The Unluckiest Wonder Picks

The Wonder Pick is a key part of TCGP since pretty much the beginning, allowing players to obtain a duplicate card off of someone in the world, although by luck (chance). However, many people know all too well that luck doesn't necessarily bode itself well, including for Wonder Picks as a luck-based situation. Based on several recent observations, including a few of my own, I thought I'd discuss how this can manifest in Wonder Picks, as in ones that are very unlucky for the players that make them.

Recall that I've discussed how the Deluxe Pack ex forces Wonder Picks from the "expansion" to have Pack Hourglasses in lieu of the fifth card, and this is definitely a source of unluckiness. I've had my share of picking the Hourglasses instead of a desired card in the past, and certainly others are experiencing it now - with a temporary return of the expansion for a few days more - making the "unlucky" aspect somewhat evident for the Wonder Picks of concern. It's a "specialized" case that is not all that "special". 

Meanwhile, there have been a few cases of Wonder Picks having multiple desirable cards, but a player ends up picking the undesirable one. This has happened to me with three of the former cards in a Wonder Pick, yet I end up picking one of the latter cards instead. It's a rather unlucky situation for all concerns, and I'm sure I'm not the only one in this regard. In comparison, Wonder Picks with just only one desirable card seem meek and understandable for what they are and the chances that are involved.

Finally, it is possible that a player is targeting a specific card from Wonder Picks - perhaps aided by their Wishlist - but can never seem to pick that one card. For a friend of mine, this has actually been the case, having lost count of the number of times trying to pick a targeted "full art" card but unsuccessfully. I've also had a partial experience with this situation with some cards from an event rather than an expansion. Either way, the unluckiness is apparent, and it may be frustrating for many players, even me.

Being that Wonder Picks have the chance, luck, or gacha element (whatever one likes to call them), some unfortunate results are surely to be had from time to time. Even so, some of these unfortunate results seem to just be able to manifest themselves in patterns that very much resemble the situations that I've described above, and possibly even more beyond what I've observed. With Wonder Picks, some results are certainly enthralling, but others may just put one into another sense of "wonder".

One year ago: The Ship Guiders

Two years ago: Our Sails Are Set - We've Come Home

Three years ago: Quickies: The Fire Inside and Out

Four years ago: On the Referencing of Stats in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: Beyond the Immensity of Life

Six years ago: New Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - Selections

Seven years ago: Islands and Continents

Eight years ago: Passing the Guard

Nine years ago: Two Pokémon Pillows

I Miss My Unite Friends

What I like about Pokémon Unite, as its name suggests and just like other games of its genre (MOBA), is the way that it can bring together various players and have them connect as friends. In fact, that is now something I long for, with the seemingly recent forced "downturn" of the game and the fact that it seems many of my in-game friends seemingly have been inactive for a very long time (even if they're active when I'm not and vice versa). I've thought about that "longing" and have decided to make it into a discussion point here, certainly.

I have recently made some new friends in and for the game, yet I haven't had a chance to play with for a major timescale - and just when I do want to, they go and play other games instead, making them "seasonal" gamers - and that makes me miss them somewhat. The feeling of being so close and yet so far to these friends is a frustrating one as well, which adds to the feeling of longing, especially for those who I can trust to get things done in the game, and if they can be met in person, to do just that with additional communication.

Then there are friends who have publicly announced they'll stop playing the game due to the forced "downturn", and those for whom the downturn might have affected them by making them play the game rather erratically. Incidentally, I might be considered to fall into the latter camp due to my sometimes regular and sometimes erratic times of playing the game, so some friends on the other end might miss me for that. All the same, I do miss them for what they may or may not bring to the game with their current way of dealing with it.

As for other friends, I've made more than my fair share of "one-off" friends, those who I encounter just once in a match and then almost never after that, with either them befriending me or me accidentally befriending them. Depending on who they are and how they played with me, I might miss them just a little, or perhaps even more than a little. What is clear is that some longing is established for them, though the same might not be true on the other side, which could mean that I may just need to move on from them as they probably should also.

