The Retro Cup of GBL

Those who have been with Pokémon from the very start will recall its "retro days", when there were only less than one-sixth of the extant species known today, and more specifically when they represented less types. Those types may considered to have pretty good dynamics for their time, and it would be interesting to see those types against one another. This underlying intent may be one of the reasons for the latest new format for the GBL of Pokémon Go, which is called, appropriately, the "Retro Cup".

For this, the restrictions are simple. Pokémon of the Dark, Steel, and Fairy types are disallowed, leaving only those of the first 15 types introduced in the first generation. It is worth noting that only the types of the Pokémon are restricted, not the moves, so Pokémon moves belonging to the other three types may still come into play, provided the opportunity. For the most part, however, the interactions will mostly involve the 15 types from the first generation and in effect the Pokémon that can make use of their full potential.

While the types are restricted, Pokémon of specific generations aren't, so everything other than the restrictions is fair game. This means not just Pokémon of the first generation (also called Kanto), some of which are restricted due to having one of the new types of the second generation onwards as a secondary type. Even with the restrictions, this still leads to a dazzling array of Pokémon to choose from to make a battle party, which may be troublesome for certain Trainers, even myself.

Ultimately, a number of familiar species lend themselves fairly well. Talonflame, one of the banned contenders in Great League Remix, has the potential to become triumphant, as well as Abomasnow. Other contenders remain pesky, like Hypno with its variable moves and Politoed with its strong presence. Overall, that seems to be a defining aspect of this cup: choosing Pokémon that can cause lots of trouble in addition to ones that allow to get out of it, which is certain to occur.

The "retro days" of Pokémon are by and large fully behind, as further developments have changed and refined the world associated with it. Nevertheless, the facets of those "retro days" still deserve some recognition as the foundations that were laid down for what Pokémon is today and now. Now, the Retro Cup allows Trainers of Pokémon Go to honor those days and emulate most of the dynamics of that time, with modern species also included in a "timeless classic" manner.

One year ago: Going Elite with TMs

Two years ago: Detective Pikachu Burger King King Jr. Toys - Arcanine

Three years ago: Round Pikachu Keychain

Four years ago: Cosplay: Isshoni Tanoshimimashou 12

The Road to Victory

Well, since I've covered it in past years albeit indirectly, it seems apt to keep doing so (it shifts; it's always one and a half weeks or so earlier each year, and this is last year's). Today is that special day for a good group of people, and that seems to be a good succinct description. It also goes by another description for yet others: "the day of victory". Being that I'm a Pokémon fan, "victory" is a key word, as that is a desirable result of battles. It's also an important description for another thing, being a place called the Victory Road. This one is perhaps just as significant as victories in battle.

Victory Road refers to stretch of path before the Pokémon League, often including a complex dungeon, that tests the persistence of Trainers before they reach the ultimate pinnacle of that destination. The complexity of the dungeon is veritable, with twisty paths of both ground and water. The road is teeming with wild Pokémon of advanced stages that may be difficult to battle down and just as hard to capture. Moreover, there are many other Trainers along this road, and they too are difficult to be defeated. But it is assured that any Trainer who makes it through all of that would certainly be ready for the Pokémon League waiting at the other end.

For "the day of victory", some comparisons can be made. There is a path to the "victory", but it's one that is (more specifically, was) traversed across the one month before the day. If the Victory Road brings about challenges that result from things being present, the path to "the day of victory" brings about challenges that result from things being absent instead - and that's even with sparing much of details. Also, it is almost certain that Victory Road can be traversed in much less than a month (hopefully not much more than a few days), but the path to "the day" always takes that one month, no more and no less. The two appear to be quite stark.

The takeaway of both, however, is the same: before a victory, there needs to be a challenge, or even a trial. Such would prove that one would be fitting for the victory. In more general terms, it can be described as "one reaps what one sows", in this case of a good result (victory) out of a long and/or arduous process. That's always a good advice to follow, whether one is dealing with getting to the place of an ultimate challenge or just simply completing a one-month trial.

