Raid RSVP and Scheduling in Pokémon Go

One of the latest features to be introduced into Pokémon Go (and that I haven't covered at this point - which I'll do now) is being able to set a battle time for an upcoming or ongoing raid battle and to indicate interest and/or reserve a spot for that battle time. This feature, which as the title of this post indicates, is the scheduling and RSVP feature. It sounds like a convenient feature that possibly has some nice things about it - and it does, which is also why I've decided to cover it right now.

For an upcoming nearby raid, Trainers can view a raid boss Egg and tap the RSVP button to select a battle time - usually as the Egg hatches and in 10-minute intervals thereafter. Doing so indicates one's willingness (but not requirement) to participate, and others can be invited, even remotely, to join. The process is nearly the same for an ongoing raid except that the button is on the right side of the usual "Join" button. And of course, one can also indicate not to join afterwards (as a last resort) or to be unsure - much like for Campfire meetups.

As for Trainers joining remotely, they will be notified if another Trainer does send an RSVP invite to a faraway raid; if they accept, then the raid invite will be placed under the new RSVP tab in Nearby, an included feature with the above. Regardless of location, Trainers will then be notified that the scheduled raid is about to begin, and they can make their local and remote preparations for that purpose. The rest of the raid process occurs normally as with a typical raid wherever one is concerned.

What benefits are furnished by making an RSVP? Besides being able to gauge the interest of other Trainers in raiding (including the faraway ones) and establishing convenient times for doing so, those who make an RSVP actually receive a few more Premier Balls during the post-raid bonus capture challenge. This is also very convenient, in particular if the Trainers present in the raid aren't friends or at least are at low levels. Thus, it seems that if a schedule and RSVP can be made, it might be very well worth it to make them.

Evidently, even little features like scheduling and RSVP for raids in Pokémon Go can have somewhat of a big impact, and that is true for the aspects that it has and the benefits it offers. The ability to establish times for battling and getting as many Trainers in on the action as possible is a way of creating and allowing for involvement, which fits in with the community aspect of Pokémon Go that is always promoted, then and now. That too is a good thing aside from making efforts to be involved in the raids themselves.

One year ago: Cosplay: Soundgaku - Echoes of Instruments

Two years ago: And Now, We Go

Three years ago: Every Day Is a Grind

Four years ago: New Factions Battlefields and More

Five years ago: One-Day Pokémon Adventure

Six years ago: Trivia Questions and Answers

Seven years ago: Trainer Image Cards

Eight years ago: Marathons...?

Nine years ago: Pins and Pins

Before Things Get Expensive

This post may be considered a continuation of a post I wrote up a couple of months ago about maintaining an appreciation of Pokémon even when the economy is at a bit of a downturn. In fact, it seems that downturn might be extending itself given the current circumstances where I am currently present and even elsewhere. With that, it seems that I need to revisit the topic to give it some more considerations with current Pokémon goings-on, for me and others, and in particular before certain prices get even more out of hand.

For us, it's likely that we may have typical goings-on in certain free Pokémon games with paid elements. In that case, there may be the prompt to both "stock up" and "save up" on some of those paid elements (like coins in Pokémon Go) - to buy what can be bought and to use what has been bought judiciously and only when absolutely needed. It's already sometimes a difficult thing, but it may get even more difficult with those current circumstances. Therefore, there is an interest in "stocking up" and "saving up" for peace of mind.

Meanwhile, it's also necessary to keep the things used to enjoy Pokémon, whether they're the devices (consoles, phones, and others) or the collected or earned merchandise, in working order. It may be expensive, in particular for the former, to fix things if they happen to break somehow in current times and buying new ones is out of the question, especially given that either of these things may be sourced from resources elsewhere other than local ones. In any case, their functioning may need to be kept regardless for life to go on.

Certainly, it's undeniable right now that everyone is living in a strange time, perhaps even stranger than a fever dream brought upon by a Gengar. That strange time also could possibly mean more expensive things on the horizon, for Pokémon or otherwise. With that, continuing the previous discussion seems to mean to make a reminder to keep things as viable as they can at and given current prices, which means the above points. Until the strange time passes (and the dream is gone), even Pokémon may still go on.

One year ago: All the Pokémon Q's and A's

Two years ago: Royals of the Universe

Three years ago: The Sunshine Cup of GBL

Four years ago: The New Structure of Factions

Five years ago: Quickies: Bike for Pokémon

Six years ago: Everything Is Electric

Seven years ago: A Wonderful PikaWorld

Eight years ago: Beyond Gyms and Trials

Nine years ago: A Pokémon Pencil Bag

Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 5/16/2026

It's been four months since an edition of Community Day Classic, so Trainers in this game have been eagerly expecting another one - and it comes today. They're also as eager to prepare for things related to Go Fest, which is coming up soon, in fact - something I also need to preview soon enough. Both of these contribute in different ways to the affairs of today, certainly one way of which is the bringing back of an old featured Pokémon species as a second chance for whoever might really need it.

And that returning species is Deino, which was last featured in June 2022 at a high-low point for the event. It and its species family has the Dark and Dragon types, which has relevance in some way for the happening above. In contrast to last time, this time the main bonus is triple catch XP, perhaps since the main edition this month already had its Egg hatch distance bonus. Since it's a Classic edition, there is also no double Candy bonus to speak of, which means Trainers have to find ways to make (up) the effort for that.

The special move for its fully evolved form of Hydreigon remains the significantly powerful Brutal Swing, a move of the Dark type. The rest of the bonuses align with how the event is executed in current times. That would mean 1-hour Lure Modules and the appearance bonus, 3-hour Incense, photo bombs, special backgrounds, Field Research tasks, community Timed Research, and a paid Special Research set that retains the past title ("Field Notes: Deino") while mixing up the task contents once again as the edition mixes the then and now.

Once again, today became another personal opportunity (for me) to meet up with a faraway community - while getting a few other things done on the side. Even though there were some reception problems, I was still able to take advantage of the opportunity to build up resources for the species family, and now with the onset of those with special backgrounds, evolve the best ones in that regard. Some disappointments may still remain, but definitely not at the community meetup, and they can be addressed later on.

Now, as for the preparatory aspect, darkness is the force that counters light, at least certain ones that are deemed to be less of a blessing. What that light will likely constitute is, again, part of the Go Fest preview, which will come later on. Regardless, having Community Day - and a Classic edition, no less - to prepare for that is a good idea, and it can be leveraged for other purposes as well. Like in the past edition, the dark and irate qualities of the Pokémon remain with it and not the festivity.

One year ago: Pokémon Without Borders (...for Me and You)

Two years ago: Please, Let Me Grow Old with You

Three years ago: More Available Regular Formats for General PvP?

Four years ago: How Far Should Pokémon Be Translated?

Five years ago: Command and Conquer, PvP Style

Six years ago: A Multicultural Cast

Seven years ago: Carry On Carryin' On

Eight years ago: The Living Dex

Nine years ago: Pastrana and Pikachu

(The Best of) Community Ambassador Waypoint Labels

If you play Pokémon Go and attend the now-standard community meetups, you might see and recognize that recently, wherever they meet, they have extra waypoints (as PokéStops, Gyms, and even Power Spots) with the name "Community Ambassador Campsite" followed by a word label of some sort. It's an intriguing approach for these waypoints, so I thought I'd cover them somehow on this blog for what they are worth.

