Pokémon Go Tour: Unova

At last, the grand occasion (and "peak end") of the preceding season is (was) here, and I can discuss it, also timely on the second day of its execution. Pokémon Go Tour continues its annual soirée with the next region of concern, as the Unova region. As previewed, this region is tied to the concepts of "truth" and "ideals" by way of its "box Legendaries", Reshiram and Zekrom. Most of the "truths" that will be explained here are for the Global edition of this weekend, but some of its "ideals" can at least be drawn by inference for the live edition in the previous week, and where possible, "mediated" for that purpose.

The content of Pokémon in the wild was organized in rotating habitats from 10 AM to 6 PM, much like editions of past years. This time, the habitats took on the theme of seasons and "outings" - Winter Caverns, Spring Soirée, Summer Vacation, and Autumn Masquerade in that order - in the same vein as the original main series games, including their numbered sequels. Deerling family forms of the seasons were the characteristic Pokémon species of the habitats along with exemplary species of the region, with the inclusion of Pikachu wearing the caps of the main player Trainer characters (plus Unown letters that make up the region's name, by Incense) across all habitats.

Also like last year, Collection Challenges were not present, allowing great freedom of capture - although some particular species were still needed to be captured, to be explained shortly. Field Research as well continued to have power-up tasks, though these were to encounter Deerling and Pikachu as above. Timed Research had three capture sets for the Incarnate forms of the "Forces of Nature" species and one set to encounter a chosen starter with special backgrounds, obtained in the time between the live edition and the Global edition. Special Research had two sets: the usual and customary Masterwork Research that will eventually lead to a Shiny Meloetta encounter, and the thematic one for the event with tasks for certain "truths", "ideals", and their "mediation", the former being paid and the latter involving the version selection according to the original game versions.

That "mediation" was primarily carried out through raids, for which the two Legendary Pokémon as above were joined by Kyurem... which fused itself with one of the two and appeared as Black Kyurem or White Kyurem, alternating with each hour. Much like the proceedings of last year's Pokémon Go Fest, raiding these Fusion forms rewarded not only Kyurem itself but also specific Fusion Energy needed for one to make the Fusion forms with the two Legendary Pokémon (Blaze for Reshiram, Volt for Zekrom), with similar methods, practices, benefits, and caveats as the earlier introduced Fusion forms - and now the Fusion forms are legit, unlike their earlier mistaken release. Side raids involved the Pikachu with special caps as above and a few other unique Pokémon from the region, though the ultimate side raid could be considered the unfused Legendary.

New this year is something called the "Tour Pass", which looks a lot like the "Battle Pass" of certain contemporary mobile games (cf. Pokémon Unite) and is the other paid element. Two tracks - the free track and Deluxe track - are available and leveled up by earning points through certain actions such as timed tasks for capturing specific Pokémon, with each level containing rewards as encounters or items. The latter needs payment (more to get 10 levels ahead) to access while the former is open for all, with the cap being 500 levels, though only the first 100 were key to this weekend and the rest rewarded bonus Stardust for hardcore Trainers who can take the "Tour Pass" to the absolute extreme. 

Other elements of this year's festivities were 10 km Eggs with regional Pokémon and halved hatch distance, appearances of Basculin in Routes (with red and blue stripes, not white like last year), and a unique overworld music composed of a mashup of themes from the game as well as that of Pokémon Go itself, with encounters receiving the battle theme. Along with February's Road to Unova event becoming a prelude to the Global edition (or an interlude between the two editions), essentially, most parts of the event have been "standardized".

Now, as for how I did, I bought both the Masterwork Research and Tour Pass Deluxe (the latter somewhat last-minute) and I got to level 195 on my Tour Pass; at the least, being able to go through the first 100 levels is an accomplishment. I also got sufficient Fusion Energy to make both of the Fusion forms for Kyurem, with a few exceptional ones waiting for that purpose. At some point, if and when the Black Kyurem and White Kyurem raids appear again - as with Necrozma last year - I'll have to take advantage of them to make more of the Fusion forms. I also got all the special costumed Pikachu and the remaining Unown (V) I hadn't got.

Out of all the Pokémon Go Tour editions so far, this one has to be one of the important ones because of its content and innovations. The "truth" is that it makes for even more stuff to deal with for Trainers, but the "ideal" is to take advantage of everything as much as one possibly can for them to be able to be used in the future, as the Fusion forms of Kyurem and the "Tour Pass" concept for later editions. That said, it seems there will be lasting marks of "truth" and "ideals" even long after this edition has ended.

One year ago: Cosplay+Pokémon Go: Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in Bali

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Johto

Four years ago: Make It Make...: Pokémon Presents, 2/26/2021

Five years ago: Making Game Journeys... Literally

Six years ago: Winds of Changing Teams

Seven years ago: Pikachu Cable Holder

Eight years ago: Love My Life - Pokémon Too

The Season of Might & Mastery

For those who know what I'm talking about, yes, it's really "mastery" and not "magic" for the discourse of this new Pokémon Go season. It and the other keyword of "might" were the teasers in the end-of-season post for the previous season, and the season itself is formally called "Might & Mastery" with an ampersand as a joiner. From its title, it promises a bi-elemental aspect much like the prior season, although it's more specific and outright mentioned rather than being general and open to interpretation.

That said, in Pokémon Go, there will be a load of events in the next three months - perhaps more than some people can handle. Certainly, that's to be discussed later, especially the events as they occur and need to be rolled up. But to open the season, there's no harm in previewing it, as the game has in fact done. The heart of this season, or what may be considered as such, is a particular family of bears that have made single and rapid strikes in Pokémon and will debut here - I trust some know already which one.

Meanwhile, for other Pokémon games, as usual, they may not fit but at the least can be loosely interpreted in the season's context. Some of these have already been divulged in the "anniversary edition" of Pokémon Presents, and I'll need to get to that very soon. Others will need a bit of toying with personally before I can get to write about them, but that is regardless an eventuality. What I can say about them now is that a few of these are truly "mighty" and as such require their own brand of "mastery" as well.

Now I want to address a few technical matters. Last season was offset, and this season is offset as well; it will properly start a couple of days after the Go Tour festivities with its elements gradually being added. Today is also the first day of the Global edition of Pokémon Go Tour, but instead of covering it in two-day style as with Pokémon Go Fest, I'm saving it all for the final day tomorrow. So regardless, getting the start-of-season post out of the way is always a good idea, and a mighty one at that.

Some Pokémon Go seasons (since they started years ago) carry an air of intrigue, and this latest one surely has that, with species of might and magic mastery as its contents. How the theme translates into the execution of the events and how they will fare regardless will still need to be observed and then recorded as they occur, but if the season has anything to say, it may be that mastery just might show the realization of might. Perhaps as such, magic may still have a place after all. 

One year ago: The Season of World of Wonders

Two years ago: The Season of Rising Heroes

Three years ago: The Season of Alola

Four years ago: The Season of Legends

Five years ago: Cosplay: March Funtastico

Six years ago: In Living Galar

Seven years ago: Can't Get Enough of Pokémon (and Pikachu) Stickers

Eight years ago: Posters

The Peak of Dual Destiny

And now, the end of February is at hand, unlike last year; the end of the Pokémon Go season is at hand as well, so it means it's time for the end-of-season post like previous years as well (all see below). Still, things are still not quite the end for the season, also as always called a "peak" rather than an "end", but for certain reasons that will be explained shortly. In spite of that, things go on (moreover because they are also accordingly scheduled), so the season-ending post still makes sense to be written up today.

