Local EX Raid (Double or Quits), 12/14/2018

In this edition of the local EX Raid, numbers are the game. To start, this is the third week in a row that I've participated in an EX Raid, which is unprecedented; typically, I'd take part in one, wait some number of days or more before I have the chance to raid an EX Raid Gym (possibly missing one in the meantime), get the invitation for the next one, wait until the day for that to come, and repeat the process. However, sometimes I'm fortunate enough to be able to raid the Gyms and be able to directly participate in the next one, and this is exactly what has happened over the course of this and the previous two EX Raids. Two EX Raid Gyms also help in this regard.

Actually, make that three Gyms. Today, a Gym that in the past hosted only one EX Raid and seemingly never again, hosted one for the first time since then. And it hosted the EX Raid alongside this EX Raid, which takes place at the first Gym in my area that hosted EX Raids, only at different times; that one took place at 11:30 AM, while this one took place at 1 PM. That becomes the "double" part of the tag for today. In fact, some of my raid fellows took advantage of the situation to have a double EX Raid, to be invited to the other one they didn't get, much like how things were when EX Raids restarted back in October.

The other part of the tag, the "quits" part, relies on another numbers game... or the lack of numbers thereof. This EX Raid was quite different, as usually the participants were counted and coordinated, but this time no effort occurred in this regard; when I came, there was only one person, though eventually there were more as the EX Raid progressed. Even without rain (and only indications that it might rain at that point), those who came, which only numbered to a couple of handfuls, were interested in just "getting it done", and so we formed our battle flights in an impromptu manner. This still seemed to work well; my battle flight, with only six Trainers, took down Deoxys without too much effort, confirming its relative ease. Still, today's EX Raid can be considered to serve as an indicator.

Deoxys-on-the-Green™

It seems the number of Trainers interested in Deoxys is dwindling, perhaps because of its relative ease to raid and its current existence as only one of four forms. As well, it's a Pokémon that cannot be traded, which means the only two options are to keep any that are captured, or to transfer them to the Professor. It does somehow appear less impressive than when the EX Raids were with Mewtwo and there was quite a demand. Its other three forms are likely the key: release the other forms, and demand might just increase.

Surely when Deoxys "doubles up", many might just "double down" to capture one, or at least a few - it's "double or nothing". After today's "numbers game" with the EX Raids, it might seem that only a few numbers are the key success with them as they are. At least I've augmented my contribution for today, and I'm still interested to augment in later EX Raids, no matter what numbers or figures result.

One year ago: Tears of Life... and Being Moved to Tears

Trainer Battles Are Go!!!

It has been long overdue, gone through the rumor mill, and wondered about by many. But all that is now over. A long-awaited feature that has always been demanded in Pokémon Go is now present and live: Trainers can now challenge each other directly in Pokémon battles, which is referred to in short as PvP ("player vs. player"). I've had the chance to try out the feature as it went live today, and it's really captivating.

The format of the battles is a 3-on-3 battle, similar to a limited Single Battle in the main series games. As is the norm in Go, the battles are real-time and speedy: like Gym or raid battles, the focus is on attacking quickly with Fast moves while building up power to use Charged moves, but unlike the other two battles, Pokémon can't dodge the opponent as they can there. When one Pokémon uses a Charged move, that side is given the chance to build up even more power as it does so, while the other is given the chance to deploy a Protect Shield to mitigate damage. In any case, a Trainer has to be wise; in each battle, only two Protect Shields may be deployed, and while switching is allowed, if a Trainer chooses to switch Pokémon, switching then becomes disabled for 50 seconds. The speed and intricacy of battles keeps Trainers on their feet.

As to who and what can battle, any Trainer level 10 or over can battle with one another. The two Trainers have to be sufficiently close to one another to battle, just like in the case of trading... unless the two Trainers are already Ultra Friends or higher, in which case they can battle remotely from anywhere. If no one is available for battle, a Trainer may opt to spar against any of the three team leaders in Go, including against the other two leaders of the other two teams not of the Trainer's team. The two Trainers can opt to participate in battles in the Great League (CP limit of 1500), Ultra League (CP limit of 2500), or Master League (no CP limit), and battle parties consisting of specific Pokémon may be created for any of these.

