Album: Advance Adventure

To finish off this "gimme five" week - the final one too this year - with the topic of the "sounds of the season", I've decided to make another album discussion or review. It's conceivably another one from the Japanese side of things, since it is admitted that this side has more albums than others. Yet it also has its own dynamics, one of them being the "dynamic" album that becomes the one that I'm addressing in this post.

Said album is called "Advance Adventure" because it contains the first opening theme for the Hoenn saga since it's literally the title track, as well as its first ending theme, "Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara" - the latter of which I haven't discussed but I might just do so in the future. Both of these in typical Japanese anime soundtrack fashion also have their instrumental or karaoke versions following the regular vocal versions, making them convenient for fans who want to sing them... like me at conventions and festivals with Ash's help.

Padding out the rest of the album is a small selection of background music pieces from the anime for this saga. It's nowhere near the entire collection as was practically the Sound Anime Collection that I discussed earlier, but it's a fine selection as far as things go. The one that I enjoy the most from this selection is the piece called "Tatakai", which many fans will recognize as one of the battle themes of the saga, played in various contexts for the main characters. While the other pieces might remain "rare", at least the ones here aren't.

With the small selection of songs and music on the album, it is possible to consider the album as an "extended play" for either set of tracks, even if taken together they just barely exceed the limit for a true "extended play" and thus qualifies it as being an "album". As an initial selection of the music for the Hoenn saga, it has the bases covered, which is a good thing - perhaps the only one aside from the songs themselves. It might have been hard to expect more from this album - at the time - but now fans don't have to settle for less.

Many things about sounds and music that pertain to various aspects of Pokémon still exist out there, like the overall body of music for the Hoenn saga, of which this album is only a small subset of that. They'll certainly have opportunities to be covered on this blog, further beyond this "gimme five" week that is dedicated to them, and likewise for other topics that have been discussed in this year. For now, this "five" is a "wrap".

One year ago: Pokémon Through the Ages: The Formative Era

Two years ago: Increased Irrelevance in Café Remix?

Three years ago: Pokémon Go: Something Extraordinary

Four years ago: Using the Master Ball

Five years ago: Virtual Reality (VR) and Pokémon

Six years ago: Sword and Shield Uptake

Seven years ago: Much Ado About Figures

Eight years ago: The Rainbow Feather of Ho-Oh

"Rare" Pokémon Music

I had said this week would have posts related to "sound and music", and yet I haven't covered anything about the latter somehow. For that, now I'd like to do so with an actual topic related to Pokémon music. Now, quite a bit of music related to Pokémon is commonly found, if one knows where to look for it; a lot of this is the various opening and ending themes, as well as some related songs. But some music could actually be considered "rare" and hard to find or come upon, and that becomes the focus of this discussion.

One of these kinds is the background music from the anime, aside from the ones in the Sound Anime Collection album. As implied in that post, these pieces rarely surface outside of the anime - if at all - and practically the only place where one can hear them is the anime itself. That also might partly explain why the English dub of the anime, past and present, have used music pieces unique (original) to that dub, with some of the originals being hard to access. In turn, the unique pieces are "rare" themselves for the same reason.

Another kind is some of the backing tracks, instrumentals, or "karaoke" versions of certain Pokémon songs. On the Japanese side, most of the time, songs have their instrumental parts alongside when they are released; there are some isolated works, however, that don't seem to have theirs alongside, and then those instrumental parts become "rare" as a result. On the English side, instrumental parts are rather difficult to come by, even for popular Pokémon songs, and this exemplifies the "rare" classification.

Music from the Pokémon games mostly belong on the "common" side, again in particular if one knows of the resources for obtaining them (for those who know). But some of the older games might have their music pieces stuck in that game, and there may or may not have been efforts by certain fans to preserve them, making them also "rare" consequently. Even for some modern games, music preservation efforts may or may not be underway, and for the games without such efforts yet, its pieces may be considered "rare".

Whether or not certain pieces of Pokémon music are "rare", many fans of the franchise (and perhaps even a good deal beyond) will certainly enjoy all of the available music pieces by listening to them and even interacting with them. It then follows that if more music pieces could be made available, this could occur to an even greater extent. For now, it should be noted that a portion of Pokémon music is not all that "common", and their enjoyment may be limited as well. Some musical breakthroughs may just be needed in that regard.

One year ago: The Importance of Mew in Café Remix

Two years ago: EX Licenses: A Legendary Extra

Three years ago: Cosplay: CHoCoDays 2022 - FUNDOME

Four years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights: The Modelers

Five years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights - "Gotcha!" Versions

Six years ago: Rethinking Game Linkages

Seven years ago: Passing It On: The Next Generation

Eight years ago: Pikachu Head Collectibles

The Similarity of Some Pokémon Cries

Having mentioned Pokémon cries in my earlier post on a Pokémon soundboard, I now have a bit of a need to address them as well in this rather sonorous "gimme five" week. Specifically, I'd like to address a peculiar property of some of them. Many would expect that the cries are differentiable - and most of them are, but a few are actually quite similar almost to the point of being difficult to differentiate. This state of affairs deserves a bit of exploration for what it is and what might make it that way.

Some of the similar cries are in the early generations. The cries of Caterpie, Butterfree, and Goldeen are the most notable in this regard, having the same two-tone sequence. A little less so but still quite similar are the cries for Scizor and Heracross, which have a sequence of tones that closely resemble each other. Shorter Pokémon cries, and especially ones that aren't exactly "tonal", can also easily resemble each other, as in the case of Ninjask and Feebas, among other possible examples.

Then there are the factors that go into why these cries may be as such. Certainly, the limited resources of the older games on older consoles might have necessitated some resources to be used in creative ways, and the cries of the first two sets of Pokémon above fit the bill. A more obtuse reason that involves the other set is that things simply turn out that way - or in other words, they're coincidental, whether by my own perceptions or others'. The similarity may be both by state and perception.

Yet it should be noted that in modern times, these cries have become more differentiable, at least to an extent. The Caterpie cry is shorter, while the Goldeen cry is a little "buzzier", and the Butterfree cry is the longest of the three. The one for Scizor is slightly more extended and slightly lower in pitch than the one for Heracross, perhaps also sounding a little "rougher". As well, the Ninjask cry is slightly longer than the one for Feebas, making it more distinct. It's still up to a person to recognize them.

Pokémon cries serve to identify the species by the supposed sounds that they make, and for the most part then and now, the species have distinctly differentiable cries to allow them to be told apart, which isn't too peculiar. Yet by the above, some inherent similarities are still evident among some of them by the way that they are or perhaps have been, and that may be a remnant element of peculiarity for some of the species in question. At least, the Pokémon cries are still fascinating and remarkable.

One year ago: The Music of TCGP

Two years ago: Cosplay: "My Town" Food Festival II

Three years ago: Cosplay: The Lidos Cosplay Contest

Four years ago: Chiki Balls Pokémon Coins: Selections Once Again

Five years ago: Night Falls, Heavens Rise

Six years ago: Pokémon Center Pilot Pikachu Plush - Narita Airport Ver.

Seven years ago: Stage Coin Tricks in Shuffle

Eight years ago: Cosplay: Utsuru F!

