Simple Pokémon Things

A lot of things in today's world are complex, including some for Pokémon. Much can also be discussed about them, but that's not the point of this post. Instead, the point of it is to discuss the things that are much simpler than those things, which I'm sure that many fans like me can and will be able to appreciate in addition to those complex things. They also span the gamut of the franchise since it itself does span a gamut of things, not to mention the complexity.

In the games, being able to have all the Pokémon that one can get and then enhancing them comfortably could be considered the simplest thing for any player, regardless of effort and possibly the associated funds that go into them. Further enhancement is more of a complex matter, but to have and enhance comfortably is at the least a precursor to that, so the simplicity of this situation is to be appreciated for the first step to more complicated dealings.

Meanwhile, in the realm of merchandise, being able to have whatever merchandise one can get and fits whatever one's situations may be is conceivably not all that complex; it's when they start incrementing that it might approach the complicated territory. Even with many or few of the items, it might not be that hard to place them wherever they're suitable, and with that, the enjoyment may come as simple as obtaining the merchandise items in the first place.

For Pokémon entertainment, having access to them wherever one may be and enjoying whatever that appears - like certain episodes of the anime, or music pieces related to this or anything else about Pokémon - might just be simple enough in a lot of cases. The few cases that aren't simple may provide a conundrum, but once the access is assured, then the simplicity of enjoyment remains for whatever form of Pokémon entertainment is at hand.

Perhaps the simplest takeaway from all of these simple things is that Pokémon enjoyment can be simple in all its kinds of ways, and putting in a bit of effort might add to that simplicity - hopefully before things get too complicated. Again, that's a matter that is better reserved for a different time and place, but any current time and place can and should deserve all the simple Pokémon things above for those who seek enjoyment from them in simple ways as well.

One year ago: Wallpaper: The Right of All Nations

Two years ago: Best Times for Ranked Matches?

Three years ago: A Double Intense Pokémon Dream

Four years ago: Let's Talk About All the Right Things

Five years ago: The Love Cup of GBL

Six years ago: What to Nominate

Seven years ago: Cryptic Pokémon

Eight years ago: Two Games at Once?

Nine years ago: Cosplay: Japan LovEvolution Vol. 2 - Kaizen

"What's Your Favorite?"

This year's Pokémon anniversary is coming up fast, so this is a good time as any to deal with its particulars. One of them is a recently launched campaign that deals with the species that fans like and enjoy, which would of course be their favorites; accordingly, the campaign is called "What's Your Favorite" to reflect the breadth of possibilities for all kinds of Pokémon fans. It also has a few niceties all around, so it deserves a discussion for all the things that it offers and how they're relevant to fans and the upcoming anniversary.

Kicking off the campaign was a promotional video and essentially an advertisement, as it was shown during the prime spectacle of American football that is the Super Bowl - a rarity for Pokémon itself. The video is star-studded with all kinds of celebrities showing off their favorite Pokémon species, including Lady Gaga, Charles Leclerc, and Tyler Norton. After the occasion, the video became available to be viewed through social media for fans around the world to enjoy and delight along with their favorite celebrity of choice.

Another way that fans can enjoy the campaign is through participating in it, by using Pokémon Go. The game now has a function that allows a Trainer to take snapshots with whatever their favorite Pokémon may be and to add a tag for that purpose. Doing so also awards bonuses through a Special Research set, which can be claimed after perusing the function... which can only happen for those whose devices support AR+, so those who don't have such devices may not necessarily be able to make their contributions for this.

Outside of Pokémon Go, Pokémon Center is gearing up for the campaign by allowing online store users to have avatars of their favorite Pokémon, and the store itself is also promoting merchandise related to the favorites. For example, Lady Gaga's chosen favorite Pokémon is Jigglypuff, so all kinds of Jigglypuff merchandise are being promoted through the online newsletter edition that features her and her favorite. Of course, fans can and will surely shop for goodies that feature whatever their favorites may be.

Everyone and anyone who likes Pokémon will surely have their favorite Pokémon, especially so for as long as Pokémon has been around, with this year being a bit of a significant number of years for that concern. With that in mind, the concept of promoting fan favorites - particularly major fans among the very well-known of people - becomes very much relevant for the occasion of this anniversary (if not for any Pokémon anniversary in general), and fans will be able to fashion that relevance in any way they like.