The reason is of course because this year's Global edition of Pokémon Go Tour is this weekend, and that automatically means the season is extended to cover the festivities and the season's end is offset just as the beginning was offset. What's not offset, though, is the "peak" of the season, and Pokémon Go Tour coincidentally (or not) serves as a good manifestation of that "peak" as it occurs at the tail end of the season. Therefore, at least for the instance of this season, the "peak" idea of its end is validated.

Going back to the season's moniker of "Dual Destiny", besides the dualities of black/white and truth/ideals presented by the overarching theme of the above event, the events in Pokémon Go and the Pokémon they featured also did seem to showcase other dualities. These were sometimes at odds and at other times complementary, though it seems that both are (were) necessary to exhibit Pokémon in all their variety - and rightfully, their destiny. Beyond the event, there was its own interpretation to behold.

Meanwhile, in other areas of Pokémon, destinies seemed to be more at hand rather than dualities, yet manifestations of the duality that is one side against another in battle are still apparent. It's a natural course of affairs for Pokémon, and things like the continuously sizzling TCGP and Unite (the latter may be a bit less so) show how destinies are put into play in two sides and then affected accordingly, particularly with the events for these two over the same time as the Pokémon Go season - fittingly.

So, to take everything into consideration, the "peak" of this Pokémon Go season corresponds with an ultimate "dual destiny", even if that has to offset the season by a bit and particularly after its start. But then, the case for Pokémon is always an intricate blending of two sides and two destinies (or even more), also as seen over the course of this season for other Pokémon aspects. The challenge always presents a might to be overcome, and that probably could take mastery in some (great) amounts.

One year ago: The Peak of Timeless Travels

Two years ago: The Peak of Mythical Wishes

Three years ago: The Peak of Heritage

Four years ago: The Peak of Celebrations

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/28/2020

Six years ago: The Birthday of a Hero

Seven years ago: Cosplay Poses

Eight years ago: Cosplay: Japanese World 2017

Pokémon Day 2025 - 29th Anniversary

As is always the case (for me personally), the end of February is always a time for certain anniversaries, and the most pertinently important one is for Pokémon itself - which is today. It's the celebration known as Pokémon Day, and this year marks the 29th anniversary, twenty-nine years after the first Pokémon games were released. Admittedly, though, the occasion of this year's anniversary - among some of the past few years - could be considered an "in between" anniversary for certain reasons, and that "in between" quality seems to serve as a good discussion point for this year's Pokémon Day.

The reason it's "in between" is because next year is a particularly round anniversary number; it would be the 30th anniversary, which in some circles, albeit uncommonly, may be regarded as the "pearl" anniversary. Because of this, the content for next year's anniversary is likely to be fuller and more fleshed out akin to the silver anniversary from some years ago (see below), while this year's can be considered to be a "filler", to borrow a term from the anime fandom, and to pass the time waiting for that anniversary.

Reports have also indicated that this year might be an "in-between" year regardless for some Pokémon affairs as well, though some might just be somewhat too early to tell, in particular the circumstances of their happening. One of them has even been brought up on this blog and is awaiting answers. I'm also "in between" some of them, as well as between a figurative "rock and a hard place", and perhaps so are many fans. To resolve all of that, something like Pokémon Presents is needed to pin things down. 

With that, an edition of Pokémon Presents is indeed scheduled for today, and it divulges things that are now not so "in between". As usual, it will take a separate post to discuss (and a bit of time to organize for that purpose), but I can give the highlights of the showcased facets. The most important have to be... a shade of "big" in the physical TCG, a "championship revival", and of course the big-time "legendary" reveal that everyone has waited for with bated breath - hopefully with at least some gulps of air. 

Even on an "in between" year like this one, it's always a great day for Pokémon, and especially today as the occasion of the franchise's anniversary. That - including what is (was) in Pokémon Presents today - may be all it takes to fill the gaps in each and every day, and all parts between them, for all the days of this "in between" year into the next year and even beyond. Between you and me, that should be a great thing.

Happy 29^th anniversary.

One year ago: Pokémon Day 2024 - 28th Anniversary

Two years ago: Pokémon Day 2023 - 27th Anniversary

Three years ago: Pokémon Day 2022 - 26th Anniversary

Four years ago: Suddenly Silver: Pokémon Day 2021 - 25th Anniversary

Five years ago: Pokémon Day 2020 - 24th Anniversary

Six years ago: Pokémon Day 2019 - 23rd Anniversary

Seven years ago: Pokémon Day 2018 - 22nd Anniversary

Eight years ago: Pokémon Day 2017 - 21st Anniversary

Thirteenth Cosplay Anniversary - In and Out of Solitude

Well now, it's been thirteen years since I formally started cosplaying, and today would be its anniversary. My specialty and preference is of course Pokémon cosplay, which is why it's on this blog when it is on for conventions, festivals, and such. It is also an effort that allows me to meet many other people and the characters they bring out through their cosplay, yet in a way I'm also finding myself as being alone in the effort at times. It's this going in and out of a state of "solitude" that I thought I'd take up as this year's topic of discussion.

The "solitude", of course, is due to the fact that Pokémon cosplay in my area is scant, unless people bring in their own surprises like Pikachu the other day or Charizard in the past, or a team project gets initiated - furthermore with my blessing. Thus, it's always a journey to go out of that "solitude" when I partake in conventions and festivals locally. Certainly, if I was in the U.S., chances are I might not have to venture much to get out of that situation, since Pokémon cosplay is more plentiful there due to the "mainstream" status.

It is true that I'm technically and physically never "alone" when I go to conventions and festivals, as I share other interests outside of Pokémon with other people. Yet I'm also often left up to my own devices outside of these situations and seemingly in a difficult position to ask for assistance, sometimes let alone to receive it. While at least going to conventions, festivals, and such might alleviate that condition temporarily, the rest of the way will take my own effort, which is acceptable yet could use some help in some cases.

At least, the rise of people providing cosplay services, like prop makers and rentals (the latter of which might have a presence on aggregators like a specific one) also lets me - and others - know that I'm not necessarily ever alone. Yet given that my focus is on Pokémon cosplay, even sometimes these services aren't too helpful for that purpose... and I'm right back where I started. This too is thus a "struggle" against a solitude, and they all may need to be utilized in the best way for the purpose of my Pokémon cosplay and others for theirs.

"Solitude" is not necessarily a bad thing, even now after I've been active for 13 years in cosplay, but having people to share that with is always a neat thing, and especially so in my case with Pokémon cosplay. So, the journey continues in order to be able to seek people to enjoy both Pokémon and cosplay together, and to deal wisely with the times when there aren't people for that purpose. Whatever the case, having Pokémon around is always a prerogative - especially in my case - and cosplay and other people will still be needed for that.

Happy thirteenth cosplay anniversary to me.

