New PvP Challenge: Premier Cup

Since the Go Battle League had started up again after a "goof" that almost wrecked the entire system, Trainers can now challenge others again to see who really has the chops for Pokémon battling in this manner. The GBL had in fact transitioned to its Master League period, which allows one to battle with Pokémon of any high CP. Along with the transition, however, Trainers might have noticed something else: an alternate league selection besides the Master League - only it's not a league, it's more of a different format. It's called the Premier Cup, and it's the point of discussion for this post.

Like the Master League, the Premier Cup allows Pokémon with any high CP. There is one crucial difference, however: Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are not allowed to be used. It's a restriction that might be familiar to many, if they have dealt with certain themes of the Silph League Arena, including the theme for this very month that also serves as the final one for their current battling season, or perhaps even remotely for those familiar with some VGC formats of the main series games that sometimes utilize this restriction. In any case, the restriction becomes novel for this purpose.

Those who battle with or under this cup will undoubtedly have to muster different kinds of Pokémon resources, as the usual reliable stronghold Legendary Pokémon are absent. This in effect may also necessitate further preparations, something they may or may not be ready for. As well, because of this cup, there may or may not be variation among the possible Pokémon that are used, including their types. This has been somewhat evident as I've tried my hand at battling with or under this cup. I can muster up three Pokémon of a good variety of types, and though they may be slightly underpowered, they seem to be able to do what they can do... until I meet others that use almost exactly the same species I use. Preparation is obviously important no matter what the case may be, especially to gain an upper hand, even if slightly.

This Premier Cup is definitely a new challenge, for which the means are already built-in within the PvP system of the Go Battle League in Pokémon Go. While Trainers won't have to deal with the technical aspects (as in battle setup) too deeply, preparation and skill are still a must, as is the norm for the standard leagues of the GBL and even the SLA themes or cups. At the least, this is also a demonstration that GBL can possibly have further restricted formats akin to the SLA themes, and that is the natural direction to go toward. For now, there is this basic format, and Trainers can stand to do just as much with it as with the open fashion of the normal leagues.

One year ago: Local EX Raid (and Mix-Ups), 7/10/2019

Two years ago: The Currencies of Magikarp Jump

Three years ago: My Trusty NDS and Pokémon Games

Pokémon Primer?

As I was deciding what I should write about for today's post, a question popped into my mind. The question is: "how would I introduce Pokémon to someone who may not have been fully introduced to it?" It's a good question, since Pokémon by now has been around for a good long time, and within that time there would be many people whose exposure to Pokémon vary to different degrees. It also becomes a good one to answer, and thus I immediately made it the topic of today's post.

The answer to this question seems to depend on a couple of factors. One of them is the factor of age, whether the people are younger than Pokémon, about the same age, or older. The second factor is whether they are receptive to playing games, particularly to a great extent, even "hardcore". The combination of these two factors will certainly result in people with different characteristics, and therefore the ways to approach them will also surely surely be different. They would necessitate different ways of introduction to Pokémon, or in other words different kinds of a "primer" to it. 

Those who are younger or about the same age as Pokémon should have no trouble playing games, so they might be able to just jump in and play, particularly the main series games; they ought to be introduced with them if possible, if not something simpler like Pokémon Go. For those who are really young or not as game-aware, the anime or further adaptations of that may serve to be better introductions of at least the very basic things about Pokémon. It may be that their gaming instincts are not yet attuned and they need another way to get into Pokémon, and such ways might make this viable.

As for those older than Pokémon, the situation might be more complex. If they are already seasoned gamers, grasping the basics of the main series games might not be hard and thus can serve as a good introduction. If not, and/or they are older, it might serve them well to play simpler games, again like Pokémon Go - a few of my raid fellows are in fact older and can be considered to fall into this category. Those who are even older might not even care further about games, but it might be possible to introduce Pokémon through the power of stories, as one of my friends did with something else.

The question that ran across my mind is one that seems worthy enough to be answered, and I've given my take above. What's clear is that the presence of Pokémon is a lengthy one and there will always be people who are interested but perhaps don't know where to start, or those whose interests haven't been kindled. There's a good thing in allowing people to be receptive of Pokémon through its various guises, and that should hopefully be the case for as long as Pokémon fans like me continue to exist.

One year ago: Picking Battles

Two years ago: Cosplay Cards

Three years ago: Ghosty and Me

Dream of Pokémon Life

Typically, when I have a wildly interesting dream, particularly one that concerns or contains Pokémon, I would try to get it out within a day or so, due to its fleeting nature, true of any dream in general. However, I recently had another Pokémon dream, hot on the heels of the dream I detailed two and a half weeks ago. Because of that, I decided to delay the write-up about it on this blog, lest I would be considered making things up even though I don't. The dream I just had is still fascinating, in that it concerned how my life might work with Pokémon. 

