Saturday, August 26, 2023

Pokémon Go Fest 2023 (Global), Day 1

All right, so the time has come to "unearth" the prized possessions of this Pokémon Go season at this time of year, which would be the traditional Pokémon Go Fest events. If in past years I did that early on, this year I'm doing that at as they happen (or have happened), in line with the overarching "Hidden Gems" theme of this season. It just seems so appropriate in that way - and less because it slipped my mind - moreover because everything, including the regional editions, also occur (have occurred) within the span of one month. But first, I'd like to start with the Global edition, which occurs today and tomorrow as a traditional two-day celebration.

Like in years past, today's festivities ran from 10 AM to 6 PM. They involved hourly rotating habitats: Quartz Terrarium, Pyrite Sands, Malachite Wilderness, and Aquamarine Shores, in this order repeated once - all themed after precious stones, as is this season. Aptly, the Pokémon they featured were all roughly of the same color - pinks and reds, yellows and browns, all shades of green, and all shades of blue - in reference to the precious stones above. Along with their appearances were special costumed Pikachu wearing crowns of the appropriate precious stone, plus a Snorlax wearing a cowboy hat during Malachite Wilderness. All of these appeared for everyone, but those who purchased the ticket for the event and activated an Incense during the time period got to see Unown that constitute the letters of the word "DIAMOND" as well as a unique rare Pokémon for each habitat. The crowned Pikachu and Snorlax also appeared in raids throughout the day, and will do so tomorrow as well. Further, Lure Modules are extended to one hour, allowing some freedom in activating their various kinds, and photo bombs appeared throughout the festivities.

For Research, Field Research rotated hourly according to the habitats and may be completed as desired, with one of the rewards being Carbink, now debuting for everyone; Carbink also appeared through Incense and in raids. For those with tickets, each habitat had a Collection Challenge comprised of 11 selected Pokémon species, including the crowned Pikachu, to complete today or at most tomorrow when all the Pokémon reappear without specific habitats. Global Challenges also corresponded with each habitat to capture lots of Pokémon and unlock extra bonuses for the hour. Finally, the Special Research, which took Trainers on a "treasure map" journey with Professor Willow, ultimately led to the biggest gem of all in Pokémon: the Mythical Pokémon called Diancie as well as its Mega Evolution. It's obvious that the debut of this Pokémon marks the high point of this season.

I had the opportunity to attend a meetup by my raid group today for this event, although in the end, there was a bittersweet feeling from an external circumstance. Most everyone got through the Research aspects, including Collection Challenges and the Special Research, with some focus on raids (which is best left explained tomorrow, as it will become more key then). My Diancie wasn't all that great, but the important thing is still to have caught it and gone through the Special Research. Unlike last year, the Shiny chance was seemingly kinder this year, with everyone getting a fair share. What could be more important is what lies tomorrow for all of us.

Even with the given perks, any result is appreciable, and as is true of the current Pokémon Go season, that will likely uncover a few concealed niceties. After a more or less successful Day 1, all that can be hoped is a Day 2 that is just as successful - or perhaps more so. As a preview, after a down-to-earth Mega experience today, tomorrow's Mega experience will have to take to the sky, and it will have to be as big then as it is big now.

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