Cosplay: "Saturday's Remnants" & Asobi Stage

Me: OK, now we can talk about yesterday (or what was left of it) and something else for today.

Goh: Well. It's a happening weekend - except for what went on yesterday.

Ash: Yeah, you can say that.

Goh: So, what did happen yesterday?

Ash: I got to a place where a festival was supposed to happen, but it was empty.

Me: And then I found out it got delayed to next month because the place was not ready. You saw it, didn't you?

Ash: A little, I guess. 

Pikachu: Pi pika pika... ["I saw that too..."]

Ash: After that I just went for Community Day like you usually do.

Goh: OK, so that's that. Maybe you two will try to go to it when it happens then?

Me: We'll see. And I might try to do something about it.

Ash: I hope it can happen too. 

Me: Right. One more thing: I thought I'd get in this one instead of a local festival in my area, but it evidently blew up in our faces.

Goh: Maybe Community Day was the answer.

Ash: At the same time, if only I could be there for the local one...

Me: If I only knew. Let's move on - today we have another festival, the one with "stage" in the name.

Goh: Oh, the stage thing. It sounds like everything will happen there.

Ash: Yeah! It's at the mall rooftop at a little stage. I went there to check things out first.

Goh: Wait - doesn't this sound like the one from last year?

Ash: Um... it actually does. The poster even had the name of the school and its business festival.

Pikachu: Pi pika chu! ["All of that!"] 

Me: Well, there you go. But I have to say, I heard that this one doesn't have anything special (a competition) for characters, but they can still come if they want to.

Goh: OK, if that's the case, then what did you do instead?

Ash: I went to the card game shop to play a tile game with your other friends.

Me: It was planned anyway, and it's better than walking around for nothing.

Goh: Oh, that's new. I'm sure you had a good time.

Ash: Yeah, it was OK. Then I went back there and met many of your friends - character and more.

Goh: Looks like everyone wanted a good time. So... I guess the entertainment was dance groups, because of the "stage" thing.

Ash: I did see and hear a couple of them while I was outside with our friend's friends.

Me: And... that's about all you did, right?

Ash: Sure, before I went back to you. 

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["A full day."] 

Goh: Well, with whatever is (or was) left on both days, at least you two made it more than it seemed.

Ash: That's true.

Me: It could have been more, but that's the way things went.

Goh: I think more will definitely come.

Me: It sure will, so there will be things to be prepared for that.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/21/2025

Two years ago: My Pokémon Leveling Progress in Café Remix

Three years ago: So You Think You Can (_____) with Pokémon

Four years ago: The Fossil Cup of GBL

Five years ago: Community Day Patterns

Six years ago: Another Anime Dream

Seven years ago: Cosplay Card, Fourth Version

Eight years ago: Local Ex-Raid (and Complications), 6/21/2018

Nine years ago: Resets and Redos

Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/20/2026

After six years, Community Day for Pokémon Go returns on the very same date (see below), which could become something expected after some number of years pass. Something else that has been expected for the editions of this month, at least in more recent times, is "dragons in June" - meaning a featured Pokémon species of that type. That too remains true for this edition, and that does make it important to be dealt with - as in played (by those who deal with the game) and written (by yours truly).

The "dragon of the month" this time is Frigibax, the powerhouse Pokémon from the ninth generation and the region of Paldea. It evolves to Arctibax and then to Baxcalibur, which for the purpose of this Community Day edition gets the special move of Glaive Rush, essentially its "signature move" as well. The powerhouse Pokémon is also joined by the powerhouse main bonus of triple catch Stardust, making this edition a powerful one for what it offers and what Trainers can take advantage of.

Of course, other niceties are available for Trainsets as well. The "basic form" is encountered in great numbers through extended Lure Modules (three hours) and Incense (one hour plus extra) plus photo bombs. Its Shiny form - now for greater availability - and those with special backgrounds are up for grabs. Trading cost is halved and there is an extra Special Trade. Lastly, tasks from Field, Timed (community check-in), and Special Research are to be dealt with and completed as best as they can.

Most of the rest of this writeup will now be carried in discussion format involving two human characters for good (and in a way also important) reasons to be explained soon...

Me: ...so let's get on with it.

Goh: This is a neat Pokémon! 

Ash: It kind of reminds me of Gible from my days in Sinnoh. I guess that's why you wanted me to wear it. 

Goh: Well, that means there had to be an occasion of some sort. Right? 

Ash: Um...

Pikachu: Pi... ["Um..."]

Me: I guess now is not the time. Let's deal with just Community Day for now. 

Goh: I suspect something's up. But continue. 

Ash: Yeah, so I got to the usual mall to find your faraway friends to catch a lot of the Pokémon. 

Goh: I sure hope you got good ones.

Ash: Our friend already had a good one, but I made a Lucky Trade for a Shiny one - and it was almost the best! 

Me: Hey, that's pretty nice. 

Pikachu: Pika pika! ["Wonderful!"]

Ash: And I evolved a few others too. But I really got so much Candy this time.

Me: Which should be part of a related bonus, but that's for later too.

Ash: I also played the music game before and got into the group photo after. 

Goh: Nice!

Ash: It would've been a usual day if it weren't for that...

Me: Well, that's for tomorrow. 

Goh: I think I feel a cold chill from all the ones you caught. 

Ash: Brr!

So, with a Special Research set titled "Chill Out, Frigibax!", it would be no surprise that the members of the species family can deliver a piercing chill, especially given their types. It's a chill that remains as the species goes through its evolution... and perhaps in the impressions of those partaking in this month's Community Day.

One year ago: General Community Day Prospects

Two years ago: Driving and Loving with Pokémon

Three years ago: Possible Silph Successors?

Four years ago: I Love You, As Long As You Are

Five years ago: Trainer Rank in Pokémon Shuffle

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/20/2020

Seven years ago: Thematic Battles

Eight years ago: Losing Touch and Keeping in Touch

Nine years ago: Pokémon Exclusivity

Keeping Pokémon Unite Relevant

There is a floating discourse about Pokémon Unite, and it's not necessarily a good one. In fact, it could be said that the discourse has floated since the time a certain important change befell a key part of the game. The discourse, as hinted by the title of this post, is that the game is becoming irrelevant, and that is evidently disconcerting for those who consistently play even now and enjoy it. It's such an important matter that I have to address it now before other relevant matters to that discourse also emerge to the surface.

So, besides that important change, there's always been the matter of players misbehaving, whether they're human or not-so-human. Meanwhile, that important change and a few other elements in the game (like Holowear and associated methods to get it and other items) seem to remain in a "cash grab" position that may or may not be rewarding, like for the monthly subscription. It's also seemingly hard to get teams of players going, both on and off the game and partially due to the above. All of these seemingly contribute to the apparent irrelevance.

