Considering (My) Pokémon Relevance

It is the case that Pokémon today is much, much different from Pokémon as it was in its early days. Back then there were only the main series games (plus a few spinoffs) for anyone to deal with, along with the related media (mostly the anime). Now there are many games to deal with - quite a few of them free to play or start - and the associated media is also just as many, making it a very diverse world, even for me as a long-time and devoted fan. For that, the matter of "relevance" seems to become pertinent, for whatever it is that a person would like to deal with involving Pokémon, and this applies to me personally as well. As such, it seems relevant (ahem) to figure out what would be pertinent for Pokémon fans like me to deal with.

Being active in Pokémon may surely demand involvement in at least one game, if not to keep up with at least some of the latest information and developments, which theoretically can be done without playing a game but might be difficult. Meanwhile, the games themselves now have a "social capacity", which is somewhat to quite high for the likes of Pokémon Go and Pokémon Unite as well as the physical TCG, and less so for the main series games, virtual TCG, and some other spinoff games. Relevance may have to be evaluated in terms of this "social capacity" in addition to how much time and effort one can devote. This has been an ongoing progression for me even now, seemingly coming to a head in recent times and happenings.

Relevance may also be considered in terms of contributions that one can make, whether verbal (as in the case of this blog), artistic (as with some artists I already do know well and others not that well), and social management outside of the games as above. They may not suggest or require playing one, some, or all of the games, but what is gained from those efforts might just help in this regard. Personal considerations - that is for me - may just dictate an "amping up" in this regard, though that may depend on other commitments and necessities. For other fans, it may be that media and social contributions are sufficient without having to make their way in the games, and the relevance would be evaluated according to those contributions.

After all that, it would seem that Pokémon "relevance" for me is still sufficiently major, yet it also may seem that some efforts to demonstrate that relevance have to be redirected to certain other games or forms of media, and it may even have to involve dialing back on some social aspects - this blog being possibly the only exception. Other people (fans) can make the same establishment of relevance based on areas or aspects of Pokémon they deal with and/or enjoy, and that is perfectly fine. Nevertheless, nothing changes the fact that Pokémon today has become extremely different from Pokémon yesterday, and the efforts of maintaining relevance will continue to depend on the changes that transpire for Pokémon and its fans.

One year ago: Historical Pokémon, Revisited

Two years ago: Pikachu and Paldea Starters Headbands and Visors

Three years ago: My Current Holowear of Interest

Four years ago: In Need of Rotom, Right Now

Five years ago: Fanboys and Fangirls

Six years ago: The First Unova Saga Japanese Opening Theme

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/15/2018

Eight years ago: Dialectics

Spiritually Lost

I'd been intending to take care of a few Pokémon matters earlier today; however, a sudden happening put a complete stop to those efforts. In retrospect, it seems that it just wasn't meant to be, and I may be better off without it - at least for now. While that may be the case, missing out on it at the current moment has left me "spiritually lost" in a way, furthermore with some recent situations. Since the "MooMoo Milk has been spilled", I thought I'd take the topic and run with it to discuss it with Pokémon in tow.

A species family that may be emblematic of the current situation is that of Galarian Corsola. It's of the Ghost type, compared to its Water and Rock brethren, and its evolved form Cursola appears even more like a straggler. The point is still that the species (family) are seemingly apparent as "lost souls" in light of the original or firstly discovered form. It also does seem a bit coincidental that it fits my current situation, moreover as I'm dealing with them right now - thus, "lost" in more ways than one.

Now, for the efforts to deal with those matters involving Pokémon, I'm running into the conundrum that certain people associated with those matters have lost touch with what makes the matters so wonderful for people around them or the relations themselves with other people. As such, the state of being "spiritually lost" is a given, almost in the same way as the species mentioned above with the appearance as well as type. Finding those lost spirits will be the most difficult matter, perhaps for all.

This Pokémon blog seems not to be immune from the condition. It affects posts in two ways: delayed conception, where an idea languished for a long time before it got written (like the recent beta version post, which had been planned since mid-October last year), or shifted composition, which... is perhaps best not to be explained to readers for certain concerns. The condition may make some of the posts on this blog out of touch with certain spirits and therefore "lost" in due time - regrettably so.

Given the "spiritually lost" condition, I may be in need of healing, whether or not that would involve Pokémon. In that sense, the skipped over matter may have to remain skipped over for now, as disheartening as it may be without a real way of truly making up for it. But then, Pokémon is broad and especially now, so I can opt for something else related to it as the form of healing. To find what has been lost will surely not be an easy matter, but I still believe that Pokémon will still allow me to find (some of) the way.

One year ago: Pokémon Profile Frames and Video Backgrounds

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/15/2023

Three years ago: Love Nature, Find Beauty

Four years ago: Great League, Remixed

Five years ago: On Pokémon and Computing

Six years ago: The Fullness of the Cup

Seven years ago: Cosplay: GAME - Games Animation Marketplace and Exhibition

Eight years ago: True Colors (...of a Logo)

Possibility of Pokédogs (+ Cats)?

