YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Virtual Team Lounge

I wanted to highlight a different kind of YouTube videos for another edition, but I suppose it can wait. Right now, there is a group of videos that are more pertinent. Those who played Pokémon Go particularly during this year's Pokémon Go Fest may have peeked into or even tuned in, whether partially or nearly fully, into the Virtual Team Lounge. As part of that, there were a series of video features throughout the first day before the Team Go Rocket takeover on the second day, and they all were scheduled to appear at certain times as the event made its way around the world. All of them are of course hosted on YouTube, which makes it appropriate for me to highlight them. It is also appropriate to do so to close off this "Go Fest month", for which today is the last day.

Some of the videos were from the official Pokémon Go channel, particularly the intro/kickoff video that played each time the event entered a new section of the world. This was the one I noted in my coverage as featuring John Hanke. Another neat and particularly useful video from there is a video on how to build the Gift papercraft, which is something that I probably should have obtained reference to early on, as it has a good amount of notes on the model, which could be useful for a second build. Later on, there was a "Developer Insights" video that provided a few hints on what to expect for Mega Evolutions and a level cap increase, both of which are imminent. While the intro video was more relevant during the festivities, there are good takeaways from the latter two even now.

A few of the videos were from Niantic's own channel, which may not sound all that exciting, but they have their own qualities. For those who have seen it, a commercial was created to promote this year's Pokémon Go Fest, entitled "Look Closer"; one of the videos presents a behind-the-scenes look into that commercial with its director Rian Johnson, who is also a Trainer in Pokémon Go. In a different (follow-up) video, he talks further about his play style and favorite moments involving things that go on in it. Meanwhile, for those wondering how games like Pokémon Go can have social impact, there is one video that shows exactly that, and it may inspire others to do something as they play. "Insight" is an important keyword for these videos as well.

Then, there were also videos by ever-supportive Trainers and fans that have been supported for inclusion into the schedule. A couple of them are for helpful tutorials for popular features in Pokémon Go: one of them is how to take great pictures with Go Snapshot (as well as to take full advantage of the AR functionality) and how to build great teams for the Go Battle League. The latter happens to be a Polish language video for audiences in Poland, but those who understand English can still take advantage of subtitles to understand it, which is why I've included it here. Finally, one of the last videos to appear was a storybook reading to ease younger Trainers, featuring a Pokémon story from a popular storybook series. These videos ought to have found their use as intended.

Not everyone may have tuned into these videos; after all, they were likely to have been busy catching Pokémon, dealing with challenges, and so on and so forth for Pokémon Go Fest, whether inside or outside. That would mean missing out on the opportunity to check into the Virtual Team Lounge in a certain capacity to check on what was offered. This highlight should help those who are looking for good videos from the lineup that was featured, or even as a reference for those who did tune in, in order to find worthwhile videos to watch again from that lineup. Still, after all, the point of Pokémon Go Fest 2020 was to have a blast - especially to blast some thugs in black - and there's no denying that these videos are definitely part of that effort.

One year ago: Mythical Numbers?

Two years ago: To Watch a Movie

Three years ago: Like a Fierce Double Battle

Go Fest 2020 Crafts: Gift and Pikachu Visor

A few days prior to this year's Pokémon Go Fest festivities, I detailed that if one is feeling crafty enough, one can take on a few craft projects graciously provided by Niantic to enliven this year's event no matter where one may be. I noted that I too was interested, and so I took on the project of creating a couple of them. As noted, I was interested in the Gift papercraft model and Pikachu visor, so I set out to create exactly those things... and I was able to make them, within that time and just before the festivities started.

The first one I set out to make was the Gift papercraft model. The pattern fits into a single page, which makes it convenient - only that single page really needs to be printed. This and the other papercraft creations are to be assembled simply with scissors and tape, but one can of course use a cutter and glue if one is so inclined. Even so, upon first glance at the Gift pattern, I realized that it was "tab-less" in a few parts, which I thought would decrease its stability; I therefore took the liberty of adding a few tabs to different parts to suit the assembly process, and it seems to work fine. The result for assembling this is a Gift composed of the purple base and yellow cover with the ribbon and frill, which is not only pretty but functional: something can be put inside after removing the cover for a nice bit of surprise. Since a Gift is appropriate any time and the Go Fest logo is on the bottom, this can conceivably be made any time and still be appropriate. If one were to enlarge the pattern, it could be a more life-size Gift that can hold bigger surprises.

The second one I made was of course the Pikachu visor. Unlike the Gift pattern, this one is simpler, but it is also larger, taking up two sheets. Accordingly, it also took less time to assemble; whereas the Gift took around one and a half hours to assemble, this one took much less than an hour. The result is also as expected, a visor with a Pikachu image and a headband. Likewise, I added a couple of tabs for assembly to attempt to provide extra stability, but followed the simple instructions otherwise; about the only tricky part is folding one part according to a curved line. After assembling it, however, I realized that it might be a bit small for my head - it seems more fitting for someone with a smaller head, for example children. Next time, I may have two options for assembly: enlarge the pattern slightly or conceive an additional yellow band to make the headband longer. For now, I'm happy just to have assembled one.

All of the craft projects are supposed to be print-at-home projects... but I don't own a printer. Thus, I had to print these outside. Fortunately, there's a print shop near home that I've always been curious about, so I printed my chosen projects there. They turned out to look really good, and I could even opt for special paper - although for these ones there may have been a bit of a misdirection regarding the paper I wanted. In effect, I was also testing said print shop, even if this may possibly be my only chance to do so for one reason or another. This still affirms the quality of the print shop, which means that I could print the other projects there if interested with good quality, or practically any other printing needs.

By now, Pokémon Go Fest 2020 is yesterday's news, and the crafts are likely to disappear soon unless archived, which I fortunately have done. But the craft projects I chose to make still remain today and as nice as ever, which should hopefully be the case for some time. Niantic really went out of their way to ensure that everyone this time could enjoy Pokémon Go Fest wherever, and this is evident even in the two projects that I then made. The expectation is that one had as much fun with the event as one had with these projects.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 7/30/2019

Two years ago: Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Three years ago: Cosplay: ACOLYTES 2017

The Values of Posts

It is plain to see, for anyone who visits and reads this blog, that my blogging efforts go back a long ways. At this point, it has reached almost three years and seven months. That is indeed a long time, and I've certainly considered its economic aspect in some ways. The latest consideration would be the valuation of my individual posts as I've made them within that time. I thought about this consideration while making one of my recent posts and incidentally while thinking of another Pokémon consideration.

There was a certain valuation that I thought of, which if applied to each of my posts up to now, would allow me to have something that would expand my Pokémon opportunities, and certainly even the posts on this blog. It was a fancy thought, but now that I thought about it again, perhaps the valuation would be different, as many of my posts at the beginning of this blog may have a quality that is not comparable to the quality of later ones, in that later ones may be more improved. Whatever the case, the thought established that each and every one of my posts can be valuated somehow.

At the moment, however, it seems hard to ascertain how much that valuation would be, in particular with all the Pokémon things I've gotten going since I've started this blog. It may be that it is very little and I've already spent all of it on something Pokémon, like that splurge I made last year, or perhaps even the ticket to participate in this year's Pokémon Go Fest. If not, it may be that the valuation is really not apparent even now. They say, one reaps what one sows, and I feel that I've sown a lot of things with this blog. Yet I've also felt that I haven't reaped much, especially in valuations.

Meanwhile, quite some time has passed since I have opened the door to donations and recently since I set up something different with practically the same effect. These too are things that I have sown but not yet reaped. It may take something radical still in order to reap something from these efforts. From these, I would indeed be able to determine a valuation or certain ones for my posts - that is, of course, if things happened as intended. More importantly, what I reap would serve as the capability for expanding my Pokémon opportunities as above. And thus things go in a loop.

After over three and a half years of a sole, dedicated effort, it would be natural to think about what can and/or has been gotten out of it, particularly from an economic standpoint and in this case regarding the values of the posts that I've made even to today. It has been a real long time with a long stretch of Pokémon things, and neither it nor the blog posts covering them are about to let up any time soon. All that remains to be seen is to discover how their economic values are or even were realized.

One year ago: By Words, By Sound, By Video

Two years ago: First Anniversary of My Raid Group

Three years ago: Under 100 Hours?

