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

TCGP: The Wonders of Paldea in Packs

As I mentioned in the previous Pokémon Presents edition, the matter of a new expansion for TCGP is something that I need to get to, and now I'm finally able to get to it. After several of these that are oriented to Mega Evolution, the newest one provides a respite from that and has the setting of the most recently recognized region and generation in this world. That would be Paldea, certainly, and the expansion is thusly called "Paldean Wonders" to reflect all that is fascinating from this region and featured in the expansion.

For that, the expansion is a minor one (a Themed Booster Pack, as it is so given) with nearly all of the Pokémon in the expansion being ones from said region, including the first partners and a few others that are emblematic of the region. The pack image indeed contains these Pokémon species and presents them as potential targets for players opening the packs for this expansion. As with other expansions, that may take a good bit of time to fulfill.

Since Trainer cards have grown in diversity of kinds, I thought I'd discuss the ones contained in this expansion as well. This minor expansion also introduces 1 Item card, 1 Pokémon Tool card, 5 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card. That's a good number of selections to have and go through, so some players will be rummaging through packs for them just as much as they'll be rummaging for the Pokémon that they will want and need to use in the battles.

Meanwhile, the expansion itself has 93 cards in the numbered section and 38 cards in the overnumbered section, making it come out to 131 cards in total. That's somewhat more than most other minor expansions or Themed Booster Packs, so the "rummaging" potential is also somewhat greater as a result. That would be especially true if full art and/or Shiny cards are a concern, for which the 38 overnumbered cards are still quite a bit and rare too.

If this minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack is an indication, the most recent species entrants to the world of Pokémon are still fair game and of interest even in this virtual TCG form. This new one then encapsulates the most essential aspects and presents them as "true" wonders that might just show dominance on the card playfield.

One year ago: Monopoly Pokémon Edition, Then and Now

Two years ago: Can-Do with Pachirisu

Three years ago: Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Pallet Town Ruby (SA Factions)

Four years ago: ASMR with Pokémon

Five years ago: All I Can Do, with You

Six years ago: Sad Music from Kanto

Seven years ago: A Girl and a Fan

Eight years ago: The Place to Be

Nine years ago: Cosplay: Daisuki Japan 7 - Wanderlust!

One by Air, Two by Sea: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2026

Where February's Go Tour follows, Pokémon Presents does too - although that's more of a consequence of Pokémon Day rather than the mentioned game event. My discussion on the matter, as in many of the past years, has been tied to a certain theme that may or may not directly pertain to the contents of the feature, but it's still useful anyway as a guide to some of those contents at the very least. This time, the theme may be construed as means that some things may be delivered, but it's also relevant to a very important part of the feature.

That important part can be saved for later, so as usual, the discussion starts with updates to some current games. Pokémon Go had the festivities for Go Tour as well as on the road ahead, which promises to be exciting. Pokémon Unite had the three Legendary birds of Kanto as well as the first partners of Johto coming as Unite Licenses, which will surely fill up the field further. Physical TCG has something special on tap given this Pokémon anniversary, but that is a matter that will take more time to deliver and determine. 

For lesser games, Café Remix is on a celebration of first partners, TCGP has a new Themed Booster Pack (like clockwork, and for a few days now - something that I may need to get on soon), Masters EX is going back in time to deliver Trainer characters from bygone eras, and Pokémon Sleep is bringing in a famed Mythical Pokémon of origin and two Legendary Pokémon of sibling attachment - something that should be very clear. They're all delivering in drops and rounds, almost as if by the above means.

Next up was some news on the rather expected "battle client" game of Pokémon Champions. The game is shaping up, and in fact its release on Nintendo Switch has been set for April this year, with the mobile version to come later. Furthermore, once it's released, it's also set for use in the World Championships... which will also be the case this year (the World Championship preview itself, as usual, will come when it comes close at the end of August). This has many, many implications that can't all be covered here.

