Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Too Many Pokémon Go Events, Not Enough Variation??

Some days ago, I received a comment on one of my older posts that pertained to what can be said as the "extreme" multitude of events in Pokémon Go. Admittedly, the post had a lot to do with what I would call as "day events", the likes of Community Day, Max Battle, and Raid Day as well as full-paid events like City Safari. The commenter (who for some reason chose to remain incognito) also noted that what I would call "theme events" are also as numerous, both in quantity as well as duration; this also has its side effects, one of them being the lack of variation that the situation creates. I responded that I could make a fuller discussion of this - obviously in a post - and that becomes the very point of this one.

The gist of the problem, as I stated in my response, is that the theme events have gotten longer; where they used to be only a few days tops, many of them have extended themselves to span a week or a duration close to or effectively that. Then, the "break" - the days with no elements of particular events, even regional ones - are also shorter as a result, being only approximately two days long. The shorter break consequently results in having less time to deal with the Pokémon that are featured during the season, which is a crucial part of the season system since its inception, and is seemingly cast aside as a result.

For a particular example of how dense things can really get, July's events for this year shows how they can really pan out. The events in that month, including the one that would carry over into the next, all lasted six days; the only full "break" days were all on Monday, and there were four of them (three if the one with the Summer Concert is not counted). Since the events started at 10 AM and ended at 8 PM local time on the respective days, that afforded another 12 hours of a "break", not even amounting to a full day even if it did technically span the period of three days. This becomes the situational concern.

Going back to what the commenter said, many of the theme events often feature a selection of species that are hard to escape from, being particularly present in all places. Such a situation certainly can and does become boring, and it may be evident of "desperation" and a "cash grab", exactly the same points I raised as for the day events in the previous post. These sentiments of the commenter are understandable, even with the good intentions of the theme events as they are executed.

Responding to that, I proposed that the theme events may need some rework. As an example, while some featured species may be needed for "grinding" (for example, Gastly and its family may be needed for PvP in all leagues, Mega Evolution, and Max Battles), others have less utility and may be better off not as being the primary promotion, yet still featured in some way as with Research. Then, even shaving off a day from the theme events can cut the boredom and allow seasonal variety to appear again; it may also be possible to have other midweek events.

Whoever the commenter is, an interesting point was raised regarding theme events and their current state in Pokémon Go, with them becoming numerous in quantity yet somehow lacking in variety. Even now, such is the state of the matter, and its future may demand resolution that appeases every Trainer, including the two of us. It's just another thing that this Pokémon blog is a prompt for bringing up and dealing with.

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Monday, October 20, 2025

Cosplay: Toys & Hobbies Week 2025

Ash: I was wondering when you'd get to this!

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["Finally."] 

Goh: Oh, Toys & Hobbies happened on Sunday?

Me: Technically, it happened over the course of last week, but the last day (Sunday) is the big day for us, as it was last year and two years ago.

Goh: And this is unusual for us - we're not discussing it on the day of. 

Me: No - I wanted to try something different and focus on just the festival the other day. Although... I may have to evaluate things still.

Goh: OK, so... I'm sure it was like all those times.

Ash: Sure. Three places in the same mall - a game zone, a racing zone, and a toys zone.

Goh: My guess is that you must have spent more time in the toys zone.

Ash: Yeah! Everyone was there too. It was so crowded.

Goh: Like, convention-level crowded?

Ash: You could say that.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Really."] 

Me: Hey, when it's been going on for three years, you know people really want to go to it.

Ash: I heard from a friend there was another festival with the same thing in the same town - and not many went there. 

Me: Well, see, there you go. We'll deal with friends later on... but I'm sure yesterday was the day of the character parade.

Ash: It was! I got into it with my Kalos outfit.

Goh: And then...

Ash: It didn't win against about 100 other characters.

Goh: Oh, that's rough. It must have been a "lottery" again.

Ash: I thought others could win too, but they didn't.

Me: Yeah, the usual. At least it was free, and so was the festival.

Ash: Right!

Pikachu: Pika! ["Yup!"] 

Goh: Maybe you did other stuff to enjoy the festival?