In that dream I just had, I was carrying my Pokémon costumes, as if I had gotten them back from a laundry. Somewhere along the way, I then encountered a giant Eevee doll that was also strangely interactive for me and a few other people. After the encounter, I proceeded to go to one of my local acquaintances as a guest to not only dine but also to stay over for a bit of time. I was not the only one, however, as a couple of other friends of us also came to do the same, and the opportunity afforded all of us a chance to meet. Within that time, we also used the opportunity to trade a few Pokémon (certainly with the convenience of Pokémon Go), as well as to interact within the game and to show off a few things. Evidently, the entire dream quite integrated Pokémon in very different parts of my life.

Not only that, the dream also showed how Pokémon could really apply within my life. I cosplay with it, and others can use it in different ways to entertain still others, and that has links to the first two things that appeared in the dream. The fact that I met a few other people in my dream with the intent to get together and do a few Pokémon things together means that it can and has reached many others, possibly in the same way that it did for me. As well, that Pokémon meeting also showed how different things can transpire; within that dream, things transpired for Pokémon Go - also being much of my reality today - but in a different reality, that could very well involve the main series games to much the same extents, which at this point I would appreciate.

Dreams remain something with a fleeting nature, and if I wish to preserve them, I have to record them as quickly with as much detail as possible, especially if they happen to be interesting enough as this Pokémon dream is. The way that it seems to affirm that Pokémon can work within my life and others' is a neat thing - perhaps even, already evident with our realities. I would dare say that I'm hardly making things up, even if they are envisioned in the unreal realm of dreams.

One year ago: "I Could Tell You, But..."

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 7/8/2018

Three years ago: Pursuing Shiny?

Everyone's Go Fest

In my post on Pokémon Go's fourth anniversary, I noted that while the Pokémon Go Summer Tour as in past years is obviously not happening due to the way the world is today, but the key part of that tour in those times - the Pokémon Go Fest - is still happening, and this time it any Trainer anywhere in the world can participate in it if they really want to, and I trust that anyone will, given this opportunity. For that, I've chosen to dub this as "Everyone's Go Fest", or with a Japanese impression, "minna no 'Go Fest'", meaning exactly that.

For this very special edition of Pokémon Go Fest, the ticket to enter the event is available in the same way as previous paid Special Research tickets, by buying the ticket with money. The ticket costs quite a bit more than for a Special Research ticket, but then there is a really special reason: this ticket applies for both of the two days of a Go Fest, for which usually a ticket for this and the related Safari Zone event would cover only one day of entry and play. And the two days of this Go Fest are... July 25 and 26, in about two and a half weeks. So for those still thinking about it, it is best to make up one's mind real soon.

With the Pokémon Go Fest scheduled for the one-shot, two-day affair later this month, the month has essentially become the "Go Fest month" in addition to being the "anniversary month" for Pokémon Go itself. Therefore, it wouldn't be a surprise if the events this month are essentially lead-ins to the former or appeal to the latter. In fact, if anything, Go Fest can be considered the anniversary event itself since the regularity for it has been shown from year to year, even this year, which has been the strangest of years not only for this game but also for everyone in general. Still, things have to carry on.

As for what those two days of this year's Go Fest will entail (in other words, the "rundown" for it), there are a few things that can already be ascertained. On both days, there will be sets of Special Research to complete. On the first day, there will be hourly switching habitats and Global Challenges for participating Trainers to go through, from 10 AM to 8 PM - a full ten hours. On the second day... well, that has been stated to remain a mystery for now, which will be unveiled then. As much as a mystery is also how things will actually proceed on those days, and that will demand coverage on this blog, just like other Pokémon things.

This summer could be considered to be overcast with the way the world is nowadays. The one bright spot for those who play Pokémon Go would surely have to be this year's edition of the annual Pokémon Go Fest, which takes a supreme virtual format this year, one that anyone and everyone can possibly and potentially take advantage of. That "everyone" spirit is a good spirit for this event and these times. While no one knows just when things will truly normalize, there is still a sense of togetherness that can be had - evidently, also through this new style of Go Fest.

One year ago: Cosplay: Konbini Anime

Two years ago: ...However Things Turn Out

Three years ago: Shiny Stories

Pokémon Go 4th Anniversary

As I've hinted while highlighting the music of a certain creator and the associated channel on YouTube, this year marks the fourth anniversary of Pokémon Go, the breakthrough Pokémon game for the mobile platform. And as always, for the purpose of this blog, I've chosen to discuss the anniversary on this specific date. The breakthrough nature of the game has always been evident, especially considering what had transpired over the past year, including with the situation of the world today, and like previous years, it's worth it to detail about them to an extent.