Meanwhile, this coverage continues with some upcoming content, both partial to an existing game and for a new game itself. Mega Garchomp Z is coming to the Legends: Z-A game by way of the DLC and Mystery Gift, another exciting addition to the main series "alternate". Then, Pokémon Pokopia is set for release on March 5, and more of its content continues to be divulged, including DJ Rotom and a Greedent chef named "Dente". Its "timesink" quality seems to be shaping up even shortly before its release.

Lastly, it's time to make the "delivery means" clear and to fill in the blanks I left in Pokémon Day. "Blowing air" refers to the winds and "riding sea" refers to the waves... and they'll be the subtitles of the next main series games, Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, which are due out next year. The "first look" or teaser shows an island region (name coming later) with vibrant islands and seas, and the first partners of the region and games have also been revealed alongside to start the hype for them.

Delivering new content updates is definitely the role of an edition of Pokémon Presents, and this particular edition for the 30th anniversary of Pokémon delivers (ahem) on that with what is set to be a fun-filled time with current and future Pokémon games and experiences. With that, the delivery means may not be all that important so much as it is the (essence of the) content that is important; whether they come by air or by sea, the best Pokémon happenings are those that will stoke and delight fans, and those from this edition may be some of the best yet.

One year ago: Ever Onward: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2025

Two years ago: Cosplay: Utsuru 8.5

Three years ago: It's All Relative: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2023

Four years ago: Newfound Glory: Pokémon Presents, 2/27/2022

Five years ago: More PokéStops in Specific Areas?

Six years ago: Re-Experiencing Main Series Battles

Seven years ago: Cosplay: Daisuki! Japan Fest x ICGP Regionals 2019

Eight years ago: Investing for PokéCoins

Nine years ago: To Pre-Order or Not to Pre-Order?

Playing the TCG with Only Dice

Still on the subject of physical TCG equipment, having mentioned dice as one of the possible kinds of supplementary equipment in the previous discussion, I thought I should discuss it further. A radical proposition (by one consideration, at least) regarding this kind of equipment is that it's possible to play through entire games or matches of the TCG using only dice as the supplementary equipment. How that may be possible becomes something that can be (and in fact should be) discussed, and that becomes the point of this post.

Recall that I had mentioned a few aspects of this when I started with the local TCG such a long time ago, and those aspects are still relevant. Usage of a die to call for odds or evens in lieu of the heads and tails from flipping a coin obviously allows the former to stand in for the latter, and it can then be considered a way to obviate or supplant the use of coins. In fact, I've also seen a Pokémon-themed die with Pikachu on it that can indeed serve this purpose very well. In this way, a distinct supplementary equipment is rendered unnecessary.

Dice obviously have values on them, so they can stand in for damage counters as well, but quite (more than) a few may be needed for Pokémon that have over 240 HP (which can be represented with four regular dice showing sixes). As a "supplement" to this supplement, it may be possible to borrow the "doubling cube" from backgammon to represent greater damage in a more succinct manner. Yet for those who possess a large number of regular dice, this probably won't matter much, and the fact remains that the substitution is possible.

Then there are other markers that don't seem like they could be substituted with dice yet in fact seems quite possible. An ability that has been used could be marked with a die showing a six horizontally. Certain statuses could be indicated with dice showing certain values (or even a one for simplicity, if not many of them are in actual play) with the dice being placed on the Pokémon slightly turned to resemble a diamond. The system can totally work out and therefore make usage of only dice rather attractive. 

With the above points, it seems very much possible that a player in a TCG match could use a set of dice for their entire set of supplementary equipment - aside from the ones that affect the cards themselves - and be able to use them to represent just about everything that goes on in that match. By that account, it seems to be not such a radical proposition after all (except maybe considering the perceptions of dice themselves as game equipment), and at least in some cases, usage of only dice in TCG might just work out, and very well in fact.

One year ago: How to Say "Farewell"

Two years ago: Still Otaku, Yet Separate

Three years ago: SWEEP JR Taking on the World

Four years ago: 3DS eShop Closing - Demise Is Near

Five years ago: More NPC Trainers in Pokémon Go?