Now, these labels are certainly intended to help point out at which "Campsite" Trainers are to gather, battle, and/or socialize, which is why there are indeed many of these labels. In fact, I had planned to try to cover all of them, but it doesn't seem right to try and do that with the multitude that they offer. That is why the title of this post contains "the best of", as I've decided to pick out the most interesting ones of the collection.

Some of these labels seem to represent what qualities a Community Ambassador should really possess. Out of the multitude, I pick out "Positive", "Accepting", "Engaging", "Friendly", and "Dedicated" as the most representative (as well as currently relevant) labels. These qualities are what I would consider to be part of a consummate Community Ambassador, for which the process of registering as one should have been able to reflect.

Of course, Community Ambassadors also need to interact with other Trainers, so some of the qualities can and should describe that process too. For that, I've chosen the "Encouraging", "Helpful", "Creative", and "Innovative" labels, again as the representative and currently relevant ones. These qualities ought to be evident for both Community Ambassadors and Trainers, and that would also say something about their relevant processes.

Although most of the labels are adjectival, there are also three nominal labels - "Opportunity", "Energy", and "Integrity" - that seem out of place (the adjectival forms would have to be "opportunistic", "energetic", and "integritous") yet are in fact there. Given the representation that the labels convey, they could be regarded as places where the spirits presented by the nouns might manifest themselves the strongest at a meetup.

The presence of these labels - as well as the waypoints themselves - is a new one (at the least, it might be for some who have dealt with the dynamics of "ambassadorship" in some regions). What's not new is the fact that labels of all kinds can carry (or be imbued with) some power of representation with them and their application, and if anything, these labels applied to these waypoints might just hint at their collective power.

One year ago: Day Turnovers in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: The Blood of Youth

Three years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Foul Noctowls Elite (SA Factions)

Four years ago: Steering and Nearing with Tsunekazu Ishihara

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 5/15/2021

Six years ago: Coming Full Circle

Seven years ago: Everything Old Is New Again

Eight years ago: 15 Minutes of Fame

Nine years ago: Fallen Comrades

Pokémon Games at the Arcade

Pokémon is not known to be a major influence in arcade gaming, especially given the fact that its first games are what is known in the trade as "consumer software (CS)". Nevertheless, many years after the fact, Pokémon games did break out in the arcade, albeit having only a relatively minor presence - which in fact still lingers even today. I've decided to round up a few of these Pokémon arcade games, which I have to say is an idea that had been in the works for about a year but only could realize now.

One of those games is Pokkén Tournament, something that WCS fans approximately a decade ago would recognize. The game did get its start at the arcade, and it was played with an actual handheld controller that would be a hint of its eventual presence as a console game and in the competitive arena. Although the game has exited the competitive Pokémon scene and it can now be considered a "niche" game, its legacy has been cemented, and fans can still play it if they are interested in it.

Next, there is (or was, to be explained shortly) Pokémon Tretta. This game features combat using Pokémon tokens in square form against the CPU, as well as capturing Pokémon to earn their tokens. Mega Evolution was also involved, in particular with an accessory. Unfortunately, the service for it ended a somewhat longish time ago, and the arcade machines themselves weren't widespread - in fact, limited to certain regions too. Still, the game that follows this one carries over the mechanics. 

That next game would be Pokémon Mezastar. While still only playable in some select regions (including how accounts are handled), Pokémon tokens are still used, though this time they're elliptical instead of square. Species from the seventh and eighth generations also appear, including those with Gigantamax forms. The fast-paced combat is engaging and could become addictive, especially after one play or even a few, and it further demonstrates the advancement of this game after its predecessor. 

It's still a relative rarity to find Pokémon games at the arcade, particularly when there is the concern of regional availability as with the last two games above. Yet it's also important to know that Pokémon has an arcade presence in some way, which is impressive given its start in console gaming and even if it will likely remain more well-known for that, compared to arcade gaming. Fans who see any of these games might just want to play them for the experience that they have to offer.

One year ago: The State of Playable Legendaries in Unite

Two years ago: Alive, in Life

Three years ago: Consolidation: New Café Remix Updates

Four years ago: Starter Pokémon in the Wild

Five years ago: The Retro Cup of GBL

Six years ago: Going Elite with TMs

Seven years ago: Detective Pikachu Burger King King Jr. Toys - Arcanine

Eight years ago: Round Pikachu Keychain

Nine years ago: Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 12

Days of Pokémon Disappointment

Pokémon is supposed to bring joy to all who deal with and experience it. Unfortunately, in current times, it seems that it also brings its share of disappointments, whether personal or shared. That also can be described as ongoing on the basis of days, which can make the disappointment all the more regrettable. With that, I thought I'd outline some of those disappointments that have plagued my days and those of others.

Due to extenuating circumstances and for convenience, for today's Raid Hour in Pokémon Go, I joined my local community's meetup... and was reminded of why I rarely do so, at least a primary reason for such: I'm not able to keep up with the others, in particular their pace. It is why now I prefer alternative arrangements for this and other events. The disappointment here certainly lies in the fact that it is the local community, and it has become a certain "color" for today and even other days (and players) when it is involved. 

Meanwhile, scalpers continue to take root in some affairs involving Pokémon goodies and TCG items - unfortunately, even for ones that revolve locally. This has also caused some commotion for those local goodies due to the exposure, in particular for their prices and scalping practices that in a way has also led to unsavory effects. The things done by scalpers are already proving to be disappointing enough, but the spread of what they do to other people makes the situation even more of a disappointment, now and later on.

Then, the "Firestar effect" seems to continue to be felt even now on social media, based on the comments of some users on there. Now, there has even been an incident that is completely unrelated to Pokémon games yet has echoes of what happened back then, also involving real competitions and questions of what is fair and unfair. Being informed of the new incident is a real disappointment, not to mention the sentiments that linger after what happened with the tournament where the Pokémon game incident happened.

Having been exposed to or having dealt with the happenings above, both related and not related to (or at least, in whole or in part evocative of) Pokémon, disappointment would certainly be felt, perhaps even by eventual readers of this post. It's a regrettable state of affairs that disappointment is felt even with the happiness that Pokémon things bring, and given what has transpired, fans like me may still feel it in the days ahead.

One year ago: A Pokémon Card Binder

Two years ago: Horizons of Promise

Three years ago: The Last Stop: The End of The Silph Road

Four years ago: Useless Rewards in Pokémon Games

Five years ago: The Road to Victory

Six years ago: Seeing Pokémon in Rice Fields

Seven years ago: The Exclusive Detective Pikachu Promotional TCG Card

Eight years ago: Cosplay: INOCHI 2018 - Yuki no Hana

Nine years ago: Cosplay Photography

Pokémon Sites on ".gg" Domains

The ".gg" domain for web page addresses is a domain that is affiliated to Guernsey, but in real usage, it is also very popular among gamers (and web sites associated with them) because the initialism "GG" stands for "good game" - something I may or may not touch upon at a later time. Accordingly, it is also used by some Pokémon web sites, which are also popular due to the size of the fandom. With that, I thought I'd go over some of these web sites for their significance among Pokémon fans and of course the use of the above domain.

