Local EX Raid (and the Power of Us), 12/7/2018

This EX Raid is a wonder in many ways, not the least because of the tag I have given to it (more on this in a bit). To start, this is the first time since September that I've had EX Raids over consecutive weeks; the two EX Raid gyms have drifted in schedule enough to allow for this to happen. The schedule for today's EX Raid was also no different, as it was scheduled for 3 PM. Predictably, the rain was also an "attendee" to the EX Raid, even just before it began. That has to make for an interesting story.

And it does. I had intended to get to the EX Raid gym by finding transportation myself, but transportation found me instead. While I was seeking one, a friend passed by and offered to take me to the place of the Gym as he was taking care of his own errands. And he did, but as we proceeded to the Gym site, the rain came down harder and harder. We almost thought we couldn't make it by the time my raid group gathered, but as if by miracle, we did. I may not have gotten in time otherwise, and for that, I have to offer my thanks.

As for the EX Raid itself, there were so few participants this time (at least, the ones that reported), so there was talk about making the EX Raid a one-for-all thing. However, as the EX Raid initially progressed, there were overlapping opinions, particularly as there were indications that others may still come, and so everyone decided that those who wanted to raid early should join in battle right then and there, and anyone who came later can hop into an extra battle flight. This proved to be the saving grace for a few people who did indeed come later, which made the decision fortunate.

A visitor in a parking space.

The Deoxys that I caught isn't too shabby either. It is the strongest one I've caught so far, and as a bonus, it wasn't too finicky as the previous one to capture. That's a pretty good turnout for an EX Raid that is somewhat in disarray as usual thanks to the rain. I'm not sure if I will be able to catch one with the maximum capture CP, but I can at least try. There may be just a few more attempts left before Deoxys changes forms, which is an inevitability given its multiple forms.

And then there's that tag I mentioned. For what it took to get me here, and what it took to take down Deoxys and capture it, I couldn't have done it alone, even more so for the latter. They're things that happened because of everyone's involvement, and both are things that are worth telling and noting down about as the stories of today. Today's EX Raid is, effectively, a product of "The Power of Us".

(And yes, that tag is a rib on the English title of this year's Pokémon movie. There may or may not be something special about it for me soon, but I don't know...)

One year ago: The Shops of Shuffle

Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys, Waves 1 and 2

A long time ago, I wrote about Pokémon promotional toys, in part because I had been expecting a particular set of them and hoping for a few new ones; nothing came out of it then. Fast forward to today, and a particular set has appeared. Two weeks ago, McDonald's in Asia started to offer a new line of promotional toys, and this made me delighted. So of course I had to get them to collect them, as well as to write about them on this blog.

I have to thank in part my raid group for this one. They were the ones who first broke the news about a week or so before the toys were released, and so I was able to plan accordingly. I could also confer with my figure group and find out what they know, then to pass it on to my figure group. I'm sure both the groups benefited from this exchange of information, especially those who sought the toys like me.

The toys are released in waves, and Wave 1 was two weeks ago. This first wave featured Magikarp and Squirtle; of course, as seen in the image, the Magikarp is no ordinary Magikarp, as it is the Shiny form. That made it "lucrative" among members of my raid group that wanted to pursue a Shiny Magikarp. The Magikarp toy is a rolling toy, which explains why Magikarp is lying on its side in the photo: the bottom fin contains a single wheel that moves the tail fin back and forth as it is rolling. The Squirtle toy is a squirt gun toy; it is supposed to be submerged in water, then water can be forced out by pressing its shell on the back. I haven't tested it so I could keep the toy pristine, but I could sense air being exerted when I push the shell, so it should work just fine.

Wave 2 was last week, and that is predictably Pikachu (the de facto series mascot) and Vulpix as in the photo. As a bit of a Pikachu fan myself, this is the wave I was highly expecting. The ones in this wave are sufficiently interesting. The Pikachu toy is spring-loaded, and pressing the tail allows the ears to move back and forth, which is admittedly kind of cute. The Vulpix toy is a simple mechanical toy, for which as its tail is moved from side to side, its head nods back and forth. The Vulpix isn't Alolan, but that's hardly a complaint, since I like the original Kanto form just as well. The ones in this wave are simple but are striking.