Those who played the previous "era" of Nintendo consoles - that is, the Nintendo DS and its derivatives - will likely have recognized a series of virtual pet games called Nintendogs. These allow a player to become close with a furry friend of their choice (dogs, of course - cats came later on), taking care of them and doing things with them. That sounds suspiciously like something that one could do - or in fact also does - with Pokémon, of which some are known to be like dogs. Therefore, some have proposed that a spinoff could be made for Pokémon, in which case it could be called "Pokédogs" as in the title of this post. Naturally, I'm inclined to talk about it and flesh out the idea further.

Now, I haven't played the game proper, but according to its descriptions, the pet care element is there along with the activity element. Adapting these to a blend of real-life and Pokémon influences would be the key factor for this game; the pet care element would have to be as robust as the original game while incorporating some Pokémon twists, and the activity element doesn't have to be too realistic but still sensible for a real pet as well as a Pokémon pet. The results would seem to indicate a mixture of pet simulation and the PokéPark games, but that should be satisfactory for fans of both.

Even so, there are still a few other considerations. One of them is that "pet care" had already been implemented in different forms in the main series games, and an implementation for the purpose of "Pokédogs" may want to differentiate itself in comparison to that. It also goes without saying that the activity implementation might as well want or need to differentiate itself from something like PokéPark as the example game mentioned above. Long story short, Pokémon has already had shares of both elements in other games, and besides conforming with Nintendogs, differing becomes another related matter.

Implementing Nintendogs for Pokémon might still not be a ridiculous idea, however, since there are people on both involved sides who are familiar with both realms, and one of them might be a certain "steering" and "nearing" person. They'll have to make sense of the demand for it as put forth by the same people I mentioned above - perhaps including me - and may consider it a developmental possibility. Whether that would play out in due time is another matter entirely, though not a constrained one.

Having been around for almost three decades now, many Pokémon species have been found to resemble the familiar furry friends people also keep as pets rather than put into combat as some of the games would have people believe. Putting Nintendo's own virtual pet games to the task of caring and having fun with these Pokémon species seems like a natural choice and a plausible one - at least once all the hurdles have been overcome. That might just be an instance of "barking up the right tree".

One year ago: The Slowest Pokémon Day

Two years ago: Rising Heroes in the GBL, First Half

Three years ago: Keeping a Balance for the World Championships

Four years ago: Whence I Am, Whence We Are

Five years ago: Levels and Half-Levels in Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Cosplay: INOCHI 2019 - Sengoku Jidai

Seven years ago: Shiny Here, Shiny There

Eight years ago: Friendly Plays

Looking Back at Cycling Roads

The discussion about the beta version for the third-generation games also prompts me to think about a particular section unique to those games: the specifically-designated Cycling Road. Then, it also prompts thinking about similar places in other regions, whether or not they were specially designated as such. The special designation for the places certainly comes from when bicycles were a specific mode of travel between places in the main series games, one that would be fast but not as fast as just flying to places directly.

For the implementation in that region, a notable "racing" aspect was involved, in that if one traveled in a certain direction and used a specific bicycle, one would be timed for the duration one took to progress on that specific path. The "racing" aspect may or may not have appealed to some, but it might have been nice to make a mark on the aspect every so often. Regardless, the special Cycling Road was still a neat "expressway" of sorts for those who did travel using a bicycle, particularly to cut down on travel time.

Meanwhile, the first region's designated Cycling Road had a hilly aspect to it that really only facilitated speedy travel in one direction and not the other, as well as no external aspect like the above. In a way, only the "adventure" aspect was really there, and this would apply well to other places that aren't specifically designated as a Cycling Road but one could go through with a bicycle comfortably and at a certain clip. That may be just all that matters in the games as their primary focus is more on catching and battling.

Bicycles may now be considered as a "legacy" form of transport (in a way) in the games, but their influence still persists, including in the places that are specially designated as a "Cycling Road" and others that resemble them and allow for comfortable transport with bicycles as implemented in the games. In looking back at these places, a certain adventure was still to be had with them, even as an auxiliary one to the main Pokémon adventure of the games, and one with a certain speed to it.

One year ago: More on Outfit Grades in Café Remix

Two years ago: The Minuscule and Enormous Qualities of Pokémon Species

Three years ago: The Type Icons, A New Standard

Four years ago: Differing Amounts of Pokémon Knowledge

Five years ago: Pokémon Helmet Covers?

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/13/2019

Seven years ago: Go at Home

Eight years ago: Paint It, Picross

Before Ruby and Sapphire

Almost all games of today go through a beta version of some sort, and Pokémon ones are no exception. Many years ago, I detailed the one for the second-generation games, which at that point had just come to light. The same has recently occurred for the games of the third generation some time ago, which becomes another prompt for a discussion here on this blog. It also makes this discussion somewhat late, but it's still got to be done to point out the interesting particulars of that beta version.

