It's Pi Day!

Aside from being a Pokémon fan, I'm a bit of a math geek. I like knowing things about math, and I've studied it for a good number of years. By doing so, I'm also absorbed into its quirky and odd sides, and one of those just happens to be today. Today is what is known as Pi Day, because when the month and day of today are written in numbers in that order, they make up the first three digits of the constant Pi (π = 3.14...) before and after the decimal point. This may seem insignificant, but the constant itself reaches far and wide, even in a way being applicable to Pokémon.

This constant is most commonly tied to circles. The ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle always equals this value, so by knowing one, it is possible to know the other. The beauty of this is that circles occur as much in the Pokémon world as they do in the real world, so this mathematical feature conceivably applies as much there as it does to the real world. If the history of Poké Balls is accurate, as depicted in the fourth Pokémon feature film, then Poké Balls were not quite circular (spherical) at first, but later on they became as such. This development tells me that at some point the Poké Balls were redesigned so that they were nearly perfectly spherical-circular, and thus the calculations for this design might just involve the constant Pi. If the world of Pokémon is much like the real world and calculation of circles is needed, then the constant is also very much needed. This ubiquity of Pi (as well as in other fields of science) makes it worthy of a celebration, and thus, Pi Day.

Which brings me back to the celebration portion. That celebration is today, as I've mentioned, and in fact it goes back to 30 years ago this year. While it may be considered a Western thing, as the celebration started in the West, I'd rather believe that this is important and rightful all over even in the East, which is why I'm writing about it and how it can relate to Pokémon as well. And the reason why I didn't do this last year is because... I forgot, purely and simply. One other thing: "Pi" in English is pronounced like "pie", as in the pastry that is also often circular, so that opens the door for these pastries to be part of the celebration. One of those well-known pastries is apple pie, and apples have a connection to Pokémon too, because they are the namesake of the Leppa Berry, the Berry that restores 10 PP in battle in the main series games. Of course, Berries can be eaten by people too, and maybe in a pie, so the celebration can and may hold true. That leads me (and I just can't resist) to make something to try to bring together all of these things with a bit of humor...

Some explanation is in order. If you've read my teaser post, then you know I needed to post an image on Facebook in regard to what I cosplayed in order to participate in the cosplay walk or parade back in last Sunday's event or convention. It turns out that this image also got parodied, once by a staff member, and again at the event as a photo spot. This is my parody on that image, bringing in Pokémon elements as well as the elements of today. It might be considered an East-meets-West kind of thing, but then again Pokémon is as adored in the West as it is in the East, and the same goes for Pi (although just considered important). Also, the event or convention in question may have passed, but at least this will embed the memory of it for some time. I still think this parody is hilarious and befitting of today.

If numbers are equally important inside and outside, within and outwards of Pokémon, then this has to be one important number too. It's deserving of a celebration, and I don't see why I can't bring Pokémon with that too.

Happy Pi Day!

One year ago: Pokémon and Puzzle Games

Yes, Even More Pokémon Stickers

As I've mentioned in my previous post about stickers, I love them because not only can they be cheaply gotten from wherever I get them, but also they are memorable enough in regard to the occasion. If I'm lucky, sometimes they're also uniquely designed, and that just so happens to be the case for a pack of Pokémon stickers that I got from the most recent event or convention.

A few things make this pack of stickers unique. The stickers are on the small side, being about 1.5 inches (4 cm) wide, but the fact that I was able to get six of them in one pack is awesome, which means I wasn't limited to one or a couple of images. Another is that the stickers are quite glittery; the printed images have a special coating that makes them sparkle when held up to the light and moved around. This latter quality is one that I only occasionally see when it comes to stickers.

Then there are the images themselves. I got three kinds of Poké Balls (sorry, an Ultra Ball wasn't able to be found, but I did get a different ball instead) and three different Pokémon. The Poké Balls themselves are shown with the front perspective, which is OK and typical. The Pokémon, which are Charmander, Pikachu, and Togepi, are drawn in a style not unlike that found in some children's books, so that becomes something else unique about them.

I quite like these stickers, although like the previous packs, I haven't decided if and where I will stick them. Regardless, these are still pretty nice and sufficiently unique for Pokémon stickers, which makes me glad that I got them. The event or convention wasn't as sparkling as I had wished it to be, but it was still sparkling enough in different ways, including with these stickers, making them a perfect memento.

One year ago: Every Day We're Shufflin'

Taking the Go Train

In Pokémon Go, PokéStops and Gyms can often be located in odd or otherwise unexpected places. As I've written previously, I do enjoy trains to a particular extent. So by research, I've discovered that many of the train stations in my region have at least one PokéStop or Gym, or both. This leads to the proposition that it might be possible to take a train through all these stations and still enjoy playing Go. This experience is what I have dubbed "taking the Go train".

