Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Celebrity Favorites for "Pokémon 30"

Ideally, the post I write up for today should have come (a lot) sooner - perhaps applicable in more ways than one - but it is what it is. Earlier this year, I had written up about the "What's Your Favorite?" campaign, which is also effectively a star-studded commemoration for this year's big Pokémon anniversary. For that, I do want to identify the celebrities that are part of the campaign, along with the species they state as their favorite, and to give a personal breakdown of their selections - in particular, those that were featured on the Instagram post.

Some of the featured celebrities are those who deal with the world of music, one of them being the aforementioned Lady Gaga (whose favorite is Jigglypuff); the Pokémon is known for its 12-octave range and it therefore meshes with her musical style. Then, there are Jisoo of K-pop girl band Blackpink fame (whose favorite is Eevee) who has cited the transformative nature of the species, perhaps much like the girl band itself, and Young Miko (whose favorite is Gengar), a Caribbean rapper who could be construed to have a sharp and distinct style, and so does the Pokémon species of choice. They're all well-liked for these well-liked artists.

Then, there are a couple of featured athletes. Charles Leclerc (whose favorite is Arcanine) is known for his prowess behind the wheel of an F1 car; it's speedy, but so is that very Pokémon, who might just be able to stand in for the vehicle if he lets it - which could seem to be the case. Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal (whose favorite is Zygarde in its Complete Forme) had just recently helped Spain to earn a soccer world champ title, and both are particularly known for their abilities - extreme ones at that, both off and on the pitch. If these two athletes have something to say, it may be that their favorite species also define themselves and back.

As for the rest of the featured celebrities, they may be considered "offbeat" ones. Comedy fans will likely recognize Trevor Noah (whose favorite is Psyduck) from his show ventures, especially one on the air; the choice of the Pokémon may be one of bewilderment, with particular regard to psychic and comedic power. Then there's Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (whose favorite is Luxray), an actress who is likely recognizable from some contemporary roles, including one for an animation in a neighboring universe... which might partially explain the choice of the species in addition to its Electric-type personality. They're "offbeat" yet so are their complements.

With these celebrities, the selection represents a great swath of pop culture media and lifestyle, which can be said to be the same for Pokémon nowadays in all its forms. Whether or not Pokémon can be verified to have an impact on said celebrities, the impact of their stated favorites may just be very effective for existing fans and captivating for those for whom Pokémon may be only a cursory interest. They make their favorites especially attractive for themselves and fans in general, and that is definitely worth it for this year's big anniversary.

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Monday, September 7, 2026

Cosplay: Cosplay Creator and Community Convention (C4) 2026

Me: Well, I think you two already gave it away - Goh by sense, Ash by happening.

Ash, Goh: C4!!

Ash: But this time it was on time, not like last year.

Me: Indeed. So on schedule that in fact it had to coincide with the Go Fest Max Finale.

Goh: Coincide...? So this was yesterday and two days ago, like it usually is?

Ash: Nope, just yesterday.

Goh: Huh. I wonder what happened.

Pikachu: Pika chu, pika pika? ["Me too, curious?"]

Me: Maybe they didn't want it to not work out just in case things happen, like last year. Or the organizers are "broke", in a manner of speaking.

Ash: Well, they still seemed to have everything just in one day - the booths, stages, and so on. It kind of looked like ChibiCon for one day.

Goh: Did it have a throng of people too?

Ash: Yeah. Right when I bought my ticket to go in and all day.

Goh: All day, minus the time you were at the Mega Finale meetup.

Ash: Yeah, that.

Goh: I'll bet you missed a few things.

Me: Well, I'm sure he'd miss any semblance of a character competition.

Ash: I know that would happen. 

Pikachu: Pika... ["Well..."]

Me: And maybe he'd miss certain acts on stage... like a certain band.

Ash: Aw man! I saw their name on the stage bumper but didn't see them while I was there, before and after.

Goh: Well, maybe you'll see them sometime else.

Ash: Sure - whenever that'll be. 

Me: Oh, I've just realized: I sent you with your Kalos outfit again like last year, but you didn't deal with anything related to characters.

Ash: It was mostly for the Mega Finale, which is from Kalos, right?

Me: Right you are. I was mostly thinking about that.

Goh: I guess you can think of this year like an extension of last year instead of a new experience.