The four toys here are part of the first two waves, and there are four waves in all, for a total of eight toys. Wave 3 in fact will start tomorrow, and Wave 4 will start the week after. The great thing about that is I'm not pressured to collect every single one at one time, as long as I'm on it early, like with this one. But that also means the toys in the remaining waves will have to wait for their own post, which is OK. In the meantime, there's still something to enjoy about the ones I've already gotten.

One year ago: Watching and Re-Watching

More Weather Boosts for Types?

As I've noted in my post about weather in Pokémon Go, for each different kind of weather, certain types of Pokémon are "boosted". It means that the Pokémon of those certain types appear more often and stronger, even for captures and raids. However, the "boosted" types seem limited, even more so considering the kinds of weather that may be present. This leads to the consideration of having more types boosted for each kind of weather.

The way I see things, there are various issues. There are seven different kinds of weather, and each kind only boosts two to three types of Pokémon; that's only a minor subset of the 18 types of Pokémon. Weather itself is a variable thing, and furthermore, not all kinds of weather appear in every area. In my area, based on observations, I've never seen the Windy, Snow, or Fog weather appear, though there have been times where either the first or last kind could appear, but didn't; meanwhile, a few tens of kilometers away, Windy weather intermittently appears, more so than it does in my area. Further, the Snow weather conceivably only appears in the winter (in areas that experience it), precluding certain freak weather activities. In any case, I and players in my area are practically voided of the chance to have the respective types boosted, unless we travel far beyond and at the right time.

The solution is of course to have more types of Pokémon boosted for each kind of weather. Here's what I propose, based on the issues above:

• Sunny (Fire, Grass, Ground) + Dragon, Fairy
• Partly Cloudy (Normal, Rock) + Steel, Flying, Psychic
• Cloudy (Fairy, Fighting, Poison) + Ghost, Ice
• Rain (Bug, Electric, Water) + Grass, Dark
• Windy (Dragon, Flying, Psychic) + Ground, Rock, Bug
• Snow (Ice, Steel) + Fighting, Water, Electric
• Fog (Dark, Ghost) + Normal, Fire, Poison

This proposal is based on the consideration that the 18 Pokémon types are more or less distributed across the different kinds of weather, with two or three types each; this is extended to have the 18 types distributed twice across the kinds of weather, resulting in each kind having five types boosted with one kind having six to account for the one remaining type. The proposal is also based on the first four kinds being considered as the "common" weather kinds and the other three as "uncommon" kinds, for which the types boosted in one set are distributed in the other. These are also logically based on certain type weaknesses and some common sense. Done this way, equality is achieved.

Weather is undoubtedly a powerful determinant in Pokémon Go. The way that it is now, it seems it might be uneven due to its effects and certain conditions. Having more types boosted might even things out more and add an element of flexibility, fairness, and equality. It might just help further determine the actions that players can take in order to achieve more things in the game.

One year ago: Game Bugs and Fixing Them

A Sewaddle Keychain

If many of the merchandise posts on this blog are of any indication, it's that I love collecting keychains, particularly from theme events or conventions which I become a part of. And from the convention two days ago, I got this particular gem of a keychain, featuring a Pokémon that might seem uncommon but is actually relatable and quite important. Plus, the keychain is a thing of its own.

The featured Pokémon of the keychain is the Bug- and Grass-type Sewaddle, from the fifth generation. For those well-versed in the Pokémon anime, Sewaddle is (or was) one of Ash's Pokémon during the Unova saga. It eventually evolved into Leavanny over the progression of the saga, but it still leaves its memories behind. Mainly for this reason, I opted to have this Pokémon over all the Pokémon that were featured as keychains. But that's not the only reason.

After looking at the keychains that were offered, I wasn't satisfied with a great deal of them. Some were off in color, others were off in proportions, and still others were off in both; these definitely reduced their aesthetic appeal. But the Sewaddle keychain was sufficiently satisfactory in both regards that I was willing to make it a part of my collection. Combined with the previously detailed reason above, it was enough for the appeal factor. This selection process is reminiscent of the one which rewarded me the Cobalion keychain that I detailed last year in an early post about this specific type of merchandise.

For this one, the details are rather impeccable. The leafy shroud is well-designed, including the little veins above the head. Facial details are true and neatly colored. Even the feet have a dab of color, though this is not visible in the above photo. The Pokémon looks so good that I almost want to display it as a figure rather than use it as a keychain... and in fact, I might just do that. This is a perfectly fine mini-figure in that regard. The Cobalion keychain above can likewise be considered as such, and that further links the two.

