Sunday, June 30, 2024

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 6/30/2024

As this is the last day of the month, my usual monthly rollup of events in Pokémon Go needs to be made today, and it has to, since in fact the primary content of the events ran up all the way to yesterday. Speaking of which, that primary content started out way back at the very beginning of the month and proceeded with three-day "break" gaps between each event; some of these are also "complement" events to the usual main happenings of Pokémon Go around these months. With that, things become rather significant and require quite a bit of detailing.

Kicking off the month was the Stadium Sights event from June 1 to 4. This is one of the "complement" events, being the complement to this year's Asian edition of Pokémon Go Fest in Sendai. It featured Pokémon of the Fighting and Flying types, certainly those that could be seen in arenas or stadiums; a host of them appeared in the wild, 7 km Eggs, and Field Research task encounters, with the primary feature being Shiny Emolga that also co-debuts with the Sendai event. Those that wanted more could opt to purchase a Timed Research set with Emolga encounters as well as a Super Incubator and extra Emolga Candy. Increased Candy and Stardust bonuses for hatching helped seal the deal for Trainers to attain new heights with this event.

Following the event, there might have been demand for a rest, and that's where the Slumbering Sands event came in from June 7 to 12. As expected, the featured Pokémon were those related to sleep or dreams, or are lax in general. Komala is one of them, and its Shiny form made a debut, along with the Slakoth family wearing a visor. As expected, they appeared in the wild and Field Research task encounters, while Snorlax with a nightcap also appeared... for those who connect a Pokémon Go Plus + and gotten a Timed Research set. Another set could be obtained for payment, containing a fashion item, encounters, and helpful items. The event also featured a bonus of double XP for catching, photo bombs, a Collection Challenge, and showcases - so there may or may not have been enough rest for everyone.

Next on the "complement" agenda was the Spelunker's Cove event from June 15 to 18. This time, it was for the European edition of Pokémon Go Fest in Madrid. Now, to spelunk means to venture into caves, so appropriately, all the featured Pokémon were rocky, watery, or could be found by the beachside; this includes the slightly oddball Crabrawler, for which its Shiny form made its debut at this time. The Pokémon all appeared in the wild, raids, and Field Research task encounters. Like the earlier complement event, this one had a bonus (double Candy catch) and a Timed Research set with Crabrawler, Premium Battle Passes, and the Candy for the respective Pokémon, which might be a driver for further spelunking, as is this event in general.

Scorching Steps, the next event in line from June 21 to 25, heated things up a little - in particular since the event involved Eggs to be incubated (heated), with bonuses of extra Candy and reduced hatch distance (quarter for the first three with the widget, half for the rest) plus increased chances for Shiny Slugma and Litleo. Apart from that, the important debut was for Shiny Larvesta, which could be hatched from 2 km, 5 km, and 5 km Eggs, if not other fiery Pokémon. On the side of Research, Field Research had mainly the first two fiery Pokémon above, while a Timed Research set furnished essentials as well as some of the fiery Pokémon. Along with them, there were also showcases of the featured Pokémon, all bringing their own heat to the table.

The last event of the table is a complement to the game's founding - that is, its anniversary. The Anniversary Party, which started on June 28 and will run until July 3, brings forth the celebration. Since it's the eighth anniversary, Grimer (Dex number #88) comes to enliven things with a party hat version, also being able to evolve as Muk still with the costume. It joins previous Pokémon with party hats - as well as Pikachu with the cake hat - in the wild and raids. Starter Pokémon are also all around, with the ninth generation ones throughout in the wild, others from previous generations in two-day batches, and all of them in Field Research encounters plus possible Mega Energy. Bonuses for friendship and Gimmighoul Coins are also present throughout, while other bonuses come in two-day batches. The rest of the event features are Shiny Meltan and more frequent Mystery Box openings, Timed Research with party hat Pokémon and Meltan encounters (free) plus items and another encounter (paid), Shiny Celebi in a Masterwork Research for those who haven't gotten it with associated bonuses, and an Anniversary Box bundle in either shop, as well as fashion items, stickers, and showcases. Lastly, as a part of the above, on June 29, there were Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids, with additional Timed Research sets. There will be more on the anniversary aspect soon, but this event serves as a testament of it for now. 

It is certain that the last of the events above is the major complement, but all the others have complements in their own ways, whether as part of the seasonal Go Fest celebrations or just being quirky in their own right. As significant as things go, this time of year for Pokémon Go is one of those times, and the events only have to make that fact more significant, including in detail.

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Saturday, June 29, 2024

Cosplay: Grill Summer Festival

Goh: So... Is this something else, or a same old thing?

Me: I'd have you believe it's the former, but it's somewhat of the latter. 

Ash: And of course you're sending me!

Me: Right. And in this case, I'm practically required to do that.

Goh: Hmm? Oh, I see now. I have the poster for it, and... Ash is a special performer. 

Ash: Yes, I am!

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Very nice!"]

Me: That is the case. Since the photo was already picked, I pretty much have to send you in that outfit.

Ash: The special journey outfit! That's fine by me.

Me: OK. Also, I've sent you real early, because you need to meet my raid friends first.

Goh: To raid?

Me: Of course - and the subject for this one is a big (and real big) serpent of the skies.

Goh: Rayquaza...? Mega Rayquaza??

Me: Hey, someone figured it out. Yeah, so that came down and challenged Trainers. How'd that go?

Ash: I battled five times and caught it three times. They weren't Shiny or very good.

Me: Well, we did what we can. After that, you should have gone over to the festival.

Ash: I did! It was in the same mall as before... but this time we were outside in the parking lot.

Goh: Interesting. The layout must have been different too.

Ash: Yeah! The stage was a T shape and the stands were in front of it. But there weren't too many...

Me: That's OK. What else happened?

Ash: There were games and other performances as usual.

Goh: As usual... I got it now. Bocchi Noizu helped with the festival.

Ash: Pretty much.

Goh: What about your performance?

Ash: I sang two really different songs today!

Me: Well, mostly. I gave them to you: one of them is by Rica Matsumoto but for something else, and the other is an idol song that you also performed some weeks ago - so that last one is not completely different, but it still is.

Goh: Wow. That's... different, all right.

Pikachu: Pika, pika chu. ["Right, a wild choice."]

Ash: Um... but I slightly messed up on one of the lines for each - and the idol song was a little loud in the background, and it shocked me a little.

Goh: Sorry about that.

Ash: But I got to rock with both songs! The first one really felt like me, even if it wasn't me.

Me: That's why I chose that one - and then there's the paradise event for the second one.

Goh: That's great anyhow. Did anything else happen?

Ash: That was pretty much it. Oh, another performer got unwell and changed at the last minute.

Goh: That's regrettable. And... the character parade? Wasn't there one?

Ash: Well, there was, but I wasn't in it this time.

Goh: Oh. I guess this means your performance compensated.

