As one of the Four Notions which I have previously outlined, being "salty" is having a feeling of annoyance or envy toward what has happened. This applies in and to various fandoms, including Pokémon. Every now and then one of my Pokémon fellows comes up with something that makes someone else salty, even me; it's a bad feeling, in a way. However, with certain information I have received, I have begun to reconsider this feeling - perhaps it might not be so bad at all in certain circumstances.
In a social media post, something that a Pokémon fellow of mine (who incidentally is the same one that I wrote about just a month ago) considers salty is the showing off of Shiny Pokémon. Based on the earlier discussion, I don't feel as salty about this one due to its rarity and merits. However, this was then followed by a showing off of Pokémon art. This one I am a little salty about since I cannot really draw to save my life (at least not at this point), but with the "gratitude" post, I am reminded to be thankful that I can still appreciate it. So maybe this is a good thing: I need to feel salty to then be thankful.
Most people who are guided by the Four Notions assume that salt is a bad thing. But in a different philosophy and perception, salt is a good thing. It is something that complements all the other flavors of the world. In that sense, my flavor is Pokémon, and by being a little salty about it, I get to appreciate it a bit more. What may be perceived as "salty" may actually be not so salty at all.
The reconsideration is thus: salt is necessary, as it brings out the good things in life. And Pokémon is a good thing for me, so it is OK to feel salty about what others do with it, so long as I remain appreciative, and I still am. It's almost tantamount to chaos, and as a particular quote can attest, it is necessary too:
"But remember, a little bit of chaos is a necessary part of life, and chaos will always find a way..."
Bring on the chaos - and the salt - and I will maintain my appreciation as best as I can.
One year ago: Tournament: Local Friendly, 1/7/2017
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Saturday, January 6, 2018
More Odd Poké-Pika Things
After seeing odd things with Pikachu and Pokémon last year, I knew it wouldn't be the last time I saw such things, and I was right. I've been on a tour of my neighborhood lately, and I kept encountering things with Pikachu and Pokémon with them. I wasn't expecting to find them in the places where they were present, but there they were for many people to see, including me. This is what prompted me to take pictures so that I could preserve them visually, and more importantly, present them via this blog in this post.
While I passed a motorcycle repair shop, I saw a motorcycle with images of the Pokémon logo and Pikachu on it. It was almost like an itasha, something I've desired to make, but it wasn't, since it wasn't liberally applied all over, similar to the motorcycle I saw last year. And no, it was not the same motorcycle I saw last year, since this one was mostly red, and the one I saw last year was black. Regardless, I was able to get close to it and take a picture for reference.
I like this red theme and I could foresee expanding it into a full-on itasha, but that is a back-burner dream that hinges on a lot of things. Yet perhaps it could just happen.
After I passed the motorcycle, I then saw a wall painted with an image of a Pikachu, much like a partial version of the wall mural I saw last year. What's interesting is that the image resembles one of the Pikachu stickers in one of the Pokémon sticker packs in LINE.
Whether the specific image was actually involved in its design, even projected onto the wall to assist in painting, I cannot tell for sure, but the similarity is quite evident that it's enough to assume that it was.
In a different place, I saw three trash bins that had the same exact image of Pikachu (and for that matter, color scheme) on them. The painting work is quite neat and I'm envious that it isn't placed anywhere near my home, because they really enliven the places where they are.
The trash bins seem to be designed to encourage people to throw trash in the proper place; this is also supported by the fact that there were other decorated trash bins with other characters. They seem effective in that regard.
Pokémon appeals to a lot of people, in particular in my case. So to continue seeing it in odd places seem hardly surprising. It's the appeal that makes it so, aided with a little inspiration. These are certainly appealing to me and even provide a bit of inspiration to realize similar Pokémon things in similar ways. For now, these appearances in odd places suffice to present a little more of Pokémon in life.
