TCGP: Mega Forms in Brilliant Shine

About a year ago, TCGP introduced the "Shining Revelry" minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack, which contains the first batch of Shiny Pokémon as separate cards and sets a precedent for future expansions in containing such variants. The new expansion introduced for this month follows up on that and contains cards of similar composition and theme, but this time retaining the "grand theme" thus far of the B Series cards of which it is a part, being Mega Evolution. That is then appropriately reflected in the title of the expansion.

"Mega Shine", as it is called, features the entry of several other Mega Evolution forms with some distinct appearances, two of which are Mega Charizard X and Mega Gengar, who are also prominently featured in the pack image. It too is very similar in appearance to the aforementioned "predecessor" pack, with shades of white and other accent colors. Meanwhile, the pack also features other Shiny Pokémon, one of which is the Mythical Pokémon Mew; it's even there as an "immersive" card, making it unique thus far among expansions.

With regard to composition, the expansion contains 64 Pokémon cards, 2 Item cards, 2 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card for 69 cards in total in the numbered section. The "predecessor" pack, which has 68 Pokémon and 4 Supporter cards (72 total) in its numbered section, can then be considered to be comparable in composition in this regard. As for the overnumbered section, the new pack has 48 cards in it compared to the old pack's 39, and thus its total exceeds the old pack by only a little bit yet still making it comparable.

The target for this pack is certainly the Shiny cards, but that remains a challenge, especially since now (and has been for some time) all Shiny cards are the sixth "bonus" card in a pack, which also means they won't appear in Wonder Pick as well. So, a lot of pack opening is still needed for any pack and in particular this pack, whose Shiny representations may be some of the most coveted. Otherwise, the rest of the Pokémon are rather "stopgap" in nature.

It's plainly obvious that Shiny Pokémon are here to stay in TCGP, so continuing to celebrate their appearance is something great to do. This new minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack does just that, and this time it's also with Mega Evolution, making further inroads with the "grand theme" along with the Shiny theme. Both of these have their own brilliant qualities, and now together, they make for a fascinating part of the current series of cards in this game.

One year ago: Looking Back at Cycling Roads

Two years ago: More on Outfit Grades in Café Remix

Three years ago: The Minuscule and Enormous Qualities of Pokémon Species

Four years ago: The Type Icons, A New Standard

Five years ago: Differing Amounts of Pokémon Knowledge

Six years ago: Pokémon Helmet Covers?

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/13/2019

Eight years ago: Go at Home

Nine years ago: Paint It, Picross

Cosplay: Utsuru 10.5 "and the Conquest of ICGP" (Regionals)

Ash and Goh are out on research duty today. Instead, today there is...

Red: Hi. It's been a long time.

Me: It has indeed. You probably remember the last time I sent you.

Red: Same venue, same place. Interesting they're still doing it.

Me: Well, with it being biannual now, there's always something to go around.

Red: Twice a year? You don't say. You're keeping those two on their toes.

Me: Mostly the former, but... anyway, you're here because not only it's to make things different, but because Pokémon is special this year.

Red: It's been going on a long time for you.

Me: Uh-huh. And the theme of this one suits you too.

Red: I see that. Classic pixel games - suits us both.

Me: True. Aside from that, let's talk about what was different for today compared to that last time since we all know that things stay the same even when they change.

Red: OK, so it got even more crowded than last time. More communities, more people - and I was asked to vote for one of them. Got an idea?

Me: I hear one of my friends is in a spinning top game group and they need my support.

Red: Found it! Done.

Me: Now, I heard that they made everything like a quest game - currency and all. How'd that fare?

Red: I wasn't too interested in the quests, and the currency seemed like a bit of a hassle to me.

Me: Well, pluses and minuses, so not for everyone.

Red: Oh, I noticed almost all of the entertainment was dance groups. Have bands become not that popular anymore?

Me: I think they're still popular, just not here.

Red: Kind of a shame. But at least characters are still popular. The parade was still full of them and only four could win (not me).

Me: Yeah, that's a hard thing for this specific convention. Don't expect miracles.

Red: Outside of that, it was still great.

Me: That's a certainty. Hope you got to hang out with my friends and others.

Red: I think they liked that I had Charmander for most of the day instead of Pikachu - but I had both out for a time.

Me: I did suggest that to you just before you came.

Red: And it worked out. Also, it wasn't really windy like last time, but it did rain for a bit. So not a lot of weather problems.

Me: That's a good thing.

Red: By the way, the ICGP thing was neat too. I saw all five group performances and the winners really deserved it.

