Touring the Local Card Game Shop

In past years, I had discussed about a local card game shop that had its grand opening just a couple of years ago as well as the follow-up to that happening. It's a fascinating card game shop - even more so by its continued presence to this day - which is why I thought of making a post that serves as a "virtual tour" of the place, albeit verbally. It's something that I probably should have made ever since the opening back then, but it's also fine to do it now post facto.

The card game shop is composed of three floors, which is an impressive feat and indicative of the difficulty of maintaining it, as per the power problems during the grand opening. The first floor is the "showcase" floor, where cards for the Pokémon TCG as well as a few other TCG are shown. Some accessories for them are also displayed, and so are some Pokémon figures that could be obtained by opening blind boxes. There is certainly a cashier for buying the goodies, as well as some benches for people to wait on other people at the shop or just to view all the things the card shop has to offer - at least on this floor. They would have to go up for more.

And they do, to the "action" floor, passing a blue Gyarados art installation... at least in the early days, for the last time I was there, the installation was removed. Here resides the tables, chairs, stage, and video wall as mentioned previously for the tournaments and events that the card game shop hosts. Another kind of "action" here is for buying (and selling) the cards of the  Pokémon TCG, which are also displayed in galleries for individual cards of repute, or just the regular selection of booster packs and such. Dolls, if available, also appear on this floor, and they have their own dedicated (and money-spending) fans ready to purchase them at once.

Meanwhile, the topmost floor is the "relaxation" floor, which mostly offers diversions from TCG goings-on. It has a café and extra tables if somehow players also need to practice (especially if a tournament is happening downstairs), and more recently, tile games have been on offer for their own dedicated fans. This floor can be described as a miniature hobby and game shop, or at least as a sub-section of the shop itself, which at heart is focused on collectible items, in fact being the namesake for the shop - though I'm not obliged to say more on this aspect. It's still a vital part of the shop experience itself, especially for those who plan to spend time there. 

Having three floors for a card shop might seem strange or over-the-top, but my local card game shop has made it work for two years and counting. All of that also deserves to be toured for those who just might make it to said shop and want to know what to experience, or even those who might never have a chance of making it there and want to know the general vibes. Certainly, Pokémon vibes are still to be expected regardless from this shop for all it's worth.

One year ago: TCGP: Luxuriously Deluxe (...Pack ex)

Two years ago: The New Event Structure of Café Remix

Three years ago: Latest Pokémon Fun on Social Media

Four years ago: Surrendering in Pokémon Unite

Five years ago: Record-Keeping in Pokémon Games

Six years ago: Countermeasures for Pokémon Go: Taking Stands, Taking Chances

Seven years ago: Someone Else's Points

Eight years ago: A Poké Ball Keychain

Nine years ago: Cosplay: Kisetsu no Matsuri

TCGP: Deluxe Pack Strikes Back... with Mega

This post may turn out to be predictable in its structure, but that is also because the subject is similar to something I had covered in the past. That would be another instance of a "luxury" as well as over-the-top expansion, which serves as the ultimate and summative expansion of the B series cards released over the course of the year. Now, they all are (or were) centered on the concept of Mega Evolution, so the ultimate expansion also has to contain a shade of that - and it does, being called "Deluxe Pack Mega".

Much like last year's Deluxe Pack ex for the A series cards, opening a typical pack of this expansion furnishes four cards instead of the usual five, but one of them is a card of the four Diamond rarity. Most of the cards are likewise from prior B series expansions, but a good deal are also unique to this one; the latter cards are indexed here, and the former are also indexed in their original expansions if obtained. Finally, the expansion is also limited-time - only for this month - but given that Deluxe Pack has seen (temporary) revivals, this one could too.

For the number of cards, as a general outline, the numbered section has 402 cards, which is complemented by 27 overnumbered cards to make it 429 in total. That's a big number, but then that fits the aggregative nature of the Deluxe Pack. There too is a couple of Crown rarity cards, one of them for Miraidon, and a three Star "immersive" card of Mega Charizard X ex - say that carefully (three times, perhaps?) - that shows many other Mega Evolution forms in the "immersive" animation sequence and becomes an amazing visual summary.

Needless to say, this summative expansion practically represents the end of the B series of cards in TCGP, also much like the earlier Deluxe Pack for the A series. That would mean that big things are coming for the game, the most predictable being a new series that would likely be called the C series. But that's still a prediction in some ways - as is for the other big things - so their manifestations are still up in the air at this point. When they come down to the surface, that's when they also need to be regarded, in the case of this blog with a post.

With the above situation, though, the "card wars" of Mega Evolution will still continue in TCGP, at least for a somewhat extended period of time. The card "empires" of each player that have been obtained by each player over the course of the B series and now will continue to prove they've got what it takes. Meanwhile, this limited-time over-the-top expansion provides the last little bits that may just help players to succeed in those efforts and give them the power to "strike back" with their and against other Mega Evolution.

One year ago: Cosplay: Ohayou Sekai Vol. 2 x AITI

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 10/5/2024

Three years ago: Warring for "Pokémon" Tickets?

Four years ago: Possible Future Unite Licenses? (Take Two)

Five years ago: Quickies: Nurse Joy, the Maintainer of Health

Six years ago: Circus You Create

Seven years ago: Gym Progression in Pokémon Go

Eight years ago: Starters and "Pseudo-Starters"

Nine years ago: The Old New Thing: Second-Generation Games

Card Flair in TCGP

Cards in TCGP, as noted when I explained about the game's currencies close to a year ago, may have special effects that are called "flair". Aside from the "immersive" cards, this is one feature that sets the game apart, although it is arguably lesser-known than the other feature that has just been mentioned. Given that apparent fact, I thought I'd bring up the feature for a little bit of a discussion - and perhaps to make it less of a lesser-known aspect.