On Live Blogging (and Pokémon)

For those who have been reading my blog last Saturday and Sunday, something became apparent: for my coverage of Pokémon Go Fest on both days, I didn't do a one-off post - I didn't write everything up beforehand and then hit "Publish", and instead, I created the post early and then updated it regularly as the day went on. This technique is of course called "live blogging", and it is used for covering situations where a lot of things (can) go on over a long period of time, which Go Fest is potentially one of them. After the experience of doing so for two days, I've got lots of things to say about it, including some related to Pokémon.

If regular blogging is already a challenge, then live blogging presents a different kind of challenge. One has to be able to update the post frequently throughout the day, and I did fine the first day, but then started to "run out of steam" on the second. Given that I was also multitasking by playing, it might be understandable. One also has to be more careful regarding what one is saying, much like media reporters, and I might have faltered a few times doing this on both days, especially since much of my mind is on the game. By live blogging, one is essentially "thrusted forward" into the action like those of the profession I've just described, or in a way also like an MC, and that is a challenge for those not used to this situation, which in some ways I am. In many ways, it is a total challenge.

I'll also admit, the tools I had for doing this were kind of meager. I had some way to blog, which is definitely requisite for blogging of any kind, including for Pokémon things. For basic blogging as I've done for three and a half years, it seems to be fine, but for live blogging, it's not as capable, particularly in the area of timestamps, something crucial for live blogging efforts - I had to put in my own in this regard, and manually at that. Consulting with a friend indicates a concurrence for this matter. Now, I'm not about to undertake the inclusion of something new for the purpose of something that I'm likely to do only very rarely, so in the end, things may suffice if I were to do this again for another Pokémon opportunity that is perfect for or really demands this style of blogging.

That does lead to the question: just what Pokémon opportunities might be perfect for this? I wouldn't really want to do it for an event where I cosplay, since it involves beyond Pokémon and most of the time I'm the one (perhaps, of a few) who is trying to make it relevant to Pokémon, and the way I've done things in the past couple of years makes sense for that. If I were to somehow make it to a Pokémon tournament on a similar scale to the World Championships, then live blogging might just be appropriate as there could be lots to do and lots to cover. This would similarly apply for a full-day event dedicated to Pokémon like Go Fest of any kind. In short, the opportunities are limited - at least for me - but it might befit my limited capabilities as well.

My latest foray into live blogging wasn't all bad, but it wasn't too good either in some ways. It has revealed my limitations in executing such an effort, whether of myself or the tools that I use. It seems to still be quite workable to a certain extent, and for that reason alone it may deserve to be executed again at the time that is the most appropriate, particularly when Pokémon is concerned for practically the better part of a day and I can be directly involved within it. While that waits to come to fruition, I still have lots of blogging to do in the upcoming times for upcoming Pokémon things. Live or not, I'm surely well with them.

One year ago: Team GO Rocket Blasting Off

Two years ago: Figure Photography

Three years ago: Modern Games, Retro Flavor

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 7/27/2020

This month in events in Pokémon Go needs no introduction - it is practically a (or the) "Go Fest month" because of what happened yesterday and two days ago. Still, that was only two days, and a month is more than two days. Fortunately, the events this month can be described in terms of their relation to Pokémon Go Fest as well as what happens around it. They lend further credence that this is indeed such a month.

In the first three weeks of the month, there were three lead-in events to Go Fest in the last week. They all were held from the Friday of the week to the following Wednesday, and all of them utilized the Timed Research feature. The sets contained challenges tied to a specific theme, akin to the Global Challenges of last year's multiple Go Fest, except this time it was for one edition instead of from many. They also correlated with another event in the same period, essentially sharing the perks. Further, the Research sets had four pages, the first three of which became important to the two days of the Go Fest, and they all became progressively more challenging; the last page was optional except for true completion and side achievement.

The first week featured the Skill Challenge alongside the 4th Anniversary event. The sets of the Timed Research focused on capture and throwing tasks. Fittingly, all the rewards aside from Pokémon encounters were of mostly Poké Balls, Berries, and Stardust items. One notable task from these sets is making 50 Excellent Throws on the last page, which for anyone really demands intense focus. Otherwise, the rest seemed evidently simple.

The second week featured the Battle Challenge alongside a Team Go Rocket takeover with a total takeover on the very Sunday. Most of the tasks featured enhancing Pokémon and/or taking on Team Go Rocket, and as a result, most rewards were healing items. It was also at this time their balloons first appeared. It is likely that had Team Go Rocket not appeared, there would be a very different set of tasks, which may or may not be simpler.

The third week featured the Friendship Challenge alongside Community Day. The tasks featured doing things with a Buddy Pokémon or sending Gifts to friends. Accordingly, most rewards were Berries as partial assistance to the former, meanwhile doing both assisted the accompanying event. These tasks were relatively straightforward, although one may have had to be tricky in managing them to and post completion.

The completion of the first three pages of each Timed Research by enough Trainers allowed more Pokémon to appear during Go Fest, for all Trainers and even non-participants. These constitute a "remnant" of that, along with a few other things, similar to that for A Colossal Discovery last year. Raids were 30 minutes long, 5 minutes as an egg and 25 minutes for the raid itself. On the second day, the Team Go Rocket total takeover was frequent and long-lasting, including by balloons. During the event, confetti rained down in different guises, and could also become a Buddy souvenir along with the characteristic Pikachu visor for this year. Though limited, non-participants still had a reason to celebrate as well.

Pokémon Go Fest 2020 has come to a close, and this month is about to close as well. But even before the festivities had started, Trainers were still kept hopping with what was happening over the past month. Ultimately, it was still all about the Go Fest, which is and was appropriate as a midsummer blast and adjunct to the anniversary. It is still appropriate to fondly remember all that has happened this month for them.

One year ago: A Time for Everything

Two years ago: Online Pokémon Newsletters

Three years ago: Sprites, Models, and Evolutions

Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Day 2

This is the live blog post for my coverage of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Day 2.

The most recent updates appear at the top, below the three dashes.

This live blog post has ended.

---

8:42 PM UTC+7 - If on Day 1 I learned about some of my capabilities as a blogger, and a live one at that, on Day 2 today I learned even further. And there's a lot about that, and I cannot explain them all right here right now. What is right here and now is that I bid adieu to a very spectacular Pokémon event that from year to year (even this one as a questionable year) has had its moments. As others complete the event as it makes its way to them, it's something to think about and hopefully cheer for its continuity.

Thank you Pokémon Go Fest, hope to see you next time. With that, my live blog coverage of Day 2 and Pokémon Go Fest 2020 has ended.

8:21 PM UTC+7 - This Pokémon Go Fest has been a totally virtual one, which is supposed to approximate how things would be if they were live and in person. I would have to ask someone who has been to a live Pokémon Go Fest, but their words may be subjective, and the only way to find out for real is to be there... for real. That may be something for the distant future, and definitely after the world has settled.

8:09 PM UTC+7 - With Day 2 having come to a close, Pokémon Go Fest 2020 is now over, at least where I am. For a virtual event, it was quite intense. In all practicality, it's like having a month of events squeezed into a span of several hours, in this case multiplied by two. And... it technically has spanned a month. It requires an event rollup as I've done each month, which demands a different post. For now, this major event is done and gone.

7:10 PM UTC+7 - It's the last hour of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, and I've activated one final Incense to try to catch Pokémon of interesting qualities that I haven't gotten, whether of good stats or Shiny. The assortment of Pokémon species has been bewildering over today and yesterday, and it has been mind-boggling. In a way it is understood why one can only spend one day at its live counterpart, for this very reason. At least now I know.

6:05 PM UTC+7 - Only a couple of hours before Go Fest ends, and I've decided that I'll spend them capturing Pokémon from Incense and dealing with Team Go Rocket Grunts that appear by balloons in order to maximize what could be done with the remaining time available. I'm currently midway through an Incense I activated half an hour earlier and I'm also trying to burn through Gifts from friends for Poké Balls.

5:30 PM UTC+7 - Some of my fellow Trainers did venture out today, and I laud them if they can do it safely, as John Hanke noted in the kickoff video, which can be seen in the Virtual Team Lounge. I did plan to venture out as well - aside from the errand - but ultimately it never happened. Some had different successes as well, including a Shadow Mewtwo with the best stats possible. Quite a bit was admittedly luck-of-the-draw, but how would anyone really complain.

