The State of Nominations, Part 21

I find that there's always something to report on the state of my PokéStop nominations, even if there aren't anything to report, for maintaining the two-month cadence between reports. Even so, for this report, there has been something big going on that has affected my nominations, but I'll address that later in this report. As usual, there are the particulars to address in order to provide insights into what has gone on over the past two months.

From the last time, on Wayfarer, my In Queue nominations went up by 2 to 20, while In Voting decreased by 4 to 8. As for results, I've had 5 more nominations accepted to total 80, not accepted nominations stayed at 66, and interestingly, 1 nomination turned out to be a duplicate, augmenting it to 12. I also managed to appeal 1 nomination - albeit a very old one - and increased its count to 4. Now, some of these numbers may be peculiarly interesting, and that is in part due to what has been happening.

What's happening is that nominations from December 2021 or older are being "fast-tracked" if one chooses to allow them as such. These nominations have their status changed to "On Hold", which is a status that in general (outside of this current happening) allows In Queue nominations to be removed temporarily from (progressing in) the review process for pending changes and/or verification, as in this case if the need arises. Releasing the Hold then allows them to be put back into the review process, in this case getting the "fast-track" treatment. It was in fact some of these nominations that became approved, or in one case discovered as a duplicate. At the moment, I've exhausted all nominations from that period, and the results should be known soon.

The situation above also affected my counts - the ones that differ from the above - though minorly. Now my active nominations number to 28, with 4 new nominations made since the above plus 1 renomination in progress. Rejected nominations decreased by 1 because of that old appeal, and superseded nominations increased by 1 because of the now-known duplicate. Even with the different counts, there is still some significance in some of these counts, and keeping the counts remains an incentive.

Speaking of incentives, it seems that Niantic may have its hands full if it wants to make things beyond nominations work in Pokémon Go... though that's better reserved for another post. At least, the temporary "fast-tracking" system is a true incentive as well to keep on nominating, especially if the process becomes smoother later on. Still, for nominations of new PokéStops, some things remain easy to work out and if possible reported as above.

One year ago: Consume and Create

Two years ago: "New Daybreaks" for Pokémon

Three years ago: The Long-Winded Side of Things

Four years ago: Cosplay: ONEGAI Bunkasai 2019 - Eiyuu no Uprising

Five years ago: Mauville's Progress

Six years ago: Nostalgia: Episode 672 - "Here Comes the Trubbish Squad!"

Adjudication for PvP Tournaments

One of my Pokémon Go fellows is a rightfully great Trainer. I know this because that Trainer not only competes in local PvP tournaments and very well in that regard, but also had been asked to become a referee or judge at a prestigious national PvP tournament, part of a certain festival a few months back. That brings to mind that there are some ways for adjudicating (that is, making rulings and resolving problems) in Pokémon Go PvP and its respective tournaments, though this may differ from one tournament to another.

In that (live) tournament, the person I referred to above oversaw one of the matches - the "highlight" match of a round - and could be referred to if a questionable outcome occurred during that match. Ideally, such tournaments, in line with those of the VGC brethren, would need a few more referees or judges that can deal with the issues of the other competitors and provide solutions if the need arises. The means are quite possible for live tournaments and may need to be utilized in the best possible way.

As evident in some remote tournaments, particularly those hosted through the Silph Arena toolkit, they can have referees or judges (that is, "tournament staff") to handle issues. They work on them as they would for live tournaments, except that they would likely require video proof of the battles in question to make the necessary resolutions for the issues that may come up. Of course, Factions, the team competition arm of Silph Arena, already has a special-purpose function for this, which I've already mentioned in a few short thoughts: the dispute submission system and the associated Arena Referees for its management. It becomes clear that even for remote tournaments, this seems necessary.

Even with the barest of information (at least, before the battle), referees or judges can settle conflicts that come up during battles. Yet, they might also benefit from having the information already on hand, which in VGC is handled with the use of "team sheets" or in TCG with "deck lists", the former notably containing information about not just Pokémon species but also their moves among other info. For Pokémon Go, this seems to be a novel prospect, however, and only minor headways seem to be made in this area, with a certain tournament thus far having required Trainers to disclose their moves. After only a couple of years into official World Championship runs, this may be a matter to look into.

Back to that Pokémon Go fellow of mine, that person is someone who many parties depend on in Pokémon Go PvP and matters of judging them, including in the Silph Arena and even now as the individual and team (Factions) progresses in that area. And that's a crucial point of the tournaments, because problems inevitably arise and someone needs to solve those problems as they occur, even if the tools at hand for doing so are meager. At least with the right person and the right ways, there may be little to worry about.

One year ago: More on Wayfarer (and Links to Pokémon Go)

Two years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: Beckoning Specials

Three years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 3

Four years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Cup

Five years ago: Lugia Raid Burnout

Six years ago: Ice Is Nice with Pokémon

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 3/29/2023

March as the first month of the current Pokémon Go season came and is now about to go. But before that happens, there are the Pokémon Go events of the month to be rolled up, and so it's got to be done in a post. Now, as explained early on in the season, the theme for this season is comic books and superheroes, so the events this month (and likely throughout the season) will try to invoke the theme, and that seems to be already evident.

One of those "super" events may be considered surreptitious, as it occurred early this month for Mexico, in part to welcome Hawlucha as a regional Pokémon for the area. In fact, that welcoming was also marked with a special poster for its entry as a "super" bird in different ways. In any case, it was a welcoming that some of my fellow Trainers had wanted to personally do for themselves but couldn't, but that is what happens when things don't go as planned. In any case, this was a marker for "super" happenings later on.

Next on down the line was an event called Catch Mastery, which took place on March 5. This one-day event, done in the style of Limited Research with a Timed Research set, focused on testing the catching abilities of Trainers. To do that, the entire Tyrogue species family (including the "Hitmon") was featured; Tyrogue was present in 7 km Eggs, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were present in the wild, and Hitmontop was present in Research rewards, Field and Timed. Complementing everything were increased Shiny chances and double XP for precise captures. This event had to have yielded a practice for supreme catching ability.

Superheroes and comic books come in all sorts of colors; to celebrate that as well as the Indian community holiday, there was the Festival of Colors from March 8 to 14. The rainbow fish Bruxish and the ethnically appropriate Mega Medicham made their debuts during this event. A number of colorful Pokémon to suit the festivities were present in the wild, raids, and Field Research task rewards; they also constituted a Collection Challenge for a little bit of festivity. This was powered through by extended Lure Modules, Shiny Smeargle appearing, accelerated friendship levels, color surprises at PokéStops, and a new avatar pose. As an adjunct to the event, Regidraco Elite Raids were held on March 11, featuring the newly discovered "Dragon titan" for the first time. In all, the event was as much whimsical as it was heroic, considering overall themes.

Wrapping up the month was the "Let's Go" event, also called "An Everyday Hero", running from March 21 to 29 (today). Ditto, Meltan, and the Unova "monkey trio" were the epic stars of this event. The wild Pokémon reflected the changed-up "impostors" that could yield the first, with the addition of the "monkey trio" (also in Field Research task rewards) and other niceties including ones in raids; completing a Collection Challenge featuring them yielded a Meltan as one of the rewards. As usual, the Mystery Box also yielded Meltan, but with increased chances of them in different sizes as well as being Shiny during the event, and for that, its waiting period was decreased. A double transfer Candy bonus and a Special Research set supplemented the common-yet-epic quality of the event.