One year ago: Twelfth Cosplay Anniversary - Fostering Hope

Two years ago: Eleventh Cosplay Anniversary - (Part of) My World

Three years ago: Tenth Cosplay Anniversary - Still Patient

Four years ago: Ninth Cosplay Anniversary - Taking a Backseat

Five years ago: Eighth Cosplay Anniversary - Doing What I Want

Six years ago: Seventh Cosplay Anniversary - Timeless Cosplay

Seven years ago: Sixth Cosplay Anniversary - From No-One to Someone

Eight years ago: Fifth Cosplay Anniversary

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2025

In true form as with most of the past few years (see below), I write up the rollup of events for Pokémon Go on this day, also for obvious reasons to come. With that, obviousness may be considered a running theme for this month's events, whether or not that may be evident in the events themselves and what they feature. The relative paucity of events for the month may also be something that factors into that, even if February itself is a short month as far as things are concerned. 

First up, after the break from a continued event in January, there was the Small Yet Strong event from February 5 to 8. As discernable, there were small and strong things, particularly with bonuses of double XP for captures and increased chance to find XXS and XXL Pokémon. The most notable small and strong thing was the debut of Shiny Nymble, which could be found in the wild along with other small (and possibly Shiny) natural wonders, including Burmy and Flabébé; 2 km Eggs also had a smattering of some other little ones. Other small and strong complements to the event were Research tasks (Field and a Timed set), a Collection Challenge, and showcases as usual. If it wasn't obvious before, this event made it clear that strong things can come in little packages like these Pokémon.

Some people may (try to) find love in this month, an obvious thing, and that's where the Beloved Buddies event came in. From February 11 to 15, cute and attractive Pokémon - including the debuting Dhelmise and returning Enamorus by raids - appeared in the wild and raids, with Diglett, Skrelp, and Dunsparce having exceptional Shiny chances. Meanwhile, Field Research had a task for Tandemaus, and Collection Challenges furnished Stardust and Great Balls. Along with the usual showcases, the double XP bonus for captures returned, while Lure Modules were extended and attracted different Pokémon, and more of them rewarded greater Stardust. The last day of this event also coincided with a Raid Day for Hoopa Unbound with all the usual free and paid perks, plus allowing anyone to change its form even without completing its associated Special Research. Some will notice the event isn't quite like the Valentine's Day events of past years, making it somewhat less obvious, but love was still obviously to be had one way or another.

After finding love, it may then be time to go out and about. For that, there was the Scattered to the Winds event from February 18 to 20, which featured the debut of Shiny Scatterbug through the usual method of pinning and saving Gift postcards. In addition to this Bug-type family, two other Bug-type families and three Flying-type families enlivened the wild, Field Research tasks, and a Collection Challenge. Bonuses too were "scattered": increased XP for spinning PokéStops, Gift opening, and Shiny chance for Pidgey, along with an optional paid Timed Research set, showcases (certainly), and increased "legacy Lucky" limits for traded Pokémon from 2019 and earlier. Some obvious efforts might have been necessitated for the particulars of this event, though the end results should obviously have not been "scattered" but "gathered" instead.

The last agenda of the month is the buildup to this year's edition of Pokémon Go Tour, with an event called Road to Unova, befitting the featured region. It started on February 24 and will go until March 1, the first day of the Global edition. The elements that will become key to this year's festivities are also introduced, though some of them are better saved for when the coverage of the big event is made. For now, Trainers can also purchase one or both of the paid supplemental Timed Research sets with bonuses for raiding or hatching (or both), and like the Wild Area buildup from last year, enjoy daily raids and Raid Hours for Legendary Pokémon from the region (some also in a Timed Research set) with new special backgrounds. The region's starters and their next stage evolutions also appear in the wild, with the former also in raids, while 2 km Eggs feature a mini assortment, most also in Field Research. To help things out, remote raid limits are raised and Egg hatch distance is halved. All these are supplemented with new avatar items, stickers, Pokédex appearance, and encounter points, making it obvious that the major event is major indeed.

Now that the events of the month have been detailed, it's obvious what the month provides and is geared to, for Trainers still dealing with things in the game. Also, it seems obvious (or not) that there might be more than a few things going on, unlike the general shape of the month itself. Whatever the case, the obvious thing is for Trainers to go or have gone through them, and to have gotten at least a little something out of them.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Sinnoh (feat. Hisui)

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2023

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2022

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/25/2021

Five years ago: Trade Evolutions in Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Meeting of the Minds

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Japan LovEvolution Vol. 3 - Haruka ni Yoi - Full Japan Day 2018

Eight years ago: Dealing with Cosplay Offerings

The Next (Next) Successor: Nintendo Switch 2

Way back in the first year of this blog, I mentioned how the Nintendo Switch became the "successor" console for Pokémon main series games of future generations, a future which is now past (or technically still the present) with the entry of the eighth and ninth generation games on the console. Recently, Nintendo has made the next move and introduced what could be termed as the next "successor" to the "successor"... or just a renewal of the "successor" status. Aptly, as stated in the title of this post, it's called the Nintendo Switch 2.

As demonstrated by its "teaser trailer", the entry model of the console will be slightly larger, feature a revised controller design that snaps rather than slides into place, and have other design improvements. What is most important, however, is that the console will play games for the original Nintendo Switch, with a few exceptions - most likely due to the new controller design affecting the gameplay of the unplayable ones. This key part also has a few implications for its "successor" status, not to mention upcoming Pokémon games.

So, to some extent, the Nintendo Switch 2 is not quite a "successor", more like an advanced version of it vis-a-vis the Nintendo 3DS toward the DSi (itself also not quite a "successor") and the original DS. Still, it will have its exclusive games that can only be played on the new console, again much like these prior consoles, and the status stands. The main series Pokémon games likewise had games on the prior consoles and will surely have new games on the new console while old games can still be played on it.

The question then becomes how (and when) new main series Pokémon games on the new console would leverage the exclusive capabilities and features of that console for its further entries - as in the tenth generation and possibly eleventh if it makes it that far, just like for earlier consoles. Those capabilities and features are what the games have always depended on and admittedly done well even in the present, so it remains to be seen how that would proceed and thus be realized in the games to come.

Understandably, any new console is always a big undertaking for the parties involved, be it the console maker (in this case Nintendo) and game maker (in this case Game Freak for the Pokémon main series games). The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 is a big thing in its own regard, and while its "successor" status may or may not be quite affirmed at this point, at least upgrading the status of itself as a "successor" is still something viable, particularly for the future of Pokémon and other popular game series in this area.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/24/2024

Two years ago: The Hoenn Cup of GBL

Three years ago: The Johto Cup of GBL

Four years ago: Learning from Each Other, for Life

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/22/2020

Six years ago: Don't Forget Our Roots

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/24/2018

Eight years ago: Memories of Johto

Cosplay: Utsuru 9.5

Me: Like I said, an annual thing it is.

Ash: Great!

Goh: Like you said, huh.

Me: And for as long as it's convenient, I'll try to put in something for the convention.

Goh: I'm curious how they'll try to make this one different.

Me: Well, for starters, they've got a wacky theme this year: "animal house"... but not that kind.

Ash: But Pokémon are "animals", so we'd fit right in!

