Gym Takedown Habits

OK, this might seem like something strange to discuss, but bear with me. The other day, I was on a Gym tour (for Pokémon Go, certainly) also with the pretext of getting a few things, including food on the table in some way. While doing so, we noticed that some Trainers have the knack of putting Pokémon in Gyms as we encounter them - or perhaps we were just unfortunate. It led us to a discussion - on an outing full of discussions too - about our Gym takedown habits and the reasons for them.

My friend is of the more passive-slightly active type. If the Pokémon in a Gym aren't of the 8 and a half hours or so needed for someone to earn full coins for the day, my friend isn't likely to take it down. This applies whether or not my friend knows the Trainers in question. However, if the need arises to take down a Gym in that state, my friend will also likely contact the Trainers to ask permission - it's surprising how many my friend knows. Gyms that have turned gold are also not likely to be touched except by demand. It's a fair method, and I respect that, especially if the Trainers are known.

In comparison, as I explained to my friend, I'm more active tending to aggressive. If a Gym isn't gold and I've already dealt with it before, I'm likely to take it down no matter how long its denizens have been in there. However, I do try to leave them in there for as long as possible (up to the limit for earning coins), and if possible, I also take down others with the same Trainer to make up the time difference if less than the limit. This applies whether or not I recognize the Trainers in question, with the hope that they understand the intent should they ask, especially for those who I know.

Some points of our approaches are similar in that we don't deal with gold Gyms unless necessary or forced to, as in a "we need coins stat" circumstance. Likewise, we also attempt to have the denizens earn as many coins as possible, provided they have not earned it. Still, my friend has an "avoid trouble" approach while I have a "go after foes" approach, to borrow a couple of terms from Mystery Dungeon. In our discussions the other day, we also delivered a few criticisms of our respective habits, and it may lead us to tone down or bump up the efforts as needed to maintain neutrality.

That said, I don't know as many Trainers as my friend, and therefore I can't really tell who is "friend" or "foe". Yet I also know that the "invisible forces" are still apparently present, and I tend to consider strange Trainer names as part of those "forces" unless proven otherwise, which justifies my taking down of them. What makes things more complicated is that my friend knows some of these "invisible forces", and that puts pressure on us both, which is likely what spurred the discussion the other day. I suppose we can still stand by our habits or approaches based on observations.

Taking down Gyms in Pokémon Go is a task that eventually Trainers will have to do, and it is possible that they may have different habits or approaches for it, as evident through my discussions with my Pokémon Go friend. Ultimately, the objectives are mostly the same for Gym progression and coin earnings. Perhaps that shouldn't be too strange, and in the face of the above situations, we're still likely to apply our individual habits to make sure our objectives are accomplished - including that for going out itself.

One year ago: Delayed Costumes

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 2/17/2019

Three years ago: Time for a Pikachu New 2DS XL?

Four years ago: The Park Is Open

Pokémon Cinematic Universe - Possible?

Some days ago, I regained the capability to watch many of the things that I used to be able to watch, though there have been many changes and a few bitter points. There are also a few sweet things, one of them is being able to watch the Detective Pikachu movie again - the first time in a long time for yet another time. Thinking about (and seeing) this movie makes me think of something that I haven't discussed on this blog: the possibility of a "Pokémon Cinematic Universe". Some people on the Internet have thrown around the possibility, and I'm about to do so as well, but I'm also coupling it with a semi-thorough discussion for added perspective.

The idea of a "cinematic universe" is nothing new. The popularity of many superhero movie series and their eventual crossovers is something that incites this term. This even applies to certain movie series that have only started yet already has a grand plan. Pokémon evidently doesn't tie in too much with superheroes, though some of the creatures that bear the name may be construed to have capabilities that even superheroes can only dream of. And if the Detective Pikachu movie is of any indication, along with pretty much any other showings on the little and big screen, Pokémon has a great story power to make things like a "cinematic universe" possible.