Ash: I did look around, but didn't play the games - and there were some Pokémon cards on sale, but they were pricey. Our friend might be interested in some gaming tools too.

Me: Hmm. I would be interested, if not for the price, for the cards and tools.

Ash: I got to play a Pokémon game that our friend has been wanting to play.

Goh: Neat!

Ash: But I only got one Pokémon out of it...

Me: That's OK. I'll deal with the rest of that myself, whenever.

Ash: And... someone gave me a Pokémon card display of Flareon!

Goh: That's pretty nice!

Me: I'd so say myself too. I could really discuss it for myself. 

Pikachu: Pika chu! ["Very nice!"] 

Goh: What about the "friends" aspect?

Me: I was going to say that I thought my local friend was going to come, but it turns out the person couldn't. So, who did you meet?

Ash: I met a few of your friends outside your communities. We basically hung out almost the entire day and on my way back to you.

Goh: That's great, even if your local friend couldn't come. 

Me: Indeed. So, after three years of the festival - or maybe it could also be said to be a convention - there may always be something great to do, to see, and to experience.

Ash: With everyone!

Goh: They all knew what it's all about.

Ash: We do too.

Me: At the least, we'll know what to expect for toys, hobbies, and all things related to them.

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Sunday, October 19, 2025

The Essential and Avoidable Qualities of Pokémon Go Level Tasks

Talking about the new leveling journey for Pokémon Go and its new level tasks prompts me that a good discussion can be made on the latter. Specifically, the discussion concerns the qualities of being "essential" or not, and being "avoidable" or not. These qualities, independent of the progression a Trainer can make on them, can then determine how they can be used by Trainers to level up or even defer that progression, the latter especially given that they earn lots of items in the process. Both of these qualities are then useful to be discussed for their relevance to the level tasks. 

In this regard, "essential" refers to how necessary a task is to be performed in regular play, with or without the task in question. The task of "walk 25 km in a week" (an old task) and "trade Pokémon caught 300 km apart" (both old and new) are not really essential to be performed in regular play, but they do help with some of the gameplay. On the other hand, making Nice or better throws and powering up Pokémon are routinely essential in order to attain certain successes in the game, especially ones related to battling. For the level tasks, the essence is certainly to advance leveling progress, but they also help to make the essence of the actions in regular play evident.

Meanwhile, "avoidable" in this case refers to the possibility of not having to do a task and to wait for other or better opportunities before doing them, such as a task that when completed will surely result in going up a level. Any task has the potential for this, but tasks like "win 3-star Raid with Pokémon of CP 1500 or less" (also an old task) and "power up Pokémon to maximum CP" (old and new task) do quite exhibit a potential for avoidance. Then there are the tasks of exploring - even for long distances - and earning Stardust that no matter how much or little one plays, they'll eventually complete themselves, making them truly "unavoidable". Neither is leveling up, really, but progress can be paused at least for a little bit of time with some of these tasks.

Where and what does this leave players or Trainers? The combination of these two qualities gives a way for Trainers to establish how they can or will proceed with their level-up efforts. A less essential and more avoidable task can be saved (intervened) for last or whenever they really need it, while a more essential and less avoidable task is more likely to be complete itself without intervention, though not necessarily first. For example, the "crazy" players will likely have their platinum medal tasks completed unavoidably despite not being (too) essential, and more normal ones can try to save some for level-up holdovers when they get to certain high levels with tasks for them.

"Avoidable" and "essential" might not be the first thing one thinks of when describing the level tasks for higher levels, yet it does make some sense since many of the tasks are long-form in nature and end up furnishing lots of rewards when they are completed and the level increases. The tasks can then be factored into however and whenever one regularly plays Pokémon Go and be worked on accordingly with consideration of the two qualities above, and the effort becomes a journey in itself, even before and now after the renewal and replacement of those level-up tasks.

Seven years ago: Being Young and Proud
Eight years ago: PokéNumbers
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Saturday, October 18, 2025

The New Leveling Journey of Pokémon Go

While all the most recent hubbub this week - on this blog, at least - was directed to the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the most significant transformation in Pokémon Go this season, as the increase of its level cap, also happened during that time. That transformation also brings forth a new leveling journey along with other things for that journey. Since all of that has happened, it's a good idea to discuss about the happenings and even include my own take on those happenings, as what it brings forth for me.

