Pokemon Go Unova Tour

(Guest post by Tyler)

This last weekend was the Unova Tour in Pokemon Go. As normal, there were multiple in person events leading up to it. For the event this last weekend, our raid group had planned to meet on campus when the event began. The night before, a few of us went to grab snacks for the event. While shopping, I got invited to a raid in South Korea and since I had a few remote passes, I joined. From my first raid of the event, I got a perfect IV Kyurem. A great start.

Because of a class I was teaching, I showed up an hour late but still had plenty of time for raids. We spent the day raiding and in between we did some trades. The event gave us 6 special trades (special trades include: legendary Pokemon, shiny Pokemon or a form that the other player had not caught before). From the trades, I got another perfect IV Kyurem. The reaction the group had was hilarious from the disbelief. Between the two days of the event, we did around 50 raids. 

Something new that they did during the event was a reward point system. Leading up to the event you would get points for each egg hatched, Pokemon caught and Legendary Pokemon caught. During the event itself, points were doubled and unrestricted. There were two sides to the system, a free one and a $15 premium. Rewards in the free version included: encounters with various Pokemon (ex:Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Pawniard, Sandile), candy for Legendary Pokemon, premium items (ex: lures, incense, star piece, lucky egg), regular items (ex: Pokeballs), stardust and fusion energy. The premium pass included more encounters of the Pokemon, increased regular items (5 vs 25 balls), and many more premium items, but most importantly it came with two unique rewards. The first was an encounter with Victini, a Mythical Pokemon that had been released once before in a special research. The other is a new item: the Lucky Trinket. The Lucky Trinket is a limited use item that automatically makes you and another trainer Lucky Friends.

Being Lucky Friends means that the next time you trade with that trainer, the traded Pokemon are guaranteed to be Lucky. This means that you are guaranteed 12 IVs in each stat and it takes half the stardust to power up. It’s pretty typical to use these guaranteed results to trade Legendary Pokemon and Shiny Pokemon. 

Overall the event went very well. There was a positive reception all around to the points and reward system with many of us hoping to see it return for larger events such as this again. 

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu: A Fantasy That Breaks the Mold

I met Wesley Chu at Dragonsteel Nexus Con and decided to read his book after hearing his elevator pitch. Robin Hobb, who wanted to check on him during the convention, further solidified my decision. With her recommendation and my interest in the story, I couldn't say no.

Wesley Chu’s The Art of Prophecy is a fresh and thrilling take on the classic “chosen one” trope, delivering a story that turns expectations upside down. In most fantasy epics, the prophesied hero is destined to save the world, but what if that hero is… completely unprepared? That’s exactly what happens to Jian, a boy raised to believe he will defeat the immortal warlord threatening the kingdom—until a legendary warrior informs him that he’s nowhere near ready. What follows is an action-packed and deeply character-driven journey of growth, mentorship, and shattered expectations.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its diverse and well-balanced cast. Chu masterfully blends a variety of perspectives, from battle-hardened veterans to young warriors, crafting a narrative where both men and women, old and young, play crucial roles. This balance makes for a dynamic and engaging read, rather than the usual lone hero narrative. Additionally, the worldbuilding is heavily inspired by Chinese martial arts epics, creating a setting that feels vibrant and immersive.

If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, you’ll love the blend of fast-paced action and heartfelt character development in The Art of Prophecy. The fight scenes are cinematic and fluid, and the magic system is skillfully woven into the martial arts traditions of the world. The language is relatively clean, making it accessible to a broad audience while still carrying weight in its themes of destiny, resilience, and self-discovery.

For fantasy readers tired of the same old "chosen one vs. dark overlord" formula, this book offers a refreshing alternative. The Art of Prophecy is an exhilarating read that proves fate isn’t set in stone—and sometimes, heroes must forge their own paths.