There were lots of great things added to the game over the past year. Pokémon species of the fifth generation have made their presence, and there are still a few of these to come within some time ahead. The game is also forward-thinking with the main series heritage and lineage, and as result, there is the presence of Galarian forms, even including new species introduced way ahead of time. The Buddy System has also been revamped in a great way, becoming not only ever helpful but also more interactive. For those who seek greater ways to prove their competitive prowess, there was the addition of the Go Battle League with intense battles and enticing rewards. Timed Research also added pressure to certain sets of Special Research to make them more urgent and challenging. A certain group of do-no-gooders also set up their "branch office" of sorts and created their own brand of chaos. All told, the additions truly improved and expanded all that there is to like.

Of course, with the world the way it is today, some changes had to have been made in order for the game to adapt to the conditions while still remaining viably playable. And they have; many of them I've detailed in two posts that specifically dealt with those changes. There are further plans for further changes - and some have actually been set into motion, in addition to changes to those changes - but I will detail them when the time is right. One change that I would say has had the most profound impact would be the Remote Raid feature, which under the right circumstances has opened up raid possibilities that were previously off-limits. This is important, but so are many of the others in order to keep the game going today in circumstances where everything seems to be up in the air.

Speaking of "up in the air", something else is also literally up in the air: Pikachu, and it has a few balloons tied up to it. This special "flying" form of Pikachu is available in the wild, in raids, and through photo bombs up to five times a day, also potentially being Shiny. This along with other Flying type surprises (in the wild, raids, and 5 km Eggs, as well as Shiny Pidove, Ducklett debut, and a Ho-Oh raid weekend) plus the party hat first-generation starters are available as part of the anniversary event, which has been in play for a few days now and will end soon. The Jump-Start Special Research is also available for those who didn't grab it during last year's anniversary event. There's a lot of fun and festivity there.

Now, around this time in past years, even starting the month before, there would be even more fun and festivities in the form of the Pokémon Go Fest, which was held in three regions last year over the period of the Summer Tour. But because the conditions of the world are as such today, the tour is not going to happen. However, Go Fest is, and it's going to happen in a new way. There is much detail already known for it, but they all deserve a single post solely dedicated to this topic. The excitement surely can't be contained, but for the purpose of this blog, they have to be contained in one.

After four years, it is surely hard to believe what Pokémon Go has gone through. But looking at many of those things, including its amazing start, the game seems set to continue its breakthrough nature in many ways. This is especially true given the state of today's world that provides a new set of challenges. Just as people have to work through them now, the game also has to work through them. Even if and when they become resolved, that may not and should not mean the breakthroughs have to end; it will likely mean the possibility of new ones. Before that happens, it's time for the game and those who are involved to gather the strength for current breakthroughs of their own.

Happy 4^th anniversary to Pokémon Go.

One year ago: Pokémon Go 3^rd Anniversary

Two years ago: Pokémon Go 2^nd Anniversary

Three years ago: Pokémon Go One-Year Anniversary

YouTube Pokémon Highlights - Mewmore Edition

Since the last time I've made a post on highlighting some neat YouTube videos that are minorly or majorly related to Pokémon, I've continued to browse YouTube off and on between all the other things I have to do, and I've come upon different things. One of those things is remixes of music pieces from different Pokémon games; though YouTube is mostly about videos, it can be used to showcase music as well. For this post, I'd like to highlight not only a selection of videos (or pieces of music) but also an entire channel of them. That channel belongs to a creator who goes by the name of Mewmore, and this is a pretty good one, which is why I've chosen to highlight it.

As the creator describes the channel in a Community post, the channel was started eight years ago - in fact, the anniversary of the channel happened just a few days ago, on June 30. Many Pokémon music remixes exist on this channel because the channel was initially designed to showcase just that; the concept of most of the remixes is to break down the original pieces, and then build them up in ways that bring out new nuances and different impressions, as well as appeal to even people who are not fans of Pokémon. The channel has branched out to remixes of other music (and even original pieces) for a specific reason: the creator's interests has broadened and Pokémon is no longer a primary thing, which is slightly regrettable. However, the feelings and nostalgia go deep, and the creator has stated that more remixes of Pokémon music will continue to be made, and that has remained true: the latest Pokémon music remix was uploaded two weeks ago, and even music from the latest Sword and Shield games have also been given the treatment. In any case, I can see and hear that what has been stated still continues to be evident.