Now, friends are always important in any game, especially those that require a team of players to play as in the case of MOBA games in general and Pokémon Unite as a specific case. Such an importance then lends itself to any player longing to play with their friends, as I do for the friends on my Pokémon Unite friend list. It's a longing that may or may not be satiated by further play with other people, and it'll just have to be a feeling that remains there while I continue to deal with the game, at least before a real "downturn" occurs.

One year ago: Spending for Café Remix Deliveries

Two years ago: A Journey's Anthem

Three years ago: Let's Talk About Living and Letting Go

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/22/2022

Five years ago: Best in the World and Universe

Six years ago: On the "Invisible Forces"

Seven years ago: Fan Art... for Me!

Eight years ago: Costume and Cosplay Checklists

Nine years ago: Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...

Holding Out for a Howl

Much of my recent non-Pokémon dealings lately have been influenced by a "howling" (not humming - that's another matter) of a certain sort. In a way, it's kind of natural, since those dealings happen to occur late at night, the time at which those sounds are expected to occur. Evidently, the matter creeps back into my Pokémon dealings, one of which is this blog... and I figured I'd (and might as well) put in the discussion with my thoughts about it, and of course the relevant and necessary Pokémon elements.

"Howling" would surely evoke the creatures that make such a sound, which would be wild dogs, two of which I'd brought up a long, long time ago. They're also natural in the time of day that I mentioned above. If the conditions are right and a Trainer - or even just a regular person - finds oneself in those conditions, they and their other Pokémon might just be tempted to howl along with them. In fact, that might be considered the essence of that situation with the "howling", where some might just do it together.

Some Pokémon, meanwhile, are only doglike in resemblance or nature, but they might just put out a pretty good sound themselves that closely resemble a "howl". In that respect, they could join in the "howling" as well with that sound. As for Trainers or regular people who join in the "howling", they might do so for other reasons, including to relieve stress from certain daily life issues and to have a bit of fun with others, especially where Pokémon is concerned. That too seems to be quite linked with that situation.

Perhaps, as the title of this post suggests, that may be what I really need right now: a good "howl" for all my current happenings in and out of Pokémon, both good and not so good. That may or may not need the specific situation I've mentioned, but it seems a pretty good add-on (and for adding in Pokémon, if I can do so myself - or just through the composition of this post). After the "howling", the problems that be can let themselves be, and additional joys can then manifest. So, given all that have been said...

HOWLLLLLL.........!

One year ago: Quickies: The Little Bugs in Life

Two years ago: Waiting to Break into Pokémon Spinoff Games

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/21/2023

Four years ago: Six Degrees of Separation

Five years ago: Seeking Comfort with Pokémon

Six years ago: Getting Too Technical

Seven years ago: Takara Tomy Arts Manmaru Pokémon Netsuke Sun & Moon - Torracat

Eight years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition 2018, Day 2

Nine years ago: Dreams of Itasha

Tips and Tricks for New Café Remix Events

Lately, two new event types have gained prominence in Café Remix, which would be Café Pop-Up and Full-Belly Adventure, using the Slow Cooking and One-Minute Cooking frameworks respectively. So prominent they are that they have almost completely displaced the original events where the frameworks first appeared (Outdoor Tea Party and Pokémon visits). Given their prominence, it seems important to try to provide helpful tips and tricks for playing through these events, in a way similarly to each other.

As explained, both of these events use the "food storage box" item, of which five are earned each day. The ones earned for each day of an event instance don't have to be used on that day, meaning that they can accumulate, but like certain efforts, it's best not to delay using them until the end, for it would mean a lot of effort when that comes. The ones earned (also exchanged) for an event instance are also lost when the event ends, so it means having the commitment for their usage as an event progresses.

For Café Pop-Up, the strategy is pretty much the same as an Outdoor Tea Party: fill the points of the other guest Pokémon until the feature guest appears, then fill the points of the feature guest to earn as many rewards as possible for it. After that, the other guest Pokémon can have the rest of their points filled up as well and their rewards obtained. Since Pelipper becomes an additional guest for those who purchase a Mighty Menu, those who do so should also try to prioritize filling its points up as well along with the guest.

