The Sound of Instant Gratification

There is a Pokémon element that is small but carries a great deal of meaning. It is one that has remained unchanged from the first main series games to more recent iterations, and appears in a variety of contexts yet is recognizable for its significance. As can be expected by the title of this post, that element would be a particular sound in those games, and that sound would be the "all Pokémon healed" sound. Given its significant usage and meaning, I'm tempted to give it another title: I call it the sound of "instant gratification".

The sound is extremely simple in structure. It only consists of five notes, which in key-independent form is 5-5-5-3-1', where the last note is of the next higher octave. It is certain that other embellishments can be added, like accompanying chords, but the basic form remains the five notes above. The significance of the sound is of no question: when the sound plays, all of the Pokémon in the party of the player Trainer are healed, recovered, the whole nine yards. The sound is most commonly associated with a Pokémon Center where a Trainer goes to get the party healed, though certain places other than a Pokémon Center will also allow for this to happen.

In fact, any situation in which the sound is played (though some substitute the generic heal sound instead) effectively signals that the Pokémon of the player Trainer has been fully healed as such. One of the transitions in one of the games notably contains the "heal all" sound, but drawn out and lower in pitch in such a way that if one doesn't listen closely, one might miss the occurrence of the "heal all" sound and not realize that the "heal all" process had in fact occurred. Beyond the games, the anime has implemented the sound in various Pokémon Center settings to indicate that this has occurred for certain Pokémon, including but not limited to those of Ash.

Now, I'm tempted to call the sound above as the sound of "instant gratification" because... well, it is. There is something gratifying about being able to heal all of a party at once without much expense and effort, and the sound signaling as such means that the gratification is given immediately or instantly, and thus "instant gratification". The fact that it can occur at (in)opportune moments means that the gratifying power can be earned at the spur of the moment and is likely to be a virtue rather than a vice. And even if the sound occurs in a non-player context such as in the anime above, the gratification can be felt immediately by the viewer regardless, as an example.

If there is ever a collection of small things that are representative of Pokémon across all kinds of times, this small but significant sound signifying all Pokémon in party healed is a prime one for inclusion. It's short and recognizable, and its effects are significant and profound. Those same effects can be significantly gratifying in an immediate manner, and therefore it is not at all inappropriate to consider the sound as one that brings "instant gratification", no matter what the circumstance may be.

One year ago: Pokémon Upbringings

Two years ago: Benefits

Three years ago: Ex-Raids and Cancellations

Four years ago: The (Current) Fate of the Megas

Doing Well on Pokémon Quizzes, Right Now

Around a year ago, there was the quiz that I took by way of the national association of VGC players, which was in similar fashion to an older quiz by my local figure group. I didn't do too well on it, but thanks to my post on it, I'm able to recollect what happened with it. Today, some sudden affairs have forced me to deal with a certain kind of quiz, though it is quite unrelated to Pokémon. Yet that (in addition to the previous situation) got me thinking of how would I do in a Pokémon quiz if one were to be administered right this moment. The answer would have to depend on the material content of the quiz and how I relate to those materials.

If the quiz were to involve (generally) specific knowledge about Pokémon species, such as names, types, species descriptors, relationships, and so on and so forth, I stand a chance of doing reasonably OK, though I have to confess that my Generation 8 knowledge is at the moment still not very cohesive due to lacking familiarity with the generation. Still, some of the mess-ups could be significant(ly embarrassing) and I may not be able to forgive myself for it. I would rather wait until I'm sufficiently caught up until I would opt to take a quiz with a material content as significant and important to Pokémon such as this one.

On the entertainment front, there could be a quiz on the various details concerning the games, the anime, and possibly even books, manga, and other media. This quiz I would be more willing to take at the moment, given the association quiz in the past. If the materials are significantly diverse, the chance to do well should be good as well, but the potential to mess up is still as large as ever, also like that previous quiz. While it may be more forgivable than not doing well on a quiz of species knowledge as above, I'm sure I'd still feel bad about it regardless. But then not every Pokémon fan is expected to know everything at hand, and that may be the only consolation.