To add complexity to the battles, all Pokémon now have the opportunity to learn a second Charged move, which may be used beyond Trainer battles, even in Gyms and raids. This isn't a cheap matter, as doing so will use up Candies and Stardust. But the effect may be substantial in helping to win battles, because by winning, a Trainer stands a chance to earn enticing rewards like Stardust and the currently highly-coveted Sinnoh Stone. In addition, each win in each League fills up the medal for winning in that League, and each battle with a team leader ("training") fills up the Ace Trainer medal (and thereby reactivates it), which was previously filled up by battling a same-team Gym under the old Gym system. These make Trainer battles highly lucrative.

I had the chance to try out battling remotely with a couple of my Ultra Friends today, and I ended up winning 7 and losing 1. These battles are totally a test of my ability to think quickly and act appropriately, in addition to making predictions on the spot as I do with VGC-style battles. Admittedly, this is somewhat simpler than that, but the system could be foreseeably expanded to resemble them someday, which I and another player had theorized. I also earned all the rewards that I needed to earn. My raid group is thinking about holding a get-together to extensively test out Trainer battles, and I'd be interested to join if circumstances allow.

This addition is a huge step for Pokémon Go. Pokémon from the beginning has always been linked to battling with one another, and this is a key thing in the main series games that was always suspiciously missing in Go. Now, it is no longer missing, and the effects are far-reaching to boot, in and out of the game. I'm certainly ready to give as much as I can in Trainer battles in Go and to find out where this leads, along with the other Trainers who will gladly do the same.

One year ago: Will You Be There?

Much Ado About Figures

A long time ago, when I first discussed about figures with a particular example of what I have, I stated that I am not a fervent collector of figures. Since then, I've either added to my collection or discussed about figures that I already possessed, and even joined groups about them. However, I still consider myself not a fervent collector of figures, even Pokémon ones. This is something that is (or has become) apparent for several reasons.

A primary determinant is cost. Many of the Pokémon figures or figure-like objects that I've collected are relatively cheap or even are the result of some lucky breaks. As much as I'd like to devote prodigious amounts of cash on figures, it's something that I'm not keen on doing just yet; in my view, there are other Pokémon things - or even just other things - that need my current attention. I've seen just how much some of these figures can go for, based on a discussion after the convention a week and a half ago, and I balk at the costs to get quite a few of them. At those prices, I'd rather try for other Pokémon items, and this would satisfy my all-around nature in being a Pokémon fan, though of course figures still factor into this.

Another determinant is space. In that first exemplar, I mentioned that I don't have a display space... and I still don't today. If I did, I'd probably have written about it in a different post on this blog. To that effect, for the few figures with packaging that I have, they still remain in their packages, which for now is still an effective display. Those with less attractive packaging have been put on display in some manner, though this may not be as effective as I'd like it to be. Eventually and ultimately, I'd like to display all my figures and Pokémon things somehow; the alternatives are something that I have to ponder as I go along.

Though I may not be fervent in the collecting aspect of figures, I am a fervent Pokémon fan, and that makes me fervent about different aspects of its figures. Style is something that I like to see in different figures, and I'm enthusiastic about seeing new styles and appearances of figures. Closely related to style is size, and it is nice to see how Pokémon can be adapted to figure form in different sizes. Certainly with hundreds of different Pokémon, I can conceptualize or imagine how some might be realized in figure form, including those that rarely become figures. All of these aspects are appreciable.

Collecting Pokémon figures is not exactly I'm deeply into, but despite that, I still collect some of them. As I am a Pokémon fan at heart, I still like them for what they are: a realization of Pokémon into a physical form. At present, space and cost become physical constraints, but in my mind, these figures still have room to play. The only thing left to do is to be able to physically make this a reality.

One year ago: The Rainbow Feather of Ho-Oh

Passing It On: The Next Generation

As a Pokémon fan, and a dedicated one at that, I'm likely to carry my interest in it for as long as I'm around and as long as Pokémon is around. At the same time, it would be a good thing to think about the next generation of Pokémon fans. After all, they would be the bearers of a legacy that spans more than two decades by this point in time. Thus, I'd have to think about the passing on of this legacy to them.

I have to admit that I was quite inspired to make this post by something that was posted in my figure group on Facebook. One of the members posted a video showing a child being given several Pokémon figures, and the child was asked to name the Pokémon one by one, and most were correct. The child seems to have done a good job of naming the Pokémon, and is even lauded by the poster as "an eventual successor". I can't help but be impressed as well, and that is what led me to write this post.

