Quickies: Pokémon in My Countryside

My home town - the place I presently call home - is a great town in many ways, as I've addressed once before; it's properly called a city, but I still think of it as a town. One thing that may affect that perception is the fact that it is also surrounded by a swath of countryside, as a lot of towns are. And with my inclinations and perceptions as a Pokémon fan, I feel that I might have seen Pokémon there, or I consider Pokémon to be present there. It's a fascinating imagination with certain nice elements.

Going out of town on one end takes one to the mountains, filled with vibrant apple orchards and other farms of certain botanical goods. Appletun and its kin would likely find a home there, as does the likes of the Bulbasaur species family. The Grass-type Pokémon aren't the only things being had, as Bug-type Pokémon like the Venonat family and Yanma can deal with the environment. And since it's the hardier mountains, the Rufflet family can be present to move things along in the environment as well. All told, that's a unique assortment of Pokémon that could be present there.

On the other end, there are plains and valleys for yet other farms as well as forests. The Exeggcute species family is a conceivable denizen of these parts, and the landscape might demand them to evolve differently in different parts. Weedle, Wurmple, and their evolved forms might be a more common sight both on land and in the sky. Sugarcane and rice are commonly found grown here, so that might demand Pidgey, Spearow, and others of their family to live off of what's being cultivated. The assortment of Pokémon that may be found here might be even more diverse.

If anything, that countryside is one that is fascinating for its diversity of habitats and thereby the Pokémon species that could potentially be found there. They would just be able to coexist with people and whatever else goes on in the respective environments. And all it takes to discover that is just a (relatively) short stroll toward either end of my home town. As a Pokémon fan, it brings me joy to know that I can stand to enjoy it and have a local, reflective vision of it where I am.

One year ago: The Silph Arena Factions Post-Season

Two years ago: Let's Go Meet New and Old Friends

Three years ago: Leaping off Ledges

Four years ago: Scat-Poké-Land

Five years ago: Let's Go Research

Six years ago: Caravansary

Few Abilities, Much Wisdom

I was very young when I first felt strong. Indeed, I was young, but I thought I understood. I had many abilities, even then, but little wisdom. Better to have fewer abilities and much wisdom. 

The above quote is a short clip of a passage written (as well as spoken) by a character in another (game) series or franchise I enjoy. I am sometimes reminded of it whenever I think about myself and how I relate to the world. That said, I have deep relations with Pokémon, which becomes the rationale and driving force behind this blog. For that reason, anything that I put on this blog has to have some relation to Pokémon, whether naturally or artificially - or rather, philosophically. And that holds true with the above quote.

Actually, the first time I was exposed to this quote was also when I was young, about the same age as the character who expressed it, but in a different installment of the game series or franchise. To put that into a Pokémon perspective, at that time there were only three extant generations (and three regions by extension) - so it's obviously pretty old. And at that time, I too had many abilities, some related to Pokémon, but I also didn't have much wisdom to tie things together. The last sentence of this quote, which becomes the point of it and the title of this post, was also something I held onto as my world and the Pokémon world changed.

Essentially, the point is that one can be capable of doing many things, which is remarkable, but that doesn't help to make sense of the world. While being less capable is less remarkable, having the wisdom to make sense of the world might just make up for the difference. I've found this to be true even with my Pokémon dealings. I've never had that great of a time with main series VGC, and now I still sometimes struggle with Pokémon Go PvP - this is the "few abilities" side of things. On the "much wisdom" side, I did gain different perspectives on Pokémon matters by just participating in them and attempting to shape myself for them. 

My current experience with Silph Arena Factions could be said to be evocative of this quote as well. The fact that I'm trusted as the team Captain despite my ups and downs with PvP means that it is a reflection of how much wisdom that I have rather than how much skill I possess in this realm of Pokémon gaming. And while the other members of my Faction or team possess the skills, the "chops" for it, they may not necessarily have the wisdom to deal with the outside affairs; therefore, I'm complementary to them in this regard. I'll have more on this soon in a mid-Cycle write-up, but it may be safe to say that the quote above has a certain relevance.

Sometimes, it's amazing how the things I discover outside of Pokémon have ways of relating to Pokémon, moreover personally, especially if they go deep (philosophically, as with the above quote. It and the passage may be considered a reflection of the character's mental state at the time, but given the Pokémon situations of the present and my involvement with them, the quote and the passage is a reflection of my present. And that present state may just be one of keeping myself wise, no matter how many skills I gain.