One year ago: Different Regions, Different Strokes

Two years ago: Pokémon Figures for the Rest of Us

Three years ago: Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 17

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/12/2022

Five years ago: Fourth Anniversary of My Regional Figure Group

Six years ago: Pokémon as a Study Aid

Seven years ago: A Pikachu Pillow Keychain

Eight years ago: Anywhere Is

Nine years ago: My Essential Pokémon Cosplay Equipment

Quickies: Spirits of Setting Out

Something that may be inherent for many people involved with Pokémon is a spirit that incites or at the least inspires them for "setting out" or also "departure". Such a spirit may involve certain starting points or even midpoints like the "crossroads" that I incidentally also discussed last year on this day (see below). Even more than that, the idea can and would apply to the different people involved with it in different ways, which means different "spirits" as well. I thought I'd take a post to discuss and determine how that could be true for them. 

The different people would be the players (real people) and characters (imagined people) for whom the eponymous species relate. And for many of them, they'd also relate to the spirit of "setting out" likely involves actual movement from place to place, changing environments and certainly the Pokémon in them. It's a spirit that is constantly in flux, but for many of them, they wouldn't have it any other way, for it would be a realistic kind of "setting out". With Pokémon, that also means having many possibilities of their encounters.

Meanwhile, other people are certainly of the resident lot, and for them, their spirit of "setting out" may involve just the local places around them. Yet as anyone who lives with or around animals can attest, there's always something going on with them, so the "setting out" spirit involves facing the new challenges (or even some familiar ones) and continuing to deal with them. Thus, the Pokémon become the "animals" in this case, and the spirit can still apply, even for the most peculiar of ways - although the spirit itself is not as peculiar and just as strong.

Just the act of persisting in life takes a certain spirit of "setting out" to face all its dealings, and that may be even more so with a life that includes Pokémon. By moving from one place to another or letting time pass and doing something good with that time, a "departure" is achieved. It doesn't have to be a valiant one, and it would have to occur in all kinds of situations - perhaps by a certain suggestion - but "setting out" would still be on the order in some way. For fans of Pokémon, any of the forms it might take might just become the impetus for that.

One year ago: Pokémon Crossroads

Two years ago: Being Wary of Things in Pokémon Games

Three years ago: Looking Into Unite's "Regular" Events

Four years ago: The Pokémon DP Sound Library

Five years ago: Friendship Filters in Pokémon Go

Six years ago: To Eat and to Lure

Seven years ago: A Pidove Keychain

Eight years ago: Memories of Hoenn

Nine years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers

The 2026 Go Championship Series Cup of GBL

Having discussed about (my) PvP moments in Pokémon Go, I thought I'd follow it up with a direct discussion about PvP itself, specifically a new "cup" or format that is introduced in this season's dealings for Go Battle League - something I haven't done in a long time. The new "cup" or format, as its title implies, is also set to become the one for the Championship Series of this year. It's an intriguing format for a fascinating setup, so I thought I'd deal with it and put up a bit of a discussion and analysis for it.

Compared to past years' mostly open-ish Great League format, this one introduces a lot of restrictions. It's still modeled on the Great League (CP 1500 or less), but now there are allowed and not allowed types: Normal, Bug, Dragon, and Dark are the former, and Flying, Fighting, and Steel are the latter. Pokémon of Legendary and adjacent classes (Mythical and Ultra Beast) are also not allowed, as are Mega Evolution. Further, four species (Froslass, Milotic, Politoed, and Seaking) are allowed regardless, and nine species (Crustle, Morpeko, and Wigglytuff among others) are outright banned. Its details already suggest a radical format, which may be what the competition needs to vary things up.

Bug types seem rather dominant for this format... and in fact, Spidops tops the list, with Ariados not far behind. A lot of species of the Normal and Dragon types also round out the top 20 or so, along with Seaking and Milotic as the best of the other inclusions. The Dragon types seem to make for pretty good leads, while the Bug types make for safeguards, and the Normal types can finish the job with all their varieties alongside their moves. This gives an indication of what teams to build using them, though as always Trainers can bring in their own selections for a little "variety" and "surprise".