4:25 PM UTC+7 - For those who are wondering, I spent almost the entirety of yesterday and today at home or in the area around my home (one exception: an errand I needed to do just now). Aside from the fact that I needed to use tools at home for this live blog, this is meant to show that everything can be done there for this special Go Fest, and it is - yesterday's Special Research was completed, and today's is on the eaves of being completed.

3:41 PM UTC+7 - There may be a sense that the Habitats from Day 1 were intended to continue or at least be changed up somehow for today, if Team Go Rocket had not came barging in, and this can be seen in the statistics on the Virtual Team Lounge on the official web site. Whether this is or isn't true, what is given with them (minus errors) can only make Trainers happy.

2:59 PM UTC+7 - Well, I spent the past hour catching Pokémon after activating an Incense in order to use up Poké Balls and Berries, and to look for good things, and I did find a few. It looks like this is going to be the way to go for the remainder of the event, which is due to end in 5 hours. There are still lots to do within that time, though.

1:56 PM UTC+7 - I'm sure those who are catching Pokémon after the Team Go Rocket whirlwind will also have to think about Pokémon management, as in which ones to keep, purify, adjust with TMs, and so on. Right now, there's something easy to do: change out Frustration with a Charged TM for any Shadow Pokémon that is not intended to be purified, especially for the Shadow Legendaries that have been just obtained. The cutoff for this is 8 PM local time, so one has to be wise.

1:17 PM UTC+7 - Giovanni went down rather quickly this time around, and thanks to my efforts, I was rewarded with Shadow Mewtwo followed by Victini from the Special Research... although their stats are lower on the other side, if you get my drift. Now with tons of items, I ought to activate an Incense to get catching and afterwards take on Team Go Rocket again. For now, perhaps a little sustenance is in order.

12:56 PM UTC+7 - Giovanni turns out to be right under my nose in a PokéStop that is closely accessible from home. I had suspicions that this was the case as since mid-morning the Pokéstop had not been invaded by a Grunt. This is an easy way to tell if a PokéStop is being occupied by a Leader or Giovanni if one does not have a Rocket Radar. Nevertheless, this is an easy access to the Boss that I can take advantage of now.

12:45 PM UTC+7 - After defeating Sierra a second time and regaining a radar, I finally found Cliff and managed to defeat him without too much work. It's absolutely easy to regain a radar now, which might explain why healing items are given en masse. Now the real work is Giovanni, which might not be so easy considering the problems I had the last time out.

11:58 AM UTC+7 - Obtained the third radar, but haven't encountered Cliff. Meanwhile, my fellows are rather interested in Legendary raids, as they have Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina in both forms, and they are all very much coveted. I participated in one but will hold off on another until Team Go Rocket is taken care of.

11:48 AM UTC+7 - Depending on the tools one may or may not have at one's disposal, the Special Research can proceed extremely slowly or extremely quickly. I had two spare Rocket Radars that allowed me to go up against Arlo and Sierra relatively quickly, and now I'm collecting Mysterious Components for a third against Cliff. At least a few of my fellows may have gotten through all three and perhaps even Giovanni to reap everything. At least the bonus of double Components will help.

10:39 AM UTC+7 - I've activated an Incense to lay waste to the 100 Poké Balls I've received as part of the early stages of the Special Research, and a lot of Pokémon that were present yesterday, including an Unown that I've just discovered, are much like yesterday, so it can be considered a "catch-up" of sorts. If one doesn't have Rocket Radars to spare, one may have to get rid of items before battling them, and this may be a good opportunity.

10:07 AM UTC+7 - Pokémon Go Fest in my area has begun, and indeed Team Go Rocket has taken over it with its logo emblazoned over the Go Fest logo card in Today View, as well as Go Rocket confetti everywhere. What's more, there is the Special Research entitled "Rocket Straight to Victory", which appears to be all that there is today - no challenges as yesterday. But the rewards are just as plentiful as yesterday, which means once again that it is lots of work to get to.

9:41 AM UTC+7 - Now, overnight, there have been some developments. At midnight local time, almost all surrounding PokéStops were taken over by Team Go Rocket, which was a big hint that they are going to be majorly involved over the course of this day. Meanwhile, the other half of the world had its own problems with some of the Habitat blocks as it came their way, so a make-up event is imminent, as I've detailed yesterday. At least, there is still today to take care of, and that's the current target.

9:02 AM UTC+7 - Hi again, and welcome to my live blog post for Day 2 of Pokémon Go Fest 2020. I've promised live blog (posts) for both days of this spectacular event, and it's only rightful that I fulfill that promise. Again, I've started things a bit early in order to ease into it and get stuff going.

One year ago: Mobile "Invasion"?

Two years ago: Two New Pokémon Center Merchandise Lines

Three years ago: Supporting Doujin and Indie Stuff

Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Day 1

This is the live blog post for my coverage of Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Day 1.

The most recent updates appear at the top, below the three dashes.

This live blog post has ended.

---

8:30 PM UTC+7 - Since this is my first foray into live blogging, I've also learned something about my capabilities as a blogger, and a Pokémon blogger. For a live blog, I think I did OK with the tools I had on hand, but of course it takes time, especially when simultaneously playing. It has indicated a lot of good and bad things, but I'll save that for later. As promised, there is still the big "island of mystery" of Day 2, and that will be live as well.

With that, my coverage of Day 1 has ended. Stay tuned for Day 2.

8:15 PM UTC+7 - After 10 hours, Day 1 comes to a close. It has been a rather up-and-down 10 hours but everyone came through even if there wasn't actually "everyone" physically present. Of course, it's not yet over for the other side of the world, and they'll have to deal with what this side of the world dealt with, so I wish the rest good luck on whatever Go Fest challenges are left to complete.

7:46 PM UTC+7 - The throw challenge certainly leads to the triple catch Stardust as before. However, as the bonus came within the last half hour of the hour's Challenge, I opted to use a Lure Module (against current wisdom) on a PokéStop I had convenient access to. Something interesting happened during this time: I was suddenly invited by a friend in a high place to an Aerodactyl raid, and I took it up; at the end, I was given a Shiny Aerodactyl. It was surprising and rewarding at the same time, adding to the previous Shiny Heatmor surprise.

7:11 PM UTC+7 - Finally, the Water Habitat again. As before, the Global Challenge is Great throws, and there ought to be greater contributions this time around. This is the last Habitat before Day 1 ends, and there might be a sense of "rallying" as Day 1 comes to a close. That should give an extra drive for those who have been in since the beginning and are looking for an (initial) sense of closure.

6:54 PM UTC+7 - For me, it's a good thing the Gift challenge came when it did, because it allowed me to catch all (well, almost all) the Fire-type Pokémon that came about with this Habitat. I tried to focus on Litwick since it needed the Candy and Heatmor because of its regional quality outside of Go Fest, and the latter's Shiny form is a blessing. again, as before, everyone will have their own preferences. I also note that my friends are rather deft since they tend to capture more than I do.

6:24 PM UTC+7 - The Fire Habitat with its capture challenge is back, and like earlier, it was completed in a flash, this affords me time to take care of things that I couldn't take care of earlier when it came around the first time. As I was writing this, I encountered and captured a Shiny Heatmor! Surprises like these are what keep me and certainly others going in Pokémon Go. This is rather astounding.

5:38 PM UTC+7 - The Global Challenge is complete, and now Gifts come with Rare Candies. It's important to note that they are in addition to the three "packets" that come with the Gift itself, so it's best to make total use of them to rack up lots of Rare Candies, which is likely to be seriously helpful. Opening Gifts will also likely beef up Poké Ball stock in order to make it through the last couple of habitats with the most interesting things.

5:10 PM UTC+7 - As predicted, it's the Friendship Habitat, and the Global Challenge is about sending Gifts again, which means putting those Gifts from PokéStops and Gyms to work. If you're like me, you may have wandered out just a bit to different places or collected many from one place. Whatever happens, it's time to send them.

4:42 PM UTC+7 - It looks like the new part of the world that participated practically carried through the hour and few of my fellows are interested in raiding, so it's a good time to just be capturing Pokémon instead. But then there's the next Habitat and Global Challenge, which by now should be predictable.