Having outlined the possible contributions to the irrelevance, the problem now is considering ways to sidestep the issues and maintain relevance. Revolutionary ways to play might help in this regard (if Electrode Volleyball hasn't already proven as such, which also may need to be built on) and especially to improve Ranked play; a different system for it may still need to be considered. That, along with continued promotion of the wonders of the game, might just be the necessary burden to keep relevance at hand.

For other ways to keep relevance, big-time events (such as one that's going on now, which I might just explain later on) could have its contributions somehow. If the game could also recycle interest from other realms of Pokémon - almost all of which are now present on the same platforms of the game itself (both Nintendo Switch and mobile) - it could have a shot at gaining some new interest. Yet that also implies that the older interest from the longer-term players also needs to be kept as much as possible, which is likely the challenge.

Pokémon Unite has been around for a few years now - something I'll get to soon enough - and it has gone through a roller-coaster ride, for both its game cycles and its fans. That then reflects on its relevance, which has evidently also become a struggle. Just as the apparent lack of it is emerging as a discourse, the discourse of trying to furnish it also needs to emerge in order to keep the game in its place among fans and even competitive players. For them, Pokémon is always relevant - the hope is that Unite can be so as well.

One year ago: Held Items in Pokémon Unite

Two years ago: Saving (Preserving) Pokémon Locations

Three years ago: The Flurry of Unite Team Creation

Four years ago: Say You Love Me (Not)

Five years ago: Earthing with Pokémon

Six years ago: Taking Pictures of Pokémon

Seven years ago: LINE Pokémon Emoji

Eight years ago: The Super Incubator

Nine years ago: The Badge Arcade Hit Its Limits

Ideas for New Pokémon Go Events

Sometimes, I still think about how Pokémon Go events may seem to lack variety, with many of them being directed for the debut of a new species in the game. This would certainly be based on the viewpoints of other players (Trainers), including a vocal one on this blog - even if that person was more concerned with the (previous) magnitude of events. For that, I've thought of offering suggestions for new event ideas, and now that's what I'd like to do with this post.

One of the event ideas would be a "Fusion Festival" - or perhaps it could be called an "Energy Festival", since not every energy is technically for Fusion. It would have tasks for earning energy (and some Candy) for all of the Pokémon that are capable of making use of energy for Fusion or transformation up to the event. It also would have related raids and if possible allow someone to get started on a particular Fusion (or to fill a gap) if they don't already have it. This event would be primarily for the convenience of new players or those who are long absent.

Then, I also have a pair of related ideas. An event (or events) for "Urban Life" and/or "Rural Venture" would celebrate those who live in the city and/or country respectively and have thematic Pokémon species that represent both areas. Though the concept of these two events would seem not to be very different from that of current events, it can be made different by involving Pokémon species of as many type varieties as possible; this would hopefully make the events more attractive and less likely to be complained about, especially by players like the above.

As a final event idea, I want to present the event idea of "Keep Exploring". This one is a bit technical in that some of its elements could be tied to efforts made in Niantic Wayfarer, although this would and could only apply to those who have access to it. For everyone (else), the event would have some usual "explore" tasks - and maybe a couple of Route tasks for good measure - but it could have new ones like "place Pokémon in 2 Gyms" and be tied to the addition of some new exploration features. I have some ideas for this, but perhaps they'll be explained later.

For all the events that are or have been featured in Pokémon Go, there may always be the possibility to consider new ones to satisfy the desires and alleviate the concerns of some players (Trainers). The possibilities as presented above may be some that are worthy of consideration - if not for my personal views, for the views of others - to be implemented somehow into Pokémon Go. As with certain other things in life, it's the thought that counts, perhaps especially now.

One year ago: Cosplay: Amphoreus Cup 25 - Futsal and Cosplay

Two years ago: Community Day Classic Prospects

Three years ago: Beachside with Pokémon

Four years ago: Cosplay: Mini Futsal Gathering & Cup 2022

Five years ago: Pokémon Words from the Coach

Six years ago: Pokémon (PKMN) Presents, 6/17/2020

Seven years ago: On Copyrights

Eight years ago: Boxes of Go-Goodies

Nine years ago: There Is Only One Ball

The Next Step: Pokémon Champions on Mobile

Fans who are eager to play Pokémon Champions as the standalone "battle client" edition for battles in the traditional main series style have been able to do that since the version for the Nintendo Switch was released ("unleashed", my term) a couple of months ago. The rest of the fans who don't have the console had to wait for the mobile version to be released... and now happily, I can say that the day has come. The mobile version of said game has been released today, and fans can and should be able to get in on the action. That said, there are a few more things to note, which prompts this discussion about the "next step".

Some parts of that "next step" concern devices and device limits. Though their devices are somewhat modern, some will nevertheless be unable to play the game on the devices since they're behind in hardware and/or software. Then there's the matter of space: the initial download for the game is nearly 1 GB in size, and the extra data will further balloon the storage requirements, making it on par with a certain electronic card game. These issues demand ways to deal with them that may neither be quick nor easy. 

But once Trainers get over those issues, they'll be in for the fun - but then there's still some work to do. For many of those who don't commonly deal with Pokémon affairs on the Nintendo Switch (or their consoles in general), they'll still have to ensure Pokémon Home is linked to it, especially if Pokémon have been put there from Pokémon Go, the most likely source for them as such. Then there are the intricacies of this specific game, but that's also to be understood as things go along.

Meanwhile, fans beyond the Nintendo Switch system are setting up (or in fact have set up) their support systems - as in the communities of players they'll battle with and against. That would also mean future competitions and tournaments that can now cover those who play without a Nintendo Switch, but still with the possibility of playing with those on it. The support systems would help to ensure that they get up to speed on what is needed for this style of play in order to be effective in it.

Now that Pokémon Champions covers the breadth of platforms that it's meant to cover, the "new era" of VGC as suggested in the earlier "unleashed" post is starting to come into its own with the involvement of the mobile platform implementation and the players (Trainers) who will take it up. It's a "next step" just as much as the game itself is a "next step" for continued enjoyment of Pokémon across players and time.

One year ago: Switching Up (and Upgrading)

Two years ago: Not Alone... But Alone

Three years ago: The Mystique of 151

Four years ago: Knotting Destinies and Love

Five years ago: The Mystique of the Slowpoke Well

Six years ago: Good Storage Limit Counts

Seven years ago: I'm a "General"!

Eight years ago: Viewpoints and Preferences

Nine years ago: Hounds and Hyenas, Canines of the Dark

"Professor Branding" for Pokémon Merchandise

Many Pokémon fans will no doubt recognize the cohort of people who are called Pokémon Professors - even I've written up about them at one time. They would also appeal to the more intelligent side of Pokémon fans... perhaps conceivably for merchandise as well. For that, I thought about discussing how certain elements of Pokémon merchandise are or can have a certain "branding" with this group of people, as well as the (possible) appeal.

Now, those who play the (physical) Pokémon TCG will recognize the Supporter cards with the different Pokémon Professors in each. Though they can't exactly be considered to have a "branding" with these Professors, their presence on the cards could still be considered part of the appeal for them, aside from the function of the respective cards. In fact, it seems they're some of the few Pokémon things with actual Pokémon Professors on them, and they still achieve some of the objectives of actual "branding" without being so.

