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SoraNews24
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
A Pokémon fan's eye-opening experience of Japan's national championship
'Is this even the same game I play?' Like most competitive games, Pokémon has had many tournaments over the years, both within Japan and internationally. However, despite being an obsessive fan of Pokémon Go , our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun had never attended the Pokémon Japan Championships, also known as PJCS, which originally started back in 2009. PJCS was held on June 21 and 22 at Pacifico Yokohama, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, as the official tournament to decide the top Pokémon trainers in Japan across four divisions: the Pokémon video game, the trading card game, Pokémon Go , and Pokémon Unite . At its most fundamental level, the Pokémon games are focused on 'collecting,' 'training,' 'battling,' and 'trading,' but at these tournaments the focus is specifically on the battling aspect. P.K., however, generally avoids battling in Pokémon Go , unless it's absolutely necessary, and so has never taken much of an interest in the competition. This year, a high school student who he knows was competing, so he decided to tag along as a sort of guardian. ▼ Participants in the games receive a sticker. Having gathered competitors from across Japan, who had successfully made it through the regional qualifiers, the venue was brimming with an intense fighting spirit, which in combination with many thoughtful touches by the organizers scattered about, created an exciting environment for both players and spectators alike. Even though everyone was there to cheer and compete in the matches, there were plenty of things to keep people occupied during any downtime. ▼ If you place a trading card on the device, it will display an enlarged version on the screen next to it—perfect for a photo opportunity with your favorite partner Pokémon. While keeping an eye on the preliminary rounds of the high schooler he was accompanying, P.K. wandered around the venue until he heard thunderous roars erupt from one section. Going over to investigate, he discovered that the source of those cheers was Pokémon Unite. Throughout the entire day, the most visibly hyped area was undoubtedly the Pokémon Unite zone. P.K. wasn't all too familiar with the game, and being a relatively recent addition to the franchise, he'd assumed it might have had the fewest spectators of the four areas. However, just based on the sheer energy emanating from the crowd, it was incredible. According to a Pokémon Company staff member P.K. spoke to, ' Unite always gets super hyped like this,' suggesting that it's nothing out of the ordinary for fans of the game. Perhaps it's in part due to the pro teams who also compete? Nevertheless, he was impressed at the scene of all of the fans cheering with towels that bear their favorite team's names. In terms of short peaks of excitement, though, Pokémon Unite couldn't hold a candle to the Pokémon video game division. The crowd numbers were through the roof, which is to be expected from the original core of the franchise, and the video game section being the main event was an undisputed fact. On the other hand, the trading card division felt less like something that would have had people jumping out of their seats, but more like something people watched with deep concentration. Naturally, there were cheers and applause, but despite the impressively-sized audience, the atmosphere wasn't full of squeals of excitement. Instead, the surroundings resonated with deep rumbles of appreciation. P.K.'s beloved Pokémon Go had perhaps the most subdued of all of the crowds. In terms of numbers, the fans watching the Pokémon Go division were clearly in last place. If someone unfamiliar with the event happened to walk by, they might assume that it was the least heated part of the competition, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The battles were seriously intense. P.K. was captivated by the mental warfare and mind games that were underway before the match had even started, and was blown away by the elite techniques on display and incredible pressure where not a single mistake was allowed. It was almost inconceivable to him that these top competitors were playing the same game he plays every day. The quality and intensity of matches just didn't correspond to the energy exhibited by the crowd. P.K. could understand the low hype if the battles were boring, but with the skill on display, it simply didn't make sense. As a fellow Pokémon Go trainer, P.K. hopes that everyone can rally together in the future to hype up the battles more. The winner of the Pokémon Go tournament, Takumi Tanaka, commented, 'Once you start battling, catching and trading Pokémon becomes even more fun.' Takumi also hoped that the tournament format—playing nine rounds and the people with six wins going through to the next stage (known as the 6-3 format or Swiss rounds) will be available to play in the game itself sometime in the future. Summing up his experience at PJCS, P.K. was surprised at the level of excitement around Pokémon Unite , and comparatively how underwhelming the crowd at the Pokémon Go matches were. Overall, though, he was moved by the thought of how thousands of people in a single space shared their love for Pokémon. If you didn't happen to catch any of the championships in Japan, the World Championships will be held in Anaheim, California, from August 15-17. However, spectator tickets are no longer available, so if you're looking to join in the excitement, you'll need to catch one of the livestreams through the official Pokémon account. If beating down the competition to become a Pokémon Master is more of your thing, it's never too early to start brushing up on your skills for next year's championship. I've already started practicing in the hope that Pokémon Sleep gets added to the roster of games to compete in; I've a good feeling I've got a chance at first place. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Experts Say This Is the Trick to Getting Kids to Open Up