It has obviously been one month of trials to get to this day, so therefore this day is very much special. So too is the Pokémon League, a hallowed place that requires one to take a stride through a challenging road. Either way, at the end, victory awaits those whose struggles are sincere and outstanding.

May we all have the power to drive through the course to our respective victories.

One year ago: Seeing Pokémon in Rice Fields

Two years ago: The Exclusive Detective Pikachu Promotional TCG Card

Three years ago: Cosplay: INOCHI 2018 - Yuki no Hana

Four years ago: Cosplay Photography

Three Bears

There's a certain trio of bears that some people enjoy, though I've seen them and am not quite fond of them. I might have even mentioned them on this blog once, but to dissociate the context from Pokémon. Even so, it seems that there's still some relevance on the Pokémon side of things, at least from a purely apparent and attributive aspect. And with respect to Pokémon, the same trio of bears can be described in terms of three Pokémon species (and incidentally families as well).

The first bear is Beartic and certainly its predecessor Cubchoo. They're the bears of the cold - they live and thrive in areas too cold for most other Pokémon. Incidentally, they're representative of the Ice type, and they are properly as such. They're also known for the clear spot on their faces, which for the base form takes the form of a dripping snot from the nose, while for the evolved form takes the form of an icy beard and mustache. It makes them look a bit odd, but they still hold their own.

Then there are a pair of brown bears of the Normal type, the veritable Ursaring that comes from the base form of Teddiursa. The latter is sweet as sweet can be, obviously being a "teddy bear" and having an affinity for honey; in fact, it is said that it can concoct its own honey, particularly with usage of its own digits, which are as sweet as their concoctions. Meanwhile, the former is an adept hunter and gatherer, particularly for itself as it prepares to hibernate. The skills of these two certainly "run in the family", so to speak.

The third of the bears is the "panda family" of Pangoro and its little kin of Pancham. In real life, pandas are mostly calm animals, but these Pokémon depart a bit from that. They appear more fierce, or at least try to in the case of the little kin, right up until it evolves and is truly fierce-looking; both are of the Fighting type, but Pangoro additionally gains the Dark type, evidently supporting their respective attitudes. It may be that one may have to be wary when dealing with the Pokémon of this family.

Considering the above, they're a complementary trio in more ways than one. Besides being the bears that they are, they're all also species families with two stages, and they're representative of certain specific types. While I'm still not quite fond of the trio of bears I'm referencing with these Pokémon (and are not likely to be any time soon), at least the reference can still be made with Pokémon, which pleases me to end, as well those who enjoy them in addition to Pokémon.

One year ago: Missed Pokémon Merchandise in Snacks

Two years ago: Watching in Style, with Friends

Three years ago: To Know the Unknown

Four years ago: You Are Blessed

Forgotten (Event) Days

Today is a Tuesday, which means that for Pokémon Go there is an expected Spotlight Hour, and there was (in my local area at least, at the time of publication of this post). However, it seems that some people still have managed to forget and thereby miss the event that by now has become regular. It has happened at least a couple of times, and I became a reluctant witness to at least a few of these occurrences, past and present. It could be described as a little concerning, and therefore I have to write about it.

It should be noted that there have been plenty of reminders about the regular event in the form of news bulletins, reminders from friends, and even pop-up notifications, but some still manage to forget even with all of these. But then again, I don't have much say if the people in question are absorbed in whatever activities they have going on up to the point that they completely forget. I'm likely to commit (and have committed) the same thing myself if I'm not fully prepared, though I hope it only rarely happens no matter how much I've prepared.

For intense Pokémon fans, the problem of forgetting events may be compounded further with all the events in all the games that they play. They could be involved in the events of a game to neglect ones in another, with the respective consequences of such a happening for each of the games. At that point, one would either have to schedule everything or focus on something, which duly has its consequences as well.