Like the previous one, some of the Pokémon species were pretty close to what was then finally had, but others looked very different. A notable one was an early form of what would become Blaziken, which looked more like a hawk and related to a different Pokémon. These and others in the beta were eventually retooled to the modern species families and evolution lines, as did their appearances. Of course, there were still many others that didn't make the cut - a good number - while only a few might be recognizable as similar to later Pokémon.

Meanwhile, the overworld maps had both major and drastic as well as minor and incremental changes. The latter was mostly conserved to cities and towns as well as some land routes, while the former occurred for a number of land routes and many of the sea routes. These sea routes in particular went from mostly barren to becoming more richly structured as seen in the final games. Notably, a few maps would only later on be developed for significant events like the encounters with the Titan Pokémon - also a late development.

Some miscellaneous tidbits are also pertinent. The early monikers for the versions appeared to have been "Vermilion" and "Indigo", which might have been an interesting twist. Wally, the sickly character, was also planned to have a more prominent role as a Gym Leader, albeit an up-and-coming one. Secret Bases had also been planned to be accessed differently with tools instead of the Secret Power move. Since quite a bit of the revelation was also recent, some of it also still needs to be dug through and examined even now.

Very much like the beta version for the earlier generation, a lot of things needed to be polished in the beta version for this one before they could appear fleshed out in the final version, something radically different from that. Yet much of the commonalities seem to suggest that development of the games were becoming quite standardized, in method and viewpoints. But then, that seems to be the point of most beta developments, and Pokémon going through that is only a (fine) matter of refinement.

One year ago: Making Road Runs with Pokémon

Two years ago: SA Factions: My First Four Weeks

Three years ago: How Many Pokémon for Each Role?

Four years ago: Pikachu and Bulbasaur Donuts

Five years ago: I Believe, in Love

Six years ago: (Wet and Wild) Local EX Raid, 4/12/2019

Seven years ago: Wallpaper: Pokémon 20th Anniversary

Eight years ago: Pokémon Couriers?

Themed Collections (and Secret Ones) in TCGP

As a wrap-up for the current run of discussions related to the TCGP game, I want to bring up something that's not exactly new in the game - it's been there since the get-go - but some aspects of it may be new to some, including me, making it worthwhile to be discussed. Part of the TCG experience, whether it's an electronic implementation like this or the physical one, is the effort of collecting the cards. To amp up the fun in doing so, the TCGP implementation includes a feature called Themed Collections, which has obvious and not-so-obvious aspects that contribute to that fun effort.

Themed Collections are accessed through the Missions section in a separate area... because that's what they are. The missions involve collecting certain cards from the expansions through all the usual ways, and some may even involve collecting multiple copies of specific cards. As each mission is cleared, rewards are also given; these are mostly tokens to be exchanged for emblems, but some are also Hourglasses for opening packs and making Wonder Picks, as well as profile picture icons. Pursuing the collection of certain cards for these missions may be a useful and pleasant diversion from other usual tasks in the game.

Fun also comes from an added twist in the form of Secret missions. These are hidden missions that are only revealed when the objectives (cards to collect) for them have been completed, thereby also when the missions are completed. As a result, one will need to discover them by oneself, or else by information (discreet and blatant) from those who have completed them. For example, I can give the hint that one of the Secret missions for the latest expansion requires one to collect many cards that feature a certain coin collector. Its reward is only prestigious, but it may be a nice diversion as noted.

With that, the "new" aspect would be the Secret missions, as it's likely that most players will only encounter them by happenstance, whether by unexpectedly completing them on their own or finding out about them from other players and/or friends - confer the hint above. Yet as the feature has been present since the very first expansion and continued to be present with the latest expansion, it can be expected that new expansions in the future will have their own set of missions for Themed Collections, which will preserve the feature while bringing newness and continuity with those new expansions.

It seems apparent that some new things might be in the eyes of the beholder, and the feature of Themed Collections in TCGP could be construed to demonstrate that. That would be especially the case as new expansions populate it with more card collection missions, including Secret ones that players might encounter and consider as "new" achievements. At the least, the missions that accompany the search and collection of new cards in expansions keep lending the processes a sense of newness, affirming them as a key part of the TCG experience even in this "new" form.

One year ago: Leafeon Apple Shampoo for My Needs

Two years ago: Cosplay: Pokémon Exhibition and TCG Regionals

Three years ago: Mega Evolution Fates, Again

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/11/2021

Five years ago: Three Simple Rules for a Great Adventure

Six years ago: The Songs of the Detective Pikachu Trailers

Seven years ago: O Charizard

Eight years ago: Romanticism of Tall Grasses

Ranked Matches in TCGP

Modern Pokémon games have to have ways of evaluating how one fares against others in battle, which in some games would be in the form of rankings awarded through the results of successive battles. Evidently, the latest game to receive that treatment would be TCGP; an update some time ago finally added the feature for players to peruse and see how far they can get. That feature now demands to be explored to a certain capacity, even by me, who hasn't fully taken advantage of it, though just enough to understand it.

