The Peak of Mythical Wishes

Finally, to wrap up February, there is the wrap-up to the Season of Mythical Wishes in Pokémon Go, as is typical since the season system started two and a quarter years ago. At the beginning of the season, I suggested that the season may have its "heftiness" - with this season being the first two-word-titled season - along with its "aspirations", which may be of a "fabled" nature due to the prepending of "Mythical". It is then imperative to see how the three interpreted keywords above became manifested during the season, for Pokémon Go and even beyond.

On the Pokémon Go front, "fabled aspirations" were definitely fulfilled by the appearance of Keldeo in December and expectations of Shiny Jirachi just this month (with the actual realization being much later). The other events throughout the three months were less "fabled" but just as "aspirational" for Trainers who are still deeply involved, with the pinnacle being Pokémon Go Tour last weekend for everyone and the week before for the fortunate Las Vegas attendees. Even so, after all that, it seems that there are still many aspirations hanging and left unfulfilled rather than settled and fulfilled. This point certainly needs its own discussion, but it still can be said that the season did live up to its name to a certain capacity.

As for "aspirations" across other Pokémon realms, they might not have been "fabled", but they might measure up to that. The virtual TCG heading towards a new incarnation is surely an "aspiration", especially as it shifts from a "fable" beta to a realistic release. The new Pokémon that have joined Pokémon Unite - and there have been a few - up to now may not (yet) have been what were "aspired", but they may skirt "fables" in their capabilities. Meanwhile, the local Pokémon event that I had the opportunity to participate in may be said to have captured many Pokémon aspirations, though it may not be all of them. More opportunities for fulfillment may and have to arise in the future, and not just remain "fabled" or "hefty".

Even the latest Pokémon Presents from yesterday may be considered to have its share of "fabled aspirations", some of which may be about to be fulfilled and others may just remain as "fables" at present. For the latter, analyses had been made earlier as to what may come up, but they have been proven untrue as yet. For the former, the fulfillment seems to be in half-expected and half-unexpected directions, though fulfillment is fulfillment nonetheless. I'm still saving much of the specific details for a post all its own, even though the details are pretty well-known by now, but much of what I've said today and yesterday should suffice as a preview for what has appeared and will be discussed then; as with Go Tour, it is a bit "hefty".

By the above, the "fabled aspirations" as well as "heftiness" may be taken as a bit of an abstraction over the previous Pokémon Go season and other Pokémon happenings, but what has occurred as above should evidently reflect those qualities. With that, the season winds down, but it won't be long now before Trainers (and/or their Pokémon) will have to rise up and take the challenge of their epic struggles. That too could be a great "fabled aspiration", though it would manifest overarchingly in the times ahead.

One year ago: The Peak of Heritage

Two years ago: The Peak of Celebrations

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/28/2020

Four years ago: The Birthday of a Hero

Five years ago: Cosplay Poses

Six years ago: Cosplay: Japanese World 2017

Pokémon Day 2023 - 27th Anniversary

And... another year, and it's another edition of Pokémon Day, the anniversary of Pokémon. It has been 27 years as of today since the original Red and Green games were released, and the franchise has come a long way since then. The year count is now 27, and the day is the 27th of the month; it's a fancy situation that they're together this year. In fact, "together" may be described as the keyword for this year's anniversary, relating more than just the numbers as in the case above.

The spirit of togetherness for Pokémon is something that remains true as well as something I've discussed prior, on anniversaries of a different kind, and they bear to be referenced here as well. Besides people getting together, though, there are also people (Trainers) and (their) Pokémon getting together, as well as Pokémon species congregating somehow. Both of these situations may be considered to share the same spirits as people getting together, though the latter is obviously the most perceptible.

It is perhaps in line with this spirit that Pokémon initiated a campaign two weeks ago called "Pokémon Together", inviting people to share their fondest memories of being one with others and involving Pokémon, on social media. I've made my post on Instagram around that time, and I chose to share the bringing of people together with my Pokémon cosplay and the activities that revolve around that. It may or may not get featured in an official sub-site for the campaign, but at least it's there for all to see.

Like past years, a Pokémon Presents is scheduled on this day and will take a separate day to discuss, but I can give a preview of what is involved. The minor things are a new viewing experience, a preview of the next World Championships, and some updates to the spinoff games. The major things are the "big rest" everyone has waited for, another link between Pokémon Go and the main series games, and an exciting direction for the latter games. They're all together, and they bring a lot of ground to cover.

So it is that after 27 years, togetherness becomes a characteristic that any Pokémon fan can be proud of. This is even as those fans are fragmented into the games (or other aspects) they take interests in. They can still take heart that they can search for at least some commonalities with other fans and connect through them. Having a common anniversary for everything in the franchise also helps, and that just shows how together the fans are even with what they bring to the table and share with each other, as provided by Pokémon itself.

Happy 27^th anniversary.

One year ago: Pokémon Day 2022 - 26th Anniversary

Two years ago: Suddenly Silver: Pokémon Day 2021 - 25th Anniversary

Three years ago: Pokémon Day 2020 - 24th Anniversary

Four years ago: Pokémon Day 2019 - 23rd Anniversary

Five years ago: Pokémon Day 2018 - 22nd Anniversary

Six years ago: Pokémon Day 2017 - 21st Anniversary

Eleventh Cosplay Anniversary - (Part of) My World

Another year has passed, and it's time for my cosplay anniversary once again - the day I formally started to cosplay - which would be the eleventh one this year. This time, I've decided to discuss the topic of where cosplay fits in my world of interests, which obviously does include Pokémon as a part of it... or even greater, as will be discussed shortly. It's also important to discuss this as events and conventions are beginning to pick up once again with almost the same intensity as before, but so are Pokémon things, and that may raise a few issues.

For very astute readers and observers, they'll have noticed that for general intents and purposes, Pokémon has a priority in my world, if not making up almost its entirety. It's something I mentioned in a somewhat old podcast as well as clearly on the very first post of this blog. What happens is that the situation becomes reflected in all the things that I'm involved in, and as expected, that includes cosplay. In effect, Pokémon dictates or determines what things I'm involved in and sometimes how far I'm involved in them.

Back to my cosplay, it may be considered as a "realm" or a "sub-world" that I'm interested in as part of my greater Pokémon world, rather than constituting my greater world. For the greater part of 11 years, that has been pretty much the case, with cosplay mostly involving Pokémon cosplay rather than cosplay of anything else (though there has been little bits of those over the years). This situation fits my general Pokémon interests, more so than my being involved in cosplay generally for anything else beyond Pokémon.

In fact, today I was slightly caught in the quagmire of whether to send Ash (that is, to cosplay) or just be myself for today for Pokémon Go Tour, given that a certain happening is or was actually occurring (though not too important as far as I'm concerned). In the end, I just chose to be myself, and so did a few of my other character (cosplayer) friends, as we chose to partake in another matter of interest and Pokémon Go Tour additionally in my case. This highlights that now I may be willing to gloss over cosplay for certain Pokémon happenings.