And in fact, one could be reportedly in the making, via a sequel to the above movie. It has been reported - even way ahead before the movie was released - that a sequel is in the works for the Detective Pikachu movie, though not much else has been reported even today. Whatever happens, with the current conditions of today's world, production will likely not commence any time soon even if the script were to be finished right now. There is a certain grand thinking in this, as if the Detective Pikachu movie does well - and it does - it can pave the way for similar and/or follow-up productions, and thereby create the "cinematic universe" as indicated.

For an actual sequel that ties to the above movie, I would say that it has to have a gripping story power that is equal to or greater than the original movie to avoid it from becoming a "cheesy ripoff", especially given that the game it was based on is a one-off storyline. If anything, I would say that one of the Pokémon games that deserves to have its storyline on the big screen is Pokémon Ranger, though arguably there is already an animated movie on it. If the intent, as with the Detective Pikachu movie, is to go "off the beaten path" with a story not based on Ash, then Pokémon Ranger should be the way to go with an enthralling other-character storyline.

This "Pokémon Cinematic Universe" is captivating because of the success of the Detective Pikachu movie and the overall story power of Pokémon in general, though it arguably has to be done right to appeal to Pokémon fans all around and not be a "thorn in the flesh" of the media supremacy of Pokémon. That too would perhaps be able to put it on par with all the superhero movies that have already conceived their own "cinematic universes" that are worthy of being watched time and again... just like the Detective Pikachu movie for me, or for that matter anything Pokémon being shown. Now I'll have to go see if the rediscovered capability can work just as well in that regard.

One year ago: Cosplay: Cosplay on the Street II

Two years ago: Romancing the Ball

Three years ago: Once and Again: Cosplay Teaser for 3/11/2018

Four years ago: We Three Birds of Kanto Are...

GBL Progression, Revisited

Since the advent of the Go Beyond update, many things have changed, including those related to the Go Battle League (GBL). It has had new formats instated, and its season has gotten longer - the season that started in December is now due to end at the end of this month. But the most profound change has to be in how the rank structure for it is constituted, which is starkly different than what it was previously. I meant to explain this a little earlier (closer to the Go Beyond update post, actually), but given how I've now experienced most of the season as it's meant to be, this is as good of a time as any.

Prior to this season, in November, when it experimented with various new cup formats instead of the traditional leagues, it also implemented a different progression. At that time, the original 10 ranks were still present, but one only needed to win battles (or just battle through for its Rank 2) to progress through all the ranks, and ratings didn't apply. It seems many were receptive to it, including me, since it made things much easier to reap every single reward. It was likely this that also contributed to the new progression of this season.

For this season, the ranks have greatly expanded, and now there are 24 ranks. Of these, the first 20 ranks simply demand battling through or winning; the former is reserved to get to Ranks 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20, while the latter applies for all others of the first 20 ranks. Interestingly, one has to win as many battles as the next rank one wishes to get to: 3 wins to Rank 3, 7 to Rank 7, and so on, and this will predictably demand the completion of many sets for that purpose. As well, the rewards on the way to get to the ranks I've mentioned above with multiples of 5 are all of a single kind, for example all Stardust or all Pokémon encounters - though it also means that it is possible to get absolutely nothing if all the battles are lost even though one advances. This is a lot more to go through and it can be quite demanding, but it can be done and can be a lot of fun. Regardless, some have complained as one of the tasks to get to Level 50 is to get to Rank 20; after the complaints, it was reduced to Rank 10. So it's still not exactly for everyone.

For those that see it as a way to achieve greater success, there are the four ranks above Rank 20. These require one to achieve certain ratings in order to get to them. Furthermore, these ranks come with titles in addition to numbers: Rank 21 is Ace, Rank 22 is Veteran, Rank 23 is Expert, and Rank 24 is Legend. It is quite obvious that the titles take a cue from those of the community rankings, specifically the Ace and Legend titles. The challenges in getting to these ranks and earning the respective titles are much the same as they were before, and I can attest. I'm Rank 20 at the moment, and even to get to Rank 21 and become an Ace is difficult, not to mention the possibility of dropping many battles, which means a drop in ratings as well. My PvP fellows can say much of the same for the ranks beyond.