Along with the previous event, a Team Go Rocket takeover from March 25 to 29 provided a heroic challenge. As always, there were new Shadow additions (including Shadow Regice through a Special Research set), more frequent appearances of said team in PokéStops and by balloons, a selection of quirky Pokémon from 12 km Eggs from the leaders, and the ability to remove Frustration with a Charged TM. However, now in addition to the leaders with their Pokémon, the Grunts can now yield Shiny Shadow Pokémon. This is a novel move, and it means that one doesn't have to encounter the Leaders to get one - and it's also here to stay onwards. It also meant that the monthly wrap-up was as epic as ever.

Right from the start of this heroic season, there has been a slew of heroic happenings that suited the theme of the season - and that needs to happen, considering the theme being involved. It also makes an assurance that the season will be as epic as ever, even as this first month comes and goes, leaving the necessary impressions at the season's start. 

One year ago: The State of Nominations, Part 15

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Regional Event Rollup

Three years ago: Pokémon Go: A Drive to Investigate

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 3/29/2019

Five years ago: Takara Tomy Pokémon MonCollé Friends: Pikachu

Six years ago: Pokémon Mechanical Fan

Rainbow Pokémon Fantasies

A natural phenomenon that has inspired a number of fantasies is the rainbow. It's a brilliant phenomenon that involves light separating into color components. Being an "offshoot" of the real world, the phenomenon is also present in the world of Pokémon, and it too is a part of fantasies involving this world. With that, I've decided to take a post to review how that fantasy becomes manifested through certain Pokémon things.

The most obvious one in this regard is the Legendary Pokémon species of Ho-Oh, which has been associated with the presence of said phenomenon in the sky, both as it flies and as it rests somewhere. Even its feather resembles the phenomenon and has been said to have a dazzling and indicative quality about it. In many ways, Ho-Oh is therefore quite identifiable with and emblematic of the phenomenon.

Pokémon species come in different colors and possess different types, both of which are often in close proximity and association with each other. It is this fact that drove some people to conceive competitive formats that evoke or approximate the phenomenon. Though the formats may or may not have led to the desired results, they're still reminiscent of the phenomenon, and that seems simply fair.

Besides legends and types, the natural phenomenon is the background theme for a Pokémon song that may or may not have been heard by many fans. Either way, it's a heartfelt and sentimental song that deserves to be listened to by any Pokémon fan, particularly regardless of background. It may be said to be something that colors life with Pokémon in different ways as with the phenomenon that inspires it.

Speaking of which, there is one last Pokémon matter related to rainbows that is currently very much relevant... but I'm not ready to discuss it at the moment. It's particularly relevant as every rainbow appears to begin and end at certain places, and the matter ties into both, especially the "end" part. And while the matter may be fleeting just like how rainbows are, I also see that may just depend on perception - so I shelve it for now.

If a certain song (that I won't mention here) suggests that rainbows depend on the way one sees things, then with Pokémon in mind, there seems to be many ways of seeing that natural phenomenon and tying it into different situations. And they are all fantastic in all of their own ways, which is why I've opted to round them up in a post. However it's manifested, including for Pokémon, the rainbow remains a fantastic inspiration nonetheless.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 3/28/2022

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 3/28/2021

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 3/28/2020

Four years ago: Local EX Raid (and Priorities), 3/28/2019

Five years ago: More on Ali (and the Early Manga)

Six years ago: A Pikachu Wall Hanging

Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Majestic Force Elite (SA Factions)

Cycle 2 of Season 4 for Silph Arena Factions continues, and my team, SWEEP JR, goes along for the ride. In Bout 2, which took place over the previous week, we were paired up with a Faction called Majestic Force Elite; it's a Faction from India, part of a group of similar teams with "Elite" in their names and can be considered closely associated. Even so, although it claims to be an Indian team, its members are mostly composed of Trainers from other countries - 4 from the U.S., 2 from Canada, 1 from Turkey, and the remaining 3 from India. It might suggest to be a real test, and what a test it was.

The first test was for me as the Captain to make substitutes for active players. One of them stated unavailability for the Bout due to certain issues, and another had to be substituted to take time off, as perceived from what happened in the last Bout. Fortunately, that was simple to make as the process takes place in the exact same place where I made the Faction RSVP - the Cycle page. Even so, as it was the first time I underwent the process, I was on edge as to whether I had done it correctly, since it's of a vital importance. Thankfully, as the Bout moved into the "battle phase", the players were set in stone and I knew I had done it correctly.

For that, which took place after the "pairing phase" and "roster phase", the "battle phase" started out on Friday. First up on Friday morning my team time (which also applies for all times below) was the Open Great League match of riman12 vs. Silvieboi (from the United States), again with the first opponent as the opposing team Captain; that resulted in a 3-0 sweeping victory and a good start. Later on in the day came RaymondHrtwn vs. Hausofalex (from Canada) in the Justicar Field for Ultra League and bakalikur vs. Monish6720 (from India) in the Arcana Field, the latter involving one of the teammates I substituted. The results were 1-2 and 0-3 losses respectively, and that put our team slightly behind.

Saturday had a scheduled Go Battle Day, so no matches were supposed to be played that day to focus on the battling event. However, due to another communication mishap (and a dispute being filed), one match took place in the middle of that day: Wina1403 vs. Acklimate (from the United States) in the Catacomb Field, involving the other substitution I made. After a rather protracted process - it was supposed to be played on Friday afternoon - the match was won 2-1, serving as an "equalizer". The results were nice even though the coordination was rather difficult.

Accordingly, the rest of the matches were scheduled on Sunday. Two of them took place in the middle of the day: YukixCyz vs. Yashas2236 (from India) and Kucingimutt vs. Randy345679 (also from India), in the Catacomb and Arcana Fields respectively. The former was also marred by coordination issues and another filed dispute, delaying it from its initial morning schedule. In order, the results were 1-2 and 2-1, putting both teams at a 9-9 draw. Once again, things came down to the Open Master League match, this time between Orioo16 and TurhanAksoy (from Turkey), and again at the end of the day. With some rallying, the match was won 2-1, leading to the final result of 11-10 and the first victory for my Faction.

While I've yet to battle (and by this Bout, everyone else has done so at least once), my real test in this Bout still lay on keeping my team together and synchronizing it with the other team. That includes the two disputes that I was prompted to file. I consider myself a "pacifist", so I'm in favor of them not being filed one way or another - but alas, things happen, so sometimes they just have to be filed to keep things in line, as my manager notes. Further, with or without disputes filed, any real progress can only be gained through battles; this is very important for me, my team, and practically any Factions competitor to keep in mind.

It's been two Bouts so far in the current Cycle, and what has transpired has been enthralling and captivating as well as mind-numbing and nail-biting. That is particularly the case for this Bout, which if it is considered to be presenting a test, then my team and I may have just passed it with an average mark, thanks to the narrow victory that we gained after our narrow loss prior. At this point, the tiers of the current Cycle are starting to shape up, and the challenge that lies in wait might be able to be seen. Having completed the test of our first two Bouts, we might just be due for another.