Ash: It did! So it's a little something for me and our friend.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["Every bit helps."]

Me: It's a little, but it means somewhat, which is why I sent you even with all the things we've got going.

Goh: You know, you could think of today as a practice if you want to try to get something from a competition next time.

Ash: Sure! I think we may have plans.

Me: I already do - but that's for later. Anyway, even today, the same old things can be something else, especially if they happen in the same day.

Ash: You bet! And we can make the difference.

Goh: I wouldn't disagree.

Me: And if that doesn't involve "grilling" ourselves (ahem), then that may just be what it takes.

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Friday, June 28, 2024

Freedom, On the Same Line

And latitude
Fold back the morning and bring on the night
There's an alien moon that hangs between darkness and light
Latitude
Between me and you, you're a straight line of distance
A cold stretch of black across blue
Latitude
-- "Latitude", Elton John

The world of Pokémon, even with some rules that some people and places may have, also offers a good deal of freedom to do some things and go to some places with involvement of the species of the same name. A concept that also expresses freedom in a way is "latitude", which regards the openness to do things on the spectrum of a line, much like those that circle the world in the east-west direction. That concept is essentially referred in the song I've quoted above, one of several by the same artist on the same album, also previously mentioned on this blog - yes, it's one of my attachments aside from Pokémon, but it's still valuable in all respects.

Quite a bit of the song makes references to scenes of daily life and the "distance" concept as part of the cartographic concept the song title refers to. Here again, "freedom" comes into play as the activities that a person may do in a day and the seemingly limitless possibilities of happenings in the environment. Similar things may occur in the Pokémon world for both regular people and Trainers, and of course all the Pokémon that accompany them or are present in the environment. And if they all lie on or approached by the same line - not necessarily that of latitude - then the openness of connections are evident.

Interestingly (or not), the song makes references to London, the city in England, which in the Pokémon world is reflected by the Galar region. The happenings then could be perceived as taking place in that region's analogue city (or cities), and the "freedom" concept carries over. Also, the moon in the Pokémon world, even if it is an analogue of the real world, could appear "alien" to some, and it seems to fit well with the "alien moon" as referred in the chorus, being the above quoted part.

Personally, I also perceive that the song contains a transition from the daytime to the nighttime (if the chorus as above doesn't already suggest as such), and this conjures up imagery of people with some things to do throughout the day, finally arriving at the night mentioned in the chorus. It makes sense to a certain extent, given all the elements of the song as I've mentioned above.

Having the freedom or latitude to do certain things is important, especially in the Pokémon world where there is the possibility of undertaking different kinds of adventures. And if they're all connected by certain lines, that may just be a prompt to have some of them in one's life and close up the distance between the person and other elements of the (Pokémon) world.

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Thursday, June 27, 2024

The True Nature of Pokémon Things

About a year ago, I made a discussion on how some actions, including some Pokémon ones, are not as simple to be accomplished as they seem - all based on my experience at that time and previously. In this way, the "true nature" of those things are revealed, albeit not in the most pleasant of ways - relatively at least. With recent happenings, Pokémon or otherwise, I'm inclined to revisit this topic, only with a focus on the "true nature" aspect.

For example, it is easy to describe Pokémon moves, skills, abilities, and the like in words - like the move details now commonplace in the main series games, or the specific actions on TCG cards - but putting them into practice is the part that sheds light on what happens when they are executed or put in play. In other words, their "true nature" is only revealed at the moment that things happen and actually play out.

Competitively, Pokémon games still rely on what is called "imperfect information", even with the rest being or having to be made available through team sheets, deck lists, and so on. It's that "imperfect information" that may often become the deciding factor, and even now, some things remain unknown along with their "true nature". Still, a lot of that is also revealed during actual play, whether the results go one way or another.

"True Nature" also happens to be the title of a Yanni musical piece and is admittedly part of the inspiration of this post. It's a slightly slow piece that in a way demands those who listen to it to make a contemplation of things, which may just include the manifestations - that is, the "true nature" - of the above aspects. It's especially helped by its repetitively melodic characteristic, which might lead people to go over things as well.

Even now, the "true nature" of some Pokémon things is also revealing itself in bits at a time, and I'm in need of making sense of it all - perhaps at a slow pace as demanded by the musical
piece that partly inspired the thoughts of this post. And once again, they're not necessarily as simple as they look; contemplation is still at hand one way or another, and the only hope is to find the "true nature" in the best way possible.

Six years ago: Leaders
Seven years ago: A Little Dream
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Other Pokémon Fabric Ideas

Thanks to a grand local Pokémon event (or more appropriately - and evidently - a series of events), Pokémon has now breached into fabric territory with adaptations of batik, the fabric of local pride. Still, the area of fabric is a broad and diverse one, even beyond the concerns of the local fabric. As such, there is the consideration that the fabric selections for Pokémon could be expanded in some ways to cater to the fans that might desire and use them for specific purposes.

An easy way of making fabrics is through printing, which pretty much also applies for the Pokémon batik in order to get consistent imagery and results (although batik has other printing methods, one of which is stamping and could conceivably work for other, simple Pokémon designs). A red gingham fabric with added Poké Ball or Pikachu motifs would suit this technique and is likely to have its appeal, along with other patterns that can similarly and conveniently be made in this manner. Here, the possibilities are relatively diverse, in part owing to the simplicity of the method.

Something more complicated would be making woven fabric that would have Pokémon imagery. The possibilities for this one are less diverse, in part because of the technique and its complications, but it could be rather doable for simple motifs like type symbols and even the ubiquitous Poké Ball. For more complicated ones, like a Pikachu silhouette, it might be possible for computers to step in and provide assistance, for example by determining which threads are to be woven where and in what order in order to create the silhouette. The rest is left up to human hands to create.

Out of all the possible manifestations for Pokémon collaborations, fabric might be one of the least expected ones. Yet the local Pokémon event shows that anything is possible, even with the confines of tradition that the local batik fabric has, still being able to manifest two designs featuring Pokémon. Other fabrics are less confined by tradition and are more free and diverse in their designs, and collaborations with Pokémon should be able to be realized in just the same manner.

Two years ago: Cosplay: Outfest 2022
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Tuesday, June 25, 2024

On the Green Side with Pokémon

A couple of years ago, I wrote about going to the "blue side" of things with Pokémon. Given that post as a partial inspiration, now I want to go into the "green side" of things. And it's a natural, really - for the same earth-like planet, there has to be such a side, as the verdant beauty of the land with its plant (and to some extent animal, as Pokémon) life. It covers an extent that is wide instead of deep, and that is similarly applicable to the thoughts and considerations for that side.

If the oceans create and support life, then the land may be thought to give and receive life. Here too there are small things like Cutiefly and large things like Snorlax, whose life sustenance is partly owed to the things that are gained from the plants on the land. The way that they sustain themselves is also what makes (and in some cases, keeps) things green on the land; for many, this would come naturally, while some others need a little - or a lot - of help for the know-how.

