The State of Nominations, Part 38

It's January, so this month also begins the year's run-up of updates to the progress on my PokéStop nominations. It's a progress that is always inherently bittersweet due to its varied possibilities, both acceptance and rejection alike. Yet after a particularly bittersweet December (even more so, the couple months since the last update), it seems that this nomination update has (to) become bittersweet as well for its progress. Regardless, I have to make the update and see what I can glean from it for current and future progress in this area.

One bittersweet aspect is that my Accepted nominations have become stagnant at 191 from the last update. Then, my Not Accepted ones have increased by 2 to 71, which is arguably more "bitter" than sweet. Further, the most recent nominations to be rejected in this way became as such by what is apparently the automated process new to the system, even before others could vote on them. Of course, I could always put them up for renomination or appeal the rejection, but either way, they would involve serious considerations (more so the latter).

This situation also raises "red flags" for my nomination process, in that it might be risky for me to make nominations of "dicey" places, and the next ones that I make should be of "safe" places (and truly "safe" ones) like houses or places of worship, parks with evident signs, and absolutely unique and absolutely permanent places. It is quite possible that making "dicey" nominations could in fact affect my actual Pokémon Go progress, so now the "safe" nominations are preferred, as is just purely focusing on regular Pokémon Go workings.

Meanwhile, one sweet element is that I've been able to be informed about how my approved nominations have affected players of Pokémon Go and other games. Since October, a "monthly impact" newsletter has been e-mailed to me; the latest one for this month shows that there were 26948 visits by 1252 players in December to the waypoints from those nominations. From the first one, the numbers never went below 10000 and 1000 respectively, so this is rather impressive. This may be an inspiration to try to keep nominating when possible.

After many editions of keeping track of my nominations for PokéStops, one conclusion that I can draw is that the process is not always sweet, and there may be some bitter times alongside the sweet ones, like what is happening now. It's just something to be taken in stride in the bitterness of the moment, while knowing that existing contributions are already sweet and will still remain that way. The progress is ongoing and may need some careful considerations for the future, and bitter and sweet are always part of the equation.

One year ago: The "Stuck" Prize Cards

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/31/2024

Three years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 20

Four years ago: Chiki Balls Pokémon Coins: (Final?) Selections

Five years ago: Zorua in Mareep Clothing

Six years ago: Reading About Pokémon Lore

Seven years ago: The Magic of 25

Eight years ago: Et Tu, Shuffle? (Thy Hath Bugs)

Nine years ago: It's Been a Month...

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/30/2026

This month, Pokémon Go continues to pave the paths that are part of the season aptly called "Precious Paths" as such. After the paths of the end of the year in the previous month, it seems the events this month wants to take Trainers on paths that go over, under, and all around as they begin the year. As usual, that's evident in the events themselves and their content, and with the end of the month nearly at hand, it's definitely time to get the rollup for that rolling.

Kicking off the new year was the usual New Year's event, which actually began on December 31 as the new year is heralded, then ending on January 4. Along with a selection of hatted Pokémon from past years in the wild and raids, this time Blacephalon also took the stage in five-star raids, including for a New Year's Eve Raid Hour; it too gets a special move called Mind Blown, while Trainers can get an avatar item based on the species. Field Research from PokéStops had Stardust, while daily ones had an Incense or Lucky Egg. The event itself had bonuses of double XP and Stardust from raids plus increased chance of Shiny Pikachu with a hat, overworld fireworks, increased legacy Lucky Trades, and extra items and encounters by the paid Timed Research. For many, it may have been an "explosive" rolling start for the new year.

After rolling, Trainers had to get pinching in the Pinch Perfect event from January 6 to 11. The event served as the debut of Klawf as well as Shiny Delmise, two Pokémon that can get a grip on things. They're joined by other clawed and able Pokémon in the wild, raids, and Research; Corphish, Dwebble, and Clauncher were also of focus with increased Shiny chances for them as well as free Timed Research sets featuring each one every two days; the paid ones had more items and more encounters. Topping it all off were a double XP catch bonus and a Raid Day featuring Kyurem in its Fusion forms plus Reshiram and Zekrom on January 10 with all the usual features. The sharp features of the event may not have left Trainers "in a pinch".

But then, it may drive them to new heights, as through the High Zaptitude event from January 13 to 18. The Wattrel family became a debutant, while Shiny Tadbulb became a special feature, the latter in the wild, 2 km Eggs, and Field Research along with other Electric-type Pokémon while the former through Global Challenges that unlocked special bonuses alongside the debut appearances in the wild and Field Research. The paid Timed Research by the event's paid ticket brought about even more Egg-related bonuses as Trainers discovered what they need in order to soar high and zap powerfully like the debuting species family here.

Pets are precious in the real and Pokémon worlds, so there was the Precious Pals event from January 20 to 25 to honor them. Specifically, there was Shiny Fidough debuting, accompanied by other pet-like Pokémon species in the wild, 2 km Eggs, and Field Research - some of them also factoring into two Collection Challenges. Boosts were also in place for Shiny Goldeen and Fidough, as well as massive ones for Buddy Pokémon and several species that need to become one to evolve, particularly their requirements. Friendly bonuses were also in the paid Timed Research set. However, less friendly are Team Go Rocket, who made a takeover on January 23 onwards to the event's end, bringing with them Shadow Thundurus (Incarnate), some more Shadow species with a Collection Challenge for them, and the usual features, as well as a Shadow Raikou Raid Day on January 24. This event was therefore a real pet-filled whirlwind.

If two weeks prior Trainers went over, they then went under - Into the Depths - from January 27 until February 1. The Glimmet species family debuts in this event as it appears on Routes and Research (Field and Timed), while the wild, 7 km Eggs, and other Research aspects have Pokémon that are characteristic of caves. The exploration aspect is bolstered by a triple XP bonus, paid Timed Research Egg bonuses, and a big glimmer in the sky with a Battle Weekend for Dynamax Ho-Oh on January 31 and February 1. It's a deep and broad scope for them.

Even as Trainers go over, under, and all around through the various paths of the events in the second month of this season, they might just be able to grasp certain senses of "precious" that apply to those events. That might very well be the most important thing for them, aside from participating in the events as much as possible and capturing the Pokémon that they offer.

One year ago: The State of Nominations, Part 32

Two years ago: The (In)Visibility of Pokémon (and Myself)

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/30/2023

Four years ago: More Pokémon Brand Parodies

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/30/2021

Six years ago: Bringing It Home

Seven years ago: Three TCG Booster Packs

Eight years ago: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Series 2 Figures

Nine years ago: Always 21 - Memories of 21

Pokémon in 60 Seconds?

Nowadays, Pokémon has a lot going for its numerous aspects, if many of the posts on this blog are of any indication. It can be pretty hard to condense anything that pertains to them into a very short amount of time (like 60 seconds or 1 minute) for certain purposes (like to show off the franchise to the uninitiated). Yet if that were to happen, the results could be rather varied in form but remain attractive for all those who are concerned. With that, I thought I'd make a discussion out of it to see how things might just work out for the effort.

Part of the inspiration for this is that a real long time ago, certain campaigns got creative by including the concept for "60-second movies". They claimed that the people receiving them would get the gist of a movie (or even a show) with relevant dialogue within that stretch of time. This might be something that one could try to apply for the episodes and movies of the Pokémon anime, and the results could be interesting, at least for those who only need the gist - while the rest of the people and fans would probably prefer to watch them in full instead.

