The Floating City Awaits

As I've discussed in a post a couple of days ago, the new Silph Arena competition venue of Factions has something good going for it. In addition to themed battles - which it still has in terms of "Battlefields" - it is also an entry point for the open three major leagues, or at least the other two that aren't as common on the Arena. Yet, the Battlefields remain important, as they are the norm for 4 out of 7 members of the team. The first of these Battlefields, called Floating City, has been introduced for the initial qualifiers, and even with my non-participation, I thought I'd at least try to cover it and see what I can make out of it.

This Battlefield is based on the Great League, which means Pokémon up to 1500 CP are allowed. Also allowed are Pokémon of at least one of four specific types: Ground, Flying, Steel, and Normal. It would also be expected that one doesn't bring Mega Evolutions or more than one Pokémon of a species, as is expected for the Arena in general. Altogether, the types represent the foundation (Ground), structure (Steel), means of floating (Flying), and its denizens (Normal), which totally make sense as a theme.

There is also a boatload of other restrictions as well. Mythical Pokémon are not permitted, and so are Shadow Pokémon and Regional Pokémon, those that appear only in certain parts of the world. The last restriction effectively prevents Tropius, a popular PvP contender. Five species are also banned, being Galarian Stunfisk, Altaria, Bastiodon, Chansey, and Registeel. Aside from the Chansey ban, which is similar to the Venture Cup ban, the other four Pokémon are popular and pesky contenders in open Great League - as I can attest - that might dominate the Battlefield if they are left unchecked.

Of the four types, the ones with a distinct strong-weak relationship are Ground and Steel, while Flying provides a minimal "buffer" against Ground types, and Normal types can go any which way except toward Steel. This practically demands the other types that certain Pokémon might have to dictate their utility against any and all of the four primary types of the Battlefield. With popular contenders also banned as above, this also demands Trainers to look for more uncommon and potentially surprising contenders.

Already for the first Battlefield, things are looking quite enigmatic. It is deceptively simple with only four types and yet creatively challenging with all its restrictions. But that seems the way that a Battlefield should be: a smaller but still substantial challenge for the Specialists that don't deal with open leagues, at least when they don't need to. In the framework of the Silph Arena, specific themes still carry a significance, and the Floating City that awaits some contenders of the new Factions system serves as a warm welcome for them.

One year ago: As In As All...

Two years ago: Nationally Challenged

Three years ago: Before Gold and Silver

Four years ago: Red on a Bike

Justification for Writing My Blog

It has come to my attention, as well as that of those who are closely associated with it, that a local, online news portal for fans of Japanese culture, particularly that of the otaku subculture (including, of course, some things related to Pokémon), is due to close at the end of this month, or to be more proper, at the start of the next month. I'm not affected too deeply by this closure, but those who are fervent readers of news from the portal, which includes a number of my friends, are likely somewhat affected. Even so, I've recognized the news portal from my early years of Pokémon cosplay, so I identify to a minor extent. Further, the imminent closure of the news portal has made me consider the justification of my Pokémon blog, which resembles a news portal in part, due to some of the content.

The news portal has been around for 8 years, which means that it started life 1 year after I started cosplaying and 4 years before I started this blog. Over that time, the news portal has really grown into what it is today, a full-fledged news portal complete with social media outlets, as explained in the article announcing its closure. Meanwhile, after close to 4.5 years, my blog still only a shadow of what the news portal is, and without extensive social media outlets. Despite this difference, it still seems to be right, as my blog is solely devoted to topics on or around Pokémon, and it has a more personal nature, even creative, rather than being fully objective just like a news portal. In that sense, it's like comparing apples to oranges; as to which one is which, that may be for others to decide.

Regarding that justification, even with nary a confirmation that I'm doing things right, I still perceive that this blog is the right thing. For one thing, it actually supports me in my actual line of paid work, as it maintains my language skills for the purpose of getting meanings into and out of it, particularly to another or even others. For another, it helps to maintain the interest that I have in Pokémon for many, many years, well past that of the news portal or even my cosplay efforts. Both of these are right, as is my dedication - and in fact, one reader has noted this in a comment in a recent post to the point that it might beget something good for this blog. Much will still have to be discovered, but at the least I've come upon that which seems to be the right path for everything, including Pokémon.

With that, the justification is still there, and I'd like to make this blog persist for as long as I possibly can, in order to achieve as many things as I possibly can as well. It may not be comparable to what has been achieved by an 8-year old specialized news portal that deals with not only Pokémon but the bigger and broader world of otaku (sub)culture, but the basis of the achievements may just be the same, as this blog and that news portal deal with the written word to inform about phenomena occurring in parts of the (sub)culture. When it closes, the news portal will surely be missed by many of my Japanophile friends, and a little bit by me, but it may very well pave the way for things that are similar in spirit, even smaller and more personal things as I have established for this Pokémon blog.