Pikachu: Pika pika! ["Hey yeah!"]

Me: Why not? They did say they want to make this edition one big "animal party" - and they want "animals", they got it, our style.

Goh: Pokémon works out, doesn't it? OK, so this must have been in the same place and with many of the same communities.

Me: Sure! But I think there are a few twists this time around, also for the "animal house" theme.

Ash: They had a second stage for the communities! 

Goh: With the way it goes every year (and a half), I wouldn't be surprised if they had to separate them from the performers, which... looking at the schedule, is all day.

Ash: I think you're right. I'd want to perform on a different stage myself.

Goh: Meanwhile, the performers... they were mostly groups and bands today, weren't they? 

Ash: Yeah - dance and performance, plus a DJ, radio show, and karaoke.

Me: OK, the usual stuff. And usually there would be competitions too - one of which is the character parade, which I've prepped you for with your Journeys outfit.

Ash: Yeah, that... Lots of characters and not many prizes - didn't work out.

Pikachu: Pika. ["Sadly."]

Me: I should've known.

Goh: Weren't there community competitions like last year's editions, even the main one? 

Ash: Oh yeah! People voted, and the community voted. One community had friends of our friend.

Me: That's nice to hear. Oh, and I think there's one final competitive twist... in the form of a card you might have gotten when you got in. 

Ash: It was a card to get community stamps! But I had to get at least 10 for a prize, and even if I did, they still would have drawn it.

Goh: So no guarantee even with the effort. What would you win if you got all the stamps?

Me: I heard it would be... a Gogoat!

Goh: A real one, live in the flesh??

Ash: But when I saw the drawing, the winner just got a paper one. There was one for a Torchic too. 

Goh: Hmm, seems questionable.

Me: I'm still questioning it even right now. What about other twists, ones that even I couldn't predict?

Ash: I met a big Pikachu!

Pikachu: Pika pika pika! ["Two of us!"]

Goh: Oh my!

Ash: We were in the parade together - and next to each other! But of course neither of us won.

Me: That is a huge twist. It reminds me of #006 from way back when.

Ash: Oh, and your card game friends opened up a booth just like last time.

Me: Well, that's a minor twist and a slightly predictable one at that, but I couldn't tell if they were going to or not. Evidently they did.

Ash: I didn't play, but it seems they're doing great.

Me: Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it myself when I have the chance.

Goh: Anything else? What's in that white bag?

Ash: It's a trophy and a certificate. 

Goh: Wait, I thought you didn't win anything.

Ash: It's not from here - it's...

Me: OK, so this is a bit of an unrelated twist. The local photographer community decided to hold their own version of the WCA, possibly knowing what happened last time, and we got in - and properly win as a character this time. Thanks for picking up the award during the convention - and hey, it's a proper award too, not like the "pillow trophy" from the year before.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Nice job."]

Goh: Wow!

Me: Well, after all that, I think we can say that today was an "animal house" in more ways than one.

Ash: And it was really different too! The parts that aren't the same old, same old anyway.

Goh: Hey, you know, just like our friend said last year.

Me: Yes! So at least we can say that my claim is very true, and this convention remains very special.

Ash: And everything is (and was) always a real party!

Me: That's a thought. Today it may involve - for us and others - togas of a different kind, but there's a bit of that spirit there, not to mention this year's wacky theme.

Goh: Maybe it'll be there differently when Utsuru 10 comes around.

Me: (I heard about that.) But we'll make sure our Pokémon core is the same.

One year ago: AFA ID Returns

Two years ago: You're Everything... I Like You

Three years ago: Good Builds for Unite?

Four years ago: The (Un)Popularity of Legendary Raid Bosses

Five years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Rose Cup

Six years ago: Let's Go Take Pictures

Seven years ago: Community Days!

Eight years ago: Competitive or Non-Competitive?

Real Words on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

This may be a topic that I should have picked up for discussion a somewhat longish time ago, but like many things, I suppose it's better late than never. Many people are surely familiar with the rise of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in the past few years through bots, assistants, generators, and the like, some of which can now also understand, recognize, and deal with matters related to Pokémon. Beyond all the assistive capacity that they possess, in some ways they also conflict with the same capacity for people (humans). As such, I feel the need to make a statement on the issue and to augment that with experience related to the issue. 

Some days ago, in a certain space on the Internet, someone posted a poem that others suspected to be generated by an A.I. bot due to some telltale signs. The confirmation came after "denial by silence", but by then damage had been done, as the critics themselves were silenced. An apology was made, yet it too was somewhat late and put the original poster in imperfect standing. Even with the signs, some people could have conceivably taken the poem as is and they'd never know that a human wasn't involved in the actual composition of the poem, aside from getting the A.I. to do it by way of a "prompt". And that becomes a concern.

While the generated content by A.I. is interesting and possibly helpful for certain efforts, a lot of the content is also riddled with mistakes and errors in whatever form it may take. That state of affairs justifies the warning that generators now carry, in that they can possibly make mistakes. With that in mind, the best way to treat the content seems to be to treat them as raw materials for use in creative work, or information that needs to be fact-checked with someone or something else, and never at face value. This would be incidentally true for anything made by people in general, but it seems even more true for the "machined" things.

Because of the above, I now feel that I also need to make a statement. All written content on this blog - that is, aside from images and other rich media - are solely made by me and without the assistance of any A.I. in any form. This also means I (have to) own up for any mistakes they might contain and will correct them as necessary. Furthermore, any written content that I create, write, and publish, for Pokémon or otherwise, will never make use of A.I. content - unless it is for discussion about them, as this post serves to do in a way.

I also need to say that if any written things appear on the Internet and they look suspiciously like they were written by me, then it could be the work of an A.I. scraping up the words in the posts of this blog and spitting out something that resembles that. It's what A.I. things do in order for them to do what they do, and it may or may not necessarily be something that I can prevent. At the least, the assurance of this blog having written content that came purely from my mind, heart, and soul along with interactions to Pokémon remains something definite.

Pokémon is surely at present also affected by (the content generated by) A.I. things, and admittedly a few of my other dealings are affected in much of the same ways. With that experience and situation, this post becomes quite necessary to be written up in order to show that my assistive capacity for Pokémon matters, in writing at the very least, is not dependent on A.I. things and/or content and can stand up to them if at all deemed necessary, like now.

One year ago: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou Under Fire

Two years ago: Performance Critique: Bunkasai Japan Fest J-Song

Three years ago: The 2022 Pokémon Anniversary Week

Four years ago: (Pokémon) Songs as Advice

Five years ago: Cosplay: Beat Launch Party

Six years ago: Local EX Raid (in a Frenzy), 2/22/2019

Seven years ago: Trainer Caps, and a Teaser

Eight years ago: Back in the Park

How to Say "Farewell"

For some people, they might not know how (or at least have difficulty) to express certain things in certain situations. A recent one that has come up for me is the expression of "farewell" in some situations, certainly with them having some sort of relation to Pokémon matters. The instances of "farewell" in the situations are a bit "abstract" and in a couple of cases might seem a little "premature", but the essence of the parting in the situations is there - and so is the difficulty of expressing things.