For an actual branding, the Pokémon Professors would have to be applied - liberally maybe, but significantly could be possible as well - to the merchandise items in question. That could be quite a task, since most Pokémon merchandise are Pokémon species and the associated items to them. Perhaps a simple approach is to have a "Professor-approved" indication of some sort along with the merchandise items, which would be a funky kind of branding as well similar to what would be done for items gotten through certain ways of shopping.

Recently, though, a different kind of Professor has been popping up, particularly in Pokémon Go circles. The Professor Pikachu (obtainable in that game) is an actual Pikachu clad in a lab coat to resemble a Pokémon Professor, and it looks as cute as it is seemingly intelligent. This Pokémon with this specific costume or outfit could realize itself as a kind of "professor branding" without having to involve the human Pokémon Professors. Many fans might just delight in having some kind of merchandise item based on this Pokémon.

The presence of Pokémon Professors has become undeniably an important part of many Pokémon games and the associated world in general. In the merchandise realm, though, that presence could seem a little lacking since the focus remains on the eponymous species and related items. Having "Professor branding" for some merchandise items might just be a way of continuing to establish their presence, with or without their possibly distant relations.

One year ago: The Expressive Ditto

Two years ago: Cosplay: Gold Generation

Three years ago: Possibility of Bottle Caps in Pokémon Go?

Four years ago: Voice Acting, for Me and...

Five years ago: Personal Social Media Experiments with Pokémon

Six years ago: Go with the Flow

Seven years ago: The State of Officialness

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/16/2018

Nine years ago: Limited Editions

Unite Licenses: My "Final Frontier"

The last update to my progress of obtaining Unite Licenses in Pokémon Unite occurred around one and a half years ago, when I detailed about the ones I had obtained and my prospects for them. Since then, the way of getting them with relatively no payment has changed, and there have been quite a few more Unite Licenses for different Pokémon added. Now, it seems well to do to update on that progress by those changes, and it seems like this will be the "final" update for that, as suggested by the title, due to reasons that will be explained shortly.

First up is that progress. Right now, I am proud to say that I have every Unite License except for a few. Those few are Tinkaton (which is currently being progressed through the License Journey system), Dhelmise (which will be progressed next after Tinkaton is complete), and Quaquaval (which is not yet playable but will be so in a few days' time, along with its associated Unite License event). Incidentally, the first two of these are of the All-Rounder role, which also means the other roles are also essentially complete for what they have to offer.

Such a feat was accomplished by using the selection gift boxes for some of the ones I didn't have and exchanging my Aeos Coins for a few others before the method changed. Meanwhile, for some others, they came with their own Unite License events and as a result were obtained through those, with some diligent effort and a little bit of assistance along the way. Then, after the method changed, it was a matter of starting the progress through the ones I didn't have; prior to Tinkaton, I had in fact just obtained Tyranitar through the License Journey system.

With that, it can be ascertained that I'll have my hands on future Unite Licenses somehow. Being that now they're likely to come with their own event, participating in that will likely allow the Unite License to be obtained for free (or relatively as such). Even if that doesn't happen, the License Journey system will surely become the fallback for the process of obtaining them sooner if not later. This situation, along with the state of affairs as presented above, makes it the "final frontier" for me in obtaining the Unite Licenses to come, at least while still playing.

Now that I have almost every Unite License in the game, and things are established for me to obtain the rest and future ones in some way, the progress is assured to be updated as more Unite Licenses are added to allow other Pokémon to join the fray that Pokémon Unite is still continuing to present. That in effect will (and does) make it the "final" update I'll make in the manner as above, but things are never final for as long as the Pokémon game remains as captivating as ever to me and all other Pokémon fans who choose to partake in its affairs.

One year ago: Frustrated by Café Remix Score Missions

Two years ago: Pokémon Calendars

Three years ago: Recent Visual Improvements in Pokémon Unite

Four years ago: For Discerning Kids and Adults Alike

Five years ago: Subspace Emissary Buddies Poster

Six years ago: Names, Markets, and Issues

Seven years ago: Code Affairs

Eight years ago: Number One for...

Nine years ago: 15th Feature Film Mini-Figures

Referencing Pokémon Lineage

Pokémon fans are well-versed in the fact that many of the eponymous species have a certain lineage, being the way that they relate by way of evolution. This is a part of what makes them fascinating, but it also leads to the issue of how they can and should be referenced by virtue of that aspect. It's an issue that I'm now tackling in a discussion to consider various points of view that relate to it and what ultimately can and should work best.

For that, TCG and Pokémon Go may provide the answer. Many Pokémon of lower evolution stages in the former are called "Basic" Pokémon, and that makes for a sufficient reference for them. Meanwhile, in the latter game, evolution lineages depend on the Candy of a certain species, and they roughly correspond to Basic Pokémon, which would affirm them being called as such. As for later evolution stages, they would be sufficiently referenced as "Stage 1" and "Stage 2", following what the TCG outlines.

As for further evolution forms on top of that (Mega Evolution, Gigantamax, and onwards), they can be considered just further "extras", since the games deal with them in different ways, including both games mentioned above. Yet they also correspond in seemingly being able to be considered as "ultimate" forms - a consideration that will be discussed shortly - to the Stage 2 species. Inasmuch as they are dealt with differently and even exclusively, there too is an apparent commonality. 

It should be noted that other people and parties can and have referenced Stage 1 and Stage 2 forms differently - for example, treating them as ordinals in their respective evolution lines (which is still valid to some extent), or treating the Stage 2 forms as "final forms" (which is also in a way still true since a line has a "maximum" of three). These references have to be weighed alongside the above considerations and certain games, as well as the fact that there have been many developments for Pokémon and its species.

Then, there's that "ultimate" form consideration, which also implicates a consideration of "baby" forms (which is also still existent for some Pokémon) along with ordering according to age. These considerations would mostly be for shoehorning analogues to a certain other series primarily for an extent of understanding, and the real way of understanding things would be in the other ways as mentioned above.

Understanding Pokémon species and the ways that many of them are related by evolution lineage can be considered an important part of appreciating Pokémon in general, and a way of referencing this consistently is always nice to have. Fortunately, according to certain facets of the franchise, this is quite doable as per the above, and the understanding that is carried in this way can put the viewpoints of many Pokémon fans on the same page.

One year ago: My Numbered Card Progress in TCGP

Two years ago: The Unnerving Feeling and Pokémon

Three years ago: Gimmicks in Café Remix

Four years ago: Sending Champs to Be Champs

Five years ago: Remembering Missing PokéStops and Gyms

Six years ago: Pokémon Conventions?