Meanwhile, closer to the present, challenges were given to two people to see who could point out specific things appropriately and answer certain questions correctly. The same challenges could be adapted for Pokémon with its multitude of aspects, and the result has to be as entertaining as the challenges in their original form. It might also resemble a certain newly established Pokémon game show and could be made an offshoot of that game show... although it may be more appropriate to let the challenges stand on their own for their sake.

In the simplest of ways to encapsulate Pokémon within 60 seconds, descriptions could be made for certain aspects about them. For example, a question like "what is Pokémon really all about" could demand that an answer be given within that time, and a viable part of that answer - at least based on my views - could involve the "four pillars" that I described such a long time ago, while also including the relevant points about the eponymous species and any other features that can stand to be included within that short (or not) amount of time.

A certain famous figure once said that of timespans that are seemingly very short, they can still be longer than one thinks they are. This certainly might apply well to a span of 60 seconds, which might conceivably fit a lot of things from actions to explanations. With all the things that it has going on, Pokémon could be construed to have a lot of them, and several different kinds of them could be made to fit within 60 seconds, if any of the above points may be considered. For the short and long of it, 60 seconds for Pokémon may just be enough for its multitude.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/29/2025

Two years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 26

Three years ago: Cosplay: Utsuru 7.5

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/29/2022

Five years ago: Road to 25th Anniversary: One More Month

Six years ago: Expecting the Contrary

Seven years ago: Color Me (Shiny) Groudon

Eight years ago: More Pokémon Hanging Things

Nine years ago: Fire Power!

Analyzing the Traffic for My Blog

Dedicated readers will know that I sometimes discuss "meta" content related to this Pokémon blog itself in addition to actual Pokémon content, and this time I thought I'd post another one relating to the former. It concerns the traffic that comes to (and views) this blog, which is undoubtedly important for any site, even this one on my corner of the Internet. Using the information that I obtain from the Stats section of the site management for this blog, I'd like to discuss some particular points of interest about the traffic to this blog.

It should be noted that I can analyze traffic from the periods from a certain time in the past up to the now, although I can't analyze periods that don't involve the now. For this discussion specifically, though, I'd also like to place focus on the overall all-time traffic from the start when this blog was created to the now - although I can also point out specific trends within some specific times in that entire period, which should be just as fascinating as the overall traffic itself. Of course, all this can be tied back into Pokémon somehow.

Now for the pertinent stuff. For views, this blog was relatively "sleepy" from its start in 2017 up until mid-2024 when the views suddenly surged to many thousands, the highest around the end of last year entering this year. Even so, most of that view traffic has been indicated to come from an unknown source (or sources), so I can't exactly point out what they were for. A lot of the view traffic, however, is indicated to come from search engines and social media, which means that at least some people are actively seeking Pokémon content, finding my blog in the process, and then referring back to the content in it in some way.

As well, I can point out the origins of those views. To this point, one-third of the views were identified as coming from Singapore, which is notably the home of Brandon Tan as the prime Pokémon Go player... but the views may have more obscure origins and not be necessarily related to either Brandon Tan or Pokémon Go, the latter still a frequent topic of discussion here. The rest of the views are from my resident country (of course), the U.S., other identified countries, and other unidentified ones, each of them roughly in one-sixth amounts. That may or may not mean something for Pokémon fans in all of those regions.

Meanwhile, the topic of what are those views were viewing - as in, the posts on this blog - is also a pertinent one for this discussion... but I feel like this could be siphoned into its own post because of its rather broad scope and great relevance for many more Pokémon things, particularly the ones associated with those posts. So, I expect the discussion for this one to be made whenever, especially at the point "whenever" becomes relevant.

Even now, traffic is vital to any web site, including this little one - well, maybe not so little now - about all kinds of Pokémon things and how I deal with all of them in some way before writing and showing them off here. With the way that the blog is going, at least some traffic may be expected to come to it for all the posts that I've made and continue to make, and that could become the impetus for including a lot more Pokémon things.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/29/2025

Two years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 26

Three years ago: Cosplay: Utsuru 7.5

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/29/2022

Five years ago: Road to 25th Anniversary: One More Month

Six years ago: Expecting the Contrary

Seven years ago: Color Me (Shiny) Groudon

Eight years ago: More Pokémon Hanging Things

Nine years ago: Fire Power!

New "Rare" Items in Café Remix

In a recent update, Café Remix revamped the look of its Delivery feature while also adding something else on top of that. That "something else" would be a couple of items that may be classified as "rare" items, which like their main series archetype (as the Rare Candy) provides a supplement for enhancing Pokémon. I thought I'd discuss those "rare" items since they seem rather fascinating for the items themselves and what they supplement.

The first is the Almighty Macaron, which of course supplements the Macarons of various Pokémon types here and can be used in place of them if one is short. Even so, a player will still need to obtain other Macarons each day from the Daily Tasks since these are more readily available, in effect saving these only for emergencies. At least, the newly introduced item is quite supplementary in its regard.

Next, there is the Classic Kitchen Note, which supplements the various kitchen notes for different Pokémon, making this item the first of this kind of item to be introduced after a long absence. Yet it doesn't exactly supplement, as practical usage of kitchen notes would require quite a bit more than one, and one of these may not cut it, with or without possession of the non-"rare" kitchen notes in the first place.

Both of these new items are in fact obtained by Delivery: by paying Golden Acorns for making deliveries or making the daily one, these items are obtained in alternating fashion after every 50 deliveries. Since delivery by tickets don't count, one has to spend the currency or else be patient to get these new items. It's a bit of an implicated pay-to-win situation given the means, and it's not necessarily easy for players to be on top of it. 

As functional as they are, the "rare" items remain "rare" by the way they are obtained and how they function. At least in some ways, their necessity of functioning to supplement existing items for supplementing Pokémon in Café Remix is welcomed and can already be useful right away, even if "right away" means making extensive use of the Delivery feature. The items may just suit the circumstance of the feature renewal and players' states.

One year ago: Staring at Faces in Pictures

Two years ago: Your Journey - A Poem

Three years ago: Concept Maps for Pokémon Unite

Four years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: The Final Month

Five years ago: BT's Coins, My Coins, Our Coins

Six years ago: Spinning Like a Spinda

Seven years ago: The Cards, Revisited

Eight years ago: Changes

Nine years ago: A Loss Is... A Loss?

My Favorite Vivillon Patterns

Vivillon is an occasional discussion topic on this blog, but it's a fascinating one with regard to anything about Pokémon. The fascination certainly comes from all the different patterns that make the species what it is. It would be expected, then, that some fans might have different preferences for these patterns, and in fact I do too. With that, I thought I'd discuss my own preferences, as the patterns I'm fond of - else, my "favorites".

I actually have a fondness for the Meadow pattern, even if it may be considered the pattern that is "archetypal" of the other patterns. Its design is plain with its pink motif, but I find that a charm considering that other Vivillon patterns may be considered somewhat complex and "busy". Sometimes, simple is best, and the Meadow pattern has that going for it, which also may provide support for its "archetypal" status.

Then, I also like the Marine pattern. In part, the same quality that applies to the Meadow pattern also applies to this one: it's simple (but blue instead of pink) albeit having less of an "archetypal" quality. It's also similar to certain blue and white butterflies in the real world, so there is an element of realism inherent in the pattern - something that also applies to the next one. It's still a pretty nice pattern overall.

