Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Symbolic Representation of TCG Actions

Something that players of the Pokémon TCG may or may not realize is that no matter what language the cards are in - given the fact that the cards do in fact have different language versions - they have to perform the same exact actions, which hopefully the different language versions should outline clearly. To that end, I then thought about how the action descriptions in the cards could also be expressed in symbolic form as an alternative to expression by language.

A few reasons play into this thought and interest. One of them is that the card actions as they are described on some cards, in particular with rather stretchy ideations of the card actions, can seem like "walls of text". Using symbols for descriptions might make things less daunting for some players, although decoding the symbols might in turn demand the brunt of the work. Therefore, symbols might be a better fit for players who already have the basic skills down pat.

For example, various "flip a coin" actions can be expressed as the following, using actions denoted by emoji since they're rather ubiquitous by now:

"Flip a coin" = 🪙
"Flip n coins" = 🪙🔢 (where 🔢 is a number n)
"Flip a coin until you get tails" = 🪙➡️🐉 (🐉 can be subbed for the Rhydon face, the archetype of "tails")

Certainly, if this were to be made official, Pokémon would have to make the symbols purposively unique and not just simply use generic emoji.

It can be seen that if the right symbols are used with proper sequencing of those symbols, it would not be hard to make them mean the same as with any language the Pokémon TCG comes in. As such, the usage of symbols allows the cards to take one closer step of becoming "language independent", although more would still need to be done to achieve this. That's also something good to be saved for a future discussion, but the gist is that the possibility may be achievable.

Having the card actions in Pokémon TCG be described in an abstract yet meaningful manner through symbols is admittedly rather fanciful, yet it could also be regarded as surprisingly workable, depending on the viewpoints of certain parties that might be involved. It would take some development and a little persuasion to get things going, but the results might be off some interest to some players as a succinct and independent way of describing the familiar card actions.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2026

More Boost Emblems for Pokémon Unite - Possible?

Although Pokémon Unite at this point could be considered to be in a state of decline, there may be room to discuss what could be added to or improved for the game, with the hope that the decline could perhaps be stalled or reversed somehow. One of those things concerns boost emblems, which in the past I've updated my progress on a couple of times. Now I'm bringing it back, albeit for positing additions or improvements to it.

In my earlier update, I had said that they are currently composed of Pokémon species from the first and second generations, as well as the Eon Pokémon (Latias and Latios), Zacian, the Sprigatito line, and Miraidon. The complete generations are pretty solid, but the "out of band" Pokémon seem like an afterthought - yet it's not completely a bad thing if the emblems could one day be expanded to fill their generations, which obviously hasn't happened.

While there may be several reasons for explaining why these emblems haven't been expanded, a couple of them may be the primary ones. The first would be the apparent decline as I have mentioned; the second would be that the current set of emblems are likely sufficient in all their combinations for boosting the Pokémon that players use. Both of these may hinder a planned expansion, though if it is willed, it may just happen regardless.

For that, the most obvious target for expansion would certainly be filling in the rest of the third generation species so that the Eon Pokémon aren't lonely where they are. That can potentially generate emblems that could work in new combinations. If that seems like it could become a burden for the game, then relevant species to Unite Licenses that are currently present may be an option to do the same but in a more direct manner with relation to them.

The addition of new Pokémon boost emblems to Pokémon Unite may or may not happen at the current pace the game is going, but it's still fanciful to think about and consider, since other additions are still in progress for the game despite its apparent status of decline. In any case, the system itself still has to be dealt with by new and old players alike, so it has to be taken into account by them to make the most (and best) of this continuing Pokémon game.

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Monday, September 14, 2026

Mediocre with Niantic, Downgraded with Scopely?

Many of those who play Pokémon Go will recognize that the game has had its highs and lows during the Niantic Games era, which in a way averages out to make a mediocre experience - which some players could attest. After the sale of Niantic Games to Scopely, becoming Scopely Explore under it, there were still the same highs and lows... yet there seems to be some more of the latter by way of the new party's control. As a result, some players have construed the experience as being "downgraded", and I'd like to discuss that.

One way that the "downgrade" has actually happened is the most recent reduction of Team Go Rocket balloons from four a day (every six hours) to just one, forcing Trainers to scout areas for grunts and leaders, which is already hard with their low frequency and can be even harder for those in rural areas with few PokéStops. In any case, it is a "downgrade" because the previous standard of four is, well... a standard, offering a modest experience amidst the mediocrity of still having to scout for Team Go Rocket PokéStops for more battle chances.

Then, the gaffes that occur with Niantic Games still occur under Scopely Explore, similarly even though the circumstances are different. The most recent one is the forced makeup of the second day of Go Fest Global, specifically with regard to raids; raid events needing to be made up has happened before and from time to time, but if they keep happening, there may be something to be said about the game's handling of the feature, then and now. Also, other features may still glitch up occasionally.