Consequently, the land similarly also has its own brand of economics: "green economy". If "blue economy" deals with taking advantage of the sea and its resources to move the economy along, "green economy" instead deals with keeping the natural state of things - "green" and sustainable if possible, non-destructive and efficient if at all. Pokémon species would be expected to have an innate sense of things, but the people (Trainers) would need to sense things out with their minds.

This discussion also prompts thoughts on how Pokémon as realized in real life can help to maintain a "green" balance of things. It is known that much of Pokémon is realized in electronic form - and in the case of the TCG, also in physical paper form - both of which might have their toll on the environment if not wisely realized. The consideration would be on how to keep the fantasies going in reality while maintaining the environment, something that most facets of the above economy deals with.

How Pokémon fits on the "green side" of things is not something that most people or its fans would consider, but at least I would have some of the considerations based on what I do or have done, in and out of the franchise. For the good of this world, this and the earlier "blue side" are important considerations, especially in current times. At least some of that would (and should) carry over into the Pokémon world, where the vital spirits may work in much of the same ways.

Five years ago: The Show Must Go On
Six years ago: Jumping the 'Karp
Seven years ago: Married... to Pikachu?
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Monday, June 24, 2024

To All the Lovely Boys (and Girls)

Hello! Boys and girls
Take me to your heart
With a kiss to a musical note
You and me "sweet song"
Is always with you
When we are holding hands together
Let's go! Boys and girls
Take me to your dream
I love these feelings, they are so sweet
Like a sunny day
I'm always with you
You only look at these dreams, oh lovely boy...
-- "L-O-V-E-L-Y ~Yume Miru ['I Dream of You'] LOVELY BOY~", Tommy february6 (interpretive lyrical translation)

Capping off this month's coverage of Japanese ending songs for the Pokémon feature films or movies is a (literally) lovely little number by a bubblegum-pop Japanese singer. It's the ending theme to the seventh movie, for which the English counterpart has been covered in a slightly different manner. That said, this song may itself be considered somewhat odd (different) for the movie in question, but it may still be regarded as workable, given the circumstances of both elements.

The quoted part above is the final double chorus, made up of line parts from the previous choruses. Typically I would provide a simple interpretation, but in this case, most lines of the choruses are already in English, and it doesn't take much to make the interpretation lyrical - which is exactly what I've provided. It also makes things evident that the song is a love song in many respects, which is probably isn't out of the ballpark for Pokémon, even if it's more direct than the other songs I've discussed. It may be more "par for the course" given the musical genre of the song itself.

As for actually interpreting this song in light of the feature film or movie, it may be considered that there is really only one connection. The "lovely boy" referenced in the song may be taken as a reference to the boy character Ash and the others meet in the main storyline and whose side story related to the main events of the movie is also presented at the beginning. The boy is pretty much a prominent character in that regard, even if he is only specific to this movie. While there could be other connections, especially in light of the nature of the song, that's out of my personal discussion range, and I prefer to just leave it at being a simple reference that explains the song choice for the movie.

Now I have to make an aside. For avid readers of this blog, they will note that this song was performed by someone else at the J-Song competition from a car convention several years ago - and by one of my friends, nonetheless. Thus far, it has been the only time that I've encountered someone else performing a song related to Pokémon at a singing competition, someone being other than me (as Ash, of course). It was, back then, a lovely day before things turned completely sour, as lovely as the references made in this song. Notably, the performer was a girl, so everything was just as sensible as lovely.

In regard to the message given by the title of this post, given the quoted part of the song as above, there is pleasantness to be had for any boy or girl who likes Pokémon. The song is in turn a further message that elaborates the title message, and given this as the last post for this month for the topic, it serves well as a concluding remark. Any other oddities that the song (and associated movie) may have can hitch along for the ride, while the ride for Pokémon fans continue, hopefully becoming as lovely as the romantic ride of this song.

Three years ago: Let's Talk About Grievances
Four years ago: The Show Must Go On
Five years ago: Jumping the 'Karp
Six years ago: Married... to Pikachu?
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Sunday, June 23, 2024

Let's Talk About Not Becoming Ourselves

Ash: Oh, we're just talking today.

Me: Yeah, um... It's a bit all over the place, so I've decided to have a "Let's Talk".

Goh: Well, this has to do with something, doesn't it. But we'll play along.

Me: So, um... I want to talk about the days when we're not our usual selves. I think we've all had one of those.

Ash: Oh, um... I guess that reminds me of the first time a long time ago that I became a girl.

Goh: You became a girl?!

Ash: Er... it was to get in to the Celadon City Gym so I could battle the Gym Leader.

Goh: Obviously that wasn't you, all right.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Surely."]

Me: But you did get your battle in, so you got back to yourself in a way.

Ash: I sure did.

Goh: If you didn't, you might have needed to keep up the act.

Ash: Er... don't ask. What about you, Goh?

Goh: Let me see... You know, I guess in that Project Mew assignment with the Regi titans, I wasn't feeling like myself at the start of it.

Ash: I think you told me about it - you had to do that one with Gary, right?

Goh: Right, we did that one together. Come to think of it, he was a little bit like that too, so I guess that applied for the both of us.

Ash: That seems a little strange for him, but I guess I can believe a bit of that.

Pikachu: Pi pika chu. ["We'll take that."]

Me: Given that I heard about the success, you also got back to yourself.

Goh: Make that the two of us.

Me: Of course.

Goh: Maybe now it's time to hear from our friend, about the choice of topic for today.

Me: So, um... I did send out Ash to somewhere today. But I can't say what it is, since I've learned that it is likely supported by some shady parties, even though we're already familiar with it.

Ash: Oh! So you mean to tell us that the "moving" festival you sent me to earlier is like that?

Me: I can't fully verify, but my friends and our character friends have some indirect evidence.

Goh: I get it. Now it makes sense. So there was one... but where was it?

Ash: This time it was at a plaza near our friend's house.

Me: It's not exactly "near" near, but it's close enough - that I could have you walk there.

Ash: I did, and I got a few things for you.

Goh: But then... what was the "not ourselves" part?

Ash: I wasn't in the character parade, and some people did ask.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu... ["They had to..."]

Me: That was my directive. So I guess we weren't ourselves for this one.

Ash: I did get together and talk with friends, and that was great.

Goh: That part is definitely your usual selves.

Me: That's probably the only concession. So you went back and reported to me after that.

Ash: For this too!

Goh: Of course.

Me: And... actually, I have to say that there's a Pokémon development that I'm now taking part in, but I haven't "found myself" yet for it - in other words, I haven't "become myself".

Goh: I see - so there's another aspect to the topic.

Ash: I'm sure you can find it! 

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Surely!"]

Me: And I hope to report on that when that happens. So to close up, there are lots of ways we don't become ourselves.

Goh: On the other hand, there's just as many ways to do that.

Ash: I think Goh is right. We'll just have to find it.