As one more pattern that I'd like to mention, the High Plains pattern has its realism by being somewhat in close resemblance to the real-life monarch butterfly, being orange in color and thus true to at least one root of the inspiration for the species. Incidentally, the real butterfly itself resides close to the area where the pattern is found in Pokémon Go, so all of the inspirational characteristics are tied together.

Lovely as they are, Pokémon fans will certainly find some Vivillon patterns to be ones they're most fond of, and the three I mentioned above are mine. The "threads" that tie them together are of simplicity and realism, and those are great characteristics that make things fascinating. Fascination will surely be a present quality for any Pokémon species, not just Vivillon, but it has to be admitted that this species seems quite emblematic of that.

One year ago: Cosplay: Innoverse & Tanoshii Matsuri 2025

Two years ago: Towards the Sunny Horizon

Three years ago: How Many Main Orders to Complete?

Four years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights: Pokémon Unite Channels

Five years ago: Unity Power

Six years ago: Cosplay: Aishiteru Minna

Seven years ago: SwitchCon

Eight years ago: Private vs. Public Raids?

Nine years ago: The Times They Are a-Switchin'

Cosplay: Cosplay Expo Pre-Event

Me: And... this one's different beyond different. 

Goh: It's an "expo"! So... probably like a convention but more.

Me: Yeah, you can say that. I'm told this is the creation of an out-of-town organizer who wants to see big things happen for characters [OOC: cosplay/cosplayers]

Ash: Oh, so that's why the "pre-event" thing.

Me: Pretty much. Also, I have to say that this is (was) a two-day thing, but for convenience, I've decided to cover it all today. That said, you were there yesterday...

Ash: Yeah! I saw a few of your friends for some time, and then I went to raid for Shadow Raikou and then back to you for something you needed help on.

Goh: Oh, I guess that could explain why too.

Me: Yes, um... Anyway, today it's mostly full for this...

Ash: ...but I was hunting for Shadow Chespin around the area too! It took a long time.

Pikachu: Pika pika? ["Too long?"]

Me: [sigh] Lots of things happening this weekend. Anyway, what did you see?

Ash: There were lots of stands for goodies, and a few of your character friends opened booths.

Goh: Didn't our friend say that he wanted to do the same for you?

Me: I really wanted to, but I'm still busy with something very important and ongoing, so I just couldn't make the effort. But I promise at some point it can and should happen.

Ash: I heard you should, from one of your character friends.

Me: See what I mean? That's for when things can happen.

Goh: By the way, it's a character convention, so it's got to have competitions, right?

Me: Of course it does! There was a character parade... but that was yesterday, and the raids happened at the same time, so that's a struggle.

Ash: There was a performance one today.

Me: That's even more of a struggle that I really mean to take on but I haven't been able to for various reasons, technical or otherwise. I'm really, really sorry.

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["You can do it!"]

Goh: We'll be waiting for you. Oh, and how about entertainment?

Me: Based on the schedule, it was dance groups and DJs. 

Ash: I saw them today!

Me: There you go.

Goh: And... I guess the rest of today was about our friend's friends.

Ash: You bet!

Me: Hey, that's better than nothing. All the same, I still we (I) could have done more.

Ash: Maybe you'll get a chance when this is in the faraway place.

Goh: Oh! So you mean this convention is a series? As the "pre-event" for the big thing?

Ash: Seems like it, from what I was told.

Me: That's pretty nice. So, I'll see if I can plan out some things.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["It should happen."]

Goh: After all that, I guess we could say this one has some good things going on.

Me: Especially for what they're promising next.

Ash: Let's see if we can make good things happen!

Goh: I'm rooting for you two all the way. 

Me: We'll see. At that point, it would really be time to "expose" ourselves.

Ash: And our big things.

Me: True, that.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/25/2025

Two years ago: In a (Pokémon) World Like This

Three years ago: Recent Little Additions to the Pokémon Go Experience

Four years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 14

Five years ago: I Need Great Pokémon Friends

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/25/2020

Seven years ago: Keep Calm and Carry On Researching

Eight years ago: Performance Critique: ACC 2018 Single Performance

Nine years ago: Keychains!

The Importance of Community Tournaments

A few of my TCG fellows are currently in a faraway place yet one that is somewhat familiar to me for two tournaments, a "community" tournament today and then an official tournament tomorrow. That reminds me of what I used to experience with Pokémon Go, albeit with more "community" tournaments and less (nary, even) official tournaments. For that, I thought I'd take a post on discussing the consideration of their importance for the Pokémon realms above as well as Pokémon in general.

By the above, it becomes evident that "community" tournaments provide a kind of practice for the official ones, even in the great absence of the latter. For those who are truly passionate about their gaming skills as in any of the current games being featured in the Pokémon World Championships, this is somewhat important, as the chance to make it to official tournaments could come any time and so does the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships, for which they are meant to provide.

If practicing for official ones isn't in order, then practicing to hone up one's own skills may be. That seems to be the very least that even the most competitive of players like the TCG fellows I mentioned can do - and in fact, a few of the ones who came today came for a competitive side event they can play in rather than the main event that they did not qualify for. For those players, then being competitive means having perfected the skills to compete, and that seems considerably just as important.

Even without all of that, the opportunity to socialize with other players is a given at the venues of the tournaments, and the "community" ones have a leg up on this aspect by their nature that tends to the informal side of things. It's not hard to expect that informal events lead to less structured happenings, and within those happenings, participants can squeeze in chances to mingle and talk with others. People are of course social beings, and that as far as things go is important, even in events.

Now, I'm sure at this point some of those TCG fellows are already gearing up for the official tournament scheduled for this day, which definitely has an importance of its own. But with regard to both TCG and Pokémon Go (by my experience) as well as any other competitive Pokémon realm past and present, the "community" tournaments can present their own points of importance, including those explained above. For me and others, those are as important as the games themselves.

One year ago: Biggest Mistakes Involving Pokémon

Two years ago: Forever in the Palms of Our Hands

Three years ago: Friend Experiences with Factions

Four years ago: The Sinnoh Cup of GBL

Five years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 8

Six years ago: Little Bits of the Pokémon Anime

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 1/24/2019

Eight years ago: Local Ex-Raid (and More), 1/24/2018

Nine years ago: Electricity: Harness, Don't Exploit

The Unluckiest Wonder Picks

The Wonder Pick is a key part of TCGP since pretty much the beginning, allowing players to obtain a duplicate card off of someone in the world, although by luck (chance). However, many people know all too well that luck doesn't necessarily bode itself well, including for Wonder Picks as a luck-based situation. Based on several recent observations, including a few of my own, I thought I'd discuss how this can manifest in Wonder Picks, as in ones that are very unlucky for the players that make them.

Recall that I've discussed how the Deluxe Pack ex forces Wonder Picks from the "expansion" to have Pack Hourglasses in lieu of the fifth card, and this is definitely a source of unluckiness. I've had my share of picking the Hourglasses instead of a desired card in the past, and certainly others are experiencing it now - with a temporary return of the expansion for a few days more - making the "unlucky" aspect somewhat evident for the Wonder Picks of concern. It's a "specialized" case that is not all that "special". 