One year ago: Low-Bit Fantasies with Pokémon

Two years ago: Field Research Task Reporting

Three years ago: The Myth of Shiny Pokémon

Four years ago: On Skateboards and Pokémon

Arena Factions, Assemble

By now, the Silph Arena is quite well-known for its individual Trainer competition, which draws in practically most Trainers on the competitive scene. It is quite appropriate and welcoming for that, but after being on the scene since pretty much the introduction of PvP battling in Pokémon Go, the individualism and format may start to become a little dull. It is likely for those reasons that the Silph Arena now has an expanded team competition format called Factions, starting last month.

The core part of this competition is the teams, so that needs to be discussed first. A team is composed of seven members (plus one), which is quite significant as far as teams go. Three of those members deal with one each - as a "Specialist" - of the three Leagues of standard PvP battling (Great, Ultra, and Master), making these an entry point for anything other than the Great League in the Silph Arena; for this purpose, Ultra League also carries an additional stipulation of at most one Legendary or Mythical Pokémon and at most one starter in a team, and Master League has a limit of at most one Legendary or Mythical Pokémon in a team. The entry of these Leagues should benefit those who have experienced them in Go Battle League.

The other four members are also Specialists, but for rotating themes called "Battlefields", not unlike the themed cups of the regular Arena. Currently, there is only one Battlefield, called Floating City, for the initial qualifiers, but later on it may be possible to have others, which means deciding which Specialists are to deal with what. As for that "plus one" part, that one is an alternate (a substitute or "pinch hitter") for any one of the other Specialists above, including for those that deal with the open Leagues. The effort to build a team is therefore quite involved, but has a high potential for camaraderie.

Teams are divided by regions (presently, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific) and compete in "cycles", which are the equivalent of iterations of individual tournaments. In a "cycle", teams are paired with another for "bouts", which is the equivalent of "rounds" within an individual tournament. Within a "bout", each Specialist of a team is matched with the corresponding Specialist of the other team and battles three times, like in an individual tournament; each win is counted as one point and the winning team is the one with more points. The number of bouts for a cycle will accordingly differ based on the number of teams for each region. The matching and battling process takes place within a week, with Monday to determine who battles, Tuesday and Wednesday to set and reset teams if necessary, and Thursday onwards to battle. It's rather complicated, but it does work out like an individual tournament with group participants.

Obviously, for those who have been observant of my Arena activities since several months ago, I'm not involved in the competition. Apart from being constrained in participation, for things like these, I always find it difficult to group with others. My personal activity aside, I do recognize two people from my raid group who are playing for two different national Factions, one of them being a Master League Specialist and the other being an Ultra League Specialist - which I do have to say is very lofty indeed. If I could join a Faction myself, I'd deal with a Battlefield rather than any of the Leagues, which I'm ill-suited for. Whether I can steal a point or two from the other side is a big question, but it just might be possible, in doing so helping my Faction. That would be something to discover.

The entry of Factions into Silph Arena means many things. For those who can exercise their prowess with higher PvP Leagues, it's an opportunity. For those who want to obtain shared pride, now they have a way. And for those still entrenched with the Arena, it's a handy change-up from the common and universal individual format. There is PvP glory to be found here as well, and all it takes is for the right group of people to assemble and show what they can do.

One year ago: The Persistence of Pokémon Spotlight Hours

Two years ago: To Hold or Not to Hold?

Three years ago: Variegated Pokédexes

Four years ago: Pokémon and Sports

Birdkeepers, the Real and the Imagined

Some of my relatives used to keep birds, whether for fun or for some other purpose. I wasn't involved in what they did, but I can tell that they enjoyed what they did in their regard. Reminiscing about this memory makes me recall another batch of people who keep birds, possibly for a living, and that would be the Birdkeeper group of Trainers in the main series of Pokémon games. They too appear to enjoy what they do in different regards, particularly Pokémon battles.

True to their name, Birdkeepers possess bird Pokémon and by extension many Flying-type Pokémon. This makes them easy to be battled down, provided one knows what one needs to do and as is true of Trainers who possess primarily monotype teams. Their antics may be kind of odd as well, as with one of these Trainers who thought that one needed a flock of birds in order to fly off to someplace when all the Trainer needed is one Pokémon with the Fly move, at least at the very least.

Meanwhile, real birdkeepers, especially in my local area and somewhat beyond, have their own contests, being bird call contests. The birds are evaluated for their performance in making bird calls, including sound quality and even physique. It may be hard to imagine Birdkeepers in Pokémon to participate in the same contests, but given that certain birds (Chatot and Fletchling, for two) make pretty noises, so it might not be out of the question for these contests to occur with Pokémon.

