The Peak of Celebrations

I was going to title this post "The End of Celebrations", but I realized it would not quite be appropriate to a certain extent. The initial reason for doing so was primarily because the season of Celebration in Pokémon Go ends today, and a new one will begin tomorrow, for which the details are best to be saved for later. But then that's just one of the many celebrations that have occurred or are occurring recently, so the title above would have been a misnomer. I decided instead to go with the current title, and it's a much better fit.

The big thing, of course, is the silver or 25th anniversary of Pokémon, for which the big day was yesterday. But the celebration really doesn't end there, for it can and does go beyond, as can be discerned from my initial "road-to" post. Much remains to be divulged and to be discussed, particularly by yours truly, as they come. Though of course once it goes into the next year it will be another number for the anniversary, at least anything that comes now should fit well into the framework of the current anniversary, so my coverage will continue until whenever the momentum wears off. The road to it may end, but the road from it is only beginning.

Back to Pokémon Go, as promised, there was that Raid Day that occurred today. It featured the three birds of Kanto, which I and my fellows took part in. Some of us got pretty good results, even if some of us decided only to raid remotely, which is better than nothing. Other than that, today was a "tie-up-loose-ends" kind of day, which is fine. It marks for a mellow finish to the current season and the act of expecting the next one.

As for this month being an anniversary month, that remains something true, as I posted earlier for that of one of my groups. In fact, it can be said to even continue all the way up until the end today, almost like how I posted about another anniversary two years ago (see below), though that one was rather indirect. Therefore, this time being a "peak" is considered appropriate.

Later on down this year, there will surely be more Pokémon and Pokémon-related things to celebrate. But there's nothing like the current "peak" of celebrations coupled with the big Pokémon anniversary. All that this Pokémon fan can say is best wishes for everything.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/28/2020

Two years ago: The Birthday of a Hero

Three years ago: Cosplay Poses

Four years ago: Cosplay: Japanese World 2017

Suddenly Silver: Pokémon Day 2021 - 25th Anniversary

At last, it's here, after several months of expecting it. It's gilded, it's gleaming, it's the 25^th anniversary - the silver anniversary - of Pokémon. With apologies to fans of a certain comic strip, it really does feel like that; things go on, and on, and on... and wham - suddenly, it's the big anniversary. Being it is a significant anniversary, there has to be a few big things going for it on the big day, and there are, but they'll be explained soon enough. It's also pertinent to provide more of my views, now that the big day has come. 

It's been said that the silver anniversary represents a kind of brilliant harmony of an union (that is, of a marriage, traditionally). That brilliant harmony is what keeps the union going for all that time, all of the 25 years. I'd say there has been brilliant harmony for Pokémon in all its various forms, whether for Trainers to their Pokémon, Trainers among each other, or fans of all different backgrounds including gaming, entertainment, and merchandise. That much is quite incredible and any fan of anything Pokémon should be proud to be part of it all. 

It wouldn't be complete without some words about the games as something par for the course for Pokémon, and a few hours ago, another edition of Pokémon Presents appeared with updates on current games and their anniversary happenings, as well as updates on upcoming games. For that, I can give a brief preview for now: it might have something to do with taking pictures, a region that's been on everyone's minds for some time, and a totally new game concept. All of these are tantalizing, and I'll let them have their own spotlight in another post.

An occasion this big and special to enjoy, and that comes by way of an artist named Post Malone. He has a song fitting for this Pokémon anniversary, and it can already be heard right away; those who played one of the older main series games should recognize the Pokémon touch throughout. For those wanting somewhat more, the artist is holding a virtual concert on YouTube that is due to start in a few hours. If any of the songs to be featured in the concert will have similar touches, then it's definitely worth watching, and I'm sure I will.

Today is a pinnacle, a milestone, and a significant time to be a Pokémon fan with a major anniversary. While it's overshadowed by the current conditions of the world, there's no reason that Pokémon things can't go on, as with the tagline for this major anniversary. Looking at the above, there are indeed ways for that, especially for the games once they are fully developed. For now, some celebrations and commemorations are in order, and they'll surely find ways to go on as Trainers, fans, and Pokémon itself go on as well.

Happy wonderful, gleaming, and silvery 25^th anniversary.

One year ago: Pokémon Day 2020 - 24th Anniversary

Two years ago: Pokémon Day 2019 - 23rd Anniversary

Three years ago: Pokémon Day 2018 - 22nd Anniversary

Four years ago: Pokémon Day 2017 - 21st Anniversary

Ninth Cosplay Anniversary - Taking a Backseat

Well, for those who know me very well, they know that today is an important day for me. And those who are reading now, they can find out by my previous-year posts below. Today is certainly my cosplay anniversary, the exact day I started cosplaying years ago, for which today is the ninth. But then, this time in the world still doesn't seem to be quite the right time for cosplay, especially my Pokémon cosplay. It seems that the world is demanding me and other cosplayers to "take a backseat" for now, and that seems to be something good to do.

The state of the world today doesn't leave much room on the "front seat" to do the things as many used to be able to do, and that includes cosplay. To be able to mingle, interact, and perform with or in the company of other people is a difficult proposition from the standpoint of precautionary measures for current situations. In some cases, it may simply be asking for trouble, which could have been the case for an earlier case of mine. In any case, I as a Pokémon cosplayer and other cosplayers have reluctantly taken our places in the "backseat" and additionally put cosplay on the "back burner".

Even so, things on the "back burner" can still "cook" and people on the "backseat" can still "drive", and the same could be true for cosplayers and cosplay. I and others could use the opportunity to strengthen our cosplay portfolio with improvements to costumes or even photos of our costumes, provided there are others willing to help. I've already thought about doing such, but things will take time. Online competitions and networking for cosplay may still be good too, though I'm reluctant to call them "events" since they can't cover possibly everything I and other cosplayers used to do. In the end, the "backseat" is still a "backseat" and only so much can be done from there. And...

Me: Maybe this would be a good time to talk since we're not going to have an opportunity in whatever's left of the month to talk in an entire post.

Ash: Well, you've been sending me to events for nine years, and all of that has been wonderful. You've introduced me-

Pikachu: Pika! ["And me!"]

Ash: -and Pikachu to a lot of people by the way you and I do things. It's been great to do that up front while we're still able to. For now it's fine that we do things from the back.

Me: I guess.

Ash: We can still support you from the back for the photos, connecting, and things like that. That way, we'll be ready when the world is ready for us.

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Absolutely!"]

Ash: Don't forget - our character power is for you.

I suppose that's true. Cosplay is about putting up a character regardless of the cosplayer or situation. In these uncertain times, that seems to be just as doable from the "backseat" as it is from the "front seat". For now, that "backseat" seems to be the part where I and other cosplayers ought to "ride" until we can return to the front.

Happy ninth cosplay anniversary to me.

One year ago: Eighth Cosplay Anniversary - Doing What I Want

Two years ago: Seventh Cosplay Anniversary - Timeless Cosplay

Three years ago: Sixth Cosplay Anniversary - From No-One to Someone

Four years ago: Fifth Cosplay Anniversary

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2021

Today's a good day for the Pokémon Go event rollup, and in fact, it's the last day I can make it for this month, for reasons that will soon become obvious. Now, last month's events were quite celebratory, and those of this month can be said to continue the trend, especially for what they celebrate. It also happens to be quite a mixed bag of sorts as the celebrations are or were for both the real world and the virtual world, but they are all still quite appropriate - this current Pokémon Go season is called "Celebration" after all.

After a bevy of regional celebrations in February, it seemed that Team Go Rocket naturally wanted one of its own, and they got it with the Team Go Rocket Celebration in the first week of this month. The Grunts appeared more often at PokéStops and by balloons (every 2 hours instead of 6) and the Leaders also had a Wailmer of a time, even giving out Gift stickers with their likenesses after battling with them. Shady Pokémon appeared in the wild and in the Strange Eggs that the leaders may award, and Research (Field and Timed) demanded going after this shady team and more in order to celebrate what's right and downplay what's wrong.

