This month, as has been discussed earlier, kicks off the Season of Heritage. The start of the season is usually a neat time, given that of previous seasons (including last year - yes, that means yesterday's and today's post are in exchanged order compared to last year also as seen below). The start of this season was (and is) particularly neat as it includes the year-end holiday season as with last year, but the same can also be said for the events that helped the season to start. All of them are to be discussed in the event rollup for this month.
The new season started off similarly to last season with an Incense Day event on December 5, though this time it was properly called that instead of by a special name. For this Incense Day, the main featured Pokémon was Swinub. As it has the Ice and Ground types, these two types determined the type hours and the other accompanying types that appeared, from 11 AM to 5 PM. Swinub is a featured Pokémon for a previous edition of Community Day, so this Incense Day brought back the exclusive move for its final evolution of Mamoswine from that time to be available during the event. Apart from Field Research tasks like those of Hoopa's Arrival event and extra Incense for those who may need them, there were no other bonuses. The event served not only as an opening for the new season but also practically as a Community Day supplement.
After the heritage "opening", it was time for a real "heritage" from the fifth-generation games. Dragonspiral Descent was the next event from December 7 to 12, which is based on the Dragonspiral Tower in the Unova region. This event also marked the debut of Druddigon, the characteristic cave dragon of the location, which could be found in raids and Field Research tasks, as well as being possibly Shiny from the get-go. Many Pokémon of the location also appeared in the wild and raids - including Reshiram and Zekrom themselves - and a number was included in a Collection Challenge that also rewarded a Druddigon. Since the event was potentially raid-heavy, a discounted bundle of Remote Raid Passes became available. This is indeed a real piece of heritage, one that some Trainers have waited for expectantly.
As a "break" from heritage - or it might be considered one of a different kind - there is the Holiday Event, which for this year is divided into two parts. The event started with Part 1 from December 16 to December 23, kicking off the event with the entry of the Postcard Book feature, Holiday Cup in GBL, and specific Pokémon wearing holiday costumes, some new and others from past years. More Gifts can be opened and stored, Mega Abomasnow gets a CP boost, and Team Go Rocket has more Water- and Ice-type Pokémon; there are also new clothing items and item bundles in the shop. Specific to this part are appearances of Alolan Sandshrew as well as Cloyster, Kyurem, and Mega Steelix (continued from earlier in the month) in raids.
Part 2, which also began on December 23, continued most of Part 1 with some changes and other novelties. Here, Alolan Vulpix, Lapras, and Mega Abomasnow take over from the previous part, and Shiny Galarian Darumaka enters the fray. Meanwhile, this part also involves the debut of the Bergmite family in the wild, a single-use Egg Incubator from first PokéStop spins, and two Timed Research sets that involve capturing and Friendship that eventually lead to a Galarian Mr. Mime encounter, making them more widely available. A Winter Wonderland event that involved increased trading distance during Christmas weekend and a Collection Challenge (that is completable up to the end of the month) featuring traded Pokémon and another Galarian Mr. Mime encounter also became a part, along with appearances of featured Pokémon in 7 km Eggs. This takes everyone to the end of the year.
Per the above, it may be considered that "heritage" may have a few interpretations, which might include primordial/ancient elements (Swinub or Druddigon) or tried-and-true traditions (the Holiday Event). Both have the rationale to be preserved and presented in some manner, and the above events in Pokémon Go more or less are able to do just that. Meanwhile, the Season of Heritage has just begun and more "heritage" awaits for both preservation and presentation in Pokémon Go and likely beyond its confines.
One year ago: Road to 25th Anniversary: Life Goes On
Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 12/28/2019
Three years ago: Soul-Searching and Pokémon
Four years ago: From Journal to Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hi folks! Feel free to comment, but know that I'll be selecting only the most appropriate and relevant comments to appear. Think before you post.