Quickies: Metal Sounds in My (Pokémon) Life

Early in the morning in my local area, I'm often awakened by a certain somewhat loud metal sound. Yet I'm comforted by the fact that the metal sound serves more as a good signal rather than the result of anything nefarious - unless there's an evident commotion, which has never been the case. As wired to Pokémon as I am, I have the tendency of thinking that they could be generated by or with the aid of Pokémon, and that becomes something to really think about.

The most likely Pokémon aids for the sound that I mentioned would be from the Bronzor family, which makes distinct sounds of their own, if their species cries are of any indication. The sounds that they make are distinctly metallic and seem to be able to substitute nicely for that sound, if they weren't already prompted to generate themselves. As mentioned, as long as a commotion doesn't come, they can serve the sound role very well.

Of course, other Pokémon of the Steel type might make other sounds of their own, particularly if they have the Metal Sound move. Even so, this is a move with jarring effects, and its sound is expected to be jarring as well. That would in theory make it useful to be used to break up a commotion, perhaps something that would be reported by different metal sounds with even more different Pokémon than the above.

Sounds will always be heard in my (Pokémon) life, and some of them, like the ones in my local area, can be expected to be metallic in nature. The hope is that they will remain mostly as good signals rather than indications of anything bad. That still would bode well for my early mornings when I expect the good signals to come as I continue to rest... or become active for the day, when there could be even more metal (Pokémon) sounds waiting to be heard.

One year ago: Cosplay: ChibiCon x Ghosty's Comic

Two years ago: The Halloween Cup of GBL... Ultra League Edition

Three years ago: A Glimpse into Faction Battlefields

Four years ago: Hype and Habit and Pokémon

Five years ago: Cosplay: Erafun Cosplay Contest

Six years ago: Cosplay: Art and Cosplay Stage "PANSOS"

Seven years ago: How Many Is Too Many?

Cosplay: Aratana Matsuri - ITTAF Exhibition

Me: Well, I did say "busy weekend", didn't I?

Goh: You said it.

Me: Although, after I received the report from Ash, I was hesitant in telling it like it is... but then, I decided that it should be done.

Ash: Yeah, um...

Goh: This doesn't look different from any other festival, though (it has the "Matsuri" thing).

Me: What I can say is that the festival is also a part of an exhibition for small businesses.

Goh: I see - so it's a festival to get people going there.

Ash: I saw many of them! They had all kinds of things for sale.

Goh: Oh, like artsy things?

Ash: Yeah, mostly. Some had food too.

Pikachu: Pika pika pika. ["Very nice stuff."]

Me: And as usual, the festival had the entertainment we could count on, right?

Ash: Sure. There were two dance groups, a band, and a community with mini games.

Goh: If I didn't know any better, I think that community is familiar to us.

Ash: It is - it was Bocchi Noizu!

Goh: I called it. The entertainment was like the ones at their events, right?

Ash: Yup, pretty much.

Goh: OK, then why was our friend a bit touchy on this one?

Me: It was about the character parade, one big reason I always send Ash to things like this.

Goh: Well, of course. So, what's the story?

Ash: I got there and signed up for it, like the hosts told me to.

Goh: But then...

Ash: The organizers canceled it.

Goh: Canceled?!

Ash: Yeah. They said it was because not many were interested. 

Pikachu: Pika chuu... ["What a shame..."]

Ash: They said that to me and someone else we know who signed up, right in front of our faces, just after we signed up.

Goh: Ouch. So our friend ended up sending you here for nothing, pretty much. Unless talking with friends and seeing the entertainment counts.

Ash: Which we did.

Goh: Maybe our friend could explain why this happened?

Me: Well, actually, there was another festival with similar content scheduled on this day - including a character parade.

Goh: That must be it. That festival stole away the visitors to this one - and all the characters too.

Ash: Just like that one time.

Me: Maybe we made some wrong choices. But I thought I had it fully considered, especially the price.

Goh: But how were you supposed to know?