I suppose I'm just quite affectionate about collecting Pokémon keychains. This one's well-designed and personally memorable that it's hard not to be as such. And even if this one fails to be a keychain, it is at least a mini-figure that merits to be displayed. I really like that. I'd like to collect more Pokémon keychains that are as impressive and significant as this one is.

One year ago: In and Out of Poké Balls

Pokémon Go Community Day Weekend, 12/1/2018 to 12/3/2018

The key word for this month's Community Day is "extra". It's extra, extra special and offers lots of extras. And as an extra, it's not only one day, but three days, over the course of a weekend. The reason is because this Community Day is all previous Community Days from this year wrapped up into one, from the very first one with Pikachu to the one last month with Cyndaquil. The featured Pokémon have stopped appearing today in my area, and it's time to wrap things up with my post on it as well.

All Pokémon from previous Community Days this year (Pikachu, Dratini, Bulbasaur, Mareep, Charmander, Larvitar, Squirtle, Eevee, Chikorita, Beldum, and Cyndaquil) predominated appearances for 58 straight hours over the course of three days, including their Shiny forms as usual. The "move window" was also extended for that entire time, allowing time for evolution to be performed; all previous Community Day moves became available for their respective Pokémon, including the special case of Tyranitar also caught from raids. As for the other special bonuses, they were available for three hours on either the Saturday or the Sunday depending on the place, and these were double Stardust, double XP, and halved Egg hatch distances. Lure Modules could be used at any time as usual, but were extended over the special bonus period. And since the Community Day weekend involved multiple species families, Field Research tasks remained as usual rather than specially adapted.

Since this Community Day offered everything previously offered, I chose to focus on the rarely gotten non-Starter Pokémon to be captured, though this wasn't strict. I was willing to capture any Pokémon that appeared, especially to scout for their Shiny forms. That said, I paid particular attention to Dratini, for which my Candy stock for it is lacking, even to the point of making it my Buddy Pokémon to earn some extra Candy on the side. And because this was an all-day event instead of a condensed event, I wasn't too pressured to pursue everything at one time, so I went through my normal daily routines while still going out every so often to look for Pokémon and do the usual things in Go. As well, there was a chance for different things, and that led to some notable results.

On both Saturday and Sunday, among the first Pokémon I encountered on both of those days were Shiny, though neither were the primary focus - I got Cyndaquil on Saturday and Beldum on Sunday. While on one of my excursions on Saturday, I met a player who I had scouted for a long time, and we connected at that point. The special bonus period in my area was on Sunday, and since that was the case, it also coincided with a mini-convention that wasn't so "mini"; moreover, the first Shiny that I got when I got there was exactly the same as April's (Mareep), repeating almost exactly the same circumstances. Over the period of the event, I only caught five Shiny Pokémon of the featured Pokémon, but that's perfectly fine. What's even more important is that this Community Day went off without any real hitch, considering some of the previous ones.

I must say, this Community Day is quite an extra indeed. After its introduction this year, it has become hugely popular, even with its various issues. Given that fact, it is only right that the year ends with a huge bang, and this "super" or "overarching summary" Community Day is that huge bang. It's a testament to how things have proceeded, and it's surely an indication for all of next years. I'm sure all Pokémon Go players including me can brace for future Community Days (with all their extras) in the coming year.

One year ago: Fallen Comrades

Cosplay: Chibi Daisuki! Japan Fest

Ash isn't here, but Red is. Over to him, now.

[RedMode]

Hello everyone. So as promised, I made my way to this convention. The title might seem familiar to one that another Trainer visited earlier this year, based on what I've been told. "Chibi" means "little" or "miniature" - also as I've been told - as it's supposed to be a smaller version of that. But from what I saw, it was anything but.

For starters, it was incredibly busy. People came like you wouldn't believe, and it was hard to move about. Even I had trouble moving around to see everything and everyone, and to connect with them all. But that shows something: if they all came, they know to expect good things, and they want to see those too. Plus, the people who hosted this convention are known for good things, so it's hard not to. It's what we all expected.

