Previous Plus One

Every so often, I discuss about yearly themes that I conceive based on different factors, including but not limited to Pokémon happenings. Those who followed my blogging journey from last year will have followed the progress of a visionary theme that turned out to be not so visionary after all. In fact, what took place last year persisted all the way to the end of the year and even thus far into the new year at the very least. That leads to the suggestion of a relevant theme, which is displayed as the title of this post - "Previous Plus One".

The phrase that represents the theme comes from an obscure game (with very little relation to Pokémon, if at all). The context of the phrase is an element that represents a continuation of the previous element, but by one. In that sense, this has already become evident with the conditions as above, and this stands to be evident with more things. For how long this will be so is another matter, but what is certain is that it will be the case for quite a good bit of the year, and the rest of the year will suit itself afterwards.

Many of those things will surely include Pokémon ones. As something that has been severely affected over this past year, Pokémon Go has pretty much adapted, though it remains to be seen how further adaptations are likely to occur. For all the other Pokémon happenings, they must surely adapt if they are to please the players or Trainers; there have been semblances of adaptations (further main series tournaments and TCG content), but more of them will have to occur to keep things fun and welcoming.

Last year, I had something that could have potentially contributed to the realization of the theme, which would be my Instagram account, though it didn't end up having many contributions. This year, I have nothing in this regard, but as with last year, anything can potentially happen. While I can't and won't say what they are or might be, they could be contributions that keep the happenings significant and the theme relevant - it does, after all, contain "plus", so it would have to contain a sense of addition as well.

Again, it seems (way too) early that I get to or decide to discuss about yearly themes, especially in relation to Pokémon. But this time, there is actually enough precedent in the early moments of the year that it seems relevant enough for any and all happenings as the conditions of last year persist into this year. That much is already relevant even for my happenings and Pokémon happenings; those that are to come will decide the relevance of practically just about everything.

One year ago: The Substitute Being (or Doll)

Two years ago: Family Affairs

Three years ago: Rethinking Salt

Four years ago: Tournament: Local Friendly, 1/7/2017

No Scans for You

Features in Pokémon Go can be as controversial as they are helpful, mostly due to their sometimes bugged nature. However, one recently introduced feature is controversial in another way. Some time ago, the feature of PokéStop scanning was introduced, which is another advanced foray into augmented reality. It's a good feature at first glance, but it has an unsavory side that has made me (and a number of other Trainers) take a certain stance on its usage, or rather its non-usage.

The PokéStop scanning feature is intended to aid in the creation of a 3D model of the area around a PokéStop (or even a Gym), likely also for usage in the Reality Blending feature that I've cited last year in discussing Pokémon photography. Therefore, it's supposed to make the world a whole lot more fun and even interactive, bridging the real world and the Pokémon world. To that end, some PokéStops and Gyms that are tagged with "AR Mapping" will even beget a Research task that gives out some very nifty rewards, especially during certain events; they've included an Incense as well as a major amount of Mega Energy. In short, the feature is incredible... but it can and does leave some people feeling incredulous about it.

The problem is that some Trainers have discovered (after having predicted as such) that after some PokéStops or Gyms had been scanned, they disappeared. There is an indication that the data that had been gained by performing the scan had been used to evaluate the corresponding places in order to determine whether they are legit. There is no problem if the scan is performed for a legit place and the PokéStop or Gym stays. The problem is when the scan is performed for a legit place but then the PokéStop or Gym disappears, quite possibly due to misinterpretation. This can change the overworld landscape dramatically, including for (legit) PokéStops and Gyms that have been in their places for years on end. Now the incredulity is evident.

The stance that I and quite a few Trainers have is to not scan PokéStops or Gyms, which explains the title of this post. While it does prevent Reality Blending from being fully realized, it allows the status quo of PokéStops and Gyms to be maintained, instead of being lost almost willy-nilly for the sake of the above or other petty rewards. Granted, the scanning feature is neat and very much sophisticated, but it doesn't warrant possibly losing a few PokéStops and/or Gyms for that, more so if they are perfectly fine in the first place. It would be preferable to keep standard efforts going rather than to mess them up greatly. Some of us Trainers have a right to be incredulous, and in this case, it is somewhat warranted.