The report of Niantic potentially selling its games unit (including of course Pokémon Go) is one of the situations. Though it hasn't happened yet - making this one of the "premature" situations - the potential to say "farewell" to the way that things have always been may be at hand, if not having already happened owing to the way that Niantic has handled said game up to today. Being up in the air, it's definitely difficult to say something about them as of yet.

Meanwhile, just today and in the same realm as above, I've been able to achieve an important milestone that is effectively a parting or "farewell" with an earlier focus. However, this too is a "premature" situation, as there have been reports that the earlier focus may just return if the circumstances are right. Still, it may just depend on the execution of the above situation, and if so, the "farewell" might be as temporary as it was the last time; at the least, it can be there until the "farewell" says its "farewell" - something also hard to say.

Recently, I've also had to part with a friend from my earlier Pokémon cosplay days, and this "farewell" is permanent... as that friend has passed on due to health problems. While we never collaborated on any Pokémon projects together, some of the times we shared have shaped my Pokémon cosplay even today. Thus, the "farewell" is a little hard to take and obviously also hard (for me) to say anything about, as I've discovered while attempting to do so on the relevant social media channel. 

Perhaps the best way of saying things is through music, even if the music doesn't say anything at all - like another piece from Yanni, appropriately entitled... "Farewell". It has evidently become the way for me not only consoling but also expressing with these situations, and the subdued nature of the piece - one from the very early solo days of the composer - is appropriate in that regard. 

Having this Pokémon blog means being able to say a lot of different things about Pokémon matters, even if some are only tangentially related (moreover abstractly to the "farewell" concept) as in the above. Admittedly, though, it can be pretty difficult to say things about things from time to time, also regarding the above, and the "how to say things" part of the Pokémon matters is a sticking point as are the matters themselves.

One year ago: Still Otaku, Yet Separate

Two years ago: SWEEP JR Taking on the World

Three years ago: 3DS eShop Closing - Demise Is Near

Four years ago: More NPC Trainers in Pokémon Go?

Five years ago: Hobby as a Partner

Six years ago: Even More LINE Pokémon Stickers

Seven years ago: Quirky Raids

Eight years ago: Secret Garden

Pokémon Go (et al.) to Be Sold??

Players (Trainers) of Pokémon Go will know that Niantic has been both a blessing and curse to the game's history - the former since the company created it and the latter since there have been many mess-ups along the way, perhaps more compared to other (externally developed) Pokémon games. For these reasons, it seems that Niantic is prepared to take the ultimate step to keep the game being developed... but not by the company.

According to a news report, Niantic is planning to sell its games unit - which means not only Pokémon Go but also the other games in the unit, hence the "et al." in this post's title - to another company for a sum that will turn heads, in billions of dollars. Nothing is final as of yet, and the deal may or may not happen with that particular company; regardless, this matter becomes something to watch in order to see what comes out of it.

In any case, this makes it somewhat clear that Niantic is seemingly disinterested to continue developing Pokémon Go, as I had suggested nearly two years ago. I had posed possible solutions to this quandary then as well, though I hadn't considered the possibility of Niantic themselves offering the game - not to mention the division that handles its development and other games as well - for sale to potential suitors with greater interest.

Now, since the sale of the games unit means selling all games, including the ones that aren't Pokémon Go, there is admittedly a lot of stake in this - particularly for the games that don't involve entities related to Pokémon itself. If the present deal falls through, it may be that all relevant parties - including the most relevant one connected to Pokémon, being Nintendo - have to consider the offerings and how to take them off of Niantic's hands.

Seeing this situation unfold is both a little disconcerting and not so surprising, given how Pokémon Go has fared all these years with spectacular successes and abysmal failures. Yet it seems that after all that, it may be time for something different for Pokémon Go under another set of wings that doesn't bear the Niantic name, yet preserving and certainly developing the things that made the game successful and lasting even today.

One year ago: Daisuki! Japan Fest in Memoriam

Two years ago: Tournament: Arcaviary Tournament - Naiad Cup

Three years ago: Show Goes On, and On, and On...

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto

Five years ago: Living with My Buddy

Six years ago: Poké-Tourism

Seven years ago: Pokémon "Cover Songs"

Eight years ago: Venice and Alto Mare

Pokémon Mornings and Evenings

Being a Pokémon fan, it means that I deal with Pokémon day in and day out. However, it seems that more recently, mornings and evenings have become relevant and crucial times for me to deal with Pokémon, particularly for one specific agenda that some people might be able to tell just by reading this blog. Still, it's those same times of day that also become evocative of Pokémon itself, and given this situation, it seems apt for me to address those times of day in a post and illustrate how that is just so.

For that purpose, I actually want to start with the latter time of day, as evenings. The sentiments of a darker time of day that I illustrated in a post nearly a year ago also apply to some extent in this earlier time, and often, they affect my ruminations for that aforementioned agenda. Some Meowth of the Alolan form may also roam at this time of day, perhaps primarily concerned with searching for sustenance while I also do the same as I work that process along with the ruminations for that agenda. It seems often the case that I have to move myself and my Pokémon dealings in contrast to the movements of other people (and Pokémon).

As for the former time of day, as mornings, I'm certainly dictated to move as with how other people (and Pokémon) move, but there are also times when I need to make my own initiatives for movement. In fact, it seems that some of the Pokémon - as Meowth of the original Kanto form, and even ones like Taillow and the newly recognized Wattrel - also move to encounter me and other people and Pokémon in their own ways for their own initiatives. Then, there is that agenda, which might have had spillover effects from the previous evening. It's not necessarily an easy thing to deal with, especially when pressed for time.

It seems that beyond their movements and directed initiatives, mornings and evenings have a way of tying into Pokémon in different and evocative ways. Further, those ways might just affect how I deal with it, specifically for that one specific agenda that I bring up as above. The relevance and crucial nature of Pokémon still manifests itself in certain ways, and that becomes the matter to be captured in the agenda as well as my general Pokémon dealings, and as the two times transit, so does my Pokémon life continue.

One year ago: Recent Pokémon Go Interface Changes

Two years ago: Cosplay: Lippo Bunkasai Japan Fest

Three years ago: (Possible?) Community Day Concepts

Four years ago: Preparing for Pokémon Go Tour

Five years ago: For the Sake of Consistency

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/19/2019

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Team Leader Stickers

Eight years ago: Let's Get Ready to Rumble

Unique Pokémon Unite Tournaments

Pokémon Unite is rightfully a MOBA game, and tournaments in similar fashion as other MOBA games can be (and have been) created for it. However, it too differs from most MOBA games in different ways, something that players, both active and inactive, have made observations of. In this way, the game might open itself up to some unique or even unusual tournaments - which has in fact happened - and that becomes something interesting to explore.

Recently, a tournament was held for solo and team players alike with a special restriction: knocking out other team players was discouraged, and if that occurred, it counted as a -20 point penalty at the end, while 10 KOs meant an automatic loss. As such, it was dubbed as a "scoring-focused" tournament, and it itself was initiated by the observation that matches in the game seem to be about scoring more than anything else, which in some ways might be true given the overall objectives and mechanisms of the game.

