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