The Poké Ball Sounds (...or Sound?)

I'd mentioned about the sounds of the Poké Ball in my first "gimme five" discussion this week that relates to Pokémon sounds and music, specifically a Pokémon soundboard. They're actually pretty iconic as far as Pokémon sounds go, with many fans (and some non-fans) being able to recognize them. Even given this fact, it seems that fans and others might consider only one of the sounds as having that iconic quality. That matter is to be discussed shortly along with a few other pertinent aspects regarding these sounds that still make them what they are. 

So, for many, the iconic sound would be the ball release sound from the anime, which has the distinct pop and lasts several seconds. It was even used to introduce some Pokémon anime features in the past, which affirms its iconic status. The games do have a counterpart for this sound - or most likely it was the inspiration - but it's much briefer (just the pop) and perhaps not as iconic. Yet it's no doubt that the sound represents a starting point for quite a few dealings with Pokémon, so the sound's status is something to be considered for what it is.

On the other end, there is the ball capture sound, which may be considered less iconic but still somewhat distinct. The sound is mostly reflective of the (laser) light that is seen when the ball makes a capture of any kind, whether it's for a new Pokémon going into a ball or a captured one returning into its ball. Likewise, the games and the anime have their own takes on this sound, but the essence of the sound remains the same. Still, its context is limited in the above cases, so while the sound is rather unique and distinct, it may not exactly stick out in memory.

Then, the ball makes a few other sounds, two of them being the ball wiggle and capture success sounds. As predicted, even for these two sounds, the games and the anime portray them in different ways, specifically with regard to "continuity" for the ball wiggle sound and the audibility (in a way) for the capture success sound. These sounds may be considered the least iconic of all the Poké Ball sounds I addressed in this post, but they can also be said to be important signals for the anime viewer or the game player that a capture is about to happen.

Whether or not all the sounds above - or a certain one of them in particular - are truly "iconic" may be left up to the perceptions of certain fans or people, but they're as much a part of the mechanics and charm of the Poké Ball itself, which is already iconic as an object that is also rather symbolic of Pokémon. In that way, the sounds (or the particular sound) become an inseparable part of the representation of the object, and the fans and people will then surely recognize the object in all its different ways, including by its visuals and the sounds it makes.

One year ago: Am I Just a (Poké)Weeb?

Two years ago: Cosplay: Art and Culture Exhibition (ACE) 2023

Three years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Great League, No Restrictions

Four years ago: Casting Out Porygon

Five years ago: Let's Talk About Finding Our Way

Six years ago: A Day (or Year) with Pikachu

Seven years ago: To See and See Not

Eight years ago: A Pokémon Twist to My Phone

Pokémon Soundboard?

It's the final month of the year, and in all previous months of this year, I've put in a series of discussions that I called "gimme five", five posts in one week that pertain to a specific topic. Lots of things happen at the end of the year - if the first week of this month doesn't already make that evident - so in the interest of time, I'm going to clear out that series of discussions over the course of this week. I also already have the topic in mind, which would be "sound and music" - appropriately, since it's close to the familiar holidays and therefore it becomes the "sounds of the season". Needless to say, each discussion continues to be somehow related to Pokémon as the big topic of this blog.

Now, certain apps for videoconferencing have what is known as a "soundboard". During a meeting using the app, and particularly during certain activities, the soundboard can be used to activate certain sounds in response to different happenings. Some real-life settings could also have an actual version of this concept. Bringing this concept to Pokémon, one could conceivably have a soundboard with a Pokémon theme to it, and all the sound clips would be taken from and involve Pokémon somehow. It would be an entertaining twist to generic soundboards, and if Pokémon happens to be the focus of the activity or meeting, then it would be quite appropriately festive.

The question, of course, is what Pokémon sounds would be on such a soundboard. An obvious one would be the cries of several Pokémon, which would cover their presence and representation on the soundboard to be able to be invoked into different contexts. Speaking of species, one can't forget the de facto series mascot Pikachu, which has plenty of sound clips of its own and thus can be potentially included in the soundboard; more recently, Eevee has been gaining traction as a mascot as well, and therefore it can also stand to be included. Finally, Pokémon is rich in other sounds as well, and the most popular of those (like the Poké Ball sounds) could certainly be included.

Back to the context of the videoconferencing itself, a Pokémon soundboard is definitely perfect for a certain platform for doing that and in particular with a certain relation to gaming, one that many gamers will surely recognize in this day and age. Yet it is also true that Pokémon appeals to many people beyond gamers and certainly without some of them needing to play the games, so with that, there is the thought that it may be possible to make the soundboard stand alone and be platform-independent, with certain ways to use it on different ones. This would also open the door to use it beyond videoconferencing, yet still wherever some Pokémon context is useful and needed.

At any rate, Pokémon is about sounds and music just as much as it is about its other forms of media expression, so the "gimme five" topic for this week makes a lot of sense. Starting that off with the topic of a Pokémon soundboard also gets things going on a fascinating manner due to its potentially many possibilities, especially with regard to content, platform, and usage. That also means potentially many possibilities for entertainment as well, something that Pokémon like other great aspects of pop culture do and do very well, certainly in modern times. With that, the "sounds of the season" are off to a good start, and Pokémon can only liven that up even more somehow.

One year ago: Creatures of the Sea

Two years ago: More NPCs in Pokémon Go?

Three years ago: Quickies: Snorlax on the Road

Four years ago: My Current Pokémon Unite Role Preferences

Five years ago: Popular Poké-Shipping

Six years ago: Pieces of a Pokémon Life

Seven years ago: Cosplay: IJF - Cosplayer Rising Star

Eight years ago: (Un)finished Business

Pokémon Go Community Day Weekend, 12/6/2025 and 12/7/2025

Well, lots of things are happening this month, so it would be great to get Community Day out of the way, which as usual for December would be the "recap" edition for the year. That would happen to occur in the first weekend of the month and one week after this year's last regular edition, which might seem a little odd, but that's the way things have fallen. So, I have to get on with the write-up for it as well, especially before other things (in and out of Pokémon Go) get on me. 

This year's featured Pokémon are Sprigatito, Karrablast, Shelmet, Fuecoco, Vanillite, and Pawmi from January to May, as well as Jangmo-o, Quaxly, Rookidee, Flabébé, Solossis, and Pikipek from June to November. They in these two sets are what appeared more often yesterday (the former) and today (the latter) from 2 PM to 5 PM, although all of them appeared intermittently from 9 AM to 9 PM on both days. Like last year, they are (were) also the prompt for two Collection Challenges, one set on each day. For the ones featured in Classic editions (Ralts, Totodile, Machop, and Eevee), also like last year, they were also additional appearances in the last 10 minutes of each main hour as above.

Predictably, all of these Pokémon have all of their special moves for their evolved forms from their respective editions, and in the case of Pokémon with esoteric evolution requirements, specific ones were simplified, though they may still have needed some effort. Their bonuses from their editions are also the main bonuses of the main hours, alongside the usual extended Incense and Lure Modules (the latter with the new length) as well as trade bonuses. Flabébé in particular is also still limited to its regional color forms, but the orange and white forms can still be found for all. Finally, the extra paid Special Research contains encounters with each of the Pokémon along with other premium bonuses, and Field Research has even more encounters.

