TCGP: Looking for Sky-High and Deep-Sea Wisdom

The recently continued pumping out of expansions in Pokémon TCGP game has been amazing and sensational, as described previously. Yet it seems to also give pause, in that there is the concern that some things are not (as) happening as they should be. For that, it appears that the latest expansion may (need to) invoke an introspection of some sort, to look for insights. The given places to look for those insights are the deepest sea and the highest sky, and that becomes the heart and soul of this new expansion.

"Wisdom of Sea and Sky" is aptly the title of this expansion. For those who haven't figured it out by the clues above, the highlight Pokémon of this expansion are the Legendary duo from Johto: Lugia and Ho-Oh. Appropriately, most of the other Pokémon in this expansion are also from the region of concern. As with previous expansions, these two Pokémon have golden cards of the Crown rarity and immersive cards of the three-Star rarity... which has been clear in previous ones but now has a "vagueness" to it.

Meanwhile, there are 161 numbered cards in this expansion, which is quite a lot, and it makes it practically a major one. Besides new Pokémon species, there are also a few new Pokémon Tool cards as well as Trainer cards with truly new and wild effects; then, there is the usual boatload of full art cards and Shiny Pokémon cards, padding out the expansion to over 240 cards. This new expansion might keep players busy for quite some time and developers for a bit more due to a certain regrettable state.

Regrettably, the above concern has been proven true. The "vagueness" I also referred to above concerns two of the highlight cards for the highlight Pokémon species, and unfortunately, they are the most "highlighted" cards as well. The rest of the details I actually want to save for a discussion in a separate post along with other goofs that the game has had up to the present. It seems rather apropos ill-timed for such a major goof to happen with a scintillating title for an expansion, but that's the way these card fell.

Considering other aspects aside from the goof, this is a great expansion that many players will have surely waited for with its two highlight Legendary Pokémon, now being here in (almost) true form in the same TCGP style. There's a lot of wisdom to be taken from these two Pokémon, where they reside, and everything in between those levels, with the rest definitely coming from the fallout of the goof. The next step is then introspection to make these cards and later ones the best they can be, wherever they are.

One year ago: The Red and Blue Duality and Pokémon

Two years ago: All My Best Pokémon Friends Are...

Three years ago: (This Is) Just the Start

Four years ago: Heuristic vs. Methodical Trainers

Five years ago: Let There Be No Lies

Six years ago: Topic Balancing, Again

Seven years ago: The Music of Magikarp Jump

Eight years ago: Pokémon Is Everything

On Making the Winning Moves

Something that is common to Pokémon species and the games they appear in is that they use moves of all different kinds and types. Of course, not all of these moves have good results, and some of their necessary qualities are questionable. Yet the fact of the matter is that some of these moves can truly be the keys to victory, and those would be considered good and necessary. Those moves are then the subject of this discussion with regard to their properties and in particular their execution.

Quite a few of these moves are big and explosive - in fact, most (moves that are) Charged attacks in Pokémon Go are like that, and they often finish up a battle with a victor for the side that used one. As for the moves that actually bear these characteristics, being Self-Destruct and Explosion, they may only rarely get their use as finishing ones and in particular winning ones due to their effects, but they might just work out that way in some rare situations. In either case, things may just work out.

Moves that become winning moves, however, may just result in that way as a result of other moves - perhaps, through a "calculated" approach. Dream Eater as a successful winning move would require a cascade of earlier moves that result in a Sleep status for the one the move is inflicted on. More broadly, some winning moves may be the way they are due to stat changes, like those from Flame Charge as a direct contributor or Acid Spray as an indirect one instead. The process is then just as important as the move.

Then, there is a saying out there that a winning move may not be to make any move, which is a respectable manner for certain contexts that involve specific conflicts. In the main series, HP drain of a defending Pokémon by a status might just be the crux of a victory if an attacking Pokémon chooses to go defensive instead. By and large, though, moves have to be made in Pokémon battles, and something eventually has to give, resulting in definite wins and losses that the moves make to happen in their ways.

Whether the moves are good or necessary (or both), they essentially become, well... "essential" to the turnouts in Pokémon battles and in particular for a victorious one. They still depend on their properties to result in massive outright damage, minor "calculated" damage, or even just "collateral" damage, possibly among other situations as well. It's certain that Pokémon species will have their moves, and that much can be depended on, even if the results of the battles themselves may not be as dependable.

One year ago: Loot (or Not) from Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in Surabaya

Two years ago: Panic Parade - Tower Defense, Unite Version

Three years ago: A Nintendo Switch Lite Story: Making Concessions

Four years ago: Pikachu and Squirtle Donuts

Five years ago: On Growing Up with (and Out of) Pokémon

Six years ago: Shadow and Purified Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Seven years ago: Type Logic

Eight years ago: Fun at the Beach... or Water Park