At a Loss... in Lavender Tower

More than a year ago, I discussed a particular incarnation of the "Loss" meme that just happened to involve a Pokémon element. Some memes seem to really get around, and "Loss" seems to be one of them, being popular in all its various guises, whether involving Pokémon or not. And recently, I have been seeing that the meme received another incarnation involving Pokémon:

For those of you who have never played the first-generation games as they appeared on the monochrome Game Boy, this is one of the floors of the Lavender Tower in Lavender Town, which is a place known for its ghostly and spooky encounters. Or at least it could be, since the layout is slightly altered for the purpose of displaying the meme. As I've noted in my previous post, the meme follows an A-AB-AA-AC sequence in a 2x2 grid; in the case of this incarnation, note how the columns of stones divided by the middle row and column of stones are arranged.

On one of the times I saw this image, I saw it with a caption that also had a humorous effect. The caption told of someone stopping to play the game not because of the spook from the tower, but the spook from this arrangement of elements. What this tells me is that whoever wrote the caption also showed an understanding of the meme in addition to Pokémon. The meme is after all a jocular response to a serious issue that wasn't portrayed well, so this could be perceived as a "spook" as well - in a tongue-in-cheek manner - as much as the setting is a spook in and of itself.

For some people, Pokémon speaks volumes, even in some humorous portrayals. For others, the meme of "Loss" speaks volumes, even as unintentional humor. I'd like to think that whoever created this incarnation of the meme (as well as the previous incarnation) agree for both of them, enough that it led to the creation of the memes. The interpretation becomes fun to see too, as the meme gets around.

One year ago: GSC Nendoroid Series #425: Red

The Place to Be

Since the very beginning of this blog, I've stated that the purpose of this blog is to flesh out my experiences and thoughts regarding Pokémon in writing on a regular basis, and it has been a pretty good ride so far, with mostly good responses. And now, based on some recent happenings, I feel that more than ever, I'm doing the right thing. In a way, it is like I've come to "the place to be".

One of those happenings is a recent discussion I had with a Pokémon colleague. He's a much more competitive player in VGC than I am, but that doesn't stop us from getting along. And that discussion was prompted by a "missed opportunity" of sorts. After that discussion, my colleague wanted to cut back on VGC since it takes dedication, and might I say preparation as well, so that some of those may be focused on other things, at least for now; yet it also won't be total detachment from VGC and I surmise Pokémon as well. The thing that speaks to me about this is that I'm not so competitive and I didn't develop as such a player, but I understand the decision. In any case, I respect it, and it's probably what I would do given his circumstances. It would be better to do something else that can be done better and yet not be fully detached from Pokémon; we both have at least one of those things, and for me, this blog is a second one, though it is very much linked to Pokémon. I at least appreciate the opportunity to write.

Speaking of writing, if you've been reading this blog, you might have read about something some months ago that made me question my writing abilities, and to some extent the existence of this blog. Recently, however, I've received a bit of validation that may in fact indicate that I can write well after all, at least in a specific situation. Further, the situation is almost exactly the same as what prompted that earlier post, but with a more positive outcome. In any case, I'm somewhat delighted as this may provide opportunities to spread my wings, and if I can take Pokémon and this blog along for the ride, I would only be too happy. It would perhaps be a pretty good tangent to this.

I foresee having Pokémon for the longest time possible, and while these two happenings may only be loosely related to it, at least they provide reassurance that this may be the case. To that effect, it does seem like I have arrived at "the place to be", where I can continue to have Pokémon and do things with it, which includes this very blog with all my thoughts and experiences. And by the looks of things, I may just be able to go places, even within that place.

One year ago: Cosplay: Daisuki Japan 7 - Wanderlust!

PokéTerminology

For many game series and franchises, once they have established themselves and/or expanded into further versions and variations, they begin to have something in common: they at least have a body of terms for all the elements of their games. Pokémon is no exception, as it has accrued a great deal of terminology from its long-running main series games, which can then be used in other games, especially where core mechanisms are similar. This has prompted me to discuss what they constitute and how to deal with them.

There are, of course, terms that have been around since the beginning, like Pokémon "species" and "moves" and all the terms for their associated statistics. And then there are terms that came as a result of new things added to the games, like "Abilities" and "Berries". Some terms are exclusive to certain games, as the "Enhancements" in Shuffle and "Incubators" in Go; other terms can cross over, though their references are different, like IVs and TMs in both the main series and Go. There are obviously many more terms than these, but these serve as examples of the terms involved in the Pokémon games.

It is a certainty that players should know about them, and that's where things like guides and walkthroughs would help. However, since the terms are used in communication both orally and in writing, it would be helpful to have and establish standards for their usage; as an example, names of Pokémon, which constitute terms of their own, are used as they are whether referring to one or many. Such usage standards would conceivably have to deal with different languages as well, since Pokémon is known in Japanese, English, and several other Western and Eastern languages, not to mention other language communities where the people may default to borrowed English usage. If anything, this would at least ease communication where these terms may be used.

