Thursday, October 22, 2026

New IDN-PKMN Collaborations

It's no surprise that Indonesia (IDN) is currently in a "love affair" with Pokémon (PKMN), and it seems that there's always something going on - as in, a collaboration. In fact, recently there have been quite a few more collaborations, and they're all significant in some way, which means I just have to write about them somehow. For that, I've gathered the most recent and significant ones so I can write about them all at once and together.

One of the premier banks in the country, BCA, has collaborated by introducing a couple of Flazz e-money cards with Pokémon motifs on them. One of those is of Eevee and Pikachu, and the other is of the "Eeveelutions" all together. They've been gradually introduced through certain means of purchase for prospective owners, and if they're Pokémon fans, they'll surely appreciate having a way of paying for things with Pokémon visibly on it.

Then there are a couple of food-related collaborations. One of them is an upcoming one with Vita Jelly Drink, which is to introduce a few flavors co-branded with Pokémon and a little bit of something special alongside that. A little earlier, Pop Mie by Indofood got two new flavors inspired by two Pokémon species as well as something special of its own... but this latter one I can stand to discuss at length and separately, so I'm going to leave it there.

Meanwhile, the local convenience store chain of Indomaret has in a way upped the ante on its collaboration by offering in-house branded water and tissue that feature Pikachu on them. The common convenience store items get a Pokémon twist in this way, which makes them perfect to be used by fans, especially if they might be placed into a certain high-energy context that may require the use of those items - and one is coming up soon, but that's for later.

Lots of collaborations are good for Pokémon fans, and they may be even better for fans in places where there hadn't been a lot of that before, like in Indonesia. The recent collaborations as detailed above highlight the situation that all kinds of entities in the country are starting to warm up to different forms and ways of collaborating with the franchise, and that will satisfy the local fans and practically any fan who might be able to get them and enjoy them nicely.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Tastes Like Steel...

it tastes like steel like a stab from a knife
This post may be considered the "after" post in a series of posts that by popular parlance are considered "before and after". The part that came "before" was a post on a certain Mythical Pokémon object, and the middle part was a song with some relation to that object as well as to Pokémon happenings in general. The "after" part that manifests for this post, then, ties into the two previous posts, the latter more directly and the former rather indirectly.

For that, the phrase at the top of this post is actually another line from the song that had just been discussed previously. It's from the bridge of the song and sung by one of the male members, a rarity for this music group whose leads are female. The words are also in a way slightly nonsensical, given this music group's origins, and that means it is also open to certain interpretations to make sense of it - certainly here, with Pokémon being involved.

With that being the case, the phrase certainly invokes the Steel type, of which there are many representative Pokémon. One of the first of these is Steelix, the evolution of Onix that looks like it can make a stab (dent) in the ground or any of its targets... much like the phrase above would suggest. Continuing its spirit, that makes for a "taste like (of) steel" that others would probably find useful, or if they're on the receiving side, rather not deal with.

Going back to the song, it suggests that love, life, and everything else might not be so peachy at times, which in the context of the above phrase might be taken to mean that the pain pierces through much like a steel blade does - or any form of implement-like body parts that certain Pokémon of the Steel type might have. And then there's Steelix as mentioned above, whose implement is its mouth that has the repute of being able to break even diamond.

Steel-type Pokémon are by now a vernacular among Pokémon fans for all that they can do and what power they have. Of course, everyday steel objects are also very much capable and powerful in all their ways, like the knife mentioned in the above phrase. When that is taken advantage of to great extents, others will likely be able to have a taste of that, and that makes it another way the wheel of (Pokémon) life offers its results to those who keep spinning it.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Recent Oddities in Pokémon Go

The most recent updates to Pokémon Go have added many bits of content, which as always is highly appreciable. What seems to be less appreciable are some oddities that are also either newly introduced or have persisted with no clear resolution to them. Given their presence, it seems that it is necessary for me to bring them up in a post and cover them, with the hope that someday the oddities can then have a resolution - though I may not be able to offer that.

Max Battles prompt Trainers to place a Pokémon from the battle party at the Power Spot at their end, but strangely this occurs even if all the Pokémon in the party are ones that cannot be placed (Eternatus, Crown forms, Buddy Pokémon), the Trainer has already placed one there, or the Power Spot is full (with the limit being 40). It would seem that a check of any of these conditions would rectify this issue, but for some reason it just hasn't been implemented. This is definitely an oddity that may be in search of a resolution at some point in the future.

Next is a bit of a reiteration. The previous Community Day featured Zorua, which is known for its transformative abilities. Yet in that edition, it was made evident by the mechanism on the overworld map that Zorua could also "transform into itself", which is somewhat illogical and nonsensical even from a transformative standpoint, and thus it becomes an odd behavior as far as this is concerned. This may or may not seek a resolution at some later point, but a reconciliation may be ideal for various reasons beyond that of Community Day itself. 

Recent changes also seem to indicate a penchant for hiding things. Besides the recent one of combining two icons and effectively hiding one (the compass icon), the game has made the undocumented change of removing the Daily Adventure Incense icon prior to its activation, although Trainers can still activate it for the day if they haven't by going into their item bag to do so. Whether these cases are intentional or not, the things becoming hidden does present as an odd situation for them and Trainers, and it may also be hard to see their resolution.

Strange things may manifest themselves in Pokémon games occasionally, but in the case of Pokémon Go throughout all its years, they've been present to greater degrees. The case of the above more recent oddities in Pokémon Go illustrate just how odd things can be, behaviorally if not (also) logically. While everything else in the game may and should make perfect sense, the presence of the oddities might just need to be understood (and/or fixed) at a higher level.