Then, a long time ago, there was a one-on-one custom tournament that was initiated as a way to use the Custom Battle feature in a slightly unusual manner, not to mention for the participants of the tournament. The usual methods to determine a winner still applied, so some players had to get crafty with their approaches to win against the other player. In any case, the tournament could be construed to be a way of getting players used to the ways of Pokémon Unite, even though those ways are much like other MOBA games.

A possibly unusual restriction for tournaments is to have teams composed of Pokémon of a single role, which sometimes occur in regular play (including Ranked) but not very often - though some have documented their experience with these kinds of teams. With the inclusion of more and more Pokémon in the game, these kinds of teams can stand to occur more often and in unusual ways, so having a tournament dedicated to having teams that are all like this would not only be creative but also force players to really strategize.

Even with the state of the game as it is now, which some players may or may not be aware of, Pokémon Unite can stand to be played with out-of-the-ordinary restrictions (even as a MOBA game), and that could make for unique tournaments as detailed above. At this point, that may be just what is needed to reinvigorate or at the least maintain interest in it, and to continue to affirm its place as both a MOBA game and a Pokémon game.

One year ago: Let's Talk About Saving Opportunities

Two years ago: Follow-up for the NADWPKMN YouTube Channel

Three years ago: Respect for Ahmad Zulkifli Lubis... in Memoriam

Four years ago: Quickies: Water, the Source of Life

Five years ago: To Lure or to Walk?

Six years ago: Romancing the Ball

Seven years ago: Once and Again: Cosplay Teaser for 3/11/2018

Eight years ago: We Three Birds of Kanto Are...

Economy of Expression

For those who have been keeping up with this Pokémon blog since the beginning, or at the very least have read posts from that time, they'll have noticed that the posts have grown in length. This exact topic I also brought up as early as the end of the second year of my posting, and this time, I want to bring it back with a twist. The situation - perhaps then and now - is something that is somewhat in contrast with what happens when I talk with other people, which is that I prefer to speak as little as possible, even now when it seems that my views are seemingly not quite appreciated. The situation invokes the phrase of "economy of expression", and I'm prompted to discuss it with my blogging efforts.

Back then, I also referred to how I'd found my "voice" to discuss certain Pokémon (and related) matters, and that remains true even now and useful for some topics that would then be able to be discussed on this blog, like some in-depth observations of particular in-game elements. However, it seems important to keep in mind that for some things, it may be best to say less about them, which is where "economy of expression" becomes relevant. This is especially true for things that are controversial in nature, which may only need to be skimmed on the surface rather than to be explored in depth.

Given the daily frequency of the posts on this blog, "economy of expression" is also a practical principle to keep in mind because it simply means a lot less things to contend with for this blog, Pokémon, or otherwise. There are still other places and topics that might need to have some in-depth discussion, but the principle may also indicate that may not be as necessary as it seems to be on initial consideration. Regardless, it has to be weighed as I evaluate each discussion topic for the posts I'm about to create.

To say less things might be a bit of a counterpoint of a blog like this one and especially of Pokémon (where so much is still going on), but it seems that just like regular conversations with people, I need to weigh where I need to say a lot and where I only need to say a little. With that, there may be a certain insight with the principle of "economy of expression", for which I could say more even with less words.

One year ago: Cosplay: Gyomai Mini Gathering

Two years ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #5 - Musical Expressions

Three years ago: Follow-up Pokémon Happenings

Four years ago: Gym Takedown Habits

Five years ago: Delayed Costumes

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/17/2019

Seven years ago: Time for a Pikachu New 2DS XL?

Eight years ago: The Park Is Open

Cosplay: Halloweeaboo Part V - Yorokobimasu

Me: That said...

Goh: OK, so festival Sunday. Um... Wait, this is the fifth?

Me: Uh-huh. Technically, the festival called "Unity" was the second, and... Ash missed the third because I sent him somewhere else and the fourth because it happened during last year's Go Fest.

Ash: Oh, that's what happened!

Pikachu: Pika... ["I see..."]

Me: But now the fifth is the charm... maybe? Anyway, this time should be quite different. 

Goh: But it's still with the same people, right?

Me: Sure. The location, though, is somewhere totally new even for me.

Ash: It looks like... an office complex!

Goh: Like a public office?

Ash: Yeah! They had the festival in the hall and just outside it.

Me: Yup, that's different, all right. 

Goh: My guess is that the competitions are still the same.

Me: They have the character parade and singing ones... and now they have a character performance one.

Goh: Looks neat! But I have a feeling you're only going to put Ash in one of these.

Me: Mm-hmm. And he's going to do what he did a few weeks ago. 

Ash: Same competition and same song! Oh, and same outfit too.

Me: Yup. I did want to try for the character performance, but I'm short on preparations for that, again. Also, maybe it helps to conjure ideas first from this one.

Goh: Well, I understand. So, how were things? 

Ash: The festival was great! It was small and a little like the ones in the mall, but I got to spend the day with our friend's friends - character and others.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["A nice time."]

Goh: Hey, I guess it did work out. But then... the competition.

Ash: I thought I sang great. And I even sat and walked around while I sang!

Goh: Looks like the focus from your friend helped... maybe for the results too?

Ash: Didn't work out. I think they had a few sound issues - the same as with one of our friend's friends in it?

Me: I'm sorry about that. That's one of the things beyond our control.

Ash: Also, I was one of 20 and the others were all great too - and there were only three winners.

Goh: Shoot. But I guess that always happens with many people entering and few prizes.

Me: Absolutely. I always wish they gave out more prizes like they do for the characters.

Goh: Speaking of, how were they?

Ash: I didn't see the parade myself, but our friend's friends had the report. It was the usual. But I did see the performances, and I think I have a few ideas for our friend.

Me: Great! I'll see what I can do with them soon.

Goh: I'll be interested. Oh, yes - what about entertainment?

Ash: Just dance groups all day and the usual karaoke group at the end.

Goh: OK, standard. So, as our friend said, this was a change of pace... in a way.

Ash: But a lot was the same. I think they can have it again at the same place just to make it different.

Pikachu: Pika chu? ["Why not?"]

Me: I think so too. They can make it even better - and so can we with us and competitions.

Goh: That should be lively.

Me: As lively as the changing colors of the day, which I'm told was the spirit behind this one.

Ash: Neat! 

Me: You know what they say - a change is as good as a rest. Expect more rests and changes on the way, for this and others too.

One year ago: Furthering Family Affairs

Two years ago: Utsuru Loot: More Stylistic Pokémon Stickers

Three years ago: On Tap for the NADWPKMN YouTube Channel

Four years ago: Pokémon Cinematic Universe - Possible?

Five years ago: Cosplay: Cosplay on the Street II

Six years ago: Romancing the Ball

Seven years ago: Once and Again: Cosplay Teaser for 3/11/2018

Eight: years ago: We Three Birds of Kanto Are...

Current Pokémon Singing Prospects

It's been several years since I started delving into singing competitions, and much of it has been a wonderful ride, allowing for Pokémon opportunities (in particular) that I once thought were out of reach to happen. With regard to "reach", now I want to consider different things for this purpose, specifically the Pokémon songs I can and want to sing in the future as well as have sung in the past. These become my prospects for these competitions, with my goal being to involve Pokémon as much as possible and possibly get some appreciation for that. 