Something that is unlike past years is that none of the ones from the past year were an additional feature for this edition in some way, including being able to get the special moves for their evolved forms. This is also hot on the heels of the loss of the seasonal backgrounds as a feature, though arguably the former is somewhat of a greater loss. Yet the monthly event goes on and so do the Trainers - like me.

For my personal progress, the part of yesterday was my own doing, but the part of today had a bit of assistance in a specific way. And for those who know me and what I'm referring to, that involved a certain someone, for which now we talk about it...

Goh: The recap came early this year.

Ash: It did, didn't it?

Me: Well, that can be good, even though it could mean other things for you and I both.

Goh: But you dealt with things yesterday.

Me: That I did, and I got a few things taken care of, like evolving others you and I had found throughout this year. But today...

Ash: I mostly just caught for you to bump up your stock. But I did find a few real good ones and evolved those too.

Pikachu: Pika pika! ["Very nice!"]

Goh: Nice. But I'll bet our friend would have done the same. 

Me: True, and especially more if it had not rained.

Ash: It rained also today. And really wild too.

Me: Same as yesterday, then. But at least it let up at the end then...

Ash: So I met a couple of your "friends" today. 

Goh: Oh. Did anything special happen?

Ash: Not really...

Me: I kind of regret this, but part of the intent is actually to save money.

Ash: Is that why you didn't get me to a little happening some distance away?

Goh: I see now.

Me: Yeah, that. And then there was the rain, as you see.

Goh: It couldn't be helped.

Pikachu: Pika pika... ["Bummer..."]

Me: Well, I guess that's a wrap on Community Day this year. 

Goh: It has been a good selection this year. 

Ash: And things were OK too... at least a little bit.

Me: Yeah, I agree. Things could and should be better next year.

Now that Community Day is done and gone for this year, the variety of things for it can be said to be quite the assortment, even with some noticeable patterns for them. Both the regularity and irregularity for the event still make it what it is - a time to revel with other Trainers and get the best of and for Pokémon species. That seems to be what matters most.

One year ago: Pokémon Drinks (and Cards) for (a) Good Day

Two years ago: Pokémon Perspectives on Wasting Food

Three years ago: Factions Battlefields, Season 2 Cycle 3

Four years ago: Quickies: Letting the Charcoal Burn

Five years ago: GOtcha Podcast Episode 2: My Way of Playing Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Timeless and Forever

Seven years ago: Local EX Raid (and the Power of Us), 12/7/2018

Eight years ago: The Shops of Shuffle

Weekly Challenges in Pokémon Go

Sometimes Pokémon Go implements a feature for everyone, but then as soon as that happens, it has to be removed because of a bug of some sort. The feature that I'm about to discuss in this post suffered from the same fate around the middle of the previous season and only came back just recently, enough for me to make a write-up on it. Of course, that was intended to happen even when the feature was implemented properly, so this can be considered a "delayed" one in a way.

The feature is called Weekly Challenges, and as its name suggests, it presents ways for Trainers to take on and complete tasks within the specified period that becomes the feature's namesake. The addition of this feature also necessitated a change for the last tab of one’s Trainer profile; the tab is now called the "Social" tab, with Party Play taking up one section and this feature in another section - specifically, above it - in boxes that resemble "cards" containing the now separate features.

Up to four Trainers may participate in a Weekly Challenge, and they don’t have to be close by; they may be far apart from each other and can create groups by inviting others in their Friend Lists. Once everyone is assembled, the real fun begins, as they are to complete a long-form task (this initial week is to catch 500 Pokémon) over the course of the week, with great rewards in wait (like this week, Stardust and Friendship levels).

Players who play a certain other ex-Niantic Games game might find this approach familiar, as that game has a "quest" implementation that is strangely similar to this implementation. That might also suggest how the initial problems came about, as the system might have possibly been lifted as-is for use in Pokémon Go, resulting in the flaws of a not-quite-tested approach.

As for the overall impressions of this feature, it could be loosely described as a "remote Party Play" due to its adjacency to that very feature, particularly as described above. Its progress displays - the progress bar on the card, as well as the pop-up screen for each completed quarter - also have some resemblance to Party Play. And of course, the objectives are essentially that, but spread out over the course of a week.

If there is another takeaway for this feature, it is that it represents a "delayed" transformation as well, given all the happenings of the past season, the one in which the feature was supposed to have debuted in. Perhaps the greatest "transformation" is having the feature pave the way for great paths of Trainers pursuing a grand achievement in just a week’s time.

One year ago: Pokémon Through the Ages: The Classical Era

Two years ago: On Raid Problems and Their Compensation

Three years ago: It's a Rotom World

Four years ago: Creatures of the Land

Five years ago: Play Where You Are (or at Home)

Six years ago: Time of Posting

Seven years ago: Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys, Waves 1 and 2

Eight years ago: Watching and Re-Watching

Planning for Pokémon Go Events

After I received a comment a couple of months ago on one of my old posts and made another post inspired from my response, I received another comment in the latter post, which is likely from the same person, given the similar overtones and anonymity. Because of the similar overtones, I thought I'd also present another way of looking at the issue, in addition to the concerns we already brought up. That viewpoint involves the consideration that some events in Pokémon Go may need to be planned for participation in them (or not), depending on the necessity and enjoyment of the Trainer.

It all may be considered to boil down to the principle that one should fully participate in the needed ones and less in the ones that aren't so needed. For example, if an event for Electric types (like last month's High Voltage) comes up and one needs resources for them, then participation in it could be necessary; conversely, something like the Harvest Festival may be less necessary, and then one can stand to do the barest minimum for that purpose. Until the event structure changes radically for the benefits of our concerns, that may be the best approach for the events for optimal necessity and then enjoyment.

For me, the most necessary events right now are the monthly Community Day and the big paid ticket events (Go Wild Area, Go Tour, Go Fest), which I consider to encapsulate much of the spirit of the game with catching, battles, and meeting people. Then there are the various Raid Days and Battle Days, which are smaller in scale but may still have some importance depending on what Pokémon are involved. Most of the other events (as the theme events we brought up) can be gotten through with just the minimal amount of effort wherever I may be at the time, and thus may or may not be too necessary.

The commenter had also implied of having played (or tried to) during Spotlight Hour, a regular "weekly feature". Planning is also useful for these "weekly features", since again some species have their utility and the others are less so. And if one needs them to achieve certain goals - like earning Stardust for certain purposes, or leveraging them to gather with a friend and interacting - then they may have utility regardless. Like other events, their content is announced ahead of time (somewhat), so some planning is quite possible and possibly necessary, even with certain affecting circumstances.

While the responses that I've given in both short comment and long post form may or may not resolve concerns - particularly since the same concerns are still applicable and evidently can and are still voiced - some of the merits may need to be considered at the very least. The run of Pokémon Go events in all their forms is likely to continue without major changes, but if it does, it could surely be a revolution, especially if our concerns are accommodated in the process. What might not change is the planning that goes into playing them, and whether now or later, necessities and enjoyment are still at hand.