Seven years ago: Integration Prospects

Eight years ago: More Pokémon Paper Things

Nine years ago: Poké-Crafts Made out of Paper

Changed Shiny Handling in Pokémon Go

Shiny Pokémon have been a phenomenon in Pokémon Go since they were introduced many years ago to great reception, and in fact, Trainers are still receptive to them even now. Even though they're easier to get than even in the main series, the many ways that Pokémon can be caught in the game (particularly now) can make it mind-boggling to get certain Shiny forms of specific Pokémon with different characteristics. For that, the "handling" of Shiny Pokémon has had certain changes, some of which actually occurred last season. 

Going back to that, it was made so that if an evolved Pokémon can be Shiny (by virtue of the basic form having its Shiny form available), it too can be Shiny from the wild, and the chance for this would be greater from a raid capture or Egg hatch. Then, if a Pokémon can be Shiny, it too can be Shiny when rescued from Team Go Rocket, and likewise the chance for this would be greater from the leaders or the boss (Giovanni) compared to the Grunts. In this way, it becomes clear that things all - and now only - depend on the basic form being Shiny.

Previously, for the Team Go Rocket case, it was possible to get the Shiny form of a Shadow Pokémon if the species had first been featured in the lineups of the leaders before going to the Grunts. With the newer update as above, the role of leaders is now no longer to furnish the Shiny Shadow form for Pokémon species, but to try to make them more easily available to Trainers - being that the Shiny Shadow form no longer depends on the introduction of that specific form, just for the species (family) itself.

Even farther back, it had become the case that after the first few editions of Go Tour, the Shiny forms of Pokémon from the featured regions would become generally available - and that is still the case... at least mostly. More recent regions are subject to other restrictions that make this impossible (like Phione and Manaphy still not being in the game, and Victini still being Shiny locked in Pokémon Global Link). At least, the cases still represent an instance of Shiny handling being changed for broader availability for others.

After nearly a decade of its presence, Pokémon Go has become a treasure trove for hunters of Shiny Pokémon, whether or not they're already well-versed in their appearance and availability in the main series games. That treasure trove has evidently been updated or changed with regard to its handling for even greater and broader availability rather than less, which affirms the "treasure trove" aspect. With that, there is also less of a mind boggle and more enjoyment to be had, knowing that Shiny forms can easily manifest where they're wanted.

One year ago: Friends of Pikachu... by Pokédex Numbers

Two years ago: Time to Get Back into the Cards?

Three years ago: Keeping the Memory of Silph Arena (Factions)

Four years ago: Yoshinoya ID Pokémon Merchandise

Five years ago: Let's Talk About Pursuing Our True Selves

Six years ago: There's a Time and Place

Seven years ago: Chaos and Darkness

Eight years ago: Singular vs. Multiple Focus Legendaries

Nine years ago: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

Present Challenges of Pokémon Artists

Art is always a nice topic to discuss in connection with Pokémon, certainly because of the great inspiration that the franchise furnishes for artists who relate to it. This time, I thought of writing up a discussion on another aspect of Pokémon art, with the inclusion of some "challenging" qualities. They would pertain to the artists creating the Pokémon art, and the challenges they present can also be considered "problems" in some way. As such, it becomes an enigmatic as well as somewhat necessary topic to discuss.

The challenges concern both fan artists as well as official artists, two ends of which I had put into another discussion tied to a controversy nearly a year ago. It can then be said that the issue raised previously therein still has some relation to the challenges that I will be discussing, which in many ways also involve the aspect of creation. For both of them, the relation (as I've noted before) is cordial but in a way also tenuous, and that becomes reflected in the form of the challenges that pertain to them.

For fans, they have great freedoms (again, to a certain extent as I've noted) in creating art that involves Pokémon - which can be affirmed with a certain hashtag and certainly shouldn't be disparaging. Even with those great freedoms, there is also still the sense that beyond the expression that the art achieves, it may or may not be possible to gain a lot of recognition for them, perhaps if one is not of "Trainer K" caliber in style and speed. That's a challenge for which solutions may not come easily or quickly enough.

Meanwhile, official artists (in collaboration with the designers) have a slightly different issue: with the proliferation of fan art, including ones for hypothetical forms - for example, currently non-existent Mega Evolution forms - they also have to be cautious in some respects and not conceive something that resembles specific pieces of fan art in any way or form, lest the controversy as above can manifest itself again in a different form. This challenge reflects how Pokémon is very diverse these days and the difficulty it creates.

It's not always easy to create art of any kind, and that may be even more true when Pokémon art is involved, apart from the "challenges" as presented by the above situations. With official art on one side and fan art on the other that get along yet sometimes conflict, the situation can be perceived as actually being more complex than many people (fans) associated with Pokémon think it may be. Regardless, great art can and have resulted, and the ultimate challenge may be to keep them great in their ways.

One year ago: Descending Species on the Upper Hand

Two years ago: Quickies: Smells Like Pokémon

Three years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Icy Wind (SA Factions)

Four years ago: Yoshinoya ID Pokémon Promo

Five years ago: The Floating City Awaits

Six years ago: As In As All...

Seven years ago: Nationally Challenged

Eight years ago: Before Gold and Silver

Nine years ago: Red on a Bike

Expanding the World of Pokopia

I'm sure many Pokémon fans are still enjoying the Pokopia spinoff game for building worlds, making creations, and fulfilling pleasures in general. There are going to be more of those actions, for an Expansion Pass (certainly, as DLC) has been announced for the game. As with any kind of DLC, it would add content and value - in a way, also burden - to the game, but it's also particularly interesting for this new spinoff game with it being somewhat popular recently. With that, even without me (potentially) playing the game, it's still fascinating to cover it on a post here, according to the information I've received.

The DLC content will come in parts, the first of which will be a free update for everyone (which makes it technically not a part of the DLC, but it's regardless relevant to the DLC content and mentioned in the bulletin for it) coming this August. Then, the content of the DLC proceeds with Part 1 just shortly after that, Part 2 sometime later this year, and Part 3 next year. As for purchasing the DLC, that can already be done now - making it like a "preorder", and in fact there is actually a bonus for purchasing now before the end of August - and all of the parts will come with the purchase as they are released.

As for what the parts will contain, the free update will introduce a necessary move for that purpose (Dive), and the player will have to complete prerequisites for learning that move. Part 1 will then extend that with an underwater town (Bubbly Basin) and related niceties, while Part 2 will have new features but no new towns, and Part 3 will have a new town and even more new things. It'll be a long wait for all of these niceties as per the above schedule, but there's also plenty of time to prepare for them (hopefully).

Even with me not playing the game, I can say that the planned content for the DLC is already looking like a truly great expansion for the game. I'm sure that many players have been wanting the first feature of interest - the ability to go underwater and develop things in that environment - for many Pokémon do make the water their home, after all. The rest of the content is not yet known to anyone, but the spirits of the game have to carry on in them and become as good as it is in the main game. 