Today, the birds that my relatives once kept have essentially "flown away", whether to another owner or out into the wild. But the memories of them keeping the birds have remained and will remain with me. The same is true for my recall of the Birdkeepers in Pokémon, whose objectives are in line with or exceed that of what my relatives did when they kept birds. They may not have been to take off to the skies in a literal sense, but at least the spiritual fantasy is there in both Pokémon and real form.

One year ago: Pokémon Hanafuda

Two years ago: Limited Research Methodology

Three years ago: The Spirit of Giving

Four years ago: A Faraway Tournament and a Charitable Spirit

Battle Box for Pokémon Go?

When it comes to competitive Pokémon play, the main series games are no doubt pioneers in this regard with VGC. This also includes innovations that not only make competitive play easier but also keep it fair. One such innovation is the Battle Box that is designed to hold a team of Pokémon for competitions. With the PvP competitions of Pokémon Go gaining ground, it may serve well to try to determine if any of the innovations from the main series are worthy of being included in Pokémon Go as well, like the Battle Box above.

First, it is necessary to explain what the Battle Box is and how it works. In the main series games, the Battle Box holds only six Pokémon instead of the standard 30. Its function is to hold a team party (different from the active party of the Trainer) that can then be used in various tournaments or competitions. In the case of official ones, the Pokémon in the Battle Box can then be locked to prevent changes to them as well as be read by organizers to be checked against a "team sheet" that Trainers submit to make sure that the Pokémon is as they claim they possess. It is thus a vital part of these competitions, especially in the fairness department.

PvP battling in Pokémon Go is decidedly very different from main series battling. However, apart from the system (which is real-time in Pokémon Go instead of turn-based in the main series), the battles can be distilled into a version of a limited 3-on-3 Single battle, which in the main series games is taken from a team of 6 Pokémon. If this sounds familiar to any competitive Trainer in Pokémon Go, it is because some community organizers - notably Silph Arena - use (or technically adapt) the system for their tournaments. Therefore, the system of the Battle Box would serve these organizers and their Trainers well, and its inclusion would bring Pokémon Go to a further parity with the main series games.

The concession is that Pokémon Go already has its own party system. However, the system is also divided in scope: only Gym battles and raids use a party of 6, while PvP battles use a party of 3. The latter (which is relevant for the topic of this post) also demands selection from all eligible Pokémon, whether in the setup prior to entering battle selections or during battle party selection just before the battle. An adaptation of the Battle Box would demand an initial setup for a party of 6 for a PvP battle, then during battle party selection, the 3 Pokémon necessary for that battle would be selected. This would be an absolute game changer for the Silph Arena and other organizers whose battle systems shadow that of the main series.

Should the competitive infrastructure of Pokémon Go expand into official competitions that resemble VGC, and in particular something that would be an expansion of the Pokémon Go invitational from the 2019 World Championships, a Battle Box system would perhaps be even more pertinent, particularly for the purpose of checking over, securing, and qualifying teams, which is only rudimentary at present in Pokémon Go and in some cases would need a pair (or several) of observant eyes to make sure that no funny business (read: unfairness) is going on with the competitive teams that Trainers bring to competitions and tournaments, and therefore they would be more credible.

Evidently, Pokémon and its games have been pioneering from the very start, especially for official competitions and features that support it, like the Battle Box in the main series games. Pokémon Go is also rather pioneering despite only having existed for a fraction of the time of the main series games, and it too is gravitating toward competitions that can surely become official. At that point, something like the Battle Box will have to be implemented, if not sooner, and especially to equalize fairness and ease of competition.

One year ago: Game Freak with Mario on the Side

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/8/2019

Three years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 6/8/2018

Four years ago: Poor Zygarde

Mastering Balls of Hands and Feet

In the world of Pokémon, Trainers are people who master the eponymous creatures, which often reside in Poké Balls that they throw out with their hands. In the real world, some athletes master a different kind of ball, the soccer ball, which they kick up with their feet. Combine the two, and interesting results might just occur. And that is exactly what is happening in jolly old England with a program and campaign for youths to be able to buff up their sport skills in a really fun way.

Pokémon, together with the FA of England (their soccer association), have partnered to create the FA Pokémon Youth Futsal Program with a campaign called "Master the Ball" accessible through a site of the same title (www.mastertheball.com). The program and campaign is part of a youth futsal competition to draw in athletic youths to develop their skills while they compete in a fairly fun manner. It should be noted that futsal is only a downscaled and indoor form of soccer, but its play is much the same and can develop each other, so it still makes sense. The competitive season is due to start in September along with that for soccer, and team registration has yet to open, but with Pokémon in the mix, it should be fun when things happen later this year.