One year ago: A 3DS Story
While I passed a motorcycle repair shop, I saw a motorcycle with images of the Pokémon logo and Pikachu on it. It was almost like an itasha, something I've desired to make, but it wasn't, since it wasn't liberally applied all over, similar to the motorcycle I saw last year. And no, it was not the same motorcycle I saw last year, since this one was mostly red, and the one I saw last year was black. Regardless, I was able to get close to it and take a picture for reference.
I like this red theme and I could foresee expanding it into a full-on itasha, but that is a back-burner dream that hinges on a lot of things. Yet perhaps it could just happen.
After I passed the motorcycle, I then saw a wall painted with an image of a Pikachu, much like a partial version of the wall mural I saw last year. What's interesting is that the image resembles one of the Pikachu stickers in one of the Pokémon sticker packs in LINE.
Whether the specific image was actually involved in its design, even projected onto the wall to assist in painting, I cannot tell for sure, but the similarity is quite evident that it's enough to assume that it was.
In a different place, I saw three trash bins that had the same exact image of Pikachu (and for that matter, color scheme) on them. The painting work is quite neat and I'm envious that it isn't placed anywhere near my home, because they really enliven the places where they are.
The trash bins seem to be designed to encourage people to throw trash in the proper place; this is also supported by the fact that there were other decorated trash bins with other characters. They seem effective in that regard.
Pokémon appeals to a lot of people, in particular in my case. So to continue seeing it in odd places seem hardly surprising. It's the appeal that makes it so, aided with a little inspiration. These are certainly appealing to me and even provide a bit of inspiration to realize similar Pokémon things in similar ways. For now, these appearances in odd places suffice to present a little more of Pokémon in life.
One year ago: A 3DS Story
Friday, January 5, 2018
The Music of Go
In this day and age of electronic games, it is undeniable that music completes a game, no matter the size of its role. For the Pokémon games, and in particular Pokémon Go, this is no exception. Just like its main series brethren, Go also has its share of incidental music for its various situations, and the quality is on par with the main series, which is neat. Many players might not hear the music since they most likely play with the volume turned down, without headphones, or the audio settings turned off, but otherwise, the music is clearly audible and present in many parts in the game.
All the music are unique, but they still share some links with the main series games. The daytime overworld music, for example, shares several motifs with "route" music from the first-generation games, but is otherwise a completely original piece to Go. During Halloween, the nighttime overworld music was instead a full remix of the Lavender Town music, owing to its spooky qualities. Links like these show that Go wishes to deliver the Pokémon experience from the main series, yet still in its unique fashion, which is still appreciable.
I'm personally taken with the "professor" music, the one that plays the very first time the game is opened to the login screen (which also happens if you sign out for whatever reason). Similarly, I'm also taken with the login fanfare, which sounds like it echoes the "professor" music; it also sounds like a certain incidental music for exiting contestants from a certain quiz show, only this one serves to welcome "contestants" into a new world of Pokémon. Other music from Go that I like are the wild Pokémon encounter music and the subsequent successful capture fanfare. The influences from the main series are heavy in the former, while the fact that the latter does not resemble the one from the main series affirms the game's uniqueness.
Few electronic games today are complete without music, and Pokémon Go is one of them. The main series of Pokémon games itself has a rich history of music, and the music of Go attempts to take that history and adapt it to its unique form. It's a small thing that occasionally gets ignored, but it really is a part of what makes the game what it is, as a quite different take on the Pokémon games. I'm glad to be playing the game even just for the sake of its music.
One year ago: Alt+0233 and Its Kin
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Team Assistance and Secrecy
The admission in yesterday's post is one thing, and now it's time for another. A lively discussion had unfolded among my Pokémon colleagues recently, and it concerns VGC, something that I have a stake in as a player of the Pokémon main series games. The more specific concern was why some players have not gotten into the VGC spirit, or in other words what is holding them back. My colleagues responded, and their reasons were varied. There were technical reasons such as not having a working 3DS, as well as restrictive reasons due to other things in life. However, many also cited that they have hassles in team-building in general, which is admittedly a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, especially when resources are scant or starting from scratch. It is this that spurred a few others to offer their assistance in the process.