If there is something to be gained from the situation, it is that the sale of Niantic Games to Scopely does not necessarily solve all problems that may, have, or will come up. In addition, the changes like the big one mentioned above shows that the "heavy-handedness" of Scopely itself that I had previously mentioned in discussing the sale is starting to creep in, becoming a manifestation of the concerns also previously outlined. That could become a disincentive for those already playing or even coming back to play.

Even with the problems that plague it (at least, from time to time), Pokémon Go is still a good game, just hampered by the arcane developments it had to go through and more recently the sale to another "suitor". That may be what reflects its mediocrity as has been evident all throughout the Niantic Games era. Now that the era has turned over to Scopely, the challenge becomes how to maintain the existing player base and rake in both inactive and new players alike while upgrading profits while not "downgrading" things further.

Three years ago: Watch What I Say
Four years ago: Into the Deep Blue
Five years ago: Dancing with Pokémon
Seven years ago: The Appeal of the TCG
Eight years ago: A Pokémon Watch
Nine years ago: Three's Demise
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Sunday, September 13, 2026

Cosplay: MCP Coshow 2 & Foodtopia Season 5

Goh: Yeah, that's expected. So, another "twofer" this weekend?

Me: Yup, yesterday and today. That was the thing after Community Day yesterday and all day today.

Ash: And both of them with me in my Kalos outfit! ...I guess it's to make things easy for all of us.

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Very easy!"]

Me: That would certainly be the point. 

Goh: And we're familiar with both of them because one was earlier this year...


Me: Good recall. For that, I also thought of combining both into a single discussion (and since Community Day was yesterday anyhow). So, let's start with the first one. 

Goh: That one was yesterday, I'll bet.

Ash: It was! At the same place, obviously.

Goh: With the same people?

Ash: Sure! But they did bring in a game community - not for us, but you get the drift.

Goh: But beyond that, the entertainment had to be practically the same.

Ash: Dance groups, singers, and games. I saw pretty much the main ones.

Pikachu: Pika pika pika... ["All still the same..."]

Goh: Well, I'm sure the character parade is also still the same, and you got into it.

Ash: No strings attached, so yeah. But I did try to make things different. I started with my cap and gloves off this time and put them on when it happened.

Goh: OK, yeah, that's different all right. Was it enough to get something?

Ash: Yeah! I got Favorite Male Character!

Me: Very nice! The effort can really work out sometimes.

Goh: That is great. And you had a good time at the place with your friends.

Ash: I did.

Me: Then that brings us to the second one, which was today and should be the same old food festival trying to bring in people.

Ash: Same place, same people, and all that. But I did come when there was a cheerleading competition before our stuff began.

Goh: So the festival brings in all kinds of organizers for different things.

Me: Goh is right. This seems to be the methodology for all kinds of festivals here for bringing in people.

Pikachu: Chu! Pika! [imitates cheering]

Goh: Can't blame them for trying. OK, so this time, did you try any of the food? I don't think we talked about that much in any of the past years. 

Ash: Well, back then it was only little bits of things, but this time I got to try quite a bit of things - enough for lunch and dinner. They always have a lot of things going on.

Goh: I would think. But then that also goes for our festival.

Ash: Just some dance groups this time, along with the character parade.

Me: Speaking of which... since you dealt with food, you didn't deal with that.

Ash: No - I thought it could be like three years ago when I came with the same outfit, so I spent the day eating and talking with your friends.

Me: Well, I think that's a good call. I'm sure the winners were "just that".

Ash: Um... yeah. "Just that."

Goh: After eating and talking with friends, then it was back to our friend.

Ash: Yup, just like that.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["All done after that."]

Me: So, after all that, the old saying is true again - the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Ash: But not completely! All your friends are (were) really different for each one.

Goh: I think both of you have your points.

Me: While I'm not sure what or where the next big one will be, there might just be some ways to make it different.

Ash: But Pokémon can always stay the same for us. 

Goh: That's a sure thing.

Me: Absolutely. It's a "go-to" for wherever we go to. You get my drift.

Three years ago: Spoiler Alert
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Saturday, September 12, 2026

Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 9/12/2026

Today is Community Day Classic in Pokémon Go, but I'm going to preface it by saying that apparently, it will be the only kind of Community Day that will be present this month - which means that the non-Classic regular edition is absent. Nothing else has been stated (officially) about the plan, and some Trainers have associated the missing regular edition with Go Fest Mega Finale, with it taking a "bite" (and a big one at that) of the regular edition. Nevertheless, there is a "biting" element to this edition of Community Day Classic as well.

Since Totodile has already been done, it's obviously for a different Pokémon that can bite, and that would be for Gible, last seen in June 2021. When it's fully evolved to Garchomp through Gabite, it still learns the special move of Earth Power, and the bonus also remains triple XP for those who still seek it. As usual, there are extensions for Incense and Lure Modules, both with their modern lengths of three hours and and one hour, and photo bombs. Thus, the effort of updating past editions with modern features is still an ongoing one for this edition.

For that, some Gible in the wild as well as encounters from Field Research, Timed Research (community), and Special Research (paid, still with the title of "Just a Nibble") have the modern special background; the last of these also has the modern structure. Of course, those who still want to make the most of it can encounter a few more Gible past the main event hours by putting up Lure Modules up to 9 PM, which is also the cutoff for obtaining the special move as above and represents another added modern feature.

