Friday, June 7, 2019

Going Big in Galar

As I've indicated yesterday, something important actually happened the day I also wrote about the special time, two days ago. It was, of course, the Pokémon Direct for the Sword and Shield games that I also mentioned in my prior recap of the previous press conference. Conceivably, something had to give, and I let the special time take precedence, but of course not without a Pokémon twist. Plus, as I said yesterday, I wanted to "distill" it a bit before I discuss it in a post on this blog. I have done just that, which allows me to write up this post.

Now, the title of this post is as such, because it describes the major new feature (or mechanism) added to the new games: Dynamax. During battles, a Pokémon may trigger the mechanism, becoming giant-sized in battle. The moves of the Pokémon adjust to the new state of the Pokémon, becoming "Max Moves". Dynamax may only be triggered once in a battle, with the mechanism reverting after three turns. As such, the mechanism may be considered partial adjuncts to Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, though it remains to be seen how both will work with the new mechanism.

Pokémon in the Dynamax state become a key part of another new feature: Max Raid Battles. This feature is obviously and evidently influenced by its counterpart in Pokémon Go, but it's supposed to work somewhat differently. Here, a team of four Trainers are to work together to take down a Pokémon, with it being in Dynamax. This kind of multiplayer is something fascinating to have in the main series games after it has shown its popularity in Go, but the particulars need to be further acknowledged. At the least this brings significant interactions into play. In other areas, Gyms have returned, and now one has to look around in finding Pokémon; these are good news in a way as well.

As for individual Pokémon, now a few more are known, besides the starters. Shown in the Direct were Wooloo, Gossifleur and Eldegoss (the latter an evolution of the former), Drednaw, and Corviknight. The last one looks like an armored crow and is set to find a liking among different fans. No starter evolutionary forms were divulged, so this will have to wait somewhat longer. As well, the identity of the "box legends" are now known: they are the sword-wielding Zacian and the shield-faced Zamazenta, for the respective games. They too have their share of appreciation and criticism. The rest of the generation still awaits, but from this, at least a bit of excitement is in order.

The Sword and Shield games are already big news for any Pokémon fan, and the announcements through this Direct have contributed to its magnitude. At least, that's what I've been able to distill from the Direct. Evidently, Galar is going to be big in many ways, even physically and perceptibly. It seems one will have to make room for the game, and again within it in order to go big, and then make it big.

One year ago: Pokémon Archetypes
Two years ago: New Paradigms

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Be with You, Always with You

Someone else will keep you warm from now on
Someone else will keep you safe from the storm
But I'll be with you wherever you go
So you will never be alone
I'm going where the wind blows
Going where the lost ones go...
-- "I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)", Sarah Brightman and Chris Thompson

Yesterday became the marker of a special time. Yesterday, something else important also happened, but I need to allow myself some time to distill that... and perhaps to distill myself. The thing is, this special time for me this year is a bit sentimental in a slightly different way than the perceptions offered by the song I mentioned yesterday. It makes me think up of a different song, one that is more related to Pokémon as it is isn't. Huh?

Such is the case for the song I've quoted above. This song in English is the ending theme for the tenth Pokémon feature film or movie, which in English is titled The Rise of Darkrai... at least for the Japanese side. It is odd in that the song is fully in English, yet is the theme for an originally Japanese film. Further, the song has Norwegian origins, sung by the artist Sissel (with Espen Lind) and became popular six years prior to its cover for the Pokémon movie. As well, the original title of the song is stated in the parentheses above. Thus, the song is, in a way, distantly related to as it is closely linked with Pokémon.

The theme for the song is about moving forward despite losing or parting with someone. The telltale repeated words in the lyrics for that is not only those contained in the two titles of the song above, but also the phrase "leave and let me go" as well as "carry on... stay strong" in certain verses. The point is that wherever one goes, there may be something that accompanies, even if one is heading in the direction of "the lost ones", which perhaps could be some unknown place. These exact sentiments are what I identify with at the moment, and while I can't say for sure when, this is something I have to prepare for soon enough.

And so I've distilled myself. All that remains is to distill the thing that happened yesterday, and I'll be off in a better place. The special time by now is fading (or has faded) into its remnants, but I still can take solace wherever I may go and whatever happens next that something is there. I'm sure that Pokémon is at least one of those things, as may be other things that this song suggests.

One year ago: (The Least) Local Ex-Raid, 6/6/2018
Two years ago: Pokémon Direct, 6/6/2017

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Holding Hands

Hold my hand
There are many ways to do it right
Hold my hand
Turn around and see what we've left behind
Hold my hand my friend
We could save the good spirit in me and you
For another chance, and let's pray for the beautiful world
The beautiful world I share with you
-- "Hold My Hand", Maher Zain

The special time that I discussed last year returned today, albeit 10 days earlier. But that's always the case with this particular special time, being about that many days earlier each year. But no matter what time it is in the year, there's always a sense that something of it (or that could be related to it) always reminds me of Pokémon. This year, it is this song, by the same artist of the song that I mentioned last year.