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Monday, October 19, 2026

Round and Round the Wheel Goes...

What you gonna tell your dad
It's like a wheel of fortune
What you gonna tell your dad
If this wheel lets you down
My love is my engine
And you might be fuel
Stop acting cool
Just bet you might win
I'm not too cool...
-- "Wheel of Fortune", Ace of Base

Readers of this blog might notice (likely astutely) that on this day I've directly covered about an aspect related to Pokémon in one year, followed by Pokémon impressions with the aid of a song from the Swedish music group Ace of Base in the next. That's something I intend to keep, so since last year was the former, this year has to be the latter. For that purpose, I've chosen one of their early hits that seems rather relevant to currently prevailing Pokémon sentiments, including some that I've recently covered right here on this blog.

Clearly, by the extract or quote of its lyrics as above - which would be of the chorus - this song is about love, but a kind that is "hands-off" and unpredictable... much like the object that lends its name to the title of this song and is subsequently sung about as in the chorus. Sometimes it would make things pleasant, but other times it might make things (much) less so. Yet it's still a love that keeps one powered up for the next wonderful moment.

Such state of affairs may also be taken as the experience of many people with Pokémon in all its forms (games and more) with them being fabulous at some points and dismal in others, which perhaps also corresponds to cycles of wins and losses. But then, that's normal with Pokémon affairs, unless there are other factors in play and those factors make it complicated for fans of Pokémon things, and in some cases the makers as well. 

Meanwhile, just recently I had re-mentioned Victini's V-Wheel, and that is in fact a true "wheel of fortune" in a Pokémon setting. While it does seem like its essence is that "fortune favors Victini", there may still be other fortunes to be had after said wheel is spun. It may not let anyone down, and others might just bet on a victory of any scale.

Life has a way of throwing fortunes around, much like what happens when one spins the item of the wheel that pertains to it. The Swedish music group sensed that appropriately for love, while Pokémon fans can sense that through their happenings, plus that above item. Where the wheel stops then becomes the true test for love and its energy.

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Sunday, October 18, 2026

Immersion Mode in Mobile Pokémon Games

Since Pokémon Go became a success, more and more Pokémon games have appeared on mobile platforms (Apple iOS and Android). One way they take advantage of the capabilities of the respective platforms is by having the games completely take up the full screen (like other games on the platforms do), but along with that, they also merge with or completely hide the upper status bar and lower navigation controls. The latter is what I term as "immersion mode", and there is not much to it, but at least some of it can be explored for how it has applied.

Most games on these platforms are already of the second kind, hiding both of these upper and lower portions of the screen. Unite, TCGP, Masters EX, and Home all do this in their mobile versions. Even so, for Android in particular, these portions of the screen can still be made to appear temporarily by swiping from the respective edges, which is also necessary to close the games if the need arises. In this way, total focus is placed on the main content of the games, and that is furnished by that kind of "immersion mode".

Then, there is Pokémon Go itself. A recent Android update had made it possible for the game to have the "immersion mode" of the first kind, where the status bar appears transparently over the game itself and the lower navigation is hidden, which may also becomes a distinct change for some Trainers who are used to use the latter. Even so, those on iOS have already enjoyed this kind of near-total immersion for a long time with the upper statuses already transparent, so in a way, this might be considered a way of equalizing experiences.

Pokémon in itself has a way of providing immersion through its games; that includes the ones on mobile platforms, as the ones mentioned above. Of course, it can and does take a little bit more technological trickery to make that immersion more complete or "total" in some way, and the above games have accomplished that with their "immersion mode" implementations, particularly given their presence on their respective platforms. Further immersion may lie in more games and content for them, but the mode surely helps out with that.

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Saturday, October 17, 2026

Favorite Parts of Pokémon Unite

While Pokémon Unite is in a state of a downturn, I want to say that it's still quite enjoyable for all that it's worth. As such, I thought I'd continue promoting aspects or parts of the game that I still consider good - which in the case of this current post, they would be what I regard as my favorites throughout the years of playing this game. Others may certainly differ about the parts or aspects I'm about to describe, but they're part of my viewpoint regardless.

First of all, I have to commend the game for coming up with all kinds of Holowear (skins), even if to this day many of them are still locked away behind a "paywall" of some sort. They're also a good mix of real and imagined cultural facets, and I'm sure many of them were born from the periodic player surveys the game carried out. I'm always impressed by the ones other players choose for their Pokémon - especially if I know about them - and I can only hope they would be so about mine as well. For that, I do still consider it a favorite aspect.

The game, meanwhile, has dared to innovate on its play modes, which becomes another favorite aspect that also has to be commended. That applies for the Ranked match map and the changes that were applied to it, as well as the addition of Quick match maps, including the ones with "non-standard" MOBA play (Electrode Volleyball and Charjabug Scuffle). The novel way that these maps play or have played out affirms their innovative quality and gives the game a unique character; ultimately, it not only sets it apart but also pleases me and others.

Music makes this game (but then, that's the same for modern and/or Pokémon games), yet it also deserves commendation as a favorite aspect. What I've said before many years ago still applies today, and each time I open the game, it is not only to experience its gameplay but also to immerse myself in its music - though I can do this as well outside the game if I had the straight audio for it, something that I should look into soon. It's a pleasing part of the game for me personally and certainly for others as well, so it's definitely a favorite.

Having explained the significant parts of Pokémon Unite that also become my favorite, I do have to say that doing so is likely still unable to reverse the game's current downturn, perhaps unless a miracle happens. Yet there is no harm in making the explanation and in a way making an attempt to reverse that downturn, as it is to play the game (or continue to do so) even in its current state and enjoy the game as much as possible for all its amazing parts and more.