For those who deal with Pokémon Go, they'll likely recognize two websites that bear the ".gg" domain. One of those is the former The Silph Road and Silph League Arena (silph.gg), which bears mention because of the very fact that it has the domain. After its demise and with more recent developments, there is Dracoviz (dracoviz.gg) that serves half of the purpose of the former site - specifically the community or grassroots tournament aspect. Either way, the sites affirm usage of the domain to represent the game players as such. 

More recently, there is RK9 (rk9.gg) - yes, like the above is to Dracovish as this one is to Arcanine in phonetics - which serves Pokémon gaming more generally. In fact, its purpose is to consolidate info for Play! Pokémon tournaments wherever they are concerned (Europe and the Americas) with relevance for the individual pillars of the "pantheon" along with info for prospective spectators and registration aids for competitors, including for recent VGC. This site demonstrates significance for itself just as much as it does for its domain.

Certain players, specifically those for Pokémon Go in certain regions of Asia, will also likely have dealt with the start.gg web site, as that site serves as the tournament organizer for qualifiers of that game for some countries in the region. It's somewhat different (and perhaps a bit obscure) compared to how things are done for Pokémon Go elsewhere, but it bears mention for the relation to the topic at hand and its spirit.

Web sites for Pokémon affairs or otherwise can be registered with more typical domains, but specialty domains like the above have a certain spirit to it, even if technically they're more relevant to a country. The web sites mentioned above that have the particular domain and relation to Pokémon affairs of different kinds possess that spirit, and there is something to be said for what they have in common to make a "good game" just that.

One year ago: TCGP: Celestial Guardians Take Charge

Two years ago: Cosplay: "Mobile Japan Fest" [2]

Three years ago: Listen to Our Hearts

Four years ago: More Online Statuses for Pokémon Go?

Five years ago: Three Bears

Six years ago: Missed Pokémon Merchandise in Snacks

Seven years ago: Watching in Style, with Friends

Eight years ago: To Know the Unknown

Nine years ago: You Are Blessed

Elite Decks in TCGP

Besides the usual decks that players build with the cards that they collect in TCGP, some decks are also built and obtained in a different manner - at least in a more recent stride by the game. In fact, as the game calls them, they are meant to be "supreme" decks, ones that may need a good amount of time to familiarize with. They are accordingly called "elite decks", and they're something to be pointed out for the possibilities they can offer.

Currently, there are only two of these "elite decks", and they're both of the Fire type, based on Mega Blaziken and Mega Charizard Y. Those who have obtained their decklists can see that they are organized under the Fire type heading, which might just imply that there would be more of these "elite decks" for other types and the Pokémon that bear those types. That remains to be seen, of course, but the current decks already furnish challenges of their own.

How are these decks obtained? Mega Blaziken was obtained starting earlier this year as part of a gift mission, and its availability in fact just ended a couple of weeks ago - but prospective players should have logged in at least once to obtain the gift mission. Mega Charizard Y is available now and for more or less the next three months, so this would be a great time to log in, obtain the gift mission, and deal with its intricacies for the "elite deck".

When obtained, the needed cards for the deck are collected, along with the deck in rental deck form (for trying things out) and decklist form (for building the actual deck), just like regular decks. Aside from trying things out, one of the missions for the "elite decks" is using the rental deck three times to obtain pack hourglasses, so there is a side benefit to the actual use of the rental deck, at least until the deck is built for real usage in various situations.

Now, as for how these decks fare - at least, the ones that currently exist - they really do stand up to their "elite" moniker. The Mega Blaziken deck in particular has it alongside Entei, both in 'ex' form, so a player may need to recognize the situations where one or the other is best to be played. And then there's the Mega Charizard Y deck, which offers similar challenges with the deck's namesake card also being an 'ex' card.

These "supreme" decks have a lot of potential, and that applies to the currently existing ones as well as their future possibilities that may just be conjured up sooner if not later. Like other regular decks, there is a need to playtest them to check how they might work for a given player, but attaining mastery of them remains something noble - one that might lend some credence to the "elite" quality of the decks, and players too.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 5/11/2025

Two years ago: Cosplay+Pokémon Go: Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in Surabaya

Three years ago: Cold Appearances

Four years ago: Blogging on Blogs: Pokémon Blog

Five years ago: Forgotten (Event) Days

Six years ago: (Preparing for) Shuffle's Last Stand

Seven years ago: Special Feature Film - "POKÉMON: Detective Pikachu"

Eight years ago: Just Like a Rainbow

Nine years ago: A Shout-Out to a Fellow Blogger

The Aeos Shooter in Pokémon Unite

For some play modes in Pokémon Unite, the player or players may need a boost in their battle efforts, particularly if they're going to be repeated many times over for particular achievements or tasks. That boost is provided by a feature that becomes an "adjunct" to them, which is called Aeos Shooter, and it's one that players will deal repeatedly with as they deal with the battles repeatedly, and for that, some explanation is in order.

This feature most often accompanies (or accompanied, in the past) an edition of Panic Parade, which although it involves collaboration with multiple players, they'll still need to boost the Pokémon to deal with the intensely difficult upper-level modes. Most recently, this feature has been incorporated into the new Solo Mode, which also eventually ramps up in difficulty and will necessitate players to make use of the feature on their own.

In order to boost the Pokémon, players essentially buy boosts of stats with currency earned from the play mode in question. The stats are reminiscent of ones from the main series, for those who play - Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense, HP, and Damage (instead of Speed). They'll start by buying low-level boosts, and as more currency is earned and they go to higher levels of play, they'll buy the higher-level boosts for that.

Aside from boosting Pokémon, the earned currency in past editions had also been used - outside of Aeos Shooter purposes - to be able to buy useful items like dice for a Unite License "challenge" event or even a Rename Card, which otherwise would have to be purchased with Aeos Gems that not everyone may have. But this is more of an "adjunct" to an "adjunct", yet it does deserve a mention for what it is in relation to the above.

Given the feature, it partially goes without saying that boosts should be purchased as soon as possible, and especially so if players are to be dealing with play efforts of higher difficulties. Having some boosters for each of the stats is also helpful, as is focusing on leveling up the most important stats for certain efforts - Attack, Defense, and Damage being important. Of course, some things may still depend on specific progressions.

Even though the Aeos Shooter feature is specific to secondary play modes of Pokémon Unite, the feature does hold some unique aspects of its own, for which the above explanation should be helpful in shedding light to those unique aspects. The stat-booting aspect is a major one in this regard, especially as it applies to allowing higher-level play for those play modes and players to go above and beyond what is typically mustered.

One year ago: Best Generation to Start the Main Series?

Two years ago: The Solo Challenge in Pokémon Unite

Three years ago: Still Not Quite Outside the "Ilex Forest"

Four years ago: The Rock-Paper-Scissors Principle

Five years ago: Transparent Language Presentation?

