Sunday, October 11, 2026

New TCGP Battles Incoming

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

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

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

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

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

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Saturday, October 10, 2026

Pokémon Go Community Day, 10/10/2026

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

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

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

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

Goh: Zorua, huh?

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

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

Goh: That's a neat story.

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

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

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

Ash: Sure! I got an almost perfect one.

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

Ash: With my Unova outfit in the faraway place.

Goh: There must have been something planned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Friday, October 9, 2026

More Ways to Earn Macarons - Possible?

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

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

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

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

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

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Thursday, October 8, 2026

Touring the Local Card Game Shop

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

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

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

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

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

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Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Becoming a "Child of..." with Pokémon

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

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

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

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

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

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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Mythical Things Like Mythical Pokémon

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

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

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

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

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

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Monday, October 5, 2026

TCGP: Deluxe Pack Strikes Back... with Mega

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

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

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

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

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

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