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Friday, October 16, 2026

Up in Smoke

For many people, smoke is a real problem - especially if they're the result of wildfires that are not contained. Some Pokémon, however, are able to harness the power of smoke and accomplish interesting things with them. Specifically, those interesting things are in the form of Pokémon moves, and it seems that it would be neat to discuss them in order to glean insights from them, in particular to deal with some unresolved and actual smoky situations.

Some species of the Poison type know the move of Smog, which does damage and has a chance of poisoning the recipient. Fumes of certain substances are certainly dangerous and can cause instant poisoning, but other less dangerous ones can still build up in the body and eventually cause a similar effect. The move is essentially a testament to that, in particular the effect chance that affirms that real smog is damaging and poisonous sooner if not later.

Then there is the Smokescreen move. This one doesn't cause damage, but it makes it hard for opponents to make a hit, by way of increased evasiveness. There's a "ninja-style" renown of this move for the species that know it, but then opposing Pokémon may have to make like ninjas of their own - especially when real smoke is concerned. All kinds of caution or wariness then have to go into play in battling against other Pokémon and this particular smoke form.

Last on the smoke agenda is the Haze (and the functionally related Mist) move. They negate stat changes, which in similar respects to the above is part of the "unnerving" quality of real smoke. The latter is certainly something that one doesn't want to be around, whether it's intentionally or unintentionally caused. For Pokémon species, though, those that can invoke the move will likely do it intentionally for the better of themselves or their associations.

Right now, even, smoke is likely to be something that's quite problematic and that everyone needs to get together to eliminate for everyone's well-being. Meanwhile, Pokémon species that can take advantage of smoke can be spectacular in their own right when they do so in battle. That might just inspire people to work together to take care of their own smoke problems in ways that are no less spectacular and will certainly be beneficial for their good.

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Thursday, October 15, 2026

New Pokémon Go Feature Update: Making Sense of Things

Recently, Pokémon Go put in an update to the game as usual, but it contained several more updates to features than usual (or what is usually perceived). The update was also highlighted in a news bulletin on the game's web site, which effectively also highlighted its significance. With that being the case, I thought I'd also highlight that significance by covering the update in a single post; additionally, it would serve to "make sense of things" related to the update.

Some of these feature updates pertain to usability. Zygarde Cells are now collected by a pop-up at the end of a Route instead of hunting them around the map, which had been somewhat dicey by Trainer experience; it is still a chance regardless and not a guarantee. A confirmation warning now also shows for Pokémon with perfect (100%) IV, and they are integrated into the warning system as well, which should be useful for those who might be dealing with Pokémon of this kind from time to time, including if they happen to be captured by accessory devices.

Then there are the feature updates related to the map. The compass and weather icons are now one; the latter is the default while the former appears when a map action is performed. They retain their functions... but it seems the former might be a bit too fast for some to catch when it appears, and this may need to be rectified in a future update. Meanwhile, if encounters happen to overlap waypoint features, the spacing has been rectified so that the encounters can be activated - this last point being very important for Incense users on a regular basis.

Lastly, check-ins to Community Ambassador meetups are now facilitated through the game map (accessed from the Nearby tab or game web site) by tapping on the meetup pin on the map and choosing "Check In", though the normal requirements of doing so (15 minutes prior to the start) still needs to be met. This simply serves as an additional facilitation to checking in by the Campfire app, but it may still be helpful in some ways regardless for certain Trainers.

While some aspects of the above changes make their benefits evident, yet others may not be immediately as such, each of them show their significance in a sensible way. As such, that also affirms the sensibility of them being rolled up together as a single package and informed to Trainers in that manner. After this point, they can find their own sensibilities for each aspect.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Buying a Magikarp

In the first-generation games, a shady guy in the Pokémon Center at Mt. Moon would offer a Magikarp for sale, which the player Trainer can choose to buy if they do so. Even so, by many respects, the offering can be considered a "scam" because Magikarp can be commonly found through fishing in many areas, and therefore one doesn't need to buy it. Yet the offering still remains, and it's a curiosity that can be discussed from certain sides - the above being one.

Those who watch the anime will know that James was presented with the same offer at the start of the "SS Anne arc", and he took it up for all it's worth, essentially meaning that he bought into the "scam". After all the turmoil of the arc, however, it did evolve into Gyarados... and that also brought about the arc's conclusion (for best perceptions, please watch that arc directly). Thus, there is a certain "power" in actually buying into the offer or "scam" as it is.

For that, it seems that buying into the "scam" may just be worthwhile to try to obtain different IVs or other aspects. And then there is of course the fact that Magikarp evolves into Gyarados - which essentially puts the "scam" perception into question. It seems that it could only be considered a "scam" if the money is considered simply lost, while if it is considered to be an "investment" for the better things above, then at least some value may still be placed upon it.

With that consideration, I've essentially "bought a Magikarp" recently, though it wasn't a total nor severe loss. In fact, it did essentially amount to a Magikarp (or a few) for the recipient, so it was essentially, like the above, an "investment" in it. While I will most probably never see the "return" on my investment - or even the Magikarp evolve into Gyarados - the value that I perceive as being inherent to it keeps me from thinking too much otherwise about it now.

Although I wouldn't suggest that others venture to buy Magikarp of the realistic or imagined kind, I would say that at times it might be necessary to consider that things have happened essentially amount to as such. Meanwhile, the shady guy at the Mt. Moon Pokémon Center continues to peddle Magikarp for those looking to buy into his "scam"... or put in a sort of "investment" for bigger and better things, at least when said Magikarp can and does evolve.