Generally, and as noted, flair is obtained by exchanging Shinedust for an instance of flair to be applied to specific cards. Different cards also have different flair that can be applied to them depending on the Pokémon and their types, and they can be downright cheap or somewhat more pricey to obtain. For those who have lots of Shinedust to spare, they can certainly obtain whatever flair they may desire to make their cards look attractive.

Flair also has two main types: cosmetic and battle. The former type applies to the cards themselves, while the latter type applies to when they are used in battle, particularly when they are placed in specific positions over the course of a battle. Before exchanging Shinedust to obtain them, the flair is also demonstrated with the specific card a player uses to obtain the flair, so they can see how the flair looks like before they make the exchange.

Somewhat related, though not completely, is the gold frame for cards, which do appear right next to flair. In the past, these (for individual cards) were obtained by exchanging 10 duplicate cards, but now they are obtained when 10 duplicate cards are collected in any way, including card point exchanges and Wonder Picks - which seems to be a fairer trade. Though it's not flair exactly, the fact of its appearance and enhancement makes it a worthwhile mention.

TCGP could be said to be keen on the visual aspect and using it in various ways for making itself different from the regular physical (and Live) TCG, as well as emphasizing its electronic nature. The feature of "flair" makes all of that evident; it takes a little bit to understand - hopefully so with the help of some of the pointers above - but once understood, the visual appeal of this implementation can be brightly seen.

One year ago: The State of Nominations, Part 36

Two years ago: Cosplay: Card Game Shop Opening

Three years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 24

Four years ago: On Death and Pokémon Species

Five years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 12

Six years ago: The Leek and Pokémon

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Isekai

Eight years ago: A Merchandise Dream

Nine years ago: Unified Centers and Marts

Defining My Physical-Live TCG Future

Since I've brought up the Pokémon TCG for a discussion, I thought I'd also discuss some personal aspects (that is, of my own) in relation to this realm, specifically with relation to its physical and Live version. I haven't written much about it, more so in recent times, because... well, there really hasn't been much to write about personally. However, there have been a couple of developments on this front, and with the lack of writing as a prompt, I thought I'd cover where I'm heading based on the things that have happened.

For that, while I've attempted to procure a deck in order to play with my local TCG fellows, I've been struggling with finding a time when I can play properly, and just when I think I'm close to finding that time, something always comes up. As such, a unilateral agreement was made to part with them; this is in a way regrettable, for now even if I want to play with them, they may treat me as an "outsider" given my infrequent play. It may be considered an additional struggle alongside the one for the effort of procuring a deck.

The above certainly applies to the physical side of things. For the Live side (as in TCGL, its virtual implementation), I've had other struggles with availability - including ones of a technical nature - that keep me from playing as much as I would like to. Consequently, I'm starting to miss out on quite a few of its offerings, and I'm not sure how I'd go about reclaiming them if and when I can ensure the stable availability of the game and my playing it once again. Much may still have to be considered if this is to occur.

Considering the above, it seems that in defining my future for this specific realm and version(s) of the TCG, it may be tending toward the bleak side of things. In particular, it seems that it's proving that the physical and Live TCG version is less of a fit for me... if it isn't already is with the local state of things. This is in comparison to the mobile TCGP, which has worked out somewhat nicely with what I already have - and perhaps what I don't have as well. Of course, futures can change, and this definition may only apply currently.

Generally, I aim to apply as many Pokémon things as possible, or even have them apply to me. Yet in some cases, that can fail to happen in either direction. The case of the physical and Live TCG seems to be an apparent one in that regard, with particular attention to the case of my current situation and its directed future. Pokémon is always in my future, but some things may just be (or continue to be) out of reach of that future; it's something I need to contend with, as with my physical and Live TCG future and whatever plays into its definition.

One year ago: The Café Pop-Up in Café Remix

Two years ago: PIJ Drone Show Narrative

Three years ago: Cosplay: Bunka no Tenkai - Wonderful Japan

Four years ago: The Desire to Refresh

Five years ago: Tournament: Raid Group Sparring Halloween Cup

Six years ago: The HIStory of the Future (and Now, with Pokémon)

Seven years ago: Performance Critique: GACOS LEVELUP J-Song

Eight years ago: New Pokémon, New World?

Nine years ago: Pikachu with Regional Caps

Making the Pokémon TCG Language-Independent?

Previously, I had brought up a discussion about the Pokémon TCG with regard to the possible use of symbols in order to represent the actions on the cards. I had also noted that it could be a step towards achieving what I call "language independence" for the realm, and that I would be discussing it later. Well, later is now, so I thought I'd get that discussion going for all it's worth and what those other steps may be, along with the associated challenges for the effort.

To make the TCG "language independent", it would mean making it be able to be played regardless of language, which has been both a source of convenience and a limiting factor for the present state of the TCG. Specifically, it can supplement currently playable TCG sets in whatever language they may be, and it might also help to bridge understanding between the players who might possess and use sets in different languages in their TCG gameplay.

With that, given a regular TCG card, aside from the actions as described in the previous post, the next prime target for "language independence" would be the Pokémon name, which could opt for the English name as a way to generalize things internationally, even though certain regions have their own names. That may just go for the special (Trainer) cards, even though it may also be possible to leave their titles blank as the cards can be recognized by the art.

Still, the TCG cards also have non-gameplay elements that are different in different language versions as well. The only apparent answer to deal with these seemingly would be the same as the above: leaving the elements blank. Then there are the move names, which might adopt the approach of representing them with uniquely distinct symbols, which could be vaguely similar to the approach for the actions. Yet this could be more difficult in contrast to that approach.

Given the above, perhaps true "language independence" may not be completely achievable for the cards, at least not without extreme modifications to the cards. Yet it is still fanciful to try to think about it, moreover because the Pokémon TCG is globally diverse nowadays and players from different parts of the world interact with each other. The effort and challenge to make "language independence" happen could still be considered to (help) facilitate that further.

