Mega Evolution on Parade

In the past, I had discussed about Mega Evolution in different framings, a minorly pessimistic one when it apparently seemed to be put to rest, and a slightly hopeful one after it has taken a foothold in Pokémon Go. Fast-forward to today, the concept has seen a resurgence, which could be described as a "parade" of sorts; not only that, fans of the past and present are quite receptive of this resurgence and particularly how it's being presented. This current state of affairs for a Pokémon evolution form that almost became a bygone one definitely demands attention and addressing, particularly for the relevant factors contributing to it - as in the games that will feature them.

Along with the prior discussion, I had postulated that it might take something new to bring it back to prominence and provoke a good response. Now, that something has become clear: that would be Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which takes the setting of Lumiose City as the heart of Kalos, the region that heralded Mega Evolution in the first place. In fact, new Pokémon with this evolutionary form have been revealed, from Mega Dragonite during the latest Pokémon Presents to those for Victreebel, Hawlucha, and Malamar in various (and quirky) social media announcements, and just now through a "final trailer" for other expected and unexpected species. Much, much more will become clear(er) when the game gets released next month, with this cavalcade heralding that clarity.

Then there is the TCG (physical as well as Live) with the coming Mega Evolution expansion. Some of the featured forms will certainly be for the "first batch" species that fans already know and recognize, and players will need to deal with them as "ex" cards that evolve from their earlier stage forms. Obviously, there was some planning for this to coincide with the Legends game as above, and that works out well for the momentum of that game while bolstering the TCG itself - allowing it to "take part" in the parade, in a way.

Meanwhile, there has been word that over the course of the remaining part of the year, Pokémon Unite will finally implement Mega Evolution for Pokémon other than Mewtwo (that has been the pioneer and yet still the only one as such even now). They'll be a sight to see when they finally appear, and their "ground rules" may also become evident at that point, but it is clear that Pokémon Unite has offered its contributions to the parade. 

Of course, Pokémon Go will take everything into account. In fact, nearly all of the "first batch" species now have their forms in the game, or will eventually. That means the "second batch" from the new Legends game will follow suit, whether it's during this rather "form-changing" season or all the other ones that will come afterwards.

From its beginnings in the sixth-generation games, Mega Evolution truly has had its ups and downs. The momentum of the main series games that featured them is one upward moment, followed by the almost immediate downward one of their nearly becoming deprecated. Then there were just sporadic inclusions in other facets, before the current almost full resurgence with a "parade" heralded by a game that promises to be sensational. Like any parade, at least some excitement is to be had as its participants appear, and with the ones above for Mega Evolution, fans will definitely be set for a good time as they watch the "parade" pass by.

One year ago: On Half Decks and Full Decks

Two years ago: Spoiler Alert

Three years ago: Longing for Pokémon Donuts

Four years ago: The Fate of My Local Pokémon Hangouts

Five years ago: Competitor Ranks of the Silph League Arena

Six years ago: Personal Branding

Seven years ago: To Judge and Be Judged

Eight years ago: Catering to Old and New Players

Theia Sky Ruins, Subterranean Edition

Closing up the run of this week's discussions on Pokémon Unite matters is one that is of great interest and importance. Starting this Battle Pass season, Ranked match players continue to deal with the Theia Sky Ruins map as they have done for a few years now, but with a few differences. The discussion was originally planned to focus on the most major element of those differences, but it turns out there is more than that. As such, I decided to expand it to cover the importance of its elements taken together. 

And taken together, the overall gist is as suggested in the title of this post: the map now comes in a "subterranean" edition. What makes it as such is that the central "legend pit" now has Groudon instead of Rayquaza, which when defeated grants faster scoring of goals and increased power instead of a protective shield. Its appearance is fairly obvious: the pit is now bordered by pools of magma rather than dense clouds. It has always been apparent that the "legend pit" is important, and now it is more so.

That, of course, is not all. A few other things are changed, specifically the titan "axis" in the middle. The original trio now appear at the top and Regieleki now appears at the bottom, while Regidrago will sometimes appear in the middle to boost goal scoring when defeated, marking its first time showing up in a map for Ranked matches. Herds of Natu might also show up in the center, and the two outermost goal zones might have different point requirements. As such, the changes are quite spread out.

Dealing with the map might require a bit of strategy changing for those who are already acquainted with the previous edition. The titans being shuffled around might prompt some players to choose Pokémon they don't normally play in order to deal with any or all of them. Certainly, reiterating the above, players will want to go into the "legend pit" in order to take down Groudon for themselves before the other team does so, or the consequences might indeed become very dire for them otherwise.

Opportunities for new supremacy might just arise with these latest changes to affect the Theia Sky Ruins map that has been in place as the venue for Ranked matches in Pokémon Unite for some time - something that is not likely to change any time soon, apparently unlike the map itself. The appearance of Groudon in lieu of Rayquaza brings the sky-high map down to earth (perhaps a little bit under that), and this and the other new or mixed-up elements will pique and challenge players with all that they can offer.

One year ago: No Lies... and Lies

Two years ago: A Win for the Ages

Three years ago: One-Minute Cooking in Café Remix

Four years ago: Hidden Tracked Statistics in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: Let's Talk About Household Creatures

Six years ago: And Intelligence

Seven years ago: Proud to Be a Clean Cosplayer

Eight years ago: Poké-Mobile Devices

My Pokémon Unite Boost Emblem Progress, Revisited

Meanwhile, it's been over a year since I discussed the progress of my boost emblems in Pokémon Unite. Since then, progress has been slow and steady - albeit slightly inconsistent - and this becomes a prompt for me to make the update. It comes at the right time with this month's series of posts involving the game, and it just seems so natural to be made given the circumstance; thus, I might as well make it and fit it into the subject at hand.

Out of 259 currently available boost emblems - more on this soon - for me, 29 of these are Platinum emblems, 195 are Gold or higher, 242 are Silver or higher, and 249 are Bronze or higher. That means Bronze is pretty much nearly complete, Silver needs a little bit more work, Gold still needs a good amount of work, and Platinum is going to be incremental (especially given the way that they're gotten). This might then just make it the closest update yet.

Now, 8 of these emblems are the ones I previously mentioned as "out of band" since they're not of Pokémon of the first and second generations. This group includes the Sprigatito family, which have been added only in Platinum form (and I have them), as well as Latias and Latios also only in Platinum (and I'm missing them). It seems that adding Pokémon emblems "out of band" will continue to be viable and I'd need to be on the lookout for these.

If that is also any indication, I'd also still need to be on the lookout for the Platinum emblem missions as part of the Unite Weekend as mentioned previously. I've been missing some of them, often unintentionally, and it may be anyone's guess when or how the ones I missed might ever return. Meanwhile, I may still be weighing my options on using the emblems I already have in order to boost the Pokémon I frequently use and perhaps may desire as such.

The boost emblem progress in my case could still be regarded as pretty good at any rate, and that may be the only thing that matters. Inconsistency may still be expected, especially with regard to the process of obtaining certain emblems and/or their state, but general efforts in a more consistent direction might help to even things out for the progress. The only thing that's left is more consistent progress on the core gameplay for which the emblems boost.

One year ago: Why Do I Still Play Pokémon Unite?

Two years ago: Another Pokémon Watch

Three years ago: The Intricacy of Declining Raid Invitations

Four years ago: Greater Friendship Levels in Pokémon Go?