Meanwhile, there have been a few cases of Wonder Picks having multiple desirable cards, but a player ends up picking the undesirable one. This has happened to me with three of the former cards in a Wonder Pick, yet I end up picking one of the latter cards instead. It's a rather unlucky situation for all concerns, and I'm sure I'm not the only one in this regard. In comparison, Wonder Picks with just only one desirable card seem meek and understandable for what they are and the chances that are involved.

Finally, it is possible that a player is targeting a specific card from Wonder Picks - perhaps aided by their Wishlist - but can never seem to pick that one card. For a friend of mine, this has actually been the case, having lost count of the number of times trying to pick a targeted "full art" card but unsuccessfully. I've also had a partial experience with this situation with some cards from an event rather than an expansion. Either way, the unluckiness is apparent, and it may be frustrating for many players, even me.

Being that Wonder Picks have the chance, luck, or gacha element (whatever one likes to call them), some unfortunate results are surely to be had from time to time. Even so, some of these unfortunate results seem to just be able to manifest themselves in patterns that very much resemble the situations that I've described above, and possibly even more beyond what I've observed. With Wonder Picks, some results are certainly enthralling, but others may just put one into another sense of "wonder".

One year ago: The Ship Guiders

Two years ago: Our Sails Are Set - We've Come Home

Three years ago: Quickies: The Fire Inside and Out

Four years ago: On the Referencing of Stats in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: Beyond the Immensity of Life

Six years ago: New Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - Selections

Seven years ago: Islands and Continents

Eight years ago: Passing the Guard

Nine years ago: Two Pokémon Pillows

I Miss My Unite Friends

What I like about Pokémon Unite, as its name suggests and just like other games of its genre (MOBA), is the way that it can bring together various players and have them connect as friends. In fact, that is now something I long for, with the seemingly recent forced "downturn" of the game and the fact that it seems many of my in-game friends seemingly have been inactive for a very long time (even if they're active when I'm not and vice versa). I've thought about that "longing" and have decided to make it into a discussion point here, certainly.

I have recently made some new friends in and for the game, yet I haven't had a chance to play with for a major timescale - and just when I do want to, they go and play other games instead, making them "seasonal" gamers - and that makes me miss them somewhat. The feeling of being so close and yet so far to these friends is a frustrating one as well, which adds to the feeling of longing, especially for those who I can trust to get things done in the game, and if they can be met in person, to do just that with additional communication.

Then there are friends who have publicly announced they'll stop playing the game due to the forced "downturn", and those for whom the downturn might have affected them by making them play the game rather erratically. Incidentally, I might be considered to fall into the latter camp due to my sometimes regular and sometimes erratic times of playing the game, so some friends on the other end might miss me for that. All the same, I do miss them for what they may or may not bring to the game with their current way of dealing with it.

As for other friends, I've made more than my fair share of "one-off" friends, those who I encounter just once in a match and then almost never after that, with either them befriending me or me accidentally befriending them. Depending on who they are and how they played with me, I might miss them just a little, or perhaps even more than a little. What is clear is that some longing is established for them, though the same might not be true on the other side, which could mean that I may just need to move on from them as they probably should also.

Now, friends are always important in any game, especially those that require a team of players to play as in the case of MOBA games in general and Pokémon Unite as a specific case. Such an importance then lends itself to any player longing to play with their friends, as I do for the friends on my Pokémon Unite friend list. It's a longing that may or may not be satiated by further play with other people, and it'll just have to be a feeling that remains there while I continue to deal with the game, at least before a real "downturn" occurs.

One year ago: Spending for Café Remix Deliveries

Two years ago: A Journey's Anthem

Three years ago: Let's Talk About Living and Letting Go

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/22/2022

Five years ago: Best in the World and Universe

Six years ago: On the "Invisible Forces"

Seven years ago: Fan Art... for Me!

Eight years ago: Costume and Cosplay Checklists

Nine years ago: Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...

Holding Out for a Howl

Much of my recent non-Pokémon dealings lately have been influenced by a "howling" (not humming - that's another matter) of a certain sort. In a way, it's kind of natural, since those dealings happen to occur late at night, the time at which those sounds are expected to occur. Evidently, the matter creeps back into my Pokémon dealings, one of which is this blog... and I figured I'd (and might as well) put in the discussion with my thoughts about it, and of course the relevant and necessary Pokémon elements.

"Howling" would surely evoke the creatures that make such a sound, which would be wild dogs, two of which I'd brought up a long, long time ago. They're also natural in the time of day that I mentioned above. If the conditions are right and a Trainer - or even just a regular person - finds oneself in those conditions, they and their other Pokémon might just be tempted to howl along with them. In fact, that might be considered the essence of that situation with the "howling", where some might just do it together.

Some Pokémon, meanwhile, are only doglike in resemblance or nature, but they might just put out a pretty good sound themselves that closely resemble a "howl". In that respect, they could join in the "howling" as well with that sound. As for Trainers or regular people who join in the "howling", they might do so for other reasons, including to relieve stress from certain daily life issues and to have a bit of fun with others, especially where Pokémon is concerned. That too seems to be quite linked with that situation.

Perhaps, as the title of this post suggests, that may be what I really need right now: a good "howl" for all my current happenings in and out of Pokémon, both good and not so good. That may or may not need the specific situation I've mentioned, but it seems a pretty good add-on (and for adding in Pokémon, if I can do so myself - or just through the composition of this post). After the "howling", the problems that be can let themselves be, and additional joys can then manifest. So, given all that have been said...

HOWLLLLLL.........!

One year ago: Quickies: The Little Bugs in Life

Two years ago: Waiting to Break into Pokémon Spinoff Games

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/21/2023

Four years ago: Six Degrees of Separation

Five years ago: Seeking Comfort with Pokémon

Six years ago: Getting Too Technical

Seven years ago: Takara Tomy Arts Manmaru Pokémon Netsuke Sun & Moon - Torracat

Eight years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition 2018, Day 2

Nine years ago: Dreams of Itasha

Tips and Tricks for New Café Remix Events

Lately, two new event types have gained prominence in Café Remix, which would be Café Pop-Up and Full-Belly Adventure, using the Slow Cooking and One-Minute Cooking frameworks respectively. So prominent they are that they have almost completely displaced the original events where the frameworks first appeared (Outdoor Tea Party and Pokémon visits). Given their prominence, it seems important to try to provide helpful tips and tricks for playing through these events, in a way similarly to each other.

As explained, both of these events use the "food storage box" item, of which five are earned each day. The ones earned for each day of an event instance don't have to be used on that day, meaning that they can accumulate, but like certain efforts, it's best not to delay using them until the end, for it would mean a lot of effort when that comes. The ones earned (also exchanged) for an event instance are also lost when the event ends, so it means having the commitment for their usage as an event progresses.

For Café Pop-Up, the strategy is pretty much the same as an Outdoor Tea Party: fill the points of the other guest Pokémon until the feature guest appears, then fill the points of the feature guest to earn as many rewards as possible for it. After that, the other guest Pokémon can have the rest of their points filled up as well and their rewards obtained. Since Pelipper becomes an additional guest for those who purchase a Mighty Menu, those who do so should also try to prioritize filling its points up as well along with the guest.

Then, for Full-Belly Adventure, earning points continuously is an effort in the same vein as a regular Pokémon visit, as is purchasing a Mighty Menu and/or High Score Skips (the latter also applying to the above). It often takes a while to earn enough coins to exchange for the feature visit and its associated resources, including cookies, but ideally, it's the first thing one should exchange for. After that, it's all about exchanging for all other necessary and useful items, which definitely depends on one's status for those items.