First up is the past. Obviously, some songs have resulted in wins (Best Wishes, XY&Z) while others have only resulted in laudable performances outside of competitions (Mezase Pokémon Master, Pokémon Theme). Yet others still have not resulted in anything, and those are the prime candidates to be taken up again in future competitions. As a fallback, Mezase Pokémon Master is the only one I would repeat if only to try to get just one win out of it. By and large, it's the "unproductive" ones that I'm trying to make "productive" for this purpose.

Meanwhile, I'm also considering the performance of gentler songs or at the least ones whose lyrics I can keep up with. This is partially considering the suggestion that a friend had made a very long time ago to not try to take up songs in the rock genre, but also because to a certain extent, my memory isn't what it used to be as a consequence of age. Evidently, this was true for the time I tried to perform "Acacia", which is likely not to become competition fodder anytime soon; other Pokémon songs will have to be prioritized ahead of this example.

Then, there are just other things to consider. One of those is making dramatic performances with songs that I already know by heart, which might just mean repeating a song between performances in part as "practice" for that objective. Also, consideration of songs by both male and female singers is at hand, even though many of my performances have been those of the latter, to keep affirming myself as a "versatile singer" who can sing just about anything... although if the above is of any indication, some things will have to be focused on.

As an adjunct to cosplay competitions in festivals, competitions, and such, the singing competitions have become useful outlets for me to show off my Pokémon interests, but that doesn't mean they can't be improved. The above considerations become the ways for possible improvements, to reach for things that couldn't be obtained previously and things to be able to be obtained in the future. The past, present, and future for me is still Pokémon, and that has to be realized in as many ways as possible, even through continued prospects in singing.

One year ago: Getting Canine with Pokémon

Two years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers: Pokémon Daily Greetings

Three years ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #2 - Why YouTube?

Four years ago: GBL Progression, Revisited

Five years ago: Words of the Heart

Six years ago: Local EX Raid (and Quick Connections), 2/15/2019

Seven years ago: A Break in the Action

Eight years ago: Pocket Monsters Best Wishes Partners Figure - Satoshi

Valentine's Day 2025: All Your Love, Awesome

This day, February 14, needs no introduction, as many people will recognize it as Valentine's Day. It's a day of certain feelings or sentiments, the most notable one being love. A certain song says that the sentiment is all that one needs, and this is true to some extent; yet what might also be true is that if the entirety of that love is given, then that might just be the greatest thing - hence the phrase in the title of this post. That's the theme I've decided to run with for this year's discussion, certainly with Pokémon in tow for that purpose.

For example, it is true that Trainers should develop the best Pokémon they have (that is, give all their love to them), but there is also truth in putting love to the selection process for that purpose. The most important thing is that the love is there - being without a point otherwise. Of course, it's also wise to have that love distributed, for if not, one ends up in a "Pikachu and Riolu" situation, for those who know what I'm referencing. So, there is a sense of "all in" for "all" that is or who are concerned with love.

It might seem that in the current state of the world, what might be lacking is a sense of "love" as well as the "all in" quality, for Pokémon or other matters. This has been my own first-hand experience in recent times particularly, and it's certainly not quite an awesome experience. Resolving this situation presents its own challenges, but looking into Pokémon, focusing into its positives may be a key aspect of the resolution, and it's something I'd happily take up, hopefully knowing others can do just the same.

As for relating the phrase further into Pokémon and the matters of today, a certain group that also delves into certain Pokémon affairs also has things going on with the "all in" and "awesome" aspects, and furthermore, it's related to the games - this being their "middle name". In fact, I have mentioned the group somewhere else on this blog, though by the token of the recent events, I'm not quite privileged to mention it. If things do improve, I might just happily make a separate discussion on them - all in good arrangements.

While "love", "hearts", and "attractions" - all things I've mentioned or discussed in previous years (see below) - are seemingly missing even on this particular day and in this particular time, there's no reason that it can't be restored somehow either. Pokémon (games) might just provide the basis for this restoration, even with all of its abstractions that may or may not suggest love. Still, all of it to its major fans is awesome, and with that, there might just be reasons to keep its things going... and perhaps find love in there.

Happy Valentine's Day, and your love is awesome - all of it.

One year ago: Valentine's Day 2024: Pick What You Love

Two years ago: Valentine's Day 2023: A Batty Heart

Three years ago: Valentine's Day 2022: Within Attraction

Four years ago: Valentine's Day 2021: No Love, Only Love

Five years ago: Valentine's Day 2020: In Pursuit of Love

Six years ago: Valentine's Day 2019: Think Pink

Seven years ago: Valentine's Day 2018: Address to a Luvdisc

Eight years ago: It's Valentine's Day!

Wallpaper: The Right of All Nations

It seems that it will always take time for me to conceive new Pokémon wallpaper images for my PC and phone, but at least that affords some time for me to enjoy them within that time, not to mention to conceive new ideas for the next ones. And the idea for this one came at some point within that time and was developed over time, with the final results as shown below. That also becomes a way of making certain affirmations about what I like to involve in my wallpaper designs as well as what I like in general.

With that, the wallpaper is called "The Right of All Nations" because... well, it says so on the wallpaper. But that's not the only reason, for the title is a translation of the lower phrase - "Hak Segala Bangsa" - next to the stylized hash, which would make it a "hashtag" along with Pokémon itself (an actual hashtag would just have it as a regular letter E, but I chose to accent the E regardless). The focal point, meanwhile, is the image on the right, the poster for the "finale arc" for the anime while Ash was still in it - itself being a take on the first poster of the anime - which I've made into a "pseudo-TCG" style given the popularity of the recent TCGP game. Aside from that, there's the usual Pokémon logo, disclaimers, and some blank space for icons or whatever one likes to put there.

As for the affirmations, one of them is that I like parodies, for this is in part a parody of an ad campaign for a local department store that proclaims that any substance above the phrase is as the phrase suggests: everyone's right or entitlement. It has been applied to qualities (one of them being "cool") and other media, and I chose to apply it to Pokémon. In fact, the anime poster was also part of the inspiration, as I moved to interpret that anything on it could be entitled for anyone, including the people already in the poster. So, the two inspirations come together in this wallpaper, with a little help from current trends in Pokémon affairs to make things come out as I would believe.

The next affirmation is that I like to create simplistic designs and to involve text (typography) in my wallpaper creations. From the previous wallpaper creations to this one, there has always been some textual element and a simplistic arrangement of the elements that are involved in the wallpaper. And it's no accident, really; I think typography is just as important as any artistic image, and the latter is complemented by the former. Evidently, I have some attraction to the international Pokémon logo for the same reasons, not to mention attributive ones, and include a variant of them in all my creations.

Now, I mentioned "phone" earlier, and that's because I wanted to adapt the same wallpaper to use on my phone, and that's what I did. I just rearranged the same elements vertically to fill the space for a phone-sized wallpaper, and the result is the image below. I do have to say that the image below is a bit tall, which also implies that my phone is as such. Still, it shouldn't be all that difficult to adapt things if I need to.