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Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Unite Is Now Mar-Vee-Lous

Although Pokémon Unite is in a state of decline, it's worthy to try to salvage and improve that state, especially by putting in things that the game has needed. Presently, that has been done by making the game "mar-vee-lous", as stated in the title of this post... with "vee" being the operative part, which would certainly refer to Eevee as the Pokémon with a multitude of evolved forms and becomes key to the current effort. In fact, it's so key that the effort makes things "complete", in a manner of speaking.

That's because the last two Unite Licenses for the "Eeveelutions" have been implemented in the game, being Flareon (as an All-Rounder) and Jolteon (as a Speedster). Vaporeon (as a Defender) had been implemented on its own some time ago (with two forms preceding it), and they complete the run of the evolved forms of Eevee as I had posed, with all of them now present in the game. Whether Eevee itself might appear as a separate Unite License with "specific evolution" is not known with certainty, but it could be a possibility.

With their entry, the Eevee Festival (in a reduced capacity) and the Eevee Appeal-O-Rama map (with all forms playable) are brought back, the latter also needing to be played to get the new Unite Licenses for practically minimal effort. A few goodies can still be earned as well by putting in effort into the event, but other than that, getting the new Unite Licenses is the big priority of the current event while taking advantage of the celebration.

Now that the "Eeveelutions" are all in the game, a milestone could be said to have been achieved with the game having this large and quite renowned species family. Yet it also does give a pause with the game's state of decline as mentioned above, with considerations of whether its entry can keep the game sustained. At least, it may sustain fans of this rather large species family and allow them to experience the game with it.

If anything, Pokémon Unite is at heart still a marvelous game, and the presence of every one of the evolved members of the Eevee species family becomes a manifestation of that "mar-vee-lous" quality through what the game can stand to include. Now, the inclusion of all of them has to try to make the game stand up even in what seems to be the most dreary of days.

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Monday, October 12, 2026

Quickies: Spinning the V-Wheel (Win-Win)

The last time I mentioned the V-Wheel was a very long time ago when this blog had only just proceeded into its second year and I was looking for some Pokémon humor. The curiosity belongs to the Mythical Pokémon of Victini, and it's present in Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. It also seems to make for a good talking point - in the particular case of this blog, yet again - and I'd like to frame it around more of my experiences as well as the experience of dealing with the Pokémon for whom the wheel spins.

Victini as the aforementioned Pokémon and possessor of the characteristic item has a certain repute of being victorious even if the situation may not exactly warrant that to happen. Thus, spinning the V-Wheel may just make one feel victorious no matter what the results may be. Still, for the game in question, it may take quite a bit of time before players feel a true sense of victory, and that comes way later after they deal with the V-Wheel for the first time. That's a situation that many would like to be in or feel.

Meanwhile, as for the "win-win" part that is referenced by the title of this post, that may just be taken as the above situation and the related perception, in addition to other situations where two parties achieve favorable and amiable results. Yet that may be challenging at times  - especially now - because life situations (and even Pokémon ones) don't necessarily come out in this way. But if they do, then it could be considered that the V-Wheel has been figuratively spun, and the results are acceptable for the concern of all parties.

Some Pokémon have a way of consolidating and making evident their repute, and Victini could be said to be one of those Pokémon, in particular with the specific item for the specific game above. The sense of humor is still there about the item, but now so does the perception of being able to achieve a victory by interacting with it... and taking into stride whatever results were gotten by the results of the interaction. Victini may just be glad of whatever impact its V-Wheel has made possible to occur for the truest "victory".
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Sunday, October 11, 2026

New TCGP Battles Incoming

Previously, I had mentioned in my preview of the latest "summative" expansion for TCGP that big things are coming for the game, and that is in fact happening - in more than one way. One of those ways is changing up a few things related to battles and their execution, which is intended to make them more intuitive and attractive. That is also due to occur as the game paves the way for future updates after the expansion, and since a few things have "settled" from being "up in the air" - also as mentioned - it becomes necessary to write about them.

First, the battles in the "Step-Up Battles" section will change at the end of the month to a different form with a different difficulty progression, and the ones currently available will be removed along with all their rewards. Therefore, this write-up becomes a bit of a PSA as well for players who actively seek rewards, in order to partake and/or complete those battles and earn as many rewards as possible; the end of the month is not that far away, and much can still stand to be gained by dealing with as many of the predetermined battles before they change.

Then, there will be a few changes to deck building and usage. Community Decks are to be implemented to let players build (or rather, "copy") decks from other players to simplify deck-building further. Rental Decks are also to be made available as soon as new expansions appear and will be unlimited in usage, unlike the current limit of 10; they'll also be able to be used more broadly. Currently existing Theme Deck Lists and Rental Decks are also to be phased out, however, so there is a bit of an urgency in using and preserving these as well for future use.

Some other additions and changes will also complement the ones I've explained above. A new "limited battle" event is planned after each expansion with restrictions on card usage are to deliver fresh experiences for new and old players alike, with attractive rewards. Meanwhile and most importantly, the cycle between new expansions are to be lengthened to six weeks (about one and a half months) compared to the current standard of four weeks (or one month). This should also resolve "pack fatigue" issues in addition to giving players more time to battle.

Having been around for close to two years now, it can be argued that some of the workings of TCGP are getting stale, and that would seem to apply to the ones related to the card battles in the game. As such, the refresh of those workings by the upcoming changes that have been detailed above is something that is very much needed, in addition to fixing the problems that may be associated with them. Players ought to be able to look forward to new experiences of battling in the game as they look forward to future expansions and the cards that they bring.