Six years ago: More YouTube Pokémon Highlights

Seven years ago: Trading Styles

Eight years ago: The No's of Go

Nine years ago: Site Design

Pokémon Go Community Day, 5/9/2026

The pig is a fascinating creature, especially with regard to Pokémon, which has a few species families that resemble the creature. One of these families were lately introduced along with Paldea and the other members of the ninth generation, and it's got some fascinations of its own. Perhaps that is why now it is given the treatment of Community Day for all those fascinations... and maybe some peculiarities for those who are averse to pigs, even ones that are only as realistic as an actual impression of them.

So, that species family is the Lechonk family, which evolves once into Oinkologne. However, the latter has different male and female forms, so much so that they also have different stats. Thus, they could almost be considered different Pokémon, and that makes for a fascinating Community Day fodder - the first of its kind, in fact. In this way, the inclusion of Lechonk in Community Day may just open the door for other Pokémon with differing male and female forms to become a part of it.

For this edition's bonuses, the main one is quartered hatch distance, another good opportunity to hatch some stagnant Eggs. The special move for both Oinkologne forms is Mud Slap, which may benefit the female form's PvP practicality. The rest of the bonuses are the usual medley of double catch Candy and Candy XL chance, photo bombs, extended Lure Modules (1 hour plus extra encounters) and Incense (3 hours), discounted trades and an extra Special Trade, Field Research and the paid Special Research (titled "Don't Hog the Spotlight"), and special backgrounds.

Like many of the past editions this year, I opted to go somewhat far for it to deal with it in the best way - and that worked out just well enough. I got all the resources that I needed to evolve my "necessities" and still have enough for posterity and future use. The camaraderie seems to affirm that this may be the best approach for the future, not to mention that it allows for other side agendas to be fitted in with it.

While pigs may remain a very divisive point of contention, whether they're real ones or impressions of them, there is no doubt that they've made their mark in the Pokémon world. This month's edition of Community Day is an affirmation of that, at least for the latest entrant from Paldea that has managed to turn a few Trainer's heads, especially with consideration of the family's structure. It became a "when pigs fly" sort of moment, but it may just allow Trainers to "pig out" in a different way at a later time.

One year ago: Masuda's Method to (Music) Madness

Two years ago: Submerged in Attraction

Three years ago: Towards the TCGL Horizon

Four years ago: Journeys Gap Ad... in T-Shirt Form

Five years ago: Glyphs of Pokémon?

Six years ago: Playing Pokémon All Day

Seven years ago: Getting Lucky with Friends

Eight years ago: A Place for VGC

Nine years ago: Blue and Yellow Philosophy

Favorite Pokémon Go Buddy Souvenirs

I see the need to fill in the posts of this blog quickly (which in a way might or might not have worked out), so I thought I'd do that with what might be a quirky but very much related Pokémon topic for that purpose. Now, in Pokémon Go, Buddy Pokémon that have a Buddy level of Ultra Buddy or higher can collect little trinkets called "souvenirs", which are mostly inert but are sometimes necessitated for certain tasks - which makes the quirk evident. Yet for all their worth, they still have a value of novelty, which is why I thought of gathering up a few that represent my personal favorites and explaining them in a post.

Most Pokémon like to collect botanicals as their souvenir trinkets, and it's no surprise that I enjoy a few of these. My favorites in this class of trinkets are the Cactus Fruit, Pretty Leaf, and Tropical Flower. The first of these is reputed to be similar to something that would come from the Unova region's Desert Region, while the last is evocative of Alola, which I consider some pretty strong regional associations. Although the second one is generic - which may be true for the others as well in some sense - the meaningfulness is still evident.

Other souvenirs are comprised of abandoned human-made objects but still with a meaning imbued in them; for these, my favorites are the Torn Ticket, Marble, and Lone Earring. These objects - a ticket stub, a globose stone that is reminiscent of Mega Evolution stones, and a neatly crafted piece of jewelry - are things that I would also collect if I were the Pokémon. In fact, in some sense I collect similar things all the time when I deal with certain things, so it is understandable for these things to serve as mementos for non-humans too. 

For those lucky enough to have attended (and of course, bought a ticket for) a big-time paid Pokémon Go event, their Buddy Pokémon will likely have collected the Tiny Compass and/or Paper Airplane souvenirs... and I have too, if that hasn't been made evident. These souvenirs also become my favorites in that regard, since I have had the opportunity to collect them, which in doing so become mementos of me and the particular Pokémon that were able to collect them. Hopefully, others can share the joy when they can also do the same. 

A song I had discussed in the very distant past of this blog may be quite applicable to the essence of these souvenir trinkets, and perhaps especially so for the Pokémon alongside the Trainer of them. The souvenirs might not have much use in the game in a broader sense (maybe just like the real-life versions of them) aside from being key to some very specific tasks, but as reminders - and now to fill up a blog post - they're novel and likeable enough for that.

One year ago: Everyone's a Miracle

Two years ago: Problems with Pokémon Go Groups?

Three years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Your Storage Is Full (SA Factions)

Four years ago: The Wish for (and Caveats of) Time Travel

Five years ago: The Lengths We Go To... T-Shirt

Six years ago: Pokémon Stickers on WhatsApp

Seven years ago: Looking from Far Away

Eight years ago: (High Noon at the) Local Ex-Raid, 5/8/2018

Nine years ago: Ash and Pikachu Keychain

TCGP: The Pulsing Aura of Greatness

For this month's pack or expansion addition for TCGP - although technically most are released just before and as always, it takes time for me to deal with them after that fact - the new pack may be considered one that is great in some ways, in both content and size. Its theme also comes courtesy of a unique aspect for some Pokémon in drawing out their inner power, and the throbbing of that aspect is representative of the pack or expansion as a whole.

Without further ado, this pack or expansion is titled "Pulsing Aura". Many will recognize the Riolu family for being able to make use of the "aura" aspect as a part of their power, and that is what this pack or expansion has, all the way up to Mega Lucario as one of the Pokémon that is representative of it by the pack image. The other one is Mega Sceptile, who also appears therein. Many of the other cards revolve around these two Pokémon, but there's also a good bit of other power if you know where to look among them.

In the numbered section, which comprises 155 cards, most of them are Pokémon cards, with the total coming out to 146 Pokémon cards. The other cards in the pack or expansion are made up of 1 Item card, 1 Pokémon Tool card, 4 Supporter cards, and 3 Stadium cards. The composition is rather similar to the earlier Fantastical Parade pack or expansion (also having the same number of numbered cards) but with two more Item cards and one more Pokémon Tool card in lieu of Pokémon, so this one can play out in the same way.

As a matter of fact, there are also 79 cards in the overnumbered section, bringing the total for the pack or expansion to 234 - the same as Fantastical Parade. That means similar efforts for getting the needed ("base") cards from the numbered section and the desired ones from the overnumbered section to stand in for the "base" versions. It may still require a good bit of effort for pack opening as usual - and perhaps a bit more luck if and when Wonder Picks are involved - but the power might just be evident somehow.

Like aura itself, the power that certain packs or expansions have might just be concentrated in the selection of cards that make up a deck. Therefore, in a way, this month's new pack or expansion for TCGP puts a certain emphasis on that, particularly with the feature of a Pokémon that embodies the involvement of the aura aspect for its inner power. Out of this and related efforts, greatness can and definitely should result, even with a possible pulsating start.