To make things even more fun, certain teams will receive a "Pokémon bundle" full of goodies for the teams. Most of the goodies, including a duffel bag and a Pokémon Futsal handbook, are notably to help teams take their practice to the next level, so to speak, and that includes a ball that is colored like - what else - a Poké Ball. So iconic is this ball that it figures prominently in promotional materials for all things related to the program and campaign. The bundle even includes an exclusive TCG card of "Pikachu on the Ball" featuring Pikachu and the iconic ball. If anything, this would be the primary incentive for signing up a team into the program and competition, aside from the noble goals as above.

A program and campaign like this is surely fun and lively. But it would be even more fun and lively with a few other promotions - more specifically, some promotional videos on YouTube. These promotional videos contain a few of England's current stars in soccer, certainly with a few Pokémon twists. The "core promotional video" even contains animated Pokémon in action along with those same stars, but what's even more fun is when some of those stars duke it out on the futsal court with a few Pokémon twists, which are in other promotional videos... but I'd like to separate their discussion into another post, as this post is already detailed enough for their key link.

Futsal (and soccer, by extension) is a real-world sport. Pokémon battling would be the sport of the Pokémon world, as I've postulated once. In the minds of fans and athletes alike, there shouldn't be any real reason for them not to mingle, and it seems the FA of England and Pokémon can't disagree with this new program and campaign. They're looking for people who can truly master the skills of the ball game with feet, and after that, hopefully the game of monsters appearing from balls thrown with hands.

One year ago: It's a-Mario Time

Two years ago: Going Big in Galar

Three years ago: Pokémon Archetypes

Four years ago: New Paradigms

Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/6/2021

Some Community Days of Pokémon Go have been "long in the tooth" in that they've been postulated, expected, and demanded by Trainers. This month's Community Day represents one of these, in particular because of the featured Pokémon. It has long been considered a possible Community Day fodder, but its Shiny form had been released early on (which is or was thought to decrease its feature appearance potential) and it has never been featured... until today, when it was finally featured and its potential was realized.

The featured Pokémon for this month is the venerable Gible, which along with the other members of its species family (Gabite, Garchomp) is of the Dragon and Ground types. The last of these, when caught or evolved, gains the move of Earth Power during the exclusive move window. The bonus is triple XP, which should satisfy the hunger of pre-Level 50 XP-seeking Trainers. The paid Special Research has the title of "Just a Nibble" in reference to the fierce appearance and behavior of this "land shark" species family.

While the specific particulars of Community Day in current times haven't changed (extended Incense primarily, and so on), there is one particular addition: Lure Modules are now extended as well, in line with Friendship Day from April and the old ways of Community Day. The world may not be heading to a "normal" state any time soon, but Community Day may be able to adapt to the "new normal" state while the world continues to develop and hopefully recover, which should be the same for Community Day as well.

Taking advantage of the Lure Module bonus, I went to the place where I used to have regular "old normal" Community Day festivities, the last of which occurred in December 2019. And it really did feel like that time, with I and a few others setting up Lure Modules, though many of us ended up becoming segregated afterwards. Nevertheless, we did make full use of both Lure Modules and Incense as well as a Mega-Evolved Pokémon of choice to up the obtained Candy amount. I also ended up having 6 Garchomp with Earth Power: one with the best stats, the best Lucky one, the best Shiny one, one each for Great and Ultra Leagues, and the one from the Special Research, with sufficient Candy stock when it becomes necessary for usage.

Faithful fans will note that Garchomp possesses a Mega Evolution as Mega Garchomp, but this Community Day didn't become the venue for its debut, unlike Altaria last month and partially due to the stipulation that only one Mega Raid is active each month during the Season of Discovery. A surprise debut is also impractical as the surprise can easily be discerned prior, in certain ways. Therefore, the debut of Mega Garchomp will have to wait for the right time and the best time, which is more than I can say. Trainers will just have to stay tuned.

This Community Day is thus very much a representation of realized potentials: those of a deserving Pokémon, those of old ways and new ways, and those of a future Mega Evolution. The first can already be seen now, the second can be seen towards the closer future, and the third will hopefully be seen in a not-too-distant future. For a family of "land sharks", that ought to mean many opportunities to take "nibbles" out of the competition in whatever happens in Pokémon Go at the moment, thanks to what can and has been gained from this edition of Community Day.

One year ago: Repetition for Reputation

Two years ago: Be with You, Always with You

Three years ago: (The Least) Local Ex-Raid, 6/6/2018

Four years ago: Pokémon Direct, 6/6/2017