Six years ago: Hobby as a Partner

Seven years ago: Even More LINE Pokémon Stickers

Eight years ago: Quirky Raids

Nine years ago: Secret Garden

Custom Equipment for the Physical TCG

Today is a Friday, and this is one of the days when my Pokémon TCG fellows gather for a weekly tournament. I can't be there for certain reasons, so instead, I thought about discussing something related to that. Now, besides the cards themselves, it is known that some supplementary equipment is needed in order to assist and keep track of what's going on during play. In fact, some of the equipment can be custom-made for that purpose, and that's what I want to discuss in this post for all their value. 

If starter kits for playing the game serve as guides, the basic supplementary equipment is composed of coins, status indicators, and damage counters. The last and the first of these are certainly the most frequently used among the three, so they will be needed in some form. Custom coins and damage counters could then stand to be made, and the latter doesn't even have to be in the form of "counters", as in specific numbers; they could be in dice form, something that can be discussed separately due to the broad scope.

As for status indicators, many decks don't have Pokémon that can inflict statuses, so many players can actually get by with or without the indicators. Having them - ones that are custom-made, certainly - would then be more for posterity and completeness. Yet it should be noted that some cards have abilities that can only be used once (implied or not), so a custom "ability used" indicator is actually useful for this purpose - and in fact, some of my fellows do have such indicators, affirming their usage potential.

Card sleeves are in some ways an unspoken necessity for this and other TCG realms, and they can be custom-made as well, as some players can attest. They can be as simple (or not) as an insert for some sleeves, or they can be the sleeves themselves, the latter of which is definitely convenient. Either one will certainly demand some effort in their creation, but custom ones can surely even be had, especially with regard to Pokémon. They're perhaps the equipment that reflects the custom nature the most.

Yet with all this custom talk, it should be noted that when official tournaments are the destination, the custom equipment may not fly for them. Players may be asked to keep their equipment either official (from the sets themselves or from, say, Pokémon Center) or generic (as in clear card sleeves or plain dice or markers). Therefore, usage of the custom equipment may only be reserved for tournaments that are less official in nature or just for casual play. It's still fine to have the custom equipment in these other cases.

Regardless of that last fact, the realm of equipment for Pokémon TCG is a broad one, and in that broadness, there is also the presence of custom equipment. Their purpose in assisting play and keeping track of things that go on in it remains something that cannot be denied, even if their scope may be kept in check. For my TCG fellows as well as any other TCG player out there, the equipment remains necessary for good play, and the choice of having that custom-made may still be a good one.

One year ago: Pokémon Go (et al.) to Be Sold??

Two years ago: Daisuki! Japan Fest in Memoriam

Three years ago: Tournament: Arcaviary Tournament - Naiad Cup

Four years ago: Show Goes On, and On, and On...

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto

Six years ago: Living with My Buddy

Seven years ago: Poké-Tourism

Eight years ago: Pokémon "Cover Songs"

Nine years ago: Venice and Alto Mare

The Use (or Non-Use) of Rental Decks in TCGP

On the side of actual TCG gameplay, the implementation of TCGP has a unique aspect, in that one can choose to play (in single-player modes) with what are called "rental decks", which are obtained by collecting certain cards that become the "highlight" of each deck. The cards of the rental decks are watermarked with a deck symbol to indicate them as such. The feature and the respective decks are fascinating, but one might also wonder if and when they should be used. For that, it seems important to try and flesh out the conditions for that.

It is just as important to note that each rental deck has a limit of 10 uses in battle before they disappear... unless one has also collected the respective deck list that allows the exact same deck to be built and duplicated (and then perhaps modified) with cards that one has collected. As such, any consideration of usage will have to involve these 10 uses, and it is likely that any player will want to make use of at least some of them. Of course, the circumstances of the usage are likely to be as different as the decks themselves.

Some decks, even pre-composed ones, are known to have different pacing (and so do their cards), and this is an oft-cited aspect by many players. Therefore, having a rental deck available before even all the cards for them are collected can allow players to get a "feel" for that deck and its respective cards. Certainly, this would be an ideal way to utilize the limited uses as above, so that players don't need to build the deck in actuality if they don't have to. Beyond that, deck modification then becomes the way to adjust the "feel".