And of course, when things happen, they just happen. At that point, I'm tempted to listen to "Forgotten Yesterdays", a piece by Yanni, to lament for all the things - Pokémon or otherwise - that have been forgotten in their circumstances of occurrence. The progression of the piece is as fragmented as the memories of past and forgotten (or perhaps close to forgotten) moments and events, which I may or may not stand to remember.

So the events, especially in Pokémon games, continue on their merry way to be experienced by everyone, particularly those who remember to partake in them. It may be hoped that the recall and execution of the events may remain memorable for as long as they can be before they are lost into the realm of the "forgotten yesterday" for one reason or another.

One year ago: (Preparing for) Shuffle's Last Stand

Two years ago: Special Feature Film - "POKÉMON: Detective Pikachu"

Three years ago: Just Like a Rainbow

Four years ago: A Shout-Out to a Fellow Blogger

Transparent Language Presentation?

Another game series that I play has gradually featured the development of a fictional language that is a key part of the historical background of the series. The characters who are involved are understood to possess comprehension of the language, though in the game and related media, they are presented as speaking in English (or whatever language is opted, if localization is available). It is apparent that Pokémon isn't as such, as all the human characters speak plain language... or do they? This possibility might still deserve to be considered.

Likewise as in the other game series, the human characters speak the language of the respective localization, whether the Japanese original or English plus others elsewhere. Yet this may not be able to hide the fact that they may be speaking a different (hitherto unknown) language in the background. This is what I call a "transparent presentation" of language, in that the background language is presented through another language as a proxy, in this case the languages of the localizations. I've also mentioned this in my old post about Pikachu speaking.

One thing that may support this "transparent presentation" is the glyphs that are present in the anime adaptation, which are somehow recognizable for understanding, in contrast to Unown glyphs that look strange. In this case, it may then be regarded that the glyphs constitute the language that is being "transparently presented" by proxy of Japanese, English, or whatever language is the localization of choice. Though the background language would still be unknown unless elucidated, and that may not matter much.

Something that might disprove this "transparent presentation" theory is that the world of Pokémon is likened to an alternative history of the Earth, where the creatures of Pokémon develop instead of the animals of the world as is known today. On the other hand, there is a small part of this conjecture that may also allow for alternative languages to develop instead of modern languages, and therefore it would also partially support the theory as above instead of fully disproving it.

The theory of a background language that is "transparently presented" through various real languages and media forms of Pokémon may be interesting even if there is no conclusive evidence that it does constitute the reality of the world of Pokémon. That reality is more focused on the creatures that the human characters pit against one another. Even so, the human characters still need to comprehend one another to do exactly that, and if not through a real language, the background language may just be the answer.

One year ago: More YouTube Pokémon Highlights

Two years ago: Trading Styles

Three years ago: The No's of Go

Four years ago: Site Design

Glyphs of Pokémon?

Avid watchers of the Pokémon anime might have noticed that in some parts of the scenery, particularly where the written word would be involved, there is instead a series of glyphs that only vaguely resemble those of real written languages. (One such example can be found in one of the episodes I've reviewed.) Glyphs are important to any written language as the symbols by which when they're strung together, they communicate certain meanings. Yet the glyphs in the Pokémon anime are quite different in that they hardly if at all have this function. Examining them may provide insights for Pokémon and beyond.

Many of the glyphs are short in sequence and boxy. A real language that expresses things in often short and boxy glyph sequences is Japanese, the language of the region of the world (Japan) from which Pokémon hails. Therefore, it may be reasoned that the glyphs are in a way "Japanese in proxy" though the glyphs may or may not be intended to communicate any Japanese expression in particular. It also makes sense given that the first four regions were based on Japanese landmasses, and despite this not being the case for later regions (example being Unova, the setting of the episode above, for which the region is based on New York), the consistency is maintained to give the sense of a coherent world.

