Coming Up Roses

February is of course a flowery month for many people and even for Pokémon, for those in the know. I'll hold most of the discussions about them for a later time, but I can discuss something in particular right now. One specific well-known flower for this month is the rose, which may come in different colors, not the least of which red and pink, and perhaps uncommonly purple and gray or even shades lighter than those colors. It's a fundamentally important flower for this month, and especially right now: "Rose" is the theme for the Silph League Arena for Pokémon Go this month, which suits its flowery nature.

The theme is rather abstract but has a few concrete particulars as well. The Pokémon involved in this theme are to be of the colors I previously mentioned: pink, red, purple, and gray. These colors apply to the regular - that is, the non-Shiny - appearance of the Pokémon, so even if their Shiny forms are of those colors, if their regular form aren't, then they are excluded. Other exclusions include no Legendary or Mythical Pokémon (by group), no Water types (by type), and no Bastiodon (by species), which should be rather clear and concrete. That said, as with most recent themes of the SLA, there is also the "approval list" to see just which Pokémon makes the cut for this theme and to help out Trainers in general.

By way of these criteria, the "approval list" boils down to a paltry 176 species, about a third of what is available right now in Pokémon Go. Thanks to the inclusion of the gray color, many Rock, Ground, and even Steel types are included, precluding the restricted Bastiodon as above. The red color is fodder for Fire types, of which quite a few are on the list. The pink color allows for some Normal and Fairy types to join the party, while the purple color does so for Ghost and Poison types. With all of these types included, the colors almost virtually include the aforementioned types. However, the colors also allow for odd Grass and Fighting types to enter the fray. Thus interred, there may be some make-or-break decisions among those in this list.

As with any sort of format, teambuilding boils down the viable list even further to the ones that most Trainers will likely choose and peruse. It results in something that I've discussed in full capacity (or maybe not so full). In one instance, 40 of those 176 species had been posed as good choices for modest Trainers - as in, they are free to use whichever ones are available, certainly while still considering what to fend off and how to fend off. Notably, the selection includes pretty much all the types mentioned above, which only affirms that they're the main types to deal and be dealt with. Color might perhaps take a backseat role when it comes to this.

Color is still fundamentally important for the theme of SLA this month, even if only as a background inspiration. It is the thing that belies the inner spirits of the Pokémon to be used in combat, and there will surely be a flurry of the four colors above in battle. Likewise, the colors belie the beauty of the flower that becomes the namesake of the theme this month, and in a way, it is expected that the battles this month will bring flowers in combat. It seems the appropriate remark to make about all of these is that things are "coming up roses" - all things will be fine in the SLA this month, perhaps even as spectacularly flowery as the month itself.

One year ago: Cosplay: Eien no Kiseki
Two years ago: Seeking Confirmation
Three years ago: Time