Even so, on this occasion of my cosplay anniversary, I'd still like to say that it still makes (a part of) my Pokémon world in any case, even if it's not the primary thing in that world as might be otherwise suggested by my frequent attendance of events and conventions. After over a decade, I still want to be where the character people (cosplayers) are, yet I still want to pursue other Pokémon interests as well. They're both desires or longings that I possess and continue to do so as I make Pokémon and related activities the parts that make up my whole world.

Happy eleventh cosplay anniversary to me.

One year ago: Tenth Cosplay Anniversary - Still Patient

Two years ago: Ninth Cosplay Anniversary - Taking a Backseat

Three years ago: Eighth Cosplay Anniversary - Doing What I Want

Four years ago: Seventh Cosplay Anniversary - Timeless Cosplay

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

Six years ago: Fifth Cosplay Anniversary

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2023

And now it's three years that this month's event rollup for Pokémon Go has been on the same date (see below). It's as if I had planned it... or living with Pokémon plans it instead. As with past years, various factors come into play for what makes the rollup be put on this day, but various factors also seem to affect how events are structured at this time of year. That seems to be especially true for the instance of this month, with all the different things that lead into or out of those events.

One lead-in is from the end of January, with the Crackling Voltage event at its tail end. That tail end led into a Team Go Rocket Takeover at the beginning of the month, from February 1 to 5. For this event, several new Shadow Pokémon came to be, one of them being Registeel as the object of action by Giovanni, and others across the Leaders and Grunts. During this time, all the personnel appeared more often and Frustration could be forgotten. Defeating the Leaders, as is typical during this time, may reward 12 km Eggs containing more Pokémon species with "dark souls". The earlier Crackling Voltage event remained ongoing even during this time of darkness against the prior brightness.

Then, going into the middle of the month, there was always the lead-in to love with the Valentine's Day event, this time from February 8 to 14. Many of the perks from last year (Flabébé, Heart Trim Furfrou, Synchronoise for Gardevoir and Gallade, Global Challenge rewarding Candy transfer bonuses) returned, with a few new twists. This year became the debut of Mega Gardevoir, which was complemented by a return of Tapu Lele with its Shiny form. Along with more Stardust from Gifts and extended Lure Modules, a Timed Research set rewarded Frillish, items, and a bonus of the Trainer's choosing. As usual, pink and cutesy Pokémon were the order of the event across the wild, 7 km Eggs, raids, and Field Research rewards. Further complementing the event were a Luvdisc Limited Research Day on February 11, as well as new stickers and Frillish-inspired fashion items. The lead-in may not have changed, but some things have.

Before going into the Global edition of Pokémon Go Tour, there had to be a lead-in, and that came in the form of the Primal Rumblings event from February 22 to 24. Trainers had to perceive these "rumblings" primarily by looking up to the sky, as they featured Rayquaza and the Eon twins Latias and Latios, as well as other Pokémon from Hoenn. The latter are present in the wild and both are present in raids, with Rayquaza knowing the move Breaking Swipe and the Eon twins rewarding Mega Energy in Mega Legendary raids. All these were complemented by a double XP bonus for evolution, Field Research tasks, a Collection Challenge, and special stickers, as well as a Special Research set that becomes the "gateway" to the incoming Global edition. The features of the event (and the title of the event) should have already indicated the "big shake" to be felt.

Meanwhile, since the Live edition of Pokémon Go Tour in Las Vegas was on February 18 and 19, there was no event during its surrounding time, as that was the event. Yet, some "remnants" could still be observed, one of which is an "early access" to the big ancient thing, shaking as above and perhaps unintended in some ways, for both local bystanders there and those who dared to take part remotely somehow. As for the Global edition remnants, since the relevant edition started today and will continue tomorrow, I'll be covering them separately at another time - trust me, it's due to the lead-in and lead-out - but I can give a preview. They may be in the form of unpopular features, a lopsided struggle, and a hefty Egg load. And yet so much more remains to be explained.

For now, I have to lead out the event rollup by saying that the above events are just part of the ways that living Pokémon leads into and out of certain things, including monthly transitions, regular features, and special happenings. No matter when things might be or how they're planned, they just have to be taken as they are, and in doing so, the lead-ins and lead-outs might just naturally proceed.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2022

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2021

Three years ago: Trade Evolutions in Pokémon Go

Four years ago: Meeting of the Minds

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

Six years ago: Dealing with Cosplay Offerings

The Hoenn Cup of GBL

As in the past few years, Pokémon Go Tour - for which the Global edition is this weekend, as previously noted - appropriately features the themed format for the region of concern. Given previous occurrences (Johto last year, see below, and Kanto ahead of time), that themed format would be rather predictable, and it is thus called the Hoenn Cup. Today also happens to be the first day that it is playable, but many insights can already be gleaned, and as such it is appropriate to discuss it immediately before it's no longer as such.

The features of the theme format are also just as predictable. Like the others before it, it's based on the Great League, but restricted to the range of species from the region. That would mean species with Dex numbers 252-386, a range of 135 species. That's more than Johto (and even Sinnoh) but slightly fewer than Kanto; yet like all of them, not every species is viable for battle at or near the CP limit. Even so, based on the experiences of past Great League formats, there are many gems strewn around this range of species, and here they are gems as well.

Based on rankings, the foremost of these gems is a glistening round thing called Registeel. Behind it, some species might be rather familiar: Pelipper, Altaria, Deoxys Defense, and Swampert are included. So too are Medicham and Sableye, though these two require Candy XL for viability. Some of these species have been tested time and time again, and they often come out on top, whether in regular "open" format or specified theme formats; no wonder one such format banned them completely. But now, they have to do battle against each other.

In battle, the results aren't too surprising either. Based on the experiences of a friend and me all throughout today, while in the short term there are some variations in the teams, in the long term, the compositions of the teams start to settle into the expected "meta" of the rankings. The species that I've listed above (and others) are just so viable even against each other that they continue to be used. The primary determinant will be (and always is) how a Trainer deals with the expected and unexpected variations.

Pokémon Go Tour is by now becoming a usual and expected event, and that may also be perfectly applicable to the themed cup format that accompanies the event. In this case, it's for a region with its own dynamics for both the landscape and the Pokémon that hail from it, the latter of which also turns out to be true in pitting the most viable of the species against each other. That may serve well as an indication of the dynamics of the event's Global edition, which will commence soon enough to bestow those dynamics upon the masses.

One year ago: The Johto Cup of GBL

Two years ago: Learning from Each Other, for Life

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/22/2020

Four years ago: Don't Forget Our Roots

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

Six years ago: Memories of Johto

You're Everything... I Like You

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith 'cause you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

-- "Because You Loved Me", Celine Dion

Something that may be said about fans of Pokémon is that they consider it to be a support for them in many ways, perhaps even "lifesaving" in certain senses. In the same way, Trainers and their Pokémon in this world may consider themselves to support each other mutually. This situation, for me, is evocative of a certain song, the chorus of which is quoted above. I had thought about it somewhat earlier, but I decided to write about it closer to Pokémon Day, and this is the best day I could find to do it.