It is certain that the next generation of Pokémon fans are the children who will be exposed to Pokémon, becoming attracted to it and enjoying it in the process. But in some sense, the next generation might also involve people that are "intermediates" between the current people who are fans and the children. If they become exposed to Pokémon as well and grow to like it, they can help carry over the attraction from the old to the young, becoming an in-between successor and predecessor. But it's clearly the younger ones who ultimately will "take the helm".

That just leaves the question of how they'll succeed. They'll likely do it in all the usual ways - play the games, watch the anime, and so on - but they might also do it in unusual ways or ways that have never been conceived before. For the former, it's quite possible that someone might read a strategy guide for a Pokémon game, then become interested to play the game; for the latter, virtual technology related to Pokémon would provide something almost realistic that might catch a person's interest. Yet, there is a sense that they must be guided as well; reference materials related to Pokémon beyond the games would help immensely in this regard. It even helps if there's an actual legacy for them to possess. It's something that could be furnished by current Pokémon fans, even me.

I am eager to continue to always be linked to Pokémon, but that's as far as my presence lets this happen. Fortunately, if the recent happening indicates, there are also eager fans that are one generation ahead. It would be nice to make sure that they can bear all that has progressed regarding Pokémon, thus having it with their lives too. I want this to be around for as long as possible, and if they'll take it up, by all means. I hope that I (and other current fans) are ready to do what we can to make this happen.

One year ago: Pikachu Head Collectibles

Stage Coin Tricks in Shuffle

In Pokémon Shuffle, Coins are essential items. They are used to pay for items that are helpful in order to enhance stage progress, and some stages require them to be expended in order to play. Getting them also seems straightforward enough, by checking in or buying them from the Shop. And yet, these are also earned through playing the stages as well... but a player has to be crafty enough so that these can be earned as well as possible.

The simplest way to earn Coins through stages is to clear Main Stages or Expert Stages. Clearing a Main Stage for the first time rewards 200 Coins, while clearing an Expert Stage for the first time rewards 300 Coins. Thereafter, clearing any of these stages rewards 30 Coins. This is accordingly an incentive to clear as many of these stages as possible in addition to achieving the goal of capturing the Pokémon and earning S Ranks on them. Also, the "replay bonus" might be small, but as stages need to be replayed in particular for the above goals, this bonus can quickly add up, so it's not to be discounted. The real caveat is that the stages must be cleared to get the Coins; failing a stage (running out of moves or time) will reward nothing. A skilled player should be able to fulfill this requirement.

Clearing Special Stages also rewards the same amount of Coins as a Main Stage: 200 for the first clear, 30 for a clear thereafter. However, unlike Main Stages or Expert Stages, clear status is not retained for them after their periods end; this means that when they return for a different period, they can be cleared again to earn the 200-Coin bonus. Thus, it also becomes imperative for Coin seekers to clear these stages when they reappear for a different period. The only trick is to determine which stages can be cleared without spending Coins, which would void the purpose of getting Coins. As well, some Special Stages behave differently regarding Coins earned - Escalation Stages reward 200 Coins for the first level and 30 thereafter, with certain exceptions; the Pokémon Safari rewards 200 Coins on the first encounter and clear of each specific Pokémon, while repeat encounters reward 30, again with certain exceptions; and Competitive Stages reward nothing. This is quite important.

The most crafty way to earn Coins is from a stage itself. Some very specific stages throw in Coins into the actual puzzle grid, and these can be matched just like Pokémon; the reward for matching is a specific amount of Coins. A match of three rewards 100 Coins, four rewards 300, five rewards 500, and the very rare case of six (the maximum in a line) rewards 700. Depending on the stage, however, the typical clear bonuses may be voided, leaving these as the only way to earn Coins off of a specific stage. As well, Coins are treated like disruptions; in particular, they behave like blocks that can be moved and matched like Pokémon but don't disappear with time, which means that any Pokémon skill (like Swap or Stabilize) that may remove blocks also may remove these. This becomes a point of concern when using specific Pokémon while making the effort to earn coins. Needless to say, the stage must be cleared to get the matched Coins, as is the case normally.