All this new ranking business may demand a few considerations. When one is in the first 20 ranks, it may be that one can have a more relaxed progression - when the wins come, the wins come - and it may be time to experiment with the Leagues (maybe Ultra or Master) and their Premier Cups, if present. Once one gets to the ranks where the rating is relevant, it would be time to hunker down and focus to maintain momentum and increase the rating, not to lose the former and drop the latter. It may come down to a battle of the tried-and-true versus "testing the waters".

Everything, of course, explains why this season takes so long - it's to give Trainers the opportunity to make it big. Even so, there seems to be lots of opportunities with the expanded rank structure for GBL. More items and Stardust can be earned, more Pokémon can possibly be caught, and more Trainers can show off what they've got in order to challenge themselves and others. One seems to get what one pays for however one decides to participate and for whatever reason, including getting all the way to the top of the GBL heap.

One year ago: Words of the Heart

Two years ago: Local EX Raid (and Quick Connections), 2/15/2019

Three years ago: A Break in the Action

Four years ago: Pocket Monsters Best Wishes Partners Figure - Satoshi

Valentine's Day 2021: No Love, Only Love

As I've said, love is around the corner indeed. Today is Valentine's Day, obviously, and it's hard to deny the fact for everyone in the know. It's also hard to deny the fact that this edition of Valentine's Day is very much different, this time for everyone, due to the state that the world is in today. At the same time, whether or not that is the case, love is still present, perhaps in a different form than what one may be used to. That's why I've included the seemingly contradictory phrases in the title of this post, which became my response to a matter that partially involved Pokémon and thus fitting for the current discussion.

In my experience, it seems that some Pokémon fans don't seem to get the love they need - this is the "no love" part above. It may be perceived as "not current", "backwards" (in a developmental sense), or "trivial" in the sense of their relation to Pokémon compared to everything else. Based on a conversation I had with the observers I met today on my errands, that seems to still be the case even today. The hardest part, therefore, would be to convince people that Pokémon is in fact still current, not just backwards but forwards, and major. As a fan, I seem to have to play a role in that through whatever I do with Pokémon as those people observe, and at that point, love might just appear.

As for the "only love" part, that might be a little harder. If there is a good example, it may be found in my figure group. Now two members lead married lives, one I've divulged at a certain point in time and the other practically since I've joined them. What I can garner is that there is a sense of love that has continued to approve of their continued presence in the group, and hopefully that remains the case onwards. Personally, I consider the reversal of the "no love" situation above an important step in transitioning to an "only love" situation, and it would be even better if important people like friends can be involved. They would certainly be the testament to the situation, especially involving Pokémon.

One of my errands today involved going out to shop for groceries, get some outdoor needs, and... enliven the day of a few friends while they enliven mine with possible current and future prospects. This, all the while, was intertwined with some efforts for Pokémon Go. I would say that in doing so, there was a certain spirit of love all around, and by that, I'm tempted to call this Valentine's Day as "Palentine's Day". This last bit actually has a Pokémon connection with certain female characters from there, but maybe now is not the right time to detail that. I still would say that the concept very much applies and can be used to describe this day and beyond with all my Pokémon efforts.

After years of discussing Valentine's Day, I can say that love seems to still remain in this world in some capacity. If that can only remain, I would say that the world would benefit greatly. Likewise, it would benefit with the relations that people have with and to Pokémon. There is no time like now to be able to turn around situations of "no love" and ensure that "only love" is at hand, and if it takes Pokémon for that, then I can only appreciate the effort.

Keep love (and Pokémon) in the world, and Happy Valentine's Day.

One year ago: Valentine's Day 2020: In Pursuit of Love

Two years ago: Valentine's Day 2019: Think Pink

Three years ago: Valentine's Day 2018: Address to a Luvdisc

Four years ago: It's Valentine's Day!