This song is somewhat mellow and sentimental. It speaks of disunity, conflict, and injury that shouldn't be. It instead should be unity, harmony, and healing for anyone concerned. The song seems to be apt for describing some things that have occurred in the modern world, and perhaps even some things that have occurred in recent memory. Of course, the same things could conceivably exist in fictional universes, which could explain how this song ended up being featured in a couple of AMVs (anime music videos). In short, the song also has universal messages, just like the song from last year.

While those AMVs didn't feature the Pokémon anime, I've thought of a specific circumstance that evokes this song. Early on in the Sinnoh saga, there was the Chimchar conflict that ultimately led to Ash obtaining it; I find that the song seems to capture some of the sentiments of that conflict. With the way that Chimchar progressed, it seems the chorus of the song had been realized. So this could be considered a testament for this particular song and its contained messages. It may even beg for an AMV to be made, but that's out of my current range of capabilities. In general, though, the song may be considered to apply wherever people and partner Pokémon are concerned, especially coming away from a negative situation.

What is clear is that the song trends towards positivity, which should be a good thing that even transgresses this special time. With its messages transcending the real and imagined worlds, that's an even better thing. I'm all for unity and harmony, as everyone else should be, including people and Pokémon alike. At the point where this is realized, we can then hold hands and face all that a beautiful world has to offer.

One year ago: Raid Preferences
Two years ago: Sympathy for Villains

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

A Noble Mission

During the press conference from last Wednesday, I found something fascinating. To that end, I've included it here in the form of a screen capture of the relevant point:


If you happen to be unable to see images for some reason, the image contains words, which I restate below, verbatim:
The Pokémon Company's mission statement is to enrich both the real world and the virtual world with the Pokémon characters.
This is a powerful message that The Pokémon Company (TPC hereinafter) is sending out. It means that the ultimate objective of TPC is to want to fill the world, whichever one it may be, with as much Pokémon as possible. I consider this mission to be a noble one. Moreover, I feel that as a Pokémon fan, I have a role to play in this mission.

Something that makes this a noble mission is that it has been elegantly done. Pokémon has gone from being games that only some people may play to something that all people may enjoy. The gradual expansion that has taken place has left a mark on many people, who then become fans in some manner. Enjoyment also contributes to the nobleness, as it helps fans stay fans and others get a sense of the world of Pokémon. As well, the expansion has been all-encompassing, with something for everyone to enjoy, not necessarily just one thing for one group. Elegant, enjoyable, all-encompassing... I'd say that's noble, especially if it continues to be so for this mission.

As for myself, I consider my role as being someone who "enlightens" or sheds light on what is there to enjoy about it. That's something that becomes the aim of all posts on this blog, with the hope that people may be able to perceive and enjoy Pokémon in different ways as I have done. With that role, I have to allow myself to understand as much as I can, which means playing as many of the games as possible, watch many Pokémon features, read many Pokémon things, and so on and so forth. This may then lead to further and greater opportunities for understanding for myself and all other fans. Considering the mission, I have an assistive role as well, which with the above has to be noble as well.

I'm personally taken with this mission statement by the TPC. It is evidently something that has been truly done, based on everything Pokémon that I've seen. There's an astounding presence in the virtual realm as well as a vivid presence in the real realm. To want to augment that presence for any and all people is a great thing. To be able to assist and contribute to that process is a great thing as well. With these things considered, the mission presents itself to be a noble one indeed.

One year ago: Keeping It Free... or Augmenting It
Two years ago: Ball Redesign?

Monday, June 3, 2019

Local EX Raid (Time and Again), 6/3/2019

It's actually been nearly two months since I've taken part in an EX Raid - the last one being in April - and there are various reasons I can give why this is so (one of which I already gave in last month's Community Day). The important part now is that I got to participate in another one today. And it seems for this one, I'm discerning a lot of links regarding "time". The EX Raid itself went pretty well, so I won't touch on that too deeply, but more on the "time" factor.

This was one of those EX Raids where I actually made the time to raid for "qualifying" for the EX Raid Pass as part of some errands I had to do. I love it when this happens; I personally wouldn't go out to an EX Raid Gym solely for the "qualification" for the EX Raid, except in rare cases - there has to be something else that I have to do in addition to doing so. It might or might not be related to Pokémon Go, but as long as the initial raid happens, then at least I'll have made good time along with those errands. Of course, the EX Raid itself demands that its own time be made, which leads to a few consequences.

As is well-known by now, Trainers that earn an EX Raid Pass can invite someone with that pass to participate. Because this can be done only once, the decision has to be made carefully. For this one, I invited a friend who desired the EX Raid, but it turns out at the very last minute my friend couldn't come. This always becomes the hard question. On one hand, I want to be able to avoid situations like these, but on the other hand, things just ended up badly timed with no control for me, even forcing some alternate plans. And so the EX Raid proceeded regardless.

Even with that, many of my raid fellows had happened to earn the pass and used it to invite others. And for those that did, they really made the effort to come, even making sure with a roll call in the group. When I met them, we also attempted to make sure that everyone present was in, in a timely manner - something that in many past occasions would be done with a separate group, but this time on our own. It seems that this resulted in the EX Raid proceeding smoothly and efficiently.