Like many of the songs sung by this artist, the song primarily involves a reference to romantic love. All the qualities that are mentioned in the song apply perfectly to a person whom one might have feelings for and reciprocally. They're all the things that empower, enliven, and energize a person to continue to maintain a relationship with another, with love as the background reason. Ultimately, the person is who the person is, becoming characterized because of the (romantic) attraction.

For fans, they may feel that Pokémon possesses all those qualities, especially if they regard that Pokémon has a "lifesaving" aspect about it, influencing their entire lives like any sort of human romance. For Trainers and their Pokémon, they may state that as partners, they feel the same way about each other according to the qualities mentioned in the song, as the Trainers encourage their Pokémon and their Pokémon encourage them. In either case, they become all that they can be, because of each other.

That seems to be a poignant message for anyone of concern - including me - as they can then say that Pokémon makes their lives what they are, hoping to do the same in reverse. Even if that can't happen yet, being brought together with (or perhaps even by) Pokémon is still something to be regarded as it shapes the fibers of their being. It's an appropriate message for any time for Pokémon fans, but it seems especially appropriate to be brought up near the occasion of Pokémon Day even now.

One year ago: Good Builds for Unite?

Two years ago: The (Un)Popularity of Legendary Raid Bosses

Three years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Rose Cup

Four years ago: Let's Go Take Pictures

Five years ago: Community Days!

Six years ago: Competitive or Non-Competitive?

Performance Critique: Bunkasai Japan Fest J-Song

Since I performed in the J-Song competition at a daring festival event, I'd have to be able to critique it if possible, and that is made possible by a video recording of it. That's not often possible, but if it does work out, then things may work out in mysterious ways, whether for the performance itself or the recording. Regardless, for that performance, the recording did work out, as I was able to lend my phone to a friend, who did just that for my performance. I am thus able to make this critique with its aid.

Actually, the recording worked out twice over, as a friend and fellow competitor offered to record the performance. However, I was afraid that my friend would lose the recording either to time or data storage problems, exactly the same case as for the preliminary "practice" performance of "XY&Z" before my winning one. Thereby, the other recording served as a failsafe in the case my friend couldn't fulfill the promise. Strangely enough, it turned out that my recording had an "aquarium" quality to its sound, whereas the one by my friend was normal. Both serves equally in this critique nevertheless.

Things seemed to go well at the start.

On to the actual critique of the performance. What didn't work out was, as Ash noted, a small part in the middle of the song. I had actually "blanked out" in the instrumental section before, and a part of the line immediately following that section became incoherent. Even so, I did recover and I proceeded to sing the rest of the song with no lyrical flubs. The performance, however, was still not a winning one; the fault in this performance may lie in some other area, especially considering that this was the very first time I performed this song. Even with the lyrics committed to memory, I may still be in a state of "getting to know" the song.

I should have sung: "donna egao de tsutsunde agetara..."

There are still other positives. "Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara" is a mellow song and suits my musical tastes, as my friend also noted. I showed understanding of its lyrics by gesturing in the middle of the song toward the sky (the song title means "because the sky is there"). I also added my own twist towards the end, where "tsukuru yo" is repeated once in the original song, but I repeated it once more to fill out the rest of the song with added vocalization to demonstrate my vocal skills. This has the makings of a great performance at another opportunity where I can sing the song.

"aruite yukou... soko ni sora ga aru kara..."

I felt somewhat embarrassed after my performance, having thought to make an egregious error. Yet as another friend noted, and if my winning performance is of any indication, I can gloss over errors like these with experience. Further, when my friend went up on stage to perform, my friend committed an even more egregious error by starting with the second verse of the song instead of the first - and it was for a more very well-known song; after that, my embarrassment decreased, and predictably, my friend didn't win either. And so we made errors in our performances that ought to be resolved next time.

"tsukuru yo... tsukuru yo..."

While memorizing the song for these is half the battle - or perhaps more than half in my case and for some other people - as a concluding remark, it may serve well to pay attention to as many performance aspects as possible and not to worry too much about the little things, although the little things are and remain important. I can stand to apply quite a bit for whenever this song gets performed next time.

Meanwhile, I'm now left with two recordings of the same performance, but from different points of view. I can do something with these two recordings, certainly for the YouTube channel for this blog, but that will take quite a bit of time. At least the possession of these recordings can open up the critique further, in addition to what I've fleshed out above in the first place through the videos.

One year ago: The 2022 Pokémon Anniversary Week

Two years ago: (Pokémon) Songs as Advice

Three years ago: Cosplay: Beat Launch Party

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

Five years ago: Trainer Caps, and a Teaser

Six years ago: Back in the Park

SWEEP JR Taking on the World

OK, so I've indicated enough digressions already in some previous posts; it's time to just get straight to the point. In those posts, which for the most part pertain to Pokémon Go tournaments, I had indicated of a future happening involving me. I also had previously said that I (still) have an interest in Silph Arena Factions but had not gotten a team to battle together with. Well... that has all changed, and soon I will become involved - and quite significantly, shortly to come - in Factions with a team.

Our team logo, featuring a "junior Lord Bidoof".

Enter SWEEP JR. This new Faction is created as a "fledgling offshoot" - if it may be described as that - of the "senior" SWEEP ID team, a Faction that has been around since the early days of the team tournament. Discussions on the creation of the team actually started out on the day I "won" a certain tournament, and it took the rest of that month (January) and some of this month (February) to find the requisite and additional members to make this team viable for competition when the time comes. Like its brethren, it is also an Asia-Pacific (APAC) Faction, specifically representing my resident country of Indonesia as well.

My involvement in this Faction is also managed by a senior competitor in them, as well as one of my fellow raid group members and a great friend overall - TendouXForce. I myself (certainly as PokeMasterBP348) have a deep role to play in this team, for I am its Captain. I was chosen for the role because I stand to be able to make the necessary communications with other Factions and the Arena if need be, and because I've already demonstrated my interest in and knowledge about it. Both of these are exactly as suggested in the post I referred to at the top. As for the other members of the team, they may or may not yet have international renown, but we are still here to make a splash as "juniors".

Our initial lineup of Trainers.

Aside from being a Captain, I'm also currently positioned as an Alternate, but that's fine. I myself don't expect to do much battling and may end up mostly handling coordination as a "non-playing captain", though at some point I may need to sub in when demanded, likely to a Field Specialist position or even Great League or Ultra League in a pinch. As such, I still need to keep up with changes to the meta or theme formats regardless, further for the purpose of rounding them up on this blog in posts to maintain continuity. Of course, that does and will mean a lot more posts on this blog related to Factions, but that's not a bad thing: it keeps my competitive dealings and content creation going at the same time.