Me: If anything, talking about it could at least be the first step.

Ash, Goh: Yeah!

Two years ago: 2000 Posts!!!
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Saturday, June 22, 2024

Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 6/22/2024

As I've teased, today is the day of the 11th Community Day Classic edition, and it's always a hot one, with or without me sending Ash - and today, I just have myself for a change of pace and with nothing else being pertinent. Of course, sometimes the event (and the regular edition by extension) sometimes has one of Ash's Pokémon - or an evolved form of it - like the earlier regular edition this month, but that still makes me a happy camper regardless of whether or not Ash is present.

So, for this edition, the featured Pokémon is indeed one of Ash's, the second generation Fire-type starter known as Cyndaquil. It was featured way back in November 2018, and this Classic edition brings this one to contemporary Trainers. For that, it still features Blast Burn as the special move for the fully evolved form of Typhlosion, Slightly different from the last time out is the main bonus, which is now shared double XP and double Stardust instead of solely tripled Stardust; it may perhaps find favor with some contemporaries instead of veterans, but that seems to work out just as well either way.

Then there is a good deal of the modern conveniences. From 2 PM to 5 PM, as the event duration, Incense along with Lure Modules are extended to find more of the Pokémon, and they appear in photo bombs as well. There is the extra Special Research (titled just "Cyndaquil Community Day Classic"), which may be paid or even free for some people, along with the usual host of Field Research tasks at PokéStops plus some showcases. To help things out even more, there are also item bundles at both the Web Store and the in-game shop. With that, the essential bases are covered, which is just fine for a Classic edition such as this one.

One good thing is that Niantic has in this case more or less learned from their mistakes and experience from running many editions of Community Day up to today, so errors like the one that plagued the initial edition are no more, or at least relatively rare in modern times. That doesn't mean (or no longer means) an extension to the event, but all of the modern perks or conveniences might just render that unnecessary, and there could sometimes be ways to get around that, whether intentionally or not, as my raid group and I took to the effort of "'quil hunting" in our usual place today.

Certainly, I'm on the far right with the Pikachu shirt.

In my personal case, I didn't get too many of the Shiny forms, but that may be fair as the form is now commonplace and there may be ways to rectify less desirable results later on. There was also a "perfect surprise" that I managed to catch, but I already had one of my own years ago, so I didn't deal with it. As such, during this edition, I evolved my "gap fillers": ones that may be better suited for PvP, as well as a Shadow and Purified one, and an almost perfect but Lucky one that I had gotten ahold of somewhat recently. Again, the possibilities to make things right could be somewhat open, whether soon or much later.

Now, Community Day is evidently - by the above - a hot item, regardless of the edition (regular or Classic) and whether or not that pertains to the featured Pokémon. It may also be a plus if the latter also pertains to specific Pokémon characters, not necessarily Ash (that's more of a personal preference) but also possibly others. This Classic edition at the least checks off many if not all the boxes for different Trainers, including me, and that ought to make everyone "happy campers" in some way.

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Friday, June 21, 2024

My Pokémon Leveling Progress in Café Remix

As discussed in different blog post opportunities, leveling up Pokémon in Café Remix is an important part of playing the game. It's also a bit of an involved process, as it involves various uncapping milestones as well as efforts and/or items that are necessary for that purpose. Still, due to the relative paucity of Pokémon in the game, it may be easier to keep track of my progress and to be necessitated to do so, and that's why I've decided to take a post for that specific purpose of detailing things. 

Currently, I have six Pokémon fully leveled up to Level 25, the highest as of yet. I also have a good swath of Pokémon in the 20s, uncapped by the spending of Macarons for them. They will continue to be leveled up by way of training as well as regular event gameplay, both of which give out the most EXP aside from the use of Tarts. My plan at present is to make sure that some of them regularly climb up through these levels in order to have a good selection of Pokémon that are maxed out and raring to cook. 

I also have lots of Pokémon at Level 20, and they are all awaiting their turn to be uncapped with Macarons for the next phase as above. The rest of the Pokémon that are not at this level will also be gradually brought to this level, particularly as their use in regular event gameplay becomes evident, and to some extent I also need to use up the Tarts I receive from Daily Training and other sources. They will then also become my workhorse in the remaining main orders that I haven't gotten to play through.

The rest of my Pokémon are at the Level 15 or 10 uncapping milestones, or somewhere close to those milestones. I keep them there for as long as their purposes are not yet evident or they are not needed at or for higher levels. What is almost assured is that any new staff member Pokémon at this point will be brought up immediately to either of these milestones, given the ease of doing so and the plentiful resources at my disposal. Even at those points, they might become usable even in regular gameplay, which is definitely important.

Out of all the things that can and need to be done in Café Remix, leveling up Pokémon might be the easiest yet the most demanding to be done. Yet if my progressions are of any indication, if the resources are present, then half of the effort is already there, and the other half is what is willing or needs to be put in. Regular gameplay can support this well enough, and once the leveling effort has been put in, one should be well on their way to have capable Pokémon staff members for any kind of order (stage) that might come.

Two years ago: The Fossil Cup of GBL
Three years ago: Community Day Patterns
Four years ago: Another Anime Dream
Seven years ago: Resets and Redos
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Thursday, June 20, 2024

Driving and Loving with Pokémon

Many years ago, a certain car company adopted two verbs (and a conjunction) as its slogan, both of which are present in the title of this post. Their intent was most likely to frame the main activity - that of the former - as a pleasurable experience, besides being an utilitarian one for getting from one place to another, most likely within one of the cars made by them. Of course, this is a Pokémon blog, so I'd have to consider this situation with Pokémon in mind in order to be able to write about it here, and I have a couple of those considerations.

One consideration is that the activity could be done with Pokémon, quite likely in a car with lots of Pokémon decorations, like dolls, figures, and the like - including the car itself as an itasha. For a Pokémon fan who likes to drive, this could very much be an ethereal and thus pleasurable experience, though one would have to be somewhat careful as well with the way the vehicle is, both inside and outside. Other fans who tag along for the ride in the vehicle would have a chance to feel the same way, and therefore it could become a method of sharing the "love" in addition to the drive.

If the drive isn't being done with Pokémon, it could be done for Pokémon instead, and that becomes the point of the other consideration. It could be done in order to get to a convention where Pokémon is being exhibited by the driver or otherwise, or with a very practical Pokémon purpose, it could be done in order to get to an edition of the World Championships, wherever it might be held that given year. On a more personal note, and as a bit of a stretch, one could take the drive in order to get to a friend, colleague, or whoever, in order to arouse them and get some Pokémon activities going - which might prove to be as ethereal and pleasurable as all the other activities mentioned above.