The Love Cup of GBL

After having proven its versatility over the past few months, now it seems apt for Go Battle League to try something new every so often. Since this month is considered by many to be the "month of love", a good thing to do would be to take that theme and run away with it, and that's exactly what the GBL did. As an alternative to the current Master League offerings (regular, Premier Cup, and Classic), which started earlier this week, there is also a special themed cup called the "Love Cup". It's a fair alternative with all things considered.

Like Holiday Cup last month, this alternative uses the Great League as a basis. For this themed cup, only Pokémon that are colored pink or red are allowed; this is based on their regular or non-Shiny form colors, though the respective Shiny forms, even if they are of different colors, are still fair game. However, there are a few other restrictions. Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are not allowed, forcing the use of common Pokémon. Three Pokémon (Mr. Mime, Darumaka, and Darmanitan) also have Galarian forms that are not allowed, but their original forms are. Altogether, the list of allowed species boils down to 105 in total, which makes for a decent list to go through and battle with.

Faithful Trainers who follow both community and official PvP formats will recognize that this themed cup bears a lot of similarity to the Rose Cup of the Silph Arena from last year. Likewise, both allow for Pokémon based on their regular form colors and disallow Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. The differences are that Love Cup excludes the purple and gray colors, which disallows pesky things like Skuntank and - still - Bastiodon, but includes the Water type, which opens the door for other kinds of pesky things like Seaking and Alomomola, both of which can potentially ruin the party of Fire types, which are still plentifully present. Similar strategies are therefore not guaranteed.

That said, a few good teams for this themed cup involve a couple of Pokémon of a specific type along with a complementary Pokémon for cover. The latter would be the lead (the first Pokémon sent out) and the former would constitute what is called the "hole", essentially trapping unexpecting opponents. If cleverly crafted, it may even be possible to use all the members of certain species families (Slowpoke, Chansey, Lickitung) with the right complement for the latter two. The biggest challenge would perhaps be to create a multivariate team that can deal with most opponents without falling into a specific "hole", though in some cases this could be unavoidable. One may have to tread lightly.

Such has been the case for me in the few days that the themed cup was introduced. Sometimes wins are hard to come by, while other times they seem to come on parade. I'll admit that in some cases this may be due to wrong strategies on my part, or conversely, the misfortune of the opposing Trainer. But what I and many of my PvP fellows can agree on is that the Love Cup is considerably easier and more affordable than the Master League offerings that currently accompany it. As a matter of fact, I've been able to spend all the allotted 5 sets of battles per day since the format is addictive and attractive. It will likely be something I'll continue to do until the Love Cup drops out.

There is admittedly "a thing of love" just around the corner, so the Love Cup is only appropriate, as well as for this month in general. Though it does look like an official rehash of a community theme (and staunch fans of the community PvP might still make the claim), as long as it's viable, appropriate, and reasonable, Trainers will come flocking to it - a fact that I can attest. As the saying goes, all is fair in love and war (or battle), and for this one, the fairness is evident however Trainers choose to battle... and love Pokémon afterwards.

One year ago: What to Nominate

Two years ago: Cryptic Pokémon

Three years ago: Two Games at Once?

Four years ago: Cosplay: Japan LovEvolution Vol. 2 - Kaizen

Fourth Anniversary of My Regional Figure Group

February seems to be a month that is rife with many anniversaries, Pokémon or otherwise. Of these, there are two major ones - one personal and the other universal - but those are to be discussed when their times come. Right now, there seems to be one I've missed based on posts in previous years (see below). That would be a group that I have warm connections with, and that would be my regional Pokémon figure group. Evidently, it's still quite warm, even with the current situation looming large over everyone's heads, including mine. A Pokémon-related anniversary such as this one deserves a bit of discussion on this very day, the exact date of the anniversary.

I joined the figure group somewhat late, about one and a half years after its founding, by way of attending one of their opportune gatherings. Even with nary a figure of my own, they were very welcoming and continued to be as such in all occasions when I've been able to meet them, including the last physical one thus far that coincided with a theme event just prior to when things fell apart, as well as the virtual gathering a few months later. As noted, they consider me (and consequently, I consider myself) a "living figure" because the characters I cosplay are present in figure form, and I think that somewhat makes up for my lack of figures. That has to be the warmest reception.