Even if the new Café Remix events are not all that different from their previous (particularly, non-paid) iterations, a lot of their underpinnings remain the same, so some tips and tricks apply equally well. For their other aspects - especially the limited play and payment aspects - there are other applicable tips and tricks to make the best of time and any payment that has been made. Following that, it's still a matter of continuing to do one's best with the staff Pokémon and to maintain their prominence alongside the events.

One year ago: For Pokémon and Nightmares

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/20/2024

Three years ago: Getting Refreshed with Pokémon Drinks

Four years ago: Pokémon and the Multiverse

Five years ago: Living Amidst Creatures... or Pokémon

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 1/19/2020

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Toys Week Season 2

Eight years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition 2018, Day 1

Nine years ago: All in the Cards

Changing Club Campfire Rewards in Pokémon Go

From one overdue post on Pokémon Go comes another one, this time on a more social aspect pertaining to the game. As I had presented around a year ago, usage of the Campfire app alongside Pokémon Go can also beget in-game rewards under the Club Campfire banner by checking in to various community meetups within the Campfire app. Some months after I had made the discussion, however, the rewards were expanded and furthermore changed, which rendered a few of my points obsolete. Since the rewards have been pretty much stable since then, now it becomes rather imperative to make a discussion about them.

Now, the player can no longer manually choose rewards; instead, they're determined by the meetup (as the event it's associated with). Community Day, as a highlight, has a page of Party Play tasks and a second page of catching tasks, while others are composed of just a single page - although Community Day also had just one page for some time. The meetups can now be for Spotlight Hour, Research Day, Hatch Day, Raid events, Max Battle events, PvP events, and "other" events in addition to Community Day, all having their own tasks (certainly) along with the specific rewards that are furnished, which may be lucrative.

To obtain the tasks for the rewards, one needs to check in as usual and then claim the 500 XP bonus - technically a completed Timed Research page - within one hour (an important point, lest they are lost), which also serves as a "check" for participation in the meetup. After that, again as usual, the tasks need to be completed within eight hours, which should be sufficient, moreover if there are no Party Play tasks to deal with. The tasks are made complementary to one's objectives, and it should be possible to make good on completing the tasks.

Since the tasks and rewards can no longer be chosen manually, though, a player has to be rather proactive, especially for the Party Play tasks. They're supposed to be for meetups after all, so a friend or another player should be handy for that purpose. At any rate, the expanded tasks and rewards become further incentives to attend supported meetups (of which there can be even more of them now) and increment the Community Member medal. In doing so, the effort might just pave the way for other achievements.

Yet after all, Pokémon Go is still a game of people-linking as much as it is about Pokémon catching (and battling, caring, and so on), so the expansion of the Club Campfire meetups and the associated rewards is only natural and could be considered somewhat necessary. Beyond that, players (Trainers) can and should enjoy the increased flexibility that comes along with them for whatever Pokémon accomplishments they can muster when they gather in groups.

One year ago: Cosplay: TP & VV Cosplay & Photo Contest

Two years ago: The Meaning of "Pokémon Master"

Three years ago: Loot from Pokémon Festival Jakarta

Four years ago: Pokémon and the "Metaverse"

Five years ago: Let's Talk About Homes and the Place to Be

Six years ago: Cosplay: Cosplay on the Street

Seven years ago: Peace

Eight years ago: Suspending My Disbelief

Nine years ago: Ash, Satoshi, or... Ali?

Pokémon Go Community Day, 1/18/2026

So, that familiar "togetherness" thing is this month's main edition of Community Day in Pokémon Go. Something that may be indicated for this year's editions is that they will encapsulate variety, including a few things that the game really needs to get on. The latter may be especially true for the featured Pokémon of this edition because of its possibly immense power and extreme musical ability courtesy of some sticks.

Those sticks are drumsticks, of course, for the featured Pokémon is Grookey, the Grass-type first partner from the Galar region, also making it likely that the rest of its friends will also make themselves present later this year. Being a first partner, the move of Frenzy Plant as its special move should have already been a given, though it also has the opportunity to learn its signature move of Drum Beating by TM. This is complemented by the bonus of triple catch Stardust, which is always wonderful to have and earn.

For the rest of the bonuses, they're as regular as regular can be. They are double Candy and Candy XL chance, three-hour Incense and one-hour Lure Modules (with its extra appearances), trade discounts and extra Special Trades, photo bombs, and special backgrounds in the wild (since the Classic Piplup edition) and from Research. Speaking of which, Field Research is of the usual sort, and there is also the paid Special Research with the title of "Grooving with Grookey". The "groove" also applies to the rest of the bonuses.

Being that it was my "special day" the other day, I decided to do something special and visit a faraway community to interact with them... though their place remains familiar for other purposes, which also became a part of my day today. I caught just enough Shiny Grookey to have a stock, and I caught a few special ones with the special background. The main purpose of evolution today was just to obtain a few that needed the Frenzy Plant move, while others (as the G-Max Rillaboom I already had) could use the Drum Beating move.

With regard to variety, as far as that goes, first partners that not only have their "super" moves but also signature moves of their own presents a good kind of variety, as shown in editions of Community Day in the past few years and even today. This year will surely have that and more - which are to be determined soon - and the sticks that Grookey and its species family wield are the lead-off for that variety and all the ways it may be realized.

One year ago: The (Android) Back Button and Pokémon Go

Two years ago: Memories of Kanto

Three years ago: 1000 Species Is Real!!

Four years ago: My Pokémon Identity

Five years ago: Pokémon Body Pillows

Six years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Fusion Cup

Seven years ago: Rivalries

Eight years ago: (Almost) A Pokémon Party

Nine years ago: Pokémon Art Academy - More Than Just Pokémon Art

In Solitude and In Togetherness

Thanks to Ash yesterday, as well as the context of posts from past years below, today is indicated as my "anniversary" - that is, my birthday. It's a happening that has had its own dynamics, especially with Pokémon, if those past years are of any indication. That seems to want to apply to this year as well, given the circumstances that surround it; one of them was the thing yesterday, and the other... well, that's tomorrow, and I'll save that for then. Right now, though, there is another circumstance that when taken together with those other ones becomes the state of matters for today.

For that, celebrations can and do occur whether one is in solitude or in the company of loving people, whoever those loving people may be. That's something that people may choose to have happen, or might happen to people regardless of what they do. Even for celebrations centered on Pokémon - or at the least ones involving its most fervent fans - this may still be the case, and all that they can do is to "go with the flow" for how those celebrations play out. With that, the current occasion of my own birthday seems to have to play out to both celebrations of solitude and togetherness. 

Certainly, it was evident that yesterday's anniversary party could be construed in part as an "early" birthday celebration. As always, I'm bringing - or technically I brought - my Pokémon flavor to the celebration, which is something I chose to do. As for today being the actual day, the weather dictated that I wouldn't be able to find togetherness even if I wanted to, so it was a "forced" solitude in some ways. Meanwhile, as a preview for tomorrow, there is a familiar kind of Pokémon togetherness to celebrate, even if it may not exactly re-warrant my birthday to come up. Yet it still may be OK.

After all this time, Pokémon still has a way of making togetherness and solitude enjoyable in either circumstance and however they're (forced to be) chosen. The circumstance of my birthday might make realizing that more important, especially given how long I've been around and how long Pokémon has been around. Following that first step, the next step is ensuring that all my Pokémon and other dealings reflect just that.