In general, though, its system is rather straightforward no matter where players might be on it. There are five rank "tiers" (Beginner, followed by the four classic capture balls from PB to Master Ball), and all of these have four levels each, with Master Ball having an extra level for players outside its top ranking, as its levels are based on player rating that is exposed at that point. The rest of the levels are based on points earned - and sometimes lost - as players go through battles while holding the ranks of these lower levels.

For that, things begin leniently at the lower levels and tiers up until one gets into the Great Ball tier, but then they get fierce and even levels and tiers may be lost if one doesn't perform well - certainly with lost battles. The key, as with ranking systems in other games, including Pokémon ones, is to win a lot of matches and preferably consecutively, as one will get more points that way in order to be able to rank up faster. Of course, this will always be the challenge, as other players will be apt to do the same, creating some snags.

As well, it should be noted that there have been other implementations of evaluating player skills in TCGP, in the form of emblems earned for winning as many matches as possible and/or doing so for consecutive matches. While these may not be associated with true ranked play as the above, the virtual "rank" is an achievement in itself - and one that may be easier to obtain in comparison. It seems that these might just continue, though they might be "deemphasized" in favor of the ranked play system now in place. 

With ranked play and the associated matches now implemented in TCGP, there is now a distinctly regular, persistent, and standardized way of evaluating player skills against those of others. The tiers and levels might be comparatively few in light of similar systems across other modern Pokémon games, but the challenge seems to be just as great - which is always the point of ranked play. And it'll have to be a challenge TCGP card players can stand up to in order to see themselves against others.

One year ago: A Song in My Heart, The Air That I Breathe

Two years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Kingsman (SA Factions)

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 4/10/2022

Four years ago: Harkening Back to "Versus Guides"

Five years ago: Let's Get Going Today

Six years ago: Expecting the Detective

Seven years ago: Bandai Pokémon Sun & Moon Pokémon Lover Mascot 6 - Wobbuffet

Eight years ago: Evolution Revolutions?

Sneak Peeking into TCGP Wonder Picks

Next on the TCGP new affairs list is one that deals with the random selection process of Wonder Pick. Normally, it's a completely luck-based action, but through a recently started event, the luck factor has been decreased by a bit. That is accomplished through the feature or mechanism of "Sneak Peek", which by its name is a rather obvious indication: it allows one to take a look before making a pick. Yet it's not as simple as that, and the rest of the particulars make for and deserve a good bit of discussion.

The feature or mechanism itself is still pretty simple. When one commits to a Wonder Pick, the cards are taken and shuffled upside-down in preparation for it as usual. At that point, the feature can then become active; when active, the player is asked to pick one (and only one) card, and that card is temporarily exposed for the player to see. After a time, the card is hidden again and the Wonder Pick proceeds as normal. It is also worth noting that the reveal of other unpicked cards now occurs before the pick is revealed instead of after as it was initially, and the change may be for a dramatic effect for this and Wonder Pick in general.

A Sneak Peek changes things quite a bit. If a Wonder Pick has a targeted card - and I'm sure most players do have such a card in mind - one can stand to obtain that card directly if it becomes the peeked card, or from a one in four chance otherwise. Regardless, there is nothing to stop players from choosing or not choosing the peeked card or any other card, but the peeked card will surely have a bearing on the decision. Then, there are the possible Monty Hall-esque conundrums, but that's typical of certain gacha situations like these.

Some caveats are also abound. Even during the current event, not all Wonder Picks may allow for a Sneak Peek; chance will dictate whether or not one will have a Sneak Peek for a certain Wonder Peek or it will be just a normal one. And as I've said, it is an event... so the opportunity for Wonder Picks with Sneak Peeks will be a limited one for now up until the current event ends and Wonder Pick will become normal again. Given the flexibility and openness that Sneak Peeks allow for Wonder Picks, it is likely that the event will be repeated in the future, and perhaps many players (like me) will share these sentiments.

For a game with lots of random selection or gacha elements, the Sneak Peak feature or mechanism at the least offers a respite - even if only for limited periods of time - for Wonder Pick as one of those random selection elements. Though not completely foolproof in regard to setting aside luck, it might still be or already have been helpful in some ways, and thus the feature is especially deserving and welcome. There will still be quite a dependence on luck for Wonder Picks, which are now made seemingly more wondrous thanks to the feature.

One year ago: All Gym Leaders' Meetings?

Two years ago: Remote Raids: The Saga Continues

Three years ago: Quickies: Making Friends with Mud Skippers

Four years ago: The Sound of Instant Gratification

Five years ago: Pokémon Upbringings

Six years ago: Benefits

Seven years ago: Ex-Raids and Cancellations

Eight years ago: The (Current) Fate of the Megas

Shiny Pokémon in TCGP

As mentioned for the latest (mini) expansion or Themed Booster Pack for the TCGP game, Shiny Pokémon are now present in the cards within the game by way of its addition. Anyone who has dealt with them in other Pokémon games know that they're something to behold, and the same is true for them in this game as well. Yet like other games, here they also have unique aspects (novelties) that are also appropriate to be detailed on their own.