Five years ago: Getting Feline with Pokémon

Six years ago: This Is It

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Club Cosplay Party

Eight years ago: Pokkén BanaPassports

The Set Shop in Pokémon Unite

For many players, including me, the aspect or feature of Pokémon Unite that I have chosen to take up for discussion in this post might not matter much, but those who possess the means for it might find it very much useful. Along with the regular shops of Pokémon Unite, which I've discussed oh-so-long ago, Pokémon Unite also has a few other distinct specialty shops, one of them being the Set Shop. Admittedly, this has become a "regular" shop of sorts, but for the most part, it can still be considered "specialty" for what it's worth.

The Set Shop is accessed from the upper-right corner of the main screen, just below the Aeos Gems indicator and access to its shop. Now, it's called the "Set Shop" because its contents are comprised of bundles of items, most often a Unite License and a matching Holowear so one can play with the Pokémon and have something to show off for it. As can be discerned, they're essentially "better together" items, so players get at least some value for them - moreover that they're discounted to an extent. Quite a few are also related to certain Legendary Pokémon, so they're (slightly) useful for those who missed their respective events.

Yet there is a catch, a typical one for the game. The items in the shop are only purchasable by spending Aeos Gems, which means one will have to pay for them with real money by proxy. As such, this is the part that probably won't matter much to many players, as the ones who don't pay for or really ever use Aeos Gems for any purpose. The Unite Licenses might have already been obtained or could be gotten with alternative currencies, so the only sticking point would be the offered Holowear, the only thing that would prompt payment for and spending of Aeos Gems in any case and even outside of this specific shop.

While the Set Shop is a fascinating and useful aspect or feature, its usage of Aeos Gems to purchase its items is certainly a limiter for those who are not concerned with spending this currency (and its real-world money equivalent) and/or just want to keep things free to play. As a "specialty" shop, though, it fills a void for those who do invest in the game and look to get more out of that investment, and there is nothing wrong with that. It may be the start or continuance of that effort for when it matters the most.

One year ago: High-Score Skip in Café Remix

Two years ago: Cosplay: Bocchi Noizu Mini Gathering

Three years ago: Quickies: Building with the "Builder Trio"

Four years ago: Wallpaper: Journeys Gap Ad

Five years ago: Multilingual Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Gym Tours

Seven years ago: (A Further) Local Ex-Raid, 9/10/2018

Eight years ago: Cosplay: BJF - Shizen ni Modoru

Possibility of a Universal Event "Claim All"?

Next on the agenda for a run of Pokémon Unite discussions is one related to implementation (specifically, a way of it) and a bit of a feature request. Some modern Pokémon games now have a "Claim All" or sometimes "Receive All" button for rewards gained through pass tracks or sometimes just tasks. It's a feature that is helpful when many individual rewards are present and a player just wants to get them all without fuss. Pokémon Unite implements this as well, and it is fine in a number of cases except one.

In some specific screens, both related and unrelated to events, a "Claim All" button is present and takes care of things nicely. In fact, sometimes it becomes the more convenient and workable option due to certain issues of responsiveness (not pertinent to this discussion). However, with the burgeoning number of events and event formats, it can be kind of tedious to go through all the separate event screens and claiming the rewards in each one, even if they have that "Claim All" button. What would be great is to be able to get the claiming done for all different kinds of events, much like as in Café Remix with its "Receive All" button for tasks.

As such, the feature request would be for a "Claim All" button that would be "universal" across events, not just individual ones. Some of the events can still have their own "Claim All" button for their purposes, but for those who like and want to get things done all at once - most likely since they don't spend too much time within the game - the "universal" button would then do the trick. It might be a little hard to implement due to the way that the various events present themselves in both rewards and functions, but if there is a way to do just that, then it might very well be worthwhile to make the implementation.

The multitude of events that are now present in Pokémon Unite is certainly not going away, and further, they're likely to expand upon themselves. This goes along with the rewards that they can possibly furnish, which might require some separate claiming efforts at the moment even if they're all within a single event. A "universal" button for claiming all rewards would be the certain feature to implement, even if this could present some difficulty, and from there all that remains is to get and keep all of the usual gameplay going.

One year ago: Quickies: Odd Architecture, Here and There

Two years ago: The Lucky Wheel in Café Remix

Three years ago: The 2022 Silph Arena Continentals Meta

Four years ago: Capturing Toward the (Pokémon) Future

Five years ago: More Music from Pokémon Go

Six years ago: The Music of TCGO

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Tachiagare

Eight years ago: My Book of Days

Sharing Results in (and from) Pokémon Unite

This month, I'm returning to an actual Pokémon subject for my "gimme five" posts that will span this week. The subject is the MOBA game that is Pokémon Unite, for discussing a few facets from both past and present. The one I've chosen for today might seem benign but actually has an element of importance to it. As such, it's also helpful to understand it and possibly make use of it for better gameplay.

Some achievements in the game (exchanging for a gold emblem, attaining certain ranks, obtaining a Unite License, among others) allow for them to be shared in the form of an image. This can then be placed on a player's preferred social media platform, and from there they can also be saved for posterity and one's records. It also becomes a useful way to engage existing players and possibly motivate non-players to play or rejoin.

For example, here's my shared fourth anniversary recap.

At certain times, there is another motivation and encouragement to share: doing so may allow the player to earn 50 Aeos Coins, which is a small sum but could be quite useful to balance its earnings from other sources - especially for those who (almost) never pay for Aeos Gems. This will be clearly indicated when the Share button pops up, and sharing the achievement right then and there will result in the small earning.

It goes without saying that the opportunity to share achievements or results should be utilized whenever it allows for the earnings above. However, since the sharing result is an image, any achievement that may deserve to be memorialized in such a form can therefore be shared to preserve them. The process may allow for their record-keeping, which I would say is a pretty good side benefit whether or not there is the earning above.

Evidently, even a small and seemingly benign facet like the sharing of results or achievements in (and from) Pokémon Unite can have its benefits, which means it's worthy to be detailed as the above. It's up to players to utilize it however they may, just like it's up to me to detail about them in the posts of this blog and outline how that might be done. As far as I'm concerned, that's a great thing for everyone.

One year ago: On Getting Rained Out and Rained On with Pokémon

Two years ago: The Persistence of Theia Sky Ruins in Pokémon Unite

Three years ago: Like a Headless Torchic... or Pokémon

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Multiple Pokédexes, Realized

Five years ago: Pokémon Documentaries?

Six years ago: The New Flavors of Pokémon

Seven years ago: Other Uses of Pokémon Go

Eight years ago: Incubators in Pokémon Go

Cosplay: Dalbo Fest Fifth Anniversary

Me: OK, now this is a real festival - or I should say, market.

Goh: Sure! Also, isn't this a repeat from a year ago?

Me: Indeed it is. So I think we might be able to count on this as an annual thing.

Goh: OK, so if it's a repeat, then was it at the same place?

Ash: It was - same market and things in it.

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["All there!"]

Goh: And that would mean the same people holding it.

Ash: Yeah, pretty much.

Goh: Oh, and the same competitions too.

Ash: Well, there was a character parade and performance, but I don't think I saw the performance one...

Me: I could've sworn they also promised the latter. Then again, I wasn't going to commit you for either.

Goh: Oh - let me guess, there was a raid thing going on, also like last year.