I had actually wanted to save this post for somewhat later, exactly for when the Faction has been all registered and set to do battle. However, the "promotional materials" had already been made and could be (and has been) distributed, and therefore I just had to follow with my blog post as well. Other new and upcoming Factions that I received knowledge of being about to compete have already made their mark themselves on certain social networks even before things can really get going, and therefore I'm free to do the same, particularly since I have this blog to do just that.

Being that Factions is a competition that spans the world - or at least parts of it - by taking part in it, I have to step up my game in order to take on the world; this is the implication of the tournament results from yesterday, hinting at this situation. Of course, now that I'm in a Faction and I have a leading role in it, taking on the world is something that I'm doing not just for myself, but also for the entire team. And all that will begin when SWEEP JR gets registered and makes its debut on the Factions stage, soon.

One year ago: 3DS eShop Closing - Demise Is Near

Two years ago: More NPC Trainers in Pokémon Go?

Three years ago: Hobby as a Partner

Four years ago: Even More LINE Pokémon Stickers

Five years ago: Quirky Raids

Six years ago: Secret Garden

Tournament: Arcaviary Tournament - Naiad Cup

Meanwhile, going back to the Pokémon Go tournament scene, there is one that I participated in and just ended, which means that I have to discuss its results for me and how I personally ended up. "Arcaviary" is a series of inter-group national tournaments with its own schedule for things, but still closely following the Silph Arena season. In this case, it uses the Naiad themed cup for this month; last month, the series actually held a tournament for the Ember themed cup, but it was a live tournament in a somewhat faraway place, which doesn't jive with my schedule, making it impossible for me to attend and participate.

This one, however, was a remote tournament, and I could thus stand to participate in it. Actually, I was somewhat pushed to participate for my own good, and this will become relevant very soon - though I digress. Anyhow, this tournament had a massive number of participants (90), although the final tally came to 86 as four participants had to drop for certain reasons. As with some previous tournaments, the one-day-one-round format was in place and so were the "no-show" rules, having started Sunday last week and having wrapped up Sunday yesterday at 9 PM through a grand total of seven rounds.

With that many participants in the tournament, the possibility of more disputes occurring increases, and indeed, a few were filed during the progression of the tournament. Some of the battles in some of the matches were disputed, and rulings were then made to repeat the battles or to let the results stand, after which the results were reported. As for "no-show" Trainers, the rules were not invoked directly, but rather indirectly, as a few Trainers found themselves in certain situations where they absolutely couldn't battle even within the 24 hours of a round, forcing them to forfeit the match. I got paired up with one such Trainer and received the windfall from such a situation.

As for the rest of the rounds, I flunked most of them and only salvaged the last two. The second and fourth rounds were a shutout for me, while I only managed to steal 1 win each in the first and fifth - which meant the third round involved the forfeit situation as above. With the forfeit win, I had three wins and finished 27th from the bottom as well as fourth from the bottom among those with three wins, sandwiched between a masterful Trainer who had to forfeit some rounds and someone who will prove to be a crucial ally soon enough. The turnaround in the last two rounds was effectively helped by an "enlightening" that will also likely assist for other tournaments beyond this one.

It seems that there might be a glimmer of hope for improving my results in Pokémon Go tournaments, if the last two rounds of this one are of any indication. And in a way, the improvement has to occur as such, as the digression that I mentioned above becomes pertinent to this situation. For now, I can consider this tournament as a part of my current introspection as the greater world (literally - as part of the digression above) of Pokémon Go tournaments unfolds before my very eyes.

One year ago: Show Goes On, and On, and On...

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto

Three years ago: Living with My Buddy

Four years ago: Poké-Tourism

Five years ago: Pokémon "Cover Songs"

Six years ago: Venice and Alto Mare

Cosplay: Lippo Bunkasai Japan Fest

Me: There are several reasons why I've sent you here today, Ash - two of them are that we've got a little time and the competitions are open for us.

Ash: Nice! I'm in.

Pikachu: Chu! ["Yes!"]

Goh: They do happen a lot where you are.

Me: Only this one happens to be distant, but not as distant as it usually is - but you still end up coming early and leaving late. And it's somewhere new for us, so you have to try to be there. Those are two more reasons.

Ash: OK. So, what do you have for me today?

Me: The singing competition, which will dictate the character parade. This time, I've got another new song for you: "Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara".

Ash: Hey, that's a nice one! It takes me back to my Hoenn days. So... my Hoenn outfit then.

Me: You got this. Now, the place for it might be somewhat generic, but it should work well.

Ash: It's a shopping mall! I guess, if it works out.

Goh: At least, I'm sure you don't have to pay anything to get in this time.

Me: If they did charge, I'm pretty sure it won't be at a shopping mall. The mall essentially helps out the organizers. If anything, we'd have to pay to be in the competitions... and I did, in fact. So we've gotta do stuff.

Goh: How was everything there?

Ash: It was really like a small festival! There were food stands and a stage.

Goh: I'd like to find out what happened on stage.

Ash: There was music, dancing, and a show. They were all a blast - a fun to see!

Pikachu: Pika! ["It was fun!"]

Goh: And the competitions happened there too.

Me: So we ask - what happened?

Ash: Um... I messed up a tiny bit on the chorus. And while I was throwing my Poké Ball. I'm sorry!

Pikachu: Pika... ["Oh no..."]

Me: Oh, dear. We might have to schedule a retry of the song in the future. As for the Poké Ball, I regret that also.

Goh: I guess that means we didn't win anything.

Ash: No. So many people were in the singing competition too, and only three won. It was the same for the character parade. The singing competition took up so much time that a lot of things were late!

Goh: The judges must have had their work cut out for them.

Me: No kidding, with that many, especially for the singing competition lateness, which is true time and time again. What else did you see?

Ash: I saw a giant Pikachu, like last month!

Me: That's a neat find, but I have to say that their entertainment aspect is greater than their character aspect. It's pretty nice, but still, just as a fair warning.

Ash: OK. But then I saw, I saw... someone you told me to watch out for. And it looked like he was into it.

Me: No, you did not just...! Ah, the "persona non grata". I honestly thought this would be safe given how my social media connections promoted it. For that, I'm really, really sorry. At least we now have new signs to watch out for. I'm starting to think that today has been a mistake.

Pikachu: Pi. ["Really."]

Goh: There must have been some good things other than the obvious bad thing.

Ash: Yeah! I met many of your friends that you haven't seen for a real long time!

Me: That's awesome! That is yet exactly one more of the reasons for sending you here... although I admit that can happen any time. Still, it doesn't escape the mistakes from this day.

Goh: Why did you send Ash here in the first place, aside from everything else you just said?

Me: Actually, someone had planned a more local festival today, but it just couldn't happen, and I had been invited to send Ash to sing too. So think of this as the "replacement" for that.

Goh: Well, you two got good practice at the least. What's done is done.

Ash: Next time, we'll have to be extra careful!

Pikachu: Pika pika! [intensely, "We must!"]