4:19 PM UTC+7 - Battle Habitat again, raid challenge again. At this point I've already spent my free passes for the earlier raid challenge, though this might be helped with the three free remote passes from earlier. If the challenge gets completed (and it surely will, with Trainers from new regions on the scene), I'm likely to just activate another Incense and work on plain captures instead.

3:59 PM UTC+7 - And yes, I lost track of time. That's what happens when you're deeply into things, as I imagine other Trainers and fans of Pokémon are in general.

3:57 PM UTC+7 - The Grass habitat and the Berry challenge is back, and things play out in pretty much the same way. It seemed a little harder now maybe because of earlier Trainers having item issues, but then later Trainers seemed to have made it up. The bonus is triple catch XP and should be nice for anyone who needs the XP for different purposes.

2:59 PM UTC+7 - It's close to the end of the current Water habitat, and I imagine a few people might be having trouble maintaining their item counts, especially if they're playing remotely. It might be time to open a few more Gifts or to really get out and spin some PokéStops and Gyms. I would say to keep one's focus on what has been given, especially during capture. The rest is for the game (and others) to decide.

2:34 PM UTC+7 - Moving into the Water habitat, the Global Challenge is (or was) making lots of Great Throws. This looked like a simple one to complete, but it actually took a bit of time. Still, with triple catch Stardust as the bonus, it is very rewarding, so the rest of the efforts can be directed into that. As with the bonus of the previous Fire habitat, now it's time to be catching again, hopefully with a Star Piece activated in order to reap even further rewards.

1:50 PM UTC+7 - The double catch candy has been a total blessing. It has helped to increase Candy stock for all my Fire-type Pokémon, including low-runners such as the Charmander family through capturing a Charizard with a Pinap Berry of either kind. I take interest in everything, so I try to catch everything. There will be another Fire habitat block later, so I can try for even more then. For now I'm also taking some breaks, including watching some videos in the virtual team lounge on the official site. I recommend it, even if the videos are in different languages, like a Battle League guide in Polish. There is something for everyone.

1:19 PM UTC+7 - It's now the Fire Habitat, and this one has Pokémon that many are surely interested in. The Global Challenge is to catch lots of Fire-type Pokémon, and that is certainly appropriate. Some will take to Heatmor, others to Litwick, and yet still others to the assortment of others, including Alolan Marowak, which has always had the potential for being Shiny. As I write this, the challenge became completed, and the reward of double catch Candy should be very, very nice. Get to catching now. 

12:37 PM UTC+7 - A tweet was made that at some point in the future a make-up event will be held due to "issues" in some habitat blocks. This is standard procedure, and I won't contest that. In some sense it was bound to happen, and the multitude of events in Pokémon Go in general also seem to be a safeguard to this. The Friendship habitat continues and it's still time to make the most of things.

12:18 PM UTC+7 - Next up, the Friendship habitat. The Global Challenge for this one is sending lots of gifts, and it was completed in no time flat. This is the perfect time to send and open Gifts, as they now may contain Rare Candies. Since one of the Special Research tasks involves making a new friend, it's a good opportunity for that as well. Emotions will definitely run high.

11:56 AM UTC+7 - Global Challenge completed and bonus is active. Activated a second Incense to try to catch more Pokémon. What could be problematic for some people is seeking friends who are active and willing to raid with. That may be why the challenge took quite a bit of time to complete. There's a right sense in moving on.

11:12 AM UTC+7 - New habitat, new challenge. It is now the Battle habitat, and the Global Challenge is to complete many raids. Initial progress seems a bit slow, but it might be just doable. Other unique Pokémon have started to join the fray, including Gible. 3 Remote Raid Passes are available free. Lots to do.

10:46 AM UTC+7 - Unusual things during this first habitat, the Grass habitat: Venusaur and Leafeon in the wild, which are definitely mondo for their bonuses. Focusing on the capture aspects of the Special Research. Refraining from taking up the 200 Great Balls from the Special Research until the right time. Will also try to complete the raid aspect. As expected, the Global Challenge was completed in due time.

10:23 AM UTC+7 - Go Fest has started in my area, and the Special Research is live and active. The first Global Challenge of using Berries to catch Pokémon is also active and stands to be completed real quickly for a bonus of triple catch XP. Everything in the Special Research is quite enticing and therefore needs to be completed. Unown is live in the wild and, form reports, can even be shiny! This is already a great start.

9:39 AM UTC+7 - There's been a few reports that Pokémon Go is lagging for some people. The game's not a stranger to lags, but it does happen sometimes, and quite possibly for a major and global event like this one. With or without lag, there are still stories to be gained, so the only way to go is onward.

9:04 AM UTC+7 - Hi everyone, and welcome to my first live blog, featuring one of the most spectacular Pokémon events in the world, the Pokémon Go Fest, which this year is virtual because of all that's happened. I've decided to start the coverage an hour early local time since I foresee lots of things could happen. So bear with me for today, and let's see where things go.

One year ago: Pokémon for Print Projects

Two years ago: World of Pokémon... Media

Three years ago: Videophones and Pokémon, Then and Now

Preparing for (Everyone's) Go Fest

This year's Pokémon Go Fest "for everyone" is about to get underway soon - tomorrow - and it's worth it to discuss a few things in relation to that as well as for Go Fest in general, as in an actual in-person live event that would ordinarily take place. Pokémon Go Fest is a great event to be sure, but like any event, one would conceivably have to prepare some things in order to be more successful with the event. Preparations would help in different aspects no matter how the event is held, whether live as in past years or virtual as is this year. Those aspects would include in-game and out-of-game aspects.

The most important of the out-of-game aspects would be the equipment needed to play the game as well as useful tools for that. One's mobile device with the game is absolutely necessary, along with a containment device and/or a strap if necessary, just in case something goes wrong, but hopefully not. The game is (in)famous for taking its toll on batteries, so it may help to have a power bank or an alternative power plan, such as knowing where and possibly when to charge up. Connection problems may sometimes occur during play, and thus alternative connections aren't a bad idea. Other than that, the rest is to prepare for fun and celebration, which Go Fest essentially is, with all the usual things for one including the decorations that one should have printed out and assembled. These will all surely add to the mood.

Meanwhile, one should also prepare things within the game as well. Unneeded Pokémon should be transferred and/or traded away to make room for all the possible species that can be captured. Items that are not pertinent should be discarded or used up to allow room for more pertinent items, which in this case should be focused on Poké Balls and perhaps Berries to some extent. One good way to do this would be to open gifts, which would also accomplish the secondary purpose of interacting with friends, which is likely to be quite desired. A few other tips have been shared by none other than Niantic themselves on the official Pokémon Go blog, which leads to a few other implications of what should be prepared, including what to do on the days of the event, being tomorrow and Sunday, which should then go well.

Speaking of blogs, I have to prepare myself for both days as well. On that note, I want to do something that I've never done before: a live blog. Live blog posts are often used to keep up with live events of long stretches of time and where things can get real dynamic, possibly allowing for anything to happen. This year's Pokémon Go Fest is definitely just that, especially on Sunday, which has been stated to remain a mystery until that very day. Therefore, live blog posts become an option that makes sense for coverage of this event instead of an overall wrap-up at the end. It would be similar to something that a certain someone did for a well-known livestream featuring Pokémon, only this would indeed be shorter. But that doesn't mean it would be void of content; in fact, I plan to update how things go around every half hour. This will be a totally new challenge for me.

It will likely be a long while before Pokémon Go Fest can be held as normal in person, and perhaps even longer before I will be able to attend one somehow. But with today's conditions, the virtual Pokémon Go Fest serves as a nice proxy. Either way, one still needs to prepare, and that includes I myself and practically everyone else participating. There are a few of these different aspects that can and should be prepared, but they should be simply obvious and simply make things more workable and interesting. Hopefully that applies to practically everyone like this edition of Pokémon Go Fest does.

One year ago: Making Things Simple

Two years ago: The Greatest, Everyday

Three years ago: Pokémon School

The State of Nominations, Part 5

It's been a couple of months, so now it's time to update on how my PokéStop nominations have progressed within that time. Incidentally, it's been a year and close to a week since I first started reporting on these, and I wanted to report on this then, but I wanted to wait a bit for responses to some of my more recent nominations... and that hasn't happened, except for one which came as I wrote this. Regardless, it's worth it to update on what has happened over the past couple of months, since there is still a lot of that.

After those couple of months, my total nominations (at least, of distinct ones) has increased by 9 for a total of 74. I've had 5 more approvals for a total of 34, 4 more rejections for a total of 27, and the number of superseded nominations increased by 1 to 8. Currently, 5 of those nominations are still in limbo, and only one of them is a nomination still "hanging" from last year, while the others had been made within a couple of weeks from today; the rest have been resolved in some way as above. While admittedly there has been a bit of a slowdown in the process recently, at least the process seems to continue to proceed well even today, which should be a good thing for continued nominations.

The story of renominations has overall remained the same, with one exception: two recent ones have failed to gain acceptance, and as a result they are the first nominations to be "doubly rejected". I'm having serious reconsiderations on renominating these, though because I'm informed that some nominations have needed six or more rejections before finally becoming approved, I may have considerations for them again, but at a much later time. Meanwhile, for many of my nominations that have been superseded, they have been merged into the nomination by someone else that got accepted, though strangely one was actually accepted, perhaps because it was considered distinct. More considerations of renominations will surely follow in order to cut a few more from the "rejected" list. I've also had a rejected nomination object removed, which means I can no longer nominate it regardless.

My current nomination prospects are places that are out of the way or may have been skipped over by others yet still deserve to have PokéStops of their own. A key part of this is the visibility of the nomination, which by my experience is more likely to help in getting them approved. Some can get approved through unusual cases of visibility, but those are far and few between. At the moment, the focus is on immediately visible places that can work out based on previously accepted nominations or existing PokéStops. I also tend to try to fill gaps across existing PokéStops and in specific areas, which if possible should create areas filled with PokéStops and hopefully Gyms as well, something I'd like to see happen in some places.

In the next couple of months, some things will surely happen. Of course, with the apparent slowing down of things, I may or may not decide to make an update after that time. Yet since this is an ongoing process even after one year, it remains somewhat necessary to make the updates, especially as nominations continue. There's a lot of responses to be waited on: the responses of the reviewers who make things (not) happen, the responses of Trainers for new places to play, and my response to things as they unfold.

One year ago: Movie Manga, Part 2 (Really 2)

Two years ago: Pokémon Style Figure Sun & Moon 2 - Mimikyu

Three years ago: Cosplay in a Bag

Getting Crafty for Go Fest

This year's "Pokémon Go Fest for everyone" is just a few days away, and it helps to get into a celebratory mood before that happens. Now, for those who have been to an actual live Pokémon Go Fest, one will notice that the Pokémon and celebration mood is evident, particularly because there are decorations everywhere. Since this Go Fest is not being held in any particular place - it's held wherever one is, even at home, which should be ideal in current times - there is no one to furnish those decorations... or rather, there is, and that would be everyone and anyone, with a little help from Niantic.

On the official web site for this year's event, there is a section where one can download a few things that one can then print out in order to enliven one's Go Fest, wherever one is. Since they're to be printed out, they're available in the dominant paper sizes wherever one lives, whether it's the U.S. Letter or the international A4 size. Some of those things look tailored for this year's Go Fest, but there's no reason one can't use a few that don't or just have minor details in or during the time of future editions of Go Fest. I suggest downloading everything and archiving them just in case one is interested - I know I may be.

The nine things available can be grouped into three types: decorative activities, papercraft creations, and paper figures. The first group includes a set of pennant flags like those found at certain parties, plus ones to color in and a maze to keep certain people busy. The second group has a few Pokémon objects that might be of interest to any Pokémon fan. The third group consists of life-size figures of Professor Willow and the three team leaders of Spark, Blanche, and Candela, all of whom may be enlisted to make things less lonely. The latter two groups will require assembly, but as a whole, they should all be lots of fun.

Of these, I'm highly interested in the Pikachu visor and Gift papercraft from the second group. The Pikachu visor resembles a relic that some of my Pokémon Go fellows have obtained when they went to an actual Go Fest, perhaps in spades, and with this, I can have one of my own, though it perhaps wouldn't hurt if they could spare me one of their originals. The Gift object needs no explanation: it's a real version of the Gift in-game item, and it's totally unique; I've had my eye on this since it was first shown off by Niantic earlier. These are the ones I'd really like to print out and make for this event.

Pokémon Go Fest is after all a celebration and a party, so there would have to be things to assist with that. Niantic seems to have grasped this early on and as a result has graciously provided I and other Trainers with the exact facilities for just that, as the party printouts above. With some time and effort, anyone and everyone can turn just about any place into a part of Go Fest. That should be appropriate considering that this Go Fest is essentially for anyone and everyone. It's still a few days before then, and it shouldn't be too late to up the celebratory ante with at least a few of these printouts for all the fun to come.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/21/2019

Two years ago: Pokémon Style Figure Sun & Moon 2 - Mimikyu

Three years ago: Cosplay in a Bag

In and Out of Patterns

Frequent readers of this blog will occasionally recognize that sometimes my posts fall into a pattern (or patterns), maybe for extended periods of time. I've pointed it out explicitly about a year ago, and this time I'm about to do it again, since there is an existing one. Only this time, I'd like to couple it with a discussion about patterns with some related Pokémon things in general. Admittedly, though, this can be a rather enigmatic thing with how patterns and those Pokémon things can manifest.

It is appropriate to start with the pattern I've got going for my recent posts. Since the end of last month, I've had an alternating pattern of posts related and not related to Pokémon Go, being two posts off and two posts on. As a matter of fact, this is the second post off after yesterday, having followed two posts on. I will concede that this pattern is likely to be broken very soon and in a spectacular manner, particularly since there is a major Pokémon Go agenda coming up: the big "Go Fest for everyone" thing coming up this weekend, and my posts will surely have to adjust to that. As with last year's pattern, it is as much intended as it is unintended; things just seem to work well with it in place, at least until I have to break it.

Meanwhile, it seems conceivable that any Pokémon game can be played according to specific patterns. I've already detailed a plausible "schedule" of patterns according to daily routines, but that is simply just a conjecture. For those without a set routine, they could have a more diverse pattern, for example going from the Switch (like Sword and Shield) to mobile (like Pokémon Go) to a different platform (like revisiting a Nintendo DS Pokémon game) and then have the entire thing start up again. The point is that the patterns are likely to vary from person to person and from situation to situation, and the best that I can do is outline something rather general that may or may not apply.

Some patterns are good, but others may not be as good. This is what Niantic likely realized with the Wayfarer system as the system by which new PokéStops in Pokémon Go gets realized; if the system detects certain patterns in responses, it is likely to force a "cooldown" for a reviewer to rethink everything. It's like a research that demands one to work on things and then work on them again to eliminate certain biases. What applies there may have some merits for other things, including Wayfarer as it is related to Pokémon Go in many ways. It can become something to consider while playing other Pokémon games as well, in order to avoid patterns that may "entrap".

Patterns are natural things that may be present in different areas of life in different ways. Pokémon would be just one of those many areas, and in my case in particular at times, some of the posts on this blog that regard a variety of Pokémon things. While it may be judgmental to decide which ones should or shouldn't exist, the consolation is that they just may do so whether one intends them or not. With that, I and perhaps many other Pokémon fans are due to continue to be in and out of whatever pattern may become evident.

One year ago: Cosplay: Japanese World 2019

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 7/21/2018

Three years ago: My Favorite LINE Pokémon Stickers So Far

YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Animated Special

Last week on a certain YouTube highlight, I put particular emphasis on a channel that made comics come to life through "comic dubs". Many of those featured animation as well, though arguably on a rudimentary level. Because YouTube is based on videos, it can and does allow for fully animated creations to be shown, and there is much of that on the site, including for creations that are inspired by and/or including Pokémon. For the purpose of this highlight, I'd like to showcase a few of the channels I've discovered that have shown off creations of Pokémon animation.