Even Pokémon fans are entitled to simple yet creative and usable wallpaper images, and this latest creation of mine is as such, at least in my view. It's thought-provoking yet whimsical, and it has the elements of Pokémon that many fans without a doubt recognize and enjoy - surely as in my case, for some time ahead until the next wallpaper idea comes.

One year ago: Best Times for Ranked Matches?

Two years ago: A Double Intense Pokémon Dream

Three years ago: Let's Talk About All the Right Things

Four years ago: The Love Cup of GBL

Five years ago: What to Nominate

Six years ago: Cryptic Pokémon

Seven years ago: Two Games at Once?

Eight years ago: Cosplay: Japan LovEvolution Vol. 2 - Kaizen

Different Regions, Different Strokes

Pokémon by now is a universal franchise and fandom across regions of the world. However, what might not be so universal is the way that different regions of the world are managed, dealt with, or treated with respect to Pokémon affairs, specifically for the purposes of being able to compete with those from other regions and implying the tournaments that lead up to the annual World Championships. It's a matter that makes for a good bit of discussion.

It helps to see how this is so with a few pertinent examples. In the past, I had mentioned one example for Pokémon Go and the Asia Pacific region, and this also ties into several related tournaments in the countries associated with the championships, whose winners are representative. A similar situation occurs for Pokémon Unite, which has its own regional championships for select teams in the region.

Then, locally there is a championship series for the TCG in the form of "League" tournaments named after specific types of capture balls, where players collect points to move into higher stages progressively, with the peak being to select representative champions. Elsewhere, players will recognize "regional" or "challenge" tournaments with similar purposes, though with a multinational scope, even with VGC involved.

With some of these differences, it's hard not to consider that there would be a root cause for them. The licensing, distribution, and all related matters handled by different parts of the corporate entities involved in Pokémon would certainly indicate that things may have to be performed in different ways for different parts of the world, and that has been proven as such with the different kinds of tournaments above.

So, as universal and deep-to-the-core (for many of its fans) as Pokémon is, it seems that even some things have to be performed in ways that don't appear to be universal, as with the tournaments above, due to certain legalities that may be involved in them. What does remain universal, though, is the ways that fans play the games and do so against others in the world, and the most important thing is to keep reconciling that across any sort of differences.

One year ago: Pokémon Figures for the Rest of Us

Two years ago: Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 17

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/12/2022

Four years ago: Fourth Anniversary of My Regional Figure Group

Five years ago: Pokémon as a Study Aid

Six years ago: A Pikachu Pillow Keychain

Seven years ago: Anywhere Is

Eight years ago: My Essential Pokémon Cosplay Equipment

Pokémon Crossroads

I really wanted to write up on a philosophical aspect of Pokémon today and not something from its media manifestations (games and the like), and I finally settled on the topic I'm about to discuss, which seemingly hasn't been discussed before and is appropriate as such. So, the topic concerns "crossroads" in Pokémon instances - or even more specifically, journeys - which can be realized in different ways depending on the circumstances. As such, there's a certain philosophical understanding imbued in the realizations.

The "fork in the road" is one of those realizations, and it's sometimes depicted in the anime, particularly back when Ash and co. was still in it. The literal sense of "crossroads", being two roads that meet each other in a junction, is obviously present here. Yet, it's also representative of the starts and ends of certain initiatives, often appearing in scenes where such initiatives are at hand. Whether they begin or end things, though, at least some places will then tie into those initiatives and everything goes back to the "crossroads" as places that lead in and out.

Another sense of "crossroads" is two roads that pass over ("cross") each other, which could be understood as making an intersection composed of four ways or more. This would then be illustrated (and realized) well through places like Saffron City, Mauville City, and Lumiose City, which sit smack-dab in the midst of two or more paths. Philosophically, any of these directions could be taken, which means many directions that one can potentially take, even if they all may not be available from the get-go and only later on as possibilities.

More abstractly, places and spaces that involve aerial departures and arrivals - including but not limited to airports - could be thought of as "crossroads" in the sense that some people go to the air from the ground and vice versa, or they might only "touch base" with the others and still stay where they are. Instances of these are varied in the media manifestations, including the people and the vessels that transport them, but the essence is still that they are the meeting points for different "roads", ones that go to or just lead from the sky.

Conceptually, "crossroads" represent points of convergence, and all of the realized Pokémon instances  above have some sense of convergence, even if they may or may not involve actual or literal "roads" that are so aptly part of the term. If the philosophical understanding has any bearing on the Pokémon instances, it would be that it is a common matter to have roads, paths, and ways go in different ways and inevitably meet at certain points, allowing people and Pokémon species alike to traverse them to wherever it is they want or need to go.

One year ago: Being Wary of Things in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: Looking Into Unite's "Regular" Events

Three years ago: The Pokémon DP Sound Library

Four years ago: Friendship Filters in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: To Eat and to Lure

Six years ago: A Pidove Keychain

Seven years ago: Memories of Hoenn

Eight years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers

Catching the "Fancy" of Life-Size Plush Dolls

As I had discussed nearly a year ago, Pokémon plush dolls come in all kinds of sizes, and one of them is the life size. Many Pokémon are undoubtedly suited to having plush dolls of this size, certainly as long as they're not already gargantuan to start off with. Besides being suitable, there's a certain captivating quality that plush dolls of this size have, and that becomes the branching point of this discussion from the earlier one: catching the "fancy" possessed by dolls of this size, along with a few illustrative examples of that "fancy".

Most recently, there had been hubbub and furor over the latest entry to this line of plush doll size, being the Gardevoir life size plush doll. Many fans are aware of the implications that are brought about by this particular Pokémon having a life size plush doll (for which nothing more will be said here), and this definitely means that those who conceived this plush doll and those who covet such a plush doll have caught a certain "fancy". When the Lucario life size plush doll entered the scene, some might have had the same reactions, even if it might have been less marked than for Gardevoir. Whatever "fancy" might be had, some are certainly preferential for these humanoid species in plush doll - even in life size.

Then, there are the more common entries like those for the species of Porygon, Psyduck, and Pikachu. Admittedly, though, the first of these species is somewhat tending into the uncommon given its history in Pokémon matters, but a life size plush exists for it and could be sat (and/or "ridden") on... just like it was meant to be. The other two are familiar yellow pals for those who are familiar (even, not so familiar) with Pokémon, and by the reactions and reviews to these, they're treated truly as "pals" more than anything else. In this way, the "fancy" of these Pokémon are "caught" and "served".

"Extraordinary" seems to be the word that can describe the scale of these life size plush dolls as well as the reactions of the people to them, Pokémon fans and non-fans alike. Something would captivate some people for the conception of these plush dolls and then other people to obtain them, and that's definitely the "fancy" that concerns these plush dolls. That too is "extraordinary" regardless, as is the general scales and sizes of Pokémon species.

One year ago: Let's Talk About The World Turning

Two years ago: New Intricacies of the Battle Pass

Three years ago: Quickies: Fireside Chats with Pokémon

Four years ago: Quickies: Staying Productive with Pokémon

Five years ago: On (No) Coincidences

Six years ago: Cosplay: Tresno no Matsuri

Seven years ago: Hoenn (Fully) Confirmed on Go

Eight years ago: Space