I of course came for the character parade, which is popular as well. I came with my updated outfit, which I'm sure many people like. As in the preview for my appearance, a long time ago, I came to an event (or maybe a convention) with this outfit, but I wasn't happy with how it looked. This time, I'm rather happy. I even brought Pikachu - one of my most trusted Pokémon - to really show I'm a Trainer. The parade was very long too - there were about 50 characters. Ultimately, the judges could choose only five of the characters they really like, and... I didn't make it this time. It's a bit of a stretch, but I'm sure there will be other times. Everyone was still good, though.

I also met and got together with a few Pokémon figure collectors, the ones that every so often meet and are discussed here. They're lucky that they can reach out to me, and I'm lucky to be able to reach out to them. All of their figures - including some of me, which are real nice - are awesome. I wasn't provided a figure to contribute, but as a live figure myself, I'm pretty glad. Their spirits are awesome too - before the character parade, I was to be on stage with a bag provided for me, but one of them suggested that I use a bag they brought. I had to agree that it looked much better, so I went with their suggestion. It still didn't help to earn a prize. Bag aside, we gave people something to do with Pokémon, and it was fun to watch them do it. We had an incredible time.

Pokémon figures were not the only attraction. There were things that everyone could enjoy. There were games to play, food to eat, and things to buy. That seems OK enough for this one. Today is supposed to be a "miniature", though, so I'm glad there weren't too many more, or it could have been a tight squeeze for all of us. The attractions kept us going, maybe even until I come back.

This convention is supposed to be mini, but I and other people got maxi instead. But no one said that's a bad thing, and I think it's still great. This was the first time I returned with my new outfit, and this is the first time this one is held. Funny how that is. We may be due for some happy returns. Until then.

[/RedMode]

One year ago: A Beautiful Symphony

Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee Uptake

It's actually been a couple of weeks since the release of the Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee games for the Nintendo Switch, and I didn't cover it then because I didn't feel a sense of connection with it. I don't have the Switch, and accordingly there weren't any plans to get the game. However, I'm in contact with fellow Pokémon fans who may purchase the game to play, and based on that, I can cover the uptake among them (and myself) just as I did last year with Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, for which I do have the means to play. And now is the best time to do just that for the two recently released games.

A few of my main series fellows have one of the games, aided by having the Switch, and they're certainly already up and running for enjoyment. However, some of my main series fellows say that they have no interest in getting the game; one concern is cost, and I can say I agree. The game is about one and a half times the cost of Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, based on some of my observations. And then there's the console itself, which despite its convertible nature, is also expensive. It's something that not everyone wants to invest in quite yet, even if the incentive is strong. This is what can be alluded to the "trough of disillusionment"; things are just up in the air to allow for "taking the plunge" into buying the game as well as the console if necessary. And it seems to still be that way. Whether this will change depends on increased appeal.

My raid group personally may have such an appeal. One of my raid fellows actually went out and bought a Switch as well as the Eevee version, and has played the game up to the point where Pokémon Go can be conveniently linked with the game; in fact, this was shown at the raid group gathering that happened one and a half weeks ago, soon after LGP and LGE were released. This led to a flurry of my other raid fellows linking their games with that game, if only for one very important reason: to obtain the Mystery Box that would unleash a number of Meltan once opened. The catch is that the box can only be opened every few days and after transferring a Pokémon to the Switch, which means they would have to periodically link up. Thus, it would be in the best interest for multiple people to have the game to ease the burden, and this becomes the appeal.

The only other person that I know has a Switch is the one who owns a local hangout... and thus the local hangout possesses a Switch, as I've noted over a year ago. However, the last time I checked, they do not possess either of the games and do not seem to have plans to obtain one. And yet, they seem to be open to gamers bringing their own copies of the games to play. This could be a void that can easily be filled if someone obtains an individual copy of LGP or LGE to be played there. I could foresee this happening personally, but this would take some thinking on my part to obtain the game... as well as the time to play it, but this would indeed be another matter. The point is that this would lead to my uptake of the game.

The uptake of the two games seem to be mixed. On one hand, they have proven to be lucrative games for those that already have the Switch and those that wish to take Go to the extra mile. On the other hand, for those for which neither applies, the games become questionable. There may need to be greater effort to forge connections in order to increase its uptake. Personally, I've felt the connections more or less directly, and though I do not have the Switch personally, I may be willing to contribute to increasing the uptake in order that others can do the same.

One year ago: Poké-Friends and Gratitude