Pokémon, Anatomy, and Books

Some days ago, my raid fellows alerted me to the existence of something unique related to Pokémon. That something unique is called "Pokénatomy", and it takes the form of a book related to Pokémon. The book contains illustrations of the first 151 Pokémon along with - as the key part of this book - depictions of their inner organs. It sounds astoundingly impressive, and it is, to a really good extent. And since I've discovered it as a result of my raid fellows discovering it, it is wise to make a discussion of it in a blog post here.

The book is authored and illustrated by one Christopher Stoll. Remarkably, this book became a Kickstarter project and it was successfully funded in a span of a little more than a month... in 2016, and back then I wasn't paying attention to Kickstarter, let alone have a possible way to back any project on it. Alas, the link on the Kickstarter project page to where one might also be able to obtain a copy of the book points to a dead page, decreasing hope for doing so. It is still sufficiently remarkable that a Pokémon project like this managed to gain enough support as a crowdfunding project on the site and result in a creation that fans and more enjoy.

As for the contents of the book, all the first-generation Pokémon and their innards are depicted in great detail. It could appear as a real-world book of anatomy - or rather, an anatomy book from the realism of the world of Pokémon. To that end, some of my raid fellows have stated that the book creeps them out because of how gory it appears, perhaps in similarity to how some people might say human anatomy books creep them out. It might be that people who are not used to or familiar with anatomy and dissections might find them creepy as such. For me, I still find it very fascinating as with most things related to Pokémon.

There is one more reason why I find the book fascinating: the book itself represents something that I myself would like to make (or at least very similar to that), with a focus on Pokémon but not on the same topic as what was made on this book. And while I might have the core visions of the book and how it should be structured, since Pokémon is partly visual, I'd need help on the art direction since my artistic visions tend toward the abstract. Therefore, I might need to team up or collaborate with someone on this matter. If not with someone like Christopher Stoll, it would have to be someone who understands Pokémon (and my vision) like I do.

Regardless, this project is impressive - I can't say that enough times - even if I discovered it a few years too late and the realism might not suit everyone's tastes. For a Pokémon book, it seems to encapsulate many things that make something like that a keeper for its fans, and it has been proven with the project on Kickstarter becoming funded successfully and resulting in a creation that fans can and do keep. That has to be quite inspirational for myself with my own aspirations and should be too for my raid fellows, who too were captivated.

One year ago: The Ups and Downs of Showdown

Two years ago: A Mew Pouch

Three years ago: How Do I Live, Without You?

Four years ago: Two Pokémon Notebooks

More PokéStops in Specific Areas?

An "incident" recently transpired in Pokémon Go over PokéStops and Gyms in a certain area. Simply put - without too much detail of what the incident involved - a good number of them were lost. Yet it may be the case that a good number of Trainers would have benefited from them, especially if the PokéStops are truly relevant according to the guidelines of good PokéStops. The area also happens to be a dense historical complex, which conceivably could have many places as possible PokéStops or Gyms. This leads me to propose the idea of certain places being granted the possibility of having more PokéStops than normal.

The places that would benefit from this arrangement would be places where people gather - or would gather, if it were not for current conditions - and then do things like play Pokémon Go. The dense historical complex above would definitely fit, and so would parks of different kinds as a general place of congregation. Some of these places might have objects that are close together and yet equally deserving of a nomination (for example, a basketball court close to a major statue in a park) but cannot be both nominated for that very reason. Increasing the number of allowable PokéStops in the area should allow both objects to be nominated, and this would be a win-win solution for those who expect both.

A possible additional condition that could be imposed is that these places would be guaranteed at least one Gym, whether newly created by nominations or selected from an existing PokéStop. This would prevent efforts that are too intense in creating Gyms, particularly at the expense of other PokéStops or Gyms, whether near or far. I've been a witness to some of these efforts, and I can say that they don't turn out pretty well - in fact, they turned out for nothing. For a park, this would likely mean a possible EX Raid Gym as well, which is very much coveted and could have been the rationale for the efforts discussed above. The condition might be a difficult one to fulfill as with the core possibility, but it could make a difference as well.

