Cosplay: Wibufest Cosplay Competition

Me: Now here's something to liven up this weekend... I hope.

Goh: Well, it's a character [OOC: cosplay] thing. So of course you're sending Ash.

Ash: I'm on it!

Goh: And it's a competition too, obviously. You will be putting Ash in that, right?

Me: Actually, it's not just characters. There's a singing one too.

Ash: Sure, why not.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Good thing."]

Goh: And what do you want Ash to sing?

Me: Well, since it seems no-holds-barred... let's go with "Chiisaki Mono".

Ash: Ah! Well, I'll put on my Hoenn outfit, then.

Me: You got it.

Goh: So, what's the place like?

Ash: It's a cafe! But they set it up like a festival on the second floor.

Goh: Very neat. And of course everything happened there.

Ash: Yeah! But, uh... I think our friend still has a bit of a "tired" problem.

Me: I'm really sorry. I thought I'd overcome it by now. I hope you did all that you can.

Ash: I did. It might sound a little off, but it's still true to the song.

Pikachu: Pika chu... ["Pity..."]

Goh: You did try to resolve it yourself, did you?

Me: I did all I can myself. [sigh] Well, if you want, you can take part in the character competition.

Ash: I got into the character parade... I think. I was given a number for that.

Goh: Was there something else?

Ash: There seems to be a "street competition".

Me: Oh, but you had to sign up regardless. Hmm.

Goh: Huh. And I guess the parade happened way later on.

Ash: Early evening! But...

Me: What now?

Ash: I almost didn't get called! But then a friend of our friend saved us.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu? ["How'd that happen?"]

Goh: Maybe they put you on the "street competition" and gave the wrong label?

Me: That's possible - even intentionally.

Goh: Seeing that there are two competitions, anything is possible.

Ash: Yeah, even for the singing one. 

Goh: How'd you do with that?

Ash: No go. Only three winners and there were some real good ones in the 18 who were in it. 

Me: So we may never have had a chance. Although I'm still frustrated that things turned out the way they did for me.

Goh: I'm sure you'll want to make it up.

Me: Absolutely.

Ash: Maybe the place was frustrated as well? The power kept going out.

Pikachu: Pika... pika chu! ["It just went... zap!"]

Goh: Oh. That too is frustrating.

Ash: And the winners of all competitions had to deal with other things too?

Me: OK, so maybe it's not so bad not winning. I guess we're all dodging bullets (and seeds) here.

Ash: I'd say we all need to get things going.

 

Me: True that. I hope that'll be the case for whatever's next time.

Goh: There's always one. 

Me: There always is.

One year ago: On the Live Service Aspect of Pokémon Games

Two years ago: Of Leeks, Ducks, and Horses

Three years ago: Remaking My Pokémon Papercraft Models?

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Goodies, Round 3

Five years ago: What It Takes To Jump-Start Pokémon Go Trainers

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/19/2020

Seven years ago: The First Johto Saga English Opening Theme

Eight years ago: Fast Moves and Charged Moves

Nine years ago: Movie Times

Speedrunning Features

Many Pokémon games have lots of features that add bulk to the games and give outlets of aspirations for players (Trainers, partially depending on the game) to work on and pursue. Not surprisingly, it is also that "bulk" that makes things hard for them, with particular regard of dealing with them - with speed, no less. With that, I had a thought about the specific concern of making "speedruns" with them in more than one respect, and I've decided to try to write a little something about that... perhaps in a bit of a speedy manner as well.

In one sense, the "speedrunning" is for testing through them - which many should so that others don't have to, and especially so if the player is marked for beta testing as with the case sometimes in Pokémon Go. Even if testing isn't a concern (or more specifically, is already done), it may be that they're needed for certain purposes that players need, for example leveling up (Pokémon Go) or facilitating Pokémon transfers (with relation to the main series). In that case, speed may be of some absolute importance for getting things done.

Outside of the games, there may be the need to understand the features quickly, whether that would be for personal needs or the need of sharing that understanding with others. The latter evidently can take many forms from the verbal to the visual, perhaps including what you're reading right now. The speed may also be relative, depending on the Pokémon game and the relevant player base, but if the need for speed presents itself, then the players in the player base can and do have a way of making it happen - a bit of comfort and motivation.