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Saturday, October 10, 2026

Pokémon Go Community Day, 10/10/2026

October is always a captivating month for Community Day, since the featured Pokémon have been quite different over the years, from thematic (that is, to the month's prime event) to less thematic ones. The one for this year's occasion can be considered quite thematic by its abilities, yet it may also be considered less so by way of its greater relations to the Pokémon world. Yet it's still what is being served for this month, so life goes on with apparitions that may not always be what they seem.

That is, in fact, a big clue, since this month's featured Pokémon is Zorua. It evolves once to Zoroark, and for the purpose of this edition, it gets the Fast move of Sucker Punch. Now, those familiar with recent Pokémon discoveries will know that the species has a Hisuian regional form, and based on prior editions, the variant could have stood to be included... but it's not, so the Unova form is just here for that purpose. That's the "less thematic" aspect about it for this Dark-type species family that is so thematic for the present. Meanwhile, Zorua still has its transformative apparitions for any Buddy Pokémon one has (even Zorua itself), which is kind of odd, but perhaps makes things even.

And then, there are the usual bonuses. The primary bonus this time is triple XP catch (for the ones still seeking it) with the usual double Candy and Candy XL chance, three-hour Incense, one-hour Lure Modules with the "extension bonus", photo bombs, an extra Special trade, and discounted trades. Research also has the usual Field Research offerings, Timed Research sets from community meetup check-ins, and the extra paid Special Research - this time being titled "Trickster's Trail" - that contain Zorua directly with no transformation trickery, even if that is what makes them what they are.

Meanwhile, this edition has prompted a "trickster trail" of my own in order to get the featured Pokémon going, not to mention other things. As usual, that involves a person I know well, someone associated with that person, and a conversation among the three of us for what's relevant to today's happening...

Goh: Zorua, huh?

Ash: Hey, I've dealt with a friend's once!

Pikachu: Pi pika pika! ["I remember that!"]

Goh: That's a neat story.

Me: I'd agree. So, how'd you do today?

Ash: I just got one Shiny. Some of the others didn't many either...

Me: I'd heard. Well, at least the resources should be great for whatever you got.

Ash: Sure! I got an almost perfect one.

Goh: There you go. Oh, by the way, you're here, and...

Ash: With my Unova outfit in the faraway place.

Goh: There must have been something planned.

Me: There was, but unfortunately Ash can't be in two places at once this time. (Neither can I.)

Goh: Well, I'm sorry. Maybe Ash can be there next time.

Me: I hope so too. And it won't have to be a Zorua or Zoroark illusion.

Ash: Yeah. And I'm sure it'd be just as fun as that time.

Pikachu: Chu pika. ["Looks fun."]

Zorua and Zoroark are all about their transformative trickery, making them thematic for this month's Community Day edition - albeit their Hisuian alternates will have to wait for another edition, from the looks of things. At least, the part of the Community Day that has to deal with catching the right ones remains appropriate, regardless of edition and thematic quality, for the right transformations to be found.

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Friday, October 9, 2026

More Ways to Earn Macarons - Possible?

Some three years ago, as part of its third anniversary, Café Remix introduced Macarons, a new item to uncap Pokémon at level 20 and allow them to reach level 25. Since then, the pace of obtaining the item has been steady... at a low rate, that is. That pace may seem to need some help somehow, and for that, I'd like to discuss how these items could stand to be earned (as well, possibly in greater amounts) to allow even more Pokémon that are hired as staff to reach those high levels.

Currently, the items are earned through daily missions that reward two or three of the items (different kinds), which totals 20 of the items, five of each kind, over the course of a week. It can already be surmised that the amount is low, so I would propose a "weekend special" that rewards another - that is, one more - of the items for each kind on the weekend, and that would accelerate the earning of the items, even just a bit, for old and new players alike to help the leveling progress.

Meanwhile, as an alternative (or addition) to the above, current and future Pokémon visit events could be made to allow more of the items to be earned. Presently, the ones with Slow Cooking allow one to be earned for free, but the ones with One-Minute Cooking require a Mighty Menu purchase, and even then only one can still be earned. Two free and two paid would perhaps make for a better alternative for both kinds of players while allowing some freedom in earning.

It should be noted that the monthly goals right now do allow the items to be earned - but this is only for those who have paid for the Premium Pass, which means that free players are at a disadvantage. Of course, this can and should be rectified to allow free players to obtain some of the items, even if just a little bit, to even out what they may have obtained (or not) from the current daily efforts. Whatever efforts will certainly have to wait for the game to update its state to a better one.

Even though many Pokémon can and have already been prepared to level up with whatever Macarons have been earned in the game up to now, it does seem that it's still limited, in a sense, especially with the multitude of Pokémon that are already in the game. Adding more ways to earn Macarons may be helpful in that regard for all current players in any state, and it may make up for the current deficiencies as outlined above; not to mention, the Pokémon won't be deficient.

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Thursday, October 8, 2026

Touring the Local Card Game Shop

In past years, I had discussed about a local card game shop that had its grand opening just a couple of years ago as well as the follow-up to that happening. It's a fascinating card game shop - even more so by its continued presence to this day - which is why I thought of making a post that serves as a "virtual tour" of the place, albeit verbally. It's something that I probably should have made ever since the opening back then, but it's also fine to do it now post facto.