One year ago: Pursuing Dynamax and Gigantamax (...or Not)

Two years ago: Seeing "The Whole" with Pokémon

Three years ago: The Trouble(s) with Scarlet and Violet

Four years ago: Glacial Scaling

Five years ago: Go Beyond... Features

Six years ago: The Social Aspect of Pokémon

Seven years ago: More Weather Boosts for Types?

Eight years ago: Game Bugs and Fixing Them

Gaming as a "Business"

For Pokémon or any other gaming realm, it is known that some of the players can take a lot of time to deal with all their intricacies. It's almost as if they've got nothing else to do... or maybe that is indeed what they do to get something out of their life, with or without anything else that qualifies in that regard. In fact, the way that they handle it is like handling a business, which would be that something that people do to make their life what it is. That sounds like it can make for a good discussion, which becomes the point now.

Many players of Pokémon or other games in modern times can stream their plays on social media, and it's quite possible that they'll get something in return from the people or fans watching their plays. Alternatively, their uploaded videos about the games on YouTube - say - including their past streams can be monetized, and they'll get something that way too. In this way, they could stand to play their games and run that activity like a business along with other things they've got going as such, and it'll support their life as well.

Then, running the communities for the games can be construed to be like a business as well. The current example of communities in Pokémon Go practically demands engagement and interaction with players, as well as connections to services for making an impact and quite possibly supporting the community itself. Those efforts almost do sound like running a business, one that a single person may or may not be able to do alone, but then again many communities might just run that way and they're necessitated as such.

Now, I say "business" in quotes because in one of my other gaming circles, a term containing the phrase "no-job" is thrown around in reference to how the players seemingly have so much time to deal with the intricacies of the game in question that they may or may not be doing something else to support that or their life in general. That is, of course, unless the game does support them for doing just that. Such a circumstance may not be generally applicable, even to Pokémon games, but whatever happens, business interests may be at hand.

Games itself - specifically, the processes of developing them - are already businesses onto themselves, but if the happenings of the players indicate, especially in the present, the players too can make businesses out of them, by necessity of the players' demands or the activities of the games themselves. Some of the business happenings are certainly becoming evident, or in some cases already are, for Pokémon as above and other games; it certainly would consume the players' time, but like any regular business, the support factor would be there.

One year ago: Warping Time in TCG Pocket

Two years ago: Unexpected Uses of Pokémon Go

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Infographic Furnishers

Four years ago: Forgotten Parts of Games?

Five years ago: Resistance vs. No Effect

Six years ago: Off We Go... to Galar!

Seven years ago: A Sewaddle Keychain

Eight years ago: In and Out of Poké Balls

Cosplay: Matcha Mood Festival

Me: Well, here's that thing I said I'd get to, with us.

Goh: OK, so it was really a festival. It said so.

Ash: Matcha - all about green tea.

Goh: I can tell it was all about food and drinks.

Ash: Yeah! It was all food stands. 

Pikachu: Pi pika chu pika! ["All delicious!"] 

Goh: But you probably didn't get much of that. 

Ash: I was about to - but then I stopped and thought about our friend.

Me: Looks like it was a good thought, because a few days later I needed something else.

Goh: Maybe you can get some of the stuff from somewhere else.

Me: That's a thought. That might just happen.

Ash: And it goes back to you!

Goh: So, how did characters fit in? 

Ash: There was a character parade... but I wasn't in it.

Me: You'd have to pay... and then there was still Community Day to deal with.

Ash: Yeah, it was near the end of it, so...

Pikachu: Chu pika... ["Conflicting..."] 

Me: There you go, so it would have been hard to make time.

Ash: And all the winners were really spiffy!

Goh: OK, so you might not have had a chance after all. 

Me: That was my thought, so Community Day is (and was) the better option and call.

Ash: And that was after Dynamax Lugia with our friend's other friends - the day before too, before the other festival.

Goh: Oh! Dynamax Lugia. That sounds really amazing. And two days in a row!

Me: It has to be. Like I said, I'll have more on this later.

Ash: I met more of our friend's friends at the festival and spent the day with them. I even met someone who we haven't met in a long time!

Goh: Hey, that was pretty nice!

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Very nice."] 

Me: All good for today - or from what I hear, mostly.

Ash: There was actually another festival, wasn't it? I also heard from some your other friends

Goh: Oh, that's news to me too.

Me: There was, but that one was a little far away and might not have been worth it, by its content and the weather.

Goh: If I were to take a guess, it would be because it's all dance groups, and it could rain if you had gone there.

Me: That would be it.

Ash: So the tea festival won out! There was a lot more people here.

Goh: I'd say so too.

Pikachu: Pika. ["Same."] 

Me: Like the name of this festival, I guess things depended on what we are (were) in the mood for.

Goh: I guess for us, that would be Pokémon, lots of good friends, and good stuff to take in.

Ash: I can definitely have some tea for what I missed.

Goh: Count me in!

Ash: I'll arrange something very soon for that - and of course for festivals and conventions to come. Trust me, you'll really need it.

One year ago: NYT Games and Pokémon, Revisited

Two years ago: Cosplay: FUNDOME 2023

Three years ago: Outfit Varieties for Pokémon Go Characters?

Four years ago: For Points and Performance

Five years ago: The Touch of Satoru Iwata

Six years ago: For Want of an EX Raid

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Weekend, 12/1/2018 to 12/3/2018

Eight years ago: Fallen Comrades

Pokémon Go Community Day, 11/30/2025

Before going on the paths of the future, there is one path left from the past that I haven't dealt with, and that would be Community Day for the previous month. Evidently, it fell once again on the last day of a current season, necessitating a precedence for the latter than the former. Still, it has to be discussed somehow, and now is the best time for it after the seasonal stuff has been put forth (and away). The path for that previous edition may be considered to take Trainers on an avian course of action with amazing force.

That "avian course" certainly refers to the featured Pokémon, which was Pikipek, a bird family from Alola. It has a powerful beak, and true to that, its fully evolved form of Toucannon (after Trumbeak) got the Charged move of Beak Blast, a powerful one for all realms. The main bonus was tripled XP, which some Trainers certainly still need well after the level cap increase last season, but all is fine and good for that. The bonuses of double Candy and Candy XL chance are likewise as useful and necessary if only secondary.

Other changes were still apparent. Lure Modules became one hour in extended length (while Incense remained at three hours). This followed the change instituted last month of having more encounters from them, even if it does meant more of their usage (and spending for them). Then there were the usual photo bombs, extra Special Trade, trade discounts, Field Research tasks, and the paid Special Research (here titled "Pecking Order"). It was also stated that this would be the last time for special seasonal backgrounds for the featured Pokémon, which may or may not have appealed to Trainers all this time.

With that out of the way, now it also has to be said that I also had a bit of an "assistance" for this one, and faithful readers will know what that means, also with the necessary switch to conversation mode for that purpose...

Goh: Oh, you sent Ash to do it, didn't you.

Me: That I did, for certain reasons.

Ash: Pikipek is an neat bird - and so are its evolutions.

Goh: Well, I can see that. Its beak is very showy.

Ash: The Toucannon move is good for that! 

Pikachu: Chu pika pika. ["Beware of the beak."]