At this point, it may seem that the only Pokémon quiz I'll be able to do well on is a "personality quiz", which to my knowledge some quiz collections have incorporated alongside quizzes of hard facts. By all standards, everyone - being any Pokémon fan - can do well on this type of quiz purely by the numbers. But beyond the numbers, it may be that a subjective evaluation might put me over the top in certain Pokémon respects. I'm certain of the evaluative end, as I precisely had to make a subjective evaluation along with a numerical evaluation that one time I was the Pokémon-minded evaluator for others of different mindednesses. Others could certainly do what I do regarding how Pokémon is for me, and I would be tops as a result.

In any case, Pokémon quizzes are diverse, and I may be able to do well on some and not as well on others, even right now with all the business I have going on. It would have to be the one perfect quiz that I'm able to do well on all points and be able to come out on top. It could be a knowledge quiz, or it might be a personality quiz, but it is certain regardless that Pokémon quizzes remain fascinating for this one fan.

Now, I think I have to get back to doing really well on that quiz matter.

One year ago: Voyager of Glory

Two years ago: You Can, I Can

Three years ago: (Continuing the) Local Ex-Raid, 4/8/2018

Four years ago: On the Road Again

Let's Go Meet New and Old Friends

Since it was introduced, the feature of friends in Pokémon Go has brought interactions to a different level. It has helped to make them more meaningful and more beneficial for those who are involved. Yet, as with real life in general, friends come and go; for Pokémon Go, this is especially truer as not everyone may have enough time to devote to play or is located in the same area. Recently, though, two new features have been introduced that should help for both incoming new friends and persistent old friends alike.

With so many Trainers who play Pokémon Go, it may become difficult to deal with those who have established friendly relations, especially when one is at or near the limit of 200. The first new feature should be a blessing for the situation: the limit has now been raised to 400, after a very long wait. This comes with a friendship update that synchronizes all friends across all Niantic games: if they play the others, they'll be friends in those games as well, and in fact, the sync update was first delivered before the update that lets more friends be added freely. The increased limit should bode well for those who manage multiple communities, especially those that are separated by great distances, as well as those who link up with very far away Trainers for the purpose of remote raids or even remote battling as currently necessitated by the Silph Arena, for which any or all of these require ample friend slots. The increased limit should be more than ample for that, provided that one does not immediately fill up the new space in the friend list with new friends, necessary or otherwise.

For older friends (in the sense of Trainers both before and after the friend list was introduced) as well as complete newcomers, they ought to benefit from the next feature. That would be a referral program to aid one another along the journey. Trainers who are active may now possess a referral code that can be given to inactive but returning Trainers (after at least 90 days of inactivity) or to new Trainers starting their journey. The two Trainers can then complete tasks similar to Research that are in sync with each other, and these tasks have many nifty rewards for both of them. They will have to play smart, of course, but the rewards should be the greatest incentive. This feature had been tested in Australia prior to its global debut, and the fact that the feature was accepted rather rapidly is and should be a testament to its extreme utility. It also has an achievement medal attached to it, which demands observation of the progression of this feature.

Today, friends have become especially important in Pokémon Go due to things that are conferred by these relationships. The two new features above can be construed to be reflective of this fact, with the friend limit being greatly increased and a referral program aiding upstarting or restarting Trainers. The features should assure many more interactions in the future and certainly bring the Trainers involved to even higher levels in their Pokémon Go journey wherever it takes them.

One year ago: Leaping off Ledges

Two years ago: Scat-Poké-Land

Three years ago: Let's Go Research

Four years ago: Caravansary

Quickies: Going to the Safari

I used to live in a place that is quite nearby from a major safari park. Though I have only the slightest recollection that I had ever visited the place, it became a corner of my life back then. The cornerstone of my life today is Pokémon, and it too has links to the safari park, at least as a concept, as some installments of its main series games contain a "Safari Zone" that by and large replicates the concept. Yet there is one important difference: whereas the real safari park is more like a wildlife reserve where one goes to see animals as they are up close, the Safari Zones of the Pokémon games are more like hunting grounds from which one comes away not just with an experience but useful Pokémon for different purposes, including but not limited to battling.