A simple reason for supporting this possibility is that PokéStops are always in demand, and this is even more of a truism for heavy adventurers who like to seek out new places for their Buddy Pokémon, for the purpose of progressing the Sightseer medal, for good places to set up Lure Modules, and so on and so forth. The demand may be justified, but the mechanism of implementation for this possibility is just as important, for it had been said that one reason the PokéStops above disappeared is to keep things tidy. Therefore, some kind of a solution must also be considered in this regard, being how to keep things tidy while still having the additional PokéStops. I'm certain that some kind of a solution can be devised.

By now, the "incident" is gone and done, and the area is a shadow of its previous self. But that "previous self" still represents a kind of wonder for any specific area that could possibly have such a setup with its PokéStops and Gyms, meaning more of them in the area. Considering that, it may be well worth the consideration to try to realize the above possibility in such a way that everyone can benefit and it can be maintained as well as possible. Hopefully, that can prevent similar "incidents" from occurring in the future and realize great areas for playing Pokémon Go to the best extent.

One year ago: Re-Experiencing Main Series Battles

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

Three years ago: Investing for PokéCoins

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

Make It Make...: Pokémon Presents, 2/26/2021

So, the thing that I haven't bothered to discuss in detail since it happened is the edition of Pokémon Presents from Friday, and yet I've mentioned it in the Pokémon Day post for this year's anniversary. Any time an edition of Pokémon Presents comes up, it's always intriguing and special, but this edition is more intriguing and extra-special because of its proximity to the big anniversary this year. True to that, it's got some pretty big news on new games and a few other special features. And all of that needs to be explained somehow.

This edition began with a video segment to look back on the creations and innovations over the past 25 years of Pokémon, and it's a pretty impressive thing. This and the previews of the games to follow are also available on their own on the official Pokémon channel on YouTube, for those curious. Then, just before the big news on new games, there were a few updates on anniversary specials across current games, in case those who play the games haven't taken notice of them to celebrate. That's important, of course, but the big news is arguably about the new games to come.

The first game is one of the "old new things" from the past: New Pokémon Snap. The big news for this is the region it will take place in, which is the Lental region, as well as what one can do to make Pokémon more inviting and more photogenic. Taking pictures, especially of Pokémon, is always fun, but what is more fun is sharing them with others, and the game will allow for that. It will also include a slew of photo editing tools, including stickers to enhance the photos. Pokémon fans who are photo enthusiasts should be rather eager for this, and the wait won't be long now - it comes out next month.

Those who have observed Pokémon interactions on the Internet will know that one region has been a recent furor time and time again: Sinnoh, particularly for those who demand remakes of the main series games featuring it. Now, they have finally gotten their wish, in the form of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The two games are billed as faithful remakes of the Diamond and Pearl games, but on the Switch, and from the preview, that should be accurate. Hopefully, this will put (much of) the furor to rest, especially by the time it comes out, which will be later this year.

For those that still can't get enough, they'll like another Sinnoh game, this time something new and completely different: it's called Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This is the other kind of "Legends" I hinted yesterday. The game takes place in Sinnoh, but in a time long gone. The mechanics are what make it different, as it is an open-world game like many games that are popular nowadays; it is therefore what I call the "open-world proposal". Likely because it's so different, even the Pokémon logotype appears in inverted colors for this game. Fans will also have to wait longer for this one, as it comes out next year at the earliest.

Given the news above, it's not hard to see why I annotated the title of this post as above. One of the new games demands fans to make pictures, while the remakes fans have demanded are being made, and it even comes along with an innovative "premake" that has captured the attention of fans. In effect, there was a "make it make (things)" thing going on in the Pokémon Presents from several days ago. One thing is for sure: everyone is demanded to make it big for this year's big Pokémon anniversary, and the above is surely the case.

One year ago: Making Game Journeys... Literally

Two years ago: Winds of Changing Teams

Three years ago: Pikachu Cable Holder

Four years ago: Love My Life - Pokémon Too

The Season of Legends

After a run of celebrations, it seems wise to start off by discussing something "in the pipeline", so to speak, for Pokémon. A new season for Pokémon Go has begun, and as can be expected, that season is called "Legends". While it does suggest that what may be expected from that is obvious, it is just as well to try to figure out what else can be expected for Pokémon Go as well as Pokémon in general, for the concept of "Legends" is familiar to practically anyone who is familiar with Pokémon.