One year ago: More on Arata Iiyoshi and His PMD Contributions

Two years ago: Pokémon Species in Squeezy, Pillowy Form

Three years ago: Cosplay: Foodtopia Competitions

Four years ago: Introducing Mega Legendary Raids

Five years ago: Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - "Expedition Series", Selections

Six years ago: Hanging by a Cliff

Seven years ago: Folding Paper for Pokémon

Eight years ago: Pokémon in Poké Balls Stickers

Nine years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 2 - Utsukushii Hana

New Experimental Strides in Pokémon Go

I had written about experiments and strides in the past about aspects related to Pokémon Go, and this time I would like to write about both of them together to describe other aspects. Specifically, those aspects are ones that are currently ongoing to try to add to or improve the experience of Trainers. There are always some things that could be done in this regard, but for the current discussion, there are a few pertinent and arguably important aspects to dynamics and progressions of Trainers within the game.

As part of an ongoing reform to PvP, the game has put in a Preview Cup as part of Go Battle League, which has been selectable for over a week. Its format is based on the Great League, though there are a few changes in how Pokémon appear and use their moves in battle - something that might even challenge those that already experts in PvP. It is understood that reforms to PvP cannot and will likely not happen all at once, as with the minute changes in the past, but if anything, this Preview Cup will be a step in reform directions.

Then, between current events as they are formatted have created intervening weeks, which can be seen in the past two event rollups that I made, there is to be a special branched Timed Research set that demands selection of a focus area (catching, battling, exploring) with certain bonuses for them. The first one is for this week, which means the next one will be in two weeks. It seems to be nice to keep players going within those weeks - maybe as long as the effort doesn't turn into an event of its own, in particular for the next point below.

Perhaps, those intervening weeks could be seen as "experiments" in and of themselves, which the development team has dubbed as "evergreen" weeks. It is known that some Trainers have complained about the frequency of events as they were before week in and week out, especially one who has incidentally been very vocal on this blog in two posts. Having these "evergreen" weeks would definitely be an answer to those who complain, and keeping their spirits may be necessary to keep Trainers going, even with something as light as the above.

For what it's worth, Pokémon Go is an evolving game much like many of the eponymous species that it features, and these experimental strides would then represent the latest ways things are "evolving" based on the ways things have "evolved" before - and likely into the future, if any or all of the above would suggest. Taking these experimental strides into account, there is still much of the experience to be improved upon, which also means "evolving" a few things as well - perfectly aligning with Pokémon spirits.

One year ago: Do You or Do You Not Understand?

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Tools in Niantic Campfire

Three years ago: Pokémon Keeps Me...

Four years ago: Brave with the Firefly

Five years ago: On "Digital Talents" and Pokémon

Six years ago: Play Pokémon on a Plane

Seven years ago: A Tropius Keychain

Eight years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 3 - Saikou no Yorokobi

Nine years ago: Shuffling Stages

A Battle (and Commemoration) of the Ages

Meanwhile, after that one day of a certain "forceful" commemoration, there is yet another commemorative day that follows it, which would be today. The circles that commemorate this one, however, are vastly more different and quite unrelated to the previous one - and perhaps even more different from Pokémon. Likewise, this time I'm also attempting to address it with Pokémon and all that may just pertain to the occasion, or at least the very spirit of it.

According to what is known about the commemoration, a battle took place on this very day about one and a half centuries ago, with spectacular outcomes for a particular party. It also sounds like something that could come out of Pokémon Conquest, except perhaps on a somewhat larger scale. Those outcomes helped to shape the will of a group of people and in a way also defined a course for the history of the world - and for those reasons and more, the occasion of the battle is thus commemorated.

Now, as for tying the commemoration to Pokémon, aside from the possible relation I already mentioned, few battles in the Pokémon world are on the scale of that battle as described, but at least many regular Pokémon battles have the same scale of "epic-ness" as that battle. What's more, they may be just as memorable - at least, some more than others. That also means that they don't really need a particular day to commemorate them... but the particular occasion of today might serve as a powerful background in a way.

It is also said that plenty of festivities occur on this particular day, a lot of which occur in the area of those circles, but now some even beyond that area in other parts of the world. Thus, in a way, the commemoration has become recognized globally from something that was local(ly relevant) only for those areas. I don't have to explain that the way things play out in this manner is also like Pokémon being recognized globally from something that was just local to Japan, and that becomes its point of relevance.

Come the month of May, it seems that a few commemorative days make themselves apparent to some people and Pokémon fans - but I'm getting ahead of myself for some others of these. What seems important now seems to be the one of today, which has some characteristics that might just reflect those that are related to Pokémon. Considering those that were explained above, it seems the commemoration (and likewise Pokémon) may just last through the ages.

One year ago: On 2B A Master's 25th Anniversary

Two years ago: Cosplay: Foodtopia Season 3

Three years ago: Special Research Guides

Four years ago: Brave with the Firefly

Five years ago: On "Digital Talents" and Pokémon

Six years ago: Play Pokémon on a Plane

Seven years ago: A Tropius Keychain

Eight years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 3 - Saikou no Yorokobi

Nine years ago: Shuffling Stages

The Pokémon "Force"

In some circles, today is a day known for its "force", but they're circles that don't apply to me. As such, that's why I've really bothered to address it as such on this blog. This time, however, I feel that I want to address it, but certainly with relation to Pokémon as the persistent theme of this blog. For that, I've gathered a few ideas about what "force" may be for Pokémon, based on some of my own experiences as well as what has transpired with Pokémon in general.

"Force" makes me think of Pokémon Rumble, a game that I enjoyed playing in the past but now not so much, particularly due to its effects on certain controllers. It's very much a game about "force" in some ways, that of a Pokémon itself and other Pokémon that tag along for their ride. When played the right way, it's certainly a "tour de force" (ahem), and I still do recommend it for those who are interested and want to experience it. Yet they still do need to be aware of the certain "force" (or "forces") that the game has to offer.

Then, six years ago exactly (see below), I wrote a little "treatise" on Pokémon strength, which is still considered applicable within the realm of "force" as it may apply to Pokémon, particularly given what I had discussed earlier. The strength is imbued in all that they do in and out of battle, including the use of particular attacks for particular purposes, and the "force" becomes evident therein. That may or may not align with the concept of "force" as it is brought up for the occasion of today, but it's still something to consider for that.

Perhaps the greatest "force" for Pokémon is the fans of the franchise, like yours truly and many others. That can result in movements with and around certain "forces", like for a certain call to justice just about a month ago. Of course, the "forces" can still manifest in things like fan creations, like even this blog and the various forms of art that are hopefully still within the "corridors" of creation and enjoyment. Fans have demonstrated that with a certain "force", anything could be possible - and in fact, they are in all the above cases.

At any rate, it takes a "force" to keep many things going, and Pokémon has had quite a bit of that over its three decades, and now certainly going beyond. Today's "forceful" occasion may be only reserved for people in particular circles in its actual sense, but in an interpretative sense, Pokémon may just still be able to fit into the picture somehow. And that may just be a prompt to continue to struggle in life for the best of things, in those circles and Pokémon.

One year ago: Latest, Unique Plushes from Pokémon Center

Two years ago: Returning Player Bonuses in Pokémon Unite

Three years ago: Understanding the Arcana of Silph Arena

Four years ago: Quickies: Feeling Embittered

Five years ago: On Pokémon Submarines

Six years ago: Be Strong

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Bunkasai 2019 -Tanabata Matsuri-, Day 1

Eight years ago: Evolutionary Items and Their Limits

Nine years ago: 3D, 2D, and Everything in Between

For Mermaids and Pokémon

Some topics of the real world are quite infrequently discussed together with Pokémon, even though they can be (attempted to be) discussed. I've decided to take one of those topics and bring it up for a discussion here. As can be discerned by the title, that topic is mermaids, the supposed lifeforms composed of half a human and half a fish. It inspires fancy in the real world despite being only imaginative, and some of that fancy could also be related to some things in the Pokémon world in different ways.

Fervent fans will certainly recognize Primarina as the fully evolved form of Popplio, a first partner from the Alola region. It resembles a mermaid in the truest sense, with its humanoid upper body and fishlike lower body. It's also pretty capable in the water and as a Water-type Pokémon in general, at least for one half of itself; its other half of being a Fairy-type Pokémon is also capable in some respects, and it also exemplifies the wondrous relation of the species to the fantasy that is a mermaid.

Meanwhile, as for actual mermaids - or rather, people relating to them in an actual sense - there was that one time where Misty returned to Cerulean City to fill in as a mermaid (in a costume) for a water show at the city's Gym (where else). It suggests that even in the world of Pokémon, even the concept of a mermaid is recognized and can make for great fantasies - in this particular case being even older than the aforementioned Primarina. Of course, it means that the fantasy can be further fleshed out.

Now, as for a truly real reason why the above topic is brought, that would be because of an instrumental piece titled "The Mermaid"... which would be related to "Paths on Water" and is thus the "remix base" of the Yanni piece I mentioned earlier. The former is a much gentler piece that is evocative of the way a mermaid would move in the water, and it can very much complement either of the entities above in their situations. That may be something that the fan legions of the above could really consider.

The concept of mermaids, again, is not commonly thought of in relation to Pokémon, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities, given that the above situations are apparent with their involvement of the concept. With an apparent mermaid like Primarina and someone who can exemplify one in a sense like Misty, there is just enough to fill the fantasy of fans (and people in the world) with regard to the concept - and certainly the seas would welcome them too for all that they can offer. 

One year ago: Going Around in Circles...?

Two years ago: In Search of (a) Hi-Hat Cafe

Three years ago: What to Evolve for Community Day

Four years ago: Mixing and Matching Pokémon Game Music

Five years ago: Subscribing to Pokémon Home

Six years ago: The Call of the Forest

Seven years ago: Localizing the TCG

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 5/3/2018

Nine years ago: Gender Mismatch Detected

The Tasks of Go Passes

In order to increase the rank of a Go Pass (for monthly editions, regular events, and special happenings), Trainers earn points by completing certain actions, as I noted in my Go Pass tips about a month ago. Those actions are not the only way to increase the rank, however, as many editions of a Go Pass also have tasks that essentially do the same thing. Having mentioned the actions previously, now it seems important to go over the tasks to see how they are helpful as well as to consider how to deal with them in the best way.

The tasks are periodic and appear at certain frequencies. The most common ones with the current editions are Daily and Weekly Tasks, which appear on each day and in the current week of an active Go Pass respectively. Then there are Hourly Tasks that appear mostly during the special happenings like Go Fest and Go Tour while within the specified event hours, as well as Bonus Tasks that once appear are attached to an active Go Pass until either or both the tasks are completed and the Go Pass ends its run.

Essentially, these tasks are Timed Research tasks that solely reward points for the Go Pass they are attached to, as the points themselves are in fact items (which can also be evident when completing raids and seeing the points awarded like them). Hourly Tasks award only meager amounts of points since they are designed to be completed successively in multitude to earn many points that way, while other tasks award hundreds of points for immediate rank boosts - as in fact, it takes 100 points to go up each rank for any Go Pass.

Given the various circumstances of Go Passes, the tasks can also be quite varied yet remain thematic to that particular Go Pass. For example, the Go Pass for the Steeled Resolve event that started a few days ago demands catching Steel-type Pokémon as Daily Tasks, while the monthly Go Pass has "common" Weekly Tasks that any Trainer should be familiar with when dealing with Pokémon Go from day to day. The Bonus Tasks, reflecting their nature, can also be demanding yet rewarding for their purposes.

While the pass tasks are only a small element of Go Passes, their importance in awarding points for the Go Passes in question is not to be overlooked, and they can be the key to attaining the best possible rewards for each Go Pass by increasing the rank. They also can keep Trainers engaged within the time of an active event and/or the associated Go Pass and get all that they can get out of both. With all of these objectives, the pass tasks can indeed become a moving element for Pokémon Go in more ways than one.

One year ago: Quickies: There and Back Again...

Two years ago: The (Local) Pikachu Special Edition Oreo

Three years ago: Country Compositions for Factions Teams

Four years ago: Impulsive Conscience

Five years ago: New Pokémon Snap Unleashed

Six years ago: Pervasive Pokémon

Seven years ago: Hit in the KOR

Eight years ago: Keeping the Demo Versions

Nine years ago: Cosplay Laundry

Plans for Remixing the Remix

Dedicated players know that Pokémon Café Remix is a rehash of the game's earlier incarnation as Pokémon Café Mix, and it's a "remix" in a very true sense. Yet after the fact, it seems that more rehashing or remixing of the game is in order, and in fact, plans for that to happen have been set into motion. I'm actually somewhat late to becoming aware on this, but after gaining that awareness, I've decided to make a discussion out of it - here on this blog, of course.

According to the in-game news bulletin, which was published on April 9, the "remix-remix plan" is intended to make the game more easily grasped by more people playing the game within a more extensive time. For that, the plan has three points: merging disparate game modes into something more cohesive, making it simpler to hire Pokémon as part of the staff ("befriend", in game terms), and keeping Pokémon that are already as such by players - not to mention raised and refined ones - relevant in puzzle play wherever they're appropriate.

In order to do that, as of April 20, the events in the game are "reruns" or "replays" of older events, which also implies that no new Pokémon are to be added. Players can, of course, use the opportunity to hire or "befriend" Pokémon that they haven't done so, or raise and refine them if they already have. This then gives the development team time to work on the "remix-remix plan" and to release it as a major update... which will be sometime in the latter part of the year. As such, it may be something that players will have to look forward to very soon.

Considering the current state of the game, the "remix-remix plan" is something that is perhaps desperately needed. I had earlier discussed the game's apparent "irrelevance" a few years ago, and I also pointed out that some remaking would have to be carried out in order to resolve what is apparent in that regard. Undertaking this "remix-remix plan" then provides a perfect opportunity to do just that, and the things I mentioned in that post (as well as others that I didn't) can stand to be improved to make things relevant again, which will have to be seen.

Even in cooking, things are not perfect the first time around that something is made, and a rehash or "remix" is in order. The same has been true of this Pokémon puzzle game some years ago with its first transition from "Mix" to "Remix", and that seems to be a testament to the "cooking" theme that the game so prominently features. The next plan for a rehash or "remix" of the game will have to show that the game still has what it takes to mix things up.

