Not a Day Without Pokémon: Cosplay: Sayonara Kotoshi

Me: Well, there hasn't been a festival and such this month, so let's put one in with this one.

Goh: Something new for Ash?

Me: I think so. I can't find anything in my records for this one.

Ash: I still want to be there.

Me: And I agree, but there are also other matters of importance today. But for starters...

Ash: Hey, the place is your school!

Goh: Hmm? Didn't you say the people there didn't want to have festivals and such going on?

Me: That's true, but I think they might be open to new ideas as well. More on this later.

Ash: OK, so it was a festival in a court right next to the entrance.

Goh: That's convenient.

Ash: But then the rain came - and really hard.

Pikachu: Pi pika pika pika. ["Perfect timing."]

Goh: That must have been rough.

Ash: I think? I didn't go inside the court.

Goh: What did you do, then?

Ash: I waited for the rain to let up a bit... and then I went to join our friend's other friends to raid for Necrozma!

Goh: Oh, just like earlier this year.

Ash: Yup, like when they had bits of Solgaleo and Lunala.

Goh: But there was no special event, was there?

Ash: No, just the raids like before.

Me: Since there's no special event, there's no special card image for it either.

Ash: Oh yeah! I didn't see that.

Goh: So, did you go back to the festival after the raids?

Ash: I did. But I think I missed the character parade...?

Pikachu: Pika... ["Hmm..."]

Me: That's the point. It just wasn't going to happen for us with the raids.

Goh: Well, of course. But at least you could enjoy the rest of it.

Ash: Which wasn't much, even with the entry fee.

Goh: Really?

Ash: There were only one community booth, a couple of booths for goodies, and a few for food.

Me: OK, so they might be trying to start small anyway.

Goh: There had to be entertainment you got to see.

Ash: Sure, all the usual stuff. Bands, dance groups, and even a DJ at the end.

Goh: And... even if you weren't in the character parade, you must have caught the awarding.

Ash: Yeah! There were three winners: best dressed, best outfit, and best performance.

Me: There must have been many characters in the parade.

Ash: One of our friends was #20, so...

Me: Maybe close to that or more. OK, so I guess we dodged a bullet this time.

Goh: After all that, you still must have done the usual.

Ash: Sure. I got to meet our friend's friends, had some pictures taken, walked around...

Pikachu: Chu, pika... ["Yeah, that..."]

Goh: Of course.

Me: Maybe it's time we discuss the background of this. I heard that this festival is a creation of the Japanese language education students of my faculty and my school... which would make this a "spiritual sequel" of a festival that hasn't been seen since a long time ago, since the same group created it.

Ash: Wow, that takes me back! A lot of things have changed since then - even the way we look.

Goh: I can see that. You two look more suited for each other now.

Me: Thanks. At least that paid off. Also, there's a playful aspect of why it's appropriate to send Ash today.

Ash: Was that because... I saw my name all over the place?

Me: Your name in Japan, that is. People around here have a knack of shortening things to make them sound good... and the name of this festival happened to be that way (which, by the way, means "goodbye, this year").

Goh: Oh! I see it: Satoshi - "Sayonara Kotoshi".

Me: Indeed. There we go.

Ash: If it works, it works.

Pikachu: Pi pika pika! ["Yeah, that..."]

Me: All that's left is to see how the students will run with this one and make this work as a larger festival (if they can) - but as you say, things might just work out somehow, even on this divided day.

Ash, Goh: Yeah!

One year ago: Sun Matters, Pokémon Matters

Two years ago: Monthly Goals in Café Remix

Three years ago: Buying Games Ahead of Playing?

Four years ago: For the Sake of Something or Another

Five years ago: Putting Things on Hold

Six years ago: Local EX Raid (Double or Quits), 12/14/2018

Seven years ago: Tears of Life... and Being Moved to Tears