Every day is a good day for all things that are one and many (people included), and if they happen to be Pokémon things that can be enjoyed by the same number of people, then that's fitting for me and others in our singularity and multitudes for them.

On that note, I've got one and many things to do. Happy one-and-many birthday to me.

One year ago: My, How Time Flies

Two years ago: Starting (Anew on) a New Day

Three years ago: A Legendary Existence

Four years ago: Unique Touches

Five years ago: Wishes for Good Days

Six years ago: Always Together

Seven years ago: Wonderful Opportunities

Eight years ago: 30 Going on 10... Or Something Like It

Nine years ago: A Pokémon Party?

Cosplay: Bocchi Noizu 3rd Anniversary

Me: OK, now here's something different.

Goh: It's a Friday! You don't usually have something like this going on today.

Me: That's true, but today also happens to be an off day, so it kind of makes sense to schedule something for today.

Ash: Well, I'm all for it!

Me: Sure! In fact, our friends from Bocchi Noizu have asked us - you - to perform (that is, sing).

Goh: Nice!

Ash: So, whatcha got?

Me: Well, I'm thinking about our (Pokémon) anthem, a pirate anthem, and... something a little different - it could be the "childhood" anthem of some people.

Ash: That's a lot. But I can do them all.

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Should be nice!"]

Me: We should know the first two by heart. The third... that's my call to make it even more different.

Ash: Hey, it's in English!

Goh: OK, that's unique.

Me: But it does help our case a bit. How'd you do? 

Ash: I did mostly great! But... maybe the mix was a bit of a problem on the "pirate anthem"?

Goh: Well, maybe you can have Ash do it again.

Ash: I think that's a good idea! One of the other performers said I could do that.

Me: Let me think about that - if and when we get the chance, I think that could happen.

Ash: Awesome! 

Pikachu: Pika, pika chu. ["Seems a good idea."]

Goh: So, this is a Bocchi Noizu festival. It's got everything we'd expect, right? 

Ash: Performers - one of them me, of course.

Goh: Check.

Ash: Games - I even got to try one.

Goh: OK, we know that's not our thing, but we can always try.

Me: The result was probably not what we'd expect.

Ash: Yeah. And then there was the character parade.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["As usual."]

Goh: Sure thing. How'd that go?

Ash: I didn't win anything. It was an "off" day, but all the other characters were "on".

Goh: Shoot. At least you got something for your performance, right.

Ash: Just a little, for our friend. I hear it'll be special for him soon.

Me: Hehe, you're right about that - but I'll deal with that on my own.

Goh: I guess it's a special "off" day too where it's a bit "on".

Me: You can say that again.

Ash: Happy anniversary, Bocchi Noizu! [whispering] And happy your "anniversary".

Goh: Oh!

Me: Certainly, thanks. 

One year ago: My "Missing Pieces" in Pokémon Go in 2025

Two years ago: Let's Talk About Endings and Beginnings

Three years ago: I'm a Legend!

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 1/16/2022

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 1/16/2021

Six years ago: Only Women Like You

Seven years ago: Pokémon Conversations

Eight years ago: Be the Best... or Be Different?

Nine years ago: My Pokémon Anime Epoch

Lego Pokémon: Breakout Sets, Breakout Prices

It was only in the second year of this blog that I discussed about Pokémon in toy block form, although at that time I did not "name names" to keep things fair. Many years later, now I can finally name one name, and it would be the most renowned one of all the names in this field of toys, which would be Lego. The famed toy block maker has finally collaborated with Pokémon and produced a few "breakout" sets for that collaboration. Yet that also comes with another "breakout" concern, which would be for the price - but that's to be discussed later. What matters first is the initial scope of this collaboration, as the way it's manifested.

The "breakout" sets involve a few facets from the first generation. Specifically, they would be block models of Pikachu on a stand (also featuring the Poké Ball), Eevee with movable parts, the fully evolved first partners, and even the Pokémon Center building (where Pokémon get healed, of course). Those who pre-order the evolved first partners set will also get the Kanto badge case set, including all its badges. As for piece counts, the sets for Eevee, Pokémon Center, and the badge case only have a few hundred pieces, while the Pikachu set has around 2000 pieces and the first partners one has close to 7000, so these need some commitment.

"Commitment" also applies to the price, the other "breakout" concern I mentioned. The sets go for hundreds of dollars, almost in line with the investment for a Nintendo Switch 2. Being that Lego is renowned for its toy blocks, the price point seems to justify that; yet even so, it still seems to be absurdly expensive, and the fact that it's with Pokémon - which lately has some expensive things of its own - doesn't help matters much. As such, some fans have taken to complain on social media regarding the affordability of these novel toy block sets.

For those who can afford the prices of the sets (that is, have some money to throw around), they'll be looking at a unique take on the featured facets as above. As with any toy block model, they're a bit "rough around the edges", but that's part of their charm. The selected facets by their ties to the first generation are quite nostalgic for older fans yet remain of interest for newer ones. Personally, I'd want to have the Pikachu set and build it regardless of the cost or commitment needed to obtain and process it as such, but that's quite a dream.

After being in the shadows for many years, Lego finally coming out with collaboration sets involving Pokémon is a welcome sight to see, even if the prices for the sets aren't exactly "welcoming". But for what could look like the first batch of such sets, the "breakout" aspect is also still welcoming regardless. It makes for a great toy block Pokémon future with the ones of renown being included in that picture and presenting their offerings for the franchise.

One year ago: My Team Status in Café Remix

Two years ago: The Ultimate Journey: A Journey's End

Three years ago: Tournament: Trainers' Sparring Battleground Ember Cup

Four years ago: Let's Talk About A Fourth Party

Five years ago: I Need Good Energy

Six years ago: After Tournament, Because of Tournament

Seven years ago: Keeping Up with VGC

Eight years ago: Here Comes an Ex-Raid

Nine years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition, Day 2

The Challenge of Using Excess Stamina in Café Remix

As I had discussed a long time ago when I started getting my efforts in Café Remix going, the way that most puzzles are played in the game is through the use of Stamina. Fast forward to today, and that still remains true... except now it seems there's so much of that to go around, and yet it might be hard - thus, a challenge - to use up all of that. This situation might also apply to other players, so I thought I'd bring it up and make a little discussion out of it.

The easiest and simplest way to use up a lot of excess Stamina is by using them in and for Staff Training, where they can be used three at a time to make the staff earn lots of EXP at once. Of course, this now faces stiff competition against Tarts, which are now plentiful (and excessive) due to the game events and Daily Training. The challenge then becomes how to use enough Stamina for the staff Pokémon as needed and then filling up the rest with Tarts to use those.

Meanwhile, those who have been neglecting to play the Extra orders will likely need to not neglect them now, for the Stamina can also be used quickly there as well. In particular, some of these may demand to be replayed (thereby using up more Stamina) if one doesn't have the right staff member and/or they're not capable enough. But once that gets cleared out, more of them can certainly be cleared, and that makes it a useful way to dump excess Stamina.

It is certain that players will have to use at least some of the Stamina in the main orders if they haven't done so, although for some players (like me), this might still get a little divisive due to certain progresses. Yet it may be that what awaits them after completion of the last main order (#2400) could also be attractive, and that may just be reason enough to keep dumping Stamina into the main orders and get them cleared out and done for other possibilities.