This offering of assistance is certainly noble and should be appreciated, regardless of what state the team is in. And I'm not one to shy away from such assistance, based on my own experience. Two years ago, after going through the team-building process on my own, I was told by a colleague, who was more of an expert in VGC, that there were still a few glaring errors in my team; together we were able to come up with a solution, and although my team still fizzled out, I very much appreciate the assistance. So I'll admit VGC is challenging, and I sense I'm not the only one with a similar experience based on my colleagues' responses. It is at this point that assistance becomes vital, when things are not at their best.
Yet perhaps the one thing that has dogged me about assistance is the concern of secrecy - keeping my team under wraps until it's actually time for battle. Based on my experience and where I am with VGC, this is one concern I'm just going to have to let go. If I were a total expert like some of my colleagues at this point, then it could be fine, and in fact I would be the one providing assistance. I'll have to get a lot better if I want a greater amount of secrets kept, and even then I might still share some. At the least some of my own efforts can alleviate this concern, but that is probably not the point. Based on the discussion and the considerations here, I'm becoming convinced it may not be valid anyway.
If the discussion that took place is an indication, it is that not every Pokémon player is an expert in VGC, and neither am I, at least not at this point in time. Yet from this discussion as well, there is a spirit of cooperation that can be achieved, putting aside our differences and concerns like the one I have - or technically had, after considering it. Given this, I can and most likely will cooperate for VGC assistance this time around. It won't be the first time, and it might not be the last, at least until I make massive strides of improvement.
One year ago: "They can imitate you, but they can't duplicate you..."
This offering of assistance is certainly noble and should be appreciated, regardless of what state the team is in. And I'm not one to shy away from such assistance, based on my own experience. Two years ago, after going through the team-building process on my own, I was told by a colleague, who was more of an expert in VGC, that there were still a few glaring errors in my team; together we were able to come up with a solution, and although my team still fizzled out, I very much appreciate the assistance. So I'll admit VGC is challenging, and I sense I'm not the only one with a similar experience based on my colleagues' responses. It is at this point that assistance becomes vital, when things are not at their best.
Yet perhaps the one thing that has dogged me about assistance is the concern of secrecy - keeping my team under wraps until it's actually time for battle. Based on my experience and where I am with VGC, this is one concern I'm just going to have to let go. If I were a total expert like some of my colleagues at this point, then it could be fine, and in fact I would be the one providing assistance. I'll have to get a lot better if I want a greater amount of secrets kept, and even then I might still share some. At the least some of my own efforts can alleviate this concern, but that is probably not the point. Based on the discussion and the considerations here, I'm becoming convinced it may not be valid anyway.
If the discussion that took place is an indication, it is that not every Pokémon player is an expert in VGC, and neither am I, at least not at this point in time. Yet from this discussion as well, there is a spirit of cooperation that can be achieved, putting aside our differences and concerns like the one I have - or technically had, after considering it. Given this, I can and most likely will cooperate for VGC assistance this time around. It won't be the first time, and it might not be the last, at least until I make massive strides of improvement.
One year ago: "They can imitate you, but they can't duplicate you..."
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Now Accepting Donations
After having blogged for a year, now comes the time to make some other admissions, besides the fact that I'm not perfect (see my one-year link below), which is something I have to reiterate so that it may be something to strive to improve when I can and to understand when I can't be. The fact is that life is hard, blogging is hard, and sometimes Pokémon is hard as well. So for this blog, now I've opened the door for donations to be received.