The card game shop is composed of three floors, which is an impressive feat and indicative of the difficulty of maintaining it, as per the power problems during the grand opening. The first floor is the "showcase" floor, where cards for the Pokémon TCG as well as a few other TCG are shown. Some accessories for them are also displayed, and so are some Pokémon figures that could be obtained by opening blind boxes. There is certainly a cashier for buying the goodies, as well as some benches for people to wait on other people at the shop or just to view all the things the card shop has to offer - at least on this floor. They would have to go up for more.

And they do, to the "action" floor, passing a blue Gyarados art installation... at least in the early days, for the last time I was there, the installation was removed. Here resides the tables, chairs, stage, and video wall as mentioned previously for the tournaments and events that the card game shop hosts. Another kind of "action" here is for buying (and selling) the cards of the  Pokémon TCG, which are also displayed in galleries for individual cards of repute, or just the regular selection of booster packs and such. Dolls, if available, also appear on this floor, and they have their own dedicated (and money-spending) fans ready to purchase them at once.

Meanwhile, the topmost floor is the "relaxation" floor, which mostly offers diversions from TCG goings-on. It has a café and extra tables if somehow players also need to practice (especially if a tournament is happening downstairs), and more recently, tile games have been on offer for their own dedicated fans. This floor can be described as a miniature hobby and game shop, or at least as a sub-section of the shop itself, which at heart is focused on collectible items, in fact being the namesake for the shop - though I'm not obliged to say more on this aspect. It's still a vital part of the shop experience itself, especially for those who plan to spend time there. 

Having three floors for a card shop might seem strange or over-the-top, but my local card game shop has made it work for two years and counting. All of that also deserves to be toured for those who just might make it to said shop and want to know what to experience, or even those who might never have a chance of making it there and want to know the general vibes. Certainly, Pokémon vibes are still to be expected regardless from this shop for all it's worth.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Becoming a "Child of..." with Pokémon

A certain divination in an obscure place determines the kind of personality that a person has according to three elements - or they may also be considered types as well - establishing them as "children" of those aspects. Pokémon fans certainly recognize that the world has more than three types, more precisely six times as many. To that effect, it seems interesting to try to align the perspectives of these elements and flesh out the natures of each other accordingly.

One of the "children" is the "child of fire", which obviously would correspond to the Fire type in Pokémon. Those having this particular aspect may be described as having personalities that are brash and wild - and so too are many Pokémon of this type. Yet that may also be true for those of the Electric and Rock types, which in the real world are also precursors to fires; that would make them supporting types to personalities having this specific aspect.

Then, there is the "child of wind"; it has a practical equivalence to the Flying type in Pokémon. The personality of this particular aspect is described as being neutral - not too wild but also not too calm. The same would also go for Pokémon of the stated type as well as the Normal and Ground types, which may exhibit or be emblematic of such a personality despite being less in the air. At least, the wind may still guide all of them to where they need to be.

Finally, there is the "child of water", another one with an obvious correspondence (the Water type). This particular aspect has a personality that is noted as calm and collected, much like streams of the representative object. Pokémon of the Grass and Bug types can also join in that regard with respect to what they can do and their demeanor - at least most of the time. They all have that life spirit that represents their respective substances within them.

In fact, going by the further divination of that obscure place, everyone has a life spirit as well, and that life spirit is made evident and maintained by that place. I (and perhaps other fans of Pokémon) would like to think that the eponymous species can be made to fit in somehow, and those of the types above - both the main and supporting ones - can show their true life spirit if they were divined as "children" in that obscure place and regardless in the Pokémon world.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Mythical Things Like Mythical Pokémon

Since I've made a post with reference to Legendary Pokémon, I thought I'd make another with reference to the other class of Pokémon that is often placed alongside it - which would be the Mythical class. Now, for this one, I don't have the secondary reference that the earlier post so conveniently has, but throughout the post, I can scatter references to other things instead just like with the other post, and they would illustrate just how the moniker applies.

For example, long ago I discovered something that reportedly could only be obtained by accomplishing a specific task a few times in a row and over a certain period. Whether or not that was true, I didn't seem to get close enough to find out. Accordingly, that specific thing fits the bill to be labeled as "mythical", and the story as it personally relates to me also seems to resemble the story of the Mythical Pokémon of Jirachi - specifically the part about being able to have wishes fulfilled when it appears. They're both fanciful in that sense.

Next on the things with a "mythical" quality is a thing that I know at one point had existed - with me actually seeing and interacting with it - but now seemingly no longer existing. It's as if the thing made it into one of Hoopa's rings along with certain other Pokémon and getting lost somewhere along the way. Hoopa might know something about it... or it might also not, and whatever the case, I'm still left wondering about it. That also leaves the thing with a persistent "mythical" aspect that also applies well in the case of the Pokémon above.

Then, the wonders of the past that are still in existence in the present day also have their own "mythical" quality about it. With the given topic, there's no doubt that Celebi has ties to this matter, seemingly allowing the things to persist even at large scales, like the big and bigger temples in my locale. If Celebi allows it, they might just persist into the future too with all the power of time travel that it allows, as well as some human effort for that very purpose. Though it could only be surmised, there is a "visionary" aspect about it for them both.

What seems to tie all these things together is that they all have an illusionary aspect in some way about them. Mythical Pokémon seem to be no less illusory in all aspects they deal with, like wishes, transport, and time as with the mentioned Pokémon above. If that is to be taken as being a key part of the "mythical" quality, then there really is something to be said about the above things being "mythical" - and perhaps having an associated Mythical Pokémon.