Me: Oh, yeah! I forgot to mention - this edition of the convention also acts as the regional ICGP qualifiers for my area.

Red: I think it might be a little hard for me.

Me: It's hard for most people and characters, so don't sweat it.

Red: But I guess it's not hard for the organizers to keep coming up with this and making it look nice and great.

Me: I hope it will always be that way, and I hope to always bring Pokémon into it, whether with you or "those two".

Red: Why not. And you can get me to go more often.

Me: Oh, I have plans. But that might be a "quest" of its own, just like how this edition of the convention brought that out.

One year ago: Before Ruby and Sapphire

Two years ago: Making Road Runs with Pokémon

Three years ago: SA Factions: My First Four Weeks

Four years ago: How Many Pokémon for Each Role?

Five years ago: Pikachu and Bulbasaur Donuts

Six years ago: I Believe, in Love

Seven years ago: (Wet and Wild) Local EX Raid, 4/12/2019

Eight years ago: Wallpaper: Pokémon 20th Anniversary

Nine years ago: Pokémon Couriers?

Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/11/2026

It's time for Community Day for Pokémon Go for this month, and this one has a big thing going for it. Now, a certain song speaks of its artist highly, even making a firm statement that there is "none to equal", in a manner of speaking. It also involves a very specific implement... which is also highly related to the featured species family of this edition and is something with which one can really give a good mashing. So does the species in it, in fact, if they're left to their own implements. 

That implement is the hammer, and thus the featured species family is that of Tinkatink, whose members (along with Tinkatuff and Tinkaton) wield hammers of sizable proportions. The last of these gets the Charged move of Gigaton Hammer to make use of the hammer that it wields to deliver serious damage - 300, the highest thus far for a Charged move. Along with hammering things out, Trainers will also be "mining" today, for the main bonus is triple catch Stardust, always a useful one.

Everything else is quite predictable after that. The species are found by Incense (three hours' length) and Lure Modules (one hour, greatly in the event period and less in the post-event), as well as photo bombs. Some (many) will also be Shiny (a debutant in this case), have special backgrounds, or both. Trainers can trade for less and have an extra Special Trade. Finally, Research involves the Field, Timed (community meetup), and Special (by payment) realms as per the usual norms.

Meanwhile, having known what to expect if I took care of the event locally, I took care of it farther away instead, also standing a chance for cordially linking up with a few other Trainers and winning a neat prize... although the latter didn't happen. What did happen was me being able to catch a Tinkatink with the best stats (and a few that almost were, one of them Shiny and another with a background), which I evolved on the same day along with others to have a slew of Tinkaton.

With "A Ton of Tinkatink" (also the title of the paid Special Research) and the Gigaton Hammer special move for Tinkaton, there is (was) a lot of hammering going on for this edition, making it a "hammer time" of sorts. Going back to that song I mentioned earlier, there's some of that to be had too, and that's something to "touch on" even if the song (and the species family) speak otherwise. Perhaps the "hammers" need to speak for themselves, in and out of battle as well as melody.

One year ago: Themed Collections (and Secret Ones) in TCGP

Two years ago: Leafeon Apple Shampoo for My Needs

Three years ago: Cosplay: Pokémon Exhibition and TCG Regionals

Four years ago: Mega Evolution Fates, Again

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/11/2021

Six years ago: Three Simple Rules for a Great Adventure

Seven years ago: The Songs of the Detective Pikachu Trailers

Eight years ago: O Charizard

Nine years ago: Romanticism of Tall Grasses

The Enduring Image of Bug Catchers

One of the most recognizable Trainer personalities or characters is the Bug Catcher. As evident by the name, this kind of Trainer catches Pokémon of the Bug type and certainly trains them for battle. There is a certain "image" presented by this kind of Trainer, and it is one that can be described as "enduring" for Pokémon fans. I had been thinking of this kind of Trainer just recently, and thus I was also thinking about that very image. As such, I feel compelled to write about that and what may make it so.

For starters, the creator of Pokémon as the one and only Satoshi Tajiri effectively "started out" as one in his younger days, catching the organisms that would become the inspiration for Pokémon (crickets, of course, would be a possible or expected fodder in this regard). Then there would be the aspect of making the organisms fight... and the rest as they say is history. In this way, the Bug Catcher is embedded and rooted in the history of Pokémon and thus becomes a part of that "enduring image".