All stages in Shuffle have their own tricks, of course, but earning Coins through stages may be the greatest trick in the game, in addition to just checking in for them and buying them outright. To earn Coins, a player has to be crafty about choosing the stages that have to be played and how to play them in order to earn the Coins that need to be earned. Whatever happens, the outcome will enable even more progression in other stages, which is almost a certainty for players with Coins at their disposal.

One year ago: Cosplay: Utsuru F!

To See and See Not

In the course of my progression through life, there seems to always be something that I could link or seems to link me personally to Pokémon. This time, it concerns the statement which becomes the title for this post. Recently, things tied to Pokémon have become something I either see or not see. It's a bit of a nag, which ultimately can lead to frustration as well - at least when things turn out otherwise than expected.

Seeing and not seeing has been quite applicable to Pokémon Go. While it seems like it does so even at other times, of late this has been a concern. Earlier, there had been a moment where I saw raids in one place and not in another, which had not been what I expected. And then the other day, I was prepared to put in Pokémon in a Gym when I saw smoke and sparks indicating the Gym was under attack, though I could not spot the attacker; I did manage to put in a Pokémon, but predictably, it came back within a couple of hours. A few hours earlier, I spotted a Pokémon that others as well as myself might desire, but then when I went to report others in my raid group, the Pokémon disappeared, practically voiding our chances. In all of these cases, something that I either saw or did not see became contrary to what I hoped, and the results tended to be disappointing too.

Some recent events, where I'd hope to display my interest in Pokémon, seems or have seemed to also be affected by the seeing-not-seeing issue. I've already mentioned this for an event the other day; things just escaped notice with the event, let alone for one of the competitions for which I now have an interest in. And then, I'm told there is an upcoming event for which I may want to take part, but before I could do anything about it, things went awry, one part of which may be due to the seeing-not-seeing issue. This too is a bit - actually, quite - disappointing personally since I'm sure that my interest in Pokémon could make a difference. The only glimmer of hope for the latter is that this is an "at least for now" thing, and there are still a few weeks before things are really sealed. The odds may or may not be in my favor.

There will always be things that I see and things that I don't see, and they'll affect me in different ways, especially if Pokémon is or could be made to be involved. In the case of recent happenings, this may be of undesirability. What is certain is that whether I see or not see, I still see Pokémon with me. And with it, I still expect to see progression that tends less toward disappointment and more towards excitement.

One year ago: A Pokémon Twist to My Phone

Cosplay: IJF - Cosplayer Rising Star

[AshKetchumMode]

My friend likes to send me to theme events on a whim, and that's what he did today. He had a choice to send me today or tomorrow, and he chose to send me today. That's because this event is really a two-day one... oh, I'm sorry my friend, it's actually a five-day one! But yeah, the only days that matter for us are today and tomorrow, and my friend could only deal with either one, and not both. It's also a far event, so that's a big problem too.

Actually, my friend had been wanting to send me to this one for a couple of years now, but then it always seems to conflict with some other event. We're lucky that this time it isn't, so we decided that it was now or never. It does seem like it's a good event based on what we were told, so that was the main reason for sending me here. Another is of course to meet characters and people who my friend likes to talk to.

There is yet another strong reason why I was sent today: the competitions are double, and on the other day, there are none. There was a singing competition and a character parade today, and... I didn't get in the singing competition. We found out that it was just too late to get in. But that's what happens when we only find out about things too suddenly, and that's what happened for this event. I did get to take part in the character parade, and that was great. The people that helped make it happen did seem to feel a bit overwhelmed, though, and I couldn't stay to find out about the results. Maybe I wasn't meant to.

The event seems a bit small, since it was held in a food court and just used the things that were there. Even a band that my friend really likes just used what was there, though they still sounded great. It's also only the day before the big last day, so it might be more crowded when it gets to that point. Next time, I have to come back when it's the big day.

My friend and I did get word on what we miss on the big day. We would be seeing a few bands, and that's good. We'd be seeing a few characters doing what they do, and one of them would be named a big star - this is impressive, but it doesn't apply to me or my friend. And we'd also be seeing a person we met just recently... *sigh* That would be the biggest thing we'd miss.

Pikachu: Pika chu! [comforting]

Yeah, maybe next time we'll see him, whenever that is. As for "next time" for this theme event, maybe that needs some thinking over. My friend and I will think it over as we keep doing our stuff.

[/AshKetchumMode]

One year ago: (Un)finished Business