Me: Yeah, that. And as the song says, "keep on walking, because the sky is there".

One year ago: (Possible?) Community Day Concepts

Two years ago: Preparing for Pokémon Go Tour

Three years ago: For the Sake of Consistency

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

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Team Leader Stickers

Six years ago: Let's Get Ready to Rumble

Follow-up for the NADWPKMN YouTube Channel

Also last year, I detailed a few things that I planned for the YouTube channel that accompanies this blog. They are the things that would pave the way for improving the channel and this blog as a result. Even with not much going on for this channel in terms of videos over the past year, things have happened, and thus as with last year for some Pokémon happenings, I thought I'd make a follow-up post specifically for the YouTube channel based on those plans.

If last year I said that my channel was rudimentary, this time it's a bit more fleshed out. I took the plunge and verified myself, which allowed me to gain access to custom thumbnails (something really needed) and livestreams (something that may be needed later). As for a shorter channel link, lo and behold, that came sooner than expected. YouTube introduced Handles, a feature for quickly referring to and mentioning creators, with the side effect of simple URLs with them as well; I've set my Handle as @NADWPKMN, and with it, the channel can be found at a shorter and simpler link as well. These are all virtuous changes.

Meanwhile, I haven't gotten around to dealing with "money matters" for the channel since I haven't prepared myself for it. A different kind of "money matter" may also describe the progress of obtaining equipment for expanding the channel, as it becomes the primary constraint for more. Even so, I did obtain a Nintendo Switch, which is vital for primary Pokémon affairs, and it has evidently led to a bevy of blog posts for the pertinent games on it, and the same may be expected for further videos on the YouTube channel. It will still take some waiting, as with any YouTube video, but the direction remains toward "more".

Then there's the assistance aspect. Though I hadn't mentioned it in my writeup, the fourth episode on the YouTube channel was the first one to be realized with assistance, partially evident because I wasn't controlling the camera somehow in the outdoors. The friend who I had asked for assistance (and happens to be the "sounding board" for this blog as well) also gave ideas for editing, which I then executed as best as I possibly could with the tools that I have. It will likely not be the only time assistance will be involved, and it may manifest in different forms for different videos as things progress on the YouTube channel.

Pokémon happenings continue to occur beyond the confines of my blog and its YouTube channel, and it has become my task of capturing them in my blog, possibly expanding them in the YouTube channel. To that end, the plans that I detailed last year have proven to be a fruitful guidance on the development of everything, with many of them fulfilled as above. They may then follow up with loads of impressive Pokémon content on two ends.

One year ago: Respect for Ahmad Zulkifli Lubis... in Memoriam

Two years ago: Quickies: Water, the Source of Life

Three years ago: To Lure or to Walk?

Four years ago: Romancing the Ball

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

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

NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #5 - Musical Expressions

After another long period of inactivity, I've been able to create another video and upload it on the YouTube channel accompanying this blog. It does hold true that the creation of these videos does take time, and this one just further affirms that. And yet the topic I bring up in this video is one that is near and dear, which is why I had been hoping to make the video earlier than later. Regardless, it is now done and, as usual, embedded below.

The reason is part of why the title of this episode is "Musical Expressions". In it, I discuss Pokémon music and the places where it may be present and enjoyed, while also plugging in my personal experiences with it. That would be the Otaku Band performance and my J-Karaoke performance from around three and a half years ago, which I consider the ultimate ways (and my pinnacle, at least for the former) of expressing my Pokémon appreciation.

Like the previous cosplay episode, I featured a clip (to be precise, two) in this episode. This process will continue to become the way I highlight or preview clips that very much pertain to me and my Pokémon experiences. Due to the musical nature of this episode, I've also tagged the featured music where appropriate for posterity reasons. In a future episode, this could work out for background music as well for much of the same reasons.

I'm still not an expert in video editing, even though now with five videos on my channel I have some sense of what I want to do and how I ought to be able to achieve them, like here as I experimented with labeling and additional overlays on the video. While it may be fair to say that putting together clips represents the bulk of what I need to do, as is also true for this video, there may be no harm experimenting here, especially if it can work well.

With five episodes, it may be said that I've affirmed a commitment to keep this channel going, even if I may not be able to get things going on a regular basis unlike this blog. The affirmed commitment may have to be just as great as the one I possess for Pokémon in general, which should already be evident no matter how I choose to express that - especially if my musical talent as shown here is of any indication.

One year ago: Follow-up Pokémon Happenings

Two years ago: Gym Takedown Habits

Three years ago: Delayed Costumes

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

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

Six years ago: The Park Is Open

Utsuru Loot: More Stylistic Pokémon Stickers

Speaking of stickers, there's a set of physical ones that I recently obtained and need to make a discussion of, as they deserve it. Earlier, when I went to a certain convention last year, I obtained "loot" that was partly in the form of stickers from a couple of different booths. This year, as I attended the "repeat edition" of a different convention, I saw more stickers in one of the characteristic styles, and I decided to grab them as my only loot from there, since I was in a bit of a pinch. After that, they slipped my mind until I was subtly reminded of possessing them, and now I've decided to cover them.

In the picture above, the four stickers that I obtained previously are on the left, while the new stickers I obtained are on the right. It becomes evident that they are of the same style, as the widths of the strokes and the telltale "sleepy eyes" totally give it away. This was even without referring back to the previous stickers when I obtained them, which means that they stand out for those exact reasons. Therefore, it made perfect sense to obtain them so that I can round out what I had obtained.

And the ones I chose to obtain were Squirtle, Cyndaquil, and Grookey. The selection was made based on the starter Pokémon types (Grass, Fire, Water) and generations (first, second, and eighth), counting the Pikachu I had obtained earlier as a "pan-generational" representative. That means the only ones I am missing and need to make this truly "pan-generational" are something from the third, fourth, and sixth generations in each of the types. It may be something easier said than done.

These stickers are rather and truly stylistic and characteristic, which is why I got them in the first place. Evidently, they remain as such, which made it trivial for them to get picked out again, even at a different convention. And the great thing is that they make a collection that had been started more complete. While I'm not certain that I can expand them later on to complete the collection, that would indeed be a stylistic measure if it could happen.

One year ago: On Tap for the NADWPKMN YouTube Channel

Two years ago: Pokémon Cinematic Universe - Possible?

Three years ago: Cosplay: Cosplay on the Street II

Four years ago: Romancing the Ball

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

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

LINE Pokémon Stickers: Pokémon Daily Greetings

It has apparently been a real long time since the last pack of Pokémon stickers appeared on the social media platform of LINE. That pack of stickers, which is the "24/7 Pokémon" pack, appeared in 2019, just before the world turned sour (and I had only gotten a year later). After that, it seemed that Pokémon was going to be absent from LINE stickers. Just last year, though, a new Pokémon sticker pack appeared, disproving the absence, and I got it just recently as well, ready to review it as I do so.