Pikachu: Chu pika. ["Makes sense."]

Ash: Well, that's true.

Me: But you did get to meet my friends as usual, right?

Ash: Yup - the ones near and far. I spent the morning with one.

Goh: And then you got involved in the communities.

Ash: A bit with the tile game one this time. Oh, and I just browsed through all the merchandise and didn't get anything in particular.

Me: That's OK. You didn't have to this time - maybe at a future convention, either this one or something else.

Ash: Hey, but the future looks good for this one.

Pikachu: Pika chu pika! ["Looks real good."]

Goh: As long as it doesn't hit a snag - or our friend runs into a snag with a Pokémon thing.

Me: Well, that. But life goes on.

Ash: Gotta get next year going, then.

Goh: And don't you have other things to get going too?

Me: That's very true - for Pokémon and else, for conventions and else. 

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Sunday, September 6, 2026

Pokémon Go Fest 2026 (Global), Mega Finale

I mentioned a "catch-up opportunity" in my previous post, and that was for a good reason: a finale edition of Pokémon Go Fest is once again instituted for this year. Like last year, it's a mainly two-day happening on the weekend, though it is supported by a week-long event (certainly, to be detailed later). This time, evidently, it's all about Mega Evolution, which has possessed a significance of its own in the game - and this "Mega Finale" honors that significance while wrapping up the festivities, as well as the season.

As usual, the Mega Evolution forms appear by way of raids, this time all divided up into four habitats repeated once both yesterday and today over the period of 10 AM to 6 PM. They also include ones that were previously instituted as Super Mega Raids throughout this year starting from Go Tour and then the Raid Day events, this time just as regular Mega Raids with no shields to break. The catch-up element becomes apparent in this way for anyone whose Mega Energy is lacking and can afford to raid if possible.

But it's not the only one. Also in it for catching up is Mewtwo in its Mega forms, X yesterday and Y today, though rewarding a different background (if one is fortunate) and without the raid perks of the main Go Fest event. In addition, for the first time in seven years, Armored Mewtwo from the movie event in July 2019 returns, allowing those who haven't caught it to catch it by modern standards with various sizes, but still not in Shiny form. The finale event may thus be considered as Mewtwo-centric as it is Mega-centric, like the main one.

Since the Mega Evolution forms are found in raids, their predecessors in evolution are also found in the wild (and some Field Research tasks) during each habitat, accompanied by other species of similar types and supporting roles. The three first partners or starters of Kalos also appear in the wild, regardless of habitat, to supplement what can be gained from the accompanying event's Go Pass (to be detailed shortly)... for this Mega Finale also serves as the debut of the Mega Evolution forms of these Pokémon, though not by way of raiding them.

Then there is the Go Pass. It has a number of encounters with one of the Kalos first partners, which is selected by way of a Timed Research set. There are some items as well, but most of the first 100 ranks are filled with Mega Energy of various Mega Evolution forms, which may be useful for those who rarely have the chance to raid for them (even in this instance). The rest of the 500 ranks are composed of mostly Stardust as usual, while the real value is in the first partner encounters, which have a background when caught and could be Shiny.

Like last year, I took care of the first day yesterday in my local area and today in a faraway area, though today was also for a different and more "usual" reason that makes this year's instance a diversion, in addition to it being a diversion itself with some friends...

Goh: I seem to recall that we talked about something similar... oh, here we go, around a year ago too. Would it have something to do with that?

Me: Hmm, maybe. You know, it's as if I had planned it.

Ash: It was all today!

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Like that."]

Goh: Well, I can't wait to find out what happened. But for the Mega thing...

Ash: I just took care of what our friend needed with the raids and all.

Me: Great! It shouldn't have been too much.

Ash: But Mega Evolution is always a big thing.

Goh: Can't argue with that.

Me: This year is a big one in many ways.

One more thing: this event is precisely why the next Pokémon Go season is deferred, so this becomes the real peak - or at least, it was previewed. As the season ends on a high note, the Mega Evolution journey in Pokémon Go continues for whatever else it might offer next.
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Saturday, September 5, 2026

Returning for Mega Opportunities

September 5 is the day is when I usually discuss my return to playing Pokémon Go since nine years ago (see below), and in that regard this post will be no different. What becomes the differentiator this time - aside from the topic that I choose to tie into the discussion, also the case for past years - is that the post also becomes a tie-in for a certain Pokémon affair to come, and will be separately detailed in a post and discussion all its own. Yet that topic is pretty much already indicative, given the title of this specific post.

But first, there is the "return" aspect to deal with. Every point I make about my return to Pokémon Go in past years is essentially an opportunity in some form, and the posts from the past years may be construed to be indicative of some of the forms that those opportunities may take. Even I'm still discovering them, especially last year and this year, when I've taken some big steps in dealing with how I play the game - particularly by the twists of the game itself and others who play it. That could be considered something "mega" to deal with.

Then there's the topic at hand. The game has had Mega Evolution for the better part of six years now, and there have been a lot of opportunities for introducing novelties related to it as well as the species related to it, including some of the newest ones (Dragonite, Victreebel, and so on) and the ones that Trainers have long waited for (Mewtwo, and previously Metagross and others). For that, the game has done a somewhat good job of implementing as well as preserving the concept for past and present Mega opportunities.

Now, with all the species of the "first batch" having their Mega forms and the "second batch" being gradually introduced, Trainers are given a great opportunity to feel like they're playing the original sixth-generation games and the new "add-on" Legends game alongside their real-world adventure. What's left is the future for the ones that haven't been introduced, and as or before that happens, it is a good idea to make sure one is caught up with what is present; the opportunities to make that happen may be either fortunate or remarkable.

Many years after I've returned, a whole lot (or by this post's descriptor, "mega") has developed for Pokémon Go, and that goes for the player side and the technical side - even if it's just as rough as it is pleasant. By extension, that also means a whole lot of opportunities for a lot of facets related to Pokémon, which at present admittedly has quite a bit to do with Mega Evolution and whatever Trainers can or have mustered for that. For other opportunities and returns (by other people), the efforts and results could be "mega" as well.

Two years ago: Wishing Others' Return
Three years ago: Point of (No) Return?
Six years ago: Returns Come and Go
Eight years ago: A Happy Return
Nine years ago: Here I Go (Again)
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Friday, September 4, 2026

TCGP: Team Rocket Takes Over, with Ambition

Team Rocket seems to have a way of getting into different Pokémon games and particularly ones beyond their region of concern (Kanto, and sometimes Johto). Their latest foray is now the Pocket version of Pokémon TCG, by which their entry is through an expansion of their own. Actually, it's substantially more than that, and thus the entry can be considered a "takeover" in line with other games with their presence. As such, this coverage of the new expansion will be comparatively more substantial, even "ambitious" in that regard.

With that, the new expansion is a Themed Booster Pack that is titled "Team Rocket's Ambition", which has a red accent that is as red as the Team Rocket "R". Its 72 numbered cards and 38 overnumbered cards (110 in total) hold some dark secrets, including the three Legendary birds of Kanto but belonging to the nefarious team (which indeed appear on the pack image), and the expansion's only "immersive" card being not a Pokémon card, but a Supporter card. The topsy-turvy possibilities are highly apparent.

Among the 66 Pokémon cards in the numbered section as well as their "full art" variants in the overnumbered section, many of them are indicated as "belonging" to Team Rocket, making them the first cards in TCGP with this distinction. Then, the pack also introduces 2 Item cards, 3 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card - not much to speak of, but what effects they may have could be quite detrimental to the player or opponent, especially when coupled with the attacks that the Pokémon of this expansion already possess.

Of course, the "takeover" is much more than that. The title or splash screen has been modified to have a scarlet aura with cards of the expansion. Then, there is an accompanying event for the time that the expansion is prime, which includes a special shop that is accessed by secret means that some main series players will find familiar. Some battles involving cards of the expansion will also have special music instead of the more common pieces. In more ways than one, this certainly makes for a "total takeover" of things.

Perhaps it may be apt to describe the presence of Team Rocket anywhere they may be present as an "organized chaos"; that description seems to be quite appropriate for their current presence in TCGP as well, thanks to this new (minor) expansion or Themed Booster Pack. Its elements are elegantly crazy - including for the background "takeover" event with which it comes along - and that can be something that some players can take advantage of to make sure that some (better) ambitions can be fulfilled.