Me: You did catch as much as you could, didn't you?

Ash: I did, after I battled Lugia with a few of your other friends and then as I went somewhere else.

Goh: Ooh! Lugia, do tell.

Me: I have something to say about that, but not now.

Ash: And then I evolved as many as you think you'd need for all kinds of things. I think I got them all - even one with a background image.

Me: OK, that's great. I can take it from there.

Goh: So, somewhere else - would this "somewhere else" be a thing of some sort?

Ash: Yeah! It was a little festival of some sort.

Goh: I see. So it's all the usual effort by our friend here.

Me: And I'll have more on that soon - I've got to peck at it, though. 

Goh: Ha!

As Trainers peck away at the continued offerings of Pokémon Go, they'll have to peck away at the same for Community Day. This one seems to be appropriate for just that with the featured species and the associated bonuses, and it might just be appreciable enough so they won't "peck down" others for that purpose and others. 

One year ago: Attraction to Genuine People

Two years ago: Cosplay: G100 Spicy Carnival

Three years ago: Event Types in Café Remix

Four years ago: A Lasting Graffiti

Five years ago: Let's Go (Above and) Beyond

Six years ago: Being a "Love Slave"

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Chibi Daisuki! Japan Fest

Eight years ago: A Beautiful Symphony

The Season of Precious Paths

Many of the end-of-season posts I make have hinted at the theme of the next season, usually at the very end of them, and the one for the previous season was no different. The hinting keywords were "path" and "precious", for they make up the title of this season, "Precious Paths". A lot of things, both figurative and literal, have paths - including tales or stories (which are retroactively relevant) and journeys (which are always relevant for Pokémon matters). If any and all of those are precious - that is, valuable - then this season would have their insights.

The season emblem is one that is quite decorated and neatly colored, with a few ribbons and trinkets as well as lots of blue and yellow with a few accents. It's understandable that this season covers the end-of-year holidays (winter in Northern Hemisphere) to come within this month as well as certain festivities that will come at the tail end of the season, so the design of the emblem makes sense much like as it did for the season that came three years ago (see below). All that remains is making sense of things for Pokémon Go and beyond.

For Pokémon Go, as indicated by the season's teaser video and some relevant and available data, this season will feature a few returning Pokémon in certain forms, and new species and forms alike that at least some Trainers have been waiting for. Even the familiar Pokémon Go Tour, the customary early-year big paid event, has been divulged and is to present a few other valuable things when it happens. All of them may demonstrate their precious quality in some way, and all of them lie along the path of this season for them to deal with. 

Beyond Pokémon Go, it is known that all kinds of paths involve meeting and parting in some way, and it seems that for or on the "precious path" of this season, there have been some indications of meetings and partings. Even so, their nature has not been fully understood in some ways, so making strides on that "path" seems to be necessary in order to understand their nature. Certainly, when their times come, they'll likely be divulged on this blog with a sufficient discussion to go along with that understanding.

Seasons have come and seasons have gone, particularly in the case of Pokémon Go. By the indications of this season, they may all be considered to have their directions and valuable aspects. It may be that many of them are understood and a good number are less so; in that case, this season's titular premise may be the cue to try to establish that understanding, specifically for the happenings of this season, after which they might just be able to be reapplied to the past and future to find out just how precious the paths may be.

One year ago: The Season of Dual Destiny

Two years ago: The Season of Timeless Travels

Three years ago: The Season of Mythical Wishes

Four years ago: The Season of Heritage

Five years ago: The Deactivation of My Regional Figure Group?

Six years ago: All the Missing Pieces

Seven years ago: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee Uptake

Eight years ago: Poké-Friends and Gratitude

The Peak of Tales of Transformation

This season in Pokémon Go was billed as a transformative one - more specifically, the most yet as such - and by many accounts (to be detailed shortly), that became rather evident. Yet like all seasons, and specifically ones in Pokémon Go, it has to come to an end at some point, and the end for this one is already here - or rather, it's nearby around this point. With that, it becomes time to wrap up things up, as always with consideration of happenings in both Pokémon Go and just outside of that within Pokémon in general.

As a whole, the Pokémon Go happenings delivered on the transformations pretty well, with the big paid event of the season (Go Wild Area) for adding new Pokémon and forms, as well as the level cap increase for showing differences among Trainers, being the primary drivers. The usual assortment of events throughout the month are par for the course as far as the game and its seasons go, but a great deal of transformations - many as new forms - were evident through them as well. As presented, they make their own stories (tales).

For other, general Pokémon happenings, it may be said that the "seeds" of further dealings  with other transformative tales are being sown. This would include the big new game released during the season's time (Legends: Z-A) as well as games that would appear later on in the next year. Remarkably, a lot of games also did move in sync with Mega Evolution thanks to the former and its inclusion and expansion of the concept.

One implication of this season's title is that every transformation is a story or tale to be told, if the post that marked its beginning hasn't made that clear. Things are always needed for those transformations, and the progression of obtaining those necessary things makes for a great tale, as does the process of having the transformations take place. As fans and Trainers deal with them, they then tell the stories or tales by the related actions.

It may be the end of the Pokémon Go season and its path, but the path of the dealings with Pokémon and its various aspects will certainly continue for the times ahead in that game and other related things. Many fans will certainly consider that as precious and valuable, and that too is a story worth telling in the subsequent season and beyond that.

One year ago: The Peak of Max Out

Two years ago: The Peak of Adventures Abound

Three years ago: The Peak of Light

Four years ago: The Peak of Mischief

Five years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 7

Six years ago: Cosplay: UC Bunkasai

Seven years ago: Local EX Raid (and Rain, Again), 11/30/2018

Eight years ago: Feature Film 20 - "Pokémon The Movie - I Choose You!"

Cosplay: Cosnight @ "It's My Town" Festival 2

Me: And hey, let's close off this month (almost) with a festival!

Ash: This one looks nice.

Goh: Hey, yeah. You know, I recall something like this a couple of years ago.

Me: That would be it. So this would be the follow-up to that.

Goh: Sounds awesome! But it's been a bit of time since that one.

Me: But the essence isn't that different. Except...

Ash: They have one night (day) just for characters! 

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Very neat!"]

Goh: That's why the "Cosnight" thing.

Me: Sure enough. So, like back then, we have...

Ash: Lots of food in the stands! I got to try a bit - well, since I was hungry too after a few Pokémon battles with friends. 

Goh: I'm intrigued - and I hope you didn't go overboard. 

Ash: Nah, just enough. But a few did taste a little funny.

Me: Oh. I hope you ate a good bit of the food.

Ash: I did. I know you don't like wasting food.

Me: OK, that's fine. So today, we have characters, which means...

Goh: A character parade?

Ash: Yeah! My friend brought my special journey outfit today.

Goh: I hope you did well. 

Ash: Oh, I did great! That's because... I'm a judge for this one!

Pikachu: Pi pika pika! ["So awesome!"]

Goh: Oh wow! That hasn't happened in a long time.

Ash: That's right! It's also for our friend to get a little something out of this one.

Me: Which I really could use right now. Thanks so much for that.

Ash: Anytime! 

Goh: Hey now, so who did you choose to win? 