One year ago: Presents in Café Remix

Two years ago: Labors of Love

Three years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Majestic Tiger Elite (SA Factions)

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Mega Evolution Rework

Five years ago: Like a Slowking Without the Shell

Six years ago: Seek and Ye Shall...

Seven years ago: Transcending to a Beautiful Harmony

Eight years ago: Old Memories, New Memories

Nine years ago: Indie Pokémon Stickers

The State of Champions

At the beginning of this month, Pokémon Champions was released ("unleashed", in my terms), bringing about a completely new way of enjoying main series-like battles, including VGC - at least for now on the Switch. With the passage of time since its release, I thought that now I'd recap a few interesting points since that release and discuss what it means for the game, not to mention its mobile version that is still in the pipeline to allow broader enjoyment of the battles as mentioned above. 

Being that the game epitomizes main series and VGC battles, it has to conform to their many specifications... and it does. But because of its independence from the adventure aspect by virtue of it being a "battle client", it can then start to diverge (or more appropriately, vary) with regard to certain aspects, like changing some moves for older Pokémon and introducing elements for new ones - particularly brought about by Legends Z-A. Like VGC occasionally changing its format, it's a real possibility.

Meanwhile, like recent Pokémon games (and owing to the fact that Eterna City wasn't built in a day), the game has also received updates and fixes, which is inevitable since the main series aspects are complex. It's also expected since the game itself is expected to update to the changing dynamics of tournaments and competitions, and likely the entry of species from future generations... of which one is to come soon. Since this is happening for the Switch version, the mobile version is expected to be polished.

For the actual reception of the game, it looks to be pretty good - especially if recently held tournaments with thousands of participants can be considered an affirmation of that. Players (Trainers) have also come up with a myriad of strategies and team compositions, some familiar and others new, and they've been successful or attractive (or both) to different extents, appealing to different people. It is certain that once the mobile version gets rolling, the appeal will become more widespread to others.

If the above situations - taken to represent the current state of the game - are indicative of anything, it is that Pokémon Champions is already looking good as the current face of main series and VGC battling. The future will certainly be shaped by how players (Trainers) continue to strategize in the game, what will be added to and changed within it, and of course when the mobile version will manifest. It's a state that will demand improvement over time by those in this Pokémon battle path.

One year ago: A Pokémon Lanyard and ID Holder

Two years ago: Hobby vs. Responsibility

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/30/2023

Four years ago: Pokémon and Virtual Pets

Five years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: Shaping for Success

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/30/2020

Seven years ago: A New(?) Pikachu Doll

Eight years ago: A Sun & Moon Doujin Manga

Nine years ago: Cosplay: ComiCamp 2, Day 2

"Longer Than You Think": Some Long(?) Pokémon Waits

Earlier in January, I had discussed ways that Pokémon could be stated, expressed, or conveyed within a short time - 60 seconds. It seems like a short amount of time, but it can be quite long, which is why I also included the blurb about how it can actually feel as such according to a particular someone. For convenience, I've included the actual quote in the title of this post, and that's for a good reason: I've decided to bring up the quote again for a discussion of its essence in relation to some Pokémon "waits" that can in fact exemplify that essence.

One of those long waits is the PvP switch timer in Pokémon Go, which has a history of being somewhat long (60 seconds, like the time above) before it was shortened to the most recent 45 seconds. Still, these are somewhat greater than even a time of 30 seconds, which is incidentally the time referenced for the quote above, and it can seem like forever to wait for that switch timer to reset and thus be able to switch Pokémon - even with Fast and Charged moves still being thrown. The short time yet seemingly long wait is evocative of the quote.

Then, there is the One-Minute Cooking countdown clock in Café Remix, which starts out at 60 seconds but can and does regenerate by sidekick Pokémon effects and going into Fever Frenzy. Yet just like the Pokémon Go PvP situation above, it can be like an eternity in trying to do as much as possible within that time, even going into and out of Fever Frenzy. While it is true that players may not actually want to let the time just pass by, doing all the actions in the play can seem extended and makes things seem longer than they should be, like the time.

Meanwhile, Pokémon Unite has the move timers for playable Pokémon, and even though they are far shorter than most of the above durations, they too can seem like a long time. It is also possible to show milliseconds when they get down to the final second, but the wait to get there is still significant... which also makes the final second also significant even with the display. Likewise, there are also a lot of things going on in battle, and all of those things have a way of making time perceptions seem longer (mostly) or shorter than they seem to be.

Now, it's a given that some things, even Pokémon things, require a sense of waiting in their progressions. Yet given the above, what appears to be short timeframe can and still do take time that may be perceived as long, and that is pretty much an affirmation of the mentioned quote by that particular someone. Getting on with that wait and the processes involved in the wait will surely make the time pass by - in particular to be able to do other things - but it is necessary to keep in mind that some stretches of time are just that long, no two ways about it.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/29/2025

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/29/2024

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 4/29/2023

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/29/2022

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/29/2021

Six years ago: The State of Cosplay

Seven years ago: Cosplay Team Projects, Revisited

Eight years ago: Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 13

Nine years ago: Cosplay: ComiCamp 2, Day 1

Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/28/2026

The second month of a Pokémon Go season entitled "Memories in Motion" goes (or perhaps more appropriately, had gone) into motion, so now it's time to roll up the events and evaluate what has transpired in that time. Based on their content, I would say that the events this month are of the "strong movement" kind, and that may be saying something for the things that go into motion, as the season's moniker suggests. In turn, that presents strong memories as well with the way that the season is.

The first event, A Shockingly Good Time, actually began on March 31, but I consider it an April event for soon-to-be evident reasons. The main event was all about Electric-type Pokémon, with Pikachu, Chinchou, and Dedenne having Shiny boosts, and others joining them in the wild and Field Research encounters. It also saw the temporary return of Spotlight Hour... or Hours, one for each day of the event (up to April 6) with different species on each day. Now, along with Pikachu as the Spotlight Hour feature on April 1, a hooded species also accompanied it from that point onwards - and that would be Mimikyu, making its debut in the game as the "shade of difference" for April Fool's. This event also came with a Go Pass of 60 ranks with encounters, catch and Incense bonuses, and lots of items (including some for Mimikyu) plus two avatar items, one inside (by the paid Deluxe track) and one outside the Go Pass. There was both a time of shock and tomfoolery for this particular event.

April 14 saw the return of Sustainability Week, which proceeded until April 20. This edition saw the debuts of the Silicobra family, a costumed Galarian Corsola, and Shiny Toedscool - the first of which had a bit of a "habitat kerfuffle". Meanwhile, the second could be encountered on Routes along with a few other species in two-day periods, all with Shiny boosts; it too might appear in 7 km Eggs and Field Research along with yet other species. The third along with natural Pokémon species and the dynamic-by-weather Castform (with a Shiny boost) appeared in the wild wherever they are found. This event's 60-rank Go Pass had bonuses of PokéStop XP and hatch distance, along with the usual encounters and unusually luxe items, including a paid pose in the Deluxe track - all for a strongly sustainable time.