Ash: There was - for Mega Sharpedo. This one I did with a friend of our friend, so just a small group.

Goh: That's nice. I guess you didn't have to do much for that.

Ash: I got in after the raids. Maybe I did miss a couple of things.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Maybe so."]

Ash: I did get to see the character parade. 

Goh: So maybe you could have made it in. But...

Ash: I knew the judges and the judges knew me.

Me: Fat chance of getting anything out of this one. So that meant just hanging out with friends and other characters.

Ash: Yeah. I met many of them over the rest of the day.

Goh: I bet they're all good friends of our friends.

Ash: Sure! I had a great time with them.

Goh: How about other entertainment on the stage?

Ash: I think they were all dance groups.

Pikachu: Pika chu pika... ["The usual..."]

Goh: Did you at least get to browse through the market?

Ash: At the end, when it was almost over. Our friend also wanted me to find a certain clothing item... and I got it for a good price, with the help of a friend too.

Me: Excellent! I think it'll make for something good very soon.

Goh: Hey, at least the market came in handy this time. 

Ash: It sure did. So if it's going to be every year, then I think we'll keep on finding new things. 

Me: I can't say it better myself.

Goh: I hope our friend can put in Ash somehow next time.

Me: Believe me, I really want to do that.

Ash: I think it can happen!

Me: And I'm sure this market festival will still be a happening one - five years and counting.

One year ago: Cosplay: Small Business Showcase

Two years ago: Paldea in Pokémon Go: Catching Up, Skipping Out

Three years ago: Rising to the Occasion: Theia Sky Ruins

Four years ago: Chiki Balls Pokémon Coins: More Selections

Five years ago: The Charisma of Pokémon Personalities

Six years ago: TCG, Order and Chaos

Seven years ago: Artistic Routine

Eight years ago: Pokémon Song, Indonesian Flavor

Pokémon (and Other) Diversions

Of all the things I haven't discussed on this blog with certain relation to Pokémon, the topic of "diversions" might prove to be a wild one. The reason is that it can apply in several different ways, including for Pokémon. Yet for the purpose of this post, they have to be illustrated or explained in some way, and that becomes my task. It's also admitted that the task may not be evidently easy, but it shows the nature of things.

When Pokémon species become a diversion, they're usually involved in spots of trouble or other hijinks. Snorlax from the Orange Islands and Jigglypuff throughout the early days of the Pokémon anime were both diversions in their own right, the latter from certain musical ventures and the former from the management of a fruit (Berry) orchard. Only by dealing with the diversions themselves could order be restored.

For Pokémon itself becoming a diversion, any fan who plays the games frequently can attest that it is as such, becoming a useful (and therefore good) aside from other matters of life. As with any other form of a diversion, leaving things unchecked can make things less than stellar, but that shouldn't happen even to the best and most fervent of Pokémon fans like me. The key seems to be their management for all their usefulness.

And, as a bit of diversion from this discussion...

Me: I guess I effectively sent you on a few faraway diversions today.

Ash: Yeah, um... it took a bit, but I got quite a few things done that maybe you wouldn't be able to do yourself.

Goh: Wasn't there a festival or something? 

Ash: There was... and there wasn't.

Me: And the situation was regrettable. If things come to fruition, we might be able to talk about it.

Ash: You might also want to take things easy.

Me: Good point. Though I'm a little unsure since things keep happening.

Goh: I'm sure you can deal with them.

Me: Well... that, and hopefully there aren't any extreme diversions in the mix. 

The way that diversions are, they really can make people take side turns from the intended things. A few of them might just involve Pokémon, and that could be something good for its fans, for even in the Pokémon world there are specific diversions involving the eponymous species as well. Wherever those diversions might lead, it may be that their results can affect Pokémon (and other) matters in possibly the best of ways.

One year ago: The Good and Evil of Ace Spec Cards

Two years ago: Why Do I Still Play Pokémon Go?

Three years ago: Pelipper's Carry-Ons

Four years ago: The Silph Arena Continentals Meta

Five years ago: Multiple Pokédexes in Pokémon Go?

Six years ago: Local Tailors and My Cosplay Costumes

Seven years ago: A New 3DS Story: A Second Monster Home

Eight years ago: Personalities

The Two Faces of My Return

As in past years, on September 5, I discuss my return to playing Pokémon Go, which happened eight years ago (see below) and incidentally in the first year I started this blog. I've discussed a few aspects related to this matter since then, some less personal and others more personal. This year, I've decided to take the latter route and discuss an aspect that is very personal, especially given what has happened over the course of this year and my relations with certain other Trainers who play the game.

Basically, my return to playing Pokémon Go has exposed me to two different sides or "faces" of those other Trainers. One of those "faces" is the relations with good Trainers, ones who may be as passionate for other Pokémon things as I am and are supportive of each other. The other "face" is ones who are less stellar in that regard to the point of being snobbish and derisive toward others, no matter how great their progress may be. Given others' sentiments, I may not be alone in this regard - but I can offer my views.

I'm happy that my return allowed me to meet the former group of people, which was the case the first time I met one such person and now recently with a faraway group that I've only met for the first time. This kind of experience can be considered to be the "foundation" of my return as it should be for others, becoming a motivation for those who might decide to return today as I had back then. Certainly, this also needs to be facilitated by existing Trainers and be the sole best "face" of any return effort. 

On the other hand, I'm also slightly disappointed that my return efforts have resulted in that other "face". Yet at the same time, I couldn't have possibly foreseen such an outcome for my return efforts, so I can only take it in stride. The best (and the least) thing I can do is to turn away as much as possible - especially since the Trainers involved might be difficult to change - and to stay on the good side of things, to consider that I am also presenting that "face" to other potentially returning Trainers.

These two "faces" will likely remain part of my Pokémon Go experience after having returned so many years ago as the personal choice that I made, not to mention for being able to furnish experiences and information about the game on this blog. With the way that the "faces" relate to other people and how they too might have the same experiences, it can also be considered "interpersonal" in a number of ways as well. In either case, it's the return effort that remains important, if this and other discussions are of any indication.

One year ago: Wishing Others' Return

Two years ago: Point of (No) Return?

Three years ago: Return Back, Return Forward

Four years ago: Returns in Various Guises

Five years ago: Returns Come and Go

Six years ago: Return, Return, Return, Return...

Seven years ago: A Happy Return

Eight years ago: Here I Go (Again)

Cosplay: DH x AM Cosplay Festival

Me: Not to forget, there was that thing I said I'd save for later... and I'd almost completely forgotten about it due to other matters.

Goh: Oh, yes - from Sunday, right?

Ash: Right! The thing after Community Day. 

Me: And I guess I have to mention that this discussion may be somewhat brief... because that's how long you were there, right?

Ash: Yeah. I met your friends and they said it was pretty much already over when I got there. 

Pikachu: Pika pika... ["That happened..."]

Goh: Oh, that's a bummer. But then there was Community Day...

Ash: I actually was going to go a bit earlier, but I ended up spending time at Community Day with a good friend of our friend for a Lucky Trade.

Goh: I see, the "something to do". Was there another? 

Ash: Yeah, it was to return a tool our friend borrowed.

Me: If it weren't for the Lucky Trade and the tool return, I might have had you already at the festival instead of Community Day.

Goh: I guess it couldn't be helped.