My 9-year-old is a total yapper when the mood strikes. Ask her about her latest D&D campaign, the goings-on in her most recent Warriors book or the strategies for her next Pokémon Unite battle, and she can relate everything down to the smallest detail. But follow those questions up by asking for a single tiny morsel about school — anything at all — and she clams up. Her gift of gab turns into a chorus of "I don't know" or "I can't remember." It's not actually a memory problem, as her ability to recall all those Warriors cat clans can attest. "Almost all preschoolers and early elementary schoolers are able to recount every detail of what they have seen during the day, but it's very hard for them to start a narrative on a broad topic," says Pamela Li, M.S., a best-selling author and the founder and editor-in-chief of Parenting for Brain. So if she knows the answer, it must be my line of questioning that's the problem. It's possible I'm being too vague. "Details about their day are usually good starting questions," Li says, "while a broad question like, 'What did you learn today?' is not." Li adds that once I've gotten a good response to those smaller, specific questions, I can then use those as a stepping stone to broader, open-ended ones. A good example, she says, would be asking something like, "Did you raise your hand in class today?" Then you can follow up with something like'Tell me more about that class and what you like or dislike about it.' "Most children say 'I don't know' when asked the wrong question or when they don't want to talk," Li says. "When it happens, try asking a series of specific questions that elicit one-word answers. The key is to get them to start talking and show your interest in what they do. When you hit the right question, they will start elaborating on it. Then you can follow up with an open-ended question." I can say it's worked: I definitely get a better response to "What was your special today?" or "Did anybody get in trouble?" than I do to "How was your day?" Then I can try to zoom out and get the bigger picture. If you want to try the same method to coax them out of their shells, it helps to have some open-ended questions at the ready to keep the conversation flowing. These are some of the best questions for kids to help get to know them better. Some are ones you can break out around the dinner table, while others you can break out at any time when you feel a lull in the conversation. Plus, there's never a bad time for a good "Would you rather?" conversation! From "peaks and valleys" to extracurriculars and special classes, these topics are good entry points into getting a kid to talk about their school day. What was the best thing that happened to you today? What was the worst thing that happened to you today? What was your favorite thing you learned today? Who did you talk to or play with today? Did you raise your hand in school today? Were you called on? What special classes did you have today? Did you have art, music, or gym? What did you do in those classes? What was the school lunch today? Did anyone get in trouble today? Did anything really funny happen today? What was the hardest thing you had to do today? What was the easiest? Did you do anything brave or kind today? Did you read any books today? Did you like them? Do you have any questions about anything that happened today? What are you most grateful for today? What's on the schedule for tomorrow? These questions help kids better understand their family history — and how they're similar to and different from the relatives that came before them. When is your birthday? Do you share your birth month with any family members? Do you know your birthstone, birth flower or zodiac sign? What does your name mean? Why was that name chosen for you? Does anyone else in the family share your name or middle name? How many people are in your family? How many siblings? How many cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.? Where did your parents grow up? What do you think your parents do for work? Do you know all your grandparents' names? Do you know where they were from? Do you know how your parents met? How your grandparents met? What's your favorite thing to do for fun on weekends? When they were your age, what were your parents' favorite thing to do for fun on weekends? What about your grandparents? What languages do you speak in your family? What's one thing that makes your family special? Who in the family do you look most like? Who do you act like? Who is the oldest person in your family? Who is the youngest? Who is the best artist in your family? The best musician? Cook? Who's the funniest? If you could swap places with one person in your family, who would it be and why? What's your favorite family tradition? If you want to get to know a kid now, ask them how they see themselves in the future. The best thing about these questions is how the answers change over time. What's something you're looking forward to? What goals do you have for the next year? Where do you want to live when you grow up? What does your dream house look like? What do you want to do for a job when you grow up? What job would you want to do the least? What kind of car would you like to drive? What skill or hobby would you most like to learn in the future? If you could go anywhere in the world, what place would you most want to travel to? Why? If you could sign up for one travel experience — like bungee jumping, skydiving, horseback riding, surfing, scuba diving, exploring ruins — what would it be? Do you think you'll attend college? What kind of campus do you imagine you'll want? Do you want to have kids? How many? What are you looking forward to most about getting older? How do you think your generation will change the world for the better? What do you think will be most different about living in the future? Is there anything that scares or worries you about the future? Studies show that reminiscing about the past with young kids helps their social-emotional development as they get older. When it's time for a trip down memory lane, try one of these questions. What's the first thing you remember? What's a memory that makes you happy? What's the luckiest thing that's ever happened to you? What's the best present you ever got? What was the best trip you ever took? What was the best birthday you ever had? What's the last thing that made you laugh really hard? What's your favorite age to be so far? What's the strangest thing that's ever happened to you? What's the best advice you've ever received? How did you meet your best friend? What was your first impression of them? Where is your favorite place in the world, and what's your happiest memory there? What was your most embarrassing moment? What's one mistake you wish you could go back and fix? What's one thing you've done that you wish you could