That last activity recalls a similar activity I was involved in many years ago with similar purposes and objectives, even if it was less related to Pokémon. Else, it could be considered that the activity was intended to allow this Pokémon fan to be hosted by someone else in order to be able to continue Pokémon pursuits while being away. It sounds like a certain song, which could be considered to tie back into the car company slogan as above:

I drove all night
To get to you
Is that all right?
I drove all night
Crept in your room
Woke you from your sleep
To make love to you
Is that all right?
I drove all night...
-- "I Drove All Night"

So it seems that driving and loving could be well within the bounds of the same activity, and the car company is somewhat justified for having picked that former slogan. Justifying them together with Pokémon is a whole another thing, but that seems to be just as workable, and that should please all Pokémon fans, including me.

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Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Saving (Preserving) Pokémon Locations

In thinking about the setting and inspiration of the fifth Pokémon feature film or movie by its Japanese ending theme, I'm reminded that the latter is a real-life place that is facing a huge problem: it's sinking by subsidence and the encroaching sea. Yet it's a place that needs to be saved or preserved for all its beauty and history. That leads me to consider how to do the same for certain places in the Pokémon world that are facing the similar problem of being threatened to be lost.

Supposing that the first place mentioned above (Alto Mare) also faces the same threat, the solution would probably be not that much different - keep the sea out and the buildings erect, by technology or otherwise. Of course, this is Pokémon after all, so it is possible that the species and/or their byproducts would be involved in the solution, for example a marine habitat for Corsola nearby. Ultimately, there are also the guardian(s) of the city... but that's a solution for a different resolution.

Then, there are places like the desert in Unova that is a band surrounded by two developed areas. While the desert itself is a band that keeps the developed areas from merging into each other, the challenge may just be the opposite: keeping the developed areas from merging into the desert. Though the desert itself may just be the incentive to not encroach upon it, some might think about doing so to make use of the resources on the fringe, which then my pose problems when more try to do the same.

Yet, a certain place like Cinnabar Island (and its town) may prove difficult if not impossible to preserve. It is known for being situated next to a volcano, for which the effects of an eruption can be seen clearly in a later iteration of the place with only the Pokémon Center as the only surviving structure. In that case, the Pokémon Center might as well have to act as the place that preserves the (memory of the) place as it was, and to make sure things stay that way even if the island doesn't.

As it is often mentioned and observed, the Pokémon world is one that is adjacent to the real world in terms of conditions, for the people, the species, and the environment. That means the issue of preservation is also adjacent to these elements and one that deserves at least some consideration. While the issue might not make itself evident for any of the places mentioned above - and a few others that I didn't bring up - at least some thoughts may be given to the issue and how that might work out for the places.

Two years ago: Say You Love Me (Not)
Three years ago: Earthing with Pokémon
Five years ago: LINE Pokémon Emoji
Six years ago: The Super Incubator
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Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Community Day Classic Prospects

Community Day Classic in Pokémon Go started out in 2022 and there have been 10 editions of it so far, with an 11th coming this Saturday (that's a teaser). Obviously, that hasn't covered all the previous (unique, non-recap) editions of Community Day - 72 of them as of this month - and due to its infrequent nature, it'll always be playing catch-up somehow. All the same, there are certain prospects for this event that some Trainers (including me) are expecting or desiring, and some of those prospects deserve to be explained.

A popular expected target for this event is Beldum, which had been featured in October 2018 with a repeat the following week due to technical issues. The special move (Meteor Mash for Metagross) for this edition had been able to be gotten as part of certain other events, but the Pokémon itself hasn't been featured all that much, which is why many are eager for a Classic edition with the Pokémon. However, this one does face a few problems. It had actually been scheduled in the past but was changed at the last minute, perhaps due to unscrupulous reactions. Also, with Candy XL and Mega Evolution (for Metagross) in mind, they make for good reasons to defer it to prevent drastic changes to the PvP landscape. Whether or not this will continue to be the case, perhaps only time will tell and eventually it will be had.

Next on the list is Ralts, previously featured in August 2019. For this one, it seems fewer Trainers expect or desire it, but in my circles, I know a few of them who desire its return as a Classic edition, and I would support that. Like the one above, the special move (Synchronoise for both Gardevoir and Gallade) could have been gotten in certain other events, though the basic Pokémon less so. Mega Gardevoir has also become available since then, but Mega Gallade hasn't; a potential Classic edition might have to be adjacent to or including its availability (like Mega Altaria was), which also applies to the above. The realization of this may or may not have similar barriers.

Personally, I desire for a return of Rhyhorn from February 2020. This particular Pokémon has also been at a dearth of being featured in events, and I could really use a repeat to gain its resources, not to mention for Rhyperior's special move of Rock Wrecker. Generally, it was also part of the last edition before the world "went south" for a few years, and it too was already affected at that time; thus, I'm certain a good number of Trainers would also want this one to be featured properly as a Classic edition. Though the excuse may be for different reasons, the objective is still pretty much the same.

The potential prospects for future editions of Community Day Classic are many, but they are also seemingly dependent on the priorities for keeping order - perhaps not so much the sequence of things, but more on the state of affairs in Pokémon Go and of its Trainers. With that in mind, at least some bases for new and old Trainers alike will be covered with future editions, and at that point, the expectations and desires can come to a head with reality.

Five years ago: On Copyrights
Six years ago: Boxes of Go-Goodies
Seven years ago: There Is Only One Ball
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Monday, June 17, 2024

Not Alone... But Alone

No more fears, always be brave
You're no longer alone
Together and forever, we'll pursue the stars
As they shine
-- "Hitoribocchi Ja Nai", coba & Kazufumi Miyazawa (interpreted)

The coverage of Japanese ending themes for the Pokémon movies or feature films continue, this time on a slightly solemn note. That's because this one is for the fifth one, for which the solemn quality is very true indeed - but it should still be watched if possible. And in its progression, something (or things) are left alone - that is, go into a state of aloneness - which can be a little distraught for some. The ending song can then perhaps be construed as a way of speaking to that situation and providing reassurance.

In translation, the title of this song means roughly the second of the four lines quoted above. Structurally, this grouping of lines is a little hard to define, but it could be thought of as the "answer verse" to an initial verse (or a set of them as the first); it's also the first of two, as the second one contains a small difference. Overall, the lyrics of the song itself speak much about companionship, both spiritual and physical, as well as the struggle for "the one" alluded in the song as well as their companion. Love isn't mentioned directly, but it could be taken to be implied. All this is done with an upbeat and fast rhythm, which is kind of odd.

What makes this song even more of an oddity is that it seems to sound a little inspired by French melodies rather than Italian ones (as the setting of the movie and its inspirational underpinnings would imply that it should be). But then, both countries are Mediterranean Sea countries - if not just straddling, as the former of these countries would suggest - so the musical aspect seems to be respectable to a certain degree. While it's also not sounding too bright, the fast rhythm also makes it sound brighter than it seems to be, a further oddity among oddities. The song seems to want to make up for the darker premises of the movie, which seems to be fine if not a slightly odd claim to be made.