One year ago: The Irreplaceable Difference

Two years ago: Quickies: Finding Pokémon in Trees

Three years ago: Countermeasures for Pokémon Go

Four years ago: Ingress and Out

Five years ago: Pokémon in Common Terms

Six years ago: Cosplay: CLAS:H/ICGP 2017, Regional Edition

Faster Leveling for One-Minute Cooking?

The One-Minute Cooking stage format has been in Café Remix for some time, and it has proven to be a popular format, now included as a part of other event formats. Even so, its original incarnation is still where it comes into its own, including for a particular difficulty. That difficulty would be raising (or leveling up) the fullness level for the Pokémon of concern, which also represents the brunt of the effort for the event. Therefore, I've opted to discuss it and make a suggestion to improve that effort, particularly in regard to its speed.

For those who have played the predecessor of Pokémon Shuffle, they might notice that the effort is a lot like the Escalation Stages in that game, except with typically fewer levels; some of the latter may have 100 or more levels, while the former has 100 (for Legendary Pokémon) or 50 (for regular Pokémon). The issue is that Escalation Stages are designed to be easier and quicker to complete on earlier levels, with the difficulty of depleting HP progressively increasing. In Café Remix, the difficulty is determined by a cumulative "target score" instead, which increases with each level but isn't affected by actual gameplay.

In fact, on early levels, one can play the stage to full completion in order to get as many points as possible for ranking purposes, but that would take time, and only a part of those points get taken account into leveling up by one level. In later levels, this would be OK for those with average skills and can stand or would need to complete the stages a few times to level up, disregarding those with advanced skills who can already amass lots of points, way more than needed for a particular level. One way out for this is to collect just the required points amount on lower levels and then quitting; the points will still count and the level can still increase, although the earned "pseudo-currency" might be less than with a full completion.

So, to appease this situation, I would propose that a "toggle switch" be added to those Pokémon visit events, which can be enabled to allow the stage to be terminated after the required amount of points to level up has been reached and thus to allow players to work on either leveling up the fullness or earning points to obtain a greater rank. This would be a neutral solution for players of all skill levels, whose common denominator may be time for making the necessary efforts to level up and earn that can possibly be earned, including a high score in order to achieve a sufficiently high rank.

One-Minute Cooking is still regardless a skillful play format that really is intended to put to the test the puzzle skills that players have acquired (and the related progressions) by playing Café Remix. It has to be hard, certainly - or at least progressively - but there's no reason it can't be quicker as well, especially if one method to make that so is already apparent and can be executed right away. The format already has a speed play "element" to it; it may be worthwhile to add one more that is helpful for time in general.

One year ago: Ready System for Pokémon Go Raids?

Two years ago: Be the Winning Team

Three years ago: Looking for Good News

Four years ago: Nominating PokéStops

Five years ago: Envisioning More Local VGC Tournaments

Six years ago: Slowpoke Moments

Pokémon Rites of Passage

My concluding remarks for the critique of a Pokémon song performance I recently made, aside from mentioning a term that aptly related to the experience (fait accompli), also mentioned the term "rite of passage". In general, it's a term that describes very important happenings in one's life. For me, since I've already said in the very beginning that Pokémon is my life, it would be logical to consider that there are "rites of passage" that are related to Pokémon as well. That becomes something I consider relevant to discuss in a post.

I've already explained that performance as a "rite of passage", but so are my prior band performances, singing the Pokémon songs that I thought I'd never be able to sing in exactly that way. They're high points over the course of my vocal Pokémon journey, even if some are higher than others. And each of them may serve as the gateways to the next one, even though I may not know which band I will sing with next, or even the Pokémon song for that matter. In some ways, the karaoke performances are then intermediate milestones for those "rites of passage", helping to bring them to fruition.

On the game side of things, meanwhile, my new dealings with a certain Silph Arena Faction may be practically considered a "rite of passage" as well. It becomes a serious foray into competitive Pokémon along with all the happenings that are associated with that effort - and there are even more now, but they need to be saved to be covered at a later time. Regardless of how I'm involved, the "rite of passage" involves improving myself in a variety of ways, some of which are pertinent even outside of Pokémon Go as the game of concern and Silph Arena as the competitive medium.

Even the efforts to go to and attend special Pokémon happenings may be considered "rites of passage". This includes one that happened a real long time ago and one that is more recent. In both cases, I gained something (prizes, merchandise, and even connections with other people) out of them as I attended or in the relevant processes I went through before and after attending. Those happenings are therefore as much a development for external Pokémon affairs as they are developments of my own Pokémon affairs, especially given this blog to keep track of them as they happen.

This discussion, I have to admit, is also partially inspired by a musical piece titled... "Rites of Passage", appropriately. It is yet another piece that is composed by Yanni, clearly a favorite artist of mine, and is slightly melancholic, as if to reminisce moments that may be classified as such. In fact, while going to the recent happening as above, it is one of the pieces that came to my mind; as such, the piece will forever be inextricably linked to that moment - and maybe any of these "rites of passage" that I have mentioned.

Any Pokémon fan like me will certainly go through specific "rites of passage", whether or not they pertain directly to Pokémon. But if they do, the results will likely be similar to the happenings above, which I indeed consider as my Pokémon rites of passage for the important things they possess. The key word is certainly "important", which is included in the definition of what may qualify as such moments. Such would be true of any Pokémon fan in considering the relation of its moments to their lives.

One year ago: Weathering with Politoed

Two years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 9

Three years ago: The Difficulty of Sickness

Four years ago: All I Learned with Pokémon

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 3/25/2018

Six years ago: "Grow Old Along with Me..."

Performance Critique: Mezase Pokémon Master feat. Otaku

Speaking of faits accomplis (yes, plural), here's something that I meant to cover much earlier... or rather, I had been wavering to cover it for certain reasons, to be discussed shortly. The lowdown of the story is... yes, I collaborated again with Otaku Band to perform the Japanese "anthem" as far as Pokémon is concerned. I've performed it once in the past with a different band and countless other times in karaoke competitions, but not with this band. And so, like the previous collaboration, half of it is a story that needs to be told and half of it is a critique of the performance itself.

Otaku Band had originally asked to collaborate with me in January at a more distant festival event, but at that time, there was already a local convention that I had committed to, and I couldn't be in two places at once (or in J-pop culture parlance, make "shadow clones" of myself). But then, they were announced as part of the performer lineup for the biggest convention in my area, and it naturally became a chance to fulfill the collaboration. I communicated with them and things were set up.

For this critique, the supporting images were photographed by a different friend during the performance.

When it came time to perform, in the interest of time, I was just called to the stage as soon as my name was called. At that point, I had to compose myself to sing, and everything seemed fine... though I couldn't seem to hear myself sing at first, unlike the prior time. It was as if what happened at a certain festival competition was repeating itself, and it was all I could think about to the point that I lapsed and started too early on the second verse. Their arrangement had the instrumental break before it slightly extended - a point I had been informed of beforehand. And now it's a fait accompli.

Things go through my mind, voices go through the mic.

After that, however, the rest of the performance was fine. I even added my own twist in the final chorus as I sang with Dina, the band's main female vocalist. That twist was singing the "call-and-response" parts as in the original arrangement with Rica Matsumoto and the backing vocals. I've been complimented on the additional twist, and it really made things feel like a duet. Though it may not have made up for the earlier lapse, at least it did lend a unique character to the performance.

On the stage, we two are one.