PokéStop scanning has an aura of helpfulness to it, but at the same time, it also has a certain controversy through the eventual changes that it may effect on the overworld of Pokémon Go. For this, there is nothing buggy about it in the sense of the feature, but the evaluation system may be buggy due to however the decisions are made. It seems that I and many Trainers will have to take a pass on PokéStop scanning and continue to go about our Pokémon Go business as normally expected.

One year ago: Pokémon Statues

Two years ago: ...With Gatherings and Safari Zones for All

Three years ago: More Odd Poké-Pika Things

Four years ago: A 3DS Story

(Re)Structuring Competitions

Pokémon is known for its many competitions, mostly involving its many different games. More often than not, they have to be structured in some way. And with all of the things that have occurred over the past year, they seem to need to have the capability for restructuring. This structuring and restructuring could be considered to be something unique, and therefore I've decided to bring it up as a discussion in a post.

Whatever the object of the competition, it is likely that the competition would involve certain local or regional stages, which would serve to seek for some of the best in the areas of concern, or at the least assign values to the competitors. Those with excellence and/or the best values would then be able to get into higher-order competitive tiers, which would eventually culminate in the highest tier as a world championship. Along the way, it might be up to the competitors to decide which ones they want or need to participate in, in order to obtain the best and/or optimal results to show what they can do. This structuring is typically invariant and works well for its purposes and of course competitors.

But when things like current conditions come up, then the restructuring part becomes relevant. In the case of last year, the primary competitions couldn't take the sudden onset in the advanced stages and the rest were canned. There was an exception, though: the local semi-official (but still community) main series competitive circuit carried on over the Internet and led to winners being named. Also, Pokémon Go tournaments of the community kind carried on remotely and still managed to produce winners. Looking at the way things went, it seemed that the rigidly structured official competitions suffered more than the loosely structured community ones, for which the latter quickly restructured and adapted.

There is actually another reason why I wrote up this post. This season's Silph Arena for Pokémon Go doesn't have a monthly themed cup this month in favor of "special invitationals", as it's called, and a break for the rest. This is in contrast to last season, which continued to have a themed cup. It is markedly different and thus could be considered to be a "restructuring" compared to last season. In fact, the tail end of the season is likely to have a dynamic (read: structured and restructured) arrangement considering the development of conditions, which means more of that. Evidently, there was something to be considered after last season nearly went awry with its already-planned structure.

Structure is still very much important for something as big as Pokémon (game) competitions, even if that structure may have had to change in some way depending on what happens in the world. The competitions may still present something totally unique whatever the structure may be. And if they can restructure themselves with whatever comes up, that may just be even more unique for all the parties involved.

One year ago: Jelly-Filled Doughnuts

Two years ago: Cosplay: Bunkasai XXI

Three years ago: The Music of Go

Four years ago: Alt+0233 and Its Kin

New GBL Novelties

The Go Battle League (GBL) of Pokémon Go has been especially productive as of late, with a few new leagues to cater to different occasions. Recently, two more new leagues were added, one being a rehash of a common league and the other being a special league for the current times. Since they were introduced at the same time a week ago, it makes sense to discuss them together and what they entail.

The rehashed league is called Master League Classic, and as can be perceived, it's a rehash of the Master League. It's exactly like the Master League, but only Pokémon up to level 40 are allowed. That's because the current Master League and its associated Premier Cup accommodates Pokémon greater than level 40, now available since the Go Beyond update last month. Apart from this, there are no other restrictions, just like Master League in general. For those who do not possess Pokémon that are capable of dealing with the current Master League and/or Premier Cup, the Master League Classic becomes a good alternative.

Meanwhile, the special league is called the Holiday Cup, fitting the current occasion or season, though winding down regardless. Like similar seasonal leagues, it is of the Great League with a few type restrictions. The allowed types are Flying, Grass, Ice, Normal, Ghost, and Electric, at least one of these. With this selection, it is particularly representative of the decorations and spirits that normally accompany this time of year in many places in the world. A particularly effective and frequent Pokémon for this special league is Obstagoon, which is surprisingly powerful against most other Pokémon, including two of the allowed types.

