Gardevoir, but only male Kirlia can evolve into Gallade, which in Pokémon Go is aided by way of a Sinnoh Stone. Therefore, this is the first since Swinub in February to make use of the Sinnoh Stone and to feature multiple generations, and the first since Eevee last year to feature a Pokémon with branched evolution. The special move mentioned above applies to both Gardevoir and Gallade, which becomes rather important. As a whole, this Community Day is quite special in regard to the Pokémon involved.

For me personally, after being restricted at a certain place for the previous Community Day, it's a relief to have been able to take part in this one normally with my raid group and in my usual place. It also meant lots and lots of Ralts that were caught. What also helped is that I linked up for the first time with an old member of my raid group as friends in the game, and after trading many Ralts, we ended up with three Lucky ones. I didn't evolve them all, of course, as my Candy stock is far too few for that purpose. I did evolve a Lucky male I had previously to Gallade and one strong and one Shiny female to Gardevoir. That still left many strong Ralts and Kirlia for later use.

On one hand, this Community Day came somewhat quickly after the previous one, maybe even too quickly. On the other hand, this Community Day had quite a bit of things going for it, including the possibility to have two fully evolved Pokémon with a special move. Even I got good results, maybe even unexpected. I'm sure that despite whatever circumstances might have been involved for participation or otherwise, this was arguably a "hot" Community Day for any player - the challenge being to stand up to it.

One year ago: Divergent Anime?
Two years ago: A Hobbled Pikachu... 3DS XL

Topic Balancing, Again

If you're a frequent reader of this blog, you might have noticed something remarkable, perhaps even odd, over the past 18 posts or so. They have alternated topics, from something that isn't related to Pokémon Go to something that (somehow) involves Pokémon Go to a good extent. Some of them had been planned, but others were also the result of a happy accident. It recalls a post I wrote close to a year ago about the balance of topics that I write about on this blog, and it seems apt to be discussed again.

One of the things I mentioned in that post is that this is not a Pokémon Go blog, and I feel that I have to reaffirm this: it's still not one. It only so happens that the Pokémon game I'm playing a lot nowadays is Pokémon Go, so it would be understandable that I'd write up quite a bit about it. I've even got a few regular posts about things that go on in the game itself. But on the whole, this Pokémon blog is still about me and as many things as possible related to Pokémon. Pokémon Go is just one part of that and one of the many Pokémon games out there, and it's the "in" game for me right now. Other games can and will be discussed, at least in due time.

As for that pattern, I can say that it will continue for at least the next few posts. As I've noted, the pattern is one part incidental, but another part is due to the scheduling of my activities as well as happenings of the game itself. Continuing it is as much a matter of convenience as it is a matter of beauty. I expect the pattern to be broken eventually, and when that happens, I can freely discuss other Pokémon things on this blog. Until then, I can stand to continue discussing things in the current manner for as long as I possibly can. (And this post doesn't really "break" the pattern, as it's not really about the game itself.)

Meanwhile, I'm also thinking about other considerations with my posts. I'm thinking of splitting the "Game" category into three: one for the main series games, another for Pokémon Go, and yet another for other games, so I can see how much of each I really discuss. The "Musings" category is rather heavy as well, but I'd need to see how I can really split that before I take further steps to do so. Certainly, these efforts will also require time, something that I seem to be short of at the moment... though never for Pokémon.

This blog remains as something that I can use to discuss Pokémon and my own happenings around and about this great thing. Whatever I discuss and however I discuss it is because of how things just play out. In a way, that is neat, seeing how the origins of Pokémon are games, and today it's still related to games that many people including me can play. I hope that readers can still "play" with me as I play Pokémon and it plays out for me.

One year ago: The Music of Magikarp Jump
Two years ago: Pokémon Is Everything