Me: There's that. And it seems kind of "unfair" to just cancel the parade on the day of, without advance information. Who knows - there might have been a "spillover" from the other festival.

Ash: Like us!

Pikachu: Pi! ["Exactly!"]

Me: And if I knew way ahead, I could have sent Ash to the other one instead.

Goh: I'm sure you would.

Me: So for those who think that this report is outlandish, I want to put up the disclaimer that everything was exactly as Ash [OOC: I as Ash] said. Like I said, I tell it like it is.

Ash: The festival and exhibition was still OK. I got some food for you.

Me: That, it was great. Thanks.

Goh: Hopefully you and Ash can get something from somewhere else.

Me: There's always that hope. So, life goes on, and business goes on, just like for those who exhibited here.

One year ago: From Apricorn to Balls

Two years ago: Cheer Moments for Pokémon Games

Three years ago: Going for an Arena Brawl

Four years ago: Singing My Hearts Out: After One Year

Five years ago: Cosplay: Project "Untitled"

Six years ago: The Joys and Sorrows of Raid Marathons

Seven years ago: Late-Night Lure Party

Cosplay: Card Game Shop Halloween Party

Me: I had suspected that it could be a busy weekend, but...

Goh: This wasn't what you expected?

Me: You could say that.

Ash: But it's the same card game shop like before, right?

Me: It is. They said there would be a workshop today... but I wasn't expecting characters to be part of the deal as well.

Goh: And you found that out...

Me: The morning of today.

Goh: Oh! That is very sudden.

Ash: But if our friend wants it, we can make that happen.

Pikachu: Chu, pika pika... ["Well, sure enough..."]

Me: I almost couldn't send you there. It seemed like it was about to rain hard a couple of hours before it.

Ash: We got through it! But it did sprinkle a little.

Goh: So, same shop, same people, same stuff.

Ash: Yeah! They made it just a little spooky to get with the theme.

Me: There's still some Halloween vibes, after all.

Goh: My guess is that the whole thing was only a few hours, tops.

Me: In fact, here's the schedule.

Goh: Um... OK, that's even more slim than I thought it would be. There's just registration for the parade, then the workshop, character parade, a Gym, auctions, and awarding.

Me: How'd they all go?

Ash: The workshop was for a different card game!

Me: OK, so we didn't have to mind about that. 

Ash: I spent that time with your friends - and bought a Pokémon drink for you. 

Goh: That's nice. Will you talk about it?

Me: Of course! But not now. Parade time. 

Ash: A lot of characters were in it. And I had fun too. I tried to extend my time a bit just like you told me to.

Pikachu: Pika chu pika. ["I liked it too."]

Me: That is sometimes a criticism, so I'm glad it can be done.

Goh: What about that Gym?

Me: Did you see people playing the cards? 

Ash: I didn't - they went straight to the auction.

Me: OK, so there might have been a change in plans. I hear there's also a big tournament tomorrow, so that might have been another thing.

Goh: The auction must have been exciting. 

Ash: Yeah! Maybe even more than the parade. I got caught up in all the people bidding on Pokémon stuff. 

Goh: But you didn't bid.

Me: If I had funds to spare, I'd have you take part to get something. But not this time.

Goh: Anything you fancy? 

Ash: There was a Pikachu doll with the special shirt and a card game box set with a Charizard figure in it. 

Goh: Very nice! Those must have gone for a lot. 

Ash: They did.

Me: That's pretty much a given. Last up: awarding.

Ash: They had eight winners! ... But not me. 

Goh: Sorry about that.

Me: I think all the characters were attracted to this one, so it figures. 

Goh: But you know, I think this means the card game shop is going to be around for some time. 

Ash: They'll have something else for this month and the next one too!

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Looks nice!"]

Me: Well, we'll deal with them. And the cards, of course. 

Goh: By the way, don't you think this local shop could be a way for you to send Ash more often and get rewarded for it?

Ash: That would be awesome!

Me: If only that can happen. But yes, if it's "in the cards", then it would indeed be awesome. For now, we've got this and more.