Me: Which brings us back to the festival... 

Ash: It was a festival, all right. There were food stands all in a row, and then there was an art thing in a building.

Goh: Art thing?? You mean, the organizer of this and the one four months ago are the same?

Me: I can confirm that it's indeed the case. Which means for the last one, students may have contracted them.

Ash: That makes sense! 

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Pretty much."]

Ash: I got to see a bit of the art with your friends and get a little food for you later on. 

Goh: The art had to be spiffy, right?

Ash: Yup, all kinds of stuff from drawings to figures. There were even some Pikachu ones.

Me: Well, on a good day, then, I'd be more than willing to pay for that.

Goh: But I guess you could get in since it was almost done.

Ash: Yeah, that. Even the character parade was already over.

Me: I really wanted to get you into this one, but alas, Community Day called us.

Goh: It seems a little odd that similar festivals run into Community Day twice now.

Me: That's a thing.

Ash: It was still OK, from the little that I saw. 

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Me too!"]

Goh: Maybe the next time is to make things a lot.

Ash: Yeah! For all of us. 

Me: Sure. I don't know if we'll run into this one again - and if we do, if it'll run into Community Day again - but I'll see what I can do.

Goh: You can say that last Saturday was artistic.

Ash: Haha, maybe.

Me: It's always an art navigating the challenges of Pokémon and sending characters, for sure.

One year ago: Galar in Pokémon Go: Filling in the Blanks

Two years ago: TCG Live Is Live! (...Mostly?)

Three years ago: The Food Element Categories of Café Remix

Four years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights: The Lighter Side

Five years ago: Worlds Within Worlds

Six years ago: The New PvP Charged Move Mechanism

Seven years ago: AFA ID in Memoriam

Eight years ago: Cold as the Winds

TCGP: A Visit to the Secluded Springs

TCGP meanwhile continues, seemingly unfazed by the last expansion and the debacle that it furnished, to deliver yet another expansion within a month's time. This current one continues the spirit of that and takes players to a hidden yet vibrant place where Pokémon species can roam free, and ones selected by players can serve them well in their advances in the game. And then there are the usual niceties that any expansion provides, but that's to be discussed a little later in the post.

"Secluded Springs" is the title of this expansion, which is dubbed as a Themed Booster Pack and is thus a minor expansion. Like the previous major expansion, many of the Pokémon are composed of those from the Johto region, with a handful from other regions. The three Legendary beasts from the primary region of concern are all present as ex cards, and Suicune - also being the highlight Pokémon of the expansion - is present as an "immersive" card, and a pretty nice one to look into. 

As for the rest of the minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack, it has 71 numbered cards in all. The overnumbered section contains 34 cards, bringing the overall total of the cards here to 105. As usual, this section is where the "immersive" card resides as well as a number of cards for those with full art and certainly Shiny Pokémon. It's a decent size for a minor expansion, and players should be easily able to go back and forth between this one and the last major expansion to get at their cards.

With the three Legendary beasts being what they are, they will certainly be the cards to get from this minor expansion, but particularly so for Suicune with its "immersive" card. Aside from these, there is yet another assortment of Trainer cards with new and possibly interesting functions, ones that players will also may need to look into once they get them. At the least, the "booster pack" quality is evident with them. 

If the imagery of this minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack is one of a hidden yet vibrant place, then it might be sensible to consider that the cards in the group are part of the continued effort to shed light on other possible Pokémon (cards) that might join the fray of the game and do what they can do. The vibrancy of that then lies in the continued collection and play efforts to present the place through the cards.

One year ago: Cosplay: Utsuru 9 x Idol Stage

Two years ago: The Pole Position of Adventures Abound

Three years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Open Great League

Four years ago: You Made Me a...

Five years ago: Let's Play and Pokémon

Six years ago: Pokémon and Music Games, Revisited

Seven years ago: (Late and Great) Local Ex-Raid, 9/3/2018

Eight years ago: Bandai Pokémon XY Swing - Pikachu

An Important Transformation: A New Level Cap

Before proceeding to discuss other transformations in this Pokémon Go season slated to be full of them, I thought I'd bring up a rather important one. I had said I'd bring it up when it becomes relevant (or brings about a lack thereof), but the "wheels" for this transformation have been set into motion, and therefore it's just as relevant to bring it up now as it is to bring it up later. The former also works out to give sufficient notice and warning in advance of the expected transformation, so there is another good reason.

That transformation is of course yet another increase of the level cap, this time by a whopping 30 levels to Level 80, which will be put in place on October 15. Even so, this change is only relevant for Trainer levels, and Pokémon will still only top out at Level 50, so there is no worry about power shifts in both casual and competitive battles. The rationale for this is to provide a greater balance and smoother progression for Trainers in leveling up - perhaps as to what it should have been since the start of the game when there were only 40 levels.

With this transformation, the level-up tasks that are ascribed to Levels 41-50 will be removed and new tasks will be ascribed to the future Levels 71-80. Those who reach this point are also more likely to become Lucky Friends with other Trainers, which is likely a bonus ascribed to something else that may be related yet is not pertinent to this discussion. Certainly, Trainers with enough XP will also automatically gain levels when the new cap is put in place, and they'll also need to complete the tasks when presented.

Yet unfortunately, there are a few caveats. The avatar items offered as level-up rewards for Levels 41-50 can no longer be gotten after the new level cap is introduced, but those who have gotten them will keep them, making them "legacy" items. Meanwhile, there will be a "legacy" pose and another level medal similar to the one for when the level cap was first raised, and all of these become incentives for Trainers to reach Level 50 soon.

For that, an event called XP Celebration started on August 25 and will continue up to the day the new level cap is introduced. It features double XP for throws, extra XP from raids and Max Battles, and a Timed Research set rewarding millions of XP. The "explore 25 km" task at Level 47 has been shortened from eight times to just twice as well, which allows a fighting chance to get to Level 50 before the day of the new level cap.

Considering all that happens in Pokémon Go, there is really no way to go but "up", and so it is that the level cap has to be increased - and it is going to, in about one and a half months. Aside from transformations involving Pokémon and the possibility of varied forms that they may have, this may be considered the most important transformation yet of this season, and highlighting that in preparation for it is no less important than all the Pokémon.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 8/31/2024

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 9/2/2023

Three years ago: Cryptic Field Research Tasks?

Four years ago: Countermeasures for Pokémon Go: A Necessary Outreach

Five years ago: Mega Evolution Quibbles in Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Two Flavors of Pokémon Stickers

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Utsuru! -the fifth-

Eight years ago: (Self) References

The Season of Tales of Transformation

So, for those who read my end-of-season post yesterday, the operative word that serves as the teaser for the next Pokémon Go season is "change". That's because this season is titled "Tales of Transformation", a rather long title for one. In that lengthy stretch, there is the indication that a lot has to be interpreted about it; fortunately, some of that comes easily with what is expected from Pokémon Go and Pokémon in general, while others need a bit of deeper digging to uncover the tales they may have to tell.

The most important part of those tales, the one that concerns the game furnishing the season title, is the one that needs to be told first. This season will definitely see some Pokémon that are able to access some very different forms - certainly including Mega Evolution and the Max forms, which by now have a foothold in the game. In fact, this could be wildly different, which becomes an indication of what to expect with an event that returns from last year around this seasonal time of the year, to be explained in due time.