With all that the game has offered, fans are still reaping pleasure and enjoyment from this game - something that I'd also like to take part in even briefly as a Pokémon fan - and making the most out of the substance. The incoming DLC will (and should) provide yet even more substance for that purpose and becomes a testament to the power and popularity of the game for offering a world that can truly build up (and down).

One year ago: Species on the Ascending, the Up and Up

Two years ago: Signs of a Good Day (and Morrow)

Three years ago: Cosplay: "It's My Town" Competition

Four years ago: Finding Reasons to Sing and Connect

Five years ago: Justification for Writing My Blog

Six years ago: Low-Bit Fantasies with Pokémon

Seven years ago: Field Research Task Reporting

Eight years ago: The Myth of Shiny Pokémon

Nine years ago: On Skateboards and Pokémon

Changing Daily Discoveries in Pokémon Go

Last season, Pokémon Go introduced "Daily Discoveries" as a way of filling up the days of the week with great activities and special bonuses. After a round of those activities and bonuses, which constitutes one season, they are now prime for some changes... and that's exactly what this season offers for them. As such, now I'd like to discuss what has changed, both majorly and minorly, and what other changes I'd like to see for them.

For the changes, there are a couple of important and major ones. "Fast-Track Monday" has been changed to just a regular Max Monday, with no doubling of Go Pass progression on that day. "Double-Time Sunday" has been changed to "Scenic Sunday" with bonuses pertaining to Routes - being able to encounter more Pokémon on them, including by Incense, and meeting Mateo up to three times on that day. All other parts of Daily Discoveries remain the same as they are, but a few things also need to be noted for them...

...which are essentially the minor changes. Max Monday has actually since last season featured many more Power Spots as well, which continues to this day and is a welcome one. "Showcase Tuesday" now allows Trainers to put Pokémon in five of them, more than ever before, and more of them also show up. "Friendship Friday" now also has greater rewards and community check-in for even more of them. As for the "unofficial" one of "Community Saturdays", that may remain as such and be susceptible to other changes.

These changes are great in some ways and not in others, so now I want to bring up my own, personal takes on them. Even with changed Showcases and more of them, they may still be far and few between, so I'd like to see still more of them - and perhaps bring back Spotlight Hour in earnest rather than as a one-off like in March and April. The truly new "Scenic Sunday" of this season may be useful for those who venture out on that day and less so for those who don't, but the triple Mateo meeting can and should be useful.

Change is inevitable for Daily Discoveries, particularly given the dynamic nature of Pokémon Go itself, and they have presented themselves exactly one season after the implementation of the group of features. Though not wide-reaching, Trainers may still need to adapt their ways of playing to some of these changes and keep the "discoveries" going while still hoping that others could be made as future "discoveries" even later on.

One year ago: The Wonder of Repdigit Species

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/9/2024

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/10/2023

Four years ago: Bots in Pokémon Unite

Five years ago: Arena Factions, Assemble

Six years ago: The Persistence of Pokémon Spotlight Hours

Seven years ago: To Hold or Not to Hold?

Eight years ago: Variegated Pokédexes

Nine years ago: Pokémon and Sports

Quickies: On the Pokémon World Stage

Sometimes, I'm reminded that as said by a certain figure, the world is all but a "stage", and everyone plays something on that. Since Pokémon exists in a world all its own, it would also represent (or be represented by) a "stage" of its own, by extension and consideration of the quote; that would then also go for the people in it and conceivably the Pokémon, since the latter can and have been proven to be quite sentient. As a respite from the objective posts that I've written up lately - and as partially indicated by the title - I thought I'd write up something that would consider that quote and do so in a (relatively, evidently) speedy manner.

With that, further according to the quote, the roles of everyone can be quite different. There would be leaders and followers (Captain Pikachu and the Rising Volt Tacklers come to mind - although they may also rotate among the roles at times), bosses and lackeys (Team Rocket and the other villainous teams), and even those with supreme power (Legendary Pokémon and others of similar kind). All of them play out on the world stage... and then there would be me and others as Trainers, breeders, and connectors (and even chefs at times) to try to relate to them all and mix things up every now and then, or even all of the time with daily interaction.

The way that the world is, it always needs the contribution of everyone to shape it (which would seem to be the case back when the quote was expressed and remains true in the present time). For that, both the real world and the Pokémon world have a great deal of "actors" on their "stages" who are ready to deliver life-changing performances for themselves and others who watch them. Further, the sights may not always be beautiful - as attested by an interpretative extension to that quote - but then that's how performances are, especially with the stories of Pokémon. Regardless, the "acts" on the stage continue to dazzle. 

(...perhaps hopefully in a quicker manner too?)

One year ago: Going through the 00s

Two years ago: Cosplay: Akazora Fest 2024

Three years ago: The Eevee Festival in Pokémon Unite

Four years ago: For Elemental and Pokémon Periodicity

Five years ago: Birdkeepers, the Real and the Imagined

Six years ago: Pokémon Hanafuda

Seven years ago: Limited Research Methodology

Eight years ago: The Spirit of Giving

Nine years ago: A Faraway Tournament and a Charitable Spirit

Implementing Energy Cards in TCGP?

Over the past year, it has become evident that despite several important differences that still persist, TCGP as a mobile implementation of the Pokémon TCG is on track to achieving "feature parity" (in development terms) with the regular or physical TCG. First, Pokémon Tool cards were introduced, then Stadium cards followed later. It seems that almost every kind of card you can regularly find in the physical TCG have made it in... except the Energy cards. The question then lies on the possibility of implementing them; this post then serves to discuss that possibility as well as complications that are interrelated with that possibility.

It is important to make the reminder that Energy works differently in TCGP, and quite so at that. Here, Energy depends on the Energy Zone, and it generates specific ones tied to a deck and even some different ones if certain cards are played. Therefore, the possibility of making the implementation work seems to have to consider keeping this system included rather than leaving it out. Meanwhile, the deck building screen shows that potentially more cards could be included in a deck, up to 30 instead of the usual 20, which may indicate that these extra 10 cards could be used to accommodate Energy cards if they do appear.

As for how things might work out, it seems that the Energy cards could be loaded into the Energy Zone, and at the first opportunity players are able to attach Energy as would normally occur in a TCG match, an Energy card is drawn to be attached to a Pokémon. Supposing that a Pokémon is Knocked Out, an Energy card could also be brought back into play by a card that interacts with Energy in the discard pile; this is also in line with the fact that the game keeps track of discarded Energy after a KO in addition to cards.

Meanwhile, other complications would involve the kinds of Energy cards that could or would be included. Cards of the commonly used types would be a given, of course, but the possibility of having unique cards for them might not be out of the question. Then there are Special Energy cards, which in regular TCG exist to provide certain Energy in possibly larger amounts but under certain restrictions; implementing them in TCGP might require a bit of "finagling", yet it could be done, given the appearance of other special cards.

With the way that things are developing in TCGP, "feature parity" - even if not complete and/or thorough - with the regular TCG looks to be a set goal for it, albeit one that most players may not perceive. The next step for that might just be implementing Energy cards in some way, even if the possibility is either outlandish or superfluous (or both) by the state of the game. After that, TCGP might very well be considered a really good implementation. 