Now, coincidentally, I'm writing this post on a "half dark" and "half bright" day - that much I can say. The lore behind this day states that some things had to "depart", perhaps much like what does (or did) happen in the movie being referenced in here; some years ago on the same day of all days, I had to experience a similar "departure" myself, in a way leaving me to become alone. All that, therefore, seems to be fitting to demand for this song, just like the movie itself seems to want to demand this song after what happens (or happened) in it. It seems crazy how some things seem to work out, including revolving around this movie.

After the happenings of the movie, some people and fans might become particularly divided on how to regard them, perhaps becoming "alone" in mind. Yet then this song comes along, and it seems to be a bright spot, or perhaps the only bright spot, other than the movie itself. With it, it seems that they become as the title of the song suggests, being no longer alone... even if they actually are, whether or not that would be similar to the movie happenings. At that point, it may just be a matter of taking things in stride.

One year ago: The Mystique of 151
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Sunday, June 16, 2024

Cosplay: Gold Generation

Me: Well, this weekend's golden, all right.

Ash: So what am I up to now?

Me: Let's start with a bit of storytelling. So, a local gold shop - yes, as in the stuff that shines and found in jeweled treasure - wanted to hold a little celebration. They then came up with this.

Goh: Hmm, it doesn't look half bad. 

Me: Actually, I'm told "half and half" is the way things go for this one. One half of it is a gaming tournament, but it's for a game neither of us play.

Ash: Oh! I think I know. It's the same game from the "spicy carnival".

Goh: That went too spicy for us.

Me: Tell us about it. Anyway, yes, it's that game, so we don't really have anything to do with it. But the other half...

Ash: That's where we are! 

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Sure enough!"]

Me: One other thing: you'll probably notice something familiar about the venue and people who help to hold it.

Ash: OK, so I got there after you told me to meet with a few friends first, and... oh - it's the same as the gatherings from back when.

Goh: Well, I think we know how things (would) go. How many performances were there? 

Ash: Not many. Just five and all at once. You know, singing, dancing, magic tricks, and stuff.

Goh: OK, I trust you.

Me: What about the character parade, though?

Ash: I tried something a little dramatic - maybe I even worked my Poké Ball a bit much?

Me: Careful with that - we might be in for weird things if the worst happens.

Ash: I'll remember that next time.

Goh: Well, the judges might have had something to say.

Ash: They did - Judges' Choice!

Pikachu: Pika chu pika! ["Very nice job!"]

Me: Neat! Another addition to our portfolio (mine, but whatever).

Goh: How many prizes were there?

Ash: A lot! I think almost everyone got something.

Goh: That's pretty nice.

Ash: I'd say. They were pretty generous.

Goh: Now, maybe we could cover a bit of the game side? 

Ash: I saw some matches and I thought they were neat, so we got our Pokémon version going... maybe to show it off a little.

Me: Hey! Why not - let the other people take a look at what we do. What did they think about that?

Ash: They might have been interested? But I can't tell.

Goh: If they are, maybe we could see something in the future.

Ash: And I think I'd bring Pikachu in.

Pikachu: Pi, pika chu? ["Sure, why not?"]

Me: I hope that happens. For now we can only hope.

Goh: So, Ash got to see a few golden things today.

Ash: Pretty much, even a little of the gold stuff.

Me: For security reasons, obviously you didn't see a lot of the actual stuff. But people who shine seems to be a good alternative.

Ash: Like us!

Goh: And others.

Me: We'll keep shining any way we can.

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Saturday, June 15, 2024

Pokémon Calendars

Various tools are needed to keep time in this day and age, and one of them is the calendar for the time of year. The tool itself can also come in a variety of forms and appearances, and it might also be possible to make them pretty with different things. As expected by this blog, Pokémon is one of those things of concern, and that in fact has been and can be the case, either of which is possibly quite pleasing for its fans.

A long time ago, I saw a day-to-day style calendar featuring Pokémon, and each day would contain a Pokémon trivia of some sort. While this type of calendar does work, it might be a little too precious for some, especially if it's enhanced with content outside of timekeeping. I had one such calendar with different enhanced content - also a long time ago - and I stopped keeping up with it early in the year it's supposed to keep because it seemed somewhat precious; there was also the apparent waste-increasing potential of the calendar with its daily bulk. If another calendar of this style featuring Pokémon comes up, it may make a difficult choice for some fans (like me) to use in light of the above.

Of course, it's also possible to have a calendar in sheet form for each month, which might be considered a more common and workable style. This kind of calendar can have a page spread consisting of timekeeping content on one part and enhanced (Pokémon) stuff on another part, and that makes things workable with a lot less bulk than the previous form. This is also the kind of calendar that some desktop publishing programs (the previously mentioned Pokémon Project Studio being included) can assist in making, and given this and the above fact, this seems to be the "happy medium" for things.

Then, it's possible to make a desk calendar in similar form as the previous one, and it might show two months at a time, further reducing bulk. The Pokémon enhancement might have to be thought about carefully (regardless for the previous one), but if a fan is to use it and keep it after it's been used, this might very well be the best option.

Calendars obviously come in all kinds of forms, which also implicates certain sizes, and they're indispensable for timekeeping. Meanwhile, for some people, fandoms are indispensable, and that likely applies to many Pokémon fans. With that being the case, those fans may feel the need to have calendars that represent or show off what they like, and any of the above forms might just satisfy this need wonderfully - allowing times to be kept neatly while showing off their fandom of choice in a pleasing manner.

Five years ago: Code Affairs
Six years ago: Number One for...
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Friday, June 14, 2024

The Unnerving Feeling and Pokémon

Like other people, sometimes I have the same feelings that they have. One of those is the feeling of being unnerved (weak) at the sight or thought of certain things, which makes me somewhat unable to function. Luckily, it's a feeling I don't often have, and the triggers are few. Given my liking of Pokémon, though, I have to think about the fact that fans like me might have all sorts of reactions to things involving it, and one of those reactions might be this very feeling, which means putting down my thoughts about it here.

Personally, I find that the feeling comes for me when I think of some gruesome things that pertain and occur to the physical body, and how those things might affect it and its functioning profoundly. The way that I feel at that point might be as if I was afflicted with those things. All the same, these are things that aren't (often) brought up in Pokémon (at least in official mannerisms), so I'm practically safe from them in that regard. Still, there are other things in Pokémon that might just provoke the feeling for some people.

The slime from the Goomy species family as well as the Stun Spore from various Grass-type Pokémon have been reputed to have ill (or at the least yucky) effects for some people. As such, there might be a possibility that some people could perceive its effects and become unnerved, just like with the gruesome things as above. What could probably be somewhat gruesome is to think about Slowpoke tails actually coming off of the species in unnatural means, which has been referenced in some contexts and could actually be unnerving.