For example, I've used Vigoroth, Ariados, and Malamar, and I've had a degree of success with them; I even came close to finding "mirrors" of this team. Of course, there's still some failures here and there for other reasons, so it may be worth it to try other team combinations, especially with what was suggested above.

With this new "cup" or format, the restrictions might seem somehow limiting, but it also does seem to allow a lot of creative freedom with what's available. Given its use as a Championship Series format, it becomes somewhat of a test for all the Trainers just battling casually under the format, as well as those who are actually using it competitively. Its purpose of weeding out the best of the best is surely quite evident for all.

One year ago: Catching the "Fancy" of Life-Size Plush Dolls

Two years ago: Let's Talk About The World Turning

Three years ago: New Intricacies of the Battle Pass

Four years ago: Quickies: Fireside Chats with Pokémon

Five years ago: Quickies: Staying Productive with Pokémon

Six years ago: On (No) Coincidences

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Tresno no Matsuri

Eight years ago: Hoenn (Fully) Confirmed on Go

Nine years ago: Space

My Best Moments in Pokémon Go PvP

I rarely discuss Pokémon Go PvP nowadays not because I'm rarely involved in its relevant dealings (although that is still somewhat the case now), but more because I just rarely expose what I'm doing in regard to this aspect. Yet I can still assure that I'm still somehow involved with it, and for that, I thought I'd discuss some matters related to the aspect. One of those matters is something that reflects my involvement throughout many of the years I've dealt with the aspect.

That matter is the moments I've had while dealing with it, and not just any of them - in fact, they're the best ones I've had. Admittedly, these moments may be considered few in number, but what few there are, they're pretty significant and their quality can be considered to outweigh their quantity. They're also pretty memorable, which is also part of the prompt for making this post.

A great moment would certainly being able to contribute to my team victories in Factions when I was involved with them for a time. To do that with a nearly flawless record and to bolster the resulting point total is still a great feeling, one that I may never be able to replicate again given my lack of connection with all things Factions nowadays. It is still apt to remember the moments. 

Meanwhile, a more common moment, even nowadays, is to be able to make it through a battle that I thought was going to lose and just barely eke out a victory. Of course, the opposite happens just as frequently and are less apt for me, but the ones that result in the narrowest of victories (like through a last-moment attack) are the excellent ones that deserve commemoration.

Of less common moments, I like it when I can win a battle using common Pokémon against a team of all Legendary/Mythical Pokémon, which has in fact happened a few times, in particular in Master League. It's a kind of validation that sometimes I don't need to have any or all Legendary Pokémon and I can work with what's (more commonly) available, and it makes for a triumphant moment. 

For other Trainers, their "best moments" will surely be different, but for me, the above "best moments" encapsulate my Pokémon Go PvP experience, which has been quite the ride even now. Whether I deal with it frequently or rarely, at least some of these moments may appear to make a great time.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/9/2025

Two years ago: Go Tour, For All Time (and Space)

Three years ago: Pokémon Consulting?

Four years ago: Having Faith in (My) Pokémon

Five years ago: "Colored" Moves in Pokémon Games

Six years ago: Coming Up Roses

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Eien no Kiseki

Eight years ago: Seeking Confirmation

Nine years ago: Time

Cosplay: Zettai Kizuna

Me: Back in the swing of things.

Ash: Oh, great! I was waiting for when you'd send me to something. 

Goh: But a break is always nice. 

Ash: Well, yeah - that too.

Goh: All right, so this is...

Me: A festival. A small one, but it's a festival. But it's a little bit far...

Ash: You're telling me! It was a bit outside your town.

Pikachu: Pi pika. ["More than a bit."]

Goh: Where was it? 

Ash: In a park I've never been to.

Me: Neither have I - so that's why I thought I'd send you there. 

Goh: So, um... the schedule - which you just gave me - doesn't look all that fancy. DJ and dance groups were all the entertainment. 

Ash: Yup, I saw them. Not too fancy for me and our friend.

Goh: So, it must have been the character parade for you.