Then, for Full-Belly Adventure, earning points continuously is an effort in the same vein as a regular Pokémon visit, as is purchasing a Mighty Menu and/or High Score Skips (the latter also applying to the above). It often takes a while to earn enough coins to exchange for the feature visit and its associated resources, including cookies, but ideally, it's the first thing one should exchange for. After that, it's all about exchanging for all other necessary and useful items, which definitely depends on one's status for those items.

Even if the new Café Remix events are not all that different from their previous (particularly, non-paid) iterations, a lot of their underpinnings remain the same, so some tips and tricks apply equally well. For their other aspects - especially the limited play and payment aspects - there are other applicable tips and tricks to make the best of time and any payment that has been made. Following that, it's still a matter of continuing to do one's best with the staff Pokémon and to maintain their prominence alongside the events.

One year ago: For Pokémon and Nightmares

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/20/2024

Three years ago: Getting Refreshed with Pokémon Drinks

Four years ago: Pokémon and the Multiverse

Five years ago: Living Amidst Creatures... or Pokémon

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 1/19/2020

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Toys Week Season 2

Eight years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition 2018, Day 1

Nine years ago: All in the Cards

Changing Club Campfire Rewards in Pokémon Go

From one overdue post on Pokémon Go comes another one, this time on a more social aspect pertaining to the game. As I had presented around a year ago, usage of the Campfire app alongside Pokémon Go can also beget in-game rewards under the Club Campfire banner by checking in to various community meetups within the Campfire app. Some months after I had made the discussion, however, the rewards were expanded and furthermore changed, which rendered a few of my points obsolete. Since the rewards have been pretty much stable since then, now it becomes rather imperative to make a discussion about them.

Now, the player can no longer manually choose rewards; instead, they're determined by the meetup (as the event it's associated with). Community Day, as a highlight, has a page of Party Play tasks and a second page of catching tasks, while others are composed of just a single page - although Community Day also had just one page for some time. The meetups can now be for Spotlight Hour, Research Day, Hatch Day, Raid events, Max Battle events, PvP events, and "other" events in addition to Community Day, all having their own tasks (certainly) along with the specific rewards that are furnished, which may be lucrative.

To obtain the tasks for the rewards, one needs to check in as usual and then claim the 500 XP bonus - technically a completed Timed Research page - within one hour (an important point, lest they are lost), which also serves as a "check" for participation in the meetup. After that, again as usual, the tasks need to be completed within eight hours, which should be sufficient, moreover if there are no Party Play tasks to deal with. The tasks are made complementary to one's objectives, and it should be possible to make good on completing the tasks.

Since the tasks and rewards can no longer be chosen manually, though, a player has to be rather proactive, especially for the Party Play tasks. They're supposed to be for meetups after all, so a friend or another player should be handy for that purpose. At any rate, the expanded tasks and rewards become further incentives to attend supported meetups (of which there can be even more of them now) and increment the Community Member medal. In doing so, the effort might just pave the way for other achievements.

Yet after all, Pokémon Go is still a game of people-linking as much as it is about Pokémon catching (and battling, caring, and so on), so the expansion of the Club Campfire meetups and the associated rewards is only natural and could be considered somewhat necessary. Beyond that, players (Trainers) can and should enjoy the increased flexibility that comes along with them for whatever Pokémon accomplishments they can muster when they gather in groups.

One year ago: Cosplay: TP & VV Cosplay & Photo Contest

Two years ago: The Meaning of "Pokémon Master"

Three years ago: Loot from Pokémon Festival Jakarta

Four years ago: Pokémon and the "Metaverse"

Five years ago: Let's Talk About Homes and the Place to Be

Six years ago: Cosplay: Cosplay on the Street

Seven years ago: Peace

Eight years ago: Suspending My Disbelief

Nine years ago: Ash, Satoshi, or... Ali?

Pokémon Go Community Day, 1/18/2026

So, that familiar "togetherness" thing is this month's main edition of Community Day in Pokémon Go. Something that may be indicated for this year's editions is that they will encapsulate variety, including a few things that the game really needs to get on. The latter may be especially true for the featured Pokémon of this edition because of its possibly immense power and extreme musical ability courtesy of some sticks.