It is known that no matter the game, Shiny Pokémon tend to be exceptionally rare, and the same is true for their appearance in TCGP. So rare, in fact, that in this game, the Pokémon that correspond to the cards are assigned rarities of their own levels, being either one or two Shiny Stars; they are placed between the Star and Crown rarity tiers. These rarities are likely here to stay, as does the Pokémon for which Shiny is now available here.

Presently, only 14 Pokémon have received the Shiny treatment, comprised of several species families, although technically some of these families are composed of only one member. Some of these are mainstays from the first generation, while others are some of the most recently discovered Pokémon, and yet others are species with whom many Trainers definitely resonate with in body and soul. But that's certainly for them to discover.

Other than being characteristically of the gleaming and rare sort, there really is nothing that differentiates them from being used like regular Pokémon - much like how Shiny forms are in general. Of course, it does help if one has the complete Shiny family for posterity and other necessities (of the showing off kind), but otherwise they are still "nice-to-have" rather than "need-to-have" cards for battle and collection purposes. 

"Masterfully captivating" can be a valid description for Shiny Pokémon wherever they are concerned, and in the present case of the TCGP game, they cam be considered very much that in card form. Again, a good bit of luck may just be necessary to be able to obtain them, as with Shiny Pokémon in other games, but that contributes to the fascination that some may have for them, which continue as they are obtained here.

One year ago: Pokémon for the Sake of Pokémon?

Two years ago: Pokémon: Hisuian Snow

Three years ago: On Trainer Footwear

Four years ago: Doing Well on Pokémon Quizzes, Right Now

Five years ago: Voyager of Glory

Six years ago: You Can, I Can

Seven years ago: (Continuing the) Local Ex-Raid, 4/8/2018

Eight years ago: On the Road Again

TCGP: Welcoming the Shining Revelry

All right, so the Trading Card Game Pocket game has just added a boatload of new features and aspects, so it seems apt to take a few posts to discuss about them. The first aspect is a new Themed Booster Pack, which only seems like it wasn't too long ago that one was added, and yet now there is another. Its composition can be loosely described as a "parade" of sorts with all sorts of novelties that haven't been present in the game until now... and thus its title of "Shining Revelry" fits the bill.

By its title, it would suggest that there are Pokémon of the Shiny sort, and there are. A number of Pokémon in this Themed Booster Pack have Shiny alternates at the tail end of the card selection, and they're well-known Pokémon from the past to the present. And like Shiny Pokémon in other games, one may really have to press one's luck to get them. So gleamingly wonderful are these Pokémon that the rest of their novelties will have to be described separately, but at least they're here, importantly.

Speaking of the present, the Themed Booster Pack also contains a number of Pokémon from the ninth generation and the region of Paldea. One example is the entry of the Sprigatito family, continuing its extended popularity from certain circles of Pokémon fans. It also completes the circle of Trainers as Supporter cards with the presence of a certain superstar Trainer who is ready to bring "oomph" to Pokémon in just about every deck the Trainer appears in. So, this collection of cards will surely have its fans.

Or at least, that's the idea. Some of the new cards in this mini expansion - not of the ones mentioned above - also seem to be "rehashes" of cards from earlier expansions with regard to both technical and artistic aspects. They may or may not present themselves differently when played (the "technical" side), but the "rehash" aspect seems to be self-evident artistically in some ways. Regardless, they still remain a part of the mini expansion, and the least that one can do is to collect the cards for posterity.

Looking at the "parade" of cards that is this Themed Booster Pack, quite a few things are going on within it, all of which might appeal to certain segments of Pokémon fans from past to present. That's certainly what a "parade" is all about: a variety of different things congregating to make a wonderful run that's pleasant to see for as many people as possible. In that sense, the Shining Revelry lives up to its name as the latest spectacle in TCGP, and collecting makes one a part of the "parade".

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 4/7/2024

Two years ago: Quickies: Pokémon in My Countryside

Three years ago: The Silph Arena Factions Post-Season

Four years ago: Let's Go Meet New and Old Friends

Five years ago: Leaping off Ledges

Six years ago: Scat-Poké-Land

Seven years ago: Let's Go Research

Eight years ago: Caravansary

Graphic Improvements, Lagging in Gameplay?

While discussing about Pokémon Go as per the "loyalty program" matter the other day, I thought I'll discuss one more matter that's pertinent even before it and other Niantic games became a part of Scopely. That matter concerns the development of the game, which has seemingly prioritized a certain aspect while leaving another to languish. That leading aspect is the graphical quality of the game, while the lagging aspect is the gameplay itself. It might be a serious matter for some, especially with the way things have always proceeded with the game.