Usually, only one of these leagues, themes, or cups are introduced at any given time. However, with both of these appearing at the same time, the concentrations of some Trainers may be divided as to whether they will take up the restrained challenge of Master League Classic or the seasonal festivity of the Holiday Cup. Even then, the answer may be obvious in that some can only take up the latter because of its simpler CP restriction, while those with developed teams for the former might occasionally delve into it. I personally take up both, alternating when I'm bored; likewise, a few Trainers might do the same.

With two novel leagues - one a re-familiarization and the other a timely celebration - Trainers seem to have their hands full this time around. Yet if anything, they could and should have the necessary Pokémon on hand from previous league iterations, allowing for easy participation in either or both. There's still a bit of festivity to be had as the real ones wind down, and that's something Trainers can take advantage of.

One year ago: On Third Parties

Two years ago: The Loading Screen of Go

Three years ago: Team Assistance and Secrecy

Four years ago: "They can imitate you, but they can't duplicate you..."

A Dream with Partners

I consider myself to have the oddest yet most fantastic Pokémon dreams. On one hand, they're implausible or are only very remotely plausible. On the other hand, they are so fantastic that anyone would wish that they were true. In this case, it would be not only me, but a couple of partners that were present in my dream, as the dream that I'm about to detail in this post involves those partners, who bear resemblance to (or in fact, are) some good friends that I have with links to Pokémon. This dream happened a couple of days ago.

In the dream, I and my partners were called as three representatives for something related to Pokémon, which was most likely a Pokémon adventure, as I also heard adventure game music in the background. The two partners were male and female, which is significant, as I've become closer to them recently. We had a great time together for what became our Pokémon adventure. However, at the end, the female partner disappeared after the adventure had ended. The male partner and I sought to look for her, all the while I was busying myself with a certain food item. He suggested that we use a secret vehicle, and so we went to where it was and he revealed it... and then the dream ended.

There is actually much more to the dream than what I've described above, but alas, all dreams are fleeting, and I could only note down much of the latter part of the dream as above. If I could remember all of it, I would have written that much in a heartbeat. The most fantastic part of the dream was that it lasted quite a while, seemingly that it didn't want to end either. Yet it had to end because I stopped sleeping, and most importantly, my mind sensed that the secret vehicle wasn't real and had the dream continued, I would perhaps have had trouble. While the Pokémon aspect seems minor, it's also part of what makes this dream, particularly the fact that I can then blog about it.

It has been said that if one dreams about friends - in this case the two partners that were present in my dream - it bodes well for the relationships with them. On the other hand, it might also represent the ideal that one wishes to associate with them closer. As mentioned above, I've gained closer relationships to them, so the dream is a strong indication that I'm due for and should initiate even closer and stronger relationships with them. I've already thought up of ways of how this can be, and the next step is to realize those ways. They might not be the same as the ways in the dream, but if they're related to Pokémon, then they should be pretty close.

It is perhaps not too odd to have dreams about friends, Pokémon, or both. But the dream I've just had a couple of days ago was so real yet so implausible, and so there's a certain fantasy about it. What seems to be important is that the friends are there with me in the dream and that a Pokémon relationship was established. Beyond the oddity and the fantasy of it all, I rather enjoyed the dream by way of what was involved, and it may illustrate my relationships now and in the times to come.

One year ago: A Clear Vision

Two years ago: Home and Heart... and Hope

Three years ago: Now Accepting Donations

Four years ago: Confessions and Concessions

Pokémon Blogging Wellness

As has become obvious, I've blogged about Pokémon for four years now and starting on the fifth. It's been a fascinating ride over that period of time, but it has its moments. Many of those moments stem from the ways and hows of my blogging, and how that personally affects me. In the time when many people and things are unwell, it seems appropriate to take a post to discuss about the wellness of it all.