Speed may or may not be a necessary aspect of the features in question for the Pokémon games, but the concern of "speedrunning" through the features may be something that makes itself necessary according to the player bases of the games and what the aims of that "speed run" may be. Given the "bulk" of the games, which may be a partial result of the features in question, there could also be the need to downplay that bulk and allow the players in the player base to pursue and work on more aspirations than ever before with a "speed run".

Now, I think I've got a bit of feature "speedrunning" to do in my own (Pokémon) case...

One year ago: Dreaming of "The Chase"

Two years ago: (More on) The Funko Pop! Figures

Three years ago: Translation Issues in Café Remix?

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Repeat, 7/16/2022

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2021, Day 2

Six years ago: Team GO Rocket's Aerial Attacks

Seven years ago: The State of Nominations

Eight years ago: The Eevee Identity

Nine years ago: Only One Save File

A Tale of Some Psychic Pokémon, Part 2

I'm still in the mood to bring back a discussion topic from the past year, so now I've chosen this one. At that time, I brought up some Pokémon of the Psychic type and a "tale" involving them. Well, that tale has continued to the present day, although with a few twists and turns along the way. It's still a neat "tale" to be told in Pokémon terms, so given that it has come to my recollection, I have to tell (or retell) its continuance.

Now, those Pokémon (Gallade, Mr. Mime, and Gardevoir) are still around, but not as frequently as they used to be, becoming only once a week now. For some time, even only Mr. Mime was present, and the Gardevoir was of different ones - meaning, not the same individual. It made for a different "peering" experience with them in their own ways, especially with the more "errant" Mr. Mime - until the Gallade came back.

Speaking of "peering", there is still the process of taking things and punching them up, along with adding the sound of a Mightyena, but things certainly now have changed. For example, there is a greater emphasis on things that apply as a "general interest", ones that other Pokémon will certainly be able to relate to. Beyond that, they'll have to work with both and old new constraints in all the "peering" they do.

For all that they do, however, they also still only seemingly attract the same old, same old crowd. Yet they also know that they have many Pokémon (and maybe people) who become their followers. Their next step, then, would be to gather up all those followers and have a grand old time, much like certain mass meetings of Pokémon species. Realizing that would be a big step in their "peering" efforts to reach more lives.

A tale like the one told by the three Psychic type Pokémon is one that they'll keep telling according to what they do, the "peering". That tale has evidently continued for another year, and it took a fascinating turn for the ones involved. It also might still remain a "stretch", something I mentioned last year, but if their "peering" has a way, then their presence has a will - whether or not that's described in Pokémon terms.

One year ago: Quickies: The Fancy of Pokémon Leaves

Two years ago: Alternative Communities for Pokémon Fans

Three years ago: Contemporary Issues with Pokémon Games

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/17/2022

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2021, Day 1

Six years ago: Catch Me If...

Seven years ago: The First Johto Saga Japanese Opening Theme

Eight years ago: Rearranged Pokémon Music

Nine years ago: How Far Do People Know Pokémon?

Changing Event (Elements) in TCGP

Also about a year ago, I had written up about some event types that are commonly found in the TCGP implementation for the Pokémon TCG. As can be expected, things can and do have a way of changing within the span of a year, and change has come to those events, whether in their particulars or in their general overall form. Because of that, I thought it would be a good idea to give a heads-up on a few things that have changed with regard to those events.

First up, there is a new kind of event, which is called Community Week. The event focuses on completing missions of social interactions, which means sharing cards and trading cards with those who may need them - and giving "thanks" in return if one received the courtesy, as well as registering (making) friends with others if possible. The rewards are mostly centered around hourglasses, but these are certainly still worthy to get as with anything that has them.

Then there are changes to the previously mentioned events. The event shops of the Wonder Pick events have been eliminated, and now players only need to keep making Wonder Picks to earn the accessories through mission completions, as well as a couple copies of the cards in case one still isn't lucky enough with them. Meanwhile, the Card Drop events now have more missions that reward packs by simply battling, so less skilled players can have a chance; the earned packs can now also be opened all at once instead of individually as it was before.

One of the events I mentioned earlier (Mass Outbreak), however, has been absent for some time, and that is an apparent marker of its demise. It seems that it may not be needed any longer, given how current expansions work, and players may prefer the freedom of regular Wonder Picks and pack openings instead. It still had good outcomes while it lasted.

Change is a given for long periods of time, like in the time after I wrote up about common events in TCGP up to now. Indeed, in that time, some of the elements of the events (or the events themselves) changed. Hopefully, those changes may have to be considered to be for the better, and the improvements to the events serve not only as a way of reflecting the advancement of the game but also taking things beyond a certain realm of commonality.

One year ago: Café Remix Delivery Disillusionment

Two years ago: Let's Go Make Some Fusions

Three years ago: Cosplay: Onokatsu Japanese Festival

Four years ago: Cosplay: Community Base Party

Five years ago: Go Fest in the Time of...

Six years ago: Starting from Somewhere

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Version 1?

Eight years ago: Daily Tasks

Nine years ago: Flying Quirks of Charizard

Welcome to Scopely Explore

It is known that since last year, Pokémon Go and a few other games under the Niantic Games banner were put up for sale, and the buyer is Scopely, a games company with a somewhat different history of its own. The games then entered a transition period with the new "suitor", and now the "apex" of that transition period is at hand with the games finally shedding their former Niantic (Games) branding for one under the Scopely name. This post serves to discuss that new branding, and in particular to how it applies for Pokémon Go.

The new branding is called Scopely Explore, which is certainly a nod to how its games make people go out in the real world; it also harmoniously agrees with the Niantic Spatial branding in cadence for games that didn't go to Scopely (as Ingress). Now, Scopely has a "folded S" logo; this also becomes reflected in the Explore branding, where the letter X becomes (or more appropriately, resembles) a folded paper crane. The spirit of the branding then appears to be quite appropriately placed, especially with Pokémon (Go) as a concern.

Speaking of which, the Pokémon Go web site has replaced mentions of Niantic Games on its web site with Scopely Explore, particularly on its Community page that I highlighted along with the standards for its leaders. The game too has replaced the old Niantic logo on its splash screen with the Scopely Explore logo, but this has been made smaller to make way for the game's 10th anniversary logo... which also marks the first time ever that the game's logo is present on that very screen, something that never happened with Niantic.

Even with this change, the Pokémon Go team - as well as their objectives of delivering a great experience - are to stay the same, at least as elucidated by the transition news update. Still, it cannot be doubted that a lot of changes and happenings have occurred within that time, many great and others not so great in terms of both execution and perception. The challenge for the team now, and based on what has transpired, is to prove that the above can happen even with them being "under new management" - yet again, as I had mentioned.

Now, that new management has fully revealed its guise, perhaps with somewhat appropriate timing, given that this is a big anniversary year for both Pokémon in general and Pokémon Go itself. With the core idea ("explore") embedded in the title of that new management entity, it is hoped that they won't stray too far off that idea; yet in some ways, "stray" is indeed what some explorers (and Pokémon Trainers) may need to do to achieve some of their objectives, and  Scopely Explore will have to weigh that in for the good of Pokémon Go.

One year ago: Common Event Types in TCGP

Two years ago: The Pokémon Go Fest Experience... with Ash in Tow

Three years ago: The (Master) Magnet Man

Four years ago: My Nintendo Rewards - Pokémon Wallpapers

Five years ago: Professor Willow Goes to the TCG

Six years ago: More on Remote Raids

Seven years ago: The Switch Lite

Eight years ago: Mew @ Everywhere

Nine years ago: What Kind of Pokémon Are You?

On Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood

Today is... well, actually, a special day in a certain part of the world. But it's not that relevant to me, aside from someone who shares their birthday with the day, whom I mentioned way back when I started this blog (see below, nine years ago). Yet there's something to be said about the special day, so I've decided to make a one-off post about it and certainly bring Pokémon to the table alongside the special day in question.

Now, said special day is very much linked to three aspects (or perhaps they could also be said to be "qualities"). All three of them are mentioned in the title of this post and will become a part of the discussion shortly. In this case, I've also put them in a more "diverse" form, since the "parallel" form is best reserved for those with direct links to them... and I don't. The only direct link I have is with Pokémon, and that becomes the secondary "core" of the discussion.

For those aspects or "qualities", the first is or should be familiar to those who are able to pursue their good and best life objectives without being restrained - except where it might be needed, certainly. Pokémon Trainers have a lot of freedom in their world to pursue their objectives under a similar state of affairs. What is clear is that regardless, freedom is valued and there is benefit in it for the people, which then can extend to those linked to Pokémon.

As for equality, there is a beauty (and necessity) in being able to regard fellow people in equal stature in all relevant social situations. That has to be the way for Pokémon Trainers as well, and that is in fact the case before and after they meet for battle. Outside of battling, social situations in both the real and Pokémon worlds are quite varied, and they also warrant equal stature for the people involved in them - as well as Pokémon species when relevant.

Brotherhood, the last aspect, is surely one that many people in general will be able to relate to. It would warrant maintaining good linkages... especially when Pokémon battles come into the light with all their tensions before and after. Indeed, tensions always arise whether it's the real or Pokémon world, so having the prerogative to keep good relationships is something that is quite worth it, and Pokémon has a lot of that going on as well beyond all the battles.

If the above is of any indication, the three aspects or "qualities" are actually quite universal - even for Pokémon - aside from its relation to that certain part of the world, which becomes relevant today. It will likely be the only time I'll address the particularly special day and its related specifics, but the relevance will remain somehow as I continue to address Pokémon matters on this day and further beyond that.

One year ago: A Tale of Some Psychic Pokémon

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2024 (Global), Day 2

Three years ago: The Single-Type Cup of GBL

Four years ago: Forest Bathing with Pokémon

Five years ago: Redeeming Offer Codes in Pokémon Go

Six years ago: Miss You, Brandon

Seven years ago: Cosplay: COSTHNIFEST

Eight years ago: Spending on Pokémon

Nine years ago: A Pokémon Forum Persona

Cosplay: MCP Coshow

Me: OK, Go Fest is a wrap (for now), so it's time to deal with something we skipped over.

Goh: Well, it was a character thing, of course. Like this and this?

Me: Yeah.

Ash: It's neat that it happened after Go Fest... or I think that made its way a bit into this one.

Goh: Looking at the schedule, I'd say that's true.

Ash: But I got there just after things really got going, so I didn't miss much.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Good thing."]

Goh: OK... and I'm sure Bocchi Noizu was involved somehow.

Ash: Yeah! They brought their usual games, and some people won big prizes. They say it never happened before.

Goh: Well, that's the big difference, isn't it? Just like Mewtwo for Go Fest.

Me: I'm sure it is. 

Ash: I think we got it.

Goh: Then there must have been the usual entertainment if they're involved.

Ash: You bet! A singer, a dancer, and a dance group.

Pikachu: Pika... pika pika. ["Yeah... the usual."]

Goh: And then there was you, and other characters. A character parade, right? 

Ash: Right! Our friend sent me with the Kanto-Johto outfit.

Me: Obviously because of the Go Fest thing.

Goh: Makes sense. But you know, people see you quite often with it, in it. Don't you think you ought to have made it different?

Ash: I did! That's what a character friend of us tells me to do.

Me: And how'd that happen?

Ash: I Mega Evolved Mewtwo into its X form in front of everyone! 

Goh: Wow!!

Pikachu: Pika chu!! ["Awesome!!"]

Me: And I know you did great with that, because you got...

Ash: Bocchi Noizu favorite! 

Goh: That's pretty nice. 

Ash: But it was a little tiring too. I think our friend...

Me: Um, well... [clears throat] 

Goh: [to Me] Maybe you could try to take it a little easier?

Me: Let me see what I can do. [to all] Anyway, this was a show and a half.

Ash: It was really a show! But... a half?

Pikachu: Pika chu? ["Really?"]

Me: Well, I think I might need to find another one-half somewhere else.

Goh: Like I just said.

Ash: And don't stress yourself out.

Me: I won't. (Although, sometimes Pokémon things can be that way...)

One year ago: Respect for James Carter Cathcart... in Memoriam

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2024 (Global), Day 1

Three years ago: The Pokérus and Its Importance

Four years ago: Good Pokémon Cosplay Relationships

Five years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Sheet Music Boss Edition

Six years ago: Giving the Gift of Pokémon GIFs

Seven years ago: I'm a... Bounty Hunter?

Eight years ago: Losing and Finding Links

Nine years ago: Strategy Guides and My Pokémon Experience