Meanwhile, at least a little bit of the efforts of transformation may be driven by a new and very important Pokémon game that is also due out within the period of the season. In turn, this might also become key to other displays of transformation beyond Pokémon Go and the new game as hinted above. These additional transformations might likely take time to be able to be manifested in one Pokémon realm or another (if at all), but if that happens, they'll surely reflect the current states of transformation, both past and present.

It may also be possible to look into the season image for insights. The season image as the representative of the season has an art deco style to it, which makes it "retro" even with the new developments that this season may just promise. It's also mostly black with streaks of color throughout, which might indicate how subtle and/or amazing the transformations will be. The approach might be considered "classy", and that can be carried over to all the Pokémon that might be featured accordingly.

Overall, this season seems to promise to be one of the most dynamic, if not the most yet as such. As stated, transformation or change is a commonly recognized aspect of Pokémon, and having a Pokémon Go season that honors that aspect keeps it commonly recognized and further affirms its constant relevance. The elements that are expected for it - both directly and indirectly related to Pokémon Go - will tell all the tales; perhaps it could be one by one, or all at once with an amazing(ly titled) season.

One year ago: The Season of Max Out

Two years ago: The Season of Adventures Abound

Three years ago: The Season of Light

Four years ago: The Season of Mischief

Five years ago: Let's Go Mega Evolve

Six years ago: Cosplay: Creators' Super Fest by AFA (Regional)

Seven years ago: Between Bugs and Features

Eight years ago: Takara Tomy Pokémon XY&Z Pikachu Halloween Mascot - Ver. D

The Peak of Delightful Days

After three months, the climax of the latest Pokémon Go season is at hand, and that season is about to end soon - both of which are in my usual regard, regardless of what happens and when they happen. I had suggested that the season would have quite a bit of "fun in the sun" when I introduced it as it began (or was about to), and that is a good starting point for the discussion of its tail end and everything that has happened in it, also as always both inside and outside of Pokémon Go (as Pokémon in general as well).

Considering the events of the game of relevance, they all did leverage the perceived "theme" somehow (including the ultimate event of this month), especially given the typical mid-year happenings of Pokémon Go Fest. Incidentally, there were also some transitions in and out of the darkness, suggesting that countering the darkness may be necessary at times in order to have even more of that "fun in the sun". Of course, most everything should have provided continuous delight for all participating Trainers.

Outside of Pokémon Go, the biggest delight for all Pokémon fans was certainly the World Championships just a couple of weeks ago. While the happenings in other Pokémon games or realms may or may not have been directed to the "delightful days" of this grand tournament, at least some of the events in the lead-up to it had its own kind of elements of "delightful days", some of which involved colorful Pokémon like the Eon Pokémon that are capable of bringing delight to everyone's days.

For many people, this time of year is surely a period of "delightful days", but even within that period, there are still some struggles to be had, if Pokémon Go as the game that furnishes this season's title is of any indication. That may be considered true to different extents for other, different games or realms of Pokémon, and it is effectively a constant determination for bringing wonderful things by all that they offer.

In that sense, the only other constant thing in Pokémon life and other life is change. Seasons change (as will happen soon), things change, and even Pokémon species change, the last one being something that is always evident and replete for this realm. On this last day, perhaps there can be many reasons to celebrate delight - that of the season that has progressed and of the season that is to come and likely promise its own delight.

One year ago: The Peak of Shared Skies

Two years ago: The Peak of Hidden Gems

Three years ago: The Peak of Go

Four years ago: The Peak of Discoveries

Five years ago: Pokémon: Twilight Wings

Six years ago: The Start of a Decked-Out Adventure

Seven years ago: Solidarity Making

Eight years ago: Reunions!

Pokémon Go Community Day, 8/30/2025

Some might have been wondering where exactly Community Day for Pokémon Go is this month, and the answer to that is that it's today, skirting the edge of the season's end (unlike the same month last year, where it was actually at the season's final day). It's a "chirrupy" business for the regularly occurring event, not the least of which is given its circumstances of today. As usual, Trainers would have to steel up their resolve and muster up efforts, given all the importance that the featured Pokémon species may have.

With that, the featured Pokémon species for this month is Rookidee, a characteristic bird Pokémon from Galar. As stated last month, the featured Pokémon had already been decided then, and that's because it was the winner of a poll (by a landslide) conducted on YouTube - the most sensible out of four options for Trainers. Its fully evolved form, Corviknight (which evolves from Corvisquire) also has a Gigantamax form, but that hasn't appeared yet; at least its Dynamax one has, and that will have to do for now. That fully evolved form gets the move of Air Cutter as a Charged move, which may be useful in certain cases. Also as equally useful is the main bonus of this edition, being quartered Egg hatch distance for those who like (and need) to clean out their Egg stash.

The rest of the dealings for Community Day are all the usual things. There would be the double Candy and Candy XL chance for more resources, extended Lure Modules and Incense to get more of the Pokémon to appear, photo bombs for some surprises in catching, and an extra Special Trade and discounted trades for those making the most of it, plus an item bundle for more useful things to get. As well, there are general and unique Field Research tasks, the background Timed Research, and the extra paid Special Research for things to work on - and the reminder that the move window will last until next Saturday for that purpose.

For me today, there was also some assistance in a familiar form...

Ash: That would be with me!

Goh: Hmm, Rookidee, huh. The bird that would become Corviknight.

Me: I think you two might have seen it at least once when you were in Galar.

Goh: I think we did - the flying taxi.

Ash: Yeah. That's a pretty big bird. And now you get to have one too.

Me: With the special move. I already had one but without it.

Ash: OK. You'll definitely need at least some of the Candy and Candy XL that I got by catching for that. And I got a lot!

Me: I'll definitely deal with a few of these for evolution over the next week. 

Goh: Was this together with our friend's "not-so-friends"?

Ash: Yeah...

Me: Well, actually, I also needed Ash to take care of a few things for my better friends, and they came there - didn't they?

Ash: They did. And don't worry, I took care of them.

Me: Afterwards, well...

Goh: There was something else, wasn't it. 

Ash: Uh-huh.

Me: That's for later. Anyway, I think we'll all fly high with this one.

Ash: You can say that again!

Rookidee may be described as a tiny creature with great aspirations... which in fact becomes the essence of the paid Special Research title - "Little Bird, Big Dreams". "Chirruping up" those big dreams may be the task of Trainers before and after this edition of Community Day, and to bring them forth while flying high - in a Corviknight taxi or otherwise.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/30/2024

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/30/2023

Three years ago: Delving Further into (Enjoying) PokéToon

Four years ago: Raids on Different Platforms

Five years ago: Competitive Stage Progress

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/30/2019

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/30/2018

Eight years ago: Stories That You Don't Know

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/29/2025

This particular August has been a hectic month for Pokémon Go, and as a result of that, its event rollup for the month might also be a bit complicated to make. It also might reflect the structure of the events with some overlap among them, or at the least skirting of the events of concern. Still, it's getting down to the wire for this month as well as the season - the latter to be discussed when its time comes - so at least something has got to give for this month, and thus the event rollup comes today.

Going back to July a little bit, last month's overrunning event of Adventure Week had a complementary weekend event in the form of a Research Day featuring fossil Pokémon on August 2. Tyrunt and Amaura were the featured species as Field Research task encounters, while others were in the wild. More encounters could also be gotten with the event's paid ticket. Apart from these, its progression should be rather evident.