Even with my faint recollection, one thing I can verify is that one goes into the safari park in a covered vehicle and has to stay there during the time that one is in the park. In contrast, one goes into the Safari Zones with oneself and the tools that one need to capture Pokémon. Evidently, the safari can be a dangerous place (or definitely is, in the case of the real-world park), whatever the creatures that might be present. At the same time, there is a sense that the creatures of Pokémon may be a little less dangerous in this regard - with people being allowed freely inside without some sort of protective stipulation - and the relationship of mutualism is somehow honored between the creatures and the people.

Today, "Safari Zones" live on as regular real events for Pokémon Go... or would be, if it weren't for the current conditions of the world. And while the safari park of concern may be open at times and allow for visitors to enjoy the park as intended, it may perhaps not be the best idea to do so while things in the world are still not in good condition. It is still fascinating that people of both worlds can go to the safari for different ways of enjoying the respective creatures of their world. I, for one, might just be interested in recollecting my old memories of the safari park if it ever becomes appropriate; in the meantime, the Pokémon kind of "safari" might just be the thing to tide over until the former can actually happen.

One year ago: PvP Charged Attack Technique

Two years ago: Friend Cascade

Three years ago: Icons, Images, and Such

Four years ago: These Foolish Things Remind Me of Pokémon

Pretty Colors of the Prism

Something that organizers of PvP battling in Pokémon Go might face at the moment is how to create novel formats that are beyond the ordinary "vanilla" or open format of the established leagues, as well as the typical modifications applied to them to change things up a bit, most likely simple restrictions of different types. Even then, these simple restrictions might prove to be a bit too simple, and something else needs to be restricted in a significantly wilder manner in order to make a difference. The current themed cup of this month for the Silph Arena may just be one of the answers for that situation.

This month, the theme is called "Prismatic". It's called as such because the theme involves colors, being those of the Pokémon. Some setup of the team is also in order. Besides the standard Great League basis and no Mega Evolution - plus, Shadow Pokémon are not allowed this time - as mandated for a Silph Arena competition, one selects a team of 6 Pokémon, and each of these Pokémon are to fit 6 color groups: red, blue, yellow/white, green/black, brown/pink, and purple/gray. Each of these color groups contain a selection of Pokémon (40-50 or so) that may be chosen for that group, which may be seen on the page for the themed cup. The additional stipulation that no species may be duplicated also becomes important, as the forms of Wormadam, for example, are divided according to these color groups, and they cannot all be chosen.

This themed cup represents a radical structuring for Pokémon allowed for it as well as the teams that appear in it. The overall breadth of available Pokémon has been narrowed down to less than a few hundred, and of those Pokémon, they may only be selected as part of a team in specific ways, by color restrictions. Those color restrictions are similar to those for the Rose Cup of a past Silph Arena season or even the Love Cup from GBL some ways back, but expanded with more colors; this time, they're also designed not to intermingle within a team and only when that team is put into battle.

As usual, a selection of species always leads the pack as the meta. It has been suggested that the meta for this has three "domains": "ethereal" Pokémon with mostly Psychic, Flying, Ghost and Fairy types, "fighter" Pokémon - not necessarily of the Fighting type - that can deal blows of different kinds, and "natural" Pokémon of types like Grass, Ground, and Ice that represent things from nature. The three "domains" deal with the next one down the list or back to the top. This meta framework may have to be kept in mind while constructing teams representative of the colors.

And those colors are pretty indeed. While they are not exactly representative of the spectrum an actual rainbow, they do represent the abstraction of the color spectrum of Pokémon present in Pokémon Go and have been "shoehorned" as such. That "shoehorning" also becomes an incredibly novel way of restricting available Pokémon to make a format that is definitely different than most other similarly usual formats, in the ever-continuing struggle to "shed light" on new Pokémon battle challenges based on the colors that make it up.

One year ago: Writer Shortcuts

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2017 T-Shirt Replica

Three years ago: 1000 Pokémon Species?

Four years ago: That Way You've Got

Moody Friends, Moody Pokémon

I have lots of friends. Some of them, though, may have wildly varying emotions. One moment they may be happy though slightly sad, then the next they may be really sad and a bit angry, and after that they are very angry yet happy, and so on and so forth. In these states, they can be described as people who are "moody". There is, however, something else that can be described as moody, and that would be certain Pokémon species. That would be because for the Pokémon of concern, "Moody" is an Ability that they may possess in the main series games.

