Friday, June 19, 2026

Keeping Pokémon Unite Relevant

There is a floating discourse about Pokémon Unite, and it's not necessarily a good one. In fact, it could be said that the discourse has floated since the time a certain important change befell a key part of the game. The discourse, as hinted by the title of this post, is that the game is becoming irrelevant, and that is evidently disconcerting for those who consistently play even now and enjoy it. It's such an important matter that I have to address it now before other relevant matters to that discourse also emerge to the surface.

So, besides that important change, there's always been the matter of players misbehaving, whether they're human or not-so-human. Meanwhile, that important change and a few other elements in the game (like Holowear and associated methods to get it and other items) seem to remain in a "cash grab" position that may or may not be rewarding, like for the monthly subscription. It's also seemingly hard to get teams of players going, both on and off the game and partially due to the above. All of these seemingly contribute to the apparent irrelevance.

Having outlined the possible contributions to the irrelevance, the problem now is considering ways to sidestep the issues and maintain relevance. Revolutionary ways to play might help in this regard (if Electrode Volleyball hasn't already proven as such, which also may need to be built on) and especially to improve Ranked play; a different system for it may still need to be considered. That, along with continued promotion of the wonders of the game, might just be the necessary burden to keep relevance at hand.

For other ways to keep relevance, big-time events (such as one that's going on now, which I might just explain later on) could have its contributions somehow. If the game could also recycle interest from other realms of Pokémon - almost all of which are now present on the same platforms of the game itself (both Nintendo Switch and mobile) - it could have a shot at gaining some new interest. Yet that also implies that the older interest from the longer-term players also needs to be kept as much as possible, which is likely the challenge.

Pokémon Unite has been around for a few years now - something I'll get to soon enough - and it has gone through a roller-coaster ride, for both its game cycles and its fans. That then reflects on its relevance, which has evidently also become a struggle. Just as the apparent lack of it is emerging as a discourse, the discourse of trying to furnish it also needs to emerge in order to keep the game in its place among fans and even competitive players. For them, Pokémon is always relevant - the hope is that Unite can be so as well.

Four years ago: Say You Love Me (Not)
Five years ago: Earthing with Pokémon
Seven years ago: LINE Pokémon Emoji
Eight years ago: The Super Incubator
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Thursday, June 18, 2026

Ideas for New Pokémon Go Events

Sometimes, I still think about how Pokémon Go events may seem to lack variety, with many of them being directed for the debut of a new species in the game. This would certainly be based on the viewpoints of other players (Trainers), including a vocal one on this blog - even if that person was more concerned with the (previous) magnitude of events. For that, I've thought of offering suggestions for new event ideas, and now that's what I'd like to do with this post.

One of the event ideas would be a "Fusion Festival" - or perhaps it could be called an "Energy Festival", since not every energy is technically for Fusion. It would have tasks for earning energy (and some Candy) for all of the Pokémon that are capable of making use of energy for Fusion or transformation up to the event. It also would have related raids and if possible allow someone to get started on a particular Fusion (or to fill a gap) if they don't already have it. This event would be primarily for the convenience of new players or those who are long absent.

Then, I also have a pair of related ideas. An event (or events) for "Urban Life" and/or "Rural Venture" would celebrate those who live in the city and/or country respectively and have thematic Pokémon species that represent both areas. Though the concept of these two events would seem not to be very different from that of current events, it can be made different by involving Pokémon species of as many type varieties as possible; this would hopefully make the events more attractive and less likely to be complained about, especially by players like the above.

As a final event idea, I want to present the event idea of "Keep Exploring". This one is a bit technical in that some of its elements could be tied to efforts made in Niantic Wayfarer, although this would and could only apply to those who have access to it. For everyone (else), the event would have some usual "explore" tasks - and maybe a couple of Route tasks for good measure - but it could have new ones like "place Pokémon in 2 Gyms" and be tied to the addition of some new exploration features. I have some ideas for this, but perhaps they'll be explained later.

For all the events that are or have been featured in Pokémon Go, there may always be the possibility to consider new ones to satisfy the desires and alleviate the concerns of some players (Trainers). The possibilities as presented above may be some that are worthy of consideration - if not for my personal views, for the views of others - to be implemented somehow into Pokémon Go. As with certain other things in life, it's the thought that counts, perhaps especially now.

Three years ago: Beachside with Pokémon
Seven years ago: On Copyrights
Eight years ago: Boxes of Go-Goodies
Nine years ago: There Is Only One Ball
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Wednesday, June 17, 2026

The Next Step: Pokémon Champions on Mobile

Fans who are eager to play Pokémon Champions as the standalone "battle client" edition for battles in the traditional main series style have been able to do that since the version for the Nintendo Switch was released ("unleashed", my term) a couple of months ago. The rest of the fans who don't have the console had to wait for the mobile version to be released... and now happily, I can say that the day has come. The mobile version of said game has been released today, and fans can and should be able to get in on the action. That said, there are a few more things to note, which prompts this discussion about the "next step".

Some parts of that "next step" concern devices and device limits. Though their devices are somewhat modern, some will nevertheless be unable to play the game on the devices since they're behind in hardware and/or software. Then there's the matter of space: the initial download for the game is nearly 1 GB in size, and the extra data will further balloon the storage requirements, making it on par with a certain electronic card game. These issues demand ways to deal with them that may neither be quick nor easy. 

But once Trainers get over those issues, they'll be in for the fun - but then there's still some work to do. For many of those who don't commonly deal with Pokémon affairs on the Nintendo Switch (or their consoles in general), they'll still have to ensure Pokémon Home is linked to it, especially if Pokémon have been put there from Pokémon Go, the most likely source for them as such. Then there are the intricacies of this specific game, but that's also to be understood as things go along.

Meanwhile, fans beyond the Nintendo Switch system are setting up (or in fact have set up) their support systems - as in the communities of players they'll battle with and against. That would also mean future competitions and tournaments that can now cover those who play without a Nintendo Switch, but still with the possibility of playing with those on it. The support systems would help to ensure that they get up to speed on what is needed for this style of play in order to be effective in it.

Now that Pokémon Champions covers the breadth of platforms that it's meant to cover, the "new era" of VGC as suggested in the earlier "unleashed" post is starting to come into its own with the involvement of the mobile platform implementation and the players (Trainers) who will take it up. It's a "next step" just as much as the game itself is a "next step" for continued enjoyment of Pokémon across players and time.

Two years ago: Not Alone... But Alone
Three years ago: The Mystique of 151
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Tuesday, June 16, 2026

"Professor Branding" for Pokémon Merchandise

Many Pokémon fans will no doubt recognize the cohort of people who are called Pokémon Professors - even I've written up about them at one time. They would also appeal to the more intelligent side of Pokémon fans... perhaps conceivably for merchandise as well. For that, I thought about discussing how certain elements of Pokémon merchandise are or can have a certain "branding" with this group of people, as well as the (possible) appeal.

Now, those who play the (physical) Pokémon TCG will recognize the Supporter cards with the different Pokémon Professors in each. Though they can't exactly be considered to have a "branding" with these Professors, their presence on the cards could still be considered part of the appeal for them, aside from the function of the respective cards. In fact, it seems they're some of the few Pokémon things with actual Pokémon Professors on them, and they still achieve some of the objectives of actual "branding" without being so.

For an actual branding, the Pokémon Professors would have to be applied - liberally maybe, but significantly could be possible as well - to the merchandise items in question. That could be quite a task, since most Pokémon merchandise are Pokémon species and the associated items to them. Perhaps a simple approach is to have a "Professor-approved" indication of some sort along with the merchandise items, which would be a funky kind of branding as well similar to what would be done for items gotten through certain ways of shopping.

Recently, though, a different kind of Professor has been popping up, particularly in Pokémon Go circles. The Professor Pikachu (obtainable in that game) is an actual Pikachu clad in a lab coat to resemble a Pokémon Professor, and it looks as cute as it is seemingly intelligent. This Pokémon with this specific costume or outfit could realize itself as a kind of "professor branding" without having to involve the human Pokémon Professors. Many fans might just delight in having some kind of merchandise item based on this Pokémon.

The presence of Pokémon Professors has become undeniably an important part of many Pokémon games and the associated world in general. In the merchandise realm, though, that presence could seem a little lacking since the focus remains on the eponymous species and related items. Having "Professor branding" for some merchandise items might just be a way of continuing to establish their presence, with or without their possibly distant relations.

One year ago: The Expressive Ditto
Two years ago: Cosplay: Gold Generation
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Monday, June 15, 2026

Unite Licenses: My "Final Frontier"

The last update to my progress of obtaining Unite Licenses in Pokémon Unite occurred around one and a half years ago, when I detailed about the ones I had obtained and my prospects for them. Since then, the way of getting them with relatively no payment has changed, and there have been quite a few more Unite Licenses for different Pokémon added. Now, it seems well to do to update on that progress by those changes, and it seems like this will be the "final" update for that, as suggested by the title, due to reasons that will be explained shortly.

First up is that progress. Right now, I am proud to say that I have every Unite License except for a few. Those few are Tinkaton (which is currently being progressed through the License Journey system), Dhelmise (which will be progressed next after Tinkaton is complete), and Quaquaval (which is not yet playable but will be so in a few days' time, along with its associated Unite License event). Incidentally, the first two of these are of the All-Rounder role, which also means the other roles are also essentially complete for what they have to offer.

Such a feat was accomplished by using the selection gift boxes for some of the ones I didn't have and exchanging my Aeos Coins for a few others before the method changed. Meanwhile, for some others, they came with their own Unite License events and as a result were obtained through those, with some diligent effort and a little bit of assistance along the way. Then, after the method changed, it was a matter of starting the progress through the ones I didn't have; prior to Tinkaton, I had in fact just obtained Tyranitar through the License Journey system.

With that, it can be ascertained that I'll have my hands on future Unite Licenses somehow. Being that now they're likely to come with their own event, participating in that will likely allow the Unite License to be obtained for free (or relatively as such). Even if that doesn't happen, the License Journey system will surely become the fallback for the process of obtaining them sooner if not later. This situation, along with the state of affairs as presented above, makes it the "final frontier" for me in obtaining the Unite Licenses to come, at least while still playing.

Now that I have almost every Unite License in the game, and things are established for me to obtain the rest and future ones in some way, the progress is assured to be updated as more Unite Licenses are added to allow other Pokémon to join the fray that Pokémon Unite is still continuing to present. That in effect will (and does) make it the "final" update I'll make in the manner as above, but things are never final for as long as the Pokémon game remains as captivating as ever to me and all other Pokémon fans who choose to partake in its affairs.

Two years ago: Pokémon Calendars
Seven years ago: Code Affairs
Eight years ago: Number One for...
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Sunday, June 14, 2026

Referencing Pokémon Lineage

Pokémon fans are well-versed in the fact that many of the eponymous species have a certain lineage, being the way that they relate by way of evolution. This is a part of what makes them fascinating, but it also leads to the issue of how they can and should be referenced by virtue of that aspect. It's an issue that I'm now tackling in a discussion to consider various points of view that relate to it and what ultimately can and should work best.

For that, TCG and Pokémon Go may provide the answer. Many Pokémon of lower evolution stages in the former are called "Basic" Pokémon, and that makes for a sufficient reference for them. Meanwhile, in the latter game, evolution lineages depend on the Candy of a certain species, and they roughly correspond to Basic Pokémon, which would affirm them being called as such. As for later evolution stages, they would be sufficiently referenced as "Stage 1" and "Stage 2", following what the TCG outlines.

As for further evolution forms on top of that (Mega Evolution, Gigantamax, and onwards), they can be considered just further "extras", since the games deal with them in different ways, including both games mentioned above. Yet they also correspond in seemingly being able to be considered as "ultimate" forms - a consideration that will be discussed shortly - to the Stage 2 species. Inasmuch as they are dealt with differently and even exclusively, there too is an apparent commonality. 

It should be noted that other people and parties can and have referenced Stage 1 and Stage 2 forms differently - for example, treating them as ordinals in their respective evolution lines (which is still valid to some extent), or treating the Stage 2 forms as "final forms" (which is also in a way still true since a line has a "maximum" of three). These references have to be weighed alongside the above considerations and certain games, as well as the fact that there have been many developments for Pokémon and its species.

Then, there's that "ultimate" form consideration, which also implicates a consideration of "baby" forms (which is also still existent for some Pokémon) along with ordering according to age. These considerations would mostly be for shoehorning analogues to a certain other series primarily for an extent of understanding, and the real way of understanding things would be in the other ways as mentioned above.

Understanding Pokémon species and the ways that many of them are related by evolution lineage can be considered an important part of appreciating Pokémon in general, and a way of referencing this consistently is always nice to have. Fortunately, according to certain facets of the franchise, this is quite doable as per the above, and the understanding that is carried in this way can put the viewpoints of many Pokémon fans on the same page.

Three years ago: Gimmicks in Café Remix
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Saturday, June 13, 2026

Changed Shiny Handling in Pokémon Go

Shiny Pokémon have been a phenomenon in Pokémon Go since they were introduced many years ago to great reception, and in fact, Trainers are still receptive to them even now. Even though they're easier to get than even in the main series, the many ways that Pokémon can be caught in the game (particularly now) can make it mind-boggling to get certain Shiny forms of specific Pokémon with different characteristics. For that, the "handling" of Shiny Pokémon has had certain changes, some of which actually occurred last season. 

Going back to that, it was made so that if an evolved Pokémon can be Shiny (by virtue of the basic form having its Shiny form available), it too can be Shiny from the wild, and the chance for this would be greater from a raid capture or Egg hatch. Then, if a Pokémon can be Shiny, it too can be Shiny when rescued from Team Go Rocket, and likewise the chance for this would be greater from the leaders or the boss (Giovanni) compared to the Grunts. In this way, it becomes clear that things all - and now only - depend on the basic form being Shiny.

Previously, for the Team Go Rocket case, it was possible to get the Shiny form of a Shadow Pokémon if the species had first been featured in the lineups of the leaders before going to the Grunts. With the newer update as above, the role of leaders is now no longer to furnish the Shiny Shadow form for Pokémon species, but to try to make them more easily available to Trainers - being that the Shiny Shadow form no longer depends on the introduction of that specific form, just for the species (family) itself.

Even farther back, it had become the case that after the first few editions of Go Tour, the Shiny forms of Pokémon from the featured regions would become generally available - and that is still the case... at least mostly. More recent regions are subject to other restrictions that make this impossible (like Phione and Manaphy still not being in the game, and Victini still being Shiny locked in Pokémon Global Link). At least, the cases still represent an instance of Shiny handling being changed for broader availability for others.

After nearly a decade of its presence, Pokémon Go has become a treasure trove for hunters of Shiny Pokémon, whether or not they're already well-versed in their appearance and availability in the main series games. That treasure trove has evidently been updated or changed with regard to its handling for even greater and broader availability rather than less, which affirms the "treasure trove" aspect. With that, there is also less of a mind boggle and more enjoyment to be had, knowing that Shiny forms can easily manifest where they're wanted.

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