One year ago: Quickies: In Puffs of Smoke

Two years ago: The Batik Motifs of Pikachu's Journey

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/23/2023

Four years ago: New Factions Battlefields Plus

Five years ago: Unite Uptake

Six years ago: Making Time, Taking Time

Seven years ago: Doubleheaders and Such

Eight years ago: Cosplay: Panniversary 2nd

Nine years ago: Pikachu and Poké Ball New 2DS XL

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.

One year ago: Getting Tired of Packs in TCGP?

Two years ago: Dynamax in Pokémon Go: The "Big" Bones

Three years ago: Being a Pokémon... Weeaboo?

Four years ago: New Pokémon Fossil Watches

Five years ago: Let's Talk About Good Drinks and Good Friends

Six years ago: The Firefighters of Pokémon

Seven years ago: Pokémon Cable Bite Accessory - Pikachu

Eight years ago: An End to Jumps

Nine years ago: Pokémon Suits in Cosplay?

TCGP: Team Rocket Takes Over, with Ambition

Team Rocket seems to have a way of getting into different Pokémon games and particularly ones beyond their region of concern (Kanto, and sometimes Johto). Their latest foray is now the Pocket version of Pokémon TCG, by which their entry is through an expansion of their own. Actually, it's substantially more than that, and thus the entry can be considered a "takeover" in line with other games with their presence. As such, this coverage of the new expansion will be comparatively more substantial, even "ambitious" in that regard.

With that, the new expansion is a Themed Booster Pack that is titled "Team Rocket's Ambition", which has a red accent that is as red as the Team Rocket "R". Its 72 numbered cards and 38 overnumbered cards (110 in total) hold some dark secrets, including the three Legendary birds of Kanto but belonging to the nefarious team (which indeed appear on the pack image), and the expansion's only "immersive" card being not a Pokémon card, but a Supporter card. The topsy-turvy possibilities are highly apparent.

Among the 66 Pokémon cards in the numbered section as well as their "full art" variants in the overnumbered section, many of them are indicated as "belonging" to Team Rocket, making them the first cards in TCGP with this distinction. Then, the pack also introduces 2 Item cards, 3 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card - not much to speak of, but what effects they may have could be quite detrimental to the player or opponent, especially when coupled with the attacks that the Pokémon of this expansion already possess.

Of course, the "takeover" is much more than that. The title or splash screen has been modified to have a scarlet aura with cards of the expansion. Then, there is an accompanying event for the time that the expansion is prime, which includes a special shop that is accessed by secret means that some main series players will find familiar. Some battles involving cards of the expansion will also have special music instead of the more common pieces. In more ways than one, this certainly makes for a "total takeover" of things.

Perhaps it may be apt to describe the presence of Team Rocket anywhere they may be present as an "organized chaos"; that description seems to be quite appropriate for their current presence in TCGP as well, thanks to this new (minor) expansion or Themed Booster Pack. Its elements are elegantly crazy - including for the background "takeover" event with which it comes along - and that can be something that some players can take advantage of to make sure that some (better) ambitions can be fulfilled.

One year ago: Cosplay: DH x AM Cosplay Festival

Two years ago: Galar in Pokémon Go: Filling in the Blanks

Three years ago: TCG Live Is Live! (...Mostly?)

Four years ago: The Food Element Categories of Café Remix

Five years ago: YouTube Pokémon Highlights: The Lighter Side

Six years ago: Worlds Within Worlds

Seven years ago: The New PvP Charged Move Mechanism

Eight years ago: AFA ID in Memoriam

Nine years ago: Cold as the Winds

Championship Journey on a Cable Car

Then, there's the event of the World Championships itself. As usual, much of its highlighting occurs on the Friday of the event as in previous years (this one was last year's), which may not necessarily be on the same date since the days and weeks shift. Coupled with PokémonXP for this year as the convention "arm", both events - even by themselves - may be construed to present a "journey", which will become evident soon by their explanation. That can also be deemed as significant in more ways than one, especially with what's being offered.

I mention "cable car" in the title of this post for a reason: both events are being held at San Francisco, California, and that vehicle is representative of the city. This year's location is also only somewhat farther removed from last year's, which may or may not bear any comparative significance. Regardless, Pikachu leads the pack this year (two of them) with a cosmic outfit inspired by Cosmog and a royal outfit that shows supremacy, and they represent the "double-sided" event as it occurs for the edition of this grand year in the grand seaside city.

Along for the ride (or journey) are the same members of the "pantheon" as last year: VGC, TCG, Pokémon Go, and Pokémon Unite. However, it has to be said that Pokémon Unite will "get off the ride" after this year, for it plans to hold a separate championship tournament from the World Championships instead next year. Whether this has something to do with the current "state of the game" for that game (or not) could be anyone's guess, but it's clear that the journey for next year could also change in more and further ways as well.

Meanwhile, as usual, there's still a local entourage - that is, of my local area - with several more representatives now, including two teams for Unite. This also includes some who will be at the 

PokémonXP side of things, for which they are representative of various and diverse Pokémon interests as well. This journey is a continuing one, and if it happens that I can participate in the entourage somehow, then it could make for a very great time with them.

San Francisco is a city where it can be construed that a lot of the old meets the new, and this year's execution of the Pokémon World Championships has a few old things and new things going for it. For many, it's also the "gateway" city to the United States - I can attest this one myself - and this year's World Championships edition may thus also be considered a "gateway" of sorts for prospective players and fans who wish to experience things in the best ways.

On that note, the experiences, the players, the fans, and everything else that ties into both competition and convention are all getting on the cable car, and its bell has sounded for the journey of the next three days ahead. That's also the point at which I wish good luck to all of the participants above for the journey of this event as usual, and then more beyond that.