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Thursday, September 3, 2026

Collection Challenges, Wherefore Art Thou?

By now, it's clear that a post with a title appended by the three-word question as with this one will deal with something that's been curiously missing for some time. This time it's in the realm of Pokémon Go, something that rarely has missing things, but in this case it's something that may be of certain significance. Since 2021, Collection Challenges have graced the game as an optional part of events that may also be engaging for those events. However, the feature has been curiously absent since early this year, and that becomes a prompt for writing up this post and discussing what may be the relevant circumstances to explain its absence.

Recall that last March, events started to be organized differently by adding Go Passes to them and/or making them less frequent (although the former then becomes another source of complaints, which may be discussed later). The Pokopia event then also happened to be the one which last had the feature, after which the absence occurred. Then in June and earlier, there was the reorganization of Today View, which was perhaps more vital than adding an instance of Collection Challenge. All these may or may not be the reasons that the feature went absent, but some of their complications at least may have had a hand.

The feature's absence also demands a reflection of its implementation all these years. Some of the instances have been challenging (which suits its name), but others have also been way too challenging, like the rather large ones of early editions of Go Tour or ones where multiple Pokémon need to be hatched out of Eggs that have poor chances (or the Trainers themselves were simply not fortunate enough). Yet others could be completed within timescales that are rather short, perhaps making them not "challenging" enough for what they are.

Perhaps for all of those possibilities, a break in its action may be well-deserved for the feature and Trainers who have expected it. Still, the break seems to have gone on long enough and they are interested in another instance of the feature. And by reports, that seems to be about to happen sooner rather than later, which could be regarded for fans of the feature (like yours truly) despite its share of "challenges" regarding its challenges (ahem). Thus, the return of the feature is and would be also very well-deserved for affirming its provisions.

Challenges constantly exist in Pokémon Go, with or without the above feature that explicitly provides that element, but the challenge in having to deal with the above feature's absence is quite a different one and is perhaps revealing of the elements of the game. With that, its recent absence is one that has to be duly noted and reasoned out, for the hope that its return can bring about challenges that are more receptive to Trainers and Pokémon Go.

One year ago: TCGP: A Visit to the Secluded Springs
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Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Technology Collaborations with Pokémon

This year is a special anniversary year for Pokémon, being its 30th year, something that bears repeating even now as it's transitioning. With such a lengthy presence, many entities outside of the franchise now also want in on it - as in, they want to collaborate with it. That includes some entities that deal with technology, specifically companies that produce certain devices, for whom Pokémon appeals to them for collaboration. Now (as well as further back), those companies have made their collaborations for Pokémon fans to enjoy.

Sandisk, the external storage company, recently came up with external drives that have motifs of certain Pokémon species. They comprise a flash drive featuring Mew and a portable SSD featuring Mewtwo - billed as emblematic of "mystical" and great power, for which the drives should allow for that. Even a little further back, they also came up with SD cards featuring Pokémon with additional Nintendo Switch branding, possibly for use in the consoles. Either way, the appeal and power of Pokémon is recognized.

Meanwhile, Polaroid as the company known for instant photos came up with new cameras for instant photos decked out with Pokémon colors - specifically those of Pikachu, Poké Ball, and Sylveon. To complete the gear, there are also camera cases, straps, and album cases with the Poké Ball motif, as well as instant photo films for use with the cameras that have some familiar (and favorite) Pokémon species on them. These instant photos are certainly all about making memories, and now they come with a neat Pokémon touch.

For the one that's somewhat further back, that would be Razer, the company of gaming peripherals. Their "Pokémon Collection" spans the gamut of keyboards, mice, deskpads, and headphones or earpads in terms of devices as well as Pikachu, Gengar, and more in terms of the featured Pokémon. These devices are primarily PC-centric, a realm where Pokémon is hardly present, but with Pokémon, their gaming flavor remains evident; the devices are a welcome addition for different Pokémon fans.

Whether they are of this year or were from past years, any collaboration with Pokémon is surely welcomed by its fans, especially for a special year like this one and if it involves products that are relevant to them. The case of the above technological products by the respective companies in collaboration with Pokémon makes it clear that they can acknowledge fans of this franchise and serve their (technological) needs, with or without a direct relationship to Pokémon but still having the particular flair of that very franchise.

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