There was even just enough time for a quick shot.

The key to this particular EX Raid is really time. That involves earning the EX Raid, gathering up the participants, making sure who is in and when, and just executing it. The fact that things went well means that we made our time wisely. After quite a bit of time of not participating in EX Raids, to make time for one is good, and seeing that time used up wisely means that it is a better one. It may be time to get back in the full swing of EX Raids.

One year ago: Classical and New HP Heal Amounts
Two years ago: 3DS Pokémon Themes

Sunday, June 2, 2019

A Daily Pokémon Routine

With the announcement of Pokémon Sleep at a particular press conference, it becomes clear that Pokémon can and does pervade into a typical lifestyle. With that in mind, perhaps it would be possible for one to experience a daily routine totally filled with Pokémon. It is not that hard to conceive; Pokémon has just enough of everything that it should be possible to fit in just about everything into a daily routine. And I can see how it might work out.

In the morning, after one wakes up, it may be conceivable that one plays Pokémon Go while exercising or during the morning commute. One's daily affairs might be something that involves wearing something from the Poké Ball Classics line, or the awaited Pokémon Shirts, the latter with a possibly appropriate design regarding the mood for the day. During a break in the middle of the day, it might be time to catch up on the things in Pokémon Duel or Quest, or even Magikarp Jump if time is short.

Socially, during the day it might be possible to meet up with others and have a quick trade or battle in Pokémon Go, perhaps also to demonstrate a few Pokémon figures, cards, and/or other collectibles. These are the things that are usually done on larger scales when there is more time, but for a daily routine, quick ones might just suffice. Also part of that social routine might be enjoying some snacks that may have Pokémon present on its wrapping, which is sure to entertaining even for just a little bit.

After daily affairs are done, then it would be time for the really fun stuff. That could possibly involve a few extended battles in the main series games, or furthering exploration in the Let's Go games. These efforts would be complemented by efforts to prepare for them. If one becomes tired, then it would be time to let someone else do the battling... by way of watching the Pokémon anime. Then it would be time to wrap up unfinished business, possibly in one of the new mobile games like Masters. And when all is said and done, it would be time to sleep and let Sleep do its wonders. And then everything begins again.

This is all completely hypothetical, of course. But the way that Pokémon is today, it's not completely implausible. There are now more various opportunities than ever to include Pokémon in someone's daily routine and therefore lifestyle. It remains visionary to be able to think about it, and once the opportunity presents itself to be realized, then it will truly be a wonderful lifestyle for anyone who is a fan of Pokémon at heart.

One year ago: Missing Ranger
Two years ago: 3DS Pokémon Badges

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Techno-Poké-Captain

Regarding the Pokémon Special Business Presentation that I discussed in yesterday's post, I have to admit that it was discussed kind of late, but that was partially not my fault; I simply had other things to do during and around the press conference, so I wasn't able to address it timely. However, many other people had done so to varying degrees. One instance was by a really good friend of mine, within mere hours ex post facto. That friend also happens to be a proficient Pokémon Go player and one of my raid fellows.

My friend runs a web site called KaptenTekno (kaptentekno.com), which means "Techno Captain" in Indonesian. It's billed as a technology news portal that covers many subjects, including "technology, business, and game" as described in the site information page. Included in the coverage of the "game" subject are things that deal with Pokémon and in particular Pokémon Go; the coverage notably ramped up after my friend returned to playing Pokémon Go almost a year ago and exactly on Zapdos Day (or maybe a little before - the record of our play encounter was that day, long after I personally returned). Since then, there have been lots of articles on the game, which have been continually promoted.

As for the coverage with the respective article there, it's much like my previous post. It covers most of the points detailed in Wednesday's press conference, including the new games that were divulged. The content of the article is more or less like my post, except that it seems a little bit more detailed, whereas mine is more like a "digest", "bottom line", or in modern netspeak, a "TL;DR (too long, didn't read) version". It also has images where mine doesn't, owing to that reason and some other ones. The article's headline is also focused on the new Sleep game, even though the content is overall focused on things from the press conference. Despite this, it should still be pretty good.

There are also general similarities and differences between our two sites. The biggest one is language: my posts are written in English, while the articles on that site are written in Indonesian. Obviously, my posts are directed for a more global (or globally-oriented) audience, while the articles attempt to capture the attention of the locals. Since that site is a "news portal", it also has to have objective content, whereas my blog is more personal in nature and has not only objective content but also interpretative and creative content, something that should be discussed in another post later on. Regardless, we both contribute regularly to our respective places on the Internet about Pokémon.

The fact remains that we realize that there are Pokémon-minded people out there, so we cater to them. One way of which is to detail the results of that press conference, which has substantial information on what lies ahead for Pokémon, whether within a few hours as it happened, or a day or two after the dust has settled. My way might be more personal, and my friend's way is rather objective. But when it comes to Pokémon, we'll still do what we can to get the word out.

One year ago: Everyone's RPG vs. Hardcore RPG
Two years ago: (Self) References