The current anniversary is only moderately special, and yet it is not quite normal either. However, I was told that some things are or were in preparation, and that I could participate in those preparations. In fact, I already hinted about the form of those preparations: it's a "pass challenge", but in a general anniversary form with a cake. One of my figure fellows, who also resides in my local area, also received the call to participate, and we decided to cooperate by recording each other's videos. As of yet, there has been no word on the progress of the overall video, but I have faith that it will be realized soon. 

Now, I did discuss about the possibility that this group of mine had "deactivated", so to speak, a couple of months ago. The discussion was based on the (non-)happenings that had occurred since that virtual gathering. With today's anniversary being pointed out, I'd say that I am neither right nor wrong. What's deactivated is more likely our figure activities at present - now isn't the right time to invest in or even divest of figures, also as I've noted - but the group itself isn't. The leader of my group even closed the anniversary commemoration message with a reminder to stay strong during these times.

A few years have passed by and I've given this specifically personal Pokémon anniversary little thought, but now with current times in mind and the novelty of it, it makes for a good discussion. Figures have never been really a primary Pokémon attraction for me, but as a fan, I oblige myself to own a few at the least. Therefore, I consider my (regional) figure group important, even if we must be separated by distance and if the group has not shown a great amount of activity in recent times. In a month full of anniversaries, even a fun but subdued one like this has some amount of importance.

One year ago: Pokémon as a Study Aid

Two years ago: A Pikachu Pillow Keychain

Three years ago: Anywhere Is

Four years ago: My Essential Pokémon Cosplay Equipment

Friendship Filters in Pokémon Go

Even with the new format I've decided to put in, I can still write all the things I can write as in previous posts, including full writeups of certain things. One of those things is regarding certain features in Pokémon games, for this post being from Pokémon Go. Nearly two years ago, I detailed about the possible things one can put into the search bar for its Pokémon Storage. With further updates, a search bar was also added to the Friend List, and it too eventually gained further capabilities, which for this post I call "filters".

The simplest filter is of course the "name" filter, and that serves to search the list by the typed-in name, in part or in full. But there are also three criteria filters to help narrow down a search: they are "interactable", "giftable", and "lucky". The first one is for friends that haven't been interacted with for the day, the second one is for friends that can be given (in other words, can receive) a Gift, and the third one is obvious - it's for Lucky Friends. Of these, the first two are likely to be of frequent use by many, including myself, to make sure that interactions can proceed as they should; the third one may be of use when Lucky Friends are a major priority.

Level filters also exist in the form of "friendlevel" followed by a number from 0 to 4. "0" represents friends that have only been just made with no interaction, while the rest of the numbers represent the four friendship levels of Good, Great, Ultra, and Best Friends. As with number filters in the Pokémon search bar, dashes can be used to search for friends in the ranges of these levels, though it is most likely that one will search for certain friends in certain levels, possibly to ascertain which friends can and will go up a level at the next possible opportunity. Likewise and naturally, this includes myself in most cases.

The "Boolean operators" that are present for the Pokémon search bar are also present for the friend list search. The forms are the same ("&" for AND, "," for OR, and "!" for NOT) and their usage is the same too. As an all-inclusive example, the search string "friendlevel3, giftable & !lucky" will show me Ultra Friends or friends that can be given a gift but are not Lucky Friends. Though there are far fewer filters for friends than there are for Pokémon, the search string can possibly get complicated when these operators are involved.

With the assumption that things that look the same function the same way, the Friend List search bar definitely fulfills that assumption. There are filters with specific criteria as well as filters for certain levels, and they all can be intertwined to show various friends, depending on what one is looking for. As friends in Pokémon Go develop, so too do the ways for one to seek the necessary friends in their Friend List for particular cases, and all the filters above represent the possible ways that they might occur.

One year ago: To Eat and to Lure

Two years ago: A Pidove Keychain

Three years ago: Memories of Hoenn

Four years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers