I can at least agree on the friendly part.

There is a short list of places where I feel a natural inclination to relax more than I tend to usually. The first place I experienced it was the Renaissance Faire. It's just a sense that the usual threats don't exist. I've experienced it at a couple conventions, but I've ended up working at them as I went along, often in security capacity. And when that wasn't the case anymore, society had changed a bit and Norms were showing up in greater numbers.

Local Pokémon Trainers are, for the most part, the same kind of experience. What really strikes me is the true diversity, though. The range of age, backgrounds; whether socioeconomic, or whatever, and genders truly amazes me just about every time we Raid.

That may seem odd given what I said about police involvement, but I wasn't there for that and it was only the two guys from what I understand.

I got to 41 excellent throws. So close. there were at least 10 where I was wondering why it was considered an excellent throw especially when I had 30 land similarly and I didn't get a single bonus for them.

random Shiny Carvanha today.

Okay, my whole family just got way too excited about sighting a Meowth balloon. We all gathered around my phone and did the whole Team Rocket speech out loud in the voices of Jessie and James.

That's awesome!

I was super excited when I ran into the Meowth balloon too! Then I have run into them every time a balloon has appeared for me. Not exactly what I was looking for since I am actually waiting to fight Sierra for that research challenge from months ago. Can't complain, It has allowed me to really plow through these research tasks since Jesse and James count as 2 grunts and James gave me a shiny Koffing to catch.


BTW Koffing did not show up shiny when I fought it.

James also gave me a shiny Koffing, which was my second. So now I have 2, one shadow and one standard.

The wife caught a shiny Ekans and Yanma last night within 15 minutes of each other at our house.

ArecShadow Pokemon worth invesring in? I got a 13/13/15 Shadow Pineco after defeating Arlo and it's tempting to purify it for another 100% Pokemon. On the other hand, those stats are good enough that it really doesn't need the boost...

FUN! I just read it in the voices because my kid no longer plays. I still do. Of course.





Also, Surfer! We are one away from SuperUltraBest. Tell me a time tomorrow we should open an egg for Double XP.

3 team go rocket leaders down and 2 more to go! I also finished that last field research from the last rocket event, yay!

I never realized that Giovanni's Persian has a quick move that pretty much makes it unbeatable so you need to find a version of him without the quick move.

I must have been lucky then because I had no trouble beating Giovanni when he floated by in a balloon. The balloons have really changed up the dynamic of fighting Team Rocket, it's nice variety.

I keep running into Sierra (who we call Karen) with a shadow Lapras that's the same. Quick attack that's like a machine gun. "Why do you keep telling me that it's 'Not very effective' when it's melting me like butter in a blast furnace?!?" Then, if you somehow make it through that Lapras, you get... another Lapras!

I have mostly been running into Arlo and his pine cone of doom, fortunately. A few Sierra encounters but they always end with me giving up. Haven't run into Cliff since they changed lineups I think.

Double Lapras is the worst! There is less than 12 hours now and I don't think I can get to beating 5 leaders. How about you guys?

I think I finished on Monday. They balloons helped a lot, particularly when Jesse and James gave two mysterious components in one go.

The new event started yesterday. Apparently the new shiny to go after is Bellsprout.

Infographic with details here....
https://i.redd.it/e88yxpvi7ab51.jpg