For the leading aspect, it is quite clear that the visuals of the game have massively improved from where they were just several years ago or even at the beginning of the game's life. The environments - overworld and Pokémon encounters - have become richly detailed, replete with visual effects from time to time. Even the Pokédex itself, a source of visual display, has recently been updated with plenty of new visual elements while maintaining much of the same functions. All this is well and good, though it does seem to leave the gameplay aspect lagging.

The gameplay is expectedly all the parts that involve battling of some kind, from PvE (Gyms and other virtual opponents) to PvP (human opponents). For these, issues are seemingly abound, including but not limited to lag (that is, sync failure) among parties, imbalance of moves and Pokémon, and initiating and ending battles in general. They come up from time to time - even yours truly have experienced some of them first-hand - and despite claims of them having been fixed, they just seem to keep coming up when Trainers least expect them.

Some due credit for the issues of today has to be given to the present complexity of Pokémon, which has obviously now pervaded Pokémon Go. Even so, that doesn't completely explain why battle issues persistently return in some form; what may constitute some of the remaining explanation may be as suggested above, being that efforts are diverted more to improving visuals rather than gameplay, even if it's not a total diversion. And then comes the "ultimate" diversion, as the sale of the entire games subdivision to be under another management.

Visuals are important for any game, Pokémon games notwithstanding and especially Pokémon Go in this case. Yet there's something to be said for gameplay that just works, which should apply to any and all Pokémon games, including the one under current scrutiny. For that, it seems that at least some extended effort may be needed to improve the gameplay at some point in order to get it up to the standards of both developers and players, and get that gameplay somewhat on par with the impressive visuals, already so for Pokémon standards.

One year ago: Changes to Slow Cooking in Café Remix

Two years ago: Few Abilities, Much Wisdom

Three years ago: One More Day, Time, and Chance

Four years ago: Quickies: Going to the Safari

Five years ago: PvP Charged Attack Technique

Six years ago: Friend Cascade

Seven years ago: Icons, Images, and Such

Eight years ago: These Foolish Things Remind Me of Pokémon

Reward Road: The Pokémon Go "Loyalty Program"

In the world of business, a loyalty program is a way of marketing things so that people who peruse the goods and services of a particular business will continue to use them, which most likely entails rewards being given to the people. As examples, stores might implement one to keep people shopping there, and travel services might implement one to keep people traveling with them. Conceivably, some games could also do the same to keep people playing them... and Pokémon Go has done just that.

Starting this month, an aspect called "Reward Road" has been implemented in and for the shops of the game (in-game and Web Store). Certain purchases in either shop will also give out points for the Reward Road, and as points are accumulated, the player becomes eligible to gain rewards in the form of specific items. Logging in to the Web Store then allows these items to be claimed for use in the game. Presently, the maximum number of points that can be collected is 3000 for 10 item levels in all.

The mention of "this month" above is because the current Reward Road is due to expire at the end of this month, and a new one is to take place at the start of the next month. As such, this aspect will be expected to become a monthly affair, geared to drive spending with each new month. Some of the rewards are not too shabby either (premium passes and incubators), so they'll certainly be a big incentive. Even the purchase of a certain ticket for a certain familiar event to be discussed later will give out points - yet another incentive.

With that, it's not hard to see how the "loyalty program" method plays out. Trainers keep buying items from the stores - at least, the ones with points attached to them - and they keep earning item rewards for the running month and then again when the month turns over and they continue the spending at that point. It can be considered one of the solutions for what Niantic had previously said is a lack or decline of revenue from the game, though its realization will need to be seen, as this month has only progressed for a few days.

Despite not being called as such, all the hallmarks of a "loyalty program" are present in the Reward Road as implemented by Pokémon Go. Item rewards that can be obtained by points that are themselves obtained by more and greater purchases of things in the in-game shop and Web Store present themselves as a way for Trainers to show their continued reliance on the game and all the things it can provide for that purpose. The translation of this to "loyalty" might just show it to be a well-deserved one for the game's fans.

One year ago: Let's Talk About Common Causes

Two years ago: The Language of Money

Three years ago: Keeping Things Down

Four years ago: Pretty Colors of the Prism

Five years ago: Writer Shortcuts

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2017 T-Shirt Replica

Seven years ago: 1000 Pokémon Species?

Eight years ago: That Way You've Got

Pokémon and (Other) Sports: New Inroads

Besides facilitating eSports of its own, Pokémon seems to have a way of its own in getting along with other (real, traditional, non-electronic) sports, as with the "Master the Ball" campaign a few years back for futsal. Recently, there have been a few developments with regard to Pokémon and other sports, and they can be considered "new inroads" for putting both of them together and having them get along for the enjoyment of their fans.

As part of the new jersey reveal some time ago for the Indonesian national soccer team, a promotion featuring Pokémon was also made with Pikachu in a video and Cinderace (obviously) at the press conference. It made sense since the country was - or technically, still is now - having a "Pokémon fever", and the two species that count for this purpose are insightfully and wisely used, bringing a whimsy to an otherwise serious matter.