Given the way that things work now in Café Remix, quite a bit of effort in the management of game items, including Stamina as the focus of this post, is needed to make sure they don't pile up too much and/or become unused. With the three sub-focuses as above with regard to Stamina, the challenge of its usage presents itself to me and other current players of this game, and we'll just have to tackle that challenge head-on as we get more things going here.

One year ago: My Pursuit of Unite Licenses Thus Far

Two years ago: Laughing with Pokémon (Species)

Three years ago: More Insights (and Strides) for the Daily Adventure Incense

Four years ago: Pokémon Asia Pikachu Mug + 2 Promo Cards

Five years ago: "Post-Shuffle" Activity

Six years ago: Fusion without Confusion

Seven years ago: Pokémon Theme Park Ideas

Eight years ago: Playing the Meta Game

Nine years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition, Day 1

App Notifications of Pokémon Go

Being that Pokémon Go is an app on a smartphone, it can (and does) leverage the functionality of said device - certainly if one has allowed for that to happen. One way that it can do so is by periodically generating app notifications (through the system OS) for in-game happenings, which appear when the game is not actively running and/or when one is in an app other than Pokémon Go. It's a fascinating part of the game and it actually has come somewhat of a long way, which has now become the prompt to make a discussion of it here.

In the beginning, the notifications were somewhat rudimentary. They would mostly consist of Pokémon returning from Gyms and friends sending Gifts - even for the latter, the sender was not identified. Later on, it was finally possible to identify these senders, and there are even ones for Egg hatches, which began to show the possible diversity of these notifications. By tapping on these and the other kinds of notifications to be mentioned, the game is opened and if possible, the screen relevant to the notification is displayed.

More recently, there have been lots of notifications for the various in-game events. One of these is often generated just as a certain event starts (within a few hours) and the Trainer doesn't have the game open. In similar fashion, another one is generated at the tail end of certain events (again within a few hours, this time before the events themselves end), often with a reminder for them to catch a debuting species or form, or to complete Timed Research and/or Collection Challenges. These may become rather useful for some.

Other notifications that have appeared include those for weekly progressions, as one for the weekly Adventure Sync after it's been completed (Mondays after 9 AM) to remind the Trainer to collect the rewards from the feature. Then, the recently (re)implemented Weekly Challenges have periodic notifications as well at every quarter milestone, gently nudging the Trainer to help make progress on and complete it. These progression notifications illustrate just how helpful and varied they can be for a Trainer to keep up with things.

Like other apps on the smartphones the game is on, Pokémon Go can extend its reach to some key aspects for dealing with the apps on the devices and the devices themselves in general. The usage of notifications is a particularly clever one to keep its player Trainers in the loop of what is going on, has gone on, and could possibly go on as well, given the ones detailed above (and more that haven't been detailed due to the scope of this write-up). With the notifications, they can stand to do much more just as the game does more. 

One year ago: My Next Pokémon Figure Targets

Two years ago: Cosplay: MCP Creative Festival

Three years ago: Transfer Soon, or Forever Hold Your 3DS

Four years ago: Goh's Workstation Setup

Five years ago: The Rain and Pokémon

Six years ago: Premier Ball Hanging Ornament

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day + Local EX Raid, 1/13/2019

Eight years ago: My Pokémon Show

Nine years ago: Pokémon and Cosplay

Quickies: When Trees Have Memories

A certain myth states that trees possess memories and stories of the past. This myth has the implication that trees are not only alive biologically, but also spiritually in a way of speaking. Meanwhile, the people associated with the trees would keep track of what they know by a writing system that is evocative of the spirits of the trees, given their paramount importance. All this sounds like an elegant myth, and it seems it could also be applied to Pokémon in an equally elegant manner with its certain species that are pretty much sentient trees.

I'm of course talking about the likes of Trevenant, Exeggutor, and Sudowoodo (even if the last of these is just a "fake" tree), which are somewhat capable as far as trees go in battle, and their sentience is a given. In this way, they definitely do hold memories and stories, especially if they - the Pokémon - are associated with Trainers who are dear to them. Their related humans may only use a script that resembles Unown script to communicate with each other, but for the trees, at least some spiritual connection may be evident.

Now, the myth I mentioned above is from Ireland, which happens to be the land from where the singer Enya hails from, who happens to have an album entitled "The Memory of Trees" with the album's title track being the first. It's an instrumental piece that to me sounds like a spiritual journey through a forest of sentient trees, which could be a wonderful thing. The trees may not be any or all of the Pokémon species I mentioned above, but the same journey could conceivably apply somewhere in the vastness of the Pokémon world.

Whether trees are actually sentient could be considered up for debate, but there is no doubt that they're alive in different ways. The same is true of the Pokémon species that resemble trees in their appearance, although these trees are definitely sentient given the way they are and do their things in that world. Either way, they might just have certain capacities for holding memories, and thus the myth and the associated musical piece above may just ring true for all regular trees and Pokémon trees.

One year ago: Cosplay: Atarashii Sekai

Two years ago: #25 Makes a +62 Journey

Three years ago: A Solitary Pokémon Fantasy

Four years ago: (Dis)Engagement in Silph Arena Action

Five years ago: To Spotlight or Not to Spotlight?

Six years ago: Cosplay: Nihon Matsuri 2020

Seven years ago: These Sides of Paradise

Eight years ago: Another Big Shuffle Update

Nine years ago: In-Game Trainer Name Inspirations

The Year of Plush?

It has come to my attention that Pokémon is also wanting to try out a little something new for this year, much like as they did last year with the "Year of Eevee". This time, though, it seems to be more specifically focused on a particular area of Pokémon, being merchandise: according to Pokémon Center, this will be the "Year of Plush", which could mean a lot of things given that the subset of Pokémon merchandise (and itself as an area of merchandise) can be broader than one might think it is. That's the reason for the added question mark in the title, which also becomes the prompt for further exploration of the topic in a post.

The announcement should also have come to the attention of a great deal of fans, since those who subscribe to the e-mail newsletters for all things Pokémon (which includes the one for Pokémon Center) should have received an edition of the newsletter containing that very announcement. Something prominent within this edition, one that comes up when one opens it, is the illustration containing a number of Pikachu and Ditto prominently along with a few other Pokémon in different moods and situations. For those who don't subscribe, the same illustration may be found on different social media accounts for Pokémon.

As far as merchandise content goes, the e-mail newsletter edition suggests that in fact Ditto and Pikachu will figure in prominently, given the associated promotion for Pokémon Natures plush featuring the two Pokémon species, including how they appear in the illustration. Then there's the new entry of a Pokédex Plush for Mimikyu, which of course means a life-size edition of this niche but highly appreciated Pokémon species (ahem) for fans to appreciate as well. The present offerings are quite fascinating and are surely to be accompanied by others throughout the year, given that the announcement is for that very period.

Plush dolls for Pokémon are pretty common by now, so technically there doesn't need to be a full, entire year for celebrating them. Still, the upcoming Pokémon anniversary of this year, as I've already hinted about in my actual "yearly theme" post, actually has something special going for it, so it seems to be quite pertinent to celebrate that alongside even the most common matters for Pokémon... which include plush dolls. With that, the "Year of Plush" can be construed to be a totally ambitious premise of a common matter that is made even more special by all kinds of circumstances for Pokémon and all its fans.