One year ago: One More Day, Time, and Chance

Two years ago: Quickies: Going to the Safari

Three years ago: PvP Charged Attack Technique

Four years ago: Friend Cascade

Five years ago: Icons, Images, and Such

Six years ago: These Foolish Things Remind Me of Pokémon

The Language of Money

There is a "language" that many people around the world speak, but it may be spoken better by those with capitalist affairs. Evidently, by the title of this post, that "language" is that of money, for which the "fluency" may depend on how much is to be had. As expected, because this is a Pokémon blog, it has to tie into that as well, and there's a less-than-perfect current situation that goes along with that, both personal and public. And they all tie into the speaking of that "language" and what happens as that happens.

For those who haven't noticed, Pokémon does speak the "language", and does it very well, I might add. At one point in time, I've mentioned that it is a "media master", and that's still true to a good extent. Wherever it goes, there will be people who can speak the "language" with it, and both they and Pokémon get good things in the quid pro quo. This is then followed by loads of other people who make their attempt at speaking "money" and get something in return depending on how well they speak it. What I've just described is rather abstract and symbolic, but those who are Pokémon fans like me know how this would manifest: in all the Pokémon things that are present today, not the least of which are games and merchandise.

As for my personal case, right now I'm finding it somewhat difficult to say what I want to say with this "language" and get the things that I'd like in order to continue with further Pokémon dealings. Presently, I'm not in a position where I can speak the "language" for the above purpose, even if I've already "said a few things" to get there; this would translate to the Switch (which I already do have), the main series (and other) games that are present there, and the extra things that would make this viable. And yet, by experience, the "language" has to be spoken for this to happen; in my case, it doesn't seem to be in my best interest at the moment to speak about it, even if I could do that any time.

Meanwhile, the current public situation involves Pokémon Go and by extension Niantic as its developer. A "statement" has been made with the "language" by Niantic under one set of terms and is planned to be implemented, but those who play have a "statement" of their own under a different set of terms. And while the former statement has been received by the latter and interpreted, there seems to be no interest or effort in having the latter received and interpreted by the former. It's a situation that is eerily (all-too-)familiar, and it's something that may have to be resolved with a set of terms in the "language" that both sides can speak and necessarily agree upon, for the good of everyone concerned. 

Speaking a language (an actual one) may not necessarily be an easy thing, and a "language" as figurative as money may be even harder still to be "spoken", as in the latter two cases above. But just like the actual languages that are spoken, money too is in constant use and is "spoken" all the time, even including Pokémon and all its related affairs. The hope is that "communication" by the "language" can always result in great things, and that's something all of us - even Pokémon - have to be able to instigate.

One year ago: Keeping Things Down

Two years ago: Pretty Colors of the Prism

Three years ago: Writer Shortcuts

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

Five years ago: 1000 Pokémon Species?

Six years ago: That Way You've Got

Silph Arena Web Site Quirks

Earlier in January, I had written about how the Silph Arena, the community organizer for Pokémon Go PvP, may be facing problems or challenges, and why that might be the case. Something else that might play into that is the venue of the Arena itself - that is, its web site. A few Trainers that use the Silph Arena web site for all its purposes, including for the individual and team (Factions) competition, have stated difficulty of navigation around it, suggesting that it is in fact a little clunky; by my experience as well, it seems very much so. It therefore demands a bit of discussion.

Reflecting on the previous discussion, the Silph Arena web site is actually one half of its realm; the other half is The Silph Road web site, which is the Pokémon Go "tracker" portion. This separation may actually be necessary so that Trainers who are purely explorers and contribute to only the latter don't have to deal with the former's competitive side. However, for Trainers who do or are interested to deal with both, it does seem disunited, even if the Arena calls up the Traveler's Card from The Silph Road side and said card pulls up battle data from the Arena, an instance of "cross-talk". To unite both of these halves would be a grand goal for usability, though it might take more resources than what can be mustered at the moment.

Moving back to the Silph Arena realm completely, and specifically back to Factions, some have noted the lack of "cross-talk" between the Faction page and the Cycle page where the action happens. It seems that the latter is for actual competitive management (changing lineups and teams) while the former is for non-competitive management (adding and removing members, including oneself); in fact, it has been stated that the RSVP process for getting a Faction registered for play simply takes a snapshot of the Faction page, preserving its information at that time, while it remains as such irrespective of what goes on in a Cycle. Registration mishaps have happened because of this, and if the registered Captain becomes out of commission, it can compound the problems further.

Like the game it is designed to follow and as with any programmed development in general, bugs occur from time to time. The latest of these was a case of unintentionally doubled matchups in the previous Bout that also led to premature reveals of lineups and Pokémon. Along with new developments, Gholdengo seems to not be programmed well for inclusion at the moment, and this applies for both the competitive and exploration sides. While these have been or are being resolved, the fact of the matter is that they just happen - fait accompli.

What I've detailed above may just scratch the surface of the topic, but at least one thing is clear: the Silph Arena web site and by extension the one for The Silph Road has some quirks, the solutions for which may not be an easy matter. The assurance of continued existence for both may just depend on how the developers can make things less clunky, even with available resources, to solve at least some problems and tackle a few challenges head-on for all.