One year ago: To Be or Not to Be... A "General"

Two years ago: Mountains of Faith: Mount Lanakila

Three years ago: Half-Century of the Initiator of Pokémon

Four years ago: Pre-Stage Items in Pokémon Shuffle

Five years ago: Road of 25th Anniversary: Divided and United

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 8/28/2020

Seven years ago: Allying with Characters

Eight years ago: PokéVerbalisms

Nine years ago: After the Faraway Tournament

Making a Late Start in TCGP

One of my friends has recently indicated an interest in the mobile Pokémon TCG platform that is TCGP, and has in fact started playing the game. Subsequently, that friend has also asked me for recommendations of where to start playing - specifically what packs to open and what decks to build. It's a fascinating question and one that I don't give much thought, since I've been playing practically from the very beginning. As such, now I'd like to consider the query and providing an answer to that query, for both the time that it was posed and the general consideration for when future expansions become released for the game.

 

For the current consideration, specifically at around the time of this post, the most recent expansions are of the B series that feature Mega Evolution. With that in mind, new and prospective players should try to make use of those specific expansions in order to build decks and battle. Depending on the deck and cards to play (or be played), however, one may need to utilize expansions from the A series in order to obtain possibly useful older cards that can still complement what is normally possible - even if it would become a matter of novelty and consideration for what decks could be manifested for current play of all kinds.

 

As for the general consideration, the current series is then always a good place to start looking for cards and building decks based off of them. This is especially true as the newer expansions always offer some refreshed mechanics in terms of the Trainer cards and some of the moves in the Pokémon cards, so going through them for deck-building inspiration makes for a good priority. After that, players should then feel free to look into the older expansions for cards that could change up the ways that they play, particularly ways that have been established by the prior experimentation of other players with those cards. 

 

Still, there is also absolutely no harm in looking into all the existing pre-built decks across all the expansions, many of which can be said to remain relevant even in current times. This would also include the "Elite Decks" and their composition, even if it may not be possible to recreate that fully with currently present and obtainable cards. After that, then comes the challenge of making and implementing variations to them as any player of the TCG should do, whether the cards are virtual as in this game or its sibling TCGL, or of course with possession of the physical cards, however many or few there may be. 

 

It's always a challenge for new players to start out in an already established game, even if that game has only been around for a year or so. That is (was) very much the case for my friend as above and the game of TCGP, who looked for guidance on the matter to me. With that, I thought I'd give my takes on the matter as I had presented them to my friend and now subsequently in a post on this blog. Whether that may or be helpful for others is up to them to determine, but based on my experience, at least a good deal of it should be. If so, then that achieves its purpose, and it'll be helpful for late players in making achievements in this game.

One year ago: Seeking for (My) Pokémon Unite Friends

Two years ago: The Values of Posts, Again

Three years ago: By Experience or By Information?

Four years ago: The Importance of Training in Café Remix

Five years ago: Realized Personal Social Media Experiments with Pokémon

Six years ago: Let's Talk About Events, Conventions, and Beyond

Seven years ago: A Tale of Two (OK?) Performances

Eight years ago: Ode to Magikarp

Nine years ago: Snorlax's Awakening

TCGP: Descent of the Sky Ruler

At the end of July, I had written up about how Rayquaza has a certain lasting appeal; it was actually well-timed with a few in-game things Pokémon has got going on. It was made the day before the Ozone Ascent event started in Pokémon Go, and it heralded two goings-on in TCG, both physical-Live and TCGP. The former is something that I may or may not be able to cover later on (as in, not now), but the latter is definitely something that I can cover right now... and I'm doing just that for its Rayquaza happening.

That Rayquaza happening is a new expansion for this month, which is appropriately called "Ruler of the Skies" since, well, that's who Rayquaza is. It "descends" as regular Diamond cards (in both normal and Mega forms) and one of the two Star and three Star "immersive" cards in this expansion (in its Mega form) along with a selection of other Pokémon, some in their Mega form, that are as equally strong-willed as Rayquaza is. They present great power as well as great challenges, especially with regard to collection.

For the overall composition, the expansion contains 155 cards in the numbered section and 78 cards in the overnumbered section, which makes for 233 cards in total. By all considerations, it's a semi-major expansion, and the cards all have some role to play. The overall composition is also similar to previous semi-major expansions with one major feature Pokémon (Fantastical Parade, Pulsing Aura), which I have to say is not too bad for consistency - although players do still have to work to get at the necessary cards.

Specifically for this expansion, there are 144 Pokémon cards, which make up the bulk of the numbered section. They are complemented by 3 Item cards, 2 Pokémon Tool cards, 4 Supporter cards, and 2 Stadium cards. As such, this expansion introduces many new things across the board, at least in the regular numbered section. Meanwhile, the overnumbered section has familiar tricks, including the other three Star "immersive" card that features Rotom, a tricky Pokémon and a total hoot at that.

It is still Rayquaza that is the focus of this expansion, and its "descent" through this expansion makes it clear who reigns supreme in the wild blue yonder. But as always, players can also reign supreme by collecting all the cards that they want and need (for decks as well as other purposes) from this expansion, of which there is a good number of them. And then there is the "lasting appeal" aspect for the feature Pokémon, for which the new expansion nurtures that as well as future gameplay with it and beyond.

One year ago: Delving into Team Rocket's Motto

Two years ago: From Bali with Love: Two Idol Songs for Pokémon

Three years ago: How to Regard the Orange Islands

Four years ago: The Lingering Places of Toxic Pokémon Fans

Five years ago: Taking It All Home

Six years ago: Sponsored PokéStops and Gyms in Pokémon Go

Seven years ago: The Persistence of Legendary Raid Hours

Eight years ago: Poké Ball Mini Pokémon Figures

Nine years ago: Metal Unova Cap Pikachu Keychain

Changing Event (Elements) in TCGP

Also about a year ago, I had written up about some event types that are commonly found in the TCGP implementation for the Pokémon TCG. As can be expected, things can and do have a way of changing within the span of a year, and change has come to those events, whether in their particulars or in their general overall form. Because of that, I thought it would be a good idea to give a heads-up on a few things that have changed with regard to those events.