This Ability has a rather unique stipulation: at each turn of a Pokémon battle, one stat is raised by two levels and another stat is decreased by one level. Under the right conditions, particularly an extended battle with many turns, this may lead to a Pokémon having a sufficient number of raised stats to be able to affect the opponent seriously. Not many Pokémon may have this Ability, and for those that may have it, it is a Hidden Ability, making this Ability somewhat rare even for the Pokémon who may have it.

The resemblance of the workings of the Ability to the real-world situation is uncanny. The friends that I described above are very much like that, being up in one emotion and down in another. Though they don't accumulate emotions in the same way that raised and lowered stats accumulate in battle in the main series of Pokémon games, the ups and downs of their emotions do resemble the mechanism of the Ability. There is no telling how they might feel at any given moment nor how they would feel the next. Similarly, the workings of the Ability are just as unpredictable as the shifts in their emotions.

As for this being a "Hidden Ability" of some of my friends, I wouldn't regard it too much in this manner. In fact, because of the way many of the rest of my friends are, it would probably not be considered a "Hidden Ability"... unless some other ones of them too start to undergo mood swings like the ones for whom I consider the Ability pertinent in its workings in comparison to that. At that point, it really would be a "Hidden Ability" that they somehow changed to while I'm not even aware that it happened.

At this point, I will pretty much have to accept that a select few of my friends will have this odd shifting behavior in this feelings - up, down, and all around. I am also rather accepting that the behavior mirrors that of an (Hidden) Ability for Pokémon in the main series games as well as the existence of the Ability itself. The Ability is something that one might face or potentially use in battle, whilst the mirrored real-life behavior is just something I'll have to deal in the battle that is interacting with them as best as I can, perhaps without inciting how the Ability works in that sense.

One year ago: The Primary Warning of Pokémon Go

Two years ago: Local EX Raid (and Nothing), 4/4/2019

Three years ago: Gambling Not Permitted

Four years ago: One Thing

Cosplay: "How Are You, Communities?"

Me: Well, OK, so there's this thing. It's not really an event, but it could be considered a "test bed" for one.

Ash: Oh! Looks nice. Sure, I'll take it up.

Me: The concept is that the organizers wanted to check up on communities, hence the title. Of course, within communities, there are also great individuals, like you and me, so they want to check up on them as well, including us.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu?  ["I'm not an individual?"]

Me: Well, Pikachu should count too.

Pikachu: Pika! ["OK!"]

Ash: So what do you want me to wear?

Me: How about your Kalos outfit? That seems simple enough for now. And I think it might be time to try something new with it.

Ash: Like what?

Me: Oh, uh... Hmm. Looks like it's not going to work out at the moment. So let's just roll with the usual. There will always be time later on for when that happens.

Ash: OK, that's fine. So I got there, while doing a few Pokémon things for you, and it doesn't seem like much.

Me: That could be understandable because of things that go around.

Ash: That was at first. But then it got a bit more lively in the evening with some music.

Pikachu: Pika chu, pika! ["Nice music!"]

Ash: Oh yeah, I got into the act: I sang five Pokémon songs in a row for everyone!

Me: Wonderful! That should be a great substitute for not being able to go to places with singing competitions.

Ash: I guess it could be like practice for them.

Me: Sure, you can think of it that way. Any other things of interest?

Ash: I saw a few people bring in their community things. They look neat, but you don't seem to deal with them.

Me: Believe me, if I did, I would have brought them in with you.

Ash: And that was all, really. It was just like a big gathering, and you sent me in to update on you.

Me: OK, so not much more to speak of. As for that "test bed" for that event, I think this ought to do nicely.

Ash: I'll be glad to take part if that happens.

Pikachu: Pi pika pika chu. ["So do I."]

Me: It should be a good thing.

One year ago: Subcultures and Specialties

Two years ago: Pokémon and eSports

Three years ago: Fondness for Latias and Latios

Four years ago: A Story of Love, A Story of Passion