Dipping back into the real world, there was a celebration for a great Eastern festival, the Lunar New Year. For this year, the celebration focused on red Pokémon in the wild and raids, iconic festival Pokémon in Eggs, lucky and prosperous Pokémon (like Meowth and Miltank) in Field Research, and the icon of this year, Tauros, in Timed Research. This celebration also marked the debut of Mega Gyarados as a new Mega Evolution species and greater Lucky possibilities, both for Pokémon and Trainer friends, who could also benefit from more Poké Balls in Gifts. The prosperity and luck factors were evidently turned up for this celebration.

Following luck and prosperity, there was love to be had with the Valentine's Day celebration. This time, the Munna species family was introduced into the world, along with Shiny Alomomola and lovely Pokémon all around in the wild, Research, Eggs, and raids. This celebration also included a Collection Challenge that was somewhat weighted toward raids, which really did give it a challenge. The Lucky possibilities from the Lunar New Year celebration remained, but with bonus Berries from Gifts instead. With that, perhaps "lucky love" was on the minds of some Trainers as well to catch all the featured Pokémon.

While Pokémon Go Tour is supposed to serve as the culminative celebration for Kanto, there's no reason it can't have a celebration of its own, and thus there is the Kanto Celebration to close out this month and this season, and to become (part of) the peak of this year's Pokémon anniversary. Obviously, it features first-generation species by all means (wild, Incense, Research, Eggs, and raids) plus a Timed Research set and a Raid Day set to occur on Sunday, just after things really peak. Those that haven't finished the Go Tour Collection Challenges have until that time too to do so, just as a friendly reminder to celebrate as well as possible.

The mix of real and virtual influences in this month's celebration is reminiscent of a certain mission statement, and in that sense the statement is fulfilled. As with last month, the true aura of celebrations seems off to a certain extent with what goes on in the world, but life with Pokémon goes on, and it goes on as well in Pokémon Go. It has to go on - one of the biggest celebrations Pokémon will have is about to occur, and one can't ask for much more than ways to ride the momentum to it, even in Pokémon Go by way of its events.

One year ago: Trade Evolutions in Pokémon Go

Two years ago: Meeting of the Minds

Three years ago: Cosplay: Japan LovEvolution Vol. 3 - Haruka ni Yoi - Full Japan Day 2018

Four years ago: Dealing with Cosplay Offerings

Learning from Each Other, for Life

There are some things about Pokémon and me that I can't state enough. One of those things is that I don't know everything about it, though as a fan, I demand myself and am demanded to know as much as I can by learning about those things. Fortunately, I have a neat source from which that learning can take place, and that would be from other Pokémon fans. In fact, the case can be made that we learn from each other, and that makes for a fascinating phenomenon.

In January, I had connected with another Pokémon fan over the Internet, and in that moment, both of us started out by learning - specifically, we learned about different ways to put up the letter "é" on screen, something I had discussed very early on in my blogging efforts. While I still stand by my discussed methods, it was fascinating to learn about those that are used by others, and I as a fan felt that I had gained something from it - perhaps the other fan as well.

Meanwhile, closer to today, when I grouped up for this month's Community Day, we not only had a good time catching Pokémon, but we also shared tips on a variety of related matters, including searching for Pokémon and a possible way to gain more Candy XL. Both are things that are felt to be important for our respective adventure efforts, but in a sense they are all important regardless in order to expect more possibilities from our adventures and beyond.

As it so happens, I'm currently also knee-deep in things not so much related to Pokémon, but more related to learning - as in, a more formal kind. Some of those things are also specifically lifelong learning, or learning throughout one's life. If anything, the occurrences from the past two months prove that this can happen with something informal like Pokémon, and that it can happen with those who share some of the exact passions for everything about it.

I've been a fan of Pokémon for a long time and the "lifelong learning" thing holds. I've also been in contact with many different fans of Pokémon, and the possibility of learning something from them also holds. While it may be that I never will know everything about Pokémon, it's still a relief that somehow the learning can take place in the company of other people and continue for as long as I am a fan, which I expect to be while I am still very much alive and well.

May we as Pokémon fans continue to learn from each other, hopefully for all our lives.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/22/2020

Two years ago: Don't Forget Our Roots

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/24/2018

Four years ago: Memories of Johto

The (Un)Popularity of Legendary Raid Bosses

During the Pokémon Go Tour event, the Level 5 or Legendary raid bosses featured the three birds of Kanto and Mewtwo. That remains the case for the time being, which should be explained in an event rollup soon to come. However, I've noticed that my raid (sub-)groups are not interested in raiding the former and seem only attracted to raid the latter. In other words, the latter is more popular than the former to them. It seems worthwhile to try to determine why this is the case.

A prime suspect of the lopsided popularity is something that I myself have noted in the past as being lopsided: Candy XL, which has its own quibbles. As far as my groups are concerned, Mewtwo is a far more lucrative target to earn Candy XL off of raids, and the conclusion is that it's more worth it to raid for Mewtwo than it is for the three birds. With the way Candy XL are, it's only a given that those in my groups would rather raid for it and maintain good chances of getting Candy XL in some way, even through transfers. Even if Candy XL was a given rather than a chance, the above is still likely the case.

As a secondary suspect, movesets are likely to contribute. It is worth noting that the four Legendary Pokémon above currently don't have their special moves, so their values are slightly decreased. Yet, Mewtwo has the most interesting overall moveset out of the four Legendary Pokémon, which may also become a virtue for when its double Mega forms are introduced later on at some point - Mega Evolution is in Pokémon Go after all. Knowing this, it's only a given that some would seek for them now instead of later.

Perhaps the simplest suspect for the popularity is that they simply are together. If the birds were on their own rather than Mewtwo, they're likely to be raided regardless by their respective legions of Trainers and fans. Even so, among the birds there would likely be favoritism of one species or another due to circumstances; even the two previous suspects above would still be suspect, as for example, I've also detected that if Mewtwo weren't present, there would be a favoritism for Articuno for different reasons, which could make it more appealing to raid.

Evidently, with more Legendary raid bosses on the table, odds are some of them will get shoved aside, and looking at my raid groups, this seems to be the case. It might also be the case for similar groups in different places. If anything, the three suspect causes above may be sufficient to explain the case of why this occurs. Until it becomes hard to shove aside one boss or another, one (in this case, I) will likely have to deal with not the Legendary raids being offered, but the offerings that others take up.

One year ago: Tournament: Raid Group Rose Cup

Two years ago: Let's Go Take Pictures

Three years ago: Community Days!

Four years ago: Competitive or Non-Competitive?

(Pokémon) Songs as Advice

A few days ago, I heard someone discuss about viewpoints on the world. According to the person's viewpoints, songs that people sing in the world can be construed as advice for other people. Being that my mind is oriented to Pokémon, I also thought about how Pokémon songs can fit into the framework of this viewpoint. After thinking about it, I would say that the viewpoint seems to apply, despite the specificity that many Pokémon songs have.

An example of such specificity is the song known far and wide to western Pokémon fans as "Pokémon Theme". At its surface, it remains a song about a Trainer wanting to be all that one can be, certainly with Pokémon in tow. If it were to be considered as advice, the message of the song would be "to prepare" - the world should be ready to welcome the best, some Pokémon should be ready to join forces with the best, and one should be ready to make good on the promise to become the best. It's a little deep, but the advice makes sense for all who are involved.

A song that may be considered much less specific but has an element of advice to it is "Just Like a Rainbow", as the English version of a Japanese Pokémon song. Even with that being the case, there is nothing to really suggest that the song is tied to Pokémon, but it really is. In fact, the whole song is practically the piece of advice itself, being that "tomorrow is a better day", like the rainbow that comes after the rain has fallen, certainly as the light shines through. The advice remains a deep message, but not as deep as the previous song, which takes a bit of interpretation.

That becomes a key point as well. Whether English or Japanese, Pokémon or not, as the lyrics of songs are open to interpretation, so are the messages of songs and therefore the advice that can be gleaned from them. It's something that a singer of sentiments has explained in the past, though I chose to elucidate the message in a different way. On that note, the advice that I've gleaned from the previous two songs are effectively my advice, and others are free to glean their own advice from them and other songs as well - as long as they are helpful, of course, for that is its intent.

I'll have to admit, there are a few of the viewpoints of the person I've mentioned at the beginning that I may not necessarily agree with. But on the subject of songs becoming possibly a source of advice, that seems to be something I'll concur on. And if the songs in question are Pokémon songs, then I'm all for it. Deeply related to Pokémon or not, there may always be something worthwhile to glean from a particular song.

One year ago: Cosplay: Beat Launch Party

Two years ago: Local EX Raid (in a Frenzy), 2/22/2019

Three years ago: Trainer Caps, and a Teaser

Four years ago: Back in the Park

More NPC Trainers in Pokémon Go?

Pokémon Go Tour featuring Kanto is over and done, but a few things can be gleaned from its execution yesterday. One of them is the appearance of something that is a staple of the main series games but has not been present in the game until yesterday. That would be the appearance of (friendly) Trainers one can battle with to test one's skills and get nifty rewards. It's an addition that is both fascinating and notable, and it therefore deserves a bit of a discussion.

These are, of course, not really the first NPC Trainers, at least not ones that deserve to bear the classification. That honor belongs to the Team Go Rocket Grunts, Leaders, and Boss, who are by no means friendly, inviting, or skillful (in most cases at the least). As they are already in place, the new NPC Trainers can be considered to have expanded this framework in order to accommodate something similar yet completely different. Because they are or were involved in yesterday's Timed Research, it's clear that Research tasks can now account for them as well. With the system in place and expanded, they too can take on the world.

Even so, there are some improvements that can stand to be applied. It would be useful to mark PokéStops where they appear in similar fashion to the people involved with TGR, in order to avoid possible confusion with them should they appear side-by-side and to clearly identify which PokéStops they appear in, which would be useful in areas dense with them. Their rewards can also stand to be revamped, in terms of other items and their quantities; for example, the Trainers provided so many Poké Balls yesterday that the bonus box of 200 Poké Balls seems hardly necessary. The situation will certainly determine what they should reward.

If demand arises for them in the future, they might just be able to have a regular presence in PokéStops regardless of the time of year. Yet given that yesterday they were representative of contest winners, they might be more suited for special events like Pokémon Go Fest, Safari Zones, and so on, especially provided once the conditions of the world stabilize somehow. Repeat contests or event contents might also demand them to change in composition, perhaps additionally becoming suited to certain PvP leagues and allow specific challenges with them. All of that remain to be seen as Pokémon Go continues to develop.

For Pokémon Go, these new NPC Trainers are novel and unique, in comparison to the main series games that have had them since the very beginning. But as with Team (Go) Rocket, they're still worthy of inclusion, and if anything, the concept will continue to prove itself with future developments. It seems the prospect of Trainers in Pokémon Go is expanding, with more things to be had for all the current playing Trainers and possibly even ones that can stand to be challenged.

One year ago: Hobby as a Partner

Two years ago: Even More LINE Pokémon Stickers

Three years ago: Quirky Raids

Four years ago: Secret Garden

Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto

So, today's the day of the Pokémon Go Tour event featuring the Kanto region, which as I've stated sounds a lot like a Pokémon Go Fest when it's not quite the season for it, and from the looks of what became of today, that could be said to be indeed the case. Much of it does resemble the execution of Pokémon Go Fest as it was executed last year on the first day, and that much says a lot. But then there are the finer points of the full-day paid event, and that much also makes for quite a difference from the Pokémon Go Fest it much resembles.

For today, the run of events was divided into hourly "zones" like the "habitats" of last year's Pokémon Go Fest on that day. The "zones" correspond to different places in the Kanto region, being Pallet Town, Pewter City, Cerulean City, Fuchsia City, and the Pokémon League. Unlike then, the run started at 9 AM local time and ended at 9 PM; the zones were repeated once going into the afternoon, and the last two hours became a "Celebration" zone. In each of these zones, Pokémon that are characteristic to each place appeared, and the task of a Trainer became to catch the Pokémon, for which a Collection Challenge for each marks the progress. Not to forget, the first-generation Pokémon rewarded more Candy overall (for example, Magikarp rewarded a whopping 40 Candy) and each zone had music from the original first-generation games with slight modification for inclusion in this Pokémon Go event.

Speaking of Collection Challenges, there are 10 of these in total, including the 5 for each zone above. The other challenges include both a Red Version and a Green Version challenge, and the version that is selected by a Trainer becomes a capture challenge while the other becomes a trade challenge - that is, to gain the Pokémon by trade. The remaining challenges are a Research challenge (the Pokémon are caught from Research tasks), a Raid challenge (the Pokémon are caught from raids), and an Evolution challenge (the Pokémon are to be gained through evolution), for which the last of these contains the remaining Pokémon not found in the others. While the grand event is today, these Collection Challenges do not need to be completed today; they can be completed any time up to the end of this month.

On the Research side of things, there were three kinds provided today. A Timed Research (available to all) of four pages with battle-heavy tasks was provided to gain useful items and Pokémon. The core Special Research, with the same title as the event, is an 8-page collection of tasks for the prime goings-on of the event. Completing the Special Research leads to another Special Research set titled "All in One #151" (dubbed as the "Masterwork Research") that contains tasks not meant to be completed all today, but over time. The former rewards a Shiny Ditto and the latter rewards a Shiny Mew, both of which make their debuts and completes the Shiny availability of all the first-generation Pokémon in Pokémon Go, though a Trainer will certainly have to work very hard for them.

Meanwhile, there are remnants for everyone to enjoy. The "classic four" Regional Pokémon of Pokémon Go - Farfetch'd (Kanto), Tauros, Kangaskhan, and Mr. Mime - became available as Level 3 raids with Snorlax as Level 4 and the three Legendary birds - Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres - plus Mewtwo as Level 5. All of these appeared in raids that took place throughout the entire day with successive appearances similar to A Colossal Discovery two years ago. Then, for the first time ever, NPC Trainers other than Team Go Rocket (as winners of a Twitter contest) showed up at PokéStops and could be battled to earn more helpful items as well as to complete the Timed Research; some of them resemble certain Trainers from the original first-generation games right down to the dialogue, only with added Pokémon Go flair.

I had my own plan to hit up a few of my Pokémon Go fellows near my neighborhood, and it came to fruition. They needed my help just as much as I needed theirs, so it was a win-win solution. We raided, traded, and shared experiences - all while staying safe, of course, with the world still what it is today. At the same time, I needed my outdoor exercise, so everything worked out. Of the 10 Collection Challenges, I completed 7 of them; the Research and Raid challenges have one Pokémon left, and the Evolution challenge still needs much work, but that's for the rest of the availability period; I also completed the Timed Research since it was of utmost importance. Overall, it seems to be fulfilling of the effort, experience, and the expense for the event, which I would say is worthy.

Yet even for a major event such as this one, there is still a goof-up, and it's as major as the event itself. The goof-up is that many Trainers who didn't pay for the ticket and therefore the event ended up becoming able to participate in the event anyway (by way of having the ticket suddenly appear and choosing a version), particularly in the Collection Challenges and Special Research sets, which are the "bones" of the event. As one can tell, some of the reactions were not quite pretty. Therefore, at a later date, a "bonus event" is due for those who actually paid for the event (like me) to make it worth its value. While this does make it a "celebration for (most) everyone" given this month, that may not have been necessarily the intent.

There's nothing like a celebration even when the times are not quite celebratory, and this Pokémon Go Tour featuring the Kanto region fits the bill. New novelties, old sensibilities, and even a(n un)fortunate goof-up combined to make a grand event that honors the first major milestone of Pokémon a quarter-century ago. The celebration for all Pokémon fans will continue soon enough, but those involved with Pokémon Go will surely have had a taste of just what's to come for Pokémon.

One year ago: Living with My Buddy

Two years ago: Poké-Tourism

Three years ago: Pokémon "Cover Songs"

Four years ago: Venice and Alto Mare

Preparing for Pokémon Go Tour

Pokémon Go Tour is just around the corner, or to be more precise, it is tomorrow. As explained before, it bears some resemblance to Pokémon Go Fest, perhaps as an "off-season" edition of it. It is sure to be exciting, but before more excitement can happen, there are the preparations for it to make sure that happens as best as it can, especially now when things are up and down. So, as with the case for Pokémon Go Fest last year, it is perhaps wise to consider the preparations for this different yet virtually the same kind of event.

Since it is like a Pokémon Go Fest, most of the previously explained preparations for out-of-game aspects should hold true, from device planning and schedule adjustment. The only difference from last time is that, of course, this is not a full-on celebration like Pokémon Go Fest was last year or is typically, so there are no decorations to speak of, and that might take some pressure off. Yet, this is February as the anniversary month for Pokémon, with a special and big one at that, so a few more things might be in order for really big fans for this and beyond.

Then, there are also additional unique things that Pokémon Go Tour confer. It is important to keep in mind that one needs to select the version to play with, whether Red or Green. For those who have purchased the tickets early on, it is wise to select a version now if one hasn't already done so, to make sure it's not forgotten. It is also equally wise to check with friends for what version they select to know who to refer to for version exclusives. The entire experience is designed to replicate that of the traditional main series games, so some of the sensibilities apply.

As for myself, when I covered Pokémon Go Fest last year, I did so with a live blog, which pushed both my blogging and playing capabilities to the limit. For this one, I'll just cover it the traditional way with an overall coverage as with Community Day and minor paid events. That would leave me time to enjoy the event as I enjoyed my first Pokémon game, and for that reason I've chosen the Green Version as the semi-analogue of the Blue Version I originally played. It's nostalgia to the max, but in a simpler and modern manner.

There seems to be a lot going for Pokémon Go Tour. It's like a Pokémon Go Fest mixed with the main series games, and it nearly coincides with a very big anniversary for Pokémon itself. With that, preparations likewise beckon for it, in order that it can be executed as well as possible... similar to the big Pokémon anniversary, but that's really another matter. For now, Trainers of Pokémon Go are about to have their hands full with this new event that hearkens back to the old days of Pokémon for the present enjoyment.

One year ago: For the Sake of Consistency

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/19/2019

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Team Leader Stickers

Four years ago: Let's Get Ready to Rumble

Quickies: Water, the Source of Life

If on the last "Quickies" (and the very first one as such) the issue of electricity partially came up, now I want to discuss about its good friend, water. Occasionally, it's an issue that comes up at different parts and times of my life. Evidently, it's a very important thing - someone I know very well often says that most people grab for water or do something with water as the very first thing to do in the morning, as opposed to, say, grabbing a fistful of cash. It's like how the Pokémon species Lotad is purported to seek sources of clean water by foot (and thereby can indicate such sources), except on a more daily basis. I won't disagree with that, and the resemblance with Pokémon lore only affirms things further. In this way, the sources for water are also very important, and that seems to become part of the issue.

Now, I live close to a river, but that's not from where my water source comes from - that would invite all the Qwilfish and Tentacool into my home. I get my water, like most everyone else, from the local clean water provider, and that should please any Pokémon that loves clean water, including but not limited to Lotad. However, that doesn't mean that everything remains peachy all the time. I've had various problems with the supply at times, whether on my end or their end. The resolution of those problems are sometimes simple and other times not so simple. For the ones that are not so simple, it would be a miracle if I had a Pokémon that could be able to help fix them in addition to whatever efforts I and other people can make in order to do so. 

Without a doubt, water is the source of life for both Pokémon and real life. But then, it's also a possible source of problems for not only what's in it but also what carries it. To keep it as the source of life it can and should be means to maintain its supply and worthiness of being used and consumed. If anything, aside from Pokémon that thrive in water with less-than-worthy quality and are not really in need of water, most species could actually thank one for doing so. The upkeep will be both the challenge and the reward for something that is as precious to both people and the creatures they are interrelated with.

One year ago: To Lure or to Walk?

Two years ago: Mewtwo @ Everywhere

Three years ago: Cosplay: CHoCoDays x CLAS:H/ICGP Regionals 2018

Four years ago: Pokémon Art on Walls

Gym Takedown Habits

OK, this might seem like something strange to discuss, but bear with me. The other day, I was on a Gym tour (for Pokémon Go, certainly) also with the pretext of getting a few things, including food on the table in some way. While doing so, we noticed that some Trainers have the knack of putting Pokémon in Gyms as we encounter them - or perhaps we were just unfortunate. It led us to a discussion - on an outing full of discussions too - about our Gym takedown habits and the reasons for them.

My friend is of the more passive-slightly active type. If the Pokémon in a Gym aren't of the 8 and a half hours or so needed for someone to earn full coins for the day, my friend isn't likely to take it down. This applies whether or not my friend knows the Trainers in question. However, if the need arises to take down a Gym in that state, my friend will also likely contact the Trainers to ask permission - it's surprising how many my friend knows. Gyms that have turned gold are also not likely to be touched except by demand. It's a fair method, and I respect that, especially if the Trainers are known.

In comparison, as I explained to my friend, I'm more active tending to aggressive. If a Gym isn't gold and I've already dealt with it before, I'm likely to take it down no matter how long its denizens have been in there. However, I do try to leave them in there for as long as possible (up to the limit for earning coins), and if possible, I also take down others with the same Trainer to make up the time difference if less than the limit. This applies whether or not I recognize the Trainers in question, with the hope that they understand the intent should they ask, especially for those who I know.

Some points of our approaches are similar in that we don't deal with gold Gyms unless necessary or forced to, as in a "we need coins stat" circumstance. Likewise, we also attempt to have the denizens earn as many coins as possible, provided they have not earned it. Still, my friend has an "avoid trouble" approach while I have a "go after foes" approach, to borrow a couple of terms from Mystery Dungeon. In our discussions the other day, we also delivered a few criticisms of our respective habits, and it may lead us to tone down or bump up the efforts as needed to maintain neutrality.

That said, I don't know as many Trainers as my friend, and therefore I can't really tell who is "friend" or "foe". Yet I also know that the "invisible forces" are still apparently present, and I tend to consider strange Trainer names as part of those "forces" unless proven otherwise, which justifies my taking down of them. What makes things more complicated is that my friend knows some of these "invisible forces", and that puts pressure on us both, which is likely what spurred the discussion the other day. I suppose we can still stand by our habits or approaches based on observations.

Taking down Gyms in Pokémon Go is a task that eventually Trainers will have to do, and it is possible that they may have different habits or approaches for it, as evident through my discussions with my Pokémon Go friend. Ultimately, the objectives are mostly the same for Gym progression and coin earnings. Perhaps that shouldn't be too strange, and in the face of the above situations, we're still likely to apply our individual habits to make sure our objectives are accomplished - including that for going out itself.

One year ago: Delayed Costumes

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/17/2019

Three years ago: Time for a Pikachu New 2DS XL?

Four years ago: The Park Is Open

Pokémon Cinematic Universe - Possible?

Some days ago, I regained the capability to watch many of the things that I used to be able to watch, though there have been many changes and a few bitter points. There are also a few sweet things, one of them is being able to watch the Detective Pikachu movie again - the first time in a long time for yet another time. Thinking about (and seeing) this movie makes me think of something that I haven't discussed on this blog: the possibility of a "Pokémon Cinematic Universe". Some people on the Internet have thrown around the possibility, and I'm about to do so as well, but I'm also coupling it with a semi-thorough discussion for added perspective.

The idea of a "cinematic universe" is nothing new. The popularity of many superhero movie series and their eventual crossovers is something that incites this term. This even applies to certain movie series that have only started yet already has a grand plan. Pokémon evidently doesn't tie in too much with superheroes, though some of the creatures that bear the name may be construed to have capabilities that even superheroes can only dream of. And if the Detective Pikachu movie is of any indication, along with pretty much any other showings on the little and big screen, Pokémon has a great story power to make things like a "cinematic universe" possible.

And in fact, one could be reportedly in the making, via a sequel to the above movie. It has been reported - even way ahead before the movie was released - that a sequel is in the works for the Detective Pikachu movie, though not much else has been reported even today. Whatever happens, with the current conditions of today's world, production will likely not commence any time soon even if the script were to be finished right now. There is a certain grand thinking in this, as if the Detective Pikachu movie does well - and it does - it can pave the way for similar and/or follow-up productions, and thereby create the "cinematic universe" as indicated.

For an actual sequel that ties to the above movie, I would say that it has to have a gripping story power that is equal to or greater than the original movie to avoid it from becoming a "cheesy ripoff", especially given that the game it was based on is a one-off storyline. If anything, I would say that one of the Pokémon games that deserves to have its storyline on the big screen is Pokémon Ranger, though arguably there is already an animated movie on it. If the intent, as with the Detective Pikachu movie, is to go "off the beaten path" with a story not based on Ash, then Pokémon Ranger should be the way to go with an enthralling other-character storyline.

This "Pokémon Cinematic Universe" is captivating because of the success of the Detective Pikachu movie and the overall story power of Pokémon in general, though it arguably has to be done right to appeal to Pokémon fans all around and not be a "thorn in the flesh" of the media supremacy of Pokémon. That too would perhaps be able to put it on par with all the superhero movies that have already conceived their own "cinematic universes" that are worthy of being watched time and again... just like the Detective Pikachu movie for me, or for that matter anything Pokémon being shown. Now I'll have to go see if the rediscovered capability can work just as well in that regard.

One year ago: Cosplay: Cosplay on the Street II

Two years ago: Romancing the Ball

Three years ago: Once and Again: Cosplay Teaser for 3/11/2018

Four years ago: We Three Birds of Kanto Are...

GBL Progression, Revisited

Since the advent of the Go Beyond update, many things have changed, including those related to the Go Battle League (GBL). It has had new formats instated, and its season has gotten longer - the season that started in December is now due to end at the end of this month. But the most profound change has to be in how the rank structure for it is constituted, which is starkly different than what it was previously. I meant to explain this a little earlier (closer to the Go Beyond update post, actually), but given how I've now experienced most of the season as it's meant to be, this is as good of a time as any.

Prior to this season, in November, when it experimented with various new cup formats instead of the traditional leagues, it also implemented a different progression. At that time, the original 10 ranks were still present, but one only needed to win battles (or just battle through for its Rank 2) to progress through all the ranks, and ratings didn't apply. It seems many were receptive to it, including me, since it made things much easier to reap every single reward. It was likely this that also contributed to the new progression of this season.

For this season, the ranks have greatly expanded, and now there are 24 ranks. Of these, the first 20 ranks simply demand battling through or winning; the former is reserved to get to Ranks 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20, while the latter applies for all others of the first 20 ranks. Interestingly, one has to win as many battles as the next rank one wishes to get to: 3 wins to Rank 3, 7 to Rank 7, and so on, and this will predictably demand the completion of many sets for that purpose. As well, the rewards on the way to get to the ranks I've mentioned above with multiples of 5 are all of a single kind, for example all Stardust or all Pokémon encounters - though it also means that it is possible to get absolutely nothing if all the battles are lost even though one advances. This is a lot more to go through and it can be quite demanding, but it can be done and can be a lot of fun. Regardless, some have complained as one of the tasks to get to Level 50 is to get to Rank 20; after the complaints, it was reduced to Rank 10. So it's still not exactly for everyone.

For those that see it as a way to achieve greater success, there are the four ranks above Rank 20. These require one to achieve certain ratings in order to get to them. Furthermore, these ranks come with titles in addition to numbers: Rank 21 is Ace, Rank 22 is Veteran, Rank 23 is Expert, and Rank 24 is Legend. It is quite obvious that the titles take a cue from those of the community rankings, specifically the Ace and Legend titles. The challenges in getting to these ranks and earning the respective titles are much the same as they were before, and I can attest. I'm Rank 20 at the moment, and even to get to Rank 21 and become an Ace is difficult, not to mention the possibility of dropping many battles, which means a drop in ratings as well. My PvP fellows can say much of the same for the ranks beyond.

All this new ranking business may demand a few considerations. When one is in the first 20 ranks, it may be that one can have a more relaxed progression - when the wins come, the wins come - and it may be time to experiment with the Leagues (maybe Ultra or Master) and their Premier Cups, if present. Once one gets to the ranks where the rating is relevant, it would be time to hunker down and focus to maintain momentum and increase the rating, not to lose the former and drop the latter. It may come down to a battle of the tried-and-true versus "testing the waters".

Everything, of course, explains why this season takes so long - it's to give Trainers the opportunity to make it big. Even so, there seems to be lots of opportunities with the expanded rank structure for GBL. More items and Stardust can be earned, more Pokémon can possibly be caught, and more Trainers can show off what they've got in order to challenge themselves and others. One seems to get what one pays for however one decides to participate and for whatever reason, including getting all the way to the top of the GBL heap.

One year ago: Words of the Heart

Two years ago: Local EX Raid (and Quick Connections), 2/15/2019

Three years ago: A Break in the Action

Four years ago: Pocket Monsters Best Wishes Partners Figure - Satoshi

Valentine's Day 2021: No Love, Only Love

As I've said, love is around the corner indeed. Today is Valentine's Day, obviously, and it's hard to deny the fact for everyone in the know. It's also hard to deny the fact that this edition of Valentine's Day is very much different, this time for everyone, due to the state that the world is in today. At the same time, whether or not that is the case, love is still present, perhaps in a different form than what one may be used to. That's why I've included the seemingly contradictory phrases in the title of this post, which became my response to a matter that partially involved Pokémon and thus fitting for the current discussion.

In my experience, it seems that some Pokémon fans don't seem to get the love they need - this is the "no love" part above. It may be perceived as "not current", "backwards" (in a developmental sense), or "trivial" in the sense of their relation to Pokémon compared to everything else. Based on a conversation I had with the observers I met today on my errands, that seems to still be the case even today. The hardest part, therefore, would be to convince people that Pokémon is in fact still current, not just backwards but forwards, and major. As a fan, I seem to have to play a role in that through whatever I do with Pokémon as those people observe, and at that point, love might just appear.

As for the "only love" part, that might be a little harder. If there is a good example, it may be found in my figure group. Now two members lead married lives, one I've divulged at a certain point in time and the other practically since I've joined them. What I can garner is that there is a sense of love that has continued to approve of their continued presence in the group, and hopefully that remains the case onwards. Personally, I consider the reversal of the "no love" situation above an important step in transitioning to an "only love" situation, and it would be even better if important people like friends can be involved. They would certainly be the testament to the situation, especially involving Pokémon.

One of my errands today involved going out to shop for groceries, get some outdoor needs, and... enliven the day of a few friends while they enliven mine with possible current and future prospects. This, all the while, was intertwined with some efforts for Pokémon Go. I would say that in doing so, there was a certain spirit of love all around, and by that, I'm tempted to call this Valentine's Day as "Palentine's Day". This last bit actually has a Pokémon connection with certain female characters from there, but maybe now is not the right time to detail that. I still would say that the concept very much applies and can be used to describe this day and beyond with all my Pokémon efforts.

After years of discussing Valentine's Day, I can say that love seems to still remain in this world in some capacity. If that can only remain, I would say that the world would benefit greatly. Likewise, it would benefit with the relations that people have with and to Pokémon. There is no time like now to be able to turn around situations of "no love" and ensure that "only love" is at hand, and if it takes Pokémon for that, then I can only appreciate the effort.

Keep love (and Pokémon) in the world, and Happy Valentine's Day.

One year ago: Valentine's Day 2020: In Pursuit of Love

Two years ago: Valentine's Day 2019: Think Pink

Three years ago: Valentine's Day 2018: Address to a Luvdisc

Four years ago: It's Valentine's Day!

The Love Cup of GBL

After having proven its versatility over the past few months, now it seems apt for Go Battle League to try something new every so often. Since this month is considered by many to be the "month of love", a good thing to do would be to take that theme and run away with it, and that's exactly what the GBL did. As an alternative to the current Master League offerings (regular, Premier Cup, and Classic), which started earlier this week, there is also a special themed cup called the "Love Cup". It's a fair alternative with all things considered.

Like Holiday Cup last month, this alternative uses the Great League as a basis. For this themed cup, only Pokémon that are colored pink or red are allowed; this is based on their regular or non-Shiny form colors, though the respective Shiny forms, even if they are of different colors, are still fair game. However, there are a few other restrictions. Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are not allowed, forcing the use of common Pokémon. Three Pokémon (Mr. Mime, Darumaka, and Darmanitan) also have Galarian forms that are not allowed, but their original forms are. Altogether, the list of allowed species boils down to 105 in total, which makes for a decent list to go through and battle with.

Faithful Trainers who follow both community and official PvP formats will recognize that this themed cup bears a lot of similarity to the Rose Cup of the Silph Arena from last year. Likewise, both allow for Pokémon based on their regular form colors and disallow Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. The differences are that Love Cup excludes the purple and gray colors, which disallows pesky things like Skuntank and - still - Bastiodon, but includes the Water type, which opens the door for other kinds of pesky things like Seaking and Alomomola, both of which can potentially ruin the party of Fire types, which are still plentifully present. Similar strategies are therefore not guaranteed.

That said, a few good teams for this themed cup involve a couple of Pokémon of a specific type along with a complementary Pokémon for cover. The latter would be the lead (the first Pokémon sent out) and the former would constitute what is called the "hole", essentially trapping unexpecting opponents. If cleverly crafted, it may even be possible to use all the members of certain species families (Slowpoke, Chansey, Lickitung) with the right complement for the latter two. The biggest challenge would perhaps be to create a multivariate team that can deal with most opponents without falling into a specific "hole", though in some cases this could be unavoidable. One may have to tread lightly.

Such has been the case for me in the few days that the themed cup was introduced. Sometimes wins are hard to come by, while other times they seem to come on parade. I'll admit that in some cases this may be due to wrong strategies on my part, or conversely, the misfortune of the opposing Trainer. But what I and many of my PvP fellows can agree on is that the Love Cup is considerably easier and more affordable than the Master League offerings that currently accompany it. As a matter of fact, I've been able to spend all the allotted 5 sets of battles per day since the format is addictive and attractive. It will likely be something I'll continue to do until the Love Cup drops out.

There is admittedly "a thing of love" just around the corner, so the Love Cup is only appropriate, as well as for this month in general. Though it does look like an official rehash of a community theme (and staunch fans of the community PvP might still make the claim), as long as it's viable, appropriate, and reasonable, Trainers will come flocking to it - a fact that I can attest. As the saying goes, all is fair in love and war (or battle), and for this one, the fairness is evident however Trainers choose to battle... and love Pokémon afterwards.

One year ago: What to Nominate

Two years ago: Cryptic Pokémon

Three years ago: Two Games at Once?

Four years ago: Cosplay: Japan LovEvolution Vol. 2 - Kaizen

Fourth Anniversary of My Regional Figure Group

February seems to be a month that is rife with many anniversaries, Pokémon or otherwise. Of these, there are two major ones - one personal and the other universal - but those are to be discussed when their times come. Right now, there seems to be one I've missed based on posts in previous years (see below). That would be a group that I have warm connections with, and that would be my regional Pokémon figure group. Evidently, it's still quite warm, even with the current situation looming large over everyone's heads, including mine. A Pokémon-related anniversary such as this one deserves a bit of discussion on this very day, the exact date of the anniversary.

I joined the figure group somewhat late, about one and a half years after its founding, by way of attending one of their opportune gatherings. Even with nary a figure of my own, they were very welcoming and continued to be as such in all occasions when I've been able to meet them, including the last physical one thus far that coincided with a theme event just prior to when things fell apart, as well as the virtual gathering a few months later. As noted, they consider me (and consequently, I consider myself) a "living figure" because the characters I cosplay are present in figure form, and I think that somewhat makes up for my lack of figures. That has to be the warmest reception.

The current anniversary is only moderately special, and yet it is not quite normal either. However, I was told that some things are or were in preparation, and that I could participate in those preparations. In fact, I already hinted about the form of those preparations: it's a "pass challenge", but in a general anniversary form with a cake. One of my figure fellows, who also resides in my local area, also received the call to participate, and we decided to cooperate by recording each other's videos. As of yet, there has been no word on the progress of the overall video, but I have faith that it will be realized soon. 

Now, I did discuss about the possibility that this group of mine had "deactivated", so to speak, a couple of months ago. The discussion was based on the (non-)happenings that had occurred since that virtual gathering. With today's anniversary being pointed out, I'd say that I am neither right nor wrong. What's deactivated is more likely our figure activities at present - now isn't the right time to invest in or even divest of figures, also as I've noted - but the group itself isn't. The leader of my group even closed the anniversary commemoration message with a reminder to stay strong during these times.

A few years have passed by and I've given this specifically personal Pokémon anniversary little thought, but now with current times in mind and the novelty of it, it makes for a good discussion. Figures have never been really a primary Pokémon attraction for me, but as a fan, I oblige myself to own a few at the least. Therefore, I consider my (regional) figure group important, even if we must be separated by distance and if the group has not shown a great amount of activity in recent times. In a month full of anniversaries, even a fun but subdued one like this has some amount of importance.

One year ago: Pokémon as a Study Aid

Two years ago: A Pikachu Pillow Keychain

Three years ago: Anywhere Is

Four years ago: My Essential Pokémon Cosplay Equipment

Friendship Filters in Pokémon Go

Even with the new format I've decided to put in, I can still write all the things I can write as in previous posts, including full writeups of certain things. One of those things is regarding certain features in Pokémon games, for this post being from Pokémon Go. Nearly two years ago, I detailed about the possible things one can put into the search bar for its Pokémon Storage. With further updates, a search bar was also added to the Friend List, and it too eventually gained further capabilities, which for this post I call "filters".

The simplest filter is of course the "name" filter, and that serves to search the list by the typed-in name, in part or in full. But there are also three criteria filters to help narrow down a search: they are "interactable", "giftable", and "lucky". The first one is for friends that haven't been interacted with for the day, the second one is for friends that can be given (in other words, can receive) a Gift, and the third one is obvious - it's for Lucky Friends. Of these, the first two are likely to be of frequent use by many, including myself, to make sure that interactions can proceed as they should; the third one may be of use when Lucky Friends are a major priority.

Level filters also exist in the form of "friendlevel" followed by a number from 0 to 4. "0" represents friends that have only been just made with no interaction, while the rest of the numbers represent the four friendship levels of Good, Great, Ultra, and Best Friends. As with number filters in the Pokémon search bar, dashes can be used to search for friends in the ranges of these levels, though it is most likely that one will search for certain friends in certain levels, possibly to ascertain which friends can and will go up a level at the next possible opportunity. Likewise and naturally, this includes myself in most cases.

The "Boolean operators" that are present for the Pokémon search bar are also present for the friend list search. The forms are the same ("&" for AND, "," for OR, and "!" for NOT) and their usage is the same too. As an all-inclusive example, the search string "friendlevel3, giftable & !lucky" will show me Ultra Friends or friends that can be given a gift but are not Lucky Friends. Though there are far fewer filters for friends than there are for Pokémon, the search string can possibly get complicated when these operators are involved.

With the assumption that things that look the same function the same way, the Friend List search bar definitely fulfills that assumption. There are filters with specific criteria as well as filters for certain levels, and they all can be intertwined to show various friends, depending on what one is looking for. As friends in Pokémon Go develop, so too do the ways for one to seek the necessary friends in their Friend List for particular cases, and all the filters above represent the possible ways that they might occur.

One year ago: To Eat and to Lure

Two years ago: A Pidove Keychain

Three years ago: Memories of Hoenn

Four years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers

Quickies: Staying Productive with Pokémon

OK, things are about to get incredibly hectic for me within the next few weeks ahead, and those who might have read many of my latest posts might recognize that I've been "stuck in a rut" in regard to their format. Therefore, I've decided to try something new and force upon myself a different format. I call it "Quickies", where I regard a current situation with a Pokémon perspective or a Pokémon situation with different perspectives, all with not more than a few paragraphs (3 to 4 tops). So here I go.

So that "incredibly busy" thing is related to being productive, as the title suggests, though with another thing than Pokémon. Even so, I find that Pokémon in whatever form does help myself pace through whatever it is I'm attempting to stay productive with. Often, a little bit of something Pokémon (like posting on this blog or playing a little bit) helps me to refresh my mind, helping me to not be "stuck in a rut". And it seems that things go both ways regarding this state of affairs.

For both that thing and Pokémon, I have faced a problem in the form of power loss - as in, electricity. It isn't my fault, but the effects are rather profound and leave me literally in the dark. While I'd love to be able to peruse the aid of an Electivire - according to its role, and perhaps that one with the best stats possible in my Pokémon Go storage - that's really only a pipe dream, and I'd have better luck finding something equivalent to a Litwick or Lampent, as one of my Pokémon Go fellows suggested when it happened.

I suppose Pokémon gives me a reason to stay productive, even if some things are purely imaginative. That boost in productivity has to be important to somehow keep myself going and, in the end, everything Pokémon that involves me as well. I'm sure that whatever will go in the next few weeks will benefit from this as well and I can reap the Pokémon benefits at an eventual point in time. It's going to be a heck of a time in the weeks ahead, and hopefully Pokémon and this new blog format will help with that.

One year ago: On (No) Coincidences

Two years ago: Cosplay: Tresno no Matsuri

Three years ago: Hoenn (Fully) Confirmed on Go

Four years ago: Space

"Colored" Moves in Pokémon Games

This month's Community Day in Pokémon Go featured something unique, in that there are both Fast and Charged Moves as the special moves for a Pokémon species. What's even more unique is the latter move, which as I've stated, comes with a specific type. This constitutes a neat phenomenon in Pokémon games in that a move may have effects of different types depending on different circumstances, which can be said to give a move its "color". It's a phenomenon that started and is definitively present in the main series games, but it also really comes into its own in Pokémon Go.

In the main series games, the move of Hidden Power, despite being assigned as a Normal-type move, has an effect (and thus "color") of a certain type that is different from species to species, and even individual Pokémon of that species; the type can be determined through specific means in different games. It is the "classical" instance of this phenomenon. In Pokémon Go, Hidden Power works the same way, except that the assigned type of the move is explicitly shown beside the move, for Pokémon that possess the move. In this way, it makes it possible and convenient for one to be able to collect Pokémon that possess all 18 possible types of Hidden Power, which for a fact some people have attempted to do. It is a niche move, but the quality is special regardless.

The move of Weather Ball in the main series games is assigned a Normal type, but its type actually changes according to weather. It is Fire when sunny, Water when raining, Ice when there is hail, Rock when there is a sandstorm, and Normal otherwise. In Pokémon Go, the move is typed or "colored" in the same way as Hidden Power above, and its types correspond to any of the possible types above. The previous case of Weather Ball-Fire for Roserade is one example; other cases are Castform with Weather Ball-Normal and Abomasnow with Weather Ball-Ice. Water and Rock types for Weather Ball may also be expected. Castform notably possessed this move as its "signature move", but in all cases, now the case is no longer apparent.

While nothing has been explicitly said and not much has been revealed, the move of Techno Blast as the "signature move" of Genesect in Pokémon Go is indicated to be able to possess "color" by different types as well. If in the main series games the type of the move is determined by the Drive that Genesect holds (Electric for Shock, Water for Douse, Fire for Burn, Ice for Chill, and Normal without), in Pokémon Go the move is typed or "colored" accordingly and becomes a special move of Genesect in possession of certain Drives. So far, only Genesect with Techno Blast-Fire has been unleashed thanks to the Unova Celebration, but it doesn't seem hard to expect that later on there will be more Genesect possessing their corresponding Drives with other "colors" of Techno Blast. That much can already be expected.

It is amazing that some Pokémon moves can have type or "color" effects beyond their assigned types. The main series games demonstrate this quite well with the effects that relate to three moves above, and yet, Pokémon Go also provides a unique take on the phenomenon by actually assigning types to the same move, varying it for different Pokémon as above. While the action of the two games can be regarded as different as night and day, it is nice that the latter maintains some reference points to the former, especially in regard to moves and the "colors" of types associated with them.

One year ago: Coming Up Roses

Two years ago: Cosplay: Eien no Kiseki

Three years ago: Seeking Confirmation

Four years ago: Time

The Sweetness of "Attractors"

A unique facet of the world of Pokémon is how certain creatures that bear the name can attract with or be attracted by certain things. These things, which I will call "attractors" for the purpose of this post, have a key characteristic in that they are sweet, and that is definitely something attractive for most beings. What probably comes to mind, especially mine, is just how sweet those things are, particularly in their ability to attract Pokémon. That leads to the conception of this post in order to flesh out the sweetness of those "attractors". Specifically, I'm considering a few well-known things that do the job.

One of those things is the move Sweet Scent, or at least what results from the move. It is usually depicted as a pink cloud and/or a shower of pink petals. The petals, of course, are reminiscent of cherry blossom or sakura petals, and similar plants tend to produce similarly sweet-smelling things. The pink cloud that results can be construed as being redolent of the smell, allowing it to attract Pokémon of different kinds. Yet, it also has to be considered that different Grass-type Pokémon have different capabilities, and this might possibly affect the quality of the Sweet Scent. The Roselia species family, for example, which is expected to be capable of Sweet Scent, would be expected to have a more rose-like smell than a cherry-like smell. Regardless, the capability would remain the same.

In the Sinnoh region, it is possible to encounter golden trees with a sweet smell. These don't attract Pokémon all on their own, but if one had a jar of Honey in possession, then the bark of the tree could be slathered with it, and it would eventually attract Pokémon. There would be no question that the Honey would be similar to the same object in real life, but because of its evidently attractive and sweet quality, it could be construed to be sweeter and still more fragrant than the actual object in real life. The fact that it could be slathered on trees might also lead to the conclusion that it's a little stickier, perhaps like the sap from certain kinds of trees. The attractive force would still be its heavy sweetness. 

Of things that attract Pokémon, it's hard to escape items that many Pokémon Go Trainers frequently put into use: Incense and Lure Modules. They emanate a general or specific sweet aroma to attract Pokémon. With the pink cloud or petals present by putting them into use, the principle would perhaps be not much different than a Sweet Scent, but the aroma would be considerably different depending on the general or specific aroma intended to attract any kind or specific kinds of Pokémon and which item is used.

The "attractors" of the Pokémon world are quite varied, but they are united by the way that they work, which is by exuding sweetness to draw Pokémon, at which point they can then be battled and/or captured. They are all unique just as the Pokémon themselves are unique, and they can seemingly work with attuned levels of sweetness. That should be sweet enough for any Pokémon and their Trainers in any kind of attracting situation.

One year ago: Memories and Mnemonics

Two years ago: Pokémon Clocks

Three years ago: (It's a Wonderful) Local Ex-Raid, 2/8/2018

Four years ago: Serena-Shipping: "Heaven Help My Heart"

Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/7/2021

Well, knowing that there's a big event later on this month, it would be good if Community Day can be held early on in the month, and in fact, it's held today. This month's Community Day can be said to be strange and/or unexpected, but as far as Community Days go, it could also be said to be normal and/or expected. This includes what I went through in order to experience and play through the event today, but I suppose there's something in it for everyone, and all those qualities are "something" indeed.

As always, there's the matter of its "bones". The featured Pokémon this month is Roselia; perhaps of all or most Pokémon, this one could be considered a strange one for the event. Like Machop last month, its Shiny form is already available but not commonplace, and this is also a big chance to get it. By evolving it to Roserade, it gains the Fast Move of Bullet Seed and the Charged Move of Weather Ball with a Fire typing - and yes, it means that this is the first time there are two special moves (both Fast and Charged) for a Community Day Pokémon at the same time. That alone should already be unexpected. What is less unexpected is that the moves tend to be useful in PvP, as with most recent cases as well.