One year ago: Cosplay: Akiba Fest 2025

Two years ago: My Pokémon Communities on WhatsApp

Three years ago: The Scramble for King of the Hill

Four years ago: Classes and Classification of Pokémon

Five years ago: Battle Box for Pokémon Go?

Six years ago: Game Freak with Mario on the Side

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/8/2019

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 6/8/2018

Nine years ago: Poor Zygarde

TCGP: Getting into the Paradox (Over) Drive

Having (finally) explained what Paradox Pokémon are in a long overdue post, I am now more comfortable in writing up this post with its topic. As mentioned in that long overdue post, said class of Pokémon is to make an(other) appearance in the TCG realm, and that would be for the mobile implementation of TCGP. They become the focus of this month's new expansion, which is a Themed Booster Pack entitled "Paradox Drive" - aptly containing the keyword of the Pokémon class.

Being a Themed Booster Pack, it's a minor expansion with relatively fewer cards to offer. Yet it does have a good number of Pokémon from the mentioned class, which encompass both domains of Ancient and Future. It also has a number of other species from prior generations, some from the respective generation (including Koraidon and Miraidon), as well as Terapagos, the highlight species of Area Zero - here also being highlighted in Immersive form. They're to be found among the expansion's 74 numbered and 35 overnumbered cards, 109 in total.

Within the numbered section, 68 of them are Pokémon cards containing the species as described above. The remaining six are composed of 2 Pokémon Tool cards (also one of the "new terms" I mentioned in the previous post), 3 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card. The former two also have cards with Ancient and Future tags (one each), and the third has a representation of Area Zero itself. The overnumbered section has the usual full art and Shiny cards of some featured Pokémon to pique players' interests.

The content of this Themed Booster Pack is roughly comparable to Extradimensional Crisis, the one for the different class of Ultra Beasts from about one year ago, for which its 69 numbered cards have 2 Item cards, 2 Pokémon Tool cards, and 3 Supporter cards. Its 34 overnumbered cards are also of the usual sort with selected full art and Shiny cards to vary things up, bringing its total to 103 cards - again, not too shabby or dissimilar in amount and content. Both also deal with specific Pokémon classes, further establishing a comparative basis.

Now, as for the "overdrive" portion of this program as suggested by the title of this post, that may depend on the willingness of players to get all the cards (that they need) from this minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack. But with the presence of the Pokémon species from the class that is enigmatic in the scheme of things for Paldea and the ninth generation, there is also the sense that players may want to put a few things into "overdrive" and then drive the potentials of these Pokémon to a great extent.

One year ago: Ties or Draws in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: LINE App in a "Downturn"?

Three years ago: Silph Arena Factions S2 Postseason Metas

Four years ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #3 - The Games I Play

Five years ago: Mastering Balls of Hands and Feet

Six years ago: It's a-Mario Time

Seven years ago: Going Big in Galar

Eight years ago: Pokémon Archetypes

Nine years ago: New Paradigms

New Terms Involving Pokémon

Before I get into the main content of this post, I'd like to say that I had been planning to make this post for over four years, but I have never dealt with some of the elements that are to be mentioned in this post - at least, not in their actual first-hand implementation. For that, I will mention the reasons why and developments since then, after the respective elements are mentioned in parentheses (). Now, on with the actual post.

People in many fields of discipline will eventually grapple with new terms for elements that are introduced with increased knowledge or improved states of affairs in those fields. While not exactly a "field of discipline", Pokémon has a lot of things that are tantamount to that, and fans, players (Trainers), and so on have to grapple with new terms as well. Most recently (or in the most recent past), a few of these new terms have come to light for them - certainly, including me - so I thought I'd go over those new terms, three of them in fact.

The first of these new terms is "Paradox Pokémon". These are Pokémon species that look like some other Pokémon that are already known, but they're not that; they stand alone much like Legendary Pokémon or Ultra Beasts. They also come from the two times of "Ancient" (which represents the past) and "Future". Their English names are also natural words (for example, "Great Tusk" and "Iron Treads" respectively that look like Donphan superficially) rather than contrived words, and they lend themselves to the dynamics of the ninth generation.

(I still do not have the main series games of the ninth generation, which is what I was hoping to deal with before I actually cover this term. However, I did mention it briefly in an older post about "historical Pokémon", which was a necessity given the topic; the intent was still to make the first or at least formal mention in this post. Since then, as I've witnessed, they've also been present in the TCG - one way of which is to be explained soon - and there's even one example in Café Remix.)

Next comes the term of "Alpha Pokémon". Making themselves present in the Legends games, these Pokémon are of a bigger size than what is mostly expected, and they're also stronger in battle - which also becomes evident with their high IV values when taken out of those games. In those games, when present in the wild, their eyes (if they have them) are also glowing red, the nearly universal sign of something angry and fierce. At least, they can become a fierce part of one's collection as well.

(I also still do not have either of the existing Legends games, for which this term is evidently so associated with them. Yet a couple of years after the release of the first Legends game - Arceus - Pokémon Go hosted the first Go Wild Area, which featured Mighty Pokémon that essentially becomes the implementation of this concept in much the same way, pretty much minus the angry red eyes. Mighty Pokémon then stayed for the next one, and with Alpha Pokémon staying in Legends: Z-A as well, they're here to stay.)

Meanwhile, in the TCG realm, there is the new term of "Pokémon Tool". This term represents a sub-class of cards that can be attached (equipped) to Pokémon with useful effects for them. They used to be in the Item sub-class of Trainer cards before they were differentiated (in a way, expanded), and given what they do, it's not hard to see why - they can be defined, delimited, and regulated in this way. The differentiation has since occurred for cards in different sub-realms of the TCG, both past and present.

(I have no cards of this kind, at least ones that are in both English and physical form, yet I've seen them in action physically by way of my TCG fellows. More importantly, I've dealt with them electronically in some way, including in the most recent realm of TCGP, where they were introduced a little over a year ago. As with Paradox Pokémon above, that post was also waiting on this long overdue post for its first formal blurb, which was desperately necessary but now is more or less fulfilled for that.)

Fields of discipline and Pokémon have one thing in common (at the very least) in that both of them are in constant development. That process also means that new terms are very much possible for the realms of concern - and in the case of Pokémon as above, that has in fact happened. Grappling with the ones above in particular becomes - or has become, given their time presence - the concern of fans for the franchise, and doing so might just become the prompt for future (and great) developments that they can muster.

With that, this long overdue post has been written up and covered all the details that it is (was) intended to cover. Hopefully, future developments won't take so long to be covered as with these, and I would eventually be able to deal with them as intended.