Being that I'm a Pokémon blogger, I am linked to playing the games, which is in fact how I started. Therefore, I am a gamer as well, and gamers are a booming profession nowadays. They have been likened to athletes and would likely require much of the same ways to stay healthy, especially if the profession is full-time. I'm not a full-time gamer - my "full-time" is something else - but I sense that I would benefit from their ways. Yet this isn't always easy for me to implement with all the things I do for Pokémon, blogging, and others. Regardless, I have to stay well somehow for the Pokémon activities that would eventually lead to posts on this blog.

Then there are the ways of making those posts. Longtime readers will recognize that they have been made (specifically, published) at different times, sometimes through certain unimaginable ways. When they work out with my daily routines, they work out, but sometimes they push my daily routines to the most extreme, and this could affect my wellness. I still do hope that in many cases the effects are less detrimental and more beneficial both for myself and other people who read this blog - hopefully many others.

Combine them together, and I've got a recipe for success with good management... or disaster with a poor one. Either of them, though, have not been particularly evident in the four years I've had this blog. Furthermore, on some days it would seem like I'm nearing the latter, while on others I seem to feel the former. Whatever I do, I'm subject to the whims of both blogging efforts and Pokémon efforts, affected by whatever other efforts I pursue, some of which are also relevant to both. Therefore, my well-being remains important no matter what to support both.

Admittedly, this effort of Pokémon blogging is a double effort, being that I have to go back and forth between the two. It could be considered amazing that it has lasted as long as it has. What is and would be more amazing is to be able to keep that up while keeping up my well-being, particularly in these times of unwellness. That should mean greater success and hopefully greater wellness for that success.

One year ago: New Post Categories

Two years ago: Taking the Plunge

Three years ago: What's Next?

Four years ago: ...And a Hoppip New Year

Hoppip New Year 2021

Hoppip New Year. Well, whether or not there are the current conditions in the world today, this blog continues for the purpose of bringing to everyone how I revolve around Pokémon and how Pokémon revolves around me. The current conditions will certainly be a limiting factor, but where there are limits, they may be broken to a certain extent. Therefore, in the times ahead, the challenge for me will be how to work within and beyond those limits in order to present the Pokémon world and my world with Pokémon.

While no one knows when the current conditions in the world will resolve themselves, it is certain that everyone and everything, including me and Pokémon, has to continue somehow, and for the latter, that should be the plan. Because of that, I as a Pokémon fan would like to be there wherever and whenever possible. That's a prime reason for continuing this blog. Plus, there is still a major anniversary on the way, and that's a very good reason regardless as well as something to enjoy this year for Pokémon.

One major factor that will seem to play a major part this year is making headways. With the anniversary above, that becomes a great reason as such, and much of the efforts are to be expected. For me personally, I still believe this blog is a key part of that, even though four years in the effort have not indicated anything significant. Yet, it's still a primary drive for all of what I do with and around Pokémon. Still, it's possible to look for other ways to drive Pokémon activities, and I think I may have found such ways. I hope to arrive at them soon.

With a Hoppip New Year, it also demands a "Hoppip Report" by way of Pokémon Go as I've made in previous years. Some time after Team Go Rocket invaded, Hoppip eventually became one of the Pokémon that they turned into a Shadow Pokémon. Since then, I've been able to encounter and capture them, though I've always ended up transferring them because their stats are nothing to write home about. Eventually, I'm likely to find a Shadow Hoppip with good stats, and that will surely be one to keep. 

Finally, with four years on this blog, the list at the end of my posts grows ever larger. Yet, with the daily nature of this blog, it seems to be something important for each post. It also has worked all the time - for me to implement and surely for readers to follow along, hopefully - so there is no pertinent need to change something that works. The next step then becomes to make sure that everything Pokémon works this year and in all the times to come, and with this blog, I'd like to make sure that happens. All fans, of course, can do the same thing.

One year ago: Hoppip New Year 2020

Two years ago: Hoppip New Year 2019

Three years ago: Hoppip New Year 2018

Four years ago: First Post Time!