Those sticks are drumsticks, of course, for the featured Pokémon is Grookey, the Grass-type first partner from the Galar region, also making it likely that the rest of its friends will also make themselves present later this year. Being a first partner, the move of Frenzy Plant as its special move should have already been a given, though it also has the opportunity to learn its signature move of Drum Beating by TM. This is complemented by the bonus of triple catch Stardust, which is always wonderful to have and earn.

For the rest of the bonuses, they're as regular as regular can be. They are double Candy and Candy XL chance, three-hour Incense and one-hour Lure Modules (with its extra appearances), trade discounts and extra Special Trades, photo bombs, and special backgrounds in the wild (since the Classic Piplup edition) and from Research. Speaking of which, Field Research is of the usual sort, and there is also the paid Special Research with the title of "Grooving with Grookey". The "groove" also applies to the rest of the bonuses.

Being that it was my "special day" the other day, I decided to do something special and visit a faraway community to interact with them... though their place remains familiar for other purposes, which also became a part of my day today. I caught just enough Shiny Grookey to have a stock, and I caught a few special ones with the special background. The main purpose of evolution today was just to obtain a few that needed the Frenzy Plant move, while others (as the G-Max Rillaboom I already had) could use the Drum Beating move.

With regard to variety, as far as that goes, first partners that not only have their "super" moves but also signature moves of their own presents a good kind of variety, as shown in editions of Community Day in the past few years and even today. This year will surely have that and more - which are to be determined soon - and the sticks that Grookey and its species family wield are the lead-off for that variety and all the ways it may be realized.

One year ago: The (Android) Back Button and Pokémon Go

Two years ago: Memories of Kanto

Three years ago: 1000 Species Is Real!!

Four years ago: My Pokémon Identity

Five years ago: Pokémon Body Pillows

Six years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Fusion Cup

Seven years ago: Rivalries

Eight years ago: (Almost) A Pokémon Party

Nine years ago: Pokémon Art Academy - More Than Just Pokémon Art

In Solitude and In Togetherness

Thanks to Ash yesterday, as well as the context of posts from past years below, today is indicated as my "anniversary" - that is, my birthday. It's a happening that has had its own dynamics, especially with Pokémon, if those past years are of any indication. That seems to want to apply to this year as well, given the circumstances that surround it; one of them was the thing yesterday, and the other... well, that's tomorrow, and I'll save that for then. Right now, though, there is another circumstance that when taken together with those other ones becomes the state of matters for today.

For that, celebrations can and do occur whether one is in solitude or in the company of loving people, whoever those loving people may be. That's something that people may choose to have happen, or might happen to people regardless of what they do. Even for celebrations centered on Pokémon - or at the least ones involving its most fervent fans - this may still be the case, and all that they can do is to "go with the flow" for how those celebrations play out. With that, the current occasion of my own birthday seems to have to play out to both celebrations of solitude and togetherness. 

Certainly, it was evident that yesterday's anniversary party could be construed in part as an "early" birthday celebration. As always, I'm bringing - or technically I brought - my Pokémon flavor to the celebration, which is something I chose to do. As for today being the actual day, the weather dictated that I wouldn't be able to find togetherness even if I wanted to, so it was a "forced" solitude in some ways. Meanwhile, as a preview for tomorrow, there is a familiar kind of Pokémon togetherness to celebrate, even if it may not exactly re-warrant my birthday to come up. Yet it still may be OK.

After all this time, Pokémon still has a way of making togetherness and solitude enjoyable in either circumstance and however they're (forced to be) chosen. The circumstance of my birthday might make realizing that more important, especially given how long I've been around and how long Pokémon has been around. Following that first step, the next step is ensuring that all my Pokémon and other dealings reflect just that.

Every day is a good day for all things that are one and many (people included), and if they happen to be Pokémon things that can be enjoyed by the same number of people, then that's fitting for me and others in our singularity and multitudes for them.

On that note, I've got one and many things to do. Happy one-and-many birthday to me.

One year ago: My, How Time Flies

Two years ago: Starting (Anew on) a New Day

Three years ago: A Legendary Existence

Four years ago: Unique Touches

Five years ago: Wishes for Good Days

Six years ago: Always Together

Seven years ago: Wonderful Opportunities

Eight years ago: 30 Going on 10... Or Something Like It

Nine years ago: A Pokémon Party?