Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 7/9/2023

It's early in the month, and there is already the Classic edition or variant of Community Day. That means the main edition isn't until later this month, and that is perfectly fine. It gives an opportunity for Trainers to look back on and re-experience a previous edition, or even to catch up on it if they may have missed it. It also helps if the edition is apropos to an event that has previously occurred or is currently occurring, the latter with the current anniversary event and the former as with an edition that occurred in June 2018, almost exactly five years ago.

That edition is, in fact, the one that was brought back for today. Squirtle is back for this edition of Community Day Classic and along with it its Shiny form, the Hydro Cannon move for its ultimate evolved form Blastoise, and the quartered Egg hatching distance. As with the previous edition, Squirtle with sunglasses also makes its return, once again obtained through Field Research tasks, now of the "catch 3" variety. While this costumed form had returned once through a certain event with a musician, this becomes its "formal" return, in a way.

Certainly, the edition is updated with some current perks as well. Incense (not the Daily Adventure) is extended along with Lure Modules as with last time. Photo bombs are present as a current norm, enabling five encounters with regular Squirtle over five photos. Finally, there is also the paid Special Research set, titled simply "Squirtle Community Day Classic" in this case, involving Professor Willow and a recounting of the special characteristics of the species family. As with other Classic editions, the perks are minimal but the experience is maximal.

So it was that I undertook this Classic edition by venturing from one group of friends to another, spinning all the PokéStops to encounter as many Squirtle with sunglasses as possible. This was made mindless with the fact that almost all Field Research tasks were for these encounters, which is almost unprecedented. Since I already had most of the Blastoise I needed, the ones I evolved were to try to "fill in the gaps" with forms I didn't possess or don't have optimized, and the rest of the event was spent on maximizing resource stocks.

All the Classic editions have the running thread of "revival", bringing back something that had occurred. They may also be construed to have the running thread of "improvement", making things better than they were before. Both of these were evident for this edition of Community Day Classic, and it also further affirms the expansible quality I had mentioned during the initial edition. At the least, this edition serves as a warm-up for Trainers before expanding into the main edition that will be due out later this month and further improving their progressions.

One year ago: On Defining Fans by What They Do

Two years ago: Twilight Wings Addendum

Three years ago: Pokémon Primer?

Four years ago: Picking Battles

Five years ago: Cosplay Cards

Six years ago: Ghosty and Me