August's first real event, overlapping with the end of the overrunning event as above, was the Sweet Swarm event from August 3 to 6. Appropriately enough, it also began with a Battle Day for Gigantamax Butterfree on that very first day with all the usual perks. The main event itself focused on two sweet Pokémon (Combee and Swirlix), with increased Shiny chances for both, extended Lure Modules, and appearance bonuses. Every two days, a Timed Research set for each Pokémon gave encounters and items, while Field Research gave extra encounters. This event was not only sweet but rather simple.

Next, some Cozy Companions took the stage from August 6 to 12. One of these is the Snom species family, debuting in special 7 km Eggs with other buddying Pokémon before going to regular 5 km ones, and Shiny Tandemaus from Party Play (with greater encounters here) and wherever. Wild Pokémon and Field Research encounters were also of the buddying variety. In Timed Research, a free set provided encounters and bonus items, and a paid set by the event ticket had even more. All these were set with bonuses of double XP hatch, an extra Special Trade, and double Friendship levels. Complementing this was a Hatch Day for Munchlax on August 9 and an Origin Raid Day (with Dialga and Palkia, actually an Ultra Unlock) on August 10, both as usual with their perks and a bit of companionship.

Right in the middle of the month, Team Go Rocket instituted a "takeover" period, a usual MO for them, from August 11 to 17. The bonuses were of the usual sort as well - Frustration out by TM, more frequent appearances, and varied IV from raids. New things this time around were Shiny Salandit, Shadow Giratina by defeating Giovanni, and Shadow Kyogre as a Raid Weekend on August 16 and 17. A few new Shadow Pokémon appeared in Grunt encounters, Leader encounters (these of the first partner variety), and Shadow Raids, and a Collection Challenge demanded capturing the first of these. Field Research gave out items, while item bundles were available in the shops. This iteration was actually quite celebratory...

...for this takeover also paved the way for festivities, since the World Championships were on its weekend from August 15 to 17, making it its own event. The varsity jacket Pikachu could be caught during this time, with Shiny being likely. The event also acted as a Go Battle Weekend with the usual bonuses and Timed Research, also with more Pokémon encounter bonuses. Enlivening the event were all competitive Pokémon in the wild, raids, and Field Research encounters, plus a paid Timed Research set for those who can pay for more. The festivities were furthered with certain moves for certain Pokémon, five Special Trades daily, new clothing items (including T-shirts for the live event), new stickers, and special appearance for the Go Battle League, bringing the festivities within virtual reach for all.

With the onset of Go Fest Max Finale, something had to precede and accompany it, and that was the Dark Skies event from August 18 to 23. Over its course, various Pokémon species that are capable of going Dynamax were featured in Power Spots throughout the week, while a few Pokémon from the associated region of Galar are featured in raids in quick succession (which included the two Legendary "big dogs", with two Raid Hours for their Crowned form) and constantly in the wild. Bonuses involved more Power Spots, more Pokémon from them, and more MP to collect, plus a Timed Research set for the first partners and bonus Legendary candy, and increased remote battle limits. All these were obviously for setting up the weekend of the big event, which comes into its own.

Closing up the month - and season as well - is something a little brighter, an event called Sunkissed Shores that started on August 25 and due to end on August 31. It brings the debut of Dondozo, while other beach-themed Pokémon rejoin the fray in the wild, raids (with a double XP bonus), and Field Research encounters. Timed Research offers one free set and two paid sets with the event ticket (which could be paid as part of shop item bundles), with a variety of bonuses among them. Along with the end of the event on Sunday, there will be a Mega Gyarados Raid Day on that day. Given the season's name, it seems fitting to end it with an event that is rather evocative of its spirit.

If this month is hectic, then it might reflect the overall goings-on of the season as well, further with its own ways of making things a little more delightful per its name. That may seem to be a contradiction, but Trainers have always been able to work with and around that to turn hazy days into greatest ones - and especially now with the month and season.

One year ago: Being Emotionally "Invested"

Two years ago: Let's Talk About Blocks in Our Lives

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/29/2022

Four years ago: Respect for Veronica Taylor

Five years ago: The Social Value of Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Adventurous Families

Seven years ago: Media Master

Eight years ago: Catching Up

To Be or Not to Be... A "General"

I had another Pokémon Go topic lined up for today, but it turns out I'm not ready for that, and so is the topic. So, I've replaced it with another Pokémon Go topic that in some sense I should have discussed several months ago but hadn't for some reason or another. Yet now it's also especially pertinent because in a matter of time, it'll also become irrelevant in a sort of way, much like prior discussions involving the topic. That also has tie-ins to and regarding the famous phrase I mention in the title - a prompt for a "question" of sorts.

Now, the topic at hand is the matter of being a "general", which in the past I've used to refer to me reaching the then-highest player level in Pokémon Go at that time, which was 40. A year or so later, the level cap was raised to 50; I then referred to the stretch of levels afterwards as the "post-general" journey, the longest of which happens after I've used up my stored XP for that purpose. What is clear from this is that the "general" thing is a "to be" - or "has been", given the amount of time that has passed since then.

The "not to be" part is whether I'm still apt (or rather, want) to consider myself as one, given the community transpirations of this year as well as what some people think of me and in turn how I think of them. If it were that being a "general" means to copy all their behaviors, good and bad alike, then I want none of it. But if it just means having earned milestones, pinnacles, and achievements while promoting all of that and gameplay positively, then I am all for that and more... and level, XP, and all that jazz would only be numbers, nothing more.

For what it's worth, I have in fact actually reached Level 50 several months ago, on February 21 to be exact - the part that's pertinent to this discussion. The later irrelevance of this will be discussed when that happens, but the present irrelevance remains something to think about. How this fact may have any bearing on my regard as a "general" might very much depend on the viewpoints of the others who have conferred the title among themselves and others, but for other players (Trainers) and readers of this blog, that may be more freely interpreted.

As for that famous phrase and the "question" it prompts, it's also a prelude to a long-winded deliberation about the considerations of life and living (or otherwise). To live as a "general" in Pokémon Go is definitely a good aspiration, yet it seems to mean nothing with consideration of those who throw the title around. To live the good life - in this case with the dealings of this game, but also other Pokémon realms - would have more significant meanings, and for this Pokémon fan, that could only be something much, much better. 

One year ago: Mountains of Faith: Mount Lanakila

Two years ago: Half-Century of the Initiator of Pokémon

Three years ago: Pre-Stage Items in Pokémon Shuffle

Four years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: Divided and United

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/28/2020

Six years ago: Allying with Characters

Seven years ago: PokéVerbalisms

Eight years ago: After the Faraway Tournament

The FOMO Aspect and Pokémon

There are three specific aspects that I would consider related by virtue of them sounding the same and being mentioned at the same time, although a bit of that is due to personal experience. One of them is as mentioned in the title: "FOMO", short for "fear of missing out". It surely refers to how some people don't want to miss out on things, which is good... except for the developed "fear" in this case. It also has a certain applicability to Pokémon, and the goal of this post is to elucidate how that may be - or in some cases already is.