To kick off the season, Pokémon Go has appropriately scheduled a bevy of Legendary Pokémon in its Legendary raids. They would be the "Therian trio" of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus, starting with the Incarnate Forme for a few days each - with Shiny being a possibility - and then their Therian Forme for somewhat longer. It is worth noting that the Shiny Incarnate and Therian Formes are essentially their debuts. After not seeing them for some time, it becomes a really wild start to this new season. The Shadow versions of the three Kanto birds are also due out over the course of this season. Then there are also other change-ups similar to the start of the "Celebration" season, though that's pretty much a given.

As for "Legends" outside Pokémon Go, there's one major thing that I haven't bothered to reveal for discussion on this blog, and it's somewhat overdue by now. That thing will color Pokémon discussions for some time and is therefore a priority for discussion at the soonest opportunity possible. Of other kinds of "Legends", there are other kinds, like the musical kind. One of those is Post Malone as discussed in the anniversary post, and another is Katy Perry, which I dropped on the "road-to" post in January. Along with the just-announced J Balvin, they are or will be part of the "P25 Music" project, and at the end of this year, this will result in album of the same title due out at that time. The album might just turn out to be "Legendary", in a way.

The season called "Legends" that starts today is primarily a Pokémon Go thing with a neat selection of Legendary Pokémon over the next few months. However, with the onset of the big Pokémon anniversary, it has also become apparent that a few other things will have the flavor of "Legends", especially of the major thing that I haven't dealt with and the music that will accompany continued celebrations throughout the year. With that, it's time for the season to get going and manifest itself truly.

One year ago: Cosplay: March Funtastico

Two years ago: In Living Galar

Three years ago: Can't Get Enough of Pokémon (and Pikachu) Stickers

Four years ago: Posters

The Peak of Celebrations

I was going to title this post "The End of Celebrations", but I realized it would not quite be appropriate to a certain extent. The initial reason for doing so was primarily because the season of Celebration in Pokémon Go ends today, and a new one will begin tomorrow, for which the details are best to be saved for later. But then that's just one of the many celebrations that have occurred or are occurring recently, so the title above would have been a misnomer. I decided instead to go with the current title, and it's a much better fit.

The big thing, of course, is the silver or 25th anniversary of Pokémon, for which the big day was yesterday. But the celebration really doesn't end there, for it can and does go beyond, as can be discerned from my initial "road-to" post. Much remains to be divulged and to be discussed, particularly by yours truly, as they come. Though of course once it goes into the next year it will be another number for the anniversary, at least anything that comes now should fit well into the framework of the current anniversary, so my coverage will continue until whenever the momentum wears off. The road to it may end, but the road from it is only beginning.

Back to Pokémon Go, as promised, there was that Raid Day that occurred today. It featured the three birds of Kanto, which I and my fellows took part in. Some of us got pretty good results, even if some of us decided only to raid remotely, which is better than nothing. Other than that, today was a "tie-up-loose-ends" kind of day, which is fine. It marks for a mellow finish to the current season and the act of expecting the next one.

As for this month being an anniversary month, that remains something true, as I posted earlier for that of one of my groups. In fact, it can be said to even continue all the way up until the end today, almost like how I posted about another anniversary two years ago (see below), though that one was rather indirect. Therefore, this time being a "peak" is considered appropriate.

Later on down this year, there will surely be more Pokémon and Pokémon-related things to celebrate. But there's nothing like the current "peak" of celebrations coupled with the big Pokémon anniversary. All that this Pokémon fan can say is best wishes for everything.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 2/28/2020

Two years ago: The Birthday of a Hero

Three years ago: Cosplay Poses

Four years ago: Cosplay: Japanese World 2017

Suddenly Silver: Pokémon Day 2021 - 25th Anniversary

At last, it's here, after several months of expecting it. It's gilded, it's gleaming, it's the 25^th anniversary - the silver anniversary - of Pokémon. With apologies to fans of a certain comic strip, it really does feel like that; things go on, and on, and on... and wham - suddenly, it's the big anniversary. Being it is a significant anniversary, there has to be a few big things going for it on the big day, and there are, but they'll be explained soon enough. It's also pertinent to provide more of my views, now that the big day has come. 

It's been said that the silver anniversary represents a kind of brilliant harmony of an union (that is, of a marriage, traditionally). That brilliant harmony is what keeps the union going for all that time, all of the 25 years. I'd say there has been brilliant harmony for Pokémon in all its various forms, whether for Trainers to their Pokémon, Trainers among each other, or fans of all different backgrounds including gaming, entertainment, and merchandise. That much is quite incredible and any fan of anything Pokémon should be proud to be part of it all. 

