Pokemon Go Snap! Volume 1

The coastal city Oxnard lays on top of the Oxnard Plain, a rich fertile soil providing the neighboring communities with stellar crops such as the most luscious of strawberries. It is also a land of varying biomes allowing various breeds of Pokemon to inhabit! Thus brings us...

I was expecting to meet Puka, the surfing Pikachu

This Sunday marks the dawn of a new (calendar) week, one of which I look forward to as I will be uploading my first actual Volume of Pokemon Go Snap photos from this past weekend in Oxnard, CA. A town which Professor Oak himself would love to settle down in to catch the ample amount of starter Pokemon -- And boy were they prevalent.

Sorry, fellas, into the pokeball you go.

I have been to the Santa Monica Pier (world-renowned for it's Poke-catching) and have maybe found a Charmander or two, possibly a Squirtle tagging along in my time there... Side Note: I haven't been there on one of those nights you see on the YouTube where people rapi-dash down the pier, like a herd of Tauros, searching diligently for a Dragonite, but I was pleasantly pleased with the abundant Squirtle and Charmander that I found in Oxnard. Not as many Bulbasaur around, which I found interesting due to the local geography, although they would still appear.

Onward! To the reason you're all here -- the gallery!

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Nearing three months into the games release and I have yet to find or evolve any of the starters into their third evolution but all of that has changed over this last weekend and I will be running a lucky egg soon to gain the optimal XP boost (reply if you have any questions on this!) from any unacquired evolutions.

Marvel Future Fight : Lunar Special Update

Trained boxer, elite operative, mercenary turned vigilante, dissociative personality disorder victim -- Marc Spector is Moon Knight - and it has been a few months since he has made his way into Netmarble's Marvel Future Fight, pleasing long time fans and newcomers to the lore of the Lunar Legionnaire.

Heroes for Hire

Moon Knight is yet another combat character arriving in Future Fight but this time Netmarble does not let us down. His passive, Moon's Might, paired with his high HP makes Spector incredibly resilient. Add in his I-frames for tactful play during World Boss and Battleworld modes and you have a superior combat character that is a top candidate for T2 advancement. 

Moon Knight's Lunar Giveaway check-in event started on September 9th and will run through the 17th. Be sure to log in each day to collect the free giveaway rewards! The rewards will be delivered to your inbox after each daily reset (8am for PST). The free item giveaways are as follows:

Fri    -    750k Gold

Sat    -    Dimension Debris x500

Sun   -    5* Obelisk

Mon  -   Gear Up Kit x800

Tue   -    5* Obelisk

Wed  -    Legendary Comic Card

Thu   -    5* Obelisk

Fri     -    Selector: Biometics x30

Sat     -    6* Fully Ascended ISO-8 Chest x1

Moon Knight's Lunar Festival comes with special packages,
free giveaways, and rapid-fire Battleworlds!

If you are short on Moon Knight biometrics than do not forget to participate in the Battleworld events starting on the 11th and ending on the 14th and you will find yourself earning some to help level up the Fist of Khonshu. 

Pokemon Go Snap!

Pokemon Snap - Originally released on March 21st (my birthday!) 1999. This time as we journey through a 3-D Pokemon game our goal is to catch 'em all with your trusty camera, collecting various snapshots of Pokemon in exciting and unique poses. It was a total blast and a refreshing take on the Pokemon property. The world of Pokemon is amazing and the monsters can perform a multitude of tasks as seen in the anime and feature films so it is nice to not be strictly battling. Observing pokes in their naturally habitat and tossing them sweet apples to see how they respond was near therapeutic- and has provided some hilarious gifs online...

via GIPHY

Much like the classic N64 title, I always try to snap a photo of Pokemon that are rare or at incredible places while playing Pokemon Go. For me it has added an additional element to the game that has extended its playability. The first photo is of my first trusty "Pokemon" Bruce Tiberius the chow chow and the husky is Zeus Almighty, whom often accompany me on my poke-advetures. Following this we have a few shots scattered along Pacific Coast Highway and on Santa Monica Pier as well as some photos just around my neighborhood as we were on walks. I will gradually release the photos for your please soon and hope you enjoy them as much as I do taking them!

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Pokemon Go!

Ahoy! It has been a few weeks since my last post but it has been a busy summer for me with work. I have a lot to discuss over the time that has passed! On July 5th the country was taken by storm with a flashback to the mid-90's through Niantic's much-anticipated, Pokemon Go. We were able to relive our childhood journey into the world of Pokemon; this time the game is the world around us as we traverse about familiar locations in a whole new fashion.

My trusty canine-pal Bruce and I explore my neighborhood daily looking for those pocket sized monsters as I remember a simpler time, where I was staring at an green 8-bit screen wondering about an unknown land. The melodic melody beating thru my earbuds is reminiscent of the classic tune, further enhancing my experience. World of Pokemon - here I come!

Meet Bruce T. Wayne

As I stroll beside the steep flood wall of the Los Angeles river an eerie feeling creeps over as I recall navigating the treacherous Route 9 becoming battle weary with a low stock of potions. Nostalgia takes over as a smile spreads across my face. The rush was real - it was time to become a Pokemon Master! I look to Bruce who's tongue is bouncing happily as he looks back at me in confirmation. Our journey had just begun and it was not long before I was venturing out of my version of Pallet Town on my very own journey to catch 'em all.

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, our tour
guides thru the Pokemon world.

Being a SoCal resident, I am at somewhat of an advantage due to the geocaching mechanics of the game imported from Niantic's first entry in the augmented reality gaming world, Ingress. The city of Santa Monic is a gold mine of Poke pals. Every block there is at least a Poke Stop in addition to spawn points everywhere you look. I could only imagine what my collection would be at this point if I were to actually live in the city. 

Although, over the past few weeks the records have shown a steady decline in the player base for the game there is a solid core keeping buzz alive via online communitIes. The rather small company has juggled the app with about the same level of success as Team Rocket would handling a squad of volatile Electrodes. Despite the harsh criticisms of the simple gameplay, etc. I still find the app to be quite enjoyable while I make my way around Los Angeles going about my daily duties. 

When my arm begins to grow weary from tossing so many balls at oh-so many mons, I find the AR mode to be quite entertaining and to be a mini-game in and of itself. Much like our friend, Todd Snap, I'm attempting to capture these elusive creatures on film as well. For now, I will leave you with a sneak pic of the pics to come!

Charma, charma, charma, charma,
charma, Charmeleon!