Many of the remixes are of music pieces from the main series games, because those are the games that most Pokémon fans play. There are many of these on the channel, but I can only pick out a few to highlight, since I obviously cannot highlight them all or even a great portion of them. One of the remixes I enjoyed is the Azalea Town remix, which has an "easy listening" quality about it that some have said it could belong in a coffee shop, and I heartily agree; it was incidentally a Valentine's Day special. The remix of the Poké Mart theme from the third-generation games has a more traditional sound, but the instrumentation is still neat and there is a good bit of improvisation in the middle and ending. One of the most "radical" remixes would be the Eterna Forest remix, which takes the original piece with its calm sound and turns it on its head, using drums and synths to create a new arrangement that is totally groovy. With just these three remixes, the music that comes out of this channel and creator is diverse in terms of both sound and selections, affirming exactly what the creator set out to do.

There are a few other Pokémon music remixes beyond the main series games by the creator on this channel, and they're worth discussing as well. From the Mystery Dungeon side of the world, there are two noteworthy remixes: one of "Run Away" from the Rescue Team series, and another of "Through the Sea of Time" from the Explorers series. The former is a soft rock remix with guitar, synths, and drums that lend a mellow sound; it was in fact created as a tribute to the late Satoru Iwata. The latter is more of an arrangement for piano, but it still sounds pretty nice for a quite heart-wrenching piece for many people, even if the arrangement was considered "half-baked" by the creator. For those who really enjoy Pokémon Go, they aren't left out, for there is a remix of the daytime overworld music. This last one is also a "radical" remix in a sense, applying a modern EDM twist to the original music, which seems to be all the rage nowadays, despite the remix being uploaded close to four years ago, which is exactly how old the game is this year - more on this real soon. The diversity of sound and selections is also evident with these as well.

Pokémon music, just as much as the games themselves, bring something out of its fans, and some of them may desire something more, which then leads to the demand of remixes of them. This is likely what Mewmore realized, and the creator proceeded to satisfy this desire and create some amazing remixes, of which the ones above really only scratch the surface of the entire portfolio. For as long as Mewmore still wishes to (and does) produce more remixes that may very well be amazing, this desire will continue to be satisfied, and this should please most fans who browse for them or videos containing them. I myself am rather pleased and would support his continued efforts in this and possibly beyond.

One year ago: The Art of Pokémon Adventures - 20th Anniversary Illustrations

Two years ago: Variegated Pokémon Patterns

Three years ago: I Side with Pokémon

A Few Words about U.S. (Us)

For those who have been reading my blog over the past four years, one might notice that I've always covered to honor, certainly with a Pokémon twist, the occasion of the independence day of my country of origin and current residence, which is Indonesia. However, I'm also partial to the ways of another country, which happens to be the United States; as I've noted in the very first post of this blog, it's where I had resided for a time, and most importantly, it was where I got to recognize Pokémon. Today, on the occasion of its independence, I would like to say a few (more) words about me, the country, and Pokémon.

First up, Pokémon made it big in the U.S. and it's still big there even today. The games are attractive, the anime is captivating, and one can stand to be in the good company of other fans who like everything about the games and the franchise in general, if one knows where to look and go. It has become ingrained in popular media and among gamers, even if most of that was during the early days of the game series and franchise. Still, it has been a continued home for competitions involving the games (though not this year) and the special event of Pokémon Go Fest, and a Pokémon Center was opened in New York. Given the state of things, Pokémon stands to remain popular there; it's a "second home", after Japan.

As for me, I have to say that I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to be there and be introduced to Pokémon. It's been a long time since the first time I was introduced to the games, and it's a memory that remains vivid in my mind. In the years that I've left, I've seen no opportunity where I am now that would allow for the same way I was introduced to Pokémon. In other words, it was effectively only by being there that I and Pokémon were united. I don't know what to say had I not gone to the U.S. and become exposed to Pokémon. I might have a different life today if that wasn't the case. By going to the U.S., things worked out well in my favor for today.

Being that I used to reside there, I was introduced not only to Pokémon, but also the ways of life there. I've met lots of people that helped me along to become the way I am now, and in a way, some of them embody the same spirits of certain Pokémon characters. It may be that if Pokémon actually existed was dropped in, one would not notice the difference. Recently, there has been a lot of flak involving the (negative) things that have happened there, but I'm sure this is not the way things truly are and should be, based on what I've been taught. I'm certain that positivity will stamp out negativity, just like it often does in the world of Pokémon.

Due to current conditions, both personal and worldly, I am not certain that I will have the opportunity to revisit and especially take my interest with Pokémon to new heights there, at least not anytime soon. However, I'm glad that Pokémon made it big there, and I'm even more glad that I became a recipient of the effects of that. I'm sure the impact on other fans there is quite similar. They've made the effort to let Pokémon thrive, and now they should thrive with the greatest positivity possible with what they have - a little (or a lot of) Pokémon can't hurt either.

To all my American friends and readers, happy independence day - the Fourth of July.

One year ago: Welcome to the Jungle

Two years ago: Metal Reversed Cap Pikachu Keychain

Three years ago: The Subdued Hometown Themes