It was the lapse above that made me waver in making the critique (and telling about its story) until the other day when a photographer friend of mine - and the band - brought up the performance through an external recording, which happens to be already uploaded. Through it, we addressed the obvious lapse, but I also discovered that my microphone was, indeed, not set up properly initially, confirming my suspicions. The sound person seemed to have rectified the situation mid-way through, which may be why the rest of the performance was so great. That too becomes a fait accompli.

When all is said and done...

The discussion also led us to reminisce the first collaboration, for which my photographer friend remarked that it was a shame that the photographer friend couldn't be there to see it in person way back when. After reminiscing, we conjectured ideas for a future collaboration, whether it would be a repeat of "Pokémon Theme" or a redux of this performance in order to make good on all the faits accomplis. Of course, that's not for us to say - that lies with what the band (and its manager, a very good friend as well) says when the time comes.

Besides being described by the term "fait accompli", this collaborative performance, given the above, may just be described with another term: "rite of passage". To perform at an occasion with very many people (the most I've performed in front of), to deal with the challenges that occur, and to take all of that in stride may just be part of the process of getting involved in singing with a band. Something that Otaku Band says about when they perform on stage is that the stage is their playground, and that seems fair enough: whatever happens (ahem, fait accompli) is all a part of going through life - and I'm only grateful to do that with them.

One year ago: More Berries for Pokémon Go?

Two years ago: The Future of WhatsApp Pokémon Stickers

Three years ago: Virulent Impacts

Four years ago: From One Path to Another

Five years ago: (Again a) Local Ex-Raid, 3/24/2018

Six years ago: The Many Forms of Pikachu in Shuffle

Pokémon Go Community Day Goodies: Changing Faces

Back in September of last year, I made the last regular roundup of the goodies I received by taking part in the local supported Community Day meetups, since I thought the merchandise was becoming rather predictable. And it was, for five months after that (except for one month, when there was none to speak of). Then came the merchandise selection for this month, which is somewhat different yet still similar in spirit. As such, I now have a reason to write about them again, which is exactly the point for this post.

If there's a word to describe the selection for this month, it may be... "downsizing". The poster is still there, but it's not exactly a "poster", but a much smaller "postcard". The reward code cards, which were about the size of the postcards, are now decreased in size by about one half. The recent rewards also included a Niantic sticker, but not much needs to be said about that, since it's practically the same as with past editions. The others, not so much, and that's something to be explained and discussed for all their quirks.

Before and after, with the last obtained poster from February 2022 (Noibat) and the postcard from this month (Slowpoke).

Though there are no official explanations, it could be said that the "downsizing" occurred for financial reasons (read: to save money) as it's obvious that many more postcards can be printed compared to a single poster. The same is true of the cards containing the reward codes to redeem; by the above, it is easy to deduce that twice as many cards and codes can be printed. In a way, this may be essential as local supported meetups like the ones I attend are growing in number, both locations and participants. By downsizing the rewards, the meetups can then be upsized - strange as it seems - and more can be gained from them.

Regardless of the verity of the situation above, the posters themselves could have become considered less feasible. Their size makes them unwieldy, even if Trainers could stow and/or carry them; there have been tales of them getting damaged by folds and/or water, both of which are practically inevitable, especially for Trainers where I am. They may carry bags, but they're not necessarily big enough to contain the posters, and then there's the effects of current weather. Switching to smaller postcards and redeem cards is therefore an approach that solves many problems for organizers and participants alike.

As Community Day continues to progress, the merchandise for the respective editions has to progress as well, and the recent change in that regard is one that makes things small yet still large enough to accommodate the spirits of their earlier forms. What remains true is that the spirits of Community Day still lie with the Trainers who participate in the event and in particular the local meetups, so there has to be a way of keeping things "sweet" for them. Fortunately, as the saying goes, sweet things do come in little packages like these.

One year ago: Crazy for Pinap Berries

Two years ago: My Favorite WhatsApp Pokémon Stickers

Three years ago: Continue Our Videogame Innate Desires

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 3/23/2019

Five years ago: The "Generals"

Six years ago: Pokémon Food... For Us

Changing Go Battle League Ranks and Titles?

By now, the Go Battle League in Pokémon Go is standardized as a way of measuring the skill levels of Trainers and allowing them to qualify for the World Championship Series for said game. With that being the case, its rank progression is hardly in need of a change. But supposing that it does need changes, specifically in regard to ranks and titles for those ranks, what would be good changes for it? There are obviously many options that can be taken, some radical and others less so, but I'd like to (and can only) discuss a few of them that I've crafted for their pros and cons as well as feasibility.

Option #1: Distribute titles equally to all ranks

My first proposal is to take the existing titles and four others (say, Novice, Great, Ultra, and Master) and distribute these across groups of three ranks each, creating rank classes of three ranks each among the 24 existing ranks. This is certainly partially inspired by Pokémon Unite, whose rank progressions are executed similarly. Doing this, however, would make the existing titles in higher ranks "lose their luster", so to speak, and progression requirements and rewards would certainly have to be changed to accommodate these classes. As such, this is a radical proposal that in all likelihood may be hard to implement.

Option #2: Distribute titles to groups of lower ranks

This proposal would attempt to retain the ranking status quo as much as possible, but still adding titles and creating classes. "Novice" could be for ranks 1-4, "Challenger" could be for ranks 5-9, "Great" could be for ranks 10-14, "Ultra" could be for ranks 15-19, and "Master" could be for rank 20. The last of these continues the inspiration from Pokémon Unite, as it is the rank where ratings are issued in that game, and here as well. Doing so allows the upper ranks to keep their titles, and the progressions and rewards don't have to be changed. This ought to be relatively easier to implement.

Option #3: Add Rank 25, shift existing rank titles

A lesser proposal would be to keep everything below rank 21 the same, but adding one more rank as Rank 25. All current high-level titles (Ace, Veteran, Expert, and Legend) would move upwards one rank and rank 21 would be called the "Master" rank. The progressions would also have to be changed to accommodate as well. The changes may appear to be smaller, but the implications may be just as great, so this could be a potential open question for its possibility of implementation and acceptance, especially with other options.

Option #4: Create special rank classes, maximum of four ranks in each class 

What this proposal includes is similar to Option #2 but more varied. Rank 1 could remain without a title for those who don't play, followed by "Novice" (2-4), "Rival" (5-8), "Challenger" (9-12), "Great" (13-16), "Ultra" (17-19), and the rest follows Option #2. It is not as radical as Option #1 yet more so than Option #2, and has additional, greater inspiration from Silph Arena. Given this fact, the implementation may be difficult with the required changes, but could still become worthy of consideration.

Ultimately, any changes that may be applied to the rank structure, including the provision of titles, remains in the hands of "the powers that be", especially given how GBL is a practical standard at present. Changing standards isn't impossible but isn't quite probable either, especially if changing them means radically transforming a lot of things. But if they're (deemed as) essential as organizing the ranks and giving them titles, then the way might just be cleared for those possibilities to turn into reality. 