New this time is a Collection Challenge that is completed by catching a Gible and evolving it through its evolution line to earn Garchomp Mega Energy. This makes it the first time that the feature has returned since March this year, which is what I hinted in an earlier post. Certainly, it is well-deserved and becomes a novel implementation for it.

Meanwhile, as for my dealings with this edition, it's not exactly "mine", and there are good reasons for that, which are to be explained with the help of others...

Me: Right then, so it's the Gible line today. You have one, don't you?

Ash: Yeah! And we all know Cynthia has a Garchomp.

Goh: And then there's Mega Evolution and all that jazz.

Ash: You had me take care of this one in your area today. Luckily, I met a couple of your friends who could help out with that.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Good thing."]

Me: Well, don't expect it to happen every time with them. (I don't expect it to happen for myself either.) But at least today worked out somehow.

Ash: Yeah. We met at the mall and walked a little bit past it. I caught as many Gible as possible, completed the challenge, and then... went off for something else.

Goh: Well, if there's a "something else", that means our friend has something in mind - something that happens locally.

Me: Certainly. But that's for a separate discussion soon enough.

Without a regular or non-Classic edition for this month, it might seem that something is afoot with Pokémon Go - perhaps, not in this particular context. But having the ever-popular Gible line return for Community Day might be a satisfactory way to take a bite off the big things.

Two years ago: No Lies... and Lies
Three years ago: A Win for the Ages
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Friday, September 11, 2026

When Pokémon Was 5...

When Pokémon was 5 - that is, five years old - it was in its infancy, and the Internet was about to head into its adolescent years. Back then too, blogging wasn't too much of a thing, social media was still "around the corner", and artificial intelligence was rudimentary - all things that may or may not have contributed to the execution of this blog as you see today. Yet it was also at that time that the franchise was shaping up... and the world effectively shaped up as well. 

When only five years had passed, the franchise was into its second generation and the third was "around the corner". They laid down the foundations for longtime fans like me that are also incidentally very strong in the face of certain hardships - at least for the dedicated ones. Those fans would also develop their potentials for remaining within the vein of the main series games or potentially branching out to others when the time came for them to be present.

When the games were a concern then, there were only really the main series games to deal with, and not much else beyond that or even on other devices, unlike the way things are today. Yet they were (and still are) good for instilling what matters about the namesake species of the franchise, including their associated lore and capabilities, which regardless of their presence in games or otherwise would remain relevant somehow, even if fans may not actually realize it.

When Pokémon was five years old, the world also experienced a big "blot" on a certain day... and that day is today, incidentally this year being "five by five" (that is, 25) years after the fact. It will be the only time I make a reference to it (and rather indirectly at that) since even Darkrai would likely feel inferior to that "blot" - and Darkrai wasn't even around when that happened. In any case, it scars the mind of people as it happened, whether or not they are Pokémon fans.

When Pokémon was in its fifth year, the franchise was effectively "coming to terms" with what can be possible for it in the present and future, while the world was "coming to terms" with the fact that it would effectively never be the same again. Yet that may be important as today is the result of yesterday, and things in life run their course. After 25 years, the world as well as Pokémon continue on their course, and what remains is all the developments up to today.

Three years ago: Another Pokémon Watch
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Thursday, September 10, 2026

Quickies: Getting More Boxed In

I actually live - specifically, at this very moment - in a rather confined space, being surrounded by houses in two of the four cardinal directions and environments that I can't modify in the other two. As such, in a way, I'm essentially "boxed in" with regard to my surroundings... and it seems that is becoming more of the case as the specific environments change on their own or are changed by other means. Of course, I'm inclined to regard it in a Pokémon manner and in doing so also bring it up on this blog.

For that concern, it may be said that on one side, a Stakataka has been brought in to help "box out" one of those sides for its purposes. Obviously, this means that in turn, I'm the one getting "boxed in", further than the state that it's already in. Though it's helpful, said Pokémon species can also be somewhat quirky when it comes to others closing in on its territory. That means exercising further caution than what may be needed, and that then implies a further "boxing in" by way of just trying to stay clear.

Meanwhile, it has been also the case that the wildlife - in this case, being interpreted as wild Pokémon species - have also been closing in on the territory of the place where I live. Some of these (like a wild Espurr) are in a way benign and at times welcomed, while others (like a group of miniature but still "savage" Durant) are much less so for both of the mentioned qualities. With their presence, needless to say, it's another way I'm becoming "boxed in" despite not being literally the case around them.

Anyone would understand that getting "boxed in" is not exactly the best of feelings, whether or not the feeling can be interpreted to have certain Pokémon elements with it. The above is my Pokémon interpretation of the "boxed in" situation within which I'm currently present, and it's fanciful if nothing else for this Pokémon fan. It's still a hard thing in any case (and harder still if things don't change for the better), but Pokémon seems to make it a little easier on my mind and perception for all it's worth.

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