On the right of the page, there is a PayPal button that says "Donate". If you have access to and can use PayPal, please feel free to use that. If you cannot or do not use PayPal, then things may be a little more complicated. In that case, you can contact me for other ways to donate at my e-mail address, pikapikarefulgenschu [AT] gmail [DOT] com - replace with the symbols to make a valid e-mail. If you came here from social media where I've shared links to my posts, you can contact me there as well.
Opening the door to donations is not without reason. If you've read online game guides by others (and if you play Pokémon, I trust you have), some of them also open the door to donations, because the authors believe what they have written is extensive and useful, worthy of some support. While I've not written much of the sort (except for several posts in this blog, which I have noted as a way of teaching and delighting), I believe that the entirety of this blog is the same way, being extensive and useful. If that is the case, then I hope you'll consider lending your support.
For Pokémon, I've offered my quid pro quo in the form of this blog. It is where all my Pokémon experiences are presented, so that they may become your experience as well. To that end, if you would like to lend your support through donations, I will gladly welcome it. It is my express wish that your donations will allow me to continue to present other Pokémon experiences to your benefit.
I look forward to your support and the future Pokémon experiences it may bring!
One year ago: Confessions and Concessions
On the right of the page, there is a PayPal button that says "Donate". If you have access to and can use PayPal, please feel free to use that. If you cannot or do not use PayPal, then things may be a little more complicated. In that case, you can contact me for other ways to donate at my e-mail address, pikapikarefulgenschu [AT] gmail [DOT] com - replace with the symbols to make a valid e-mail. If you came here from social media where I've shared links to my posts, you can contact me there as well.
Opening the door to donations is not without reason. If you've read online game guides by others (and if you play Pokémon, I trust you have), some of them also open the door to donations, because the authors believe what they have written is extensive and useful, worthy of some support. While I've not written much of the sort (except for several posts in this blog, which I have noted as a way of teaching and delighting), I believe that the entirety of this blog is the same way, being extensive and useful. If that is the case, then I hope you'll consider lending your support.
For Pokémon, I've offered my quid pro quo in the form of this blog. It is where all my Pokémon experiences are presented, so that they may become your experience as well. To that end, if you would like to lend your support through donations, I will gladly welcome it. It is my express wish that your donations will allow me to continue to present other Pokémon experiences to your benefit.
I look forward to your support and the future Pokémon experiences it may bring!
One year ago: Confessions and Concessions
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
What's Next?
I'm still in a mood of commemoration of blogging for a full year, and now I want to outline some of the things I may want to do with this blog in the times ahead. This is in addition to the possible goals I've set in my one-month and six-month commemoration from last year. Those are ideal goals to be sure, but there are also things big and small that I can do on this blog to enhance the experience, both for myself and others. That is important, just as much as those goals should be kept in mind.
One of those things is what I've already done, which is to post links to older posts to keep in mind the old while progressing with the new. Given my blogging pace, it's not hard to believe that it will happen with all my posts even farther ahead. That means more and more memories to be remembered. Another one is to add some kind of title image to enhance the look of my posts; while it's true that this blog is more about my writing than images, there's no harm to do so. However, that would be a greater undertaking, and even more so when retroactively applied. This may have to be a back-burner consideration that has to remain there for some time.
Something that is more easily achievable while I continue to make more posts is re-categorizing old posts. I started this blog with only a handful of categories and have added a few more over the course of the year, but that doesn't mean every post is placed where I would like it to be, especially those created before certain categories were added. And while certain posts are clear-cut for which category or categories they belong in, there are others that may not be as such. I can never be too fully correct about this should categories change, but at least I can try to be. Also of interest is adding a separate explorer for categories in addition to the one on the right. These are all considerable actions to take.
As I've noted in my one-year commemoration, Pokémon is big but also stands to become bigger, and the same applies to my world in connection to Pokémon. What I do in this blog is to to present that to others through my writing. If that presentation experience can be enhanced, then it surely would be for my benefit as well as others. These and other approaches serve to show my deep connections with the world of Pokémon in a better way.