It wouldn't be complete without some words about the games as something par for the course for Pokémon, and a few hours ago, another edition of Pokémon Presents appeared with updates on current games and their anniversary happenings, as well as updates on upcoming games. For that, I can give a brief preview for now: it might have something to do with taking pictures, a region that's been on everyone's minds for some time, and a totally new game concept. All of these are tantalizing, and I'll let them have their own spotlight in another post.

An occasion this big and special to enjoy, and that comes by way of an artist named Post Malone. He has a song fitting for this Pokémon anniversary, and it can already be heard right away; those who played one of the older main series games should recognize the Pokémon touch throughout. For those wanting somewhat more, the artist is holding a virtual concert on YouTube that is due to start in a few hours. If any of the songs to be featured in the concert will have similar touches, then it's definitely worth watching, and I'm sure I will.

Today is a pinnacle, a milestone, and a significant time to be a Pokémon fan with a major anniversary. While it's overshadowed by the current conditions of the world, there's no reason that Pokémon things can't go on, as with the tagline for this major anniversary. Looking at the above, there are indeed ways for that, especially for the games once they are fully developed. For now, some celebrations and commemorations are in order, and they'll surely find ways to go on as Trainers, fans, and Pokémon itself go on as well.

Happy wonderful, gleaming, and silvery 25^th anniversary.

One year ago: Pokémon Day 2020 - 24th Anniversary

Two years ago: Pokémon Day 2019 - 23rd Anniversary

Three years ago: Pokémon Day 2018 - 22nd Anniversary

Four years ago: Pokémon Day 2017 - 21st Anniversary

Ninth Cosplay Anniversary - Taking a Backseat

Well, for those who know me very well, they know that today is an important day for me. And those who are reading now, they can find out by my previous-year posts below. Today is certainly my cosplay anniversary, the exact day I started cosplaying years ago, for which today is the ninth. But then, this time in the world still doesn't seem to be quite the right time for cosplay, especially my Pokémon cosplay. It seems that the world is demanding me and other cosplayers to "take a backseat" for now, and that seems to be something good to do.

The state of the world today doesn't leave much room on the "front seat" to do the things as many used to be able to do, and that includes cosplay. To be able to mingle, interact, and perform with or in the company of other people is a difficult proposition from the standpoint of precautionary measures for current situations. In some cases, it may simply be asking for trouble, which could have been the case for an earlier case of mine. In any case, I as a Pokémon cosplayer and other cosplayers have reluctantly taken our places in the "backseat" and additionally put cosplay on the "back burner".

Even so, things on the "back burner" can still "cook" and people on the "backseat" can still "drive", and the same could be true for cosplayers and cosplay. I and others could use the opportunity to strengthen our cosplay portfolio with improvements to costumes or even photos of our costumes, provided there are others willing to help. I've already thought about doing such, but things will take time. Online competitions and networking for cosplay may still be good too, though I'm reluctant to call them "events" since they can't cover possibly everything I and other cosplayers used to do. In the end, the "backseat" is still a "backseat" and only so much can be done from there. And...

Me: Maybe this would be a good time to talk since we're not going to have an opportunity in whatever's left of the month to talk in an entire post.

Ash: Well, you've been sending me to events for nine years, and all of that has been wonderful. You've introduced me-

Pikachu: Pika! ["And me!"]

Ash: -and Pikachu to a lot of people by the way you and I do things. It's been great to do that up front while we're still able to. For now it's fine that we do things from the back.

Me: I guess.

Ash: We can still support you from the back for the photos, connecting, and things like that. That way, we'll be ready when the world is ready for us.

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Absolutely!"]

Ash: Don't forget - our character power is for you.

I suppose that's true. Cosplay is about putting up a character regardless of the cosplayer or situation. In these uncertain times, that seems to be just as doable from the "backseat" as it is from the "front seat". For now, that "backseat" seems to be the part where I and other cosplayers ought to "ride" until we can return to the front.

Happy ninth cosplay anniversary to me.

One year ago: Eighth Cosplay Anniversary - Doing What I Want

Two years ago: Seventh Cosplay Anniversary - Timeless Cosplay

Three years ago: Sixth Cosplay Anniversary - From No-One to Someone

Four years ago: Fifth Cosplay Anniversary