One year ago: The Light and Shade of the Moon Islands

Two years ago: A Pokémon Performance Dream

Three years ago: Notes on Development Notes

Four years ago: Prankster Possibilities

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/6/2021

Six years ago: Repetition for Reputation

Seven years ago: Be with You, Always with You

Eight years ago: (The Least) Local Ex-Raid, 6/6/2018

Nine years ago: Pokémon Direct, 6/6/2017

The Appeal of the "Sugimori Style"

Nowadays, Pokémon can be depicted in a variety of art styles, whether as dictated by the limitations of the games or media they're present on, or as applied by the artist(s) involved with the artistic creations. Yet one style that has persisted for the artistic depiction of Pokémon species is one with a certain recognition as well as appeal for its style. Predictably, that would be the "Sugimori style" as indicated by the title of this post, and the particulars of that style as well as its appeal are apt to be discussed.

Here, "Sugimori" refers to the one and only Ken Sugimori, who drew the color illustrations for Pokémon species in its early days, which were not only used in main series-related media but also the TCG. As a co-founder of Game Freak along with Satoshi Tajiri, that means he has substantial influence on the art for the series, then and now - as well as for some other games that the company developed. The influence remains with Ken Sugimori being an art director and among those who enjoy Pokémon.

The "Sugimori style" is noticeably characterized - at least in part - by its use of lines and colors, particularly the shading for the latter. In the early days, the shading might also have involved gradients, which can be seen in the art for Weedle and Pikachu, the latter at least to some effect. Later illustrations, especially for things other than Pokémon, tend to have sharper and more distinct lines and colorations, but their designs have distinct elements, like a standard appearance for people's faces and items.

With that, it becomes not surprising that fans appreciate and even want to emulate that art style. In Threads, someone posted illustrations that depict Pokémon species in their original sprite appearances but blending that with the "Sugimori style". Meanwhile, other enterprising fans are developing things unrelated to Pokémon but incorporating the "Sugimori style" into the art for the development. Many other avenues can be explored as well, and the art style can be incorporated into the resulting artwork.

Given the above, it can be said that the "Sugimori style" for art - as applied to Pokémon and conceivably beyond that - is a hallmark for the franchise yet can also stand alone as its own "thing". It's a "thing" that is quite influential for a good amount of the art for the franchise, whether early on for its start or later on as illustrator fans try to (re)work it in other ways into the franchise and even outside it. The appeal of the art style is thus established and becomes a wonder of itself as far as art styles go. 

One year ago: Quickies: Weather Institute Interests

Two years ago: Flying Pokémon Flags High

Three years ago: Come to Me, Hidden Gems

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022 (Global), Day 2

Five years ago: Venture Past Cliffs and Old Paths

Six years ago: The Pokémon Battlefields

Seven years ago: Holding Hands

Eight years ago: Raid Preferences

Nine years ago: Sympathy for Villains

Beta Testing Idea: Pokémon Go "Insider Program"?

Players (Trainers) of Pokémon Go - at least some of them - may have noticed, even recently, that some of the graphics or interfaces in the game are a little "wonky" or different among the players themselves. In part, that may be due to beta testing and the way the game frequently does it, which is to select certain players - perhaps in certain regions as well - to try out the new features before everyone else can deal with them. It's a fine approach, but if the game continues to be "wonky" as a result of that approach, then perhaps a new approach might be better suited, which becomes the point of this post to (try to) address and explain.

For that, the proposed idea or approach would be to have an "insider program" for beta testing of new features to be added to Pokémon Go. It would be similar to a certain program of the same name for a different kind of system, and it would be with a separate testing app, much like how Pokémon Unite has one to connect to a test server. In this case, though, the testing app would still connect to the global server to allow for normal gameplay to keep occurring, but there would be the added features for beta testing.

Some players could then as usual be marked to test certain new features for the game, at which point they would be invited to download the "insider" testing app with the new features and test them there. The features and their code would theoretically be safely sequestered there, and once they're stable, they can then be ported to the non-"insider" game. Since the approach is used by many games and apps, testers and non-testers alike may be able to afford main game stability by not having extraneous beta features on top.

Yet of course, this approach would pose some difficulties and challenges. Some players may be opposed to keeping a "second copy" of Pokémon Go on their device, but others (especially those with certain duplicity) might not mind and in fact welcome the approach. Meanwhile, on the developer side, there would be the extra task of maintaining separate builds for the main game and beta game, although if they're professional about it like for those other games and apps, they would take on the challenge to improve things in this way.

With all its glitches, Pokémon Go is still a great Pokémon game and fulfills the mission of truly manifesting real-world Pokémon. Still, many could stand to deal with those glitches less and enjoy gameplay more, especially if they concern beta testing with the current approach. The "insider" approach could be promising in this regard even with its implementation challenges, and that could be the key to make the game less "wonky".

One year ago: Pokémon Spin on Art

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2024: Chasing Brightness and Darkness

Three years ago: Cosplay: ChibiCon 2023

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022 (Global), Day 1

Five years ago: Quickies: Getting Acculturated with Pokémon

Six years ago: Legendaries and "Pseudo-Legendaries"

Seven years ago: A Noble Mission

Eight years ago: Keeping It Free... or Augmenting It

Nine years ago: Ball Redesign?

Forever, As It Will Be

'Cause I'm keeping you forever and for always

We will be together all of our days

Wanna wake up every morning to your sweet face

Always...

-- "Forever and For Always", Shania Twain

The title of this new Pokémon Go season is "Forever Forward". It is (or may shape up to be) a festively profound season specifically for the game itself and its anniversary, though like the previous season, general ties to the big Pokémon anniversary may still be at hand. Because of its "forever" nature, I thought I'd bring up this song, by an artist I occasionally mention on this blog, that also speak of the nature of some things being "forever". It becomes another musical inspiration for discussion, much like for "Hidden Gems" literally nearly three years prior.

By all accounts, the song quoted above is a love song; as can be discerned by its title, it deals with love that can become seemingly eternal, carried from childhood to adulthood and onwards to old age. In fact, the music video for the very song depicts just that: a boy and a girl who are attracted to each other grow older yet still maintain feelings for each other. It can be considered one of the most beautiful things in this world, and it may just happen in Pokémon settings too, whether in actual reality or the reality of that world.

So it is that some fans (including me) may think up of Ash from the old Pokémon anime as a figure of attraction - especially given the "floating timeline" characteristic - inwardly to the Pokémon that he's ever had and outwardly to the fans who admire him. In all cases, there may be the wish that the chorus of the song as the part quoted above is realized (inwardly) and could be realized (outwardly) for all the admiration and attraction that goes on involving him. The feelings and imagery are rather profound in this case.

Meanwhile, taking things back to a more general state of Pokémon affairs, this Pokémon Go season that occurs in the vein of a major Pokémon anniversary may suggest that Pokémon fans can have Pokémon with them for as long as they wish - even if not eternally, at least close to that - if the fans and supporters of this franchise wills it as such. That, combined with the spirit of eternally moving in the forward direction as suggested by the season title, makes for a state of affairs that is evocative of the feelings of the quoted song.