One year ago: Respect for Sarah Natochenny

Two years ago: Pokémon SM KFC CKM Toy: Rockruff & Premier Ball

Three years ago: Celebi @ Everywhere

Four years ago: At the Same Time

Five years ago: Shiny Lugia Obsessions

Six years ago: A Passion for Red

Tournament: Arcaviary Tournament - Ionic Cup

While the team tournament for Silph Arena was progressing for me, so was another tournament utilizing the Silph Arena toolkit. This one was an individual tournament that is the continuation of the tournament from the previous month, but this time certainly with the theme for this month, Ionic. I chose to participate in order to keep my PvP game, and it seems some my fellow Faction members had the right idea, as they were also in this tournament. It was exactly for that reason I participated (or was goaded to) in the previous edition, because it served to prepare me for my Factions dealings.

As with the previous edition, this tournament was held remotely, started Sunday the week before, and ended just this past Sunday. The scale of the tournament was no different either; it started with 91 participants and retained almost everyone, with only one participant dropping out after the first round. One other participant even didn't check in and thus didn't participate, which may have meant different things. Aside from my fellow Faction members, I spotted many familiar names from the previous tournament as well as in local regional PvP in general, which means that everyone had the same idea.

Though I had the same idea of participating as last time, the results were not any different (or even, any better). Over the seven rounds, I only won two of them, one of them with a 3-0 sweep and the other with a 2-1 lead. The rest of the rounds I lost, three of them trailing 1-2  ("stealing a win" from the opponent) and two of them having been swept 0-3. It's somewhat alarming, as it is a drop from the performance in the previous tournament, and it may indicate that I have not been "enlightened" enough in some respects - yet I am in Factions and do possess an important role for which "enlightenment" is practically needed.

One thing that may have driven most everyone to stay in the tournament for all of its rounds is an incentive for doing so: those who stayed were included in a giveaway for something special that is currently present in Pokémon Go and would need to be paid otherwise. Even so, I wasn't aware of the drawing for that giveaway, and I may have missed a couple of social media "hoops" - in addition to participating here - for it, which has never been a strength of mine. Nor are some Pokémon things, even though I still try to get involved in them (and this is tending toward a digression).

Progress in individual tournaments on Silph Arena continues, as does progress in Factions, the latter of which may be said to be my most major involvement at present. Whether the former may help or hinder me in the latter seems to be an open question for my case, however, given the subpar performance from last time and a further dip this time around. As the answer may not be that definitive, it may serve me well to just continue on the PvP path and let the answer define itself wherever it may do so, whether it's in individual tournaments like this one or my continued progress in Factions.

One year ago: The Route Themes of Journey Beginnings

Two years ago: Let's Talk About Waiting Games

Three years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Toxic Cup

Four years ago: Gender Appeal

Five years ago: At a Loss... in Lavender Tower

Six years ago: GSC Nendoroid Series #425: Red

Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Pallet Town Ruby (SA Factions)

Well, this is the first tournament report that doesn't involve me as a properly battling Trainer, but I'm nonetheless at the helm of it in a way. A week ago, Silph Arena Factions started Cycle 4 of Season 2, and I heralded its start in a post. The next day, the pairings for Bout 1 were revealed, and my team, SWEEP JR, was paired up with an Australian team, Pallet Town Ruby. It seemed to make for a nice start, as it would mean communicating with some native English speakers and having an easier time coordinating. Or so I thought.

Going with the initial lineup established by the RSVP, as the positions were revealed, my team and I ran into the first snag: a member of the other team that seemed to be absent. I contacted the Captain of the opposing team, and I was told that the member was new but would coordinate soon. After what seemed to be a lack of coordination, I was prompted to file a dispute, the first ever for me... through which it was revealed that the member did try to coordinate but my teammate apparently hadn't, to my complete surprise. So it was that a "nightmare" had in fact followed. Still, they did in the end manage to schedule and complete their battles eventually.

After that, there was a lull before the first match, which took place on Saturday morning my team time (closer to midday for the other team). Leading off the pack was an Arcana Field Specialist match, Almujha vs. Lilibear26, the latter being the Captain of the opposing team. That resulted in a 1-2 loss, which in a way was quite "prophetic". The next match, the Open Great League match of riman12 vs. 678Ghost, was to take place just prior to Community Day our time (toward its end for the other team), but due to complications, it was postponed until late night and early morning respectively. Fortunately, it resulted in a 2-1 win as the "equalizer". I was nervous in making the coordination for this as ("nightmarish") communication issues arose, and it almost led to a second dispute being filed through.

The rest of the matches played out throughout Sunday. Catacomb Field Specialists YukixCyz vs. TheSoopNasty led to a 2-1 win, which was followed by Arcana Field Specialists Kucingimutt vs. WhiteChocOOlate and resulted in a 3-0 sweep and our team taking the lead. It seemed that there was a chance we could win this Bout... until RaymondHrtwn vs. JTizzler312 in the Justicar Field for Ultra League and DwiXsa vs. CJohn89 in the Catacomb Field both lost 0-3 as the other team rallied and our lead vanished instantly. The Open Master League match of Orioo16 vs. FishOnAHeater became the deciding match, and it had to be won 3-0 for us to win; after a delay, that ended up not to be, as only a 2-1 win was managed. In the end, our team lost 10-11, which was very close.

Something that may be gained from this first Bout is that we have to be attentive. The coordination efforts that resulted in that first dispute was indeed a result of our collective inattention, which otherwise could have been avoided. The teammates who battled in the matches where they were completely swept also admitted that they didn't exactly battle in the best way, which also may partially indicate inattention; the "prophetic" match (and I'll just leave it at that) could also be regarded to be like that as well. Being that I'm handling a team of "juniors" as our team name suggests, including myself as a Factions "rookie", this is just something that we have to learn.

In the remaining eight Bouts of the Cycle, however they occur and with whoever they involve, there will surely be much to be learned - and possibly changed, as Pokémon Go itself changes all the while our opponents and their Pokémon also change. This tournament report, a special one for Silph Arena Factions, will accordingly change throughout that time as well. And while our first Bout didn't result in a victory, some good things still happened, and it'll continue to be our task of making that happen, true to our team name.

One year ago: ASMR with Pokémon

Two years ago: All I Can Do, with You

Three years ago: Sad Music from Kanto

Four years ago: A Girl and a Fan

Five years ago: The Place to Be

Six years ago: Cosplay: Daisuki Japan 7 - Wanderlust!

Cosplay: Culture Festival

Me: All right, this one is a bit different yet it's all the same.

Goh: "Culture Festival". So we're going to see different people doing different things.

Ash: Like me!

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["And me!"]

Me: You can say that. But this time, Ash is doing things differently. For a start, you're here just for the singing competition.

Goh: Oh, like that one time for a festival event you questioned.

Me: In fact, the same people organize this one. But as we've seen, I think they've learned a thing or two, so it's also fine.

Ash: Well, if it works.

Me: For reasons you'll discover, the character parade will be prohibitive for us. And besides... I need to save a bit of money anyway.

Goh: Seems like you've got a strategy.

Me: And that strategy is... "Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara" for Ash.

Ash: OK, Hoenn outfit then!

Me: You got this. Now, you were there, so tell me how things went.

Ash: It was in restaurant! There was a festival a long time ago that was like that.

Goh: Looks like it was memorable.

Me: It was one of the early times I sent Ash, so that's definite. Still, it was before I started this blog, so by now the memories are few.

Ash: Oh yeah, the festival was in two parts! The first part was singing and outfit competitions for other people. But the second part was for us and everyone else.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["That was nice."]

Me: Fascinating. I hope you were entertained... but you didn't forget to deal with some of my other Pokémon business during that time?