As a whole, though, Pokémon could be considered to be somewhat safe from inciting the feeling of being unnerved, and that is somewhat of a good thing. Yet the possibility could still remain open to be realized as in the circumstances above, though quite possibly much less commonly. Being adjacent to reality, it's still hardly a surprise if anything related to Pokémon triggers all kinds of real feelings, even something less savory as being unnerved - yet hopefully most of the feelings will be good ones and enjoyable ones instead.

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Thursday, June 13, 2024

Time to Get Back into the Cards?

The Pokémon TCG has always been a kind of secondary venture for me, even as I began to understand its gameplay a long time ago. With the aid of Ash delivering a joint effort for even winning a short match on Sunday, there is now the consideration that I may want to get back into playing the cards regularly... or at least try to. Still, there are a few present (and personal) matters that help and hinder such an endeavor at this time.

One of those matters is that I'm always reminded that I should be logging into the TCGL regularly to claim certain things that can help my gameplay there one way or another, and if I don't (at least not within a certain time period) I won't be able to claim their benefits for my purposes. At the very least, this is also an initiative for me to play a game or two as I log in for the purpose of keeping up my skills there as well.

As a result of that victory, I've been invited to participate in a minor group of local fans of the TCG for the purpose of seeing whether we could help each other, and even get some things going on the TCGL if need be. This latter thing has not yet happened, but there have been some lively discussions on the common local physical cards, especially with regard to procurement, which might help me as much as it can help the others.

Even with all that, I also find myself presently also hampered by connection issues, both at home and outside, which can hinder play on the TCGL and sometimes communication with my group. Then there is the fact that some people in the group only meet inopportunely, and the gentle reminder that most forms of improvement to my physical gameplay will necessitate some spending, which may not be in my current best interest.

With all the things that have happened, a present personal effort for getting back into playing the cards (regularly) might be as intriguing as it is challenging. Yet, I've already gotten quite a bit of knowledge about them, so it's important to maintain that knowledge somehow with an effort to play - the one from Sunday being an instance of this. Given the way things go, I'd say I'd need to figure out how to incur more of these instances. 

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Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Quickies: Smells Like Pokémon

I'm exposed to all kinds of smells each and every day. Some of them are pleasant and can be smelled for hours on end, while others are (bordering on) offensive and less deserving of that honor, even becoming set aside after a short time. Pokémon, as expected by its adjacency to the real world, can have similar smells, in particular for the species that bear the name. Because I've been thinking about some of these smells, I'm directed to make a post on that, in particular to fill a bit of time due to ongoing happenings.

Previously, I've explored some species twice over that have their own pleasant smells, and they certainly still apply within the context of this post. But then, it's also still plausible that some Pokémon of the Fairy type can have their own brand of pleasant smells; otherwise, they wouldn't be very attractive indeed. Even for some people, the briny smell of creatures from the ocean could be expected to be its own pleasing smell, and this also fits some Pokémon species. Then, it might just be possible for some Pokémon of the Rock and/or Ground type to possess "earthy" smells that are still pleasant, further increasing the possibilities.

The ones with offensive smells are unfortunately just as numerous. It has been attested that species of the Poison type definitely reek of certain smells that are universally agreed as offensive. It may also be possible for species of the Steel type to leave behind residues of their metal bodies, which some people could find offensive. On the other end of the spectrum, even Pokémon of the Grass (as well as some with the Bug type) could potentially exude foul smells, in particular when they are disturbed. This last bit also seems the key to most species in this category, as they might be less offensive if they are not disturbed.

Any nice smell is likely to be allowed to pervade and any not-so-nice smell is likely to be covered up. The same would likely apply to some Pokémon who might be responsible for these smells. Even so, some smells still catch on the wind no matter what happens - this being also true in my real case - and they become an inescapable part of the world. So too is what applies for Pokémon for its fans and people in that world, and both can expect certain smells in the air every which way they go.

Three years ago: The Floating City Awaits
Four years ago: As In As All...
Five years ago: Nationally Challenged
Six years ago: Before Gold and Silver
Seven years ago: Red on a Bike
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Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Signs of a Good Day (and Morrow)

All around me, the windows are brightened
There are dreams in the heads of the people
It seems today is a fine day
Tomorrow should be a good day
Tomorrow should be a good day...
-- "Ashita Tenki ni Shite Okure", Fumiya Fujii (interpreted)

Next in this month's "four a month" coverage, which pertains to Japanese ending songs from the Pokémon feature films or movies, is a rather gentle number. This song is the ending for the fourth movie, one that highlights the penchant of a particular time-traveling Pokémon. "Time" also seems to be an appropriate descriptor for the song, as it has some pertinence to a concept of time. In fact, the title itself contains "ashita" - Japanese for "tomorrow" - and the song essentially revolves around that.

The overall message of the song is about finding all the signs of a good day in daily life, and consider that they might also just be indicative of a good day in the next one (the morrow - that is, tomorrow). Those signs are indeed listed in the verses and choruses of the song, for which the quoted part represents the final chorus with its repeated final line; the choruses contain the title of the song as their final line, with my interpretation as above based on certain translations. It's still a fine message in any case, and one transitioning time - exactly a theme explored in this movie.

In a way, the song might be considered to daisy-chain into a couple of non-Pokémon songs. One of them is "The Sweetest Days", one that I've brought up very early on in this blog. It has some similar (not completely the same) messages and may also be considered to be somewhat more abstract than this song. The other is a certain song with a similar vibe, thematically and musically, that is made for another Japanese series - which I'd rather not mention for the purpose of this post - yet came out much, much later than this song; while it may or may not be a "tribute", even in partial, but it's still nice to think about what that song reflects vis-a-vis this one.

One other thing to note is that the song itself (by its title in translation) could also be considered to be alluded or referenced in the ending song for the English dub of the movie. Even with this adaptation, at least it might show that the producers of the dub at that time - and I do mean "at that time" - understood some of the Japanese contexts of either the movie or the song (or both) and decided to include the reference in the most subtle place as the ending song. In that way, the English dub is made to preserve a partial contextual tie to the original Japanese - a nice touch.

Some Pokémon species have the apparent capability to make themselves persist throughout time, one of them as evidenced in the movie or feature film being referenced as it relates to the song above. Considering the song, time persistence is also indicated by its themes, and that aligns well with the concepts presented in the movie. It is likely one watching the movie and then listening to this song afterward will consider their day to be fine - and hope that that would be the case even as the next one dawns.

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Monday, June 10, 2024

Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/9/2024

Me: Well, of course the regular special task is (was) Community Day.

Goh: That answers a lot of questions.

Ash: I had my Kalos outfit, so it was for this, right?

Me: Right you are. That's because yesterday's featured Pokémon was Goomy from this very region.

Ash: I had a Goodra when I traveled in Kalos, so now you get to have one too.

Pikachu: Pika. ["Neat."]

Me: Precisely. Goomy evolves to Sliggoo, then to Goodra. But the special move this time for the last one was different: Thunder Punch.

Goh: It's an Electric type move, but Goodra is of the Dragon and Water types.

