Point of (No) Return?

Well, September 5 is the day I returned to playing Pokémon Go after a year of absence, which happened many years ago (see below). It's something I've discussed from year to year with different focus topics, and this year is no different. This time, though, I want to discuss a rather difficult topic. Recent times might be considered turbulent times for Pokémon Go, with some people getting (back) into it while others are getting out of it due to the antics of Niantic (ahem). Given this situation, I'm prompted to think of my own, specifically what would have happened if I never returned that day, and the prospect of turning back on it all right now.

For the former, I probably would have continued my ill-fated career in VGC battling; while it could have meant finishing the main series games in time one after another, I might still have continued to struggle with the competitive complexity, including the processes of breeding and training. Else, I could have actually shifted to the TCG and started dealing with TCGO much earlier, building up a sizable collection and along with it the knowledge to play. In either case, Pokémon Go wouldn't have taken a big chunk of posts on this blog, and perhaps most of the content would be somewhat different in both order and topic. Yet it seems that I would eventually get into it, but not as extensively as today. 

As for the latter, that would definitely be a hard thing to do. The reason is that my progress has already become extensive, having Pokémon that are primed for raids, Gym battles, and even PvP. Even with that year's absence back then, I've essentially caught up with all the events that happened well after that time and especially Pokémon Go Tour. For competitive play, even if I'm still not the best and may or may not ever make it to a major competitive venue, the mastery is significantly more advanced than I could ever dream of for VGC and other areas of competitive Pokémon like the TCG. 

In essence, I'm essentially facing a "point of no return" with my progress in Pokémon Go, as the title of this post would suggest without any punctuative embellishments. Notwithstanding a possible "apocalypse" for the game (heaven forbid), it is practically impossible to go back to the way things were before that extensive progress, let alone the fact that it can still be tied to the main series games if I wish to shift again, even if that would be highly unlikely. Further, the extensive progress can also be used to assist other Trainers to try to get to where I am now and beyond, through trading, battles, and so on. At this point, it's simply not feasible to discount all the progress that I've made.

The turbulence that surrounds Pokémon Go at present has proven to be very dynamic for Trainers, especially for those who have gone back in and those who have gone out. I've made my going back in way before the turbulence started, and I think of it as a fruitful "point of return". It seems inconceivable to think of what would have happened if I was in a state of "no return" to Pokémon Go back then, and now it has become a "point of no return" to any preceding condition, even this turbulence. It seems that now I have my place, whether it's on this "return anniversary" or any other day I play Pokémon Go.

One year ago: Return Back, Return Forward

Two years ago: Returns in Various Guises

Three years ago: Returns Come and Go

Four years ago: Return, Return, Return, Return...

Five years ago: A Happy Return

Six years ago: Here I Go (Again)