The new pack is called Pokémon Daily Greetings, and it is a regular, non-animated sticker pack composed of 40 stickers. True to its name, many of the stickers contain verbal expressions used to indicate delight, appreciation, and others used to start or respond to certain conversations. Along with those verbal expressions, there are images of various Pokémon that are drawn in pastel/crayon style, adding a certain cutesy flair to the stickers and the expressions contained therein.

Along with this sticker pack being the first after a long time, there is another notable first: eighth-generation Pokémon species appear in this pack, with Scorbunny and Yamper leading the way, each of them appearing in a sticker. Meanwhile, Pikachu and its species family continue to be a major feature, appearing in many of the stickers, while Eevee is a minor feature, and the rest are composed of various Pokémon across generations. It's a nice composition of stickers for just about anyone.

Certainly, I have my favorite picks from this sticker pack as well. I love the "You got this!" sticker that features Pikachu and Scorbunny for its energetic style, the "Congrats" sticker that features both forms of Vulpix (Kanto and Alolan) in their togetherness, and the "Hello!" sticker that features Mew with its giddiness. All three above may also be considered to be representative of what this sticker pack is about: greetings that may be used day in and day out for various purposes.

Like the long absence between the LINE Pokémon sticker packs, I've also been absent from much messaging on the social media platform, though I keep it for certain necessary purposes. The usage of Pokémon stickers is part of those necessary purposes, and this latest sticker pack may just serve well for them, as it fulfills the usage of greetings that may nonetheless be required as people greet other people. Combined with Pokémon, that may make an interesting prospect for further messaging.

One year ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #2 - Why YouTube?

Two years ago: GBL Progression, Revisited

Three years ago: Words of the Heart

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

Five years ago: A Break in the Action

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

Valentine's Day 2023: A Batty Heart

For the occasion of this year's Valentine's Day, I'm in effect going back to the roots of my discussions years ago (see below). I've taken a whimsically appropriate phrase that not only describes my day and how I feel, but is also quite related to certain Pokémon happenings. That phrase is as indicated in the subtitle: "a batty heart". Hearts are an obvious theme for this day, but the word "batty" is an odd one - in fact, as an informal term, it means "crazy" or "silly", in addition to a thematic link that will soon become obvious. And in this way, everything proceeds today.

Taken literally, most of the "craziness" occurred in the middle of the day, when it seemed that many other hearts - of other people, certainly - converged to address me at nearly the same time. It felt maddening to have them all together, like a swarm of Zubat suddenly coming out of a cave, and not exactly romantic either - unless it so happened that one of the Zubat becomes attracted and interested to tag along with me. Yet in my case, it seems that most of the happenings were passing glances, and only time will tell if and when I happen to glance at them again, perhaps as they return to the cave.

And after the happenings, it seems I'm left with a "batty heart" myself. Instead of being a "pure heart" like that of a Luvdisc (a Pokémon I've addressed in one of the past years below), it becomes a bit of a confused mess. The word "batty" is appropriate because bats are perceived to move around in an erratic fashion, and that seems to be true to an extent - yet some Bug Pokémon that fly may also do so to a lesser extent. Whatever the case, it's apparent that the happenings of today have left my heart floating every which way in a rather crazed state, even for a "crazy" Pokémon fan like me.

Of course, there's another reason for the "batty heart" today: there is a Pokémon that is a literal bat with a heart, which would be Woobat, and today it became featured in the Spotlight Hour of Pokémon Go. It appeared in many places, including my local area, although I didn't need to get crazed up about capturing them - my normal self was just fine for doing that. Even so, a few of the Woobat did have the craziness to fly out and leave, but in the end, things didn't matter too much. The above was perhaps the only thing that was the most appropriate in relation to the whimsical phrase I had selected for the happenings of today, Pokémon or otherwise.

Everyone may have a crazy day at some point or another in their lives, and one of mine seems to be today - Valentine's Day, no less. Even so, the hearts of people are whimsical regardless and on any occasion, not just on this particular day. If anything, that whimsy may also include an attraction to Pokémon, which has the potential to make its most intense fans crazed ("batty") at times. On this particular Valentine's Day, it just might be worthwhile to pay attention to the hearts of the self and of the others... and make sure they are only as crazy as they need to be.

Whether hearts are crazy or not, Happy Valentine's Day.

One year ago: Valentine's Day 2022: Within Attraction

Two years ago: Valentine's Day 2021: No Love, Only Love

Three years ago: Valentine's Day 2020: In Pursuit of Love

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

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

Six years ago: It's Valentine's Day!

A Double Intense Pokémon Dream

It's rare that I have Pokémon dreams that are neatly timed with my Pokémon happenings, moreover ones that are quite intense. Yet that is what happened after I got back from the festival/convention event that is near and dear to me, as that night and into the morning, I found myself in a Pokémon dream. Actually, it was not just one dream, but two dreams, although they may also be considered two parts of a single dream. And they're both intense in their own ways.

The first dream (or the first part) involved a cosplay situation. I was in my Ash cosplay, and I was meeting with others who are also in the same state. The place I met them vaguely resembled a certain part of my neighborhood, though it was most likely the exterior of a convention somewhere. The "intense" part was that I was overcome with emotion as the moment happened, and as such I was at a loss for words and reactions. After that, things simply transitioned into the second (part of the) dream.

As things progressed, I found myself playing Pokémon Unite. The only thing is that I was using a Pokémon that is not (yet currently) in the game: Salamence. What was "intense" about that was that when I used its Unite Move, not much seemed to happen at first, but later on, an explosive reaction occurred that practically gave the win to my team. It seemed rather abnormal but not completely of the question. At that point, I was awakened for the happenings of my regular day, including ones related to Pokémon.

Even without doing the necessary things, or having them happen, everything just happened so vividly in the dreams; I never noted anything down - which is my usual action if I had a very important dream like the above - and yet I could still remember most of the important (and intense) parts. It may be a sign that intensity is due for some Pokémon happenings soon, or that I need to up my intensity regarding Pokémon things and be able to deal with them, as they occurred in the dreams above.

Much goes on throughout my Pokémon life and all the Pokémon happenings that occur within it. And if everything is right, they might occur as intensely as they might ever occur. The two dreams or parts of a dream above encapsulate that in different ways with different and current Pokémon happenings, particularly those that are personally related to me. They couldn't have happened at a more appropriate time, perhaps even as things develop.

One year ago: Let's Talk About All the Right Things

Two years ago: The Love Cup of GBL

Three years ago: What to Nominate

Four years ago: Cryptic Pokémon

Five years ago: Two Games at Once?

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

Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 17

Ash: Hey, it's back!

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["All right!"]

Me: Indeed it is. After years of being up and down, it has finally returned in physical form from the last time.

Goh: But I noticed, looking over what you had, 15 and 16 are missing. What happened?

Me: Oh yes, those were in virtual form, and we did miss them. In fact, that was what happened when 15 came along; I discussed it with Ash but didn't address it directly. But it seems we may not have missed anything much anyway.