The caveat is, of course, that Go is still technically a walking game, and not really a game meant to be played while traveling in a vehicle. Anyone who has ever tried playing Go in a moving car (hopefully, while also not driving the car in question, as the game warns not to do) has experienced seeing the "You're going too fast!" popup, which can be dismissed by tapping the "I'm a Passenger" button, but travel progress is still not recorded where the player is moving beyond Go's speed limit. Considering this, a train moves at even faster speeds than a car, and this would render playing Go nearly impossible at those speeds. So how could "taking the Go train" be realized?

The key to playing Go on a train is perhaps to play as a train is pulling into or out of a station that a train stops at. While it really doesn't work to play as the train is moving, it would be possible to play Go on a train if its course is taken into account. For an "express" train that stops only at a few stations (or none other than the starting and ending points), it wouldn't be feasible to play while traveling, but for a "local" train with many stops, it might just be possible to do as above: opening Go just as the train is pulling in, do things depending on how accessible the PokéStops and Gyms are, then exiting just as the train is pulling out. There should be just enough time in transit to grab items, knock out a small Gym, and/or deposit a Pokémon in a Gym.

Some trains may also stop for an extended time period in order to wait for other trains to pass, whether at a station or not. In that case, it may also be possible to reach PokéStops or Gyms that are just out of reach, especially if it is permitted to get off the train while waiting. If not, it may still be possible to reach them while walking from one cab to another. It would at least be a great way to pass the time as even Pokémon may appear in places that are not close to PokéStops or Gyms, and it may help to capture them. Likewise, the time may just be sufficient to allow this to happen.

While Pokémon Go is a walking game, in certain cases it may also be possible to play while on a vehicle, and one of those vehicles may be a train. With PokéStops and Gyms being located in the stations, it becomes an additional incentive to try to play while traveling on a train. At least this would give an additional purpose to riding on a train other than to go somewhere. With that, I've become excited to see if on my next train journey, I could also "take the Go train" as well.

One year ago: Worldly Inspirations for a Small World

Cosplay: Daisuki! Japan Fest 2018

[AshKetchumMode]

Well, as my friend promised, I've been asked to go to this big event or convention, as I did the previous year. It's very popular, and I can see why. It's the place where everyone goes to enjoy stuff like food, collections, and communities, and meet characters... like me! Haha. I'm sure many people agree, and that's why from year to year it's always crowded, which is still true this year. But that's a great thing, 'cause it means more people to meet and have fun with. That makes me so excited.

I came with my Kanto-Johto outfit today, again as my friend promised. My friend told me that today was supposed to be a throwback, and he asked that I wear this one 'cause it's a throwback for him and me too, so I agreed. But then I saw pictures of me in my Hoenn outfit, which I wasn't expecting. At least people should and will know that I have different outfits for the regions I've been to. I even got interviewed for the radio as soon as I came, which was something I haven't done since I was in Johto. Everything's still good.

But the most important thing today is that I was in the character parade, as my friend also promised. It was something that wasn't there last year, and we missed it, so when we knew it was there this year, we just had to get in. My friend had already arranged for everything to happen, so I needed to come and do my stuff. I thought I did great within the 20 seconds I was given to perform. Aside from the new shoes, which I tested last week, I thought I'd try something different in the performance, and it seems to work. Even someone who knew me and filmed my performance told me it turned out great. Sadly I came back with nothing - and some of my character friends that I know well also didn't win. It was us against almost 100 others, and only five won best of show. Maybe this time wasn't the best time for us.

Pikachu: Pi, Pikachu! [cheering up]

Thanks, that helps, Pikachu. I had the chance to walk all over, and I can say that all the stands were a lot like last year, even almost in the same places! But maybe that's a good thing, since it worked last year, and whatever works, stays, right? But you know, some of the guest stars seem unknown to me, except for the ones I already know well. It still doesn't matter, because they're all great. I always like to see them no matter what, and today was a good day to see them. Maybe next time it will be more fun.

I had a good time today. It could have been slightly better, but it's still good. The convention was a success, which I'm pretty sure of. I know my friend is excited about sending me to the next one, and we think it really will be great then. We can't wait.

[/AshKetchumMode]

One year ago: Have You Seen My Childhood?

Action or Strategy?

I've done three posts in three days with question marks in the titles, and I suppose I'll just do another one before I have to break the streak with a (hopefully) very special post to come tomorrow. Why not.

This time, I want to discuss two general principles that apply to games and how they relate to Pokémon. Recently there was a suggestion that the Pokémon main series games might be different on the Switch, and the reason is due to the two principles, which I've mentioned in the title of this post. I personally disagree with fiddling with a system that works, but both principles are worthy of consideration. From this consideration, it turns out Pokémon games, including the main series, apply some of both.

In principle, "action" means that the player is demanded to advance by pressure caused by active enemies or time limits, which would otherwise cause negative results without response, while "strategy" means that the player is demanded to advance by beneficial and thoughtful executions to avoid negative results. It would sound like both principles are mutually exclusive, but even in games unrelated to Pokémon, some of both may be necessary. So it would help to think of both principles as a "continuum" - different games and their parts have their places among two ends of a line.