First up, there is a new kind of event, which is called Community Week. The event focuses on completing missions of social interactions, which means sharing cards and trading cards with those who may need them - and giving "thanks" in return if one received the courtesy, as well as registering (making) friends with others if possible. The rewards are mostly centered around hourglasses, but these are certainly still worthy to get as with anything that has them.

Then there are changes to the previously mentioned events. The event shops of the Wonder Pick events have been eliminated, and now players only need to keep making Wonder Picks to earn the accessories through mission completions, as well as a couple copies of the cards in case one still isn't lucky enough with them. Meanwhile, the Card Drop events now have more missions that reward packs by simply battling, so less skilled players can have a chance; the earned packs can now also be opened all at once instead of individually as it was before.

One of the events I mentioned earlier (Mass Outbreak), however, has been absent for some time, and that is an apparent marker of its demise. It seems that it may not be needed any longer, given how current expansions work, and players may prefer the freedom of regular Wonder Picks and pack openings instead. It still had good outcomes while it lasted.

Change is a given for long periods of time, like in the time after I wrote up about common events in TCGP up to now. Indeed, in that time, some of the elements of the events (or the events themselves) changed. Hopefully, those changes may have to be considered to be for the better, and the improvements to the events serve not only as a way of reflecting the advancement of the game but also taking things beyond a certain realm of commonality.

One year ago: Café Remix Delivery Disillusionment

Two years ago: Let's Go Make Some Fusions

Three years ago: Cosplay: Onokatsu Japanese Festival

Four years ago: Cosplay: Community Base Party

Five years ago: Go Fest in the Time of...

Six years ago: Starting from Somewhere

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Version 1?

Eight years ago: Daily Tasks

Nine years ago: Flying Quirks of Charizard

Card Completion Bonuses in TCGP

With the release of the most recent expansions for TCGP, both major and minor, there has also been something new to make collecting their cards much more exciting and rewarding. As indicated by the title of this post, that would be bonuses for collecting the cards in those expansions and furthermore completing them. They would definitely be attractive to the players of the game, and even more so to be discussed regarding their particulars.

The bonuses can be classified as "row bonuses" and "group bonuses". "Row bonuses" are given out for a block of five cards in numbered or overnumbered sequence (also because they appear in rows that amount to that in view modes), and group bonuses are given out for a block of cards of certain relationships, which may be few or many depending on the relationship. As newly obtained cards fill in the list, the bonuses are then awarded.

Now, it wouldn't be a bonus if they didn't award something, and they do. The "row bonuses" award Wonder Hourglasses at a rate of two per complete row; it's not much, but it can lead to many if many rows are involved - which is always the case for expansions. The "group bonuses" meanwhile award Trade Hourglasses that may be useful for future trading of the cards in concern with those who may need it. Either way, they can be very useful.

Just in case it's not clear, these bonuses only apply to the most recent expansions (Pulsing Aura and onwards). They don't apply to older expansions of either Series B or Series A, which may be a good thing in order that longtime players don't have an additional advantage conferred to them from the older expansions. For the newer ones, the card completion bonuses then become a defining part in the efforts to obtain new cards for play.

Going through packs for newer TCGP expansions have sometimes proven to take a lot of effort, sometimes with little in return. The new card completion bonuses can then be considered a way of rectifying that, at least in certain ways to give a bit of return. It still takes some effort to go through them for the cards, but now there is an apparent excitement and reward for them that will hopefully keep players going through the new stuff.

One year ago: Pop-up Stores for Pokémon Merchandise

Two years ago: Let's Talk About "Summer Fun"

Three years ago: Cosplay: AORUS Community Gathering

Four years ago: Converting Non-Fans to Pokémon Fans

Five years ago: Every Word Is a Prayer

Six years ago: Dream of Pokémon Life

Seven years ago: "I Could Tell You, But..."

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/8/2018

Nine years ago: Pursuing Shiny?

TCGP: A Special Wonder for Everyday

No, this post does not have anything to do with ice cream or promotions for it. But this post does have a lot to do with the Pokémon TCG - specifically its Pocket implementation. Even so, there is the possibility that ice cream could be very well appreciated by the entities involved in this month's new expansion for the game. And it does have something to do with the premise that the new expansion presents, which is "Everyday Wonders" - exactly titled that.

This new expansion is dubbed a Themed Booster Pack and can thus be considered as a way of tiding things over to the next big one. True to that, it has 106 cards total: 69 in the numbered section and 37 in the overnumbered section. Of the 63 Pokémon that are represented in the numbered section, they're mostly Pokémon that are cute or uniquely designed in their bodies, all of which can make great friends for common days... hence the theme of this expansion.

Meanwhile, the rest of the numbered section are composed of 2 Pokémon Tool cards, 3 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card. There are no Item cards in this expansion, which could seem a bit strange, but Item cards from prior expansions may still cover most of the common ("everyday") battle needs involving the Pokémon here. And of course, the new Trainer cards can put their own twists on the battle - two of them, in fact, concern Pokémon Tool usage.

Wonders - especially beyond everyday ones - certainly lie in that overnumbered section, which for this one is just a little more than half the cards in the numbered section, becoming a little more significant. As usual, there are full art versions of some notable species in this expansion, including the Dedenne "immersive", and the Shiny highlights are fascinating as well. Such wonders will certainly fall upon those who are fortunate in opening these packs.