One year ago: All the Trainers Are Nemesis

Two years ago: Moody Friends, Moody Pokémon

Three years ago: The Primary Warning of Pokémon Go

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

Five years ago: Gambling Not Permitted

Six years ago: One Thing

Tournament: SWEEP JR vs. Sac and The City (SA Factions)

(I have to admit that it still stings for me to finish this write-up for reasons that will become clear shortly, but I have to do it anyway, sooner if not later.)

And... my Silph Arena Factions team, SWEEP JR, faced an interesting challenge in the previous Bout. We were paired up with Sac and The City, one of the senior teams in the competition; originally called IndoSac, they've been as high as the Diamond tier but has fallen out from there since, and is presently an Open tier denizen. As can be discerned from the original name, it's also an Indonesian faction, meaning that my teammates and I have an easier time coordinating and I get the brunt of it off of me. Yet it also sets up a "classic" showdown, as this team has battled my senior team, SWEEP ID (originally called IndoSweep), and this Bout becomes evocative of that time.

The members of the other team have changed as well several times, spawning other Factions as a result. In fact, my Faction happens to have two of its previous members, which only further deepens the contest (and in that regard, perhaps it slightly mitigates the "junior" aspect of my Faction). Regardless, many members of both sides know the others well, and the majority of us are registered in Arcaviary in addition to the national coordinating group for Factions, so it was a snap to communicate and schedule things. Preparing things, on the other hand, took on a complexity of its own, including setting up the player lineup as needed, which was still my responsibility.

Certainly, after that came the Pokémon roster setup as usual, followed by the battles where the dynamics take place. For that, this one started early: Wina1403 vs. MasLenengue in the Catacomb Field kicked things off on Thursday evening my local time, although this led to a 0-3 loss and an early lead for the other team. But then came a series of 2-1 wins from riman12 vs. PRBKillerbee (Open Great League on Friday afternoon), YukixCyz vs. OneBall02 (Catacomb Field on Friday evening), and Almujha vs. Sabiankeys87 (Arcana field on Saturday morning) that brought momentum and evened things to 6-6, leaving the rest of the matches to take place on Sunday.

On that day, Kucingimutt vs. YopaNN27 (Arcana Field) played in the morning and gave a 3-0 win, putting the score at 9-6. Later that night, RaymondHrtwn vs. EmperorOldDeus (Justicar Field for Ultra League) played but led to a 1-2 loss and the score at 10-8. My team only needed one more win to win... but sadly, the Orioo16 vs. LordFerdyPM match in Open Master League shortly after that led to a 0-3 loss and a 10-11 loss overall, the third straight result with this margin for my Faction and in contrast to the previous Bout. Our Master League Specialist also "lost a little innocence" by being shut out, the first time in a long time, even with preparations to the utmost extent. It's a painful sting.

Some things can still be gained. In this Bout, my teammates took four out of the seven matches, which is still an achievement, and the wins were pretty good as well. For the first time since this Cycle started, I also did not have to deal with filing disputes (although one of the Catacomb Field matches had a threat of a dispute being filed... by the other team, and for battle results rather than coordination). Though this may have been helped by the Bout being a "national derby", that too is an achievement and a relief, as well as assurance that battling remains the way to go, furthermore once we're back to being paired up with a Faction from somewhere outside the country.

Within the next few weeks (and thus the next few Bouts), there will be some challenging times for my Faction, and some minor but sweeping (ahem) changes will be necessary to contend with that. For now, this Bout with a fellow national Faction may just serve as a testament, along with the results of previous Bouts, that we can measure up to the challenge of Factions in general, even if some of the results might not be what we expected. There will always be rough edges - in fact, some of them came out as a result of this Bout - but that's for me and my Faction to file down as they appear. And the challenges may or may not remain interesting... but that's all part of the Factions fray.

One year ago: The Type Is Wild

Two years ago: Cosplay: "How Are You, Communities?"

Three years ago: Subcultures and Specialties

Four years ago: Pokémon and eSports

Five years ago: Fondness for Latias and Latios

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

Seeing Polkadots in the Silph Arena

It's a new month, so the Silph Arena individual competition turns over with a new theme. This month is all about spring - the season - so the environment is spackled and spotted with signs of life. That includes the hatching of eggs and the mating of insects like the ladybug (Ledyba in Pokémon parlance), of which the two also have spackles and spots of their own. It's a greatly inspirational picture, and that has inspired the Arena to create a theme based on that, called "Polkadot".

