On Third Parties

A really big thing that involves Pokémon, and officially at that, is about to come in a week or so, and preparations are already underway for it. There is just one hitch: as much as it is linked to a certain coveted item (or items) that could be considered quite related to the thing, especially if other good things come about, it just can't be included because it's a "third-party" item, one that's really "outside the jurisdiction" of Pokémon and other related parties. This does seem like something that's worthy of discussion, especially how it relates to Pokémon things on this blog and beyond.

The big reason for keeping out third parties is of course to create a kind of "exclusivity", not so much of my kind where it's like an (un)intentional "devotion", but of their kind to ensure formal "loyalty". It's tantamount to certain TV channels censoring broadcasts of other TV channels when present - which I've seen on at least one occasion. A less (or more) obvious example of this would be the "Straw Hat Pikachu" thing that happened in Pokémon Go in the middle of last year; its English details on the official blog do not officially address One Piece, though these words do appear in lowercase along with the other keywords of "grand line", "crew", and "treasure"; the intent is likely to shed just enough light for those in the know while keeping others in the dark. The "loyalty" has to be maintained.

But that's not to say that collaborations with a third party can't happen and be officially recognized. Recently, a collaboration has been announced between Alolan Vulpix and Snow Miku (yes, as in Hatsune Miku), and this one is plainly obvious. However, its promotional image does have a spew of notices on its bottom left, pertaining to both sides of the collaboration. That does underscore another issue for things involving third parties: the legal issue. No one wants to tread on another's toes, especially when dissimilarly attractive things are involved. The case of One Piece above may have relations to this issue, as its Western legal status is a thing of its own. It's a touchy subject for those who are not too knowledgeable in it.

As for this blog, I've already mentioned quite a bit of third parties, and perhaps the post from three years ago (see below) could be considered to have opened the doors for that. Thus, there may be no hope of "officiating" this blog, especially with the prospect of mentioning other third parties; but that may be OK, since this blog is rather firmly established to have a more personal and intimate nature. For me to (hope to) be involved in similar Pokémon endeavors but ones with a more official nature, I'd have to present exclusivity and loyalty as above as part of them. It's something I would have to put up with as a fan who is devoted and wants to contribute with some kind of Pokémon effort of my own.

Back to that big thing, the fact that it's blessed to be official has made it less conducive for certain third parties to be included. Yet supposedly it could be considered a test of the exclusivity, devotion, and loyalty of the parties that are or stand to become involved. As those parties do so and third parties take a backseat - or rather, hide outside the limelight for a bit - the stage becomes set for a demonstration of the be-all-that-can-be of Pokémon (with some help from some related parties), and solely that.

One year ago: The Loading Screen of Go
Two years ago: Team Assistance and Secrecy
Three years ago: "They can imitate you, but they can't duplicate you..."