Ash: Oh, so that's what happened back then! I'm just glad it's back for you. I know how much it means to you.

Goh: I'd love to know.

Me: Right, Goh wasn't here last time this happened. So, this is partially a convention, but mostly a festival, and it's held by the place where I studied for a long time. Because of that, I consider it my "home event".

Goh: That's amazing.

Me: And it's been always that way; I hope this one is too. Again, I should say that the festival technically lasts for two days, starting from yesterday.

Goh: What usually happens on the first day?

Me: That's when school students have competitions of their own. I think Goh would fit in quite well, maybe with Chloe too.

Goh: I think I would fit in. 

Me: I actually went for myself yesterday - on a little Pokémon errand - and I only saw some of my friends and a few characters. It may or may not be worth it to go on the first day, especially when it rained.

Ash: So what did I miss?

Me: Believe me, you didn't miss anything. There wasn't anything special anyway, except when I met my friends personally. So I can let loose and just be myself.

Ash: OK, OK. I get it.

Me: Anyhow, as is the case each time, for most people, it's the last day that's relevant, and that's where you, Ash, come in.

Ash: Great! So what do I need to do?

Me: I need you to be in the character parade. I was going to try to have you in the character performance, but I was a little tied up to get you prepared, so maybe some other time. And the singing competition was completely virtual and not relevant for us. So it's just the character parade, but that should be fine.

Ash: That's fine. You do what you can.

Pikachu: Pi pika chu. ["That's just fine."]

Me: OK, great. Now, um... I'm told there were a few changes.

Ash: You needed to pay to get in!

Me: Yes, as you saw. It seems it was for crowd control as well, as I was told they didn't allow people to get in after a while.

Ash: I saw that for myself. I feel a little sorry for them.

Goh: Hasn't paying to get into events and conventions been normal?

Ash: The problem with this one is that it's usually free.

Me: Except that one time they tried a paid experiment. It didn't work, so it went back to free the next time. That was way before I started to cover things. It seems they're experimenting again after the long physical absence.

Ash: And there were no communities. And they had weird ways of getting people to move.

Me: The "no communities" part is a little expected after "starting over". The "moving people" part is a little odd given how the area is open.

Ash: But all the food stands and goodie booths were there!

Goh: Now that's festive.

Ash: Yeah, until the sky got dark. They moved the character competitions inside - and after that, it rained like you wouldn't believe!

Pikachu: Pika, pi pika chu. ["The rain, it was intense."]

Goh: You just made it in time.

Ash: I guess we did.

Me: How were the character competitions?

Ash: I think I did great in the parade! It was with my new special journey outfit.

Me: I heard a few tips for this competition around the turn of last month; I think I told you as well to use them during one event. Did you?

Ash: I did! I thought that was made it great. But there were only seven winners in different ways, and I wasn't one of them. 

Me: Seems we got tough cookies. But I'm sure you knew some of the winners.

Ash: I know a couple. One of them usually brought in a teacher ninja but he looked different. And some of your other friends took first in the character performance! 

Me: That's nice to see them win in the performance. It doesn't completely make up our not winning, but it's fine.

Goh: How about everything else?

Ash: You know, the entertainment was just like that other event - bands and dance groups - and even the DJ was the same!

Goh: Huh. Some people must have thought the same way.

Ash: That could be true, but I like them. There were some traditional performances too. 

Goh: Oh, that must have been a sight. 

Ash: I heard the introduction - they said they wanted to combine the old and the new, and that's why they always hold this event. 

Me: That is a very good thing. That makes this event/convention/festival a tradition of ours as well, something to be kept as best as possible.

Goh: Why not? That's always a good thing.

Pikachu: Pi, pika chu! ["Yeah, a good thing!"]

Me: We'll see what we can bring up next time, while we and others keep up the good work... and fix up what wasn't as much.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/12/2022

Two years ago: Fourth Anniversary of My Regional Figure Group

Three years ago: Pokémon as a Study Aid

Four years ago: A Pikachu Pillow Keychain

Five years ago: Anywhere Is

Six years ago: My Essential Pokémon Cosplay Equipment

Looking Into Unite's "Regular" Events

In playing Pokémon Unite, players will have noticed that the events there are divided into featured events and daily events. More astute players will note that some events in the latter category recur rather frequently, making them apt to be described as "regular" events. For this post, I want to take a look at those "regular" events, explore their characteristics, and gain insights for and from going through them.

One of those "regular" events is the Daily Missions event, which consists of four tasks: logging in, taking part in a battle, winning a battle, and taking part in a Quick battle. These tasks are renewed each day and can be completed and claimed accordingly. In the past, the very last task wasn't present, but it was added at some point, perhaps to increase interest in Quick matches. In fact, that may be all that is needed, as winning a Quick match completes all of the above tasks (including the necessitated login) in one shot. What may be gained from the event is that adept players shouldn't forget about Quick matches and that all players should try to log in as often as possible, even every day.

The next "regular" event is the Score Challenge event, which recurs on weekends, specifically Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. On each of those days, players are demanded to score specific point totals (100 on Saturday and Sunday, 50 on Monday); the type of battle doesn't matter, as long as that many points are scored somehow. Doing so to complete the tasks before each day turns over rewards certain items, one significant item being the Energy Boost Tank that is rewarded on Sunday, which is a boon for those who like to exchange Energy into emblems or whatever they may need. The recurrence of the event as well as its rewards may seem understated, but it's just as regular as the previously discussed event above.

After the above, there is a loosely defined group of regular events that, for a lack of a better term, I call "super training" events. Two instances of these events are "Intense Battle Training" and "Assist Crash Course". The specific event contents vary depending on the event, but in general, these are multi-day affairs that demand the completion of certain tasks (and be rewarded accordingly), particularly if they contain individual daily login tasks. Although it could be possible to complete some of the events even just within a single day - which may be the case if they happen to involve "accumulators" - it would be in better form (and more doable for others) to complete them over multiple days as they are intended to be.

Regularity could be described as a vital part of Pokémon Unite, with different parts of the game suggesting or necessitating that the game be played regularly. Such could also be considered appropriate for describing some of its daily events that recur at a "regular" frequency, contributing to regular gameplay behaviors. At that point, it's just a matter of players making work or working the game for results that are beyond "regular".

One year ago: The Pokémon DP Sound Library

Two years ago: Friendship Filters in Pokémon Go

Three years ago: To Eat and to Lure

Four years ago: A Pidove Keychain

Five years ago: Memories of Hoenn

Six years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers

New Intricacies of the Battle Pass

Recently, the Battle Pass feature and its associated rewards in Pokémon Unite received some major revamps. I wrote about their "intricacies" nearly a year ago, and while a lot of them still continue to apply, there are also quite a few that no longer apply, though this is mostly for the better. Therefore, I find that I have to take a post to write about what has and hasn't changed, and how that works out for players in going through the Battle Pass.

