Eight Years Holding Items

Also as usual is this final post of the year, which marks the completion of a full eight years of all kinds of posts related to Pokémon, on both happenings and experiences as I capture them. By my convention, I associate it with a game mechanic or concept, and I've chosen to employ the concept of "held items" for this year's discussion and interpretation of the way things have gone throughout this year for all things and happenings related to Pokémon, including what pertains to me and this blog personally. That concept could be considered to be as diverse as those things and happenings.

Many hold items for Pokémon restore aspects of themselves that have been compromised in battle. I say "restore" because something that ties into this is healing, and I've already discussed healing - twice over in past years; meanwhile, "restore" itself covers more than healing. Still, healing is quite related to hold items, which is the purpose of ones like Oran and Sitrus Berries toward HP. Recovery of other aspects then becomes the purpose of other items like the Leppa and Pecha Berries, as PP and the Poisoned condition respectively. As for how this ties into this year, I've partially restored myself in Pokémon Go PvP, and conventions and festivals continue to be an outlet for personal Pokémon expression, even if they may be slightly deemphasized. Of course, anything related to Pokémon will surely restore its fans, even if only minorly revealed as with the sole edition of Pokémon Presents earlier this year.

Other hold items, particularly those introduced in contemporary times, serve to enhance Pokémon. Particular examples of these are Mega Stones for allowing Pokémon to access specific Mega Evolution forms and Z-Crystals for enabling them to use Z-Moves; less drastic but still enhancing are items like the Incense family and type items like Charcoal and Never Melt Ice. A local journey - that is, in my local area - featuring the franchise's mascot is surely (and was affirmed to be as such) an enhancer of local affairs... and those who venture to take part from abroad as well. Though a variant rather than an enhancer of gameplay, the recent Trading Card Game Pocket still enhances the landscape nonetheless and provides another outlet for its experience.

Then there are just other hold items that have different effects, like the Red Card and Eject Button whose effects are evident in battle, and the species-specific "Type Plates" for Arceus and Drives for Genesect that change their appearances and to some extent their skill sets. The continuous addition of features (and Pokémon) to contemporary games along with the expected dynamics of the "vanguard" games - main series and physical TCG - are different strokes for different fans, and that would reflect the hold items that they would have or take.

It's plain to see that hold items for Pokémon take many different forms and have equally many different effects. Their development, from the second generation onwards, has taken its own twists and turns - and Pokémon developments this year also have had some of that, even personally. As such, the concept seems to align in this way at the very least, if nothing else does, besides Pokémon itself as the anchor.

With this blog, it may be considered that I'm presenting my own selection of hold items that I've used and what others have used. What those items may be, besides the ones I've construed out of the above, may be open to further interpretation, especially in more recent Pokémon contexts that I haven't gotten in touch with and will need to when the time is right.

Each Pokémon is different, and so are all kinds of hold items. Their experiences, like the ones in this year and in all years past, will vary accordingly.

Look real hard, and there may just be Pokémon items to be held in some way. Cheers! 🎒

One year ago: Seven Years with Usage of Field Moves

Two years ago: Six Years & The Conferring of Statuses

Three years ago: Five Years - Extended Healing

Four years ago: Four Years, Taking Damage and Healing

Five years ago: Three Years: Making My Moves

Six years ago: Two Years of Evolution

Seven years ago: One Year Full of Pokémon