Like the theme for the previous month, the theme for the current month is limited in the total number of usable species, but not as strictly in number or configuration; there are 100 species in all, and any of them may be freely selected (though no duplicates as always). Interestingly, all of the available species are those that belong in the Bug, Fairy, Field, and Flying Egg groups that are found in the main series of Pokémon games. Additionally, no Shadow or Mega Evolution forms may be used.

As expected, since three of the four Egg groups represent types, some Pokémon of those types would rise as top contenders. Flying goes up against Bug, and Bug has a chance to counter Fairy. For that remaining Egg group, its top contenders are of the Electric type, which counters the Flying type. The pivotal link here is Dedenne, which is both Fairy and Electric, and therefore may demand a place on a team. Then there are a handful of Pokémon that are within these groups but are not of the types above, and they have the potential to support and formidably challenge those representative types.

Further insights can be taken from the development notes. Evidently, the intent for this theme is to break free of some of the restrictions from the previous theme. The selection of Pokémon by Egg groups, something that has absolutely no bearing in Pokémon Go, along with the limited list is to prevent certain dominant species and to include some elements of interest. To that end, a few strong species were still included and a number of outward types were also excluded. It was admitted that while this theme (and the previous theme for that matter) is less diverse, any uniformity would be indicative of skill and not duplicity.

Spring is all about life, whether starting anew (from eggs) or becoming all that it can be wherever it is present. The choice for Egg groups as a limiter for this theme is unusual for Pokémon Go but whimsically appropriate for its spirit. And it's a free spirit too, or at least as free as free can be with the other restrictions of the theme. The battles that feature this theme ought to be as inspirational as the theme itself - seasonally vivacious, and as always, bringing out the best out of every Trainer.

One year ago: Language Bridging Songs

Two years ago: Getting Collective and Connective with Pokémon

Three years ago: Quizzes and Knowledge

Four years ago: Going For New Competitions

Five years ago: Artistic License

Six years ago: I Found You, Black and White

April Fool's Day 2023: For the Birds

It's once again April Fool's Day, a day reserved for some craziness and tomfoolery, which may include Pokémon to some extent. And with a lot of things settling back to how they were around four years ago, the craziness and tomfoolery seems to be a lot more welcome this time around. A phrase that might be relevant for today is "for the birds"; in one figurative sense, something that has this label applied is not meant to be taken seriously, and that may be considered to apply for a lot of things on this day. But in another sense, it is much different.

For that sense, something with this label has no point or use. Already it is evident that some things don't "fit the bill" of this specific sense, like my interest in Pokémon; for the matter, it has every point and use, as something that helped to start this very blog. This sense is very much tied to the origins of the phrase, as it originally referred to excrement that birds would peck at. Such origins would suggest that certain things are like dirt even if they aren't, but that's an unnecessary implication; it is better to keep things simple, as is the case above with the interpretation for the general things of today.

As for literally interpreting this phrase, Pokémon can serve well to assist in that. There are lots of bird or bird-like Pokémon, and they're all typical and/or quirky in their own ways. Some of them feed on typical foodstuff, while others may be more elemental in their survival. Some of them may cause chaos in the usual ways that birds do, while others cause chaos in ways that are more transcendental. The world may be literally said to be a world "for the birds", even though they're just one of the many kinds of Pokémon out there.

Me: Wouldn't you agree?

Goh: Yeah! There are so many kinds of bird Pokémon out there. They can be free in the wild, they can be our friends, and sometimes they can cause lots of problems.

Ash: Like that one time in the Orange Islands. Man, was that a wild ride.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["I'll say."]

Me: What do you think about the more common birds? Say, the Pidgey family?

Ash: They're very nice! Once you make friends with one, you're friends forever. 

Goh: But I guess there's always the possibility that a lot of them can cause chaos.

Ash: You know, Goh, you might just be right. Don't you think there are many more Pidgey out there than usual right now? 

Goh: It does seem like it. What do you think we should do?

Me: How about we catch them?

Ash: That's a great idea! Pikachu and I will get right on it.

Pikachu: Pika! ["Ready!"]

So it seems that "for the birds", they have roles to play in general order and chaos. The "chaos" of this particular day, well... most are just for pleasantries and they shouldn't be taken seriously. As for the order, it would be rather certain that birds are significant in the various ways of life - and some things could be left up to them.

Ash: I caught the Pidgey! 

Goh: Great! They were getting just a bit too numerous.

Me: I guess that's one thing you can't leave "for the birds". Nice job.

Happy April Fool's... and watch the birdie (and the birds).

One year ago: April Fool's Day 2022: Life in Duplex

Two years ago: April Fool's Day 2021: Aipom Business

Three years ago: April Fool's Day 2020: Truth in a Post

Four years ago: April Fool's Day 2019: Objectivity and Subjectivity

Five years ago: April Fool's Day 2018: Stepping Back, Moving Forward

Six years ago: It's April Fool's Day!