The point is that Pokémon as a wildly popular series and franchise has expanded so much, and this is also true regarding terms that are used in all the games. Such a popular series and franchise is only due to expand further in the future and will only accumulate more terms as part of that expansion. Management of these terms then becomes as important as knowing what they are, so that people can talk about the games as well as they play them.

One year ago: Cosplay Hair

"You Shall Not Pass" - Hard-to-Access Gyms and PokéStops

A fascinating thing occurs when I play Pokémon Go. In my area, there are two Gyms that are particularly well-known for their difficulty to be accessed. One is located in an open area that is gated and not frequently opened to allow in visitors; the other is in a packed residential area so packed that it's just plain difficult to get to. Then, there are also two PokéStops that used to indicate places within a building, and now the building is not there anymore, as it's fenced off to make way for a new building (in other words, now it's a construction site). This leads me to consider the qualities of such places.

First, a reminder. When opening the game, one of the things the game tells players to not do is to trespass while playing. This is absolutely right; players shouldn't barge their way into specific and/or restricted areas just to enjoy playing the game, as similar enjoyment may be obtained elsewhere. So in the case of those areas, if they are not accessible at all, especially at certain times, they may be skipped over and play can continue elsewhere. Yet the issue of how to deal with those places remain.

Some players in my raid group have suggested that the "Report Critical Issue" function in the game might be used to call attention to these restricted places so that they may be removed, especially if they'll remain indefinitely hard to access and/or out-of-date enough to be completely ignored. Historically, there has been a precedent in removing certain PokéStops and Gyms because they're oddly placed or inaccurate, so this may be a viable option for the PokéStops above, though it may be a detriment for the Gyms as they may still have some utility - more so with raids nowadays - when they can be accessed.

An alternative to reporting the places is to have a "curator" be informed of the place as it exists in the game and manage access to the place. This includes letting players know how and when a certain place can be accessed, if it is still possible to do so. Back during the days of the initial boom of the game, establishments went as far to promote the existence of PokéStops and Gyms around them, so this alternative could be taken as a more modern form of that, and one that doesn't make the places unplayable.

The kinds of places like the ones I mentioned are by no means exclusive to my area; there are most likely such places in other areas, with similar challenges as to their accessibility. All the same, they do need to be dealt with so that players who pass them no longer need to worry about their existence or the access to them and simply enjoy playing the game, for which the latter point is the ultimate objective of any game, including Pokémon Go.

One year ago: Alton : Food :: I : Pokémon

What's Played, What's Not, and What's Next

Up to this point, I've played many Pokémon games. Conversely, up to this point, I also haven't played some of the other Pokémon games. But some of that's hardly my fault; after all, Pokémon has expanded far beyond just a single series of games, and every game appeals to different fans as much as they themselves are also different. Even so, it's worthwhile to keep track of which ones I've played and which ones I haven't, and to see what direction to take this in.

I've played at least one of the main series games in each generation up to now, and this is something that I will continue to do for as long as these games continue to exist and have a place in the hearts of fans, which will likely be so. Something I probably won't do is to pursue achievements in the games I haven't played (in particular the oldest ones), and there are a few reasons for this. One is that the old games are old, and unless I obtain the Virtual Console versions, it's just hard to make the ones I have work. Another is that my time is dwindling, and these games take a long time to be played to perfection. So I'm happy with the way I've played the games and to keep this going later on.

A good number of the games I haven't played are the spinoff games, with the exception of some recent ones like Shuffle and Picross. This is an area where I'd like to play some of the games I haven't played, especially if they're radically different from the ways of the main series games In fact, for some of these games, I already have a precedent: I've played Mystery Dungeon but haven't gotten around to the most recent one, as an example, and courtesy of a friend, I've started but not finished the second PokéPark game. There are still many potential directions here and I want to try to take them up for new experiences.

Related to the spinoff games are the mobile games, another area in which Pokémon games have taken hold of. As evidenced by many previous posts, I've had a rousing time (re)playing Go, and this is something I'll continue as it works for me and provides a lot of fun. I'm also interested in playing the likes of Duel and Magikarp Jump as they seem attractive as well, though I'm not interested in replaying Shuffle on mobile as I already have a good thing going on the 3DS. Meanwhile, it's not hard to expect that there may be other Pokémon mobile games in the future, so I'm looking out for this as well.

In the end, I'm now mostly interested in new directions in Pokémon games, and those are present in the spinoff and mobile games, though I'll still play the main series games. Regardless, these remain viable directions for any major fan of Pokémon for playing the games. I know I can't play everything, at least not at once, but as a fan, I'm appreciative of many of the games and expectant of playing them.

One year ago: Pokémon X Food Network ...?