Ash: I picked one who had a big knife sword. I heard he's a spirit battler. 

Me: Ooh! I like that one too.

Ash: And then I picked a few others to win for a few other categories. Most everyone won something, with the help of the other judge too.

Goh: Well, that's great, and everyone's happy somehow. Especially you two.

Ash: Haha, yeah.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Uh-huh."]

Goh: Were there entertainment?

Ash: Just a few singers, a dancer, a magician, and a game.

Goh: Oh, it's all little things.

Ash: All in a few hours too.

Me: Of course, being a night thing. The festival has other things tomorrow, but not for characters.

Goh: Also, it seems our friend stood by his word from last time. I think this is great for both of you, and you made it that way.

Ash: Hey, that's true! It was a really good day (or night) for that.

Me: Well, there you go. So this is "my town", and it's my (our) story to tell.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/29/2024

Two years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 25

Three years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 19

Four years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: Sparkling Steps

Five years ago: The Catch Cup of GBL

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/29/2019

Seven years ago: Multiple Pathways to Evolution?

Eight years ago: The Words of a Pikachu

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/28/2025

It's almost the end of the month, so I've got to deal with the rollup for events in Pokémon Go during that time - moreover since many of the past ones have been on this day. This one also becomes the final one of this season that has been billed as one that is quite transformative. For this month, it seems appropriate that the events for it represent a "tour de force" of transformation as the last batch of events for the season with all their manifestations.

While still within the confines of an event that started last month, November 1 played host to a Max Battle Day for Gigantamax Garbodor with all the usual perks (more Max Particles from Power Spots and walking, more of its appearances in Power Spots, a lead-up Timed Research from the start of the week, and an extra paid ticket among others) along with a Special Trade bonus. With the way that the Pokémon form is, it was a scary good addition (or adjunct) to the scary things that were put in place last month.

Moving into the heart of the "tour", the Enchanted Hollow became present from November 4 to 9. The event was the debut of the Tarountula family, one of the Bug type; naturally, there were also more Bug types (and other "forested" species) in the wild, raids, Field Research, and even Mossy Lure Module encounters, also for the new species. Paras and Stantler had Shiny boosts, and PokéStop XP and Lure Module lengths were doubled. Collection Challenges gave an impetus for the event, further for the debuting species, and the paid ticket with its Timed Research gave more encounters and a spread of beneficial items. As the event started, PokéStops became decorated with a soft forest glow, and this continued into the next event, as this event is also in some ways the complementary event for the "Live" edition of Go Wild Area that took place over the weekend of the event.

For the Global edition, the accompanying event was Into the Wild from November 10 to 14. This event featured Pokémon of the Fairy and Dark types in the wild, Field Research (amidst item rewards) and Power Spots (plus Dynamax Toxtricity), while there were bright and dark raid bosses throughout the week with Raid Hours in each day. The captured raid bosses could also have a special background, the same as would be for Cresselia and Darkrai in the big event itself. Remote raid limits were increased during the week and lifted in the weekend, while Frustration could be removed with a Charged TM. The event's Go Pass, also serving as the one for the big event, had the expected item rewards plus new avatar items and the Silver Bottle Cap for those who paid for its Deluxe track. Other paid novelties of the event were other avatar items and a ticket with a Timed Research with premium bonuses of lightness and darkness.

After a little bit of a break from Go Wild Area, Trainers needed to keep their spirits up with the High Voltage event from November 18 to 22. This event focused on the debut of Shiny Morpeko, which could be obtained from various ways throughout the event. In line with the event's title, Electric-type Pokémon were found in the wild (and Field Research), though Emolga, Dedenne, and Togedemaru also had partial focus with increased Shiny chances, augmented by bonuses of double XP for good captures and double Stardust for all captures. A Collection Challenge upped the ante for capturing, and the paid Timed Research had supreme bonuses. Some Trainers might have been totally "electrified" during this event.

Keeping things going in the weekend as the final days of the above event was a Dynamax Eevee Max Battle Weekend from November 21 to 24. Similar to this month's earlier Max Battle Day, Eevee appeared in more Power Spots and more frequently, and more Max Particles from Power Spots could be earned. Eevee (regular) also appeared in the wild and two Collection Challenges got Trainers going to battle the Pokémon and evolve it as necessary. Though the Pokémon may not see much use, its appeal is still very nice.

The big finale of the month and season is the Final Justice event that started on November 25 and will end on November 30. That "final justice" involves the debut of Resolute Form for Keldeo, an opportunity to get Shiny Keldeo by purchasing a new Masterwork Research, and uniting it with the three "musketeers" in raids, for which an extra free raid pass each day is at hand. Complementing all of these are species of the Fighting and Water types in the wild, other raids, and Field Research task encounters. Collection Challenges involve collecting triads and the paid ticket furnishes other premium bonus items that really might help in delivering the "final justice" with the Pokémon.

Over the past three months, the transformations in Pokémon Go have really become evident, but especially so with the above "tour de force" involving this season's big paid event, a couple of interesting Max forms, some Shiny additions, and a fascinating combative change of form. In the final moments of that "tour", some added transformations may still be in order to keep things going within the season and even beyond into the next one.

One year ago: Gobbling Down and Quacking Up

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/28/2023

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/28/2022

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/28/2021

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/28/2020

Six years ago: Keeping Gratitude in Mind

Seven years ago: Sinnoh Stone: Agglomerating Evolution

Eight years ago: Journeys and Adventures

Thanks for the Memories

Today happens to be the fourth Thursday of November, which means that for those who are familiar with Americana, today would be Thanksgiving. As in past years (this would be the one for last year), I'm interested in taking the spirits that pertain to the day and discussing it along with Pokémon, usually involving a theme of some kind. Thankfulness is a given, of course, with it having been discussed when the occasion first came up, but other things may have to do with sentiments that are at hand for this particular day.

For this year, those sentiments pertain to memories and being thankful for them. Some rock music aficionados will surely recognize the sentiments as being cited in a particular song, but I'm not too familiar with it, so I'm not going to deal with it. Overall, however, the sentiments present a nice idea, and they are quite fitting to be discussed on this very day, moreover to be linked with Pokémon as the central and overarching theme.

All fans have their own memories associated with Pokémon, and so do I. Some of the ones that pertain to me have been discussed in the "Memories of..." series of posts on this blog. Then, there are various others that are strewn across the posts of this blog in some way, shape, or form. (Even this entire blog could be construed as a single one.) It is certain that fans have to be thankful for all of that, and that includes I myself personally.

Memories can also involve people who are connected with them, and in the case of Pokémon fans like me, the people might be in connection to how Pokémon things or the memories that are linked to them are furnished. I too have some people who qualify in this way, including a kind-of special person... but I'll deal with this one when it's pertinent.

It's a matter of fact that thankfulness or gratitude is necessitated for all things in life and even beyond this particular day. Yet some of those feelings remain strong for this particular day, including for the current sentiments in relation to memories. Given Pokémon as an associated topic, it's a great thing to be thankful for it and all the related memories.

Whatever memories are associated with Pokémon for me and my fellow fans, remembering and being thankful for them is also important in the grand scheme of things. On that note, I wish a Happy Thanksgiving for those celebrating, perhaps also with Pokémon.