Meanwhile, some of the early Trainers that one would meet on one's journey would be a Bug Catcher, so they become ingrained in the image of a journey's beginning. Since the Pokémon they have tend to be easier and weaker due to the type's tendency, they become "stepping stones" for battles of higher levels - though as evidenced by the progression in Kanto (particularly mine), that may not be necessarily simple. Even so, they're still a part of that image and their presence is inseparable from "the whole".

Then there's the "iconic style" that they possess. They're often depicted wearing a brim hat similar to a now-famous straw hat (ahem), and they also carry a net on a long pole, certainly to scoop up critters from various places. With that, they're also made out to be some of the most casual of Trainers - including in their fashion sense - in contrast to most other Trainers who are more fully and/or formally dressed, even common ones. This stylistic image of them also remains in their belonging.

In all the ways above, the image of a Bug Catcher as a Trainer becomes evident and sticks to their personality. Even if they are quickly passed over given the progressions of the games where they are present, at least some of their image remains after those progressions - and so that also applies to me in the decision to write up this post. It seems Pokémon fans will have a shade of what makes Bug Catchers what they are as above, and that's enough to recognize them as even that kind of Trainer in at least a small part.

One year ago: Ranked Matches in TCGP

Two years ago: A Song in My Heart, The Air That I Breathe

Three years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. QAKingsman (SA Factions)

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 4/10/2022

Five years ago: Harkening Back to "Versus Guides"

Six years ago: Let's Get Going Today

Seven years ago: Expecting the Detective

Eight years ago: Bandai Pokémon Sun & Moon Pokémon Lover Mascot 6 - Wobbuffet

Nine years ago: Evolution Revolutions?

Reworking Weekly Challenge Tasks?

Since their introduction last year (and their re-introduction in the late part), Weekly Challenges have become a facility for Trainers to group up, interact, and earn rewards by completing tasks. Even so, it's those tasks that determine whether a Weekly Challenge is actually a "challenge", and over the course of its implementation from several months ago, the tasks have actually varied in quality in this regard, so much so that a "rework" may be in order. That becomes the focus of this post, to discuss what has happened and how a "rework" could happen.

The "inaugural" week featured a task of "Catch 500 Pokémon", which for four Trainers could still be a bit of a challenge and require a few days to complete - even more so for fewer, for whom some more dedication is in order. Some weeks ago, there was also a task of "Hatch 25 Eggs", which also seems fairly balanced for four Trainers and still doable for fewer, though the task might be slightly pushing it toward the "trivial" realm. With that, it seems these tasks don't need to change for all they're worth - as the rewards that await at the end.

Meanwhile, other tasks do seem rather trivial. One task in a previous week was "Complete 25 Field Research tasks", which with the Daily Task and even just a few PokéStops for each of the involved Trainers could be completed in not even half of a week. Then there's the "Spin 150 PokéStops or Gyms" task, which might sound daunting but can actually be taken care of with a few "Lure Module sessions", and especially for four Trainers if they all spin five or six (or more) a day. An enterprising Trainer who participates could also complete it in one or two days... which has in fact happened to me and likely to many other Trainers as well.

Given the four tasks above, the "rework" would be in augmenting them. Since any group will be invariably filled by four Trainers (active ones too) due to them inviting others or by the game's "find-a-group" function, the tasks should reflect more of what they can do. That said, 40 Eggs, 50 tasks, and 200 spins would be perfect for augmenting the tasks that have been mentioned above, with consideration of the experiences of Trainers - mine and others. As for the addition of other and varied kinds of tasks, that may be up to the game itself to consider for now, and to implement later on when the time is right for a challenge.

Having gone through Weekly Challenges for four months, give or take, the tasks they offer for Trainers to complete can be considered "challenging" in some ways and less so in others. By this time, with the considerations above, there may be the need to ramp up the "challenge" slightly and rework some of the current tasks, while keeping future task possibilities at bay. As things proceed from there, some room for more challenges may then be in order.

One year ago: Sneak Peeking into TCGP Wonder Picks

Two years ago: All Gym Leaders' Meetings?

Three years ago: Remote Raids: The Saga Continues

Four years ago: Quickies: Making Friends with Mud Skippers

Five years ago: The Sound of Instant Gratification

Six years ago: Pokémon Upbringings

Seven years ago: Benefits

Eight years ago: Ex-Raids and Cancellations

Nine years ago: The (Current) Fate of the Megas

Pokémon Champions Unleashed

Meanwhile, the next stage in Pokémon battling in the style of the main series games and by proxy VGC as well has been released - specifically, on this very day. So, with that, it seems deserving to make an "unleashed" post for it, for that very reason in line with mostly other games in the same vein that have received the same treatment on this very blog. After that, things are to be taken as they proceed for this game and beyond.