One year ago: Slow Cooking in Café Remix

Two years ago: Pikachu and Togekiss Mini Figures on the Cheap

Three years ago: The Currencies of Unite

Four years ago: The Pokémon Evolution (and More) Music

Five years ago: Pokémon Go: A Colossal Discovery

Six years ago: Balance of Topics

Seven years ago: Kids (...or Trainers, Fans) These Days

Gigantamax in Pokémon Go: Harrowing Magnitudes

Well, for those who had read my event rollup for last month, the inevitable has come to fruition: Gigantamax Pokémon are now also in Pokémon Go, starting last week with the evolved Kanto starters and continuing this week with Gengar. Therefore, as with Dynamax earlier, I have the need to make a writeup on it, being that I possess the associated Pokémon and have observed the process that one goes through to get them. And as indicated by the title of this post, that has a "harrowing" (that is, distressing) quality about it.

As with Dynamax-capable Pokémon, Gigantamax-capable Pokémon are marked with the "X arch" logo, which is solid for Gigantamax compared to hollow for Dynamax. They have the same three extra moves of Max Attack (different for each Pokémon - perhaps something to explore), Max Guard, and Max Spirit that likewise need to be unlocked and/or powered up. Conceivably, with Dynamax already being "given" to start out with, these Pokémon are to be obtained after the completion of a Max Battle and likely nowhere else. The question for older Pokémon, also as with Dynamax, is open... or perhaps barely as such. Additionally, they are locked to this form (meaning that Gigantamax Pokémon aren't also Dynamax-capable) and cannot be sent to Pokémon Home, perhaps more a blessing than a curse.

The Max Battles are the same as for the Dynamax-capable Pokémon, but with major differences: they are six stars in level, indicating their exceptional difficulty, but in dealing with this, they can be battled by up to 40 Trainers in parties of 4 each, with all parties contributing damage. The difficulty seems to lie in the strategic use of Max Moves and the importance of parties... which was not quite apparent for Dynamax Pokémon of one and three stars. Regardless, given the "giga" aspect and how long Dynamax has been around, one should also come with their best Pokémon, powered up as high as necessary - for if all the Pokémon faint, one can only Cheer (there is an actual function for this), meaning that one can't rejoin as with raids. Both Dynamax and (previously caught) Gigantamax Pokémon are fair game for these Max Battles, the latter being especially helpful.

So, what makes them "harrowing" is the initial experience of the Max Battles. There had been reports of losing battles even with 40 people, but it turned out that many of them didn't have suitable Pokémon (of a high enough level, no less). Even with suitable Pokémon, some battles were still lost... until some people finally figured out the "trick" (strategy) for using the defensive Max Moves and could turn things around even with just around 20 people. Still, for some, losing a battle with this many people - something that hasn't happened in a long time - is pretty harrowing, and in my case, it has deepened a current "rift" with some people I've gotten along better in the past - which is harrowing enough.

In any case, Niantic has recognized that the Max Battles with these Pokémon may in fact be a bit too hard, and has knocked down ("nerfed") some battle parameters and increased rewards for participating in them. These changes, however, could be seen to come as "too little, too late", especially for those who have advocated non-participation in the battles (at least until many have a fair shot, including being able to make them work with fewer people). It's just another one in a long run of "harrowing" experiences, and it may take more time to alleviate all the issues and complaints.

Now that Gigantamax has made it into Pokémon Go, the "gargantuan phenomenon" of the Galar region has both parts represented in the game. However, it seems that for this part, with great power comes great responsibility grief in at least one way, according to some specific observations. Even so, past that grief, there is something to be had, and once that happens in the best way, there may just be less grief for more "big" things.

One year ago: Cosplay: District 18 Halloween & Cosplay Party

Two years ago: Shiny Pokémon in Café Remix

Three years ago: My Current Unite License Targets

Four years ago: The Halloween Cup of GBL

Five years ago: Later, Psyduck

Six years ago: Hardcore (Dis)United

Seven years ago: Duff Knows Pokémon