Our Glory of Love

I am a man who will fight for your honor
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of
We'll live forever, knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love

-- "Glory of Love", Peter Cetera

Since I've started this blog and covered my adventures in Pokémon cosplay, I haven't had the chance to win something, or at least something really major, as I did indeed win something last year, although the prize was minor notwithstanding the achievement. It's a bit frustrating, but then at the same time I want to try again and hope for better results. This circumstance as it happened on Sunday led me to think of this song and even to hear it.

Yes, I know this song happens to be part of the soundtrack of a movie only distantly related to Pokémon. But at the same time, it made me realize that I love what I do (cosplay) and love the characters that I work with (Pokémon cosplay). Many of them have and can be described as "heroes" and I rightfully agree; their efforts to become great, like training Pokémon, journeying through the world, and keeping evil away, is nothing short of heroic (and passionate, thus realizing the fourth line of the chorus). I can't help but think of these when I cosplay, and in fact I think this only strengthens the effort. So the second line of the chorus as above could be considered to be realized with this effort, even more as to make it real and not just a dream.

And then, this song could be thought of as aspirations of the characters. They fight, but they do it alongside the ones most closely associated with them, including their Pokémon. It can in some ways be considered to be associated with love, whether romantic or otherwise. It's a bit of a stretch, but at least if they're not aligned with evil, it would be noble (and therefore, glorious) as well. Everything that happens, as mentioned in the rest of the song, is all a part of that noble love. For a lack of description...

[AshKetchumMode]
You know, this love and glory thing makes sense. I love the thrill of being on the battlefield, and I know that with the bond I have with my Pokémon, we can achieve things like we never have. I also can't forget about the bonds with my friends - they're the ones that help me to my success, even if they're on the other side of the battlefield. As for the events, I know we'll get something big someday. When that happens, I know it will be our glory, based on love.
[/AshKetchumMode]

Well, there you go. We do it, and this is our glory of love.

One year ago: Multilingual Pokémon

Ash and Pikachu, DJF 2018 Style

You might have noticed something else that's odd when I posted the Pi Day celebratory parody the other day. If not, then let me point it out: that something odd is the Ash and Pikachu image in the offset circle on the lower left. Believe it or not, that is exactly the Ash and Pikachu image as styled for promotional materials for Daisuki! Japan Fest 2018 last Sunday. It made perfect sense for inclusion in the parody, in keeping with the DJF teaser motif, and there's a bit of history behind it as it relates to me, as well as many interesting things about it.

The history goes all the way back to the beginning. Back when the event or convention was first promoted, there was an image of Pikachu, but Ash was nowhere to be found. When it came time to register for the cosplay walk or parade, I still couldn't find one, so I went with my best judgment as to which outfit Ash might have, and I chose the first- and second-generation "classic" outfit. It turns out with later promotional materials, including the ones used at the venue, it was revealed to be the third-generation outfit. I'm a little regretful that I couldn't match my costume choice to the one depicted, but it is what it is. Perhaps next time. Yet aside from all that, the image is fascinating.

Now, the art style for the image is as unique as it is odd. For those who are well-versed in manga and anime, especially those for children, you'll notice that Ash and Pikachu resemble Shinchan of Crayon Shinchan in appearance - in fact, so do all the characters featured in the promotional materials, including Ara Akazora (the mascot for Japan Culture Daisuki, the organizers, who appears on the upper right of the teaser image). The theme is "throwback" after all, but admittedly the way that it's done is also amusing. With all the humorous elements, as a Pokémon fan, I appreciate that the details of Ash's outfit are quite accurate, making it quite enjoyable.

As for the image that I used in the parody, that's actually a photo of the image as it appeared on one of the vertical banners (perhaps they could be called tapestries) that drape the sides of the stage, back at the event or convention. All the featured characters appear likewise, as if they are looking out from a window. And yes, that means I was able to obtain one of the vertical banners that contains Ash and Pikachu.

I really think the art team of, or for, Japan Culture Daisuki outdid themselves on this one, so that becomes a rationale for preserving the banner. Another is that because they took the effort in printing such a large banner, as the entire banner with three characters is 1 x 5 meters; if the banner is not to be used for any other purpose, it would go to waste, especially if it's only to be used as a mat or tarp later on, as an associate of mine tells me. As told, it would be better that it's in my possession, and I quite agree; I would rather have it preserved for the effort taken to create it and its art value. Now I'm thinking of cutting the Ash and Pikachu section so that I could reformat it as a poster or hanging art.

I know this might seem somewhat odd, but I really do like this image, as I do anything else Pokémon. This image is a testament to creativity in merging and presenting Japanese fandoms, as well as camaraderie in being a witness to the gathering of people at the event venue. With all its good and quirky qualities, it brings me joy and pride to preserve this and keep the memory of the event going, just as much as anything that involves Pokémon. It has been said that someone's trash could be someone else's treasure; this is my effort in preventing something from becoming trash and turning it into my Pokémon treasure.

One year ago: A Psyduck Headache