So, while the associated XP Celebration event ended at the local time transition to October 15, after which the increase was expected to occur, there was actually a kerfuffle as its scheduling was actually the local time of the developers - that is, U.S. Pacific Time - meaning that most of the world got the increase on October 16. The usual reactions to a kerfuffle for the game - a common one by now - followed but didn't last long, and soon everyone was absorbed in what the level cap increase offered for their gameplay.

As expected, everyone leveled up proportionately to their earned XP, and those with at least 85.8 million leveled up to Level 70. At that point, they'll have to complete the tasks and either collect XP (or use their "banked" amount) to go to the next level. Furthermore, all the tasks, needed XP, and level-up rewards - the latter two even for all prior levels - can be seen, so Trainers know what they expect to get and need to do. This is a real improvement from the previous limited view, again one that maybe should have been implemented a long time ago.

Regarding these tasks for Level 71 and beyond, one in each set involves collecting a certain number of platinum medals, while the rest are composed of long-form tasks that are supposed (or at the least designed) to take quite a bit of time to complete. Yet some "crazy" Trainers, however, might find a way to complete some of them in a single day... which in fact happened for the Level 71 tasks before they were stopped cold by a Level 72 task that explicitly requires it to be done within a span of seven days. As such, it'll take some time for the higher levels.

You do the math.

Because the XP can be seen and calculated, it is also easy to determine if one has enough for all those levels, regardless of the tasks needed to go through them. For example, I have 208 million XP, which is just a little more than what is needed to get to Level 80 by XP alone (203.3 million). Of course, that's only in a dream, and the reality of the tasks is what I'll be facing; that's pretty much the only thing to face, though, and whatever XP is earned along the way only "sweetens the pot" for what will take place after the tasks are done.

In any case, all of that constitutes the new leveling journey for Trainers in Pokémon Go with the new level cap. Yet it's a journey that is as familiar as it is new for anyone who gets involved with the game, for its task mechanism for higher levels is essentially recycled and the XP itself is never new. Only the spirit may be new along with a few of the numbers involved in the leveling progression, and that may just be spirited enough for the case of this game as it continues to provide the same challenges with all different Pokémon.

Six years ago: October (on the) Road
Eight years ago: Second Remakes?
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Friday, October 17, 2025

A Big (Mega) Time DLC

For the last discussion of the "gimme five" surrounding the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the topic to be discussed is a big and weighty one, not only in terms of scope but also in terms of cost - additional ones, as a matter of fact. That, of course, implies a paid DLC for the game, which is in fact the case... or will soon be. It's also profound due to its timing - precisely at the beginning of the game's life - as well as the content that it provides, and therefore it has to be discussed alongside the release of the game proper.

The DLC is called "Mega Dimension", and at the core of it, Hoopa is present. As advertised as early as last month (through certain information channels), it also brings forth Mega Raichu, split into X and Y forms as with Charizard and Mewtwo. Whatever else the DLC brings is not yet known as the DLC is still in a bit of development and will come somewhat later on, but it's already available for purchase now; those who do that will get the bonus of an outfit that can be worn even while the main game is in progress.

What becomes rather apparent is that the DLC is a way of restricting some content behind payment, otherwise called "paywalling". Even if Raichu isn't (quite) as popular as its "devolved" brethren, it still conceivably has a certain legion of fans, and they'll appreciate the addition of Mega Evolution to it - in two forms, no less. To have that "paywalled" behind DLC instead of being in the main game outright could be considered a bit of disappointment, particularly with the popularity of the content in question for fans.

Meanwhile, Ranked Battles will obviously be carried out online, and online services on the Switch console require the subscription... which can be thought of as an indirect "paywall" or DLC. In fact, the reward for the first season is the Mega Evolution of a particularly popular frog, and thus content is already being "paywalled" as I speak. It's only pertinent to the actual DLC as above by its similar nature, but it bears mentioning with consideration that the DLC is already in the works to supply actual paid content.