One year ago: The State of Nominations, Part 31

Two years ago: NYT Games, Pokémon Editions?

Three years ago: Pokémon Loot from ChibiCon

Four years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 13

Five years ago: Go Onwards to Home

Six years ago: Herding the Last: Wooloo Sticker

Seven years ago: Poké-Pareidolia

Eight years ago: The Pacing of Types

The State of Nominations, Part 37

Another two months have come and gone, and it becomes time to update my progress on nominating PokéStops. As always, the November edition is by nature the last one of the year since in two months it'll be the next year, and more things (and nominations) will happen then. But for the "now", there are a few things to be gleaned from the updates to the nominations that have been made and what they (may) mean for the ones to be made in the future.

The numbers are always a good way to begin and illustrative of the situation. The nominations that became Accepted are now at 191, an increase of 8. However, so did the Not Accepted nominations, increasing by 2 to 69. At present, I also have no new nominations in line (whether In Queue or In Voting) nor in the Appeal process. Meanwhile, the Accepted ones have been realized as both PokéStops and Power Spots, fulfilling their intended objectives.

What can be seen is that the nomination process in recent times has gone a lot faster, where in the past it tended to leave "backlogs". As such, it may be that sometimes I may not need to update the status of the nominations in line unless they happen to be there - as in, they were put into the system within a few days (or even mere moments) of making this update post. That, in a way, streamlines the process (or did so) on both sides.

Recent rejections also highlight (also in a way, remind) that it may be of better interest to me to repeat the process of nominating a waypoint - that is, making a re-nomination - in certain circumstances, rather than risking a wasted Appeal in the process. After all, I can make many more nominations in a single day, more so than an Appeal, which only comes about once every month. The task now may be to create an inventory for these nominations.

Over this past year, the nomination process can be described as having taken place rather swimmingly with many more nominations becoming Accepted and fulfilling the two roles of PokéStops and Power Spots, which definitely should make a difference. With that, my next efforts may just have to involve applying little differences to the nominations to come and ensure that they result in big differences across the world of Pokémon Go for everyone.

One year ago: Profs and Comrades: Professor Willow

Two years ago: Cosplay: We Are More Project

Three years ago: Cosplay: Loading Costume Party

Four years ago: The Joys and Sorrows of "Stealing the Lords"

Five years ago: Simply, Thanks

Six years ago: Going Deeper into Team GO Rocket

Seven years ago: Individual Appearance Variations Among Pokémon Species

Eight years ago: Popularity

Journey with Empathy

If many of the past years are of any indication, it is that I like to take the anniversary theme of a local TV channel (to me), break it down, and apply it to Pokémon. And today's that day, so it's great to just go on with it. This year's anniversary is very much a special one, for reasons to be detailed shortly, so its theme has to be somewhat special too - and it is. For many Pokémon fans like me, the theme this year could possibly resonate very much with them (even more than last year, see below) due to all that it illustrates, implies, and intrigues.

This year's theme is "Journey with Empathy". Pokémon fans will no doubt be familiar with the "journey" part, since it is something that all Trainers in this world undertake for their battling affairs. Even the people who are not Trainers - or perhaps more appropriately, were once Trainers - have undertaken a journey of some sort to further all their affairs, for and beyond battling. I had briefly illustrated this with another external element, but it helps to expound on it a little more because it's so important and remains as such.

As for the "empathy" part, it's also important - and evident in its various media forms - that people and Pokémon species need to understand the feelings of each other, in order for them to be able to do great things for each other. And when journeys are involved, that means being able to make significant progress on them, wherever and however people and Pokémon species are part of them. A lot of feelings are in play amongst everyone, and bridging them becomes the way that empathy is realized.

Now, this anniversary is special because it is the 25th for it, the silver anniversary. Pokémon of course had its silver anniversary first, so it's definitely older than the TV channel. Remarkably, this year's theme is also directly stated in English rather than being in the local language (meaning most of my earlier discussions were based on the themes as translated into English), but that doesn't really matter. What matters most is the spirits of the themes, and of course the perspectives from Pokémon and me.

On the side of the TV channel, it's been a journey that is a quarter century long of finding and discovering truths, and then presenting those truths to the viewers. Some of those truths may or may not (perhaps mostly the latter) have involved Pokémon in some form, but the hope is that empathy is created through their presentation, including where and when Pokémon becomes relevant, which may not be all that common. What could be common is how what is presented might tie into the emphatic journeys of Pokémon fans.

Both Pokémon and the TV channel now have surpassed significant age milestones - the former soon with another - and that means a lot of journeys for all who are involved in either or both of them. In all of that, there ought to be a great deal of empathy to be found for both human and beastly relations, and that would keep all of them going in their respective fields. The truths of the world and all things that are essential for Pokémon and people to live by are to link everything and everyone along the way, which makes for great journeys.

One year ago: Leading the Transformation

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 11/25/2023

Three years ago: Rise Up and Move Together

Four years ago: Togetherness Brings Meaning

Five years ago: Road to 25th Anniversary: 25, Anniversaries, and More

Six years ago: Spreading Inspiration

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 11/25/2018

Eight years ago: Late Launch Party... Minus the Party

Competitive Friends as...

I've discussed about competitions with a personal take that I'm also able to include Pokémon with my participation in them. To even things out, now I'd like to discuss actual Pokémon competitions (tournaments) and a particular personal aspect that applies to them. That aspect is related to having friends - certainly who also like and enjoy Pokémon - participating in them, and in fact could participate in them in more than one way. There is a certain intrigue to the aspect as I've described, and that makes it fitting for the discussion.

Those friends could certainly participate as competitors, meaning that I'd be going up against them sooner or later. It's obviously a universal problem: even my TCG friends (from the same group) go into major tournaments together and sometimes invariably meet one another at some point during a tournament's progression - both preliminaries and finals. And then there was me in the past with Pokémon Go PvP tournaments, though this was also helped by most of them being local tournaments.

Meanwhile, some friends may have the enterprising chance of becoming referees or judges for the competitions or tournaments in question. That has been the case for the Pokémon Go PvP tournaments, again thanks to some of them being local ones. More recently and going back to the TCG again, a friend of mine and others in my local group passed a test for becoming one and was drafted to become one for a major faraway tournament... which then someone else in my group attended. The expected encounter happened, and the rest was history.

Other friends may not participate directly in them, whether as competitors or moderators, but they do so indirectly by providing support for them. I've known friends who own the venues where tournaments are held, or are otherwise involved in a certain element in the venue (such as being a food vendor), and they're only happy to serve the people involved when the tournaments occur. Still others are just happy to be able to facilitate the happenings of the tournament, and that may be all that they need.

What can be abstracted from the above is that participants of competitions or tournaments - in particular related to Pokémon - like me are surely in the company of friends and other  cordial people. Some of these people may just be as competitive in taking part in the action, or as happy as competitors are happy by providing the facilities for the happening. Both kinds of people are surely needed in the great big world of Pokémon competitions or tournaments, and continued Pokémon presence will keep their supply.