The concession is that there are certain glyphs utilized in Pokémon that resemble real glyphs, which would be the forms of Unown, which do resemble uppercase  letters of the Roman alphabet and can actually be used as such in some cases to communicate certain messages. At the same time, the glyphs are also regarded as being foreign (Unown = unknown), at least relative to the short and boxy glyphs as above. This would illustrate the concurrence - and yet foreignness - of the Roman alphabet along with Japanese glyphs in real life.

Alternatively, it may not have to be any of the above. It may simply be that the boxy glyphs are simply "artistic license" and they're not there to represent any language in particular. Instead, they would be to represent any language that Pokémon can be communicated in, as Pokémon is now a global phenomenon and unrestricted to Japan. Add back the Roman alphabet as represented by the Unown forms, which are recognizable virtually everywhere around the world, and this seems to be a realistic reason that makes sense for everyone who enjoys Pokémon.

The glyphs in the Pokémon anime are still quite intriguing for their resemblance (or not so much) to actual written language, especially that of the origins of Pokémon. It has to be granted that even in the world of Pokémon, there has to be something representative of written language, so these glyphs become the answer to that quandary. The language that it expresses may be anyone's guess, but it doesn't take a guess that it has to pertain to expressing the goings-on within that world.

One year ago: Playing Pokémon All Day

Two years ago: Getting Lucky with Friends

Three years ago: A Place for VGC

Four years ago: Blue and Yellow Philosophy

The Lengths We Go To... T-Shirt

Some years ago, a certain company created a novel ad campaign. That campaign is titled "The Lengths We Go To", and it is exemplary of what they do. They want to make people feel special, so they make the (extra) effort to make the people - their customers - feel (extra) special. That would mean bringing the things they like, making them feel comfortable, and allowing them to have the best experience possible, as if they were at home or at least the places where they belong. Even if one doesn't deal with them, it has to be admitted that the mission is noble.

In the same way, I'd like to think that Pokémon Trainers share much of the same spirit. If they intend to be the best, they'll likely make much of the (extra) effort to become so. And even if it doesn't beget results instantly, at least it becomes one or more steps to take them to where they want or should be. Personally, I know one Pokémon Trainer for whom this applies rather perfectly and is admirable as such, even to the point of being noble just like the mission of the ad campaign.

In fact, I'm rather inspired. So much so that it has resulted in me wanting to make a printed T-shirt to exemplify that... and I did:

I've actually had the idea for this T-shirt since 8 years ago, which is around the time the ad campaign popped up, and this also explains why it has Unova saga graphics: it was then contemporary, for me at least. The design was quickly conceived in a day or so, with the image of Ash and Pikachu plus the words as the front of the shirt and the Pokémon logo on the back (which can't be seen here). The words set in similar style as the Pokémon logo are directly taken from one of the ads of the campaign, which happens to be the ultimate one and struck a chord for me and in relation to Ash.

When I went to print it at that time, however, I did find a print shop who took it up... but then they promptly closed forever and I never heard from the print shop again. The design lay dormant all those years, but then an opportunity came up a couple of weeks ago to realize the design with the help of a friend looking to make a printed T-shirt of his own. It was also then that I unearthed the design again, and this time with the aid of the design team for the print shop, the background was added to the shirt front for extra flair. After a long wait, the shirt was completed earlier this week and I received it today. Despite the dated retro design, the message is still felt to be relevant today, which is why I stuck with the design.

It may be that for anyone for whom Pokémon is highly related, they may just "go the extra mile" to pursue Pokémon experiences, including any that might be relevant even if just a little bit. That "go-the-extra-mile" spirit fits right in with the old ad campaign, and it all fits in. I'd say my efforts with the T-shirt above can be succinctly described as such, and it works out to a perfect reminder of what can be done however far one goes, especially with Pokémon.

One year ago: Pokémon Stickers on WhatsApp

Two years ago: Looking from Far Away

Three years ago: (High Noon at the) Local Ex-Raid, 5/8/2018

Four years ago: Ash and Pikachu Keychain