Halloween 2023: Going (All) Out

So, not much more needs to be explained. Today is a "big day" of sorts for "otherworldly stuff", and it marks Halloween for this year. In the past three years (see below), I discussed about "spooks", moreover because those years had those of a particular kind. Now the "spooks" are less present in the world and people can more or less enjoy things like they used to - and for this day, that means trick-or-treating, something I've already discussed five years ago. This time, though, I want to bring back the discussion, but frame it in a different light while still keeping a Pokémon perspective.

Trick-or-treating means going out on this spookiest of all days, but that's par for the course for any voyaging Pokémon Trainer, like Ash or even me when I open up Pokémon Go while I go to wherever it is I need to go. Of course, on a normal day, there is less worry about the "spooks", whereas on this day, they are of primary concern. Yet it seems that on this particular day, it just means that Trainers will have to be a little more watchful and to deal with them with some care, as they do for other usual daily matters on any other day. It's still a "special" day in a way, so there are still some special considerations for this day.

And then there's the "going all out" part, which I tacked on to the title of this post. That would certainly mean going above and beyond, much like how my faraway friend the other day finally met me and my girl fan where we are, instead of us going to him, which is rather prohibitive for us. That could also mean taking advantage of certain opportunities when they present themselves, especially for enjoying this particular day; this is where trick-or-treating would obviously fit in. More than that, it also means doing the best that one can do under any situation, like the festival convention the other day.

Me: Right, Ash? And Goh?

Goh: I tend to agree.

Ash: OK, so you usually have plans for me today if we're like this.

Me: I do! And you should have been on them. But... Let's save most of it for tomorrow, shall we?

Ash: OK! Man, do we have a story!

Me: There is something we can discuss now, though. While you were on those plans, I needed you to capture as many Yamask (the Unova one) as you could. How'd that go?

Ash: I got a few. There was just one PokéStop around the place, so I had to use an Incense and a Lure Module.

Goh: Didn't you get to walk around?

Ash: I did, but I couldn't get too far. Oh yeah, I used quite a bit of your Pinap Berries too.

Goh: You don't mind, do you?

Me: No, that's absolutely what they're for. And a few is better than nothing.

Goh: So what was Ash up to?

Me: Like he said, it's worth telling the story in a full post. And it's one that involved going out and going all out. Stay tuned.

Ash, Goh: We can't wait!

In any case, going out and going all out seem to go hand in hand, especially given the framing of Halloween, Pokémon, or both. On this day, that would concern tricks and treats, but on any other day, it could be about doing the usual business but taking it to the next level. Whether or not the "spooks" are around - some are obviously here today and do need to be dealt with - going out may still be the imperative for dealing with life, and going all out is making the effort the very best, something all Pokémon fans ought to be familiar with. The tricks and treats of today might just follow suit.

Happy Halloween. 🎃 Let's go out and go all out. 📈

One year ago: Halloween 2022: Relative Spookiness

Two years ago: Halloween 2021: Spooky Branding

Three years ago: Halloween 2020: Facing the "Spooks"

Four years ago: Halloween 2019: Taking My Chances

Five years ago: Halloween 2018: The Tricks to Treats

Six years ago: Happy Halloween!