Most specifically, the aspect has been tied to Pokémon Go, for which it can be said that the game exploits the aspect to get its players (Trainers) involved in all the game's events and thereby spend what is needed to do so. This works for the most part, as quite a bit of the things introduced in the game have appeared once or a couple of times at one point and then not repeated again for a very long time. Knowing this, Trainers become influenced to play through and preclude the fear - and then repeat this as more and more events appear.

With other continuously updated Pokémon games like Café Remix and Unite, the aspect also manifests itself in these games in much the same ways, goading players to play to preclude the fear and get the Pokémon and/or items that they need, for which the appearances could be sparse. Meanwhile, the main series games are not constantly updated, but it has started to get into the act of having a number of limited-time events that effectively act the same as ones that are present in the continuously updated games.

Physical Pokémon goods like merchandise and TCG cards are obviously not immune to the aspect, and especially for the latter, for which it is very well-known that scalpers have gotten quite a foothold on the goods. For merchandise, a lot of it is certainly limited by the nature of the goods being produced in only certain quantities and for restrained venues and periods like the recent pop-up store at the World Championships. The aspect thus plays on the effects of these circumstances to influence fans in obtaining the goods... if they can.

Considering the above and how the aspect manifests itself in other areas of life, it's very much a psychological matter, and that matter can be quite pervasive. For Pokémon, it does have the effect of drawing attention to its goings-on and making sure that fans can take part and get something out of them before the goings-on are displaced and the fans miss out. The resolution of this may be questionable in some ways, but there is no question that the aspect is psychologically real, and that's for people (in particular, Pokémon fans) to grapple with. 

One year ago: The Matter of "Specific Evolution" in Unite

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2023 (Global), Day 2

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022 (Global), Finale

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/27/2021

Five years ago: Road to the 25th Anniversary

Six years ago: Blogging on Blogs: The Pokémon Go Official Blog

Seven years ago: My Pokémon Groups on Facebook

Eight years ago: In-Town vs. Out-of-Town Events

Seeking Salvation for Me and Others

Pokémon can be considered to keep me in line in some ways, and this might very well be also applicable to others. What I perhaps haven't really brought up much - apart from a mention some years ago - is the "safety" that it brings for me and others, and how that "safety" can be sought after. I thought I'd bring it up for a discussion at this current point, given I had a bit of a vision (perhaps it could also be construed as a dream) of how things could be without that "safety" and what it means for me and others as we seek it. 

In the vision, there was an electrical catastrophe of a major sort, something that I might say could be caused by an errant Pikachu or Raichu - if it were a Pokémon causing it. Otherwise, it's the sort of thing that I might cause if I were more of an errant person myself, perhaps much like some people who are hanging around in society at present who have more "unsafe" tendencies. There's a sense that I'm kept out of this by being involved with Pokémon matters, and that works out to my benefit - a sought "safety".

For other people, the benefits might be similar in that Pokémon can afford them the best experiences of an ideal and safe humanity - and to keep it that way, given some of the things that occur in the games and its other media forms. Seeking after this "safety" might become a goal for many people, whether or not they realize it, and Pokémon might just provide the means. Some of the efforts in all those media forms at the very least have some good to them, and leveraging them might be the first effort to bring about safety.

At present, there might be a lot of "unsafe" things in the world, and they might continue for a good bit of time, with some of the consequences potentially unknown. The vision I had might represent some of those potentially unknown consequences, even if I'm not the one who brought them about in the first place. What is known well is that Pokémon has a lot of good things going for it, and they might just be good enough for "safety" in this sometimes "unsafe" world; the former is definitely someting to go towards and seek.

One year ago: Network Connections

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2023 (Global), Day 1

Three years ago: Pre-Puzzle and Mid-Puzzle Items in Café Remix

Four years ago: Go Battle Night Burnout

Five years ago: Continuous Inspiration

Six years ago: Making Others (and Myself) Happy

Seven years ago: Figure Gathering, Again

Eight years ago: Cosplay: B-Bunkasai 2017 - Yume no Tobira

Cook and Collect, Wherefore Art Thou?

It's been a long time since I've written up one of these "wherefore art thou?" posts, which is indicative that something has been missing in some realm of or related to Pokémon. This time, the concern is for Café Remix and one of its event types - or more appropriately, an element of certain events. As explained over a year ago, the Cook and Collect event type allows players to earn nifty rewards while collecting items from the playfield as one "cooks" by completing orders or stages. Yet since it first appeared, there has been a relative dearth of this event type, and now that prompts this post to be made.

Apart from the Gimmighoul one that continues to recur (as of this post, the most recent one was a few days ago), there have only been a couple editions of this event, sometimes in tandem with the above, one of them featuring a newly added puzzle element of watermelons. After those editions, there really have been no other editions of the event, making it seem that the event type has disappeared, except of course for the recurring Gimmighoul one. Thus, the question in the post title becomes pertinent. 

The reasons for this may be hard to determine, although players' preferences may be an indicator. Evidently, many players of Café Remix are ones who don't frequently log in to the game, so the iterations of Cook and Collect that weren't the Gimmighoul one didn't find favor with some of these players. Though Cook and Collect is progress-limited by day as is the case for the Gimmighoul event and different iterations may obviate this to certain degrees, having progress limited is very much a sticking point.

Now, aside from the Gimmighoul event, only time might tell if more Cook and Collect events will be instituted or if the event type is going to be a "stub". What might be a strong possibility is that multiple events of this type will run (perhaps all at once) in the far future in order to aid players to hire Pokémon they haven't hired one way or another... though this also has other implications for the game that is presently not up for discussion.

While it seems that the Gimmighoul event that is of this event type will see continuity up until the "inevitable", the possibility of other events of this type appearing is very much being questioned at present. Being a constantly updated game, Café Remix always has (and had) its surprises, so the one big surprise right now would be to have events of this type return. That could be as surprising as some of the possible results of the events.

One year ago: Let's Talk About Temples in Our Lives

Two years ago: My "Project Mew" (Or, Why I'm Not Cut Out for It)

Three years ago: More Strides for the Daily Adventure Incense

Four years ago: The Magical Wonder of PokéToon

Five years ago: The Principle of Life

Six years ago: Expecting the Cards

Seven years ago: PokéMusicians

Eight years ago: Wallpaper: Ash XY Tribute Style

Pokémon Go Fest 2025 (Global), Max Finale

The dark happening, the "last dance", and the current Pokémon Go relevance I mentioned in yesterday's post are all certainly suggestive of something, and that something is the "true end" of this year's festivities of Pokémon Go Fest - which considering the preview I made for those festivities, would be an "addendum" to them. It's an actual finale edition that has been absent for a few years and has now returned for Trainers to take part in and bring things to a close. And as stated, the "Max" in the name brings some very huge things. 

That's because this finale edition involves Dynamax and Gigantamax forms of Pokémon, the ones that have appeared up to today. Since Monday and through today, they have appeared more frequently in Power Spots, also through an accompanying "dark" event, which is mostly to be explained in the usual event rollup. Yesterday and today, though, it was (is) the time for the most supreme of these forms to appear, being the Pokémon with Gigantamax forms. They're also accompanied by the Pokémon whose soul gives rise to these forms and more.

All told, that Pokémon is Eternatus, and it too appears in Power Spots intermittently along with those Gigantamax Pokémon of yesterday and today. Like the other Pokémon, Trainers can and will need to battle against it - but not for the purpose of catching it, which will be explained shortly; they'll still earn rewards as normal from the Max Battle, but no capture challenge follows from that. All the other Pokémon can be battled and then caught as normal, which is expected for Trainers to make use of them as they do for Gigantamax Pokémon. 