There are still missions to be completed in order to raise the level of the Battle Pass, with only a few differences. Near the end of Battle Pass periods, there are now also a number of "special" missions that allow the earning of points at the last moment. Some of the missions of any period are now marked as "premium" missions that require the actual purchase of the Battle Pass to be completed as an incentive. Most importantly, now once a mission is completed, the points are automatically claimed, which means players no longer have to worry about claiming points and can just deal with completing the missions, at least the ones that they can devote effort for.

Regarding the Battle Pass level, now there are more than 60 of them; they can go as high as 200, for those who are really dedicated. Around half of them are still freely available, while the rest require purchasing the Battle Pass, especially those beyond level 100, which are only given after 10 levels; the reward content is also more or less the same, though there are new rewards like the "Emblem Box" that rewards a Pokémon emblem of a certain rarity. Because of the expanded level structure, the Prize Box that used to be gotten for excess points from completing missions has effectively been retired in favor of these greater rewards for those very dedicated players.

The purchasing of the Battle Pass is evidently still present and necessary in order to obtain rewards as above, whether the "basic" Battle Pass or the "expanded" Battle Pass with the main incentive of starting out a number of levels ahead. The latter, however, is only available for a period of time at the beginning of the Battle Pass period, after which it becomes unobtainable and players can only settle for obtaining the "basic" Battle Pass without the extra number of levels. This of course just becomes a simple incentive to get the "expanded" Battle Pass early on should one consider that progress in the middle might be affected, with the extra Gems being paid to sidestep that.

Much has gone on with the Battle Pass feature in Pokémon Unite since the early days of Pokémon Unite, but surprisingly (or not), its core model and premise has continued to stay the same. Still, the expansions and additions as above have led to some new "intricacies" being thrown in, and that's just something that players will have to figure out in order to make them work with whatever way they they play Unite.

One year ago: Quickies: Fireside Chats with Pokémon

Two years ago: Quickies: Staying Productive with Pokémon

Three years ago: On (No) Coincidences

Four years ago: Cosplay: Tresno no Matsuri

Five years ago: Hoenn (Fully) Confirmed on Go

Six years ago: Space

Pokémon Consulting?

A friend, who often becomes the "sounding board" for my posts on this blog, hypothesized a possible profession related to Pokémon and suggested that it may be something that I can take up. That profession is as hinted by the title of this post, which is to become a consultant for Pokémon matters. It sounds like a lucrative profession for those who know very many things about Pokémon, some considerations need to be made. This includes for my personal case, which the two of us addressed as we talked.

Such a job would have a description of offering informative advice and assistance to players of Pokémon games. For example, someone who has just started a certain main series Pokémon game might ask about which starter Pokémon to choose and what challenges the person might face as a result of making the choice. I would then provide the advice and assistance as the person requires, and then hopefully I would get something out of it in return. This example case shows that I have the potential to take up such a job, along with other knowledgeable people or fans of Pokémon.

Even so, a job like this still would have its demands. One of those is the demand of knowledge: I would need to have as much knowledge as possible - possibly even more than what I currently possess right now - in order to provide the best consultation results. If not knowledge, I might need to be demanded to specialize in a particular Pokémon aspect; for example, considering the current prevalence of game content on this blog, I may be best in specializing on Pokémon Go and the puzzle games rather than on any other Pokémon game. It may be considered similar to any other consulting profession.

In my particular case, however, I may also be considered to have taken up this profession through this blog, even though I haven't been able to obtain (sufficient) rewards for it. At present, that would depend on the whims of other people who are reading my blog as well as the Pokémon efforts that I put in outside of my blog but then I also document to certain capacities on this blog. In that sense, the profession would then act as a support for this blog and the blog would act as a support for the profession, which is something that I would need to take advantage of if the profession came to be.

The prospect of Pokémon consulting seems to be rather fascinating. Well-known and knowledgeable fans like me can put all their good knowledge to great use and for the service of other fans and players, and then hopefully be rewarded for it. Yet it would remain sensibly like any other (consulting) jobs with their own considerations and necessities that could and should be fulfilled. Considering everything, the hypothesis by my friend might not be too far off, and it could stand to be realized.

One year ago: Having Faith in (My) Pokémon

Two years ago: "Colored" Moves in Pokémon Games

Three years ago: Coming Up Roses

Four years ago: Cosplay: Eien no Kiseki

Five years ago: Seeking Confirmation

Six years ago: Time

A Clash of Realms on Go Tour

Moving on from PvP happenings in Pokémon Go, there is an event happening that needs to be discussed (as in previous years). That would of course be Pokémon Go Tour, which happens at or nearing the end of this month. The theme is also already evident - the Hoenn region - as divulged early on in the current season. Those who played the original games will have noticed the overarching theme in the plot: a conflict between two teams and the Legendary Pokémon they promote - in other words, a clash of realms between them. This upcoming Pokémon Go Tour may be considered to embody that... perhaps in more ways than one.

Through the happenings of previous years, much of the event can easily be discerned. Trainers are to pick one of two versions (Ruby, Sapphire) and they'll embark on a task-filled journey featuring many of the Pokémon species from Hoenn to discover all their wonderful forms (including Shiny ones) and decide which realm reigns supreme - the land or the sea. That would mean the involvement of the two main Legendary Pokémon, Kyogre and Groudon, and they are certain to be involved, bigger and more ancient than ever in Pokémon Go. That should already be a massive hint, but the details are more massive as yet and need to wait.

A clash of realms may also be described to occur in its structure, as in the Live vs. Global dynamic. This time, the prime highlight is the Live (in-person) version, which will take place on February 18 and 19 solely in Las Vegas and is already sold out for both days. Those who buy the event tickets and take part there will get to experience everything before everyone else does on February 25 and 26 (which also has implications for me like last year - but I digress). It's a big change, and yet it may leave some wondering which one is the "main" edition, although the prime quality of payment will have already made things obvious.

Speaking of payment, while attendees of the Live event version will have spent big bucks on the event and going there, it seems that those who can't do so and can only stand to participate in the Global event version will only (need to) spend a more meager amount for the best experience, at least for the more exclusive features of the event. This does play into the paid vs. unpaid dynamic, becoming another "clash of realms" on the issue. If my experience (and those of others) last year is of any indication, it may be that everything has been restructured accordingly, especially with the conception of the Live event as above.

In two to three weeks, the clash of realms that is Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn will play out on the overworld map, through Trainer interactions, and (for those who are lucky and royal enough) at the Live event site in Las Vegas. It's something that seems to bring several different dynamics into play as above, and therefore the "clash of realms" appears to be able to manifest itself in different ways and with many factors. Regardless, at the end of everything, there is still a glimmer of unity with what Pokémon offers when the clashes have settled down. And that is something that hardly needs to be clashed about.

One year ago: A Leftover Pokémon Promo?

Two years ago: The Sweetness of "Attractors"

Three years ago: Memories and Mnemonics

Four years ago: Pokémon Clocks

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

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