Meanwhile, Pokémon also collaborated with Overtime Elite (abbreviated as OTE), which led to the creation of spiffy new basketball shirts, jackets, and pants that incorporate a slight bit of a psychedelic nod. Then, there is also a Poké Ball basketball, which looks very nice for basketball fans and Pokémon fans alike - almost as if it's ready to catch Pokémon while being bounced on the court. All the items are especially well-done and fitting of the collaboration.

Baseball didn't want to be left out either. Pokémon Go has collaborated with MLB in the U.S. to bring Pokémon to the ballpark in the form of thematic games with Pokémon Go. Special perks of PokéStops, Gyms, routes, avatar items, Timed Research, and raid battles for Pokémon with backgrounds, not to mention special merchandise, await Trainers who come to select MLB games. Obviously, a lot of ball throwing will be at hand in more ways than one.

All the developments above have Pokémon intertwined into them in various ways, from just a festive touch to integration on a deeper level. But more than that, they also have elements of novelty, from introduced ones to expansive ones that might almost make one rethink the role of Pokémon. But if that role is the getting along of people and Pokémon on and off the battle (sports) field, then some of these collaborations might do that effort some justice.

One year ago: The Profile of My Saved WhatsApp Pokémon Stickers

Two years ago: Silph Arena Web Site Quirks

Three years ago: All the Trainers Are Nemesis

Four years ago: Moody Friends, Moody Pokémon

Five years ago: The Primary Warning of Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Local EX Raid (and Nothing), 4/4/2019

Seven years ago: Gambling Not Permitted

Eight years ago: One Thing

A Unite's Dozen of Victories

Recently, Pokémon Unite revived an event framework that had been absent for some time, and it's one that is fascinating in both description and execution. As is the norm, the game has a hidden expectation for a player to become familiar, at least to a certain extent, with not just one Pokémon, but maybe five (given the number of roles) or a few more than that (given the multitude even in a single role). The event framework, meanwhile, proposes a different optimal number: 12 - a dozen, and a characteristic "Unite's dozen" at that.

The framework is called "Victory by the Dozen", because it requires the player to achieve 12 victories, regardless of play mode (except custom ones). As expected, these 12 victories need to be accomplished with Pokémon that are all different, and not just any of them; they must be all taken from a preselected list of 18 Pokémon, which are indicated on the event progression screen as well as Pokémon selection at the start of a battle. Rewards are given out for certain numbers of victories in addition to the ultimate number.

Because of the way the framework is, ideally a player would have to have most of the Unite Licenses available for the preselected Pokémon in order to get almost all of the victories in. For the remaining ones, they can elect to use 3-day or 7-day limited Unite Licenses to fill in the remaining victories, while trying out the Pokémon in question. Of course, there is nothing to stop players - aside from a lack of resources as such - from purchasing all the needed Unite Licenses, especially if they're collectors, and using them in battle.

Certainly, players will also have to pick and choose which Pokémon they want and need to win with. Given 18 of them on the table, there is a good chance many players already use some of them regularly or semi-regularly, so they're no-brainers. It's the ones that they don't use often that might present problems, but at least there are up to six of those that they can cast aside and avoid their problems. The "Unite's dozen" will then be the 12 they can muster victories of, with or without the possibility of extraneous ones.

Getting to know the Pokémon that one will use along with those of the other team members and the opposing team is a vital part of playing Pokémon Unite. While it won't measure up to a "Unite's dozen" in one battle, over many of them, it might just measure up as such, and the process of knowing becomes warranted. Such seems to be the case for the "Victory by the Dozen" event framework, which just might assist in that process and becomes timely when it is revived, as in the case of the present.

One year ago: Three Pokémon Visions in Dreams

Two years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Sac and The City (SA Factions)

Three years ago: The Type Is Wild

Four years ago: Cosplay: "How Are You, Communities?"

Five years ago: Subcultures and Specialties

Six years ago: Pokémon and eSports

Seven years ago: Fondness for Latias and Latios

Eight years ago: A Story of Love, A Story of Passion

My Prospects for Pokémon Virtual Console Games?

From time to time, I've mentioned Virtual Console, Nintendo's service offering for enabling play of games for legacy platforms on current consoles. The mention is certainly warranted because the service includes a good bunch of Pokémon games, from the main series and even beyond. In fact, a few have recently even been announced for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, affirming its utility and popularity. Even so, despite my interest, I haven't been dealing with this area to a great extent, and it seems I may have to explain and lay out my possible prospects in this area of games should I go on to deal with it.

Right now, I have a few regular Pokémon game affairs going on, so to fit in new game dealings is always a challenge, let alone to fit what I already deal with other life necessities - including ones that may affect the writing of posts such as this one. Therefore, for Virtual Console games of the Pokémon sort, I may want to look into games that I can deal with quickly and effectively. While older main series games likely cannot factor in because of this, as I've mentioned once, other useful games may fit in under these considerations.