People will always have the desire of being with whatever it is they like, love, and/or appreciate for as long as possible - maybe even close to eternally if the fates can have such a will for them. The current Pokémon Go season and the major Pokémon anniversary is seemingly bringing out that impression for their fans, even if it may already be apparent through certain (character) aspects. With that, as Pokémon continues to color everyone's days onwards to the future, a persistent and seemingly eternal presence may just always be the case.

One year ago: TCGP: A Crisis of Extradimensional Proportions

Two years ago: You and Me, In Our Life Struggle

Three years ago: Rising Troubles, Falling Embers

Four years ago: The Forge of the Trainers

Five years ago: Nights of Raging Battles

Six years ago: Trainers of Might and Sorcery

Seven years ago: Local EX Raid (Time and Again), 6/3/2019

Eight years ago: Classical and New HP Heal Amounts

Nine years ago: 3DS Pokémon Themes

Cosplay: Kawaii Harmony Festival

Goh: Oh, something came up in the season transition, like last year.

Me: Very observant (see below). This one happened to be on Sunday, although...

Ash: This one was for two days, wasn't it? With Saturday?

Pikachu: Pi pika? ["Two days?"]

Me: Indeed it was. But only the second day (Sunday) was important for us.

Goh: OK, so... "Kawaii Harmony" - cute harmony - I sense a sound thing going on here.

Ash: Yeah! It was all about sound and music.

Goh: Kinda figured it out. Well, I think we all expected a singing competition, then.

Ash: Two of them!

Goh: Two??

Me: Let me explain. So, there was actually one for the so-called "rookie" (novice) competitors and another for the "idol" (expert) competitors. But anyone was free to sign up for either one or both - including Ash (for me, of course).

Goh: Did you... sign up for both? 

Ash: Yeah!

Pikachu: Pika! ["Double!"]

Goh: I hope you two had a good plan for that.

Me: Pokémon songs, of course. This time, it was "Hitoribocchi Ja Nai" for the Rookie competition and our staple "Mezase Pokémon Master" for the Idol one.

Goh: The first one's new for you. Makes sense to put it there.

Ash: And they're both from my adventures in the water city!

Me: Yeah, you know. So you get your Kanto and Johto outfit for that.

Goh: So... I have the schedule for both days, and... wow, yes, no character competitions. Looks like it was full of music acts and the singing competitions.

Me: Yup. Full on about the music.

Ash: It was different for sure!

Goh: And how'd you do with that different new song?

Ash: Um... It came out a little too high for me!

Pikachu: Pi pi pika...! ["So high...!"]

Me: Oh, huh. I thought it would have been just fine.

Ash: And... I messed up the second-to-last line - but I tried to make up for it...

Me: You know, a lot of the parts of this song sound similar to one another. Somehow I kept getting confused myself when I sing it.

Goh: Well, there you go. That must have been it.

Me: But, uh... this high thing needs a bit more investigation - and it could be troublesome.

Ash: Our usual song was fine, though! Well, almost fine. The judge gave a few expert pointers for us. Think you're up for the challenge?

Me: Well... That might be a difficult commitment, but I'll see what I can do. It's all the pro things that maybe you and I hardly think about.

Goh: Maybe you'd want to think about that some more. Well, after all that, I think something definitely happened.

Ash: Yeah! I got "Runner Up" for the Rookie competition but nothing for the Idol one. A friend of us did for that.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu! ["Very nice!"]

Goh: What do you know. That's pretty nice.

Me: Yeah... but then I'm told that everyone wins something for Rookie. So yeah, it was a given.

Goh: "Runner Up" is pretty good, even with that flub.

Me: Yeah, that. Again, I'll look into it.

Goh: Also, were there not any character festivals, conventions, or such?

Ash: Another friend told me there was one in the same faraway town... but it was more like a wedding reception with a dress code and all!

Goh: Huh. What about nearer ones?

Ash: There was one closer to our friend, but it was also just as far...

Me: I'm shaking my fist at that one. I wish I'd found out about it sooner, so we didn't have to commit to this one.

Pikachu: Chu... pika? ["Maybe... not?"]

Goh: Maybe fate wanted you two to win an award for singing, at least.

Ash: Maybe so!

Me: Even though singing may not be our strong suit (as it was said, it could be stronger), an award is pretty nice, especially with our Pokémon dealings. 

Goh: There you go. 

Ash: It works out for us - even musically. 

Me: That may just be a "cute harmony" in itself.

One year ago: Cosplay: Uchiwa no Michi + DakFest Photo Shoot

Two years ago: Never Too Late for Pokémon

Three years ago: Lost (Last) and Innocent in Silph Arena

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022: A Marathon Incoming

Five years ago: Display Case Ideas for Pokémon Fans

Six years ago: Pokémon and Sign Language

Seven years ago: A Daily Pokémon Routine

Eight years ago: Missing Ranger

Nine years ago: 3DS Pokémon Badges

The Season of Forever Forward

The forward movement that I mentioned in the end-of-season post yesterday is definitely (as usual) a hint to what the next Pokémon Go season will involve. As stated, time by its nature moves forward and only moves forward, and that's a certainty for all of it - in other words, meaning "forever". Accordingly, the new season is called "Forever Forward", and by that fact alone, the season is up for all sorts of fascinating things.

By its course, this mid-year season always has the usual happenings of Pokémon Go Fest and said game's anniversary, both of which continue to move on throughout time and develop with all the novelties that they bring. The latter is also special this time around, as it is its 10th - a round number - but that's to be discussed when it's time (ahem) for that, while Go Fest's preview remains a delectable now and as it develops here.

For other Pokémon things not related to Pokémon Go yet have only a semblance of relation, they can be said to be preparing to move on from this year's anniversary and into the next, which would fit in with the season. But before they can do that, it seems necessary for them to present a few special things given that anniversary, and that can stand to be remembered forever (well, almost) as things continue to move forward.

Now is also a good time to discuss the seasonal emblem or logo. It has the season's name emblazoned in big, bold letters, with a pale blue scheme and some celebratory elements in the background of the oval. So, it may be a bit of a carryover from the logo of the previous season and the vibes that it gives off, but that's perfectly fine as it is still representative of a carryover spirit as well, given what has transpired and will transpire. 

With this new season, things in Pokémon Go (and to some extent, Pokémon in general) are seemingly answering to and from time, the aspect that is truly "forever forward" in this case. It has allowed the beginnings of what make Pokémon so great to continue contributing to all present aspects. From there, the things continue to move as time allows them to in whatever direction they may need and the necessary forward one.

One year ago: The Season of Delightful Days

Two years ago: The Season of Shared Skies

Three years ago: The Season of Hidden Gems

Four years ago: The Season of Go

Five years ago: The Season of Discovery

Six years ago: Taiko Adventures with Pokémon Songs

Seven years ago: Techno-Poké-Captain

Eight years ago: Everyone's RPG vs. Hardcore RPG

Nine years ago: (Self) References