Pikachu: Pika pika! ["Well, of course!"]

Ash: Yeah! But... I didn't get anything. I even messed up a little.

Goh: Who were the other winners? 

Ash: Let's see... a yellow sword guy, a black armor guy, and a fighter guy were three of them.

Me: Sounds to me like we (and others) were just "entertainment" for them.

Ash: Yeah - I don't think even me being perfect in my Unova outfit would have helped.

Goh: Hmm, at least there was the park. Did you get to enjoy any of it?

Ash: It's a ~huge~ park, so I didn't go too far in it.

Pikachu: Chu~ pika! ["This~ big!"]

Ash: But I'll bet our friend would like to go in it on a normal day.

Me: Well, if the opportunity ever arises, then I'd certainly go there. It is, after all, somewhat far.

Goh: You'll make it a point somehow.

Me: Sure. In the end, today was just a "fun day" thing for us.

Ash: Even I went back early to you because of the distance.

Goh: Of course. That always matters somehow.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["What a way."]

Goh: Anything else our friend can tell us about this one?

Me: Well, the title means "absolute bond", so that might be a slight allusion to us.

Ash: Nice!

Me: And... this is likely the last one before a big rest period - though as with last year, there might be a couple parties and such.

Goh: Oh, OK. That means a big "break" for us. Also makes sense why you'd send Ash here.

Ash: Well, hey - great things all around. And I hope so for the "break" as well.

Me: You bet. It might just be an opportunity to "change up" the swing of things, in it and afterwards.

One year ago: Pokémon Food Memories

Two years ago: Poké-Clickbait (or Having None of It)

Three years ago: A Clash of Realms on Go Tour

Four years ago: A Leftover Pokémon Promo?

Five years ago: The Sweetness of "Attractors"

Six years ago: Memories and Mnemonics

Seven years ago: Pokémon Clocks

Eight years ago: (It's a Wonderful) Local Ex-Raid, 2/8/2018

Nine years ago: Serena-Shipping: "Heaven Help My Heart"

Smashing the Pidgey Alarm

Something that I struggle with sometimes is waking up at specific times, even with alarms that are set for that purpose. At times I'd wake up as intended and be ready for those times, but at other times I'd miss the alarm completely, perhaps even by going back to sleep. This problem would certainly not be unique to me, as I'm sure others experience it as well. In fact, for those who know, it has a Pokémon instance with a very well-known character, being of course Ash from the anime - and it relates to a key element with a certain Pokémon flavor.

Ash has an alarm clock with a Pidgey motif, and as seen in two episodes of the anime, it was apparent that some vision in a dream caused him to think that it was a Poké Ball, leading him to pick it up and throw it against the wall as if it were one. The result is that the clock gets smashed, which invariably leads him to miss something important; the first time was the Pokémon camp, and the second was the first day of his Trainer career as the selection of his first partner. In some ways, it was as fortunate as it was grave.

In the times where I don't wake up as intended, I feel like I have effectively "smashed the Pidgey alarm" in both literal and figurative manners of speaking, even if the alarm doesn't have a physical manifestation like the alarm clock as mentioned above. Solutions to the problem may not come easily, although I can always prepare them preventively and curatively. Nevertheless, the end result of having a "smashed alarm" beside me just like Ash did with his in those situations can still present itself even imaginatively.

For as long as I need to wake up at precise times to do certain things, there's always the chance that I'd miss it by a little, for which I can easily regroup, or by a lot, for which the "smashed alarm" situation applies. It's a real struggle for many things, even some Pokémon things in real life, and it's a struggle that continues to manifest in different situations and ways related to them. Still, thinking about it in a Pokémon perspective just shows how universally applicable the situation is, even in its fantasy that may just translate to the reality.

One year ago: Go Tour: True and Ideal Representations

Two years ago: The Colors of the Flabébé Species Family

Three years ago: Catching Up on GBL Happenings

Four years ago: All Star, All Pokémon

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/7/2021

Six years ago: Turning Around and Back

Seven years ago: Local EX Raid (with "Friend Boost"), 2/7/2019

Eight years ago: An Eye for Pokémon

Nine years ago: Conserve and Cooperate