Ash: Don't worry, I took care of them. But the results might not have turned out the way you'd like...

Goh: What were they about?

Ash: Pokémon battles! They were exciting too.

Me: That's fine. Some of it is beyond our control. Other parts... well, I'm responsible for those. I'll have the write-up for them soon. But enough about that. How did you do in the singing competition?

Ash: I think I did great! But I wasn't one of the three winners.

Me: Hmm. Oh well. Maybe it wasn't meant to be.

Pikachu: Pi, pika chu. ["Hmm, maybe so."]

Goh: I would love to have known what the judges thought.

Ash: I would too!

Me: They used to do this, but it takes too much time.

Goh: Yeah, I see what you mean. Maybe it's not for us to know.

Me: And even though I didn't put you in it... how was the character parade?

Ash: They gave a lot of time for everyone! But there were a lot of characters too. Maybe they should have called everyone way earlier.

Goh: I wonder why they didn't.

Ash: It was the last thing before they called the winners.

Goh: That's different from this schedule I found.

Me: It seems they bought time but didn't make time. It further affirms that it was a good call I didn't put you in.

Ash: I saw your friend from last time judging.

Me: That is precisely the main reason why I didn't put you in.

Ash: But they did invite everyone to join in for the group photo - so I joined!

Me: That's nice. The opportunity for that is quite rare.

Goh: What was the entertainment like?

Ash: Just dance groups and swordplay. And there were a few singers - one of them is a guest star of the festival.

Goh: The swordplay one should have been exciting.

Ash: It was! The swords were fake - they can't have real ones - but it was fun!

Me: No, there was an incident once. After that, they can't have it.

Goh: And that's how laws are made.

Me: So, thoughts overall.

Ash: They did a great job! A lot of people came and they had fun too.

Goh: Would you repeat it all over?

Ash: Yeah! Maybe we can do better too.

Me: Great! But you'll have to wait, since most everyone will be in rest mode for at least a month - but there's still the possibility of sending you to little things, and perhaps we can have a "Let's Talk" as well. 

Goh: A month! That's a long break, but that can be good too.

Ash: I can use the break.

Me: There you go. OK, so you two go and do what you need to do, and we'll see what happens in the month. We can meet again whenever.

Ash: OK, see you!

Pikachu: Pika chu pika! ["See you then!"]

One year ago: Pokémon of Overlapping Roles?

Two years ago: The Post Malone P25 Virtual Concert

Three years ago: No Sight, No Mind

Four years ago: Fashion Statements by Pokémon

Five years ago: PokéTerminology

Six years ago: Cosplay Hair

Pokémon Go Community Day, 3/18/2023

Me: OK, this Community Day edition should be fun, which is partially why I opted to send Ash again today.

Ash: Why not? It's always fun!

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Sure do!"]

Goh: There are always a few surprises.

Me: Right. Today is is a big one: we have Slowpoke. Not just the one from Kanto, but also the one from Galar!

Ash, Goh: Wow!!

Me: Yeah, I know it would resonate with you two, because you've been to Slowpoke Island and met all the forms.

Goh: Haha, yeah! That was confusing and exciting.

Me: So that means Slowbro and Slowking as the evolved forms, and their Galarian forms as well. That's a whole lot - it doesn't come close to Eevee (which has been featured), but it's a lot.

Goh: What's the special move today?

Me: For all the evolved forms, they get Surf. It really fits the Kanto forms well since they're part Water but the Galarian forms can benefit too, especially when battling other people.

Goh: And the bonuses - there has to be those.

Me: Of course. Tripled XP is the main thing, but doubled catch Candy and increased Candy XL chance is another thing. As usual from last time, we have extended Lure Modules and Incense, photo bombs, and trade bonuses.

Ash: Who do I get to talk to for doing things?

Me: Well, the paid tasks I set you up with are titled "Field Notes: Slow and Slower", so you'll likely be talking to Rhi, with or without Professor Willow. As for other things, you might see Level 4 raids of Slowpoke, but that shouldn't matter - and I'm sure you'll need to go into my Gift stash for items and stickers. There are outfit items too, but those aren't our concern.

Goh: You know, Slowpoke needs a King's Rock to evolve to Slowking. Don't you need to get those?

Me: Don't worry about that. There are a few time-based tasks to help out with that. Speaking of help, I'm told that for today, Galarian Slowpoke only needs to be a Buddy and captures of 30 Psychic-type Pokémon.

Ash: Got it! So, I went to the same park like last month. I met your friends, grabbed the goodies, and caught a lot of Slowpoke. A lot of people got a Slowpoke - the one from Kanto - that was the best it could be - I did too! It appeared just as the Slowpoke started to appear.

Goh: Wow!! But it wasn't Shiny?

Ash: No one caught a Shiny one for that.

Goh: I guess things happen. You still had a great time, right?

Ash: We sure did!

Ash: I was holding up the poster on the right of this image while I was just wearing my base outfit.

Me: I did send you with your outfit again, because like last time, there was something else I could send you to... but I made the choice for this one because it seemed better and it was less farther away. But I can make it up with something else tomorrow.

Ash: I guess I can't wait for that too!

Goh: By the way, which ones did you evolve for our friend here?

Ash: I evolved two great regular Slowpoke into a Slowbro and Slowking - that also happened with two Shiny ones. I thought my friend needed a Slowbro for Trainer battles more, so I evolved a few for that, regular and Galarian. There was so much to think about.

Pikachu: Pika chu pi. ["Very much so."]

Me: There was, wasn't there? Kanto or Galar, Trainer battles or raids, Shiny or not Shiny... you could make a list that goes on and on. But I'll take care of anything else that you missed later on.

Goh: Was this a slow day?

Me: Maybe, maybe not. But it's never a dull moment with Pokémon, that's for sure. Even with something as dopey as Slowpoke.

Ash, Goh: Ha ha ha!!!

Me: It's fun(ny) how that is.

One year ago: Countermeasures for Pokémon Go: "Over" Time?

Two years ago: New Pokémon Go Bonus Hour Experiments

Three years ago: On Blogging and Microblogging

Four years ago: Character Songs

Five years ago: "You Shall Not Pass" - Hard-to-Access Gyms and PokéStops

Six years ago: Alton : Food :: I : Pokémon

Tools for Solving Pokémon Go Problems... and Life Problems?

Lately, a few friends and I - actually, mostly on my end - have found ourselves "waxing philosophical" about matters of Pokémon Go as well as matters of life. Specifically, the two are interrelated by way of tools (or even methods) that may be used to solve problems; in a concrete and realistic sense, they may be used to solve problems related to the game, but in an abstract and philosophical sense, they may be applicable for solving everyday life problems. This might be considered an odd relationship, but it's fascinating to consider, and that is why I've chosen to write about that.

The methods for restarting Pokémon Go, as I've detailed the other day, are considered to be tied into this. They have some weight in making the game run as intended, on a concrete level. At a more abstract level, it might mean for some people that sometimes one may have to take a step back - or even walk in place - before going on ahead to proceed. The two situations of the game not proceeding and life not proceeding are indeed tough situations for anyone, but for us, there's no reason to not think that a "restart" can help to deal with them somehow to make them proceed as they should.