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Monday, October 5, 2026

TCGP: Deluxe Pack Strikes Back... with Mega

This post may turn out to be predictable in its structure, but that is also because the subject is similar to something I had covered in the past. That would be another instance of a "luxury" as well as over-the-top expansion, which serves as the ultimate and summative expansion of the B series cards released over the course of the year. Now, they all are (or were) centered on the concept of Mega Evolution, so the ultimate expansion also has to contain a shade of that - and it does, being called "Deluxe Pack Mega".

Much like last year's Deluxe Pack ex for the A series cards, opening a typical pack of this expansion furnishes four cards instead of the usual five, but one of them is a card of the four Diamond rarity. Most of the cards are likewise from prior B series expansions, but a good deal are also unique to this one; the latter cards are indexed here, and the former are also indexed in their original expansions if obtained. Finally, the expansion is also limited-time - only for this month - but given that Deluxe Pack has seen (temporary) revivals, this one could too.

For the number of cards, as a general outline, the numbered section has 402 cards, which is complemented by 27 overnumbered cards to make it 429 in total. That's a big number, but then that fits the aggregative nature of the Deluxe Pack. There too is a couple of Crown rarity cards, one of them for Miraidon, and a three Star "immersive" card of Mega Charizard X ex - say that carefully (three times, perhaps?) - that shows many other Mega Evolution forms in the "immersive" animation sequence and becomes an amazing visual summary.

Needless to say, this summative expansion practically represents the end of the B series of cards in TCGP, also much like the earlier Deluxe Pack for the A series. That would mean that big things are coming for the game, the most predictable being a new series that would likely be called the C series. But that's still a prediction in some ways - as is for the other big things - so their manifestations are still up in the air at this point. When they come down to the surface, that's when they also need to be regarded, in the case of this blog with a post.

With the above situation, though, the "card wars" of Mega Evolution will still continue in TCGP, at least for a somewhat extended period of time. The card "empires" of each player that have been obtained by each player over the course of the B series and now will continue to prove they've got what it takes. Meanwhile, this limited-time over-the-top expansion provides the last little bits that may just help players to succeed in those efforts and give them the power to "strike back" with their and against other Mega Evolution.

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Sunday, October 4, 2026

Cosplay: Tanoshii Matsuri 2026 @ Thrift Festival

Me: Now here's one that hasn't appeared for some time.

Goh: Oh, it was there last year, but at the beginning of the year.

Ash: I guess that's why it seems so long ago.

Goh: But this time it seems different... "thrift festival"?

Ash: Uh... I guess that's for later.

Pikachu: Pi... pika pika. ["Yeah... We'll get to it."]

Goh: Well, if we're talking about the same festival, then it's got to have the same things like last time.

Ash: Like a character parade and singing competition!

Goh: And did you get in either or both of them?

Ash: Um... no...

Goh: Well, our friend?

Me: Actually, I was about to put Ash in the singing competition, but when I went to do that, it turned out it was already full.

Goh: Oh. That does sometimes happen.

Me: And... I was preoccupied this week, so it would have been a problem for Ash to recall and practice the song.

Ash: Yeah, I get that.

Goh: But what about the character parade?

Me: Well, I think that has more to do with the festival itself.

Pikachu: Pika... ["So..."]

Ash: Yeah, so they put this one inside a cheap clothes festival, and people kept getting held up at the entryway to get into it even though it's free.

Me: Right. I don't trust that a bit. So... that's why no competitions for us, then.

Ash: I got inside for a little bit, and all the clothes are nice - for you, I hope. But yeah, it was a little cramped inside.

Goh: I'll bet that was also the case during the competitions.

Ash: Yeah. The people watching the stage were all close together - and the MC kept telling them to move.

Me: See, that's what I was afraid of.

Ash: But the singers all had some nice tunes!

Goh: I'll bet. So, if you weren't on stage, then...

Ash: I just met our friend's friends all day long.

Me: Well, that's not half bad. We get to see them, and they get to see us.

Ash: I mean, that's always something our friend wants me to do.

Pikachu: Pi pika chu! ["Certainly!"]

Goh: I'd like to think that the "thrift festival" wanted this festival to get people to come... just like so many others.

Me: Yeah, I think that's about the gist of it.

Goh: By the way, where was this?

Ash: It was at the usual mall near our friend's place. 

Goh: Oh, that also explains a lot of things. Perhaps your outfit did too.

Ash: I had my special journey outfit. But it's nothing too special for our friend right now.

Me: It was just what I had available for Ash at the moment.

Goh: Well, OK then. And I'm sure you'd want to have Ash sing something neat.

Me: Of course. But we'll discuss that if something actually happens. Well, now-

Ash: Wait! Before we leave off, I did get something special from the festival for being the last character around. It was a small pouch. 

Goh: Neat! A little memento for today, at least.

Pikachu: Pika! ["Good!"]

Goh: But maybe our friend could have used the clothes?

Me: I guess I'll deal with those some other time.

Ash: You definitely don't need a festival for that.

Goh: And you can make sure things fit. Maybe the festival that's ours can consider that.

Me: Certainly, we all have something to fit into our future...

Three years ago: Item Drops in Pokémon Go
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Saturday, October 3, 2026

Hitting the Big Time: Pokémon Unite at the Asian Games

For the uninitiated, some regions of the world have their own smaller but no less grand version of the Olympics... er, actually, I did go over that very many years ago for when my local place played host to it. Now, in fact, it's the same event (Asian Games) but with a different host this year: Japan itself. Their sporting events can and do change over time, more so for the latter, and for that, the latter added eSports with various game divisions - and one of them is indeed the team game of Pokémon Unite, which becomes something very notable.