One of those channels would be one called poopooghost. The quality of animation here is basic but funky, even if the animations are somewhat short. Here, the animations related to Pokémon on this channel are of certain Pokémon evolving, which are pretty neat to look at. A few videos have the basics down, such as for the Ralts family, including its branched evolution. Others are more dramatic - possibly to evade certain restrictions - and can feature other Pokémon, such as the one for Torchic with Ludicolo as a special guest. Still others, well... they have a bit of a joke due to the time when they were uploaded, such as the case for Bonsly. The time between new content could be quite far, but even the existing content is exciting.

Another channel belongs to an animator identified simply as "sum". The style is similar to the previous channel, but the style is more polished and the videos are definitely longer. There is a Scorbunny family animation in the same vein, with a special for its middle stage Raboot. Sentimental stories are also present, such as those featuring two Meowstic as well as a Glaceon and a Leafeon. A select few have a lax quality, one of them featuring a Sylveon in particular. The animator appears to be South Korean in origin, which further affirms that Pokémon has its fans there. The channel is relatively young but productive; there is lots of hope for more Pokémon creations from here.

A third channel I'm highlighting in this post is one called MarlineAnimates. This one's somewhat different, for it features even longer animations and some are even tied to popular music pieces. One featuring Incineroar vs. Primarina was expertly conceived in the style of Annie Get Your Gun, featuring one of its iconic songs. Using the hit song "What Does the Fox Say?", an impressive animation resulted with a wide variety of Pokémon. A shorter feature with a memetic "kitty cat dance" song is just as delightful. Like the first channel, the videos might be relatively fewer, but that's welcome in this case since the quality is exceptional and they're rather satisfying.

Animation would certainly be no stranger to video-sharing media, so it's expected that YouTube would have that in spades. And if any of its users are fans of Pokémon, then that may lead to a "perfect storm" of animations with or featuring it. Out of that "perfect storm" on YouTube, there are these three channels I've discovered recently, and there are sure to be many more of them. Admittedly, for those looking for funky, unique, or even excellently done animations with Pokémon on YouTube, these three should represent a nice start, or if you're like me browsing through YouTube, a great stopover.

One year ago: Seeing the World with Go

Two years ago: (Routine or Special) Local Ex-Raid, 7/20/2018

Three years ago: On Pokémon Promotional Toys

Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/19/2020

This month in Pokémon Go, Community Day can be said to represent "Part 2" of the Community Day from last month, as the featured Pokémon for both this and the previous Community Day had been decided through voting during the edition of the previous month before that. But that's a great thing, since in that way one should already know what one is up against and can prepare for it in advance. Of course, there may still be other unexpected things to keep one on one's toes, but that may be the least that someone has to worry about, including for this one.

The runner-up of the voting from two months ago was Gastly, a very popular Ghost-type Pokémon from the first generation. The special move for its final evolution of Gengar, also declared for its candidacy back in the voting, is the Ghost-type Shadow Punch; as such, this time the move suits a STAB framework, and it is likely for that reason that it became very appealing and especially so for PvP purposes, enough to take second after Beedrill. It also helps that Gengar has a Mega Evolution, and by now it is known that they're coming. The bonus for this edition is quartered Egg hatch distance, which should be quite useful to those seeking to get a few Eggs hatched and going; it displaces the countermeasure of halved Egg distance temporarily, but it's still nice nonetheless.

While there is no explicit statement that this is a "Play at Home" edition, much of the bonuses or even "perks" continue to apply, including the extended use of Incense, photo surprises, and the new Community Day Box. This time, however, the Buddy Assist is absent, instead being replaced with 30 Ultra Balls (and only that) freely available by a distinct new "countermeasure" that ought to be explained separately later. Also, the extra paid Special Research is once again available, this time called "The Great Gastly" (haha), dealing with the spooky nature of the Pokémon and still containing much of the expected bonuses. There was a bit of change, but this was certainly for the better.

I felt like I could use the outdoor exercise today (plus a few home staples were in order), so I spent quite a bit of time walking outside for this one. I hit up a few of the neighborhood PokéStops for their Field Research tasks as well as taking advantage of the opportunity to increase the friendship levels of a few other Trainers. After six hours - give or take - I really managed to catch lots of Gastly with a great amount of Candy. As for any of them being Shiny, I got 14 of them, almost the same number for Weedle last month, and this time for certain, for I didn't transfer any; still, some of them will have to be transferred somehow, and I may have the plan for just that. I evolved the usual assortment, plus a couple of extras that may be useful for battle purposes of different kinds, including PvP as above.

This Community Day also marks something significant: this is the first Community Day with a featured Pokémon whose Shiny form has already been released previously, though not the first candidate; in the previous polls (including for February), there were at least one candidate Pokémon with an already-released Shiny form, and the virtue of Gastly taking second to be featured effectively makes it the first as such. And while the Shiny forms of the Gastly species family are not too drab as they look too similar to their normal counterparts, there is but one exception: the Shiny form of Mega Gengar, which is white instead of purple. Since Mega Evolution is in the works - perhaps accurately as many have surmised - now most everyone has a chance at this neat-looking form when it comes out.

With today having been the day for Gastly and its species family in Community Day, this ends a period of two Community Days with known featured Pokémon species, and at this point the next one is anyone's guess. But known or not, the objective is always the same, which is to work and have fun with the featured Pokémon. I'd say there would be times when things are known and things are unknown - much like the current time for the world - given all that has happened with Community Day, and that seems fine enough. And certainly, one still knows that one has to continue to be on one's toes.

One year ago: The First Johto Saga English Opening Theme

Two years ago: Fast Moves and Charged Moves

Three years ago: Movie Times

Team GO Rocket's Aerial Attacks

Team GO Rocket, the "mobile branch" of the traditional Team Rocket, is an inventive lot. They first devised ways to hack into PokéStops and invade them, bringing with them their legions of Shadow Pokémon, sometimes in an undercover fashion. Yet it seems to them that that's not enough, particularly with the world the way it is today, and lately they've undertaken a new, additional way to conduct their invasions: through what could be called "aerial attacks" in hot air balloons, which in some ways is a characteristic vehicle of theirs. This new method is fairly unique and innovative even for the likes of them.

A hot air balloon in black with the familiar "R" emblem of Team Rocket in general will appear every few hours on the overworld; this will be noticeable as a circular shadow that upon zooming out will reveal the balloon. Tapping on the balloon will then prompt whoever is inside the balloon to a Pokémon battle, and the rest occurs as if one were to be facing them at a PokéStop; one may earn a Mysterious Component and a chance to capture a Shadow Pokémon afterwards. Likewise, if one takes too long to defeat them or just doesn't care for them, they'll eventually disappear, so it may still be in the best interest to battle against them.

If one has a Rocket Radar of any kind, then one will find a different kind of balloon rider when one has the radars equipped: for the regular radar, it would be one of the Leaders (Cliff, Arlo, or Sierra), and for the Super radar, it would be the boss himself, Giovanni. There is also no real difference in battling any of these riders (except their Pokémon); the radars are consumed after a successful victory and one gets to have a chance at capturing a select Shadow Pokémon that is potentially Shiny, or a Shadow Legendary Pokémon. For as long as the radars are present, one may stand to battle any of them in any of their different configurations.

There is also another kind of balloon. A Meowth balloon may appear instead of a black balloon (without a radar equipped) and they have two riders familiar to those who watch the Pokémon anime: Jessie and James - no Meowth, perhaps he's off. In terms of battle style, they are much like the Grunts, but the Shadow Pokémon they leave behind are always the same (for now at least), being Ekans for Jessie and Koffing for James, and they're potentially Shiny. They're also a two-for-one deal, as one battles Jessie and then James, with a capture chance following each. They require twice the effort, but the reward is also doubled.

It seems that in the past few months when Trainers hadn't been going out much, Team GO Rocket had gotten somewhat bored with their usual modus operandi for invasions, particularly in waiting for Trainers to come to them. To relieve that, they've decided to be proactive and come to the Trainers as well - with hot air balloons as "aerial attacks" - to reaffirm their presence and bring about lots more Shadow Pokémon, as well as a couple more familiar figures to complicate the situation. Of course, any well-prepared Trainer will surely be able to continue to fend them off in any way and thwart their continued plans for world domination.

One year ago: The State of Nominations

Two years ago: The Eevee Identity

Three years ago: Only One Save File

Catch Me If...

Oh... Come on, try to catch me

Oh... Catch me if you can!