Although not part of Pokémon Go per se, the next tool or method has a fair bit of relevance. In Silph Arena Factions, if there are any issues that arise in the battles, one can opt to file a dispute in order to resolve them - and in fact, the Arena Referees, a select dedicated group of Trainers chosen to maintain order in the competition, often dictate Trainers to do exactly that. Other Trainers and I sometimes wonder if only we can do the same with all our other issues in life and let the relevant "referees" arrive on a fair decision regarding them. Even so, that may still have been realized in ways that may not be immediately apparent to us.

Back to Pokémon Go proper, Elite TMs have been around for some time and are known for their powerful capabilities of manual and special move selection for different Pokémon. It's an indispensable tool at times, which makes it fair for Trainers like me and others to make the abstract consideration of other things in life that might accomplish the exact same objectives, though certainly in different contexts. Some picking and choosing is still necessary in life, and it may be fair to hope the process would be like that for an Elite TM.

Quite a bit of the considerations above are somewhat abstract, but that is what philosophy is for - the considering of life according to certain ways. And for many Trainers at the moment, much of their ways may be defined by Pokémon Go and the things that revolve around it or are involved within it. It would then be a small wonder that we'd start to tie in its happenings to life in general and wonder about it in that way, with the hope that life issues can resolve themselves in similar ways as the game issues.

One year ago: Quickies: Trees, the Symbol of Life

Two years ago: The Sentience of Pokémon

Three years ago: There Are Monsters Outside

Four years ago: "Monkey Trio" Keychain Figures

Five years ago: What's Played, What's Not, and What's Next

Six years ago: Pokémon X Food Network ...?

Starting and Restarting Pokémon Go

Sometimes, Pokémon Go has problems during or after its startup that prevents one from continuing in the game. The natural way to solve these problems, of course, is a restart of the game. Even then, there are a few options to be taken depending on the severity of the problem and whether the restart has actually solved it. Based on my experiences, including the problems I've encountered, I've devised a few of these options that may just help to solve the problems.

The first of these is what I call the "soft restart". On Android, this would mean removing the app from the "recent apps" list and then starting it again from its launch icon. Doing this quits the app, allowing it to start again from an inactive state. For many problems, including in-game screens that don't render (appropriately) and a recently occurring hung startup problem, this may be sufficient and no other course of action may be necessary.

If the "soft restart" doesn't work, then a "hard restart" may be in order. On Android, this would mean going to its app info screen, tapping "force stop" and confirming, and starting the app as usual. This process should remove lingering traces of the app in memory and allows for a cleaner restart. It's often those lingering traces that make the app seems to want to hook on something that it shouldn't and causes problems, particularly during startup.

One step up from that is what I call the "super hard restart", which is a little more involved. That's because the process involves forcing a logout at startup - which is easy to do by turning on "airplane mode" and then tapping "Try Another Account" at the prompt - and then following the "hard restart" process above. Simply logging out and logging back in often does not do it, as the app tends to snag on something; the "hard restart" becomes the assurance.

When all else fails, it may be time for a "'nuke' restart", which involves the "super hard restart" with a phone reboot and optional cache clear before attempting to log in again and start the app. The "nuke" in this case is the reboot; the process stops short of uninstalling and reinstalling the app, which I consider more than a restart and beyond the scope of this discussion. Yet, it's still worth a try before undertaking the ultimate last resort process as above.

Restarting Pokémon Go may be an ornery process, but it may be one that is necessary and worthy to be conducted if something has to go on in Pokémon Go and they need to be solved by the tools that one has at one's disposal. And fortunately, most problems are in fact solved by the process, which affirms its necessity and worthiness - after which one's business in Pokémon Go can then proceed, hopefully more smoothly afterwards.

One year ago: On the Intricacies of the Battle Pass

Two years ago: Localized Legendary Pokémon

Three years ago: Brushing Up on Pokémon Mythology

Four years ago: Cosplay: Neko-Neko

Five years ago: Our Glory of Love

Six years ago: Multilingual Pokémon

Quickies: Flying With Lugia, On Demand

Something that I feel the need to stress every so often is how I consider myself to be practically living in the "middle of nowhere" even though it's not "nowhere" exactly. In order to go places, if walking becomes too prohibitive - and it can be, in certain cases - I have to get a ride by certain methods. Of course, being a Pokémon fan, I'd like to think that my ride can be that of a Pokémon, and one that comes to my mind is Lugia - which means flying on said Pokémon species, and in my case, when the demand strikes.

People flying on Lugia is not a strange thing, and one of them is quite well known: Ash himself. He has flown on Lugia at least a couple of times, though some of the times could be said to be not exactly on demand - instead, they were more like by necessity. Regardless, flying on Lugia is a totally conceivable matter and not completely of the question. The Pokémon itself may even demonstrate openness and acceptance to the matter by situational awareness, and that's something important for all concerned.

Even so, if it were to be believed, I might have trouble requesting its assistance. Where I am might still not take it too lightly regarding the presence of Lugia, for it might mean a felling of certain things around where Lugia goes if it were to go. In both of the situations above, Lugia also appears during times of unusual weather, although there's still a chance that this might not become relevant. Then there's the on-demand aspect, which might also be hard to be fulfilled by such a major Legendary.

Alas, it seems that my desire and vision of seeing myself being able to ride a Lugia whenever the occasion or need strikes will likely have to remain imaginative. But it's still a good thing to imagine even with the current state of my life where I am, in my "middle of nowhere" place. It means that I'm realizing my limitations as well as my ability to work around those limitations, specifically regarding where I am. It might be that Lugia might just relent to give this Pokémon fan a way to go places when it becomes necessary.

One year ago: Investing in a Battle Pass?

Two years ago: A Year of Living Dangerously

Three years ago: Cosplay: IAM COSPLAYCON

Four years ago: The Pokémon Search Bar in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: Ash and Pikachu, DJF 2018 Style

Six years ago: A Psyduck Headache

Serving up Paldea with a Twist

As noted in the coverage for the "anniversary edition" of Pokémon Presents, the special event - or at least a part of it - for the Pokémon anniversary itself in Café Remix involves a unique helping from the latest discovered Pokémon region. The starters from this region make their landmark entry into the game as a special celebration of themselves and Pokémon. It's a hot event, and it still is now as it approaches its tail end. Before that happens, it's helpful to discuss about it since it's such a special event.

The three starters - Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly - can be hired as staff members during this event when they appear through the Delivery feature. By implication, this does mean that one has to be extremely lucky in encountering them as such (and by my experience, very much so, as the only one I've encountered in this way was Fuecoco). Even so, one of them can be hired by choice through the main part of this event, which I'll explain shortly. Once hired, they are very easy to level up, as they require no cookies and only Golden Acorns to uncap their levels, and just frequent training and/or feeding Tarts will give them the EXP they need to level up. And in a way, this becomes quite necessary.

That main part of the event involves an individual points event that utilizes the "hospitality" format and the One-Minute Cooking framework. The three tiers of "Peckish", "Hungry", and "Ravenous" are available, as are three "Special" tiers that require the respective starter Pokémon above to be obtained and used in the leader position, making the leveling grind above necessary in order to achieve the target score. Through this main part, one can also choose one of the starters above to be hired, essentially getting a free tier unlock and slightly alleviating the luck factor from Delivery. Earning points is still needed in order to reap as many rewards as possible, including that free staff member.