Sometimes, the best and even worst of days need a bit of a wonder power, and Pokémon has been known to be able to furnish that in all of its different ways. TCGP then can become something a little different in that regard, and the newly included Themed Booster Pack for this month exemplifies what (species) it might take for that to happen. Going back to ice cream, that makes for a wondrous moment - and so too can Pokémon in at least some way.

One year ago: Making Pokémon Merchandise Cheap...?

Two years ago: Tournament: Dusk & Dawn Raid Group Open Great League

Three years ago: Showcasing Pokémon at PokéStops

Four years ago: Making Sense of Field Research Tasks

Five years ago: Go Fest Gets Musical

Six years ago: Everyone's Go Fest

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Konbini Anime

Eight years ago: ...However Things Turn Out

Nine years ago: Shiny Stories

Implementing Energy Cards in TCGP?

Over the past year, it has become evident that despite several important differences that still persist, TCGP as a mobile implementation of the Pokémon TCG is on track to achieving "feature parity" (in development terms) with the regular or physical TCG. First, Pokémon Tool cards were introduced, then Stadium cards followed later. It seems that almost every kind of card you can regularly find in the physical TCG have made it in... except the Energy cards. The question then lies on the possibility of implementing them; this post then serves to discuss that possibility as well as complications that are interrelated with that possibility.

It is important to make the reminder that Energy works differently in TCGP, and quite so at that. Here, Energy depends on the Energy Zone, and it generates specific ones tied to a deck and even some different ones if certain cards are played. Therefore, the possibility of making the implementation work seems to have to consider keeping this system included rather than leaving it out. Meanwhile, the deck building screen shows that potentially more cards could be included in a deck, up to 30 instead of the usual 20, which may indicate that these extra 10 cards could be used to accommodate Energy cards if they do appear.

As for how things might work out, it seems that the Energy cards could be loaded into the Energy Zone, and at the first opportunity players are able to attach Energy as would normally occur in a TCG match, an Energy card is drawn to be attached to a Pokémon. Supposing that a Pokémon is Knocked Out, an Energy card could also be brought back into play by a card that interacts with Energy in the discard pile; this is also in line with the fact that the game keeps track of discarded Energy after a KO in addition to cards.

Meanwhile, other complications would involve the kinds of Energy cards that could or would be included. Cards of the commonly used types would be a given, of course, but the possibility of having unique cards for them might not be out of the question. Then there are Special Energy cards, which in regular TCG exist to provide certain Energy in possibly larger amounts but under certain restrictions; implementing them in TCGP might require a bit of "finagling", yet it could be done, given the appearance of other special cards.

With the way that things are developing in TCGP, "feature parity" - even if not complete and/or thorough - with the regular TCG looks to be a set goal for it, albeit one that most players may not perceive. The next step for that might just be implementing Energy cards in some way, even if the possibility is either outlandish or superfluous (or both) by the state of the game. After that, TCGP might very well be considered a really good implementation. 

One year ago: Cosplay: Akiba Fest 2025

Two years ago: My Pokémon Communities on WhatsApp

Three years ago: The Scramble for King of the Hill

Four years ago: Classes and Classification of Pokémon

Five years ago: Battle Box for Pokémon Go?

Six years ago: Game Freak with Mario on the Side

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/8/2019

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 6/8/2018

Nine years ago: Poor Zygarde

TCGP: Getting into the Paradox (Over) Drive

Having (finally) explained what Paradox Pokémon are in a long overdue post, I am now more comfortable in writing up this post with its topic. As mentioned in that long overdue post, said class of Pokémon is to make an(other) appearance in the TCG realm, and that would be for the mobile implementation of TCGP. They become the focus of this month's new expansion, which is a Themed Booster Pack entitled "Paradox Drive" - aptly containing the keyword of the Pokémon class.

Being a Themed Booster Pack, it's a minor expansion with relatively fewer cards to offer. Yet it does have a good number of Pokémon from the mentioned class, which encompass both domains of Ancient and Future. It also has a number of other species from prior generations, some from the respective generation (including Koraidon and Miraidon), as well as Terapagos, the highlight species of Area Zero - here also being highlighted in Immersive form. They're to be found among the expansion's 74 numbered and 35 overnumbered cards, 109 in total.

Within the numbered section, 68 of them are Pokémon cards containing the species as described above. The remaining six are composed of 2 Pokémon Tool cards (also one of the "new terms" I mentioned in the previous post), 3 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card. The former two also have cards with Ancient and Future tags (one each), and the third has a representation of Area Zero itself. The overnumbered section has the usual full art and Shiny cards of some featured Pokémon to pique players' interests.

The content of this Themed Booster Pack is roughly comparable to Extradimensional Crisis, the one for the different class of Ultra Beasts from about one year ago, for which its 69 numbered cards have 2 Item cards, 2 Pokémon Tool cards, and 3 Supporter cards. Its 34 overnumbered cards are also of the usual sort with selected full art and Shiny cards to vary things up, bringing its total to 103 cards - again, not too shabby or dissimilar in amount and content. Both also deal with specific Pokémon classes, further establishing a comparative basis.

Now, as for the "overdrive" portion of this program as suggested by the title of this post, that may depend on the willingness of players to get all the cards (that they need) from this minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack. But with the presence of the Pokémon species from the class that is enigmatic in the scheme of things for Paldea and the ninth generation, there is also the sense that players may want to put a few things into "overdrive" and then drive the potentials of these Pokémon to a great extent.

One year ago: Ties or Draws in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: LINE App in a "Downturn"?

Three years ago: Silph Arena Factions S2 Postseason Metas

Four years ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #3 - The Games I Play

Five years ago: Mastering Balls of Hands and Feet

Six years ago: It's a-Mario Time

Seven years ago: Going Big in Galar

Eight years ago: Pokémon Archetypes

Nine years ago: New Paradigms

New Terms Involving Pokémon

Before I get into the main content of this post, I'd like to say that I had been planning to make this post for over four years, but I have never dealt with some of the elements that are to be mentioned in this post - at least, not in their actual first-hand implementation. For that, I will mention the reasons why and developments since then, after the respective elements are mentioned in parentheses (). Now, on with the actual post.

People in many fields of discipline will eventually grapple with new terms for elements that are introduced with increased knowledge or improved states of affairs in those fields. While not exactly a "field of discipline", Pokémon has a lot of things that are tantamount to that, and fans, players (Trainers), and so on have to grapple with new terms as well. Most recently (or in the most recent past), a few of these new terms have come to light for them - certainly, including me - so I thought I'd go over those new terms, three of them in fact.

The first of these new terms is "Paradox Pokémon". These are Pokémon species that look like some other Pokémon that are already known, but they're not that; they stand alone much like Legendary Pokémon or Ultra Beasts. They also come from the two times of "Ancient" (which represents the past) and "Future". Their English names are also natural words (for example, "Great Tusk" and "Iron Treads" respectively that look like Donphan superficially) rather than contrived words, and they lend themselves to the dynamics of the ninth generation.

(I still do not have the main series games of the ninth generation, which is what I was hoping to deal with before I actually cover this term. However, I did mention it briefly in an older post about "historical Pokémon", which was a necessity given the topic; the intent was still to make the first or at least formal mention in this post. Since then, as I've witnessed, they've also been present in the TCG - one way of which is to be explained soon - and there's even one example in Café Remix.)

Next comes the term of "Alpha Pokémon". Making themselves present in the Legends games, these Pokémon are of a bigger size than what is mostly expected, and they're also stronger in battle - which also becomes evident with their high IV values when taken out of those games. In those games, when present in the wild, their eyes (if they have them) are also glowing red, the nearly universal sign of something angry and fierce. At least, they can become a fierce part of one's collection as well.

(I also still do not have either of the existing Legends games, for which this term is evidently so associated with them. Yet a couple of years after the release of the first Legends game - Arceus - Pokémon Go hosted the first Go Wild Area, which featured Mighty Pokémon that essentially becomes the implementation of this concept in much the same way, pretty much minus the angry red eyes. Mighty Pokémon then stayed for the next one, and with Alpha Pokémon staying in Legends: Z-A as well, they're here to stay.)

Meanwhile, in the TCG realm, there is the new term of "Pokémon Tool". This term represents a sub-class of cards that can be attached (equipped) to Pokémon with useful effects for them. They used to be in the Item sub-class of Trainer cards before they were differentiated (in a way, expanded), and given what they do, it's not hard to see why - they can be defined, delimited, and regulated in this way. The differentiation has since occurred for cards in different sub-realms of the TCG, both past and present.

(I have no cards of this kind, at least ones that are in both English and physical form, yet I've seen them in action physically by way of my TCG fellows. More importantly, I've dealt with them electronically in some way, including in the most recent realm of TCGP, where they were introduced a little over a year ago. As with Paradox Pokémon above, that post was also waiting on this long overdue post for its first formal blurb, which was desperately necessary but now is more or less fulfilled for that.)

Fields of discipline and Pokémon have one thing in common (at the very least) in that both of them are in constant development. That process also means that new terms are very much possible for the realms of concern - and in the case of Pokémon as above, that has in fact happened. Grappling with the ones above in particular becomes - or has become, given their time presence - the concern of fans for the franchise, and doing so might just become the prompt for future (and great) developments that they can muster.

With that, this long overdue post has been written up and covered all the details that it is (was) intended to cover. Hopefully, future developments won't take so long to be covered as with these, and I would eventually be able to deal with them as intended.

One year ago: The Light and Shade of the Moon Islands

Two years ago: A Pokémon Performance Dream

Three years ago: Notes on Development Notes

Four years ago: Prankster Possibilities

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/6/2021

Six years ago: Repetition for Reputation

Seven years ago: Be with You, Always with You

Eight years ago: (The Least) Local Ex-Raid, 6/6/2018

Nine years ago: Pokémon Direct, 6/6/2017

Elite Decks in TCGP

Besides the usual decks that players build with the cards that they collect in TCGP, some decks are also built and obtained in a different manner - at least in a more recent stride by the game. In fact, as the game calls them, they are meant to be "supreme" decks, ones that may need a good amount of time to familiarize with. They are accordingly called "elite decks", and they're something to be pointed out for the possibilities they can offer.

Currently, there are only two of these "elite decks", and they're both of the Fire type, based on Mega Blaziken and Mega Charizard Y. Those who have obtained their decklists can see that they are organized under the Fire type heading, which might just imply that there would be more of these "elite decks" for other types and the Pokémon that bear those types. That remains to be seen, of course, but the current decks already furnish challenges of their own.

How are these decks obtained? Mega Blaziken was obtained starting earlier this year as part of a gift mission, and its availability in fact just ended a couple of weeks ago - but prospective players should have logged in at least once to obtain the gift mission. Mega Charizard Y is available now and for more or less the next three months, so this would be a great time to log in, obtain the gift mission, and deal with its intricacies for the "elite deck".

When obtained, the needed cards for the deck are collected, along with the deck in rental deck form (for trying things out) and decklist form (for building the actual deck), just like regular decks. Aside from trying things out, one of the missions for the "elite decks" is using the rental deck three times to obtain pack hourglasses, so there is a side benefit to the actual use of the rental deck, at least until the deck is built for real usage in various situations.

Now, as for how these decks fare - at least, the ones that currently exist - they really do stand up to their "elite" moniker. The Mega Blaziken deck in particular has it alongside Entei, both in 'ex' form, so a player may need to recognize the situations where one or the other is best to be played. And then there's the Mega Charizard Y deck, which offers similar challenges with the deck's namesake card also being an 'ex' card.

These "supreme" decks have a lot of potential, and that applies to the currently existing ones as well as their future possibilities that may just be conjured up sooner if not later. Like other regular decks, there is a need to playtest them to check how they might work for a given player, but attaining mastery of them remains something noble - one that might lend some credence to the "elite" quality of the decks, and players too.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 5/11/2025

Two years ago: Cosplay+Pokémon Go: Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in Surabaya

Three years ago: Cold Appearances

Four years ago: Blogging on Blogs: Pokémon Blog

Five years ago: Forgotten (Event) Days

Six years ago: (Preparing for) Shuffle's Last Stand

Seven years ago: Special Feature Film - "POKÉMON: Detective Pikachu"

Eight years ago: Just Like a Rainbow

Nine years ago: A Shout-Out to a Fellow Blogger

TCGP: The Pulsing Aura of Greatness

For this month's pack or expansion addition for TCGP - although technically most are released just before and as always, it takes time for me to deal with them after that fact - the new pack may be considered one that is great in some ways, in both content and size. Its theme also comes courtesy of a unique aspect for some Pokémon in drawing out their inner power, and the throbbing of that aspect is representative of the pack or expansion as a whole.

Without further ado, this pack or expansion is titled "Pulsing Aura". Many will recognize the Riolu family for being able to make use of the "aura" aspect as a part of their power, and that is what this pack or expansion has, all the way up to Mega Lucario as one of the Pokémon that is representative of it by the pack image. The other one is Mega Sceptile, who also appears therein. Many of the other cards revolve around these two Pokémon, but there's also a good bit of other power if you know where to look among them.

In the numbered section, which comprises 155 cards, most of them are Pokémon cards, with the total coming out to 146 Pokémon cards. The other cards in the pack or expansion are made up of 1 Item card, 1 Pokémon Tool card, 4 Supporter cards, and 3 Stadium cards. The composition is rather similar to the earlier Fantastical Parade pack or expansion (also having the same number of numbered cards) but with two more Item cards and one more Pokémon Tool card in lieu of Pokémon, so this one can play out in the same way.

As a matter of fact, there are also 79 cards in the overnumbered section, bringing the total for the pack or expansion to 234 - the same as Fantastical Parade. That means similar efforts for getting the needed ("base") cards from the numbered section and the desired ones from the overnumbered section to stand in for the "base" versions. It may still require a good bit of effort for pack opening as usual - and perhaps a bit more luck if and when Wonder Picks are involved - but the power might just be evident somehow.

Like aura itself, the power that certain packs or expansions have might just be concentrated in the selection of cards that make up a deck. Therefore, in a way, this month's new pack or expansion for TCGP puts a certain emphasis on that, particularly with the feature of a Pokémon that embodies the involvement of the aura aspect for its inner power. Out of this and related efforts, greatness can and definitely should result, even with a possible pulsating start.

One year ago: More on Arata Iiyoshi and His PMD Contributions

Two years ago: Pokémon Species in Squeezy, Pillowy Form

Three years ago: Cosplay: Foodtopia Competitions

Four years ago: Introducing Mega Legendary Raids

Five years ago: Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys - "Expedition Series", Selections

Six years ago: Hanging by a Cliff

Seven years ago: Folding Paper for Pokémon

Eight years ago: Pokémon in Poké Balls Stickers

Nine years ago: Cosplay: J-COSHOKAI 2 - Utsukushii Hana

Emblems in TCGP

Many Pokémon games seemingly have elements that players or Trainers can seemingly and easily overlook, and TCGP can fit into that regard. One of its elements is a nicety that serves a representative role for players in showing some of their accomplishments in the game from the past to the present. By the title of this post, that aspect is called "emblems", and it's an element that could deserve a bit of an explanation for posterity.

As stated, accomplishments are the primary things that the emblems represent. Many of them pertain to battle ("PvP") events in the game, from victory-based battle events to Ranked play seasons. They're earned when a player achieves specific milestones in the events (primarily for the former) or completes the season at a certain level (as is true of the latter). These are real accomplishments, and the emblems certify them as such.

Emblems are also obtained by completing the Dex Missions and earning Emblem Points, which can then be exchanged for an emblem of one's choice (or sometimes, the only one) for a particular expansion, through the in-game shop. Then, there are also emblems for special occasions that are given out through associated events. In this way, they're representative of the card collection and game progressions for the player.

Three emblems can be shown at a time in the player's profile by tapping the profile icon, going to the Emblems section, and choosing whichever three one would like to display for others viewing that player's profile. From this selection, then, others might be able to tell if the player is being rather competitive in the game or may just be involved in card collection and thusly less competitive - either of which are surely representative.

Now, another reason this becomes a pertinent topic for discussion is that starting with the next expansion, Dex Missions and Emblem Points are to be deprecated and replaced with a system that allows the same emblems to be earned through card collection. As such, this post also serves to remind players that if there are any emblems that haven't been exchanged by the manner above, it may be of their interest to do so before the system changes.

In any case, the planned system change for "Dex emblems" and the accomplishment-based system for battle emblems may be the indicators that the element seems to be overlooked by some players, even yours truly. For all their posterity and worth, it seems important to take note of them to take advantage of their appreciable benefits, and the discussion regarding the element as presented above can present some of the prompts for doing so.

One year ago: Spiritually Lost

Two years ago: Pokémon Profile Frames and Video Backgrounds

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 4/15/2023

Four years ago: Love Nature, Find Beauty

Five years ago: Great League, Remixed

Six years ago: On Pokémon and Computing

Seven years ago: The Fullness of the Cup

Eight years ago: Cosplay: GAME - Games Animation Marketplace and Exhibition

Nine years ago: True Colors (...of a Logo)

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