With its inclusion of in the sports competition as above, it can be said that the game is "hitting the big time" insofar as major sports competitions are concerned, and Asian Games can be considered just a step away from the Olympics by the above fact. While eSports may or may not eventually make its way into the Olympics, the "big time" that is the Asian Games is big because, well... Asia (as the continent of said Games) is big. That makes it big enough for a consideration, especially for its competitive aspect that the above duly demonstrates.

Certainly, for that matter, Pokémon is big too. It is obviously big enough to generate the movement that led to the inclusion of this game in the Asian Games, and its following in the countries who sent their teams to compete in this event is also big enough for that purpose. Though the in-game commemoration was minimal (with a free and no-frills Unite License for Toxtricity, and a watch party), the effect was still surely maximal for those who kept up with the happenings of the game and especially for this purpose.

Now, as for how the national teams fared, Japan took home the gold medal - no surprise for that, since Pokémon hails from the country. But the strongest showing other than Japan - that is, for the silver medal - came from Indonesia, becoming Japan's opponent in the final. That too came after fending off other Southeast Asian countries, also effectively putting Indonesia as the best from and for this sub-region. Much may still be on the table if Pokémon Unite can be ensured to survive for this and other eSports competitions, especially those with countries.

Pokémon Unite being in a major tournament outside of the competitive Pokémon vernacular is still a pretty big thing, especially if national pride is at stake like at the Asian Games, this year becoming a "big time" for it. That "big time" should become an inspiration for everyone - the players who keep the game going, the developers who keep the game fresh for them, and the supporters who keep things lively whether on the playing or non-playing side - that they too can hit the "big time" as this game has, with this or even other Pokémon games.

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Friday, October 2, 2026

"You Little Ingrates" - The Ungratefulness of Pokémon Fans (and Gamers)

Previously, in my continued Mewtwo discussion, I had also brought up the observation that certain Pokémon fans and specifically gamers may not actually be angry at the situations that unfold in Pokémon gaming and beyond (in particular, that one), but may in fact be ungrateful about them. It's a profound impression that has important implications for the people that represent this state of affairs, and I had said that I would discuss that separately; as such, it needs to be done when it becomes possible to be done, and that time is now. 

Quite a lot of the outcomes in Pokémon games (for example, Pokémon with very good IVs as captured from raids, or having all the cards necessary to build certain decks) are favorable, so why players are (still) unhappy or angry about them is the big question - one also posed by a certain BT91. The answer would be that they're not satisfied with the efforts that have been taken and the results that have been gotten. It is known that dissatisfaction and discontent in life is a marker of not appreciating what one has, and thus ingratitude becomes obvious.

More generally, making comments or critiques about some Pokémon things in certain realms with reference to another realm when they're not expected to work in necessarily the same way (by way of lore or associated principle) may also constitute ingratitude. And then there have been the "doomscroll" of comments in past Pokémon Presents (originally Direct) that may in part have been caused by fans expressing their dissatisfaction or discontent... which then goes back to the above as other fans use the forum as an "echo chamber".

The state of affairs for Pokémon mirrors the state of affairs for other game realms, which also may have fans that are as equally disgruntled and ungrateful about their goings-on. They may be frustrated with the states of their games as well as their outcomes in them to the point that they can't enjoy them as the "art form" that they're supposed to be. While some things can and may be fixed to help the states and outcomes a little (just as with Pokémon games), if the fans still can't enjoy them for whatever they're worth, then ingratitude still persists for them.

Whatever the situation, ingratitude is a "disease", for which the "cure" is to be able to find the good in them and to work with that for the best life. Even now and with circumstances that call for gratitude, some people in certain fandoms (including Pokémon) are apparently still quite ungrateful about what's going on in them. It's a hard thing to fix - even if the fix seems to be the best possible solution like for Mewtwo - and the only hope after that is for the people to be able to fix themselves, realize their ingratitude, and keep their (Pokémon) spirit.

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Thursday, October 1, 2026

New Legendary Raid Battle Music

One of the most interesting (yet also perhaps lesser noticed) recent additions to Pokémon Go is new battle music for certain raids. The lesser noticed part certainly comes from the fact that most players (Trainers) have sound and music either turned off in the settings for the game or completely silenced - as in, the device muted in volume. As with most posts on this blog explaining gameplay aspects, the point becomes to elucidate the aspect and in this case make "lesser noticed" become "more noticed".

With that, the new battle music concerns raids of the Legendary kind. Specifically, the new battle music is for the supreme kind of Legendary Pokémon, among which are the "box Legendaries" (like Kyogre and Groudon, which do indeed have the music as taken from their generation's games) as well as Mewtwo (the most recent addition to the lineup). Meanwhile, other or less supreme Legendary Pokémon (like the Titans, "Regi") have the universal raid background music instead of a unique one.

Having a different background music for raids is nothing new; the first kind of raids to have different music was Mega raids, with a unique background music piece. Later on, there were the Shadow raids, which have Team Go Rocket battle music instead. In a way, the former kind established that the idea of having unique music for some raids is feasible, which was then ultimately manifested for the Legendary raids.

That said, further expansion of raid music in the scope of this post may be limited, with only a minor potential identified for the future for Pokémon that have yet to be added to Pokémon Go... or even discovered. That means it may or may not even happen, but if it does happen, that would become a testament that the possibility of having more raids with unique music is truly expansible with consideration of the situation.

Expanding the coverage of raids in Pokémon Go is one thing, but expanding it and applying unique music pieces to certain raids is quite the effort, one that has wonderful results that deserve to be known more broadly. And in particular for Legendary Pokémon, that is a further affirmation of their commanding presence and battle power.

Two years ago: What Do You See?
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