Me: Indeed, so it must be really for "coverage". Still, it's exclusive, so it's better to have an exemplar rather than not.

Goh: What was the main bonus?

Ash: I think it was tripled Stardust.

Me: Indeed it was, so some Star Pieces might have been in order.

Ash: I did use a few of yours, so I got quite a bit more Stardust for you.

Me: Nice! Thanks.

Goh: By the way, how did you evolve Sliggoo to Goodra? I read that you need it to be raining.

Ash: It was raining a bit both in and out, but I needed a Rainy Lure Module to be certain - and I got one while others activated a couple.

Me: Sure thing. You got that one from a timed task, which is usually present if anything to be evolved needs (or may need) an item, like Sliggoo does.

Goh: That's a pretty good forethought.

Ash: And it works for us!

Me: Certainly. Then we also (should have) had the rest of the regular bonuses.

Ash: Yeah! Double catch Candy and Candy XL chance was there.

Goh: I'm sure you had extended Lure Modules and Incense to make things happen.

Ash: Sure did! I traded with a friend for less Stardust and had the extra Special Trade.

Goh: Did you take pictures and raid for Sliggoo to find more Goomy?

Ash: Not many, but that was fine. I didn't get the bundles either, but they were there.

Goh: You also should have had field tasks and the special tasks with Professor Willow.

Ash: Yup - I got the special tasks by a code from our friend's friends. I saw showcases but I didn't put anything in them.

Goh: And the stickers?

Ash: We already had a lot of them!

Me: That part was me - I opened a lot of Gifts before today, so we really did get a lot.

Goh: OK, so I think we covered them all. How was yesterday actually?

Ash: I got to walk with a few of our friend's friends - some also from the last time. There was a lot of Goomy around and I tried to catch as many of them as I could.

Pikachu: Pi pi pika chu! ["Goomy everywhere!"]

Me: I trust that you did. Sometimes it can be a tough task, even for me.

Ash: I know! Sometimes it also fled.

Goh: Yeah, that's tough all right. How about some Shiny Goomy?

Ash: Just four, and they all could have been better.

Me: Sorry about that. When we're as good as we are, sometimes they may not come as often.

Goh: Evolving to Goodra must have had some tough decisions.

Ash: Actually, our friend had just the right ones outside of the Shiny ones, so that wasn't too hard. And I got them all evolved.

Me: Thanks. I might beg a friend or two for a Lucky Trade with a Shiny one. 

Goh: I suppose... nothing from the giveaways?

Ash: Nope, sorry. Just like last time.

Goh: Any special raids?

Ash: A Shadow Wobbuffet and a Shadow Raikou this time - and I caught both.

Goh: Very neat!

Ash: The group photo was just fine, though.


Me: Sure. This is OK by me.

Goh: Also, you didn't get wet, did you?

Ash: Maybe a little from water from the trees, but of course not from the Goomy.

Pikachu: Pi pika. ["I wonder."]

Me: Haha, yes! I found that the species family could be really wet if it lets it be.

Ash: I found that out from Professor Willow too.

Me: So, while you couldn't "slip and slide" in yesterday's festival, this one made up for that a bit.

Ash: I guess I did!

Goh: It's just another way of "getting our feet wet".

Me: There you go. Hopefully not with Goomy goo, but there will always be some kind of "water" from any experience.

Two years ago: Bots in Pokémon Unite
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Sunday, June 9, 2024

Cosplay: Akazora Fest 2024

Ash: Hey, Akazora Fest is back!

Me: Indeed. Looks like Japan Culture Daisuki is going to make this an annual thing along with its other conventions.

Goh: Well, I guess we can expect a lot of the same things from last year.

Me: Sure... with some other differences. Let me start by saying that this year it's only a single day - today.

Goh: Maybe you know the reason for that?

Me: I'm told that the mall - the usual one for many conventions, festivals, and such - is starting to apply restrictions on its covered parking lot. So we may not see them as often, moreover for a weekend.

Ash: Except for two weeks ago!

Me: Except for that, sure. Anyway, let's have Ash tell us more about how the space was like.

Ash: Well, it really was like last year, with the two stages and the community and food spaces. But... it seemed like they were trying to squeeze in people with all the barriers. 

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["It looked cramped."]

Goh: Why, that does seem strange for a festival that's supposed to be open.

Me: It must have been like that all day long.

Ash: In the morning it wasn't too crowded. But I'm sure that was what happened in the afternoon when I left the place for a bit like you told me to. 

Goh: Oh? What happened?

Ash: It's for a regular special task for us.

Me: It's also (part of) the reason why I sent Ash with the Kalos outfit - but more on that tomorrow.

Goh: So that means you must have missed some of the entertainment. I have the schedule, let's see here... I think based on our previous talks, it was mostly dance groups and bands, even all day.

Me: So, not much to worry about. We can catch most of those another time.

Goh: Then there were eating competitions...

Me: Not for us, really.

Goh: ...and the character parade.

Me: That would be for us, but circumstances don't allow in more ways than one.

Ash: I think I know what you're talking about!

Pikachu: Pi, pika chu. ["I have an idea."]

Me: Yeah, but it's been "beaten to death" already, so let's not discuss it.

Goh: By the way, this is "Akazora Fest" - for Ara Akazora, right? Was she there?

Ash: I didn't see her.

Me: I think Nekonoi Katsu - the one who sends her, the character - is busy with other things. I didn't hear from her officially about anything related to this.

Goh: I see. Well, what about communities?

Ash: A tile game community from outside the area dropped in, and my friend's friends and I helped them get set up.

Goh: Tile game, huh.

Me: It's more of my thing than Ash's - something I like to do outside of Pokémon - but it's not a primary thing like Pokémon is. All the same, we had to "play host" for them.

Ash: And I played for you a little - I won once or twice.

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Pretty good!"]

Ash: For all this, we also got in for free.

Goh: That's a nice perk, and a neat thing to do for them.

Me: Indeed it is.

Ash: I also had a short Pokémon battle with cards at a card game community - and I won too!

Goh: Wow! That must have been nice.

Ash: Yeah, I did make a couple of mistakes at the start, but it turned out all right.

Goh: Great!

Me: Any other communities besides those?

Ash: I sang at the karaoke booth and got to look at the merchandise but didn't buy anything.

Me: Buying isn't "in our cards" anyhow at the moment, so that's fine.

Goh: So, it was a good day - even if it was a little different.

Ash: I heard that they really were going for a "street festival" vibe - like a faraway festival our friend sent me to years ago...

Me: Wait, if this is the one I'm thinking of, then we do have our regrets as much as enjoyment for that.

Goh: But this should have turned out just as well - and it's much closer.

Me: Very true.

Ash: Anyway, as Goh said, it was a good day.

Pikachu: Pika! ["Nice!"]

Ash: And we can make it different again next time!

Me: That, and now we know what to expect from Ara Akazora when she - and hopefully in person too - comes about.

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