Back to Pokémon, the main series games are highly strategic, since the only action required in the battles is inputting moves and actions which are then exchanged accordingly, while there's a lot of preparation that goes into planning out which moves and actions to have and how they will interact within that exchange. Of course, with the advent of VGC battles, time limits are put in place, which create pressure for action. Go has battles, but the preparation is somewhat different (though vaguely similar to the main series), the enemies are active, and the battles are time-limited, which is rather action-oriented. Similarly, Pokkén is a real fighting game and therefore demands action, as are some of the interactions and mini-games in PokéPark. Shuffle has stages that demand strategy by moves and action by time. For all of these games, different parts demand different amounts of action or strategy, though there are places where either becomes prominent.

Thus "action" and "strategy" are present in the Pokémon games, though not always clear-cut and to the same degree. But in particular for the main series games, the mechanics are so well-established for each game that it's hard to see them totally reworked in a way that strays too far from the original intent. I say let things be, but understand the demands of each game, especially in regard to the two principles as they continue to apply to Pokémon games.

One year ago: Thank Heaven for Little Boys

Father Figure?

Many of the things featured in the Pokémon anime are not too perplexing, save for things that only the games can dream of doing. However, there are other perplexing things, and one of those perplexing things (if not the most perplexing thing) is the question of just who Ash's father is. It's a natural question to ask, really; it's reasonable to assume that Ash has a father, given that he has a mother (Delia being her English name). But as to who Ash's father is, that remains an unanswered question.

Further, this is practically true; in two occasions in the anime, the father issue has been brought up - by Delia herself, no less. The first time was early on in the episodes, and the second time was in the most recent Pokémon movie. This clearly points out that Ash has a father, but whoever and wherever he is has not been clearly determined. The issue remains open to be addressed, so in the future, this may be fully fleshed out in a Pokémon adventure that rivals any previous ones.

For now, there is a semi-official explanation, though it is still quite open-ended. The explanation is that Ash's father is undertaking a journey to become a great Pokémon Trainer - the very same journey that Ash is on, which takes him through many places and different lands. However, much like Ash's journey, it is also (seemingly) unfinished and/or unresolved; this is the open-ended part of the explanation, and it's anybody's guess how things have progressed.

Even with this explanation, as well as by consequence of it when considered, there are conspiracy theories as to who Ash's father may be. One of those theories state that Red is Ash's father, given the journey and lack of contact: it has been known that Red is reclusive, at least if the second-generation games are to be believed. Another theory states that in a Dark Side™ twist, Giovanni of Team Rocket is Ash's father, given the lack of contact and the unresolved state. These theories are fanciful, but I prefer not to subscribe to them (yet) in the hope that the situation may be resolved someday.

This issue of Ash's father is admittedly quite a perplexing one, with not much in the way of clarity and a great deal of mystery and conspiracy. Still, it's an issue that has managed to make itself present and is a natural consequence of the way things are. Perhaps if it were resolved, we'd find another reason to appreciate the great big world of Pokémon as much as Ash would appreciate knowing one half of the reason he is present in it.

One year ago: Tonight, We Honor the Hero

Cultivate or Gather Berries?

In the Pokémon main series games, there have been two primary ways of obtaining Berries: gathering them as they drop, or cultivating them and harvesting the results. The first method was present as early as the old second-generation games and more recently in the seventh-generation games, while the second method was present in the games between those generations. While it is not possible to assert which of either method is better, it is still possible to outline the pros and cons of each and to assert personal preferences.

In cultivating Berries, a lot of effort goes into getting them. After initially obtaining Berries by gathering, Berries can be planted in soft soil or in Berry Pots so that more of them are produced. This is made to progress by watering them with a certain water pail and additionally enhanced with fertilizers to grow them quicker or more plentifully. The good thing about this process is that it's highly personalized, as the player makes the effort to get even more Berries, but that's the bad thing as well, because it is in effect virtual gardening, however simplified it may be. I like this hands-on process but dislike it for the same reason.

The alternative of gathering Berries is much simpler. Berries exist on the trees and are simply taken from them, or from the ground as they drop. Practically no effort is needed as Berries simply grow back where they are and the only thing to do is to collect them. Admittedly, though, the hands-on quality is lost, and there is only a fixed schedule for the Berries, much like growing them without the use of fertilizers. That I do not have to do the work to get Berries is nice and effortless, but I do miss the ability to enhance this.

These two approaches can be considered opposites of each other. One is more involved with the possibility of greater results, while the other is less involved with just consistent results. Again, the preference of either approach is totally dependent on individual players and how they see the pros and cons of each; the same applies for me. Regardless of the approach, it is a certainty that players can and will collect Berries if and when they're needed in order to enhance their Pokémon with the powers of the respective Berries.

One year ago: Pokémon and Music Games