As duly noted by its preview in Pokémon Presents, this first release is for the Nintendo Switch, with the mobile versions (phones and the like) to come later. Because the game itself is free, even prospective Pokémon fans like me should download it right away if they possess the console... and I've done just that. The rest of the dealings with the game will be something for me to take care of when I'm a little more free from other matters.

Yet whether it's on the Switch or on mobile later on, the game will be able to be augmented through paid items and things. On the Switch, that has partially come in the form of a Starter Pack that adds Pokémon storage and includes quantities of two items. For the hardcore battle fiends, they'll be useful to get immediately, but I'm going to take my time and see how things go before making the decision to "invest" on it for its offerings.

Then, a tournament has already been planned for the game involving a local group, but I'm not going to participate in it or any others before I deem myself to be ready for that purpose. Meanwhile, I'm also looking into renewing my Pokémon Home subscription so that I can already use the stock of Pokémon I already have for possible usage in this game. If anything, the possibilities are already indicated to be grand for this game.

One of my VGC fellows has stated that VGC enters a "new era" with this game, and with that, it really seems like a "new era" worth considering. The prospect of actually using Pokémon from various other linkable games to battle in the same style as the regular main series games is attractive, especially since it is officially sanctioned for the upcoming World Championships as such. That is a really great thing to be "unleashed", even by this post.

One year ago: Shiny Pokémon in TCGP

Two years ago: Pokémon for the Sake of Pokémon?

Three years ago: Pokémon: Hisuian Snow

Four years ago: On Trainer Footwear

Five years ago: Doing Well on Pokémon Quizzes, Right Now

Six years ago: Voyager of Glory

Seven years ago: You Can, I Can

Eight years ago: (Continuing the) Local Ex-Raid, 4/8/2018

Nine years ago: On the Road Again

Justice for Celebration

This blog is intended to cover all kinds of Pokémon matters, including the ones that present themselves as "problems", for as I've said some years ago, I consider those "problems" as ones that also apply to me. One of them, incidentally, has come in a "this-just-in" manner and has become quite pertinent to me: it pertains to Pokémon Go and its competitive (PvP) side, the latter of which has colored a part of my experiences with said game. It also affords me to take a stand... for the matter also involves taking a stand, in a way.

Recently, at the Orlando Regional Championships, a very determined Firestar73 won the final battle of the final match... only for the competitor to place headphones a little too hard while on stream just after doing so. The act was deemed as "unsportsmanlike behavior", and this annulled the hard-earned victory by giving the match win to the opponent instead. Yet the act was not done out of spite nor intended as such - the competitor simply just got excited about the win, and quite so. As such, observers have regarded the situation as being an "injustice" and have called for the win to be restored or perhaps made up for in some way.

Word about the situation has been making the rounds on social media, including a certain Pokémon Go group close to me, so having been informed about it, I thought that I needed to make a discussion about it. What also needs to be discussed is how the situation reflects not only an "injustice" to what actually happened (by reports, Firestar73 was in fact sportsmanlike after the happening by shaking hands with the competitor) but also an "injustice" to spur-of-the-moment celebration - especially one that arises out of sudden elation - after a fair match, which is why this post is titled as such, to address the situation in a fair manner.

Given the circumstances of the matter, I feel that it could totally apply to me, if I had the chops to compete at such a high level. It is quite possible for me to be "caught up in the moment" as Firestar73 had been at that time, especially with the progression that allowed the competitor to reach the finals. In this way, I might just do exactly what the competitor did, and in that state of affairs, things might just turn out in the same way with me at the center of it. I'd also be nervous and wary about competing - notwithstanding an already "toxic" environment for such in my local area - if my efforts can be annulled by a situation like the above.

Calls are still mounting for justice to be given to Firestar73, and this post by me represents my contribution to the matter. As I've stated above, I consider problematic matters of Pokémon to be my problem as well, and what transpired with the competitor is a real problem indeed for competitive Pokémon gaming (specifically for the rather fast-paced Pokémon Go realm that becomes its precursor), and evidently to some extent for me as well. Justice has to be delivered rightfully, and at that point there will be a time to celebrate.

One year ago: TCGP: Welcoming the Shining Revelry

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 4/7/2024

Three years ago: Quickies: Pokémon in My Countryside

Four years ago: The Silph Arena Factions Post-Season

Five years ago: Let's Go Meet New and Old Friends

Six years ago: Leaping off Ledges

Seven years ago: Scat-Poké-Land

Eight years ago: Let's Go Research

Nine years ago: Caravansary