A word about Eternatus itself is also in order. The form that Trainers battle in the Power Spots is actually a special one called Eternamax Eternatus, and as in the main series games, it's so powerful that it cannot be caught. Trainers, however, will be able to catch a "regular" form of it from the associated Go Pass, and it's the only one they can have and catch. Befitting its enormity, it also has huge power up costs, including its enhancement for being able to be used in Max Battles, given that it's the soul of what allows Pokémon to take part in them.

Speaking of Go Pass, it furnishes mostly resources in its two tracks of free and Deluxe, and the few encounters that it has are all Dynamax Pokémon, perfect for those who rarely battle them. A lot of the resources, besides helpful items, are some Candy for Zacian and Zamazenta, and mostly for Eternatus to satisfy its enormous enhancement costs. Those who strongly want their Eternatus in the best position - especially if it's already pretty good in the first place - will surely have to spend for the Deluxe track for its assistance on the matter.

Since this is (associated with) Go Fest, the raids from this year's edition returned, being the three Pikachu with caps, the train costume Falinks, and both Zacian and Zamazenta in their Crowned form; this last one allows Trainers to earn the Crowned Energy of their respective variants. The Pokémon in the wild are of the current event's own characteristic Pokémon - being ones related to Dynamax and Gigantamax - rather than the ones from the event, but that suits these overarching and enormous forms and its event progression.

On this occasion, I opted to participate in the event in two places: with my local group yesterday, and with a group that is somewhat far away. In both cases, there were battles against Eternatus as expected, but in the latter case, there were also battles with other Gigantamax Pokémon to vary things up and according to the needs of others. The execution of these two efforts was as starkly different as night and day... or the relevant forms compared to how the original Pokémon look like.

Of the finale editions (or ones that could be regarded as such) for Pokémon Go Fest in previous years, this one is arguably the biggest in terms of the Pokémon that are involved in it - perhaps not just because of the forms but also the effort that needs to be put in for battling and catching them. At least, the "royal mechanisms" of the main edition of Pokémon Go Fest might have helped out a lot in that regard, now to vanquish the darkness and further on in the brighter days ahead against others.

One year ago: Cosplay: Community Alliance Gathering 3

Two years ago: Ready System Not Yet "Ready"?

Three years ago: The Fighting Cup of GBL

Four years ago: Flashback to a "Voice Chaos"

Five years ago: Real Fights Over Imaginary Battles?

Six years ago: Cosplay: B-Bunkasai 2019 - Orihime to Hikoboshi no Monogatari

Seven years ago: Trainers and Musicians Alike

Eight years ago: Pokkén Downturn?

One Last Dance, with Darkness...

Recently, the sky in my area has been a bit dark in the afternoons and unleashed its wet fury, which is a little bit unusual for this time of year. Even so, it might not be too unusual for other parts of the world at the same time of year and day. It's also not as dark as a certain Pokémon happening whose darkness goes far beyond the real happenings as described above, which might be considered almost unimaginable.

The happening concerns a certain situation in Galar where the sky turns really dark and a really huge creature brings forth its presence and power. In the process, the creature might possibly imbue other Pokémon to be able to become really huge themselves and then stand up to that really huge creature. In some circles, this happening is appropriately enough called the "Darkest Day" for all its shady qualities.

As well, in the midst of the adventures of Ash and Goh in the "world saga", they themselves had to deal with this happening and allow it to come to a minor resolution - one that would lead to other resolutions later on. All the aspects of that happening as described above are (were) indeed involved in the dealings of Ash and Goh when it happened, and quite a few things were revealed... but I won't reveal them myself.

In fact, this happening is also related to the games, for which the main series games featuring the region above has all the crucial details. More recently - as in now - Pokémon Go has put into motion something that encapsulates that happening in its own way with all the Max elements that have been implemented. In either case of these games, they may be considered (or are) "last stands" or "last dances" of some sort. 

While meteorological phenomena like the one I described above are incomparable to the phenomenon of the "Darkest Day" as I described, in some sense it might be possible to regard them side-by-side as through this post and all the relevant reasoning that accompanies the happenings. With that, some people might just need to stand up to the occurring darkness and bring forth a "dance" that deals with it in a definitive way.

One year ago: "Spending Better" vs. "Better to Spend"

Two years ago: Quickies: "Toward the Light" with Pokémon

Three years ago: The Dream Archivist/Historian

Four years ago: Survival Mode in Pokémon Shuffle

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Datamining Moments

Six years ago: It's Gonna Be...

Seven years ago: A Mascot Reinterpretation

Eight years ago: Local Hangouts and Pokémon

Narrowing Down Pokémon Types

The 18 types of Pokémon species in the main series games and some related ones didn't come all at once; the majority of them came first and a few were added later, as I had discussed early on in this blog. That's a lot of types to consider, and there may be the thought that some of these types can be narrowed down - in other words, simplified. That has in fact happened for other Pokémon game areas or realms, and that also prompts a bit of thinking and discussion on the approaches and their generality.

For those who are versed with the current TCG era (including the modern TCGP), they work with 10 types: Colorless, Leaf, Fire, Water, Lightning, Fighting, Psychic, Dragon, Darkness, and Metal. There is quite a bit of "subsuming" of main series types with these types - for example, Bug is subsumed in Leaf, Ice is subsumed in Water, and Ghost is subsumed in Psychic. Fairy had also been included in past years as a type, but its expected members are now just subsumed under different types (examples are Wigglytuff in Colorless and Gardevoir in Psychic). The narrowing down of types here seems to work well and explains its persistence.

Meanwhile, Pokémon Unite does have "types" too, although they're not all prominent; they can be seen in the screens that deal with emblems and their collection. The "types" are Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Black, White, Gray, Purple, Pink, Navy, and Brown - 11 of them, all based on colors rather than elementals. As would be expected, there are similar subsuming processes here, only with a few differences (like the Pink "type", which is an obvious nod to Fairy, while there is a bit of "vagueness" for dragons, proper or otherwise). It's comparably simple yet seems to demand as much of the systematics of TCG.

Given the above, it seems that when narrowing down the types, the essentially persistent and necessary ones are the "common" and "starter" types - the ones that pertain or relate to Grass, Fire, Water, and Electric, plus Normal as a supplement. The qualities of darkness and metallicity are also an apparent modern persistence. The other types have some leeway for narrowing down in their regard, especially dragons - again, proper or otherwise - which even in regular Pokémon parlance are a source of contention. These types may be slightly superfluous.

Still, with the way that the Pokémon main series games (and their derivates) are, the 18 types will continue to persist in them for the challenges that they bring. In other Pokémon (game) realms, fewer of them might just suffice to bring similar challenges, and thus a narrowing down is not only workable but also practical for one reason or another. At least, whether many or few, the challenging presence of types in Pokémon is unquestioned.

One year ago: Remembering Past and Present Sponsored Locations

Two years ago: Holowear of Interest, Revisited

Three years ago: The Summer Cup of GBL

Four years ago: My Personal TCG Equipment Wishlist

Five years ago: On the Mining of Data

Six years ago: Mementos of...

Seven years ago: Cosplay Events, Wherefore Art Thou?

Eight years ago: Connection Issues?