Oh... Come on, try to catch me

Oh... Catch me... if you can!

(Come on, come on, catch me now!)

(Catch me, Pokémon!)

(Can you come and catch me? Can you now?)

(You can't catch me anyhow!)

-- "Catch Me If You Can", Angela Via

What quite a few of Pokémon or Pokémon-related music or songs have in common is that they are especially uplifting, bringing up when one is down and keeping up when one is up. This song from the English side of the first feature film or movie, or rather, it fits into the pre-movie Pikachu short, where it is indeed played. Specifically, this occurs during an especially highly competitive scene involving the Pokémon, and therefore it fits in well with the scene.

This electronic pop number actually has a quite complex structure to it. The chorus along with its "running verse" as quoted above are repeated several times throughout the song, especially at the end where the two merge - which is why it's a "running verse", for it can be and is sung together. There is also a pre-chorus (or some people call it the "hook") that nicely transitions the verses into the chorus. Other than that, plus an initial chorus, the song pretty much follows a standard pop format, which is perfectly fine.

The song's message is as I've hinted at the beginning of this post. If one is down, one ought to lift oneself up, while if one is up, one ought to remain to feel that way - in fact, one also ought to try to be a "breakthrough" to lead the pack, get to the top, and so on and so forth, a message often repeated in many Pokémon songs. Besides the fact of it being featured as part of the movie and on its soundtrack, it could be hard to tell at first if the song is really a Pokémon song if it weren't for the mention in the "running verse" as above.

The song ends up being rather "catchy" (ahem) and rather in tune with Pokémon, for which elements of "catch" are always involved. Perhaps what is most important given the song is being able to "catch the moment" to become good or to stay that way. Whether an actual Pokémon race is involved, or maybe just a race to catch them, there is something to take heart about the better side of things with this song.

One year ago: The First Johto Saga Japanese Opening Theme

Two years ago: Rearranged Pokémon Music

Three years ago: How Far Do People Know Pokémon?

Starting from Somewhere

A statement that should be familiar to people who are skilled in doing certain things, whether professionally or for fun, is that "everyone starts from somewhere". It means that not everyone is skilled from the start, and they all begin with different skill levels, and perhaps also from different places. Skills and places are things that are also common to Pokémon and its fans like me, so it's natural that I got to think of it upon thinking of this statement.

The first thing that came into my mind is regarding this statement with respect to places. The archetypal "beginning Trainer" would certainly begin in the respective hometowns, but as it stands, there are many places in the world where a Trainer could live and start life as one, and that's perfectly fine. Beyond what the games have as their standard scenarios, there would be a great deal of possibilities for just about any Trainer who hail from different places. It is a kind of marker that remains for them.

As for skills, it is plain to see that Trainers in different places are of different skill levels as well, though in time they can elevate themselves to a different standing. It's something that people naturally do, no matter how they progress in doing so, whether slowly or quickly. Yet the initial mark for that also remains, just like with the place marker above; it becomes something undeniable about where their skills stand at a current time compared to that previous time as a starting point.

For a realistic example, one doesn't have to look far. I have my origins with Pokémon, and it's a humble one that has steadily expanded with the places I've been. Regarding skills with the games, I have some good ones and not-so-good ones, but much of the former and some of the latter definitely has had improvement along the way. The fact of the matter is that I started "somewhere", and there is no doubt that the earlier points of those will remain, particularly as a gauge to where I stand today. 

Hence, the statement remains true however one thinks about it. At times, even particularly in current times, it may be easy to forget that this is the case for just about anyone. But looking at Pokémon and even how I - likely, other fans as well - fare with it, this becomes easily asserted. It becomes important to realize that the skill(s) one are imbued with definitely start from some earlier point in place and even time.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Version 1?

Two years ago: Daily Tasks

Three years ago: Flying Quirks of Charizard

More on Remote Raids

I've already mentioned the recently added feature of Remote Raids in a different post, something that effectively becomes a countermeasure for these rough times in Pokémon Go. There is actually a lot of complexity to this feature, some that I couldn't explain in a brief paragraph in that post. Therefore, I wanted to explain all that complexity in a separate post, and I figure that this is the best time as any. Admittedly, it has been quite a long time since its introduction, and it has to be done regardless. 

As previously noted, one needs a Remote Raid Pass in order to raid remotely. This is necessary when one is beyond the interaction distance for a Gym, supplanting the free or Premium pass; the indication for its usage is that the "Battle" button is pink with a blurb about the remote pass, and the pass entry screen turns pink with the remote pass in blue. Remote Raid Passes must be purchased from the shop - if one was lucky, through a past 1 coin bundle - and one cannot have more than three of them at any time, which means they may need to be used before buying more, whether individually or in a bundle of three.

Once someone enters the raid lobby and subsequently the battle, everything proceeds as normal. However, early on, an issue was discovered in that if someone raiding remotely has battle issues that force an exit, it becomes impossible to rejoin except by starting the raid over; it seems one has to be absolutely certain that there will be no problems before using a remote pass, though one may be able to ask for compensation if this occurs. Meanwhile, one may also use a free or Premium pass remotely and conversely use a remote pass on the spot under certain circumstances, but these are far and few between, more so since starting today raid passes of any kind are used up prior to the battle instead of prior to entering the lobby - a change that should result in a few less wasted passes.

Another reason why this post took a long time to appear is that remote raids were initially advertised to allow friends to be invited to a raid, and I wanted to wait until this was live so I can discuss this additionally. However, after much development, this still isn't the case, even after it had been slated to appear at the end of last month. This feature may still take some waiting. For now, one may take advantage of the fact that it may be possible to remotely raid a Gym with a raiding Trainer's Pokémon left in it, which becomes the way to access some faraway Gyms to raid. Of course, this is limited to up to six Trainers from the same team... since that is what a Gym can hold. 

As a matter of fact, there are other limits, at least slated ones. Trainers who raid remotely will later on have reduced attack power; at the moment, they have the same attack power as those on the spot. The number of Trainers who raid remotely is also limited; they can join for as long as there is room in the lobby or up to 10 - I actually today raided remotely as part of Raid Hour with seven others. This move is of course to keep things fair, as remote raids were not intended in the first place, but it has been stated that they will stay regardless as a facility for certain Trainers.

Beyond all their complexity, Remote Raids do offer something great for Trainers who are limited in mobility yet still desire to partake in raids as usual. There are some issues that are apparent and limitations that will one day be in place, but the core essence is still to allow participation in raids in some way, which remain as crucial in these days as they were before. Raids still may or may not be easy, but with Remote Raids they are surely a little easier and still just as workable.

One year ago: The Switch Lite

Two years ago: Mew @ Everywhere

Three years ago: What Kind of Pokémon Are You?

Miss You, Brandon

Trainers of Pokémon Go, particularly those in Southeast Asia, will no doubt be familiar with a certain Trainer figure. That figure needs no introduction: he's the one and only Brandon Tan. Last year, as I've partially documented on this blog, he went on an "Indonesia tour" to visit communities of players around the country - including mine - after a major (and majorly fun) Pokémon Go tournament which I attended, though not without problems. Since those happenings, a little fondness has remained in my heart, and it seems worth it to discuss about that.

Of the two instances when I met him, the first time during the tournament was the one that left the best impression, partly because I got to interact with him for longer than I did during his community visit. The evidence is of course the picture with him, yet I must admit it is bittersweet, for it is the only surviving copy after an up-and-down weekend. It was still an ethereal tournament due to my (non-) achievements, though, and I'm sure he witnessed everything. I do regret not being able to converse further while I was free and had the chance.

Then there was his community visit, which was short and conflicted with a few of my other agenda. It was still great to meet him briefly in the morning prior to the local tournament; the people in my raid group could perhaps say the same - it was one of the largest gatherings of them outside an anniversary celebration, and even now as I write this post, the profile picture of the chat group for my raid group is the group picture taken during this occasion. Though I didn't miss much because of our prior meeting, missing much of this second one was still regrettable in some ways.

Those who have read some posts on this blog early on this year might have noted for a certain occasion that there was evidence of him wanting to be a part of it, but then it just couldn't happen due to one thing or another. It can be taken to mean that he misses us, and without his presence, we would be missing him as well. Now with the global situation at hand, everyone who have met him here, including me, will likely miss him even more, and the situation is likely reciprocal.