Finishing off this month is the return of the Steeled Resolve event, from April 28 (today) until May 4. New this time is the species Orthworm (and its Shiny form), which appears in raids along with other species of the Steel type, not to mention in the wild and Field Research. Meltan is also a given for this one, with a Shiny chance and more opportunities to open the Mystery Box. Then there's the event's Go Pass with its 60 ranks containing encounters and other items... but this one holds a dark secret for the event's tail end that is best discussed separately - as in next month's rollup with a different "finish".

As with last month, there were the "Community Saturdays" that took place in the month, aside from this month's Community Day on April 11. On April 4, there was a Fashion Raid Day that featured many species with costumes as found in past Fashion Week events. Then, April 18 saw a Hatch Day event featuring Lucario, a "replay" of the first one some three years ago. Finally, there was also a Max Battle Day on April 25 featuring the first four Pokémon (the three Kanto first partners plus Gengar) in the game that received the Gigantamax treatment as part of the "Go Bigger" event a couple of years ago. These are not just strong but also big in some respects - in particular the last one of these for its significance.

Facets of strength and nostalgia really seemed to make themselves apparent this month with all the events, and there were some motions too from the related Pokémon, if not also for the Trainers pursuing them. It may be the most representative month for the season, although its finale next month is not far away. 

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/27/2025

Two years ago: Pokémon on a Budget

Three years ago: Attraction to Poké Balls

Four years ago: Employing a Loudred "Speaker"

Five years ago: The Mysticism of Pokémon in Caves

Six years ago: The Allure and Wonder of "Shundo"

Seven years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 4 - Hibana no Utopia

Eight years ago: Other Pokémon Competitions

Nine years ago: Pokémon Floor Mat

Regional Festival Maps in Pokémon Unite

This year's Pokémon anniversary has to bring out the best of and from Pokémon, including as they are identified by the regions they hail from. Pokémon Unite has embraced this idea, and with that, the game created special maps for celebrating the anniversary by bringing out the Pokémon from specific regions. Accordingly, the special maps are called "festival" maps with regard to their celebratory nature of Pokémon in general and the species that are already featured in the game specifically - something that should now be discussed.

Earlier, around the time of the first introduction of the "Legendary Flight" as full-fledged Unite Licenses, the game had the "Kanto Festival" map, which allowed Unite Licenses for Pokémon that hail from that region. Similarly, with the current approaching introduction of the first partner trio from Johto as Unite Licenses, the game now has the "Johto Festival" map, which by implication thus allows Unite Licenses for Pokémon of that very region. Both also come with respective events. The idea is simple, but there's quite a bit more to it than the above.

For these maps, they are played as Casual matches using the latest iteration of Theia Sky Ruins as their base. The wild Pokémon that are present in that map are the same as for the regular version of that map, so they remain as generational "outliers", in a way only "supporting" the actual celebration by what players play. As well, they allow multiple players to choose the same Pokémon, which is evidently currently needed as there are very few Pokémon to use for the Johto Festival map, at least until the first partners fully show up.

Since not all Pokémon from these featured regions have shown up in the game, these maps can definitely stand a chance to be repeated at some point in time, when more of them do show up as Unite Licenses. Furthermore, the two maps as introduced above also provide a base framework for future regional "festival" maps - a Hoenn map comes to mind and may be scintillating to think about, especially since a few Pokémon from the region has shown up. Yet that's only for the future to consider.

It's only natural to consider the regions of particular Pokémon species in featuring them, as that is a non-removable part of their identity. Considering that, Pokémon Unite has a good thing going with the regional "festival" maps to celebrate and play with the Pokémon of select regions, even if the celebration only exists in this specific form. Still, that should be a good thing for this Pokémon anniversary and beyond, as great Pokémon hail from great regions, and both deserve a rightful celebration in their play.

One year ago: Cosplay: Nakama Fest

Two years ago: Cosplay: Community Alliance Meeting

Three years ago: Other Trainers for Legacy Trainer Challenge?

Four years ago: TCG, My Past and Future

Five years ago: Quickies: Trainers as Independent Learners

Six years ago: Resolving Differences

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 4/27/2019

Eight years ago: Groups and Sub-Groups

Nine years ago: Out of This World: Episode 690 - "A UFO for Elgyem!"

Let's Talk About Our Favorite Snacks

Goh: Oh, just a plain talk today?

Ash: Well, we did talk on Sundays all this month for conventions...

Me: That's one way of looking at it. Another is me just wanting to get my (and our) ideas out there.

Goh: Yeah, I guess that's not too bad. 

Ash: So, I heard we're going to talk about food today!

Pikachu: Pika pika! ["Good stuff!"]

Me: Yes - we're talking about food, specifically snacks, the stuff we eat between meals and the like.

Goh: I'm sure you have your own for that.

Me: Certainly. Potato chips are a big thing for me. I can hardly resist a bag of them.

Ash: You must like chip-type snacks a lot too.

Me: Depends on the chip, but yeah. I'm big on chips. How about you two?

Ash: I guess sometimes we see it and have it, but other than that...

Goh: ...we don't see it all that often. Isn't that right?

Ash: When we're out on the wild and stuff, we just snack on what's there.

Goh: Right - it's when we get to cities and towns that we get "people food".

Ash: Oh, like the snacks from the different regions. Lava Cookies, Castelia Cones, Malasadas...

Pikachu: Pi pika pika... ["Hey, hold on there..."]

Goh: All the stuff from the regions! Now those are snacks we could really get our hands on when we're there.

Ash: Yeah!

Goh: But then again, we like Berries and Apples from the wild...

Ash: Sure. We all need to eat fruits every so often.

Goh: Don't you (our friend) eat fruits too?

Ash: Well, I heard he ate Pinap Berries in juice form (or drank it, it seems)...

Me: Good ear. I like Pinap Berries - not just to give to Pokémon to get more Candy for them. And then there are others too.

Goh: I guess you're selective about them.

Me: I guess I am. Even for things like the previous ones above, I'm a bit selective of those too - but I'll give some things a try on the first go.

Ash: But we can all say that there's so many different kinds of snacks.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["So many."]

Goh: The question is having the patience to try them.

Me: I'll say. Like this one chip snack that's sort of like a waffle, which is good but also a little "oily".

Ash: Wow.

Me: And recently, that's been pushing Pokémon stuff too.

Goh: Interesting. Aren't you going to get some?

Me: Actually, I have gotten some - but I'll need to deal with them later. And today...

Goh: Oh, I see it now. I think?

Ash: Hmm.

Me: Maybe we don't have to bring it up too much.

Goh: OK... 

Pikachu: Pi... ka? [in a curious sound]

Me: As Ash said, we make our point - lots of snacks out there, even Pokémon ones.

Ash: Something we could try every now and then.

Goh: And sometimes makes us happy.

Me: What would life be like without food - even little bites - to keep our spirits up?

One year ago: The Evolution of Community Day Times and Scheduling

Two years ago: Animation Settings for Café Remix?

Three years ago: Slow Living with Pokémon

Four years ago: Forced Updates to Pokémon Games

Five years ago: (Re-)Join for Good

Six years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Voyager Cup

Seven years ago: Raising the Pokémon Go Level Cap

Eight years ago: Working with Shuffle's Item Limits

Nine years ago: In Pursuit of Collections