To support the event, an "appreciation" event also runs concurrently with the event, which demands the spending of Golden Acorns... likely in the Delivery feature to have a chance at hiring one or more of the three starters from Paldea for the purposes above. Still, for at least one of them, Golden Acorns are guaranteed to be spent anyway to level them up, and this goes for any Pokémon in general during "appreciation" events. The latter half of the event also ties with a team points event, which means three concurrent events at that point - but all is well if it means well for a celebration like the Pokémon anniversary, and the team event still benefits from the grind in any case.

All told, the entry of the starters of Paldea is a nice twist indeed to what has been going on in Café Remix thus far. Three new Pokémon and an event that prompts two other concurrent ones make things quite festive, even if the luck and grind factor may be a slight detractor. Beyond that, the celebration is still purely what it is, and it keeps some of the anniversary vibes going even today up until the end of the event.

(One more twist: this post is appropriately written on 3/14, so... Happy Pi Day.)

One year ago: To Share and To Care

Two years ago: Berry Cuisine

Three years ago: Pokémon Anime Song Remixes?

Four years ago: Profits on the Side

Five years ago: It's Pi Day!

Six years ago: Pokémon and Puzzle Games

Here Comes a Factions Cycle

It's been some time in the works, but now it is coming to fruition. The next Cycle for Silph Arena Factions, Cycle 4 of Season 2, will start the main formal process of its first Bout tomorrow, and I'm in it with a team - SWEEP JR - furthermore as its Captain. Being essentially a "team sport", there's certainly a lot of coordination to be had in this effort, some of which I had explained in my "team reveal" post. Yet the coordination doesn't stop there, for there are still other things that have (or had) to be taken to make smooth progress.

One of those things is to make the RSVP so that my team can participate. This is what I was hoping to make and confirm before I made the "team reveal" post, but by now that's a fait accompli - and so too is the RSVP, which confirms my team's participation. That took place over the past week along with those of all the rest of the teams of the Open tier in the APAC region, which is my region. It's a crowded tier, with 38 other teams; although my team will only meet nine others, owing to the scheduling, it's those nine teams and the coordination that will occur with them that will become pivotal.

That said, being that I'm in the Captain role, it makes me very much nervous. All the things that need to be coordinated within my team and with other teams have to go through me, although some of the internal stuff is alleviated slightly with my manager's presence. The external stuff? That's still mostly my responsibility, and it will take place over a certain platform familiar to gamers around the world - having it is practically a requirement for a Factions Captain like me. Going into Factions for the first time is a lofty thing indeed, but doing so as a Captain demands that I have to go above and beyond. It's a bit of an unexpected role, but given what I know, it also seems very much expected.

Even now, many things are still prepared. My team members, including me, have been preparing and refining potential Pokémon teams that we can then use in battle. It has to be done now, even though developments during the Cycle may alter and shift the course of battles in that time. As the Captain, I also have to prepare communication routines, for both within and outside the Faction, as above. All this continues in the next 9+1 weeks ahead - the +1 week is actually a break week, more on this later - as the last Cycle of this season begins and unfolds with my "junior" team.

Whatever happens, the ultimate test will occur in that time for SWEEP JR and everyone involved as part of the team, as well as the greater SWEEP and national Factions family. If anything, by the above, Factions can be regarded as an ultimate test for any Trainer in Pokémon Go PvP competitions, especially with others beyond one's borders. To that effect, with this debuting team, I have opened a proverbial PvP "door" for my "dreams" to escape; the next challenge, during the Cycle, may be to keep the "nightmares" out of it.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 3/13/2022

Two years ago: More Pokémon Go Quality-of-Life Improvements

Three years ago: The First Hoenn Saga Japanese Opening Theme

Four years ago: The Poké Ball Classics Merchandise Line

Five years ago: Yes, Even More Pokémon Stickers

Six years ago: Every Day We're Shufflin'

Cosplay: Unity, The Story of Us

Me: Yes, it's another festival event. Before discussing it, I'd like to prompt a related discussion. What do you think of when you hear the word "unity"?

Ash: Me and Pikachu! We always need to be together, don't we?

Pikachu: Pika pika chu! ["You got that!"]

Goh: For me, I think of capturing Pokémon to complete a set, like all the Bug Pokémon in Kanto, or all the colors of Flabébé. Yeah! That works, doesn't it?

Me: All good answers. So, "unity" becomes the theme for this "festival" event, to which I'm sending Ash, this time with just your classic Kanto/Johto outfit.

Ash: Nice!

Me: But you'll see, it will apparently be familiar.

Ash: Oh! It's part of Community Base Party!

Me: Yeah, you immediately recognized. And since I sent you there a few times with your Hoenn outfit, I thought you'd like a change instead.

Goh: You think it's fine after what happened last time?

Me: Well, last time, the event seemed to run fine and all the controversy wasn't related to the actual execution. They do mean well, unlike some people. So I say it's fine.

Ash: What do you want me to do?

Me: For this one, I have to say that I can only put you in the character parade, since I'm not ready to put you in the singing competition.

Goh: Are you still a little worried about what happened last time? Ash still did great back then. Don't worry about it and just move on.

Pikachu: Pi. Pika chu. ["Yeah. It's fine."]

Me: Well, it's a little bit of that, but there's been a couple of sad unrelated personal happenings, so I'm not able to prepare Ash as well as he should.

Ash: That's OK. We can tackle it next time!

Me: Next week, in fact. I've already scheduled it. Anyway, we'll just deal with this for now.

Goh: How was it? Crowded as usual?

Ash: As usual.

Me: Some things don't seem to change. But maybe a few things did?

Ash: The stage was back to the back end, and there were a few booths with food, drinks, and goodies.

Goh: That's nice. At least they know how to cater now.

Me: I know I couldn't get you to participate, but how was the singing competition?

Ash: A few sounded really good! But maybe others sang slightly off... or too short?

Me: Typical problems, but that means the ones that sang really good deserved it. Now, how was the character parade for you?

Ash: I think I did great! But I saw the judges and I know one of them.

Me: Oh... wait. I'm sorry to say that because of that, I can already assure you that you can't win something from this one. So I guess I've set you up for nothing.

Goh: That's a bummer. What will you do now?

Ash: I still want to sing something! 

Me: Tell you what. A friend hinted about karaoke, so you can go with my friend and sing your heart out for me. You can get some "unity" spirit there too. We'll deal with Community Base Party again if another edition comes up.

Ash: I guess that's fine.

Pikachu: Pi pika. ["It will do."]

Goh: I got the schedule, and it seems you would miss a performance, games, awarding, and the closing for the things afterwards.

Me: I got the intel from a friend. The performance is of an old band that... seems to have not taken new steps, so not much missed there. Games are MC games - something to fill time - and the rest is obvious.

Goh: So, I guess the event's just fine.  

Me: It seems so, even though a lot more can be improved. Again, next time we should be able to deal with it more properly, and the organizers should be able to do the same.

Ash: Hey, maybe that's another "unity"!

Pikachu: Chu, pika chu! ["Yes, seems so!"]

Me: It's definitely a spirit that can be realized in many forms, even a festival event like this one.

One year ago: Let's Talk About Challenges in Connecting

Two years ago: Making the Case for Open-World

Three years ago: Possibility of a "Basic League"?

Four years ago: Beta Testing

Five years ago: Taking the Go Train

Six years ago: Worldly Inspirations for a Small World