As for using them beyond getting a "feel", they can be used to clear deck missions at levels lower than Expert, and that is perhaps the best use of them outside of getting a "feel". They'll have to be cleared anyway in order to get to more of them and more difficult ones, which will likely necessitate decks beyond rental ones. Still, some players might just advocate making decks anyway for this purpose, and that's fine and great, but there is also no harm in fulfilling the ultimate purposes of rental decks for starting things off.

The inclusion of rental decks as a feature in TCGP is still appreciable as a way to get novice and advanced players rolling with the variety of cards in this TCG implementation, which are not necessarily on par with their regular counterparts. As a result, it's still important to understand the use of the cards and the decks they are placed in, so the rental deck feature helps in that effort. All the usage scenarios explained above can surely be considered (or not) as players continue to accumulate cards in the game and eventually have decks of their own.

One year ago: Unique Pokémon Unite Tournaments

Two years ago: Let's Talk About Saving Opportunities

Three years ago: Follow-up for the NADWPKMN YouTube Channel

Four years ago: Respect for Ahmad Zulkifli Lubis... in Memoriam

Five years ago: Quickies: Water, the Source of Life

Six years ago: To Lure or to Walk?

Seven years ago: Romancing the Ball

Eight years ago: Once and Again: Cosplay Teaser for 3/11/2018

Nine years ago: We Three Birds of Kanto Are...

TCGP: Furthering (with) the Fantastical Parade

The current series of cards in TCGP has been on a roll with their inclusion of Mega Evolution, which I had likened to a "parade" with the same being included in other realms of Pokémon gaming. Recently, that trend seems to be set to continue with a new expansion that has just been added to the game, and its title is literally just that: "Fantastical Parade" is the name of the new expansion, and like a real parade, it has quite a few things going on.

Its pack image is Mega Gardevoir, which makes it clear that the Pokémon becomes the leader of the parade. Another notable member of the parade is Ogerpon, and all of its four mask variants. The rest of the parade comprises Pokémon species from various generations, including different first partner families for each type (Chespin, Scorbunny, and Mudkip) that are as primed for battle as the leader(s) of this pack's parade.

Also of notability is that the expansion introduces the first implementations of Stadium cards in TCGP. There are three of these in the expansion, and they work the same way in TCGP as they do in physical TCG and TCGL: one plays them on the side to introduce certain effects, and the other player can override them with another Stadium card. With it, TCGP becomes even closer in parity to the classical TCG implementation.

For the card composition, there are 155 cards in the numbered section and 79 cards in the overnumbered section, thus totaling 234 cards. It's a pretty good-sized expansion with numerous cards, even if many players may or may not care about most of them - except of course the highlight cards (including the Stadium cards) as mentioned above and whatever cards they will need from this one to make workable decks.

Much evidently still goes on in TCGP, and this latest expansion adds to the many goings-on within the game, with another element of a resurging aspect and one that makes things even more familiar to Pokémon TCG players in general. It is a "parade" by one stretch of that word, and players can certainly opt to enjoy that as much as possible - in this case for even more of the cards that interest their plays, as the TCGP expansion parade itself goes on.

One year ago: Economy of Expression

Two years ago: Cosplay: Gyomai Mini Gathering

Three years ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #5 - Musical Expressions

Four years ago: Follow-up Pokémon Happenings

Five years ago: Gym Takedown Habits

Six years ago: Delayed Costumes

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/17/2019

Eight years ago: Time for a Pikachu New 2DS XL?

Nine years ago: The Park Is Open

The Unluckiest Wonder Picks

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

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

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

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

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

One year ago: The Ship Guiders

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

Three years ago: Quickies: The Fire Inside and Out

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

Five years ago: Beyond the Immensity of Life

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

Seven years ago: Islands and Continents

Eight years ago: Passing the Guard

Nine years ago: Two Pokémon Pillows