do again? Kids love to talk about their favorite, well, anything — and they love to ask adults the same. So if you want to deploy one of these questions, make sure you have your own answer prepared. What's your favorite book? Why? What's your favorite TV show? Why? What's your favorite movie? Why? Who is your favorite character in any of the above? Why? What's your favorite toy or game? Why? What's your favorite color? What's your favorite number? What's your favorite word? What's your favorite sports team? What's your favorite song right now? What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Dessert? Snack? What's your favorite joke? What does your favorite outfit look like? What's your favorite subject in school? What's your favorite holiday? These are the blue-sky, no-idea-too-far-fetched questions you can ask when you really want to see the wheels turning. If you had a time machine, what time would you travel to? What would you do? If you could make any invention in the world, what would you invent? If you won a million dollars, what would you buy? If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Why? If you could have one superpower, what would it be? If you were a parent, what new rules would you make for your family? Which ones would you ditch? If you were the principal of your school, what new rules would you make? Which ones would you ditch? If you were president of the country, what new laws would you make? Which ones would you ditch? If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you? If you could switch places with anyone for a day, who would you pick? If you saw a shooting star, what would you wish for? If you could be a celebrity, what would you want to be famous for? If you could teleport, where would you go? Why? If you had to come up with a family crest and a motto, what would it be? If you could live in any fictional world, which one would you choose? Why? Conversations don't always have to be so serious. Try these to get a laugh! If you could switch places with your pet for a day, what would your day be like? If your stuffed animals could talk, what would they say? If you woke up and there were suddenly no rules, what's the first thing you would do? What is the silliest face you can make? If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? What would life be like if you had eight arms like an octopus? Can you wiggle your ears? Touch your tongue to your nose? Raise only one eyebrow? If you were given permission to make the biggest mess ever, what would you do? What's the weirdest noise you can make? Which animal would you think has the smelliest farts? What's your silliest talent? If you could choose one of your toys to come to life, which one would you pick? Why? What do you think goldfish think about all day? What's the wackiest thing you could put on a pizza that you would actually eat? What sound do you think a giraffe should make? These are a great way to pass the time in a doctor's office, at a restaurant or anywhere you might have to deal with a long wait. The answers can be so silly, the minutes will fly by. Would you rather take a trip to a city or the beach? Would you rather have the power to fly or the power to be invisible? Would you rather explore the bottom of the ocean or the deepest reaches of outer space? Would you rather be as small as a ladybug or as big as an elephant? Would you rather have wings or a tail? Would you rather have a pet cat or a pet dog? Would you rather be able to wake up earlier or go to bed later? Would you rather have a ghost in your attic or a monster under your bed? Would you rather live someplace that's warm all the time or someplace where there's always snow on the ground? Would you rather ride a horse or a motorcycle? Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn? Would you rather be super lucky or super smart? Would you rather time travel to the past to see dinosaurs, or to the future to see what's to come? Would you rather have a house with a slide staircase or a house with a secret passageway? If you had to give one up, would you rather give up screen time or give up candy? Even the littlest conversationalists can get in on the fun with these icebreakers. What's your favorite animal? What's your favorite thing to color? What would your best day be like? What do you like to do most when you go to a playground? If you opened a store, what would you sell? Would you rather be a superhero or a princess? Why? What's your favorite thing to do outside? What's your favorite thing to do inside? What's your favorite room where you live? Why? If you had a camera, what would you want to take pictures of? What's something you're really good at? What makes you smile or laugh? If you had to name a pet cat, what name would you pick? What about dog? Bear? Dragon? Unicorn? If you could learn any language, what would it be? If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Bigger kids mean bigger questions — and more thoughtful answers. What's your best talent? What's one thing you wish you were better at? What's one thing that makes you unique? What qualities do you look for in a friend? Who is someone you look up to? Why? What do you like to daydream about? What's one thing I don't already know about you? When was the last time you had to do something really hard? How did you do it? When was the last time you went out of your way to be nice to someone? What did that feel like? What worries you most? Who knows you the best? What's the wackiest dream you've had recently? Who has been your favorite teacher so far? Why? If you won $100, what would you buy? What if it were $500? What makes you feel confident?"As they grow, how we handle these conversations will determine whether they will still want to talk to us," Li says. "Good conversations are those that engage them with their interest so they feel heard and understood. Bad ones are those that interrogate, judge, lecture or dismiss, making them feel unheard. Conversations like these are also good opportunities to validate their feelings and coach them on coping with emotions." And sometimes, kids don't want to talk at all. "If nothing works, you can start talking about something you experienced that day," Li adds. "Do this only if they're interested in listening. Otherwise, it may mean that they want some quiet time." And there's nothing wrong with that. You Might Also Like 67 Best Gifts for Women That'll Make Her Smile The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper
