The State of Nominations, Part 11

With all my current businesses, a lot of things become puzzling, and perhaps the most puzzling thing would be the nomination of PokéStops in Pokémon Go. It is puzzling in the planning and execution process (but not in the know-how), and the results can be quite puzzling as well. And since it's been two months, once again it becomes time to update how my progression is continuing for that, as well as the challenges - the puzzling things - that I face in that progression.

One very good news is that the number of approved nominations have gone up considerably to 61 approved nominations, an increase of 8 from the previous 53. Currently, 10 nominations are progressing, comprising 7 brand-new and 3 renominations. Superseded nominations remain at 11, but sadly, rejected nominations have increased to 27 from 26. The progress seems to be great, but behind all the greatness, there are the puzzling things that really affect the progression.

In the planning and execution process, I've ran into the barriers of being tasked to do other things and worsening conditions, which have made the mass nominations that I had earlier planned to be infeasible, and now I find myself juggling the process when it becomes necessary for me to go outside for some reason. In the results, I'm facing "wild" rejections with a few more rather illogical reasons, and a few of my fellow Trainers share the same sentiments about those reasons. They're active in nominations as well in different areas, and we've recognized the oddities that are present in the rejections.

Those mass nominations are not likely to be made unless conditions improve, which looks rather dicey even in the next two months. Yet if the opportunity arises, it may be worth the while. In the meantime, with a possibly increasing list of rejections, it may be deserving to try to renominate at least a few of these rejected nominations, for the ones that make the most sense, to trim down the list. I'm inspired by one of my recent approved nominations, which was actually once rejected a long time ago but was renominated and finally approved. The hope is that there could be a few more of these.

By my gaming background, I actually like solving puzzles and feel rewarded for doing so. The matter of PokéStop nominations in Pokémon Go becoming a puzzling one is therefore something to solve, especially with current conditions. If the planning and execution can be put together well - in essence solving the puzzle - the results should be no more puzzling than the planning or execution that goes into nominations, and rewards are expected to be reaped within this time and the next.

One year ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Virtual Team Lounge

Two years ago: Mythical Numbers?

Three years ago: To Watch a Movie

Four years ago: Like a Fierce Double Battle

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 7/30/2021

Much like last year, this current month is the "Go Fest month" in (and anniversary month as well for) Pokémon Go. Therefore, the Go Fest event becomes the primary event for this month - though I've already covered it separately and in greater detail over the two days of the event. That leaves the other events of the month, which constitute the "remnants". Still, they're important remnants, and they deserve to be covered just as much as Pokémon Go Fest, and so there is this rollup for them.

July 1 marked the extraordinary occurrence of a certain lowly Pokémon coming into the limelight, which was known as Bidoof Day. As the pinnacle of the Bidoof Breakout event from last month, the one-day event celebrated the occasion in Pokémon Go. From 10 AM to 8 PM, Bidoof - with some possibly being Shiny - were everywhere in the wild, under the control of Team Go Rocket in Shadow form, and even in raids of all levels including Level 3 and 5 raids, a sight to see and feat to accomplish. Bidoof during the day had the Charged move of Superpower but could also be taught previous Bidoof Breakout Charged moves, and all of them were viable for Bidoof Cup, a special GBL format with only Bidoof permitted as well as the constraints of Little Cup. The event included a Special Research with fun rewards, which in a way was also a test of the selection mechanism that would then be present for Pokémon Go Fest. Topped off with a quadruple catch XP bonus, the day was both strange and wonderful to behold.

Then there was the Anniversary Event, which took place for a good length of time from July 5 to July 15. I've highlighted the important features previously, and now it's time to expand upon them. As noted, the event also featured Shiny Darumaka and a special Flying Pikachu with a balloon in the shape of the number 5, which also could be Shiny. The event's Collection Challenge contained all the starter Pokémon from 6 generations along with the Flying Pikachu, and most of them were to be caught from Field Research and Lure Modules (of different kinds, all of them lasting for one hour), as well as from the wild and raids. In order to help, daily bonus Field Research tasks also had the same tasks. This event also served to introduce a few novelties, which comprise new dynamic sky coloring, new Pokédex groups, special Gift stickers, increased item bag limits, and different items in Shop boxes. Fireworks also appeared in the sky during the length of the event, which meant a festive atmosphere along with everything else.

One event that was going to happen this month on July 22 actually didn't get to happen and became postponed due to circumstances that changed. The event was to commemorate the launch of Pokémon Air Adventures, a travel program that is intended to create great memories. As part of the celebration, in Okinawa, a special Pikachu wearing that region's characteristic kariyushi shirt was due to appear for at least a year in the region, while Corsola would receive its Shiny form, which may possibly be encountered in its specific region. Obviously, current conditions that are worsening played its part in postponing the event, and it is hard to say when this will occur. One takeaway is that the event is (or was) to be a prelude to introducing more Pokémon with regional costumes, and therefore much can be expected from this, which regardless merits the event's inclusion right now even if it wasn't meant to be, at least just yet.

On a somewhat related note, before closing, I'd like to say that there is another event that started this month at about the same time as the Air Adventures event that ended up being postponed. The event is actually an important consequence of Pokémon Go Fest among other important consequences, and I feel that it's important to keep them together, so I'm saving the event for the next rollup along with all the other important consequences. The event is due to end just a few days into August anyway, so it's still fitting in that regard.

Though all the other events, by way of the big event in Pokémon Go this month, may be considered as "remnants", there is evidence for their significance, regardless of their length or status. That means that they are regardless important for any Trainer in their progression in Pokémon Go, even with one big and very important event that seemingly downplays that of the others. As such, they may be considered to not be "remnants" after all, but as vital pieces in one's Pokémon Go journey.

One year ago: Go Fest 2020 Crafts: Gift and Pikachu Visor

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 7/30/2019

Three years ago: Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Four years ago: Cosplay: ACOLYTES 2017

P25 Music for Life?

The P25 Music program has been a great program for celebrating, in musical form, the big Pokémon anniversary of 25 years. Yet for some fans, they may desire the continuance of the program even beyond the 25th anniversary of Pokémon, likely indefinitely or "for life". It's a wonderful desire to be sure, especially since there are a few reasons that support its continuance, but there are a few implications for that continuance as well. With the program in general being a good thing, it seems important to discuss its possibility of continuation and all the things that go with that.

A reason for keeping the program going is that some fans feel that there is a dearth or a lack of Pokémon music, particularly for non-Japanese audiences. Japanese audiences regularly receive Pokémon music through the various opening and ending themes for the anime as well as other music related to the anime and some that bridge the games as well, so they have a good selection. Western audiences are typically stuck with (but also prefer) long-lasting identifiable themes, including for the Pokémon anime, but they can and should benefit from more interpretative songs for everything about Pokémon, which was once frequent in the far past but not as frequent in the near past or even the present. Years ago, I heard an auditory complaint about the lack of non-Japanese Pokémon music, and that seems to remain the case today, but alleviated thanks to the P25 Music program. Therefore, a continuation of the P25 Music program would bode well to increase the amount of Pokémon music that is available for and can be enjoyed by non-Japanese audiences.

Increasing the amount of available music also means the greater possibility for the involvement of more artists with the program. Preferably, more big-time artists - along the lines of Katy Perry, who is already a part - could be encouraged to get involved along with the considerably lesser artists as with Mabel. The selection could also tend toward artists with "cleaner" and less shady backgrounds, being that one of the selected artists for the program had generated a slight controversy. That artist would be Post Malone; some of his other songs, which did appear in his virtual concert earlier this year, are slightly if not more controversial, and his general appearance has drawn some criticism. While his musical talent may not be up for dispute and his contribution to the project does not need to be questioned, the aspects that are more controversial due to greater focus on him may clash with the appeal of Pokémon for everyone. More artists, especially well-known and excellent ones, should be able to increase contributions while diluting any further controversy.

As for the actual continuance of this program, if it is desired as such, the name would have to be changed to reflect its would-be continued state. It has to be unique - just plain "Pokémon Music" would probably not cut it - and it has to reflect the variety of content forms that Pokémon that can take up as well as the possibility of artists joining that provide not only vocal songs but also unique instrumental pieces that complement the pieces that already exist in the anime, games, and other forms. All of these present challenges that, if met, would lead to a better and greater program.

It may be hard to tell at this point whether the program can continue, but for the reasons above, the program should very well continue for the benefit of the franchise as well as its fans. Music is arguably very important to Pokémon as it conveys a variety of moods regarding whatever happens within its world, which has been proven time and again even with the existing music. A continuance of the P25 Music program, likely under a different name and possibly incorporating certain considerations, ought to be rather beneficial beyond its original objective of celebrating an anniversary, and a big one at that.

One year ago: The Values of Posts

Two years ago: By Words, By Sound, By Video

Three years ago: First Anniversary of My Raid Group

Four years ago: Under 100 Hours?

Road of 25th Anniversary: Creative Excitement

The progression of the big Pokémon anniversary continues this month with a few twists. Those twists can be said to be creative, in that they are beyond the ordinary for what is expected for the things that are involved. They can also be said to be exciting, though this is practically a given with the anniversary happenings in general. Together, they constitute a kind of "creative excitement", which describes all the things related to the anniversary that I'm about to detail in this month's post.

By the anniversary web site, this month's featured region is the Sinnoh region. This region is both dynamic and enigmatic - with the major contributions to those two qualities being Mt. Coronet and the Distortion World - which explains the fascination that many have with it, and I am of no exception to some extent. Meanwhile, the region is about to receive its special treatments later this year and in the upcoming year, and that is definitely something that many people have awaited and are awaiting now. At least with this month, fans can take a small moment to celebrate this region before the big moment.

Speaking of big moments, another artist now has a big moment with the P25 Music program, and that artist would be Mabel, with a song titled "Take It Home". This is a rather bouncy tune by the female artist, and its music video has quite the Pokémon flourish with appearances of Pikachu and Jigglypuff, with the latter being slightly more dominant. As with other songs of the music program, it's best to discuss the song in a separate post to take in all the things that the song offers and delve into viewpoints.

A somewhat surprising food collaboration has also been announced with some of Nabisco's well-known snacks, with starter Pokémon appearing in packages containing packs of mini versions of those snacks. Grass-type Pokémon appear on the package for Chips Ahoy! cookies, Fire-type Pokémon appear on the package for Nilla wafers, and Water-type Pokémon appear on Oreo sandwich cookies. The selection may appear slightly forced, but they seem neat nonetheless for fans of these snacks.

Meanwhile, Pokémon has also collaborated with a maker of things that allow things to be "forced" together; UHU, a maker of adhesives (glue), has come out with a line of back-to-school products featuring Pokémon, including glue sticks with all kinds of featured Pokémon. Those who have creative juices flowing might not be able to resist the urge to stick things together, and they might be encouraged to obtain some of these.

Creativity is beneficial to things like Pokémon on both the back end for the development of all the things to be enjoyed and on the front end for fans who enjoy all those things and spur the development of other things. The Pokémon anniversary journey for this month seems to want to honor that creativity and bring it together with the excitement of a famous region, some bouncy music, snacks to bring about energy, and adhesives to hold things together. It should spur the creative excitement to continue even after the journey has passed.

One year ago: On Live Blogging (and Pokémon)

Two years ago: Team GO Rocket Blasting Off

Three years ago: Figure Photography

Four years ago: Modern Games, Retro Flavor

Further Remixes of GBL Leagues?

This post actually deals with a current Pokémon Go happening - actually, happenings - but I'm not ready to deliver objective views on the happenings just yet. Instead, I'll deliver my subjective take on them and present the objective take at a later time. Last season, the Go Battle League or GBL instituted a "remix" version of the Great League in which some Pokémon were banned from use, and this season it has done the same for the Great League and is actively doing so for the Ultra League - again, more on these soon. This leads to the consideration that more GBL leagues or cups could be given the "remix" treatment for later iterations.

With the Great and Ultra Leagues having received their "remix" treatment, the only one remaining is obviously Master League. Notably, Ultra League has already had its "remix" of its Premier Cup before the official "remix", so Master League can be open for this treatment as well. And it may be a good thing; as with the Great and Ultra Leagues, certain Pokémon have continued to appear frequently on teams, thereby saturating battles in the League even in its Premier Cup or Classic incarnations. A "remix" in line with the current ones for Great and Ultra Leagues may be in order sooner if not later to keep challenging Trainers.

The regular leagues are one thing, but the real question is the possibility for other leagues or cups to be remixed. The possibility is intriguing, as even a "remixed" Premier Cup (UItra and/or Master League regardless) or Flying Cup would get rid of the most frequently and recently used Pokémon in them, essentially almost forcing Trainers to completely rethink their teams for those leagues or cups without the traditional standbys and fallbacks that would otherwise predominate the leagues or cups. This would be a refreshing change, particularly for Premier Cup that has been "long in the tooth" and even for more recent Cups.

Yet perhaps more recent cups may need to be given a chance to prove themselves first. The Little Cup, for example, has only been officially implemented once (initially) and in a modified version, and Trainers may need to be given more chances to see what works for those, especially by including them - Little Cup in particular - as part of the regular rotation of cups and leagues, before being given the "remix" treatment. Thus, the burden of proof lies with both the Trainers and the cups or leagues.

The idea of "remixing" leagues and cups is a neat idea, and now it has been further developed with the "remix" of the Ultra League. All that may be left to do is to develop "remixes" further for other leagues or cups, including for the Master League and a few of the other cups wherein GBL competition viably occurs. Much would have to be planned out for both Trainers and GBL seasons, but after seeing the same leagues and cups invariably returning, it seems refreshing to see something variable with these "remixes".

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 7/27/2020

Two years ago: A Time for Everything

Three years ago: Online Pokémon Newsletters

Four years ago: Sprites, Models, and Evolutions

Basic Buddy Photo Tricks in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality (AR) game, which means that it can and has to take advantage of the latest and greatest in technologies for this, like ARCore for Android. Even so, some may still utilize phones that do not support this technology to play (or choose to disable it), and I have to admit that I'm one of those. Regardless, some features that now utilize advanced AR technology can still utilize a basic form without it, like taking pictures of Buddy Pokémon, and there are some basic but still neat things that can be done and/or may be helpful to keep in mind.

In this basic form, the impressions of Buddy Pokémon are maintained even when photographed, and this can become a simple way to add effects. Particularly, as the Buddy Pokémon earns a heart, the reaction can be photographed and preserved along with the photograph. Doing this along with well-timed shots and well-planned backgrounds can result in great photographs, such as in places with lots of hearts that befit the reaction or places that complement the forms of the Pokémon (for example, Victreebel in a garden). Therefore, it is not only simple but also very neat.

A simple way to elicit a reaction from a Buddy Pokémon is to tap it to get its attention, which will also make it perform an attack, often making it leap, pounce, swing, or do other similar movements. Tapping it twice or more times quickly will also get its attention and make it perform a different attack, usually consisting of something stationary such as a roar or a yell. All of these are, predictably, also retained in photographs, which is also true for the standard reaction gained from playing (petting) the Buddy Pokémon. Likewise, good timing and good sceneries will contribute to good pictures.

Some other elements can also be included to make Buddy Pokémon pictures more attractive. A Buddy Pokémon holding a gift can have its picture taken before opening the gift, which might make a nice touch during certain times in certain circumstances. Buddy Pokémon can also be twirled around to take a picture of it from a different angle by tapping it, then holding and swiping in a horizontal direction; the Buddy Pokémon will become surprised - another photogenic reaction - then twirl in the direction of the swipe. This leads to different possibilities of snapshots as well.

With the above tricks, even if one isn't equipped for AR with Pokémon Go, one can still take good pictures with a Buddy Pokémon, and if the timing and scenery is spot on, those good pictures can become excellent pictures. AR and its associated technologies are still a prime directive for something like Pokémon Go, furthermore with even more new features that take advantage of them, but it is nice to know that those who are lesser-abled with their phones may still take advantage of some basic tricks for Buddy Pokémon photography until the point that AR becomes accessible for them.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Day 2

Two years ago: Mobile "Invasion"?

Three years ago: Two New Pokémon Center Merchandise Lines

Four years ago: Supporting Doujin and Indie Stuff

Other Uses of the Pokémon TCG

The videos of English soccer players doing their own thing with the Pokémon TCG, which are nonetheless part of an official campaign of Pokémon with the FA of England, highlight something remarkable. The usage of the TCG cards as depicted is unusual and out of ordinary as far as the cards are meant to be used (that is, played). That leads to the consideration that the TCG cards may be used in yet other ways that are plausible yet at the same time beyond the commonality of the game that it is linked to.

Although it might seem obvious that the cards can be traded and collected (hence, "Trading Card Game"), this might still escape the mind of some players, especially newer ones for whom "TCG" might just be simply regarded as an initialism. Therefore, it has to be (re)stated that this becomes another use for the cards, which judging by the response of current players, could be an uncommon thing to do. It regardless constitutes another use of the cards and thus bears mentioning. What could be an uncommon take on this uncommon take, however, is to display the collected and/or traded cards in a sort of gallery, whether with modifications of current means of display or even the development of new ones. Much of the efforts for this are likely to depend on the creativity and imagination of those who possess the cards.

If one is thinking about keeping and collecting the cards, one might also have to think about making them as something for investments; the cards themselves can (or have been proven to be able to) be bought or sold for sufficiently large prices, particularly for old and classic cards that are out of print and are no longer in play, or current cards that are printed in reflective  print and/or special styles. This will certainly necessitate special ways of storing the cards, which would themselves be an investment, but these and the cards would pay off if someone else wishes to acquire them for some odd reason - hopefully for further investment - at which point a price can be set for the transaction and the investment would pay off.

As for other games that the cards can be used for, they seem to be few and far between, though one comes to mind immediately: matching games. Some popular single-player card games actually comprise matching games, and these may permit the TCG cards to be used ad hoc. Depending on possessed cards and/or the composition of those cards, some matching leeway might be necessary for a good matching game involving the cards, but given that even a TCG deck contains duplicate cards or similar cards, not much leeway may be needed to adapt TCG cards for matching games.

The preferred usage of Pokémon TCG cards is still to play them as intended by the actual rules for the TCG. But with a little understanding of what the cards entail in artistic, monetary, or game-mechanical value, there may be something to gain from the cards, enough that any person with the sufficient know-how can utilize them for other purposes than the standard game... just like the games that the soccer players played with them.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2020, Day 1

Two years ago: Pokémon for Print Projects

Three years ago: World of Pokémon... Media

Four years ago: Videophones and Pokémon, Then and Now

More Pokémon Fun with Soccer Players

Aside from doing what they do best on the field, soccer players are still people, and they can also have fun off the field, particularly involving Pokémon. I've already detailed about a couple of field challenges that integrate Pokémon for a selection of players, and now I'm about to detail a couple of (mostly) off the field activities related to Pokémon and involving a different batch of players, certainly still within the framework of the FA of England's Master the Ball campaign with the franchise. This time, the fun goes back to the roots, being the games of Pokémon and as their current iterations.

The three players involved with the two activities were Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Conor Coady. For the first activity, the trio played New Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo Switch and demonstrated their skills of attracting Pokémon in the game to be more camera-ready and then, when they are as such, catching them in their most striking moments for the best shots. Along with this activity, they reflected on a few of their own "best shots" along with highlights of their career in soccer, including a few of their recent best moments. The three appeared to have gotten the Pokémon in interesting situations, just as interesting as what has happened with them up to the present. Though there weren't really any winners, the three appeared to have a good amount of fun.

Next, in the second activity, the trio engaged in a goal kicking competition to select certain kinds of Poké Balls, and then played Pokémon Go to catch Pokémon around Rockliffe Hall with the selected kinds of Poké Balls. The three appeared to have mostly gone for the Poké Ball, which was big and in the center of the goal, or the Ultra Ball, which was in the upper corners of the goal; even with the latter being hard to hit, some of them still managed to do so - a mark of a professional. The catching part seemed to be the most humorous and offbeat as the three caught Pokémon, but not without some antics. Though Bellingham appeared to have come out on top, the victory may still be regarded as tongue-in-cheek.

But perhaps that's just what really matters. These soccer players may be mostly known for what they can do on the field that it's hard to see them as having a more loose and friendly side beyond that; the activities above, no matter how contrived they may be especially in regard to Pokémon, at least indicate that they can take the edge off their more serious side on the field (but still maintaining it for that purpose) and have fun with something that entertains people all over the world, showing that, well... they are people after all.

One year ago: Preparing for (Everyone's) Go Fest

Two years ago: Making Things Simple

Three years ago: The Greatest, Everyday

Four years ago: Pokémon School

More on Ideal Raid Lengths

A long time ago, I made a post on a change in the time lengths of raids. That post, however, was mostly based on a single premise: the then-recent change to 15 minutes as a raid boss egg and 90 minutes as the raid itself. The premise fell apart some time later when raid time lengths returned to the normal of 60 minutes egg and 45 minutes raid. Furthermore, since then, there have been many changes in raids, some sticking and others less so. Yet, every now and then, I keep thinking about the post, and to make amends for it by taking that premise and framing it within the context of what could or should be the ideal lengths of raids, especially during certain conditions.

For normal conditions without an event or with one of usual lengths (one half to one and a half weeks), the normal length may suffice. Yet it may also be considered that the length may be due for a change after all this time. With the persistence of Raid Hour on Wednesdays, it may very well be a good idea to extend all raids to one hour (60 minutes), most likely with a reduction of the egg length as well, whether in line with the 20 minutes for Raid Hour or even up to 30 minutes. Decreasing the egg time may also allow for slightly more frequent raids, though if the goal is to increase frequency, it may be better to reduce raid lengths (such as 45/45 egg/raid) instead to leave time for more of them.

For a short event of less than half a week that includes raids, shorter waits such as 30/45 or even 30/30 may be even more desirable, particularly if many possible Pokémon are to be involved, such as different kinds of Pikachu with event costumes. This would allow for increased frequency as above without compromising on length, at least too much, and the rate of actual appearance rates would line up with probabilistic rates. Yet it would probably be wise to not have the raid portion go below 20 minutes, or otherwise this would hamper the ability of Trainers to raid, especially if it becomes essential for something like a Collection Challenge, which may require raids (in implication).

For a very short one- or two-day event, it would be most ideal to have raids that appear instantaneously much like for A Colossal Discovery or Pokémon Go Tour. That would mean waits of 0/20, which is roughly the way things proceeded in those two events. During this year's Pokémon Go Fest, there were a few Trainers that complained of how some raids were more desired and less desired, and how infrequent the raids appeared with 10/20 waits. Perhaps it should have not proceeded as such and the raids should have appeared as they were in the other events. And if it's a Raid Day, it goes without saying that it should proceed per the protocol of all Gyms occupied, no questions asked, to allow the greatest raid activity.

It becomes clear that the ideal raid length may be circumstantial in a lot of ways. It depends on what is being raided, what event(s) may allow for raids, and how long those events are. Whether the length is ideal or not, especially as it applies to the current length, is also likely to depend on the whims of Trainers. Without them expressing their whims, the current length is likely to stand. But when circumstances and conditions do change - as they have done in the past, are doing presently, and will do later on - that may become further prompt to reevaluate raid lengths and make sure Trainers get all that they can muster and expect for the best raid experience possible within a certain time.

One year ago: The State of Nominations, Part 5

Two years ago: Movie Manga, Part 2 (Really 2)

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

Four years ago: Cosplay in a Bag

Go Fest 2021 Epilogue: Nighttime Music, Vocal Version

We can share the beauty of the world tonight

Stars up in the sky will light the way

Every place we wander, wonders will amaze us

See the mountains shimmer in the moonlit sky

Maybe they will show us where to go

Rhythms of the ocean waves tell me my dream is real

You and I tonight will see our worlds align, the stars alight

And with their light to guide me I know I will find you

So we can go and make a brighter world

We can go and make a brighter world

By now, Pokémon Go Fest 2021 has fully concluded and not many traces of it linger, though many Trainers with their storage full of Pokémon that are Shiny, remarkable, or both may have something to say about that. Regardless, the traces that linger even until now may have a significant story, and that would be very true for the one I'm about to discuss, and that would be the nighttime music that became its epilogue, which is the same normal nighttime music but with lyrics and vocals, hence a "vocal version".

This unique alternate version of the normal nighttime music first appeared after Day 2 of the event, as hinted by an announcement on social media. It was likely intended as a one-off one-night thing for the event's conclusion, with the normal nighttime music returning afterwards. It seems, though, that minds were changed along the way (perhaps due to popular demand) enough that the music still persists today whenever the local time is still nighttime, allowing a chance for others who didn't hear it then to hear it now.

Also remarkable are the characteristics of this special piece. The piece is sung by a male and female singer as a duet, and the lyrics closely follow the prominent melody of the original instrumental piece. True to the original piece, the lyrics (which are quoted in full above due to the length of the song) illustrate a nighttime situation with hints of adventure and even a little bit of romance. An important concept in the lyrics is "light", as something to seek in the path of life and to make the world better.

Fans also reacted mostly favorably to this arrangement of the previously instrumental piece. Many felt that it was a fitting song to wind to after two intense days of catching and raiding, and some even fantasized a credits sequence or a "thank you for playing" message to come as the song played. A few others considered that the song is a reflection of how far Pokémon and Pokémon Go in particular has come, and what may lie beyond the horizon as both of these continue to progress.

It is thus not a stretch to consider this song, as the vocal version of an existing instrumental BGM, to be the perfect epilogue to the festivities of this year's Pokémon Go Fest, even if in some areas it couldn't be as festive - or more so - than expected. With the decision for the song to linger longer in place of the instrumental version, there is a certain desire for the memories of Go Fest to linger longer as well, as well as when the nighttime music returns to instrumental, to linger as long as it can.

One year ago: Getting Crafty for Go Fest

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/21/2019

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

Four years ago: Cosplay in a Bag

Kicking Up the Cards

Well, for those who follow soccer, the European Championships (Euro) ended over a week ago on a high note... at least for certain people. Those who thought it didn't hit a high note may still have some fun with soccer and of course Pokémon, or even both. This is (or was) neatly demonstrated by England's FA. Prior to the big soccer competition, the FA along with Pokémon, certainly as part of the Master the Ball campaign, had a little fun with some of England's rising star players in two minigames or challenges that involve soccer and Pokémon, specifically its Trading Card Game or TCG. Effectively, they were able to kick up balls, as well as "kick up the cards".

One of those minigames or challenges is something called the "Kick Up Challenge". In this challenge, the players have to juggle a soccer ball - with their feet, certainly - while also opening up booster packs of cards for the Pokémon TCG. While doing so, they must present the cards they obtain from the packs, and each card counts as 1 point. The challenge ends as soon as the ball hits the ground, and while the number of kicks are counted, the number of cards is the primary scoring determinant. Three players participated in this challenge: Jesse Lingard, John Stones, and Phil Foden, all of which are presented on YouTube for viewing pleasure. Lingard won the challenge with 12 cards presented and 98 kicks made, Stones was second with 11 cards and 123 kicks, and Foden was third with 8 cards and 127 kicks; there is evidently an inverse relationship between the two. The players are evidently masters as well, being able to keep this up for over one and a half minutes.

The other minigame or challenge is what is called the "Shootout Challenge". This one is a little more intricate, as it also directly uses TCG elements. Two players play against each other with a selection of random Pokémon cards as well as a ball and a half field. Turn by turn as in a Pokémon battle, players kick the ball toward the goal. Kicking a ball into the goal activates the "basic attack", the one with the least Energy amount on the card; hitting the goalpost activates the "special attack" with the higher Energy amount; hitting the crossbar fully restores HP; and missing the goal entirely causes self-damage by 50 percent. For the second challenge, Jesse Lingard battled John Stones and Phil Foden battled Luke Shaw. The first battle was basic, while the second battle was a little more dynamic; Lingard and Foden came out on top, respectively. The full story and progressions can be seen, as with the prior challenge, on the YouTube videos featuring both battles.

Even with the European Championships ending up the way they ended up, it cannot be denied that soccer is an activity that has to be fun as well as athletic. Both qualities can be taken care of on the field in the actual matches with many players to a side, as well as the practices for those matches. And while there may not be room for Pokémon on actual matches except as a form of support off the field, at the least it can make things even more fun behind the scenes (especially with Master the Ball) while still keeping the athleticism. If anything, the two challenges above demonstrate just that, and that should mean plenty of room for kicking up balls and kicking up (Pokémon) cards.

One year ago: In and Out of Patterns

Two years ago: Cosplay: Japanese World 2019

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

Four years ago: My Favorite LINE Pokémon Stickers So Far

Bridging Myst and Pokémon Fans

Close to a year ago, I noted in a post - finally - that I'm also a fan of the Myst series of games, from which I am also inspired for my ways of dealing with Pokémon games. I also have very good relationships with many of the former's fans, with whom I interact every so often, mostly online due to the absence of local communities unlike the ones I have for Pokémon. Based on some recent intense interactions, I've been wondering about the bridges that exist or could be made to exist between fans of these game series or franchises.

Actually, there is a deeper reason for this post. The post above was also timed with the last day of the fan-run Mysterium convention for that series of games and more. This year, the convention was intended to be offline once again... but due to uncertain conditions, the offline plan was pulled three months ago and replaced with another online edition on its planned date. A month later, this year's Pokémon Go Fest was announced for the same weekend, forcing a concurrence. This is the reason why I noted the qualities I noted on the last day, as I took part in both the convention and game event, though (almost) not at the same time due to localized schedules, with Mysterium being U.S.-centric and therefore taking place mostly late at night my time. But it was thanks to the two events "bridging" and those intense interactions that I got the idea for this post.

First, it should be already clear that I'm not the only fan of both. Last year, I noted that there was a conference participant who played Pokémon Café Mix to pass the time; in fact, that participant is more than a regular participant, and is actually part of the organizing committee that makes the convention happen, and has been for a long time now. This year, I discovered how far that went: when I dropped the fact that I was doing "double duty" for both Go Fest and Mysterium, the committee member was interested in my friend code for Pokémon Go, revealing that the committee member also played. We subsequently became game friends, and we hope to remain as such for as long as possible. Others whom I met over the course of the convention are also fans to different extents; though I may not be sure how far, there are indications that they play some of the games, and therefore there is an established "bridge" for them.

Pokémon Go is an influential game in terms of augmented reality, and the Myst series games are influential in terms of adventure and puzzle, so when I dropped about Go Fest, some began positing the idea of an augmented reality game featuring adventure and puzzle much like those found in the latter game series. Knowing how Niantic has a knack for developing AR games, including Pokémon Go and those for other franchises, this might be a challenge that it could very well take up. The latter game series is well-known for introducing other worlds and an imaginary civilization; the former concept might have to be downplayed for AR, but to bring the imaginary civilization into the actual real world might become the heart of the game instead. If the development can be carried out as feasibly as Pokémon Go has been, then it might be an idea worth warming up to, a "bridging" so to speak.

Considering the different fans of the latter that I've met, there is a great deal of the range of influence. Some are like me, divested to Pokémon but possessing connections to Myst. Others are mostly divested for the latter but likely has cursory connections to the former, especially through the breakout popularity of Pokémon Go, as I've found out for one who still plays but not very actively. Still others appear to maintain a balance between both, as with the committee member above. Then there might be others that don't choose to specifically reveal their connections, although I'm confident that there are. In short, they all make "bridges" in different ways.

As I've mentioned, I've been in contact with the Myst series for as long as I've been in contact with Pokémon, and the former is effectively one of my "second homes", especially with such a kind and close-knit fan community. It still amazes me that as I continue to bridge my connections to others there, I also keep discovering the bridges of others there to Pokémon. Perhaps I may not have to wonder: the wonders of each are still there and await my discovery as my Myst and Pokémon journey continues.

One year ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Animated Special

Two years ago: Seeing the World with Go

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

Four years ago: On Pokémon Promotional Toys

What It Takes To Jump-Start Pokémon Go Trainers

Earlier this month, I noted that Pokémon Go is now five years old. That's a significant amount of time, especially for anyone who rode the initial wave of popularity and then splashed out before coming back (like me) or have just discovered it today. Either way, these kinds of players - or Trainers in in-game parlance - will likely need a boost of some sort in order to find or restore the momentum to proceed. This boost is also called a "jump-start", and it becomes the topic of discussion for this post, especially what forms that it may take and what may be needed for Trainers.

One of those forms is already present in the game as the Special Research set called "Jump-Start Research", which was introduced during the third anniversary and given out again in later years (including last year) for those who haven't gotten or completed it. This set is still an especially nice idea, even if it's only available during the period of the anniversary, as the rewards work to provide Trainers with the necessary Pokémon and items to make great efforts. The big downside is certainly the availability during the anniversary period, as it means that Trainers will have to wait until then to obtain it, and that may or may not be helpful for a "jump-start", even if the set is very helpful indeed.

For those that can't wait that long, the referral program effectively becomes another form of a "jump-start". Being prompted to complete a number of tasks that reward Pokémon and items is like accomplishing Research, especially for both Trainers in question (the referring and the referred). This also can be initiated at any time, so long as the referred Trainer is new or hasn't logged in for 90 days or more. Yet this also becomes the catch, as the referral needs to be initiated somewhat immediately at registration or after the new login. Therefore, the process requires a sense of certainty for the Trainers of concern, which slightly detracts from the necessity of the "jump-start".

It may be considered that other "jump-start" efforts are already in place. Thanks to the "Go Beyond" update, earning XP is much easier with increased amounts for certain efforts, and those can already be executed regardless of time or condition. Then, there are already a few established sets of Special Research even without a "Jump-Start Research", and those can be completed even for those who are totally new, though they might have to work on them bit by bit. Both of these really only mean that just the task of putting in the effort to play through is already a great "jump-start" effort, and that the actual Special Research or the referral program are only complements.

After five years, there's been so much in Pokémon Go for new and old players or Trainers alike that it may be hard to take everything in and get (re)started with a "jump-start". But it may be that with just a bit of effort for a few things, the "jump-start" process may become evident, and if one is fortunate enough to catch the anniversary or be referred by another, then the process can be expanded. When that happens, all that stands is to (re-)enjoy the Pokémon Go ride and hope that it leads to fantastic things that can happen in the realm of the game and possibly even beyond.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/19/2020

Two years ago: The First Johto Saga English Opening Theme

Three years ago: Fast Moves and Charged Moves

Four years ago: Movie Times

Pokémon Go Fest 2021, Day 2

Today is (or was) the second day of Pokémon Go Fest with a new global run. And run it did: today was promised to be full of raids, and it was exactly that. It had runs of raids, and it gave some Trainers a run for their money with more Legendary raids than ever before and great achievements to be taken from them. That includes for myself, and there was something to be had over the course of this second day.

Earlier, on the first day, I noted that a certain "real lord of the rings" is likely to be behind all the goings-on. The Mythical Pokémon of Hoopa - who is known for its antics of pulling out Legendary Pokémon from across times and places - manifested itself in the loading screen, turned the sky a dingy black, and put up ring-shaped portals by which the Legendary Pokémon can manifest as raids. Hoopa itself is currently absent as something to catch.

From 10 AM to 6 PM today, there were four hourly spans that influenced the appearances of Legendary Pokémon (and no Mythical Pokémon) in raids. These were Wind, Lava, Frost, and Thunder Hours, repeated once over, and each of these had their own selection of Legendary Pokémon. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf as the Lake Trio of Sinnoh also appeared during Frost Hour, but only in their usual regions (Uxie in Asia-Pacific, Mesprit in Europe/Africa, and Azelf in the Americas). In addition, raids lasted for 30 minutes total, with 10 minutes as the raid boss egg appearance and 20 minutes as the raid itself. Those not interested or wanting to take a break from a Legendary raid can also take part in Level 1 and Level 3 raids, especially in order to use up the bonuses that are given for the purpose of completing these raids.

Those bonuses are 10 free regular raid passes to raid on site, as always obtained individually after surrendering one for use in a raid. For those that cannot raid on site due to restrictions, it is possible to obtain 3 remote passes from a free Shop bundle, by completing each one-task page of a Timed Research (8 pages total for up to 8 free passes), and in a modified Special Box and Event Box bundle in the Shop, with these being paid. There was also an extra Special Research focused on the raids in order to drive up usage of the bonuses in order to gain all that can be gained from all the raids that appeared - both Legendary and otherwise - and to celebrate this being the final day of this year's Pokémon Go Fest, also marked by a special "vocal version" of the nighttime music after the event concluded.

As with yesterday, I couldn't stand to go out of my neighborhood, so I made use of mostly the remote passes for raids beyond the area and regular passes for some reachable raids, particularly ones that I could become a remote host for. Overall, the raids ended up being  very intense, given the 20-minute period for each and the multitude of raids that appeared over the eight hours. Surprises were abound in the form of one or two lost opportunities - which are regrettable - and a couple of Shiny forms, one of which happened to have been sought after for some time and another being a threepeat. In the end, my item bag also ended up burgeoning due to Potions and Revives that could not be efficiently used, but my Pokémon storage is happy to accept all that I could raid for, up to the end of the day.

It's been an amazing and wonderful (and in some ways also an exhausting and complicated) weekend for Pokémon Go Fest in another global incarnation. For as long as the world is still mostly in its current state, it might not be hard to expect more global editions of this particular event. But if the content is like that of this year and the last, then the potential may be boundless, even with a binding state of the world.

One year ago: Team GO Rocket's Aerial Attacks

Two years ago: The State of Nominations

Three years ago: The Eevee Identity

Four years ago: Only One Save File

Pokémon Go Fest 2021, Day 1

OK, so today is (or was) the first day of the new global run of Pokémon Go Fest. As expected, most of today was all about the music with special things and certainly very special Pokémon. It was also all about catching Pokémon, with most of the Pokémon being in the wild and a few in raids. With that in mind, it is important to consider how everything was structured and what I gained out of today in particular.

From 10 AM to 6 PM today, there were four rotating habitats in play per hour: Cave, Jungle, Desert Mountain, and Ocean Beach, repeated once over the course of the eight hours. Each of these habitats had their own set of specific Pokémon that appeared while the habitats were in play. Meanwhile, other musical Pokémon including Audino and Kricketot, plus a special Pikachu wearing a music hat, appeared throughout the day, and still others including Unown F and G were attracted to Incense. Incense was normal, but Lure Modules were extended to three hours, and this was coupled with a half-distance hatching bonus; these bonuses will also appear tomorrow, though the Pokémon involved will not have a greater Shiny potential, which only occurred today.

On the side of Research and the like, four Collection Challenges were available for each of the habitats, presenting a selection of Pokémon to be captured from each. Should one be unable to complete them today, one has tomorrow to fill in the gaps if necessary. There was also a Special Research of 11 pages, but not all of them comprise pages of tasks; three of them comprise a selection between two options, which correspond to a specific Pokémon that will be earned. They were specifically to choose between Pop Star or Rock Star Pikachu, a special Galarian Zigzagoon or Galarian Ponyta, and a special Flygon or Gardevoir. This mechanism had been tested earlier with a certain strange event, but with different options. And as hinted, this is the Special Research that would lead to an encounter with Meloetta.

For my experience today, I ended up not going out at all, meaning not outside the confines of my living neighborhood, to keep myself sane and to keep others sane as well: I joined a video call with some of my raid fellows to support those who were homebound or on assignment, as well briefly for something else with only a tangent. Though I would miss someone or anyone setting up a Lure Module - not even I myself set up a Lure Module - I did manage to use some of the provided Incense to summon just enough of the featured Pokémon throughout the event hours to complete the Collection Challenges and the Special Research. And complete I did; a good selection of Shiny featured Pokémon was obtained, but the crown jewel was a truly perfect Meloetta with the best stats possible.

Overall, I also took a choral approach to creating the celebration band: I chose Pop Star Pikachu complemented by the special Galarian Ponyta, Flygon, and a bonus Galarian Zigzagoon from raids, all of them fitting certain choir parts. I also ended up with a few extra Pop Star Pikachu ready to be provided to others who desire them, possibly in exchange for a Rock Star Pikachu.

A few hints have been dropped for Day 2, including the appearance of "the real lord of the rings" that may be responsible for the happenings. But on the whole, the schedule has not changed, and raids are still on tap for that. It may be that what's on tap for me (my approach) might or might not be set in stone, but it's certain that raids are still in the mix, as certain of the goings-on in Day 1 today.

One year ago: Catch Me If...

Two years ago: The First Johto Saga Japanese Opening Theme

Three years ago: Rearranged Pokémon Music

Four years ago: How Far Do People Know Pokémon?

Go Fest in the Time of...

For those who are still paying attention to Pokémon Go affairs, tomorrow would be the start of this year's Pokémon Go Fest on its first day. Yet as I cannot state enough at present, current conditions have not subsided and may or in fact are getting worse in some places. Meanwhile, Go Fest itself has to go on, and incidentally, some things are also going on for me and others as well. It therefore becomes such an enigmatic time for Go Fest to occur due to (a combination of) these things, and I thought I'd discuss that before the festivities begin.

Even during these conditions, it was announced that there is going to be something called a "City Celebration" for Go Fest in certain cities with control over current conditions, though one would still have to follow certain things. One of those cities is Auckland, but word has been received that the City Celebration has been canceled not because of health conditions, but because of weather conditions. The idea itself seems neat, even though right now may not be the best time for it. The best advice that I can offer for those who might be planning to participate is the same as a current best advice given by Pokémon Go itself: to be aware of what's going on. For that, I wish those people good luck.

Meanwhile, the situation in my area is nowhere close to improvement and can be considered unnerving, and even with proper preparations, I'm still nervous about going out for Go Fest and only a little less so for more necessary things such as seeking sustenance for other days. Therefore, I'm contemplating that I will go through both days of Go Fest just like I did last year, which would be only within the neighborhood where I live. In comparison to last year, my current neighborhood is much more spacious, though there are only still just about as many PokéStops and Gyms, and some preparation is still in order. Yet it could and should be far better than having to go out for it.

Actually, there's a better reason for me not to go out: I'm due for a busy weekend in other ways. Not going out would save the strain of preparing myself for those other businesses as I go for them. That busy weekend then spills onto the beginning of the week, at which point I will likely have to go out, but only for necessities at the most. With or without Go Fest, it will be somewhat of a straining weekend and more, and Pokémon and other businesses also continue. It would then be wise to save as much strain as possible, and the best option would be not to go out if at all possible. 

There is another way to save strain. Those who read my blog last year will note that I live-blogged Go Fest last year, which was also partially demanding. This time, I'm not doing a live blog for that reason, the above reason of being strained in other ways, and the fact that this Go Fest runs only partially throughout each of its two days, as previously explained. Whether I will (or can) go out for Go Fest will likely depend on other factors that I can neither affirm nor deny; in general, though, I don't expect the opportunity to remain on the table with these times, and going out will likely not be the case.

There's a certain good time that occurs when Pokémon Go Fest occurs, yet with all the things that go on at this time, there could be instances of not-so-good times - a real enigma. With Go Fest regardless on schedule, the only thing to do is to hold back the latter times and ensure that the former times do happen, however it happens. In the time of current conditions, the best thing that can be mustered for Go Fest seems to be the best thing that goes for it.

One year ago: Starting from Somewhere

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Version 1?

Three years ago: Daily Tasks

Four years ago: Flying Quirks of Charizard

Professor Willow Goes to the TCG

After five years, Pokémon Go can be said to have become an established part of the realm of the Pokémon franchise. That would make it a prime target for inter-franchise collaborations, one of which is with the main series games, which has already been realized with the main series games through links with the Let's Go games and Pokémon Home. Now, there's another collaboration, which would be with the Trading Card Game or TCG. One element of Pokémon Go has appeared in the TCG, and that would be Professor Willow, becoming part of a special card, titled "Professor's Research".

The card is a Supporter card, which is a kind of card that can be played once during a player's turn, if present in the hand. While most Supporter cards take the name of the character present in such a role as the title, this card has a title different from the character, with the character name given as a subtitle instead. When this card is played, the player discards their entire hand and then draws 7 cards to replace the discarded hand. With this in mind, one would be wise to use it if one has 7 or less cards and/or a majority of the cards in the hand are unhelpful, assuming that one hasn't used another Supporter card. It's indeed a helpful card when the circumstances encourage its use.

It's also helpful in another way, for those playing Pokémon Go this time. Each Professor Willow card is emblazoned with a code, which if entered by offer redemption, will provide a Trainer with a Special Research that will allow the earning of a lot of neat items plus another Meltan encounter, as well as a commemorative medal for having obtained the card (proven, of course, by redeeming the code). The code is unique to each card, so one will have to obtain a card authentically in order to be able to get a redeemable code. A particularly well-known Pokémon Go Trainer has demonstrated that the Trainer had indeed obtained a card and has redeemed the card's code for the Special Research and the medal. For other Trainers in other parts of the world, the opportunity to do so may possibly come at a later time.

Collaboration between Pokémon Go and the Pokémon TCG could be described as something that would only take a matter of time to happen, and the current time (more or less) couldn't be more fitting with the big anniversary of Pokémon and the fledgling anniversary of its popular mobile installment. It's also fitting that the first thing chosen for that collaboration is the Pokémon professor who's in charge of it all. With benefits for both sides, this ought to be the mark for a great mutual relationship between the two.

One year ago: More on Remote Raids

Two years ago: The Switch Lite

Three years ago: Mew @ Everywhere

Four years ago: What Kind of Pokémon Are You?

Redeeming Offer Codes in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go has a lot of small things for a game that has only gotten bigger with time. Therefore, it helps to discuss about those small things and gain perspectives on them. One of those small things is the ability to redeem certain promotional or offer codes that can then reward (clothing) items. This becomes important, as those codes are distributed at certain times and the rewards can be very useful. The important thing to know is how to do so and what can be gained from the process.

On Android versions, particularly, promo or offer codes can be redeemed directly in the game app. This is accomplished by going into the in-game Shop and scrolling to the bottom, then entering the code in the Promos section, which should give a "Redeem" button if valid and an error message otherwise; tapping the button rewards the goods. Codes can also be redeemed (particularly outside of Android) on the official game website after logging in, available for those who sign in by Google, Facebook, or Niantic Kids.

In most cases, it would be preferable to (at least attempt to) redeem the codes, even if the bonus is a clothing item (or items) that may or may not suit the circumstances. I've benefited from one such redemption with clothing items, gaining a particular item that I eventually utilized, but not to tie in the context of the redeemed clothing items. As for regular items, they're always worth it to be redeemed, particularly if one may become the sole beneficiary of the items, which may be the case for certain codes. 

It becomes clear that the promo or offer code redemption is only a small thing in Pokémon Go, but it's one thing with big implications. Those implications would be many possible items, including those that may have a great impact. Knowing how it works is also just one small thing on the way of understanding the great wealth of features in Pokémon Go. And as the game gets larger and larger over time, the process can prove crucial in that expansion for the experience of who are involved with the game.

One year ago: Miss You, Brandon

Two years ago: Cosplay: COSTHNIFEST

Three years ago: Spending on Pokémon

Four years ago: A Pokémon Forum Persona

YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Sheet Music Boss Edition

I've been intending to make this YouTube Highlight post a long time ago, but time somewhat got away from me with all other things that I needed to do. But now with a bit of free time, I can finally stand to make the post. Now, last year, I made a highlight of a certain Pokémon music channel by a creator on the video-sharing site; as is evident from that, YouTube can be used for music purposes in addition to video purposes. The channel I'm highlighting now is mostly about music, but it has a video purpose as well, one that is as educational as it is entertaining. And it's called Sheet Music Boss.

As the name suggests, the channel is all about sheet music - piano sheet music, to be exact, as all the music they feature are designed to be played on a piano, keyboard, or other similar instruments. To that end, all the videos display a piano keyboard with music notes coming down as they are played (as rendered by a software program called Synthesia, also similar in fashion to some music games - although it too is one) to be followed along and played, especially by those who have a hard time reading sheet music - this is the "educational" portion of this channel. As per the channel name, though, everything is available in sheet music form. The creators - yes, there are two - whose names are Samuel and Andrew, are Australians in Brisbane, Queensland; they met in 2010 while studying music composition, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they're experts in music. The channel was started in 2017 and is coming up on 4 and a half years, and they also have daily content much like this blog has daily content. The music they feature in piano form run the gamut from timeless classical pieces to popular modern compositions, the latter including those from video games and popular culture, and this of course becomes the entry point for Pokémon.

Of the Pokémon music that they feature, there is a great deal of iconic pieces. The ever-popular Pokémon Theme, especially for western audiences, is a given, and there's a full rendition of it. Going into the games, there are classics from the first-generation games, like the wild Pokémon battle theme and the Gym Leader battle theme; Lavender Town (listen and watch at your own risk) made the cut as well. A relatively more modern offering is the music from Littleroot Town in the third-generation games, which I'm sure is classic to those who started playing Pokémon at around the times the games were released. Due to their complexity and speed, the first two are labeled as having "Hard" difficulty, and the third one may be considered as such as well. The latter two are relatively simpler in comparison, but still take a good deal of following along.

Other selections of Pokémon music on the channel include even some relatively recent selections from the Sword and Shield (eighth-generation) games, including the wild Pokémon battle and Gym Leader battle music from those games. Going back some generations, there are renditions for the Champion battle from the third-generation games, daytime Route 216 from the fourth-generation games, and wild Pokémon battle from the second-generation games. They've done quite a bit of Pokémon music, in fact, that they conceived a "Russian" version of the intro music from the first generation as well as an original Pokémon battle piece inspired by certain Pokémon battle music pieces; they also have a few other originals outside of their usual renditions of other music. For those interested in renditions of other Pokémon music, they may be open to some requests from social media (though not by e-mail), as this is in fact how they get some of their ideas.

As "sheet music" is part of their channel name, they are wise and skilled in providing that for all the pieces they feature. But to provide video "tutorials" for those challenged by sheet music, that's laudable too. The most laudable part for me and any other Pokémon fan, however, is how they feature certain compositions from this franchise and even develop some of their takes on those compositions. The channel speaks to them and their expertise of musical composition and arrangement, while it speaks to Pokémon fans like me as a source of great arrangements that some people might just be able to take, listen, and play well.

One year ago: Giving the Gift of Pokémon GIFs

Two years ago: I'm a... Bounty Hunter?

Three years ago: Losing and Finding Links

Four years ago: Strategy Guides and My Pokémon Experience

Collaboration for Pokémon

There's a certain real-world place that recently has prided itself as a place where collaborations can and do occur for its development. Old traditions combine with new ones, grandeur combines with simplicity, and modernism combines with classicism. All told, it represents a unique characteristic for the place. But after considering it, I'd like to think that people and places that are related to Pokémon can embody the same characteristic as well, inviting collaboration to occur for development.

In fact, two places in the world of Pokémon seem to embody this very well. One of those is Mauville City in Hoenn, which has had an astonishing development from its original version to the remade version. It also has a "sister city" link to Lumiose City of Kalos, which is the second place that embodies the characteristic, being high-tech thanks to its characteristic tower yet somewhat traditional in the way people go about their lives. It's a "double-double" collaboration for both places, in a way.

As for people collaborating, that is realized in another manner. By way of situations and places, they can be compelled into making connections with one another to allow development to occur. The anime miniseries of Twilight Wings (and its addendum) illustrates what can happen in this regard, with the characters in all different situations making things click with others, including the black flying taxi that is linked to all the characters in all the situations that also allow the "clicks" to occur.

For that real-world place, I'm certain that collaboration is a necessary thing given all the qualities above, which are indeed evident for that very place. It would be hard, even impossible, to develop the place otherwise even by the very people that live in it. People and places in Pokémon also may have similar qualities, and the best possible thing that they can do is to incur collaboration in some way to achieve the best development possible, regardless of who they are and wherever they might be.

One year ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights - GabaLeth Edition

Two years ago: Brandon Tan in My Town!!!

Three years ago: Exploring Dual Types

Four years ago: "Don't Fear Failure!"

Travel to Atlantis

I'm informed that the workings of Factions of Silph Arena have started up again, so I've had to check out what's going on. This time, in fact, there is something new, and that would be for a Battlefield as expected, as one of the dynamics if not the key dynamic of the competition format. In a new Cycle, another Battlefield has been introduced, which now takes a theme of going under, as in under the sea, to evoke a well-known legendary lost civilization. The new Battlefield is thus called Atlantis after this civilization.

This Battlefield also takes a Great League basis (CP 1500 or less) and limits Pokémon to at least one of five types: Bug, Dark, Poison, Fairy, and Steel. With five types allowed, there is certainly a little bit of a broader selection to choose from compared to Floating City. Some limitations still apply: Mythical, Shadow, and Regional Pokémon are not allowed, with the last limitation now effectively banning Heracross instead, also a popular contender if unchecked and especially given the above types. The perennial Fairy favorite of Azumarill is also banned, forcing Trainers to look for alternatives. With the given types, there should be plenty of those alternatives.

It's also important to consider interactions among the involved types. Because of the included (focus) types, there may be double threats to Dark and Fairy to watch out for, including from the latter to the former. Steel becomes a good defender across the included types with Poison in second, and Bug may need to be used sparingly. As always, with Pokémon that involve other types as a secondary type, much of the interactions they bring will define how battles will proceed, but the five included or focus types ought to serve as a basic guideline on what interactions to expect (or perhaps not, depending on the other Pokémon).

As with the previous Battlefield of Floating City, since I'm not a Factions participant, I cannot make too many comments, but a rudimentary analysis may suffice for others who are part of the competition. Regardless, after the first Battlefield, it seems there is an enigma and mystery to be maintained with Atlantis as the second Battlefield, and now the current Cycle and Bouts of Factions are tasking Trainers assigned to it to travel there and do battle, hopefully to contribute meaningfully for the excellence of their team. 

One year ago: Reminiscing More of My Early Days with Go

Two years ago: A T-Shirt for One's Journey

Three years ago: The Wonders of Weather in Go

Four years ago: Going Back to the NDS

Raid Achievements in Pokémon Go

This summer, one of the focus experiences of Pokémon Go is raids. That's already particularly evident thanks to details on this year's Pokémon Go Fest. But it's also evident in another way, as recently raids had gotten a few appearance updates that make them look more attractive. Along with that, raids also got a remarkable new feature, and that would be raid achievements. Now when a raid is completed and won, certain Trainers will be given special honors based on what they did for the raid battle.

Some of these achievements are related to the battle, like dealing the final blow ("Final Strike") or using the most Charged attacks ("Charged and Ready"). Other achievements are related purely to aspects of participation, like wearing certain outfits ("Style Savant") and taking part remotely from very far away ("Traveler"). Regardless of the achievement, only certain Trainers in the raid battle will earn achievements, and those who earn them will only earn a single kind of achievement and not as many of them as possible. One particular concession is that a Trainer that participates in a raid battle by oneself - a solo raid - is almost certain to earn the Final Strike achievement, which is a neat yet slightly boring guarantee.

In fact, there is a certain vagueness in how specific achievements are earned. Once, I've earned the Style Savant achievement but felt I've done nothing special in that regard, and this achievement deals with outfits, which I haven't changed since I've last changed anything (perhaps a useful discussion point for later). Due to the vagueness of the achievements, as well as the diversity of raid circumstances, some experimentation may be warranted to try to earn the most obscure of achievements. As the post regarding the new feature on the official Pokémon Go blog indicates, many circumstances will allow the earning of achievements, but most Trainers will earn only the most common of them, and the obscure ones become a target of sorts. 

Regardless of achievements, they all count towards a new medal, the Raid Expert medal. It takes a total of 500 earned achievements to increase the medal to the platinum level, which means at least that many raids as well. The new medal also becomes another outlet to earn the necessary number of platinum medals for a post 40 level up task, and is therefore useful in that regard. Individual achievements may also be saved as pictures in the same location where Pokémon Go photos get saved. It does seem like the achievements are geared to posterity more than anything else, but at least there's a helpful side to them.

Raids are and have always been important to Pokémon Go since they were introduced some years ago. Therefore, it makes sense that they would be improved as well, at least this time in appearance and with the new achievements feature. Although the feature is neat, it may require some raids to be conducted before the benefit becomes imminent. But then, that may be an incentive to get lots of raids going in order to take a gander at the Pokémon they offer and earn a few or a lot of honors along the way.

One year ago: New PvP Challenge: Premier Cup

Two years ago: Local EX Raid (and Mix-Ups), 7/10/2019

Three years ago: The Currencies of Magikarp Jump

Four years ago: My Trusty NDS and Pokémon Games

Twilight Wings Addendum

Last year, I detailed about "Pokémon: Twilight Wings", which is an online miniseries of the Pokémon anime set in the Galar region, with links to the Corviknight taxi to which the title alludes. Now, it is also known that the Sword and Shield games, which contain the region in question, got an Expansion Pass for new places to discover and new (and returning) Pokémon to deal with. Given this fact, it would be natural that Twilight Wings also got this treatment... and it did, with a special extra episode, an "addendum", so to speak. This has also been around for over half a year, so I'm late to deal with it, but because I've already discussed the miniseries, I have to discuss its expansion sooner or later - much later, in this case.

This extra episode takes place in part in the Isle of Armor, one of the locales of the Expansion Pass, and illustrates the Galar All-Stars Tournament, also a feature of the Expansion Pass. The key character of this extra episode is Leon, who by now is a former Champion, as he actually notes. The flying taxi is still an important link for how Leon will make things happen for his ultimate agenda, certainly not far from Pokémon battles. For the full details, I recommend taking the bit of time to watch the episode and seeing what actions Leon take.

This extra episode is a nice touch to correspond with the games and make sure that what shows up there shows up in animated form as well. While the anime-game link for Pokémon is still a point of contention regarding very particular details, at the least, correspondence of essential things like those from the Expansion Pass, which are indeed exhibited in this extra episode, is important. As this is a limited-length miniseries, obviously everything cannot be exhibited all at once, not even in the entire run of the miniseries. The task of showing the rest may also be up to the regular anime to do.

After seven episodes plus one extra, I'm still thoroughly impressed with the Twilight Wings miniseries. It's different from the regular anime but has the same soul, and is thus a refreshing take on the anime. It's also completely freely available to watch, which is a rarity as far as the Pokémon anime is concerned. A similar series in the future is well-deserved, but for now, one can enjoy this one - or perhaps re-enjoy it - at this point.

Without further ado, I also present the two-line summary for this extra episode, in line with previous ones:

Expansion: The Gathering of Stars

Now a former Champion, Leon takes to prepare

a cavalcade for a series of great battles.

One year ago: Pokémon Primer?

Two years ago: Picking Battles

Three years ago: Cosplay Cards

Four years ago: Ghosty and Me

Every Word Is a Prayer

As a Pokémon fan, I find myself being inspired by things outside of Pokémon to be applied to my Pokémon experiences. That includes things like the words that people say, which have been on this blog a few times. This post is to deal with another set of those words, which happen to be in the title of this post. Near the end of last month, I watched a special event on TV, and at the end of the event, these words were said by the host. The event was somewhat memorable, as were the words, which made me think of my Pokémon experiences.

These words imply, according to popular interpretations, that what one says may end up being prayers or wishes for the future. For good things, there will also be good wishes, but not-so-good things may end up being not-so-good wishes. Therefore, there is another implication in play, which is that one has to watch what one says; this last bit is related but could also be expanded, even more so in the case of my personal experiences with Pokémon, and thus should also be discussed, but not at the moment.

Obviously, with the words above, this blog pertains very much, because there are many, many words on this blog. I'd like to think that all of those words have been good words that are therefore imbued with good wishes. Yet some of them may unintentionally contain not-so-good wishes (but not downright bad) based on certain interpretations. If that occurs, then I would have to apologize for whatever ill intents may be gained. There may still be good intents to be gained, and those should be the point of my words.

While that special event on TV was only a momentous occasion, Pokémon for me always presents a special occasion, or even occasions. Those occasions always permit me to say at least a little something about them. Keeping in mind the words of the title, the words I say would represent my prayers and wishes for future occasions, especially those of Pokémon. I have to ascertain that such a situation would represent the best of my intents and whatever good things may be gotten from them.

One year ago: Dream of Pokémon Life

Two years ago: "I Could Tell You, But..."

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/8/2018

Four years ago: Pursuing Shiny?

Go Fest Gets Musical

Along with this year's anniversary of Pokémon Go, there is the matter of the annual Pokémon Go Fest to attend to, and fortunately, all the details are already available. Like last year (see below), everyone can get in on the fun and participate wherever they may be, moreover current conditions have not yet subsided in many parts of the world. The event is similarly a two-day affair, and it will take place 10 days from now - that is, on July 17 and 18; most of those who intend to participate should have already gotten a ticket by now, especially since its price is much cheaper thanks to Google Play sponsoring the whole deal. With the proximity of the event at this point, there should be less reasons for not taking part.

The theme for this year's Pokémon Go Fest is "music", and that will be highly evident especially on the first day, which will involve a storyline of putting together a musical celebration featuring certain Pokémon that will also have specific costumes. Speaking of costumes, the event also becomes the perfect entry point for two more variants of Cosplay Pikachu, as the Pop Star and Rock Star variants. Ultimately, it also becomes the entry point for the Mythical Pokémon of Meloetta, owing to its musical relationship. Other Pokémon related to music are also due to appear in the wild on both days. To up the musical ante, Junichi Masuda as the musical maestro of Pokémon games will also have a few pieces lined up for all to enjoy. All this shows how all-out the theme is going to be.

Quite a bit of the "rundown" on both days has also been divulged for all to know. In addition to the musical story on the first day, there will also be Global Challenges with hourly bonuses like last year, with the addition of Collection Challenges similar to Pokémon Go Tour earlier this year. For a span of eight hours from 10 AM to 6 PM, there will be four hourly zones repeated twice, providing themes for the Global Challenges and Collection Challenges. Many of the Pokémon that will make this edition festive will appear in the wild and raids, with Shiny chances increased and some of them appearing with Shiny forms for the first time. Considering last year, that seems pretty standard yet still pretty festive.

On the second day, the story will be much different. The reason is because the second day will be focused on raids - Legendary raids, in fact, as it has been promised that all Legendary Pokémon that have been encountered at least once in Pokémon Go will be present. Along with a few of the remnants from Day 1 outside of raids, all the Legendary Pokémon that will appear will do so in hourly periods in similar fashion to the hourly zones from Day 1, with four periods repeated twice, again from 10 AM to 6 PM. These will be aided, certainly, by many bonuses to allow raids to occur during the time of the event. It does seem like a Raid Day that has long been absent, though it will certainly be much more than that, given the overall framework of the celebratory event.

It's been over a year since current conditions have affected the world in the ways of working and playing, and that includes the event of Pokémon Go Fest with its necessarily celebratory nature. At this point, there may still be not many reasons to celebrate, except maybe for Pokémon fans with the big anniversary of the franchise and a minor anniversary of its very popular mobile installment. At the very least, during this time, one can go back to the roots of creativity, such as by making music and celebrating ways to make music. If anything, this year's Pokémon Go Fest could be construed as a way to honor that - and so, it may be time to let the music play during this Pokémon celebration.

One year ago: Everyone's Go Fest

Two years ago: Cosplay: Konbini Anime

Three years ago: ...However Things Turn Out

Four years ago: Shiny Stories