One year ago: Closure: Pokémon Go Wild Area 2024 (Global), Day 2

Two years ago: Circular Species of My Heart

Three years ago: Chow On, and Thank You

Four years ago: Challenging New(ly Returning) PvP Happenings

Five years ago: Contemplating Abilities (or Their Absence)

Six years ago: Cosplay: CHoCoDays 2019

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Art and Culture Exhibition 2018

Eight years ago: Catching Them All

The Hardest Parts of Festival or Convention Competitions

Well, I don't have a scheduled festival or convention for me (to send Ash to) today - and if there are, they're beyond our means and efforts - so I don't have to frame things in a "Let's Talk". All the same, it looks like the next month may be quite the busy one for them, so it may be interest to discuss them but still with a Pokémon light. For that, I always bring my dealings with Pokémon into the competitions that are featured in them as well, as a way of expressing myself. They're also not as easy as they look, so I thought about discussing the parts that make them hard, at least for me. 

For the ones involving cosplay (IC: characters), like the ones I explained a long time ago, the hardest part would be deciding my movements on stage. Sure, if the competition is a longer performance, then my movements are dictated by the story of the performance, which in my case would likely be a scene from the Pokémon anime. But if the competition is of the "walk" or "parade" type, then some abstraction of movements is involved, which presents its own difficulty. Either way, it's still a hard thing because of the necessitated planning, whether way before or on the spot.

Meanwhile, singing competitions have been the norm for many years now, and the hardest part would be keeping myself together to sing the lyrics as intended. Even after memorizing them well ahead of time - including for the English and Japanese parts, for which the latter is definitely harder than the former - there's always the chance that something rattles me, and then that affects my recall. Of course, the memorization is still the hard part that ideally has to be done even well before, but the execution could be just as hard.

Competitions are arguably hard, no matter what field they are in or what it takes to bring something to them. Even harder still might be my leveraging of them to bring in something that would demonstrate my appreciation of Pokémon and displaying that within the realm of festivals or conventions - and possibly when I'm unable to partake in them as well. But when I am able to participate, there are the associated difficulties that I just have to get over, which would pave the way for showing my Pokémon appreciation.

One year ago: Entry: Pokémon Go Wild Area 2024 (Global), Day 1

Two years ago: Celebrating Togetherness

Three years ago: The Willpower Cup of GBL

Four years ago: Quickies: Meowth for Pay Day

Five years ago: The Kanto Cup of GBL

Six years ago: Make a Wish for the Little One

Seven years ago: The Amazing Pokémon Race

Eight years ago: Thankfulness

Item Collection Limits in Café Remix

Something I mentioned earlier this year when I discussed the Presents feature in Café Remix is the "collection limit" of items in the game. More recent or less active players won't have to worry about this aspect too much, but frequent and longer-term players will find that the aspect becomes relevant - particularly as I have, in more recent times. With that, the aspect makes for a good discussion, especially to close the gap that I presented by having mentioned the aspect in the previous discussion. 

For that, most items other than Pokémon cookies have a collection limit of 999 items, which sounds like a lot. However, frequent play will make it evident that the limit can be reached rather quickly; a case in point is the Daily Training, which when fully completed and/or skipped awards 18 Tart XL of a specific type, and over many days, this can add up quickly if not used. Even the Skip Tickets for this accumulate in the same way and can't be used very quickly, over time allowing the limit to be hit.

Pokémon cookies meanwhile have a limit of 23 for each species, reflecting the number needed to uncap its level to Level 20 (3 at 5, 10 at 10, and 10 at 15). If a Pokémon has a Shiny variant, more can potentially be earned, but usage of existing cookies is also needed. For other items of relevance as Macarons and Kitchen Notes, it's likely that one will use them before reaching an imposed limit, so the "practical" limit may be how many one can stand to earn as they play regularly or not so regularly.

Then, there are items from Cook and Collect that have their own limits. For the Gholdengo event that has continued to persist, its limit is 4995 Gimmighoul Coins - which is quite more than the typical limit - and if one has earned all of that, then Gholdengo also has its max outfit grade. Meanwhile, a new event has started featuring Zygarde, and at the present time, one is limited to having 10 Zygarde Cores while they continue to earn Zygarde Cells up until February next year, something to look forward to.

"Maxing out" the items that are mentioned above is by no means a primary goal, at least for the usable items; for those, it is certainly preferred for players to use them before they hit the limit and cannot possibly earn any more of them. The general limit of 999 items is just that - general - and player activity will certainly determine how quickly or slowly they'll get there. At that point, the usage of the earned items on the staff Pokémon may break their own limits, ones that aren't imposed on them like these are.

One year ago: Preparing for Pokémon Go Wild Area

Two years ago: The Incredible and Vivid Art of Pokémon Trainer K (Kelvin)

Three years ago: How Long for a Cosplay Walk (or "Character Parade")?

Four years ago: Non-Trademark Substitutions for Pokémon Names?

Five years ago: Sword and Shield: After One Year

Six years ago: Everyone's Contributions

Seven years ago: So Little and So Much

Eight years ago: A Pokémon Menu

Unite "Currency Reform" On the Way

The information in this post is a bit early, but it's also in the progress of happening, so I need to "get it out" and write about it; it also doubles as a "public service announcement". So, since its inception, Pokémon Unite has pretty much maintained its currency system, but that is about to change within a couple of weeks, as one of its pillar currencies is about to change - more specifically, it's about to "bow out" and disappear.

Aeos Coins would be that very currency, which as explained has a few roles to play. Many players will currently use it to purchase new Unite Licenses at the shop after they were made available initially with Gems. It can also be used to upgrade emblems in one's collection, which is also a frequent present action for many players. Apart from that, its other uses may be considered to have become "niche", which might explain its retirement.

On December 4, the currency will no longer be given out, and its related boost items will also become unusable. An exchange center will then be opened up to allow exchanges of the remaining currency (and boost items related to the currency) for certain items up until early next year, after which there will be no trace left of the currency. As such, particular efforts to use the currency before that happens is certainly in order.

Its usage to purchase Unite Licenses is a big one. Before the retirement, it is highly suggested that players use the currency mostly for that purpose; that's also because Unite Licenses will then be able to be obtained through a different way, aside from paying Aeos Gems. Its details are still scant and will be explained later on when it actually comes to fruition, but it's clear that there is the necessity to use the existing currency prior to the transformation.

Retirement of the currency also carries other implications. One of them is that the other pillar currencies will certainly take up the role of the currencies, for which Aeos Tickets are being used in lieu of the currency for a present event. It also means that the game is now simplifying its currencies, for which the complexity may have been apparent then and now, which makes this change a welcoming one.

With the way things are and will be, the retirement of Aeos Coins is definitely an important matter, given all the aspects that are attached to it. Particularly, the looming deadline of only a couple of weeks away as of this post makes it necessary to be announced now so that players (like me) have the time to plan things out. Meanwhile, the planned "currency reform" could just be the start of a more "united" future.

One year ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights: Even More Pokémon Parkour

Two years ago: Days of Specific Pokémon

Three years ago: Pokémon Outfits in Café Remix

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 11/21/2021

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 11/21/2020

Six years ago: The Hype Cycle and Pokémon

Seven years ago: Traveling All the World

Eight years ago: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Uptake