Having DLC present for any game may be controversial to some extent, and now it is apparent that the new Legends: Z-A game can't escape that controversy, as it has a (planned) DLC of its own. It's an additional scope with an additional cost for elements of possible interest, and it is furthermore being presented early on in the dynamics of the main game. That makes it a big-time thing for a big-time game - or rather, "mega", in light of the major concept that the game and its setting revolves around and brings back.

Three years ago: A New Set of Pokémon Dolls
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Thursday, October 16, 2025

Legends: Z-A Unleashed

OK, so the big day is finally here. Today is the day that the follow-up game in the Legends (sub-)series is released after a long wait. As has been previewed, it already promises many elements of interest and excitement, including a whole lot of new Mega Evolution forms. How that then translates to the interest and excitement of fans is to be seen today and throughout the coming times as they go through this new game and all that it offers.

For some, the first order of business may be to unlock Ranked Battles as the primary in-game competitive endeavor. This also has other implications that involve a certain aspect to be detailed separately, and is already associated with the game. It is certain that some players (Trainers) will look into the competitive endeavor as soon as possible, although completion of the game to certain points for this and its competitive materials is necessary.

Some others might just not deal with that (too much) and just take in the game as is, being that the return to Kalos and the return of Mega Evolution are the more enticing aspects to go through in their entireties. And there's no shame in that, since the original games were big on these, and they made them bigger still. That also goes for Lumiose City as this game's central focus, now bigger than ever with a lot of big things inside it as well.

As for local reactions among my fellow fans, they seem to be muted, whether they're the ones with vested interests in the main series and its ilk or just remotely interested ones who play other Pokémon games (TCG, Pokémon Go, and so on) more than the main series, which is known for its "barrier to entry". Of course, some of these "barriers" - including the apparently muted reactions - might just be broken down sooner or later to show the true reactions.

Now that the game has been released, the biggest thing for Pokémon - besides this game and Mega Evolution as the key "big" aspect - may just be making this second-of-its-kind game a really big success, also given that a big momentum is ahead. For now, there are other big things to deal with and within this game, and dealing with that will be big (or even bigger than big) for whichever big Pokémon fans are concerned.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Making Mega Evolution a Persistent Concept?

Also as stated earlier, I would bring up Mega Evolution as a discussion topic, since the concept has been made a key part of the game and the associated region. It too has waded its way to other Pokémon game realms, in a way cross-promoting the game. Yet for all that, the concept hasn't been exactly persistent in the regular main series games, seemingly only returning by way of the alternate Legends series. The issue then centers on how a persistence could be achieved for the concept, especially for the main series games, regular or otherwise.

But first, it may be helpful to gain insights from the lore behind the concept. It is said that some of the stones in the Kalos region possess special powers, and people found they could use them to allow certain Pokémon to gain access to the concept form, something that is larger than even their own lives. But then, in Hoenn, others also independently discovered the same thing for other Pokémon, and then there's the matter of Rayquaza accessing it by a Meteorite and strong wills from people who are linked to it.

The lore above thus concerns the original main series game as well as the related remake game with the concept. It suggests that there is a significance in both of the regions where the concept is (was) featured with major incorporation of it into the gameplay and lore. This is then compared to the seventh-generation games, where the concept was just there but not seemingly having any significance in gameplay and lore, even though it did feature in them. So, the featuring part of the concept is easy; the integration part may be harder.

Persistence for Mega Evolution, then, may seem to lie in being able to have it being a good  (or key) part of the games where it can be featured, and then having something new to complement the feature and make it engaging for the players. Many Pokémon even now still don't have a Mega Evolution form, and future instances of the concept being featured can stand to have new forms for species that don't already have it, in the same way that the remake games featuring the concept had that to complement its original feature.

Mega Evolution has been a fascinating concept since its debut, and its preservation (albeit not its persistence) has been somewhat surprising as well with the assistance of other games beyond the main series. For the latter as well as any other Pokémon game, making it persist is the greater challenge, but the two takeaways above of incorporating it well and contributing something new to it appear to be important for maintaining its persistence. After that, the only challenge is having the "mega" guts to keep dealing with it. 

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