One year ago: ...And a Hoppip New Year
One of those things is what I've already done, which is to post links to older posts to keep in mind the old while progressing with the new. Given my blogging pace, it's not hard to believe that it will happen with all my posts even farther ahead. That means more and more memories to be remembered. Another one is to add some kind of title image to enhance the look of my posts; while it's true that this blog is more about my writing than images, there's no harm to do so. However, that would be a greater undertaking, and even more so when retroactively applied. This may have to be a back-burner consideration that has to remain there for some time.
Something that is more easily achievable while I continue to make more posts is re-categorizing old posts. I started this blog with only a handful of categories and have added a few more over the course of the year, but that doesn't mean every post is placed where I would like it to be, especially those created before certain categories were added. And while certain posts are clear-cut for which category or categories they belong in, there are others that may not be as such. I can never be too fully correct about this should categories change, but at least I can try to be. Also of interest is adding a separate explorer for categories in addition to the one on the right. These are all considerable actions to take.
As I've noted in my one-year commemoration, Pokémon is big but also stands to become bigger, and the same applies to my world in connection to Pokémon. What I do in this blog is to to present that to others through my writing. If that presentation experience can be enhanced, then it surely would be for my benefit as well as others. These and other approaches serve to show my deep connections with the world of Pokémon in a better way.
One year ago: ...And a Hoppip New Year
Monday, January 1, 2018
Hoppip New Year 2018
Hoppip New Year! Every new year is certainly a new adventure for any fan of Pokémon. It's a moment where the previous year's adventure is (or has been) commemorated and new situations kick off the year's adventure. Those situations also bring about changes in experience, which are most likely different than the previous year, yet are still something to be had. Such is also the case with Pokémon.
As I've said in my end-of-the-year post yesterday, I've only blogged for a year, and even one year is not enough to capture all Pokémon experiences. There are and always will be things I haven't tried and new things to come, including games and what I do in them. For example, I really need to get going on my Ultra Moon game if I really want a team going, ready for whatever tournament may come up. There is currently not one scheduled soon, not even one by my local group, but things can and will change, so I have to be prepared for that.
Speaking of the titular Pokémon of the day, before my return to Go last year, the second-generation Pokémon had made their way in, and one of them just happens to be that Pokémon. I've not been very fortunate in encountering the Pokémon, however, and I've only encountered a grand total of one. I'll have to go on more Go excursions if I want to have a greater chance of catching Hoppip and possibly getting the Pokémon to evolve.
I'm certainly ready to go on new adventures and to have new experiences with Pokémon this year, so bring it on. Of course, it is worthwhile to keep in mind old adventures and experiences, so starting with this post, I'll also be noting what happened on the day in the previous year. It's a great way to bring the old and the new together, especially with what I do with Pokémon.
One year ago: First Post Time!
As I've said in my end-of-the-year post yesterday, I've only blogged for a year, and even one year is not enough to capture all Pokémon experiences. There are and always will be things I haven't tried and new things to come, including games and what I do in them. For example, I really need to get going on my Ultra Moon game if I really want a team going, ready for whatever tournament may come up. There is currently not one scheduled soon, not even one by my local group, but things can and will change, so I have to be prepared for that.
Speaking of the titular Pokémon of the day, before my return to Go last year, the second-generation Pokémon had made their way in, and one of them just happens to be that Pokémon. I've not been very fortunate in encountering the Pokémon, however, and I've only encountered a grand total of one. I'll have to go on more Go excursions if I want to have a greater chance of catching Hoppip and possibly getting the Pokémon to evolve.
I'm certainly ready to go on new adventures and to have new experiences with Pokémon this year, so bring it on. Of course, it is worthwhile to keep in mind old adventures and experiences, so starting with this post, I'll also be noting what happened on the day in the previous year. It's a great way to bring the old and the new together, especially with what I do with Pokémon.
One year ago: First Post Time!
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