The regular bonus is reduced Egg hatch distance, and that's for a good reason: it's to allow quicker hatching of Budew (the baby form of Roselia) from 2 km Eggs that can be obtained during the event. In that sense, it's the same case with Magmar and Electabuzz previously. Further similarity is evident with an extra Timed Research for additional Sinnoh Stones. Otherwise, the Community Day incentives for editions during the current conditions remain the same even today. Then there's the Special Research, this month titled "Stop and Smell the Roselia" and featuring a discussion of the characteristics of Roselia, which like last month could be obtained for free... if one had purchased the event ticket for Pokémon Go Tour a few days before Community Day, with the January purchase making both months free. With that, the Community Day edition for this month is quite normal yet strange.

What I expected for today was to go on a good outing in order to take advantage of free time for the event. What I didn't expect was the scale of it, and additionally becoming reunited with a fellow Pokémon Go Trainer that I had lost contact with over the past couple of years, and spending time with a couple of others, including one very close one and one for a sudden Lucky Trade. But that's what happened, and I'm somewhat glad that it worked out this way. I did try something a little different this month in that I enlisted a Buddy Pokémon of similar types that can Mega Evolve in order to gain more Candies per caught Pokémon; it somewhat makes a difference, and this may become a viable modus operandi in future editions and whenever possible (as in Spotlight Hour). For evolutions, I evolved a few good ones and a viable Shiny one - nothing special, though the Roserade I received from the Special Research turned out to be exceptional, which is not always the case.

There's still a bit of time before that major event of the month, but it may help to get the momentum going with an event, and what couldn't be better than Community Day. By now, Community Day is rather ingrained with its expected specifics, but there's a good amount of room for some unexpected things to occur. Whether that's strange or normal, that may be up for the Trainers to decide. However, what all Trainers will decide on for certain is to have fun, and that should be true today and for the big event that comes later this month.

One year ago: Turning Around and Back

Two years ago: Local EX Raid (with "Friend Boost"), 2/7/2019

Three years ago: An Eye for Pokémon

Four years ago: Conserve and Cooperate

Movie Manga, Local (Re) Edition

It's been some time since I discussed anything related to Pokémon books or manga, but that's mostly because I haven't had something new to discuss on this front. Recently, though, I was able to obtain something - actually, a couple of things - that's both kind of new and kind of old; they're new because I don't have them, but they're also old because I already do have them in a sense and in some form. Nevertheless, I feel they may be of some use and are valuable additions to my Pokémon collection, so here they are.

These are local (that is, Indonesian language) editions of the Pokémon manga that are adaptations of the feature films. They are published by a renowned national publisher that also manages the publication of local editions of other Japanese manga from other very well-known and popular series. In that sense, the publisher can be considered quite reputable. Compared to the English versions (for the one on the left at least), these are about half as thick, more compact in length and width, and one-fifth of their retail prices, but contain more or less the same content. So they're fairly affordable for the locals, though I have to admit that I got these on sale, both for half off, and I got lucky.

The one on the left needs no introduction, as it is the local version of the movie manga that precisely started off my collection of Pokémon manga, for which I obtained the English version some years ago. The one on the right is a little more complicated. It's clearly an adaptation of the "I Choose You!" feature film, but it also has the "Remix" tag attached to it and is a single volume, unlike the two-volume adaptation (which I'm informed also exists locally, but I didn't find them when I got these). Both will be read when I get to them, and I'm especially curious about the one on the right.

Personally, I'm happy to own Pokémon movie manga any which way - provided I'm able to understand them - but these local editions are significant too, in comparison to, say, the English editions. The fact that I also got them on the cheap can be regarded as a fortuitous perk. But the biggest perk of all would be the valuable additions to my collection and the potential enjoyment that I will have with them, possibly leading to other things as well. The Pokémon aspect remains key to all that and so much more.

One year ago: In My Full Time

Two years ago: The Feeling of Disaggregation

Three years ago: Life with My Raid Group

Four years ago: Alola-Exeggutor - From Humanoid to Coconut Tree Dragon

Get Your Game On, Go Tour

A certain group of main series players and Smash Mouth might like to have a word with me regarding the way this post is titled, but no matter, for it nicely describes the matter to be discussed in this post.

Since the onset of global conditions, the way that Pokémon Go holds its in-game events has changed dramatically, from the regular Community Day to the occasional various paid-ticket events that are instituted. They became totally new experiences in comparison to how they were previously done. I posited last year that there is a possibility for this to be developed further while conditions still persist before settling down, and it actually has. Last month's celebratory events were actually a nod and lead-in to that new development, and before things progress any further this month, it's time to discuss about it.

Enter Pokémon Go Tour. This new event is slated for February 20 and it is another event with a paid ticket. It has the makings of a Pokémon Go Fest (and could be construed as its "winter" edition), but it's much more than that. The upcoming edition, which will feature the Kanto region and its elements, and is therefore the complementary anniversary event for the 25th anniversary of Pokémon, essentially replicates the experience of the original Red and Green (Japanese) games. This includes the version exclusives and trading for them, only this time in Pokémon Go format for everything, including raids for Legendary Pokémon. The paid event ticket will even demand the selection of the version for this purpose.

With this month being the real anniversary month for Pokémon, it only makes sense, and after a quarter-century, it makes even more sense to start off at the beginning. While there's no indication that the event could be extended to other regions as later editions, the generic emblem for it suggests that it could be as such, in the style of Go Fest at some point. That may just happen, but for now, the Kanto edition is the most pertinent and most important one for the impending really major anniversary of Pokémon in general.

Arguably, Pokémon Go itself has been a new experience for Pokémon, unlike the main series games the franchise has started off with. Yet both still remain important for the most fervent of fans, even in any condition such as the current one. If anything, this new kind of event seeks to establish that exactly through a spiritual link between the two, in fact almost demanding one to get their game on, and in the case of Pokémon Go, to go on a tour.

And in the process, everyone (that is, all Pokémon Trainers) would become all stars. Major anniversary or not, that seems to be well-deserved.

One year ago: It's (All) About Time

Two years ago: First-Generation Glitches... Plus My Experience

Three years ago: I Need a Laugh - Pokémon Humor

Four years ago: Itasha Revisited

The Consideration of Gaming Journalism

This blog has been going on for over four years, and I think I've got a good thing going. However, I think it can and should lead to even better things. One of them is something that recently came to my attention, and based on the title of this post, that would be something called "gaming journalism". Being that Pokémon is to a good extent about games, this would be fitting for me and well within my capabilities. As with many things major and minor that can be possibly related to Pokémon, it needs to be considered to some extents, particularly with a post on this blog.

I first heard of the term through one of my main series fellows in the respective group. We were discussing the views and disclosures of another person in the group, and the term and topic came up for what would be a good way for the person to channel those views and disclosures. While the other person has dismissed the topic with the remark that it might be risky for the person, I found the topic to be relevant enough and we discussed it separately. An important result of that discussion is that we agree that a blog is a good stepping stone for this endeavor of interest.

Another result of that discussion is that gaming journalism befits even so-called "niche" games that are outside the mainstream. I've already discussed the "mainstream" quality of Pokémon in a different post and that continues to apply regardless of its perception by different people, particularly in my case. But being that I also play certain game genres (adventure and puzzle), these can have a place in gaming journalism, and I can incorporate them as well. These would be outside of my Pokémon endeavors, but I don't see why they can't have a certain focus as well in addition to Pokémon.

Now, journalism is often associated with its products, and therefore a discussion on products of journalism is relevant with this topic. As they stand, blog posts may or may not be considered products of journalism, most likely due to their personal content - they're akin to an "op-ed" piece in that case. The challenge for me to step up my journalism "game" in this regard is to be able to write more objectively about the games that I play, including Pokémon. That I already do quite a bit on some of the posts on this blog, but more needs to be done for something along the lines of true journalism.

"Gaming journalism" definitely piques my interest, given this blog and how languages and writing are intertwined within my life. It would also allow me to work in games that I play, especially Pokémon as my interest and the subject of this blog. To some extent, it could be considered to be something that I'm already doing with this blog, but not all the time. But if anything, this blog can be an indication that I may (and should) be able to step up to that with all that I have on hand and possibly more as time goes on. That would have the potential as another good thing that would get going.

One year ago: Lost Player Ties

Two years ago: The False Gods

Three years ago: Tournament: PTC18 Online Tournament 2

Four years ago: Pokémon and Mahjong Tile Games