One year ago: Searching for New Pokémon Meetups

Two years ago: Adapting More of Ash's Outfits?

Three years ago: The Present Trouble with Indonesian VGC

Four years ago: My Superstar Type Teams in Pokémon Shuffle

Five years ago: Getting Measured for Costumes

Six years ago: Faults in Some Stars

Seven years ago: Pokédex Texts and Information

Eight years ago: A Song for the Lonely, et Cetera

Nine years ago: My Path Through the Main Series

On Timelines That Float

Certain universes have what's called "floating timelines", where the characters in said universes don't change in age and/or appearance even though they progress just as the world around them does, which includes the coming and going of other characters. The "timeline" thus "floats" because the characters progress on their own, like they are on a vessel floating upon the "sea of time". It becomes clear that some perspective shift is involved here.

Now, if this sounds like something that does occur in Pokémon, that's because it does (or did): the anime is said to do this when Ash was still around. The change in the regions and the addition of more Pokémon species were indications that the Pokémon world continued to progress, despite that Ash and other people in connection remained pretty much the same. Their progressions "float" and "cruise" upon that of the world itself.

The "floating timeline" aspect in turn contributes or gives rise to a "relevance" aspect, by which the stories and adventures remain pertinent to both old and new fans. This has obviously worked quite well for the Pokémon anime during the time it had Ash - perhaps a bit too well, since he is still quite cemented to the anime even well after his departure. It only means that the connection to the character and related adventures is extremely established.

Speaking of all this matter about time(lines) and how they float, it is also known that time itself may be the only thing that can provide answers to its progressions. That's the essence behind a certain popular song by one of my favorite artists (nonetheless), which I also thought about as I examined the matter about "floating timelines". With that, the discussion becomes the perfect entry point for finally mentioning the song on this blog:

Who can say if your love grows

As your heart chose?

Only time

And who can say where the road goes?

Where the day flows?

Only time

Who knows? Only time

Who knows? Only time

-- "Only Time", Enya 

Just like how time may hold all the answers to life - and possibly the universe and everything - the progression of people in that life and characters in adventures and stories may have all the answers for all kinds of people who enjoy them, regardless of what time they are living in. That becomes something that "floating timelines" enable, for even without apparent change, there is still something to be gained where they are of concern, for Pokémon or otherwise.

One year ago: The (Personal) Importance of In-Game Trainer Appearance

Two years ago: In Pursuit of Unite Licenses

Three years ago: The Present Trouble with Silph Arena

Four years ago: More Evolution Stages for Pokémon Species?

Five years ago: Pokémon SM KFC Family Meal Toy: Mimikyu & Ultra Ball

Six years ago: Renewed Oaths: Pokémon Direct, 1/9/2020

Seven years ago: Custom Pokémon Merchandise

Eight years ago: A Pokémon-Pikachu Balloon

Nine years ago: Where It All Started

Triangulation in Pokémon Terms

The term I mention in the title of this post - "triangulation" - might only be heard in certain advanced contexts, ones that also likely don't or won't involve Pokémon. Yet I also feel that Pokémon can somehow be involved in demonstrating how the term can manifest itself in those contexts and furthermore beyond. It's also a bit of a mental exercise for me as a blogger to try and do that, certainly then to present the results here in a post all its own. 

Basically, the term involves ascertaining things. For a possibly half-realistic and half-Pokémon example, to determine where a disturbance in the ground may be coming from, two Diglett can be employed to sense the vibrations. Where their vibrations intersect with that from the ground, that would be where the disturbance is, and that's what "triangulation" is. The realistic part of this is certainly not having to use Diglett to accomplish the objective.

Meanwhile, I myself benefit from the "triangulation" process for this blog. I'm effectively doing that when I'm gathering information for a post, like from the separate infographics for certain Pokémon Go events as well as from the official web site and from the experiences of others and my own. In doing so, I'm able to write up something with a certain weight to it, and others can benefit from the information contained in that writeup.

Now, those advanced contexts might involve research of some kind, and that definitely invokes the Pokémon Professors as something they'd do all the time, and might even require the help of aides, as Ash and Goh did for Professor Cerise. In fact, their efforts are essentially invoking the "triangulation" process, synthesizing all their data to something that would let them understand "the whole" of things, the point of the process in general.

Some terms like "triangulation" sound advanced, particularly in the contexts they're usually used in, but when they're considered to a certain depth as with that term above, they might not sound all that advanced and in fact turn out rather pedestrian and necessary for some everyday matters. Of course, a little bit of Pokémon might just help in that regard, and that can serve well for those whose dealings are always somehow linked with the franchise.

One year ago: Club Campfire Rewards in Pokémon Go

Two years ago: The Outdoor Tea Party in Café Remix

Three years ago: The Post URLs on This Blog

Four years ago: Streaming Pokémon Anime Episodes

Five years ago: Introducing Collection Challenges

Six years ago: (Finally, Another) Local EX Raid, 1/9/2020

Seven years ago: Pokémon Ceramics

Eight years ago: Hitching a Raid Ride

Nine years ago: A Tale of Two Shirts

Ranked Play Updates in Pokémon Unite

Along with the update to how Unite Licenses are procured in Pokémon Unite a while back, its Ranked play mode also received a few updates, specifically to the all-important aspect of how players would progress in it. The updates are somewhat significant to both prospective ("new") players as well as existing ("old") players, so they've got to be discussed and explored for all their worth to all of those players, including what they can do with them.

First up, the system of match win medals and Performance Points is gone... or rather, the former is removed, and the latter is reworked into a new system, just called "Rank Points". In order to advance through the ranks, a player now has to purely earn points by winning the matches (and hopefully not lose), although bonus points are still awarded for certain achievements during a match, which are quite helpful in any case.

Then, there is the addition of a new rank. That new rank is the Legend rank, which is placed above the Master rank and is earned with extremely high ratings. Players of a certain "next-door" MOBA might recognize its similarity to that game's rank, and therefore this could be an incentive for them to try playing Pokémon Unite. Of course, they surely won't be able to get there immediately, but they can keep trying with great efforts.

Meanwhile, there is also a slight but significant change to the Theia Sky Ruins map: the central "Legend pit" now features Kyogre with similar effects to Groudon, with the rest of the map more or less the same as the previous update. This makes it a "deepwater" edition instead, and the variety that the map updates give seems to be rather welcoming, at the very least to keep the map from being perceived as boring and stagnant in a way.

Of these updates, the most intriguing one would have to be the rank update, again due to the semblance of "parity" that it gives with other similar games. There also may be concerns that the new progression system might make things slower and/or more boring than before, but it may have to be admitted that the new system is simpler in some respects. That may be the most important thing, given the state of the game today and to come.

If these changes - including the previous ones - are of any indication, it is that certain efforts still need to be made by players and the game alike to make them as best as they can be, and not to slip further into a "rut". The least that they can do right now is still to continue their efforts in Ranked play with whatever they can muster while awaiting further changes to make it and other parts of the game even more conducive to "united" efforts.

One year ago: The Year of Eevee

Two years ago: Quickies: Getting Over Fatigue

Three years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Ember Cup

Four years ago: Quickies: Clapping with Pokémon

Five years ago: The Syntax of Pokémon Names

Six years ago: Locks on Shiny Forms

Seven years ago: A Pokémon Case Analytic Scenario

Eight years ago: The Three-Count

Nine years ago: On the Subject of Go