One unfortunate barrier for Virtual Console dealings for many including me, however, is cost. On the older 3DS console, I still have to pay for the games to play them, while on the Switch and beyond, that is compounded by paying for a Nintendo Switch Online subscription for advanced services, of which Virtual Console is one. While the latter is also required for current VGC dealings in current main series games, I've let this go by the wayside, so any Virtual Console effort might have to go alongside VGC efforts for posterity.

The growing library of Virtual Console games, including Pokémon ones, still do seem to make it compelling for me to just jump in and play, if I were free of any and all restrictions. At that point, I would take my pick of any Pokémon game that is available... but I would still prioritize the ones I really, really want to play, and there are already a few such games on the lists, including ones slated for addition soon. Again, the keywords are "free of restrictions", so it would have to be a moment of utmost convenience to play the games.

It seems that my prospects for Pokémon games on the Virtual Console might be a bit blurry at the moment, and efforts to clarify that might not be able to be accomplished within the short term. Still, it looks like Virtual Console will be in it for the longer term, and that longer term may just make it viable for me to jump in at some point in the farther future. That would then mean a lot more Pokémon games at my disposal, with more aspects to deal with and discuss.

One year ago: Going through the 13s

Two years ago: Seeing Polkadots in the Silph Arena

Three years ago: Language Bridging Songs

Four years ago: Getting Collective and Connective with Pokémon

Five years ago: Quizzes and Knowledge

Six years ago: Going For New Competitions

Seven years ago: Artistic License

Eight years ago: I Found You, Black and White

April Fool's Day 2025: Balls for You and Me

Things are back to that one day a year where a few things go crazy, including some Pokémon things. That would be April Fool's Day, and already some realms of the world have their own shenanigans for this very day - including for Pokémon (and specifically Pokémon Go), but that's to be explained shortly. Now, a key part of the Pokémon experience is being able to capture Pokémon in special capture balls in the range from Poké Ball to Great Ball and beyond, so the concept of "balls" are inherently tied to Pokémon in this case. Of course, that's in part a formality derived from the main series games, and capture balls may or may not be needed in other cases. Yet the "ball" concept may still manifest itself in other ways.

Perhaps in close relation to the ubiquity of Poké Balls specifically, some Pokémon species have developed appearances that resemble that ball. Then, when they're interacted with - in both intended and unintended ways - expected and unexpected consequences may result. That may still be exceptional, though, and it is likely in the usual cases one will interact with them in good ways, or as in the older main series games, be able to find balls containing items in their place and not have to deal with them at all. The species and mannerism of getting items may be somewhat idealized, but they're still what they are for their worth.

In situations where the capture balls are not pertinent for their actual usage, it may still be nice to have a bit of whimsy with them - like having beach balls in their motif, as some anime episodes have demonstrated, or having figures that closely replicate the look and feel of the capture balls. Both are quite perfectly suited for real-life applications, although the latter is more admittedly so and the former could be considered a bigger whimsy of the Pokémon world itself, but if they can work out for fun, they'll work out nonetheless.

Me: What do you think?

Ash: Poké Balls or any kind of balls or fun!

Goh: Fun and functional. I recall you two demonstrating it last year.

Ash: Oh yeah! 

Me: Of course, that happened. (See below.) 

Ash: But then, Pikachu prefers being outside with me, so it doesn't really care for balls. Right?

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Right you are."] 

Goh: What's the story on that?

Ash: It's kind of long - it might take a journey for some people to understand.

Me: And now's not the time for that.

Goh: Well, I gotcha.

Me: Anyway, I don't have anything special for Ash this time - I thought I'd just call you up to talk.

Ash: That's fine - hey, is that an Amoonguss over there?

Me: Looks like it. I'll go catch it real quick... What do you know - it's a perfect one.

Goh: Very nice!

Pikachu: Pika! ["Nice!"] 

Ash: Now you have a ball Pokémon you could really deal with.

Me: That's very true. It'll be fun trying to make it work somehow.

All things considered, there's a place for Pokémon balls somehow and somewhere for everyone that enjoys them. There will be ones that are functional for the capture of certain species, while certain species function to duplicate the look of the capture balls, and look-alikes of the balls will be abound in one form or another. It's a ball-filled life for those who fancy and deal with Pokémon, and there is just no substitute for that.

Happy April Fool's ...and have a ball (that is, fun).

One year ago: April Fool's Day 2024: Making Good (Excellent?) on Things

Two years ago: April Fool's Day 2023: For the Birds

Three years ago: April Fool's Day 2022: Life in Duplex

Four years ago: April Fool's Day 2021: Aipom Business

Five years ago: April Fool's Day 2020: Truth in a Post

Six years ago: April Fool's Day 2019: Objectivity and Subjectivity

Seven years ago: April Fool's Day 2018: Stepping Back, Moving Forward

Eight years ago: It's April Fool's Day!