The point is that fondness is in the air in some ways. Those who have been able to interact with him can be considered incredibly lucky, which also might mean incredible fondness. At this point, he is inextricable from Pokémon Go no matter what happens, and though there may be a certain longing, playing the game might alleviate that. Still, it is no substitute for the real person, and the greatest expectation might just be another encounter.

Hope to see you again soon, Brandon.

One year ago: Cosplay: COSTHNIFEST

Two years ago: Spending on Pokémon

Three years ago: A Pokémon Forum Persona

Giving the Gift of Pokémon GIFs

These days, many different social media and/or chat services have the capability to furnish stickers of different kinds in different places. These represent often-reusable images with certain kinds of feelings and may allow for sound or animation, and it's quite possible that Pokémon may be involved with these. Alongside this feature, the same services may also allow for animated images of a different kind, which would be animated GIFs. Likewise, these may also involve Pokémon and serve similar functions.

Some social media services may be able to directly link up with providers of animated GIFs, in which case one only needs to search for them (certainly by the keyword of "Pokémon") through that linkage. If not, then it takes searching the same GIF providers outside the services, regardless if the GIFs are to be used beyond social media. Whatever the provider, the GIFs there are likely to be independent conceptions of official content, though so are GIFs of most other things, and that is a fact that will likely remain. Still, it doesn't detract from their purpose. 

Due to file limitations, some GIFs may have off colors or choppy animations, though this is arguably a part of their character. Yet for Pokémon, this could be slightly off-putting due to the possibility of colors that Pokémon images may involve. Simpler Pokémon images might make for better-looking GIFs. At the same time, GIFs aren't restricted to certain dimensions, so they might accommodate some full anime scenes, though they might still be clipped to emphasize certain details. Simplicity seems to remain key no matter what, particularly for Pokémon GIFs.

Pika Pokemon GIF from Pika GIFs

This one of Pikachu and Eevee looks pretty good. It's simple and the colors look OK even if a bit pale. There is a slight bit of choppiness at the end, but it's negligible. I'm still rather pleased with it. I found this one here.

(A note: some GIFs might not actually be GIFs, especially from certain social media services - they might actually be movie files of MP4 extension; the above GIF can actually be in such a form. They still have to play nicely with the respective format limits regardless.)

Communication in current times are as much visual as verbal, and animated GIFs, like stickers, can help with that. Pokémon fans like me ought to be glad that they can get in on the action with what they love, and convey different messages with them. They might have a different look and feel than plain images and stickers, but especially with great ones, the essence is still the same. In a way, they are indeed "GIFs bearing gifts".

One year ago: I'm a... Bounty Hunter?

Two years ago: Losing and Finding Links

Three years ago: Strategy Guides and My Pokémon Experience

YouTube Pokémon Highlights - GabaLeth Edition

With my continued exploration of YouTube, I continue to find even more Pokémon things that I can pleasantly enjoy; as such, I may consider doing these highlights a little more often. Last week, I highlighted a music channel, something that can be realized using the videos uploaded on it, but the primary function of videos is certainly to display visuals, and this is typical of many videos there, including the channel I'm highlighting in this post. The channel is called GabaLeth, and the videos on this channel do something interesting with the visual aspect enhanced by audio, all wrapped up in videos.

The name of the channel may sound odd, but there's a reason: there are two creators manning the channel, and their names are Gabasonian and Lethalityrush (they're twins), so the channel's name is a blend of the two. It reminds me of my own real name, but I digress. What they do (and make) on this channel are "comic dubs": they take comics that they make themselves or even from other creator-illustrators as well, have different people provide voice lines for the dialogue, apply a few visual and auditory touches including mouth movements for the dialogue and added sound effects, and present the whole shebang in videos. Their specialty is comics and comic dubs that feature things under Nintendo's banner - Mario, Zelda, and of course, Pokémon; in fact, I discovered the channel not by a Pokémon comic dub, but by a Mario comic dub. One thing certainly led to another, and now I highlight them here.

Done well, this can bring life even to the simplest (and most absurd) of Pokémon fan comics, such as one featuring Pikachu vs. Charmander on the merits of some Pokémon, enabling one to truly relate to each (notably, this particular comic dub also made use of Mewmore's music as above). Heartwarming but still kooky moments can become even more so, as in an imaginary parent-child relationship revealed between Giratina and Mimikyu during a "school" lunch break. As Pokémon isn't just about the creatures, the human characters can be as enigmatic as well; there is one that lets viewers sense how Guzma might (actually) react to a Team Skull Pikachu. Then there is also one from an expanded idea about a certain line that a Youngster NPC Trainer has; this last one is actually a Gabasonian original, unlike the others that are other comics from creators all over the web. 

This channel has been around for five years (to be more precise, five and a half, since their "half-anniversary" was nine days ago), and like any creator, styles develop over time and so does variety. One of their earliest works is a comic dub on a plausibly doubtful use of Flash in the fifth generation; a little later on, there is one involving antics of a Team Aqua Admin in battle, from the third-generation (remakes). When the seventh generation came about, they made their share of comic dubs, including of first-generation characters Red giving a gift to Blue, obviously during their visit to Alola. Their latest works involve the eighth generation and the Galar region, including one about one of the characteristic Gym Leaders there. Again, it's worth noting that not all the comics are theirs - this applies for the latter two here, and they even include non-comic footage - but these rather depict their advancement.

GabaLeth have a tagline that they state on their recent comic dub videos: "N-joy [enjoy] and stay perky". Looking at their portfolio, of which the videos linked here are only a small part of that and especially in regard to the ones involving Pokémon, they've done their best to realize just that. They have their own style that makes all kinds of emotions apparent, even for the comics of other creators. I would say that I did enjoy their takes on the comics, and they make me feel perky; it's a totally unique stop on my YouTube journey and adventure with Pokémon, and it should be so for others as well.

One year ago: Brandon Tan in My Town!!!

Two years ago: Exploring Dual Types

Three years ago: "Don't Fear Failure!"

Reminiscing More of My Early Days with Go

Early on in this blog, I detailed a few experiences from my early days with Pokémon Go. It was a fascinating time for a game that suddenly really got going to a massive start. After that initial burst, however, the mood quickly dissipated, almost "dying", so to speak. Yet the memories from those early days remain alive within my mind. Since this is the "anniversary month" for the game, it seems worth it to detail a few more of those moments to provide a greater perspective.

When the game was released, it coincided with a very special time for a certain group of people around the world, but especially for those in my local area; I've actually alluded to it a few times over since then. Therefore, it can be said that the game was a "present" for this special time, though this special time doesn't really warrant presents, unlike another special time that occurs later in the year (at this particular point anyhow - I've noted that it shifts a few days each year). That timing might have helped quite a bit in boosting the popularity of the game in some areas, particularly mine.

For that, the effects in my local area were profound. A certain park day in and day out became the place where Trainers set up Lure Modules, and later on, that same park became the host for early EX Raids with its sole EX Raid Gym in the area. It became the talk of pretty much everyone, and a national-regional newspaper even featured a "Pokémon Go" issue along with its normal news. As well, one of the contests - the one I participated in - was also a radio contest held at a local mall, and the live broadcast made things rather remarkable. The media coverage was obviously something that disappeared, but the park spirit didn't.

As for Pokémon Go groups, they did exist at the time. I joined a group of Trainers of Team Mystic - my would-be team later on - showing my support for it. Similar groups existed for the other teams, in addition to some general groups; when the mood dissipated, these groups splintered or disbanded. One of these splinter groups, fortunately, became the local main raid group of which I am a member today. Meanwhile, I just learned that one of my friend groups in WhatsApp was originally one of these general groups, only with an obvious focus shift. Changes were significant here as well.

It becomes clear that as I reminisce about the early days of Pokémon Go around me and my local area, things are not what they used to be. Then again, so is the game with all the changes that have been implemented in it. Those initial moments may be considered to no longer have sufficient life force, the same way many considered the game afterwards, but at least my mind keeps them alive, and in fact the game is still alive to this day. With the game now a few years older, I suppose only that fact really matters. 

One year ago: A T-Shirt for One's Journey

Two years ago: The Wonders of Weather in Go

Three years ago: Going Back to the NDS