Pokemon Nicknames: Bluey (Gen V-IX)

My daughter and I are slowly working out way through Pokemon Journeys on Netflix (while also enjoying the free episodes on YouTube). I'm quickly realizing how incomplete my Pokemon nickname posts will be once I familiarize myself with Pokemon from Galar and Paldea. But until such time, I'm going to round off my Bluey-themed nicknames with this post. Enjoy!

Click here to see the Gen I nicknames and the Gen II-IV nicknames.

Pidove as Malcolm

Sewaddle as Leaficus

Zorua as Cheeky Fox

Froakie as Frog Dog

Clawitzer as Magic Claw

Furfrou as Judo (or Wendy)

Dartrix as Chattermax

Mudsdale as Buttermilk

Rillaboom as Ooh Ooh

Dachsbun as Long Dog

LDS Geeks Podcast #36: Interview with a Super Missionary

I had the pleasure of reading "How to be a Super Missionary" by Dr Benjamin Jeppsen and I can't recommend it enough. I had Ben on the podcast to discuss geekiness and missionary work. 

--Spencer

6 Weird Morphing Glitches

I'm quickly finishing up the Animorphs series for the first time start to finish. Once the endgame books began, I had a hard time stopping. While Russell and I prepare for a book-clubbing reread of the series, I was thinking about the weird side effects or glitches in the morphing process--as if the morphing process weren't already creepy and weird. Despite the grand Andalite science that created the Escafil Device (aka morphing cube), I have to wonder how much the morphing technology was properly tested before it went widespread among the warrior race. To be fair, half of the morphing glitches happened to humans, who were never meant to receive the power.

Morphing Allergy

Probably one of the best known glitches in morphing was when Rachel acquired the crocodile in "The Reaction". She only acquired the reptile out of necessity (to save a child) but things quickly went crazy when Rachel started morphing uncontrollably. It was one of the few times someone was able to morph straight from animal to animal... now if only she could have controlled it. By the end of the book, Rachel "burped" the crocodile and the incident was over. Scary stuff. Maybe if she had been allergic to a puppy things would have been less dangerous.

Z-Space Slingshot Glitch

As a kid, I never read enough of the books to understand or retain anything about the Z-Space pseudoscience. Reading the full series, I should have seen it coming that a glitch would inevitably happen with the extra mass in Z-Space. All the same, it was a surprise when the six Animorphs suddenly appeared in Z-Space in "The Decision" and got roped into an Andalite incursion on Leera. And then just as suddenly the slingshot effect sent them back to Earth. Since it happened to Ax too, we know it wasn't some glitch with human physiology, but you'd probably be hard pressed to recreate the incident. Not sure why anyone would want to recreate it anyway...

Resetting the Clock

Cassie's butterfly morph in "The Departure" is a unique situation. In fact, I don't believe she ever returns to the butterfly form throughout the series (maybe she can't). After proving to Aftran that she'd stay a caterpillar forever, Cassie thought she would stay a bug forever. But the natural metamorphosis apparently reset the two-hour clock. My brother had a theory that it had something to do with Cassie's natural morphing talent or being the Ellimist's wildcard (as show in "Back to Before"), but nature's morphing seems like a simpler answer. Side note: Ax mentioned the clock resetting so casually and matter-of-fact that it made me wonder how common natural morphing is on the Andalite homeworld. Maybe that's where the research and development for the morphing cube began?

Yamphut

Though Ax was the only one dangerously sick, everyone except Cassie fell ill in "The Sickness". It's one time that these morphing glitches treated humans better than Andalites. And of course Ax had to started to feel the symptoms during a school dance. Since morphing requires concentration, maybe that flu-like brain fog is why the morphing ability gets so erratic. If you can't concentrate, any stray thought or feeling could throw you into another morph, even partially.

The Starfish Incident

How many animals in the galaxy could have possibly ended up like Rachel's starfish in "The Separation"? Of course when morphing a starfish someone had to chop her in half. And of course it was Rachel who happened to be in morph and grew a literal split personality. This would be another one of those morphing glitches that you'd have a hard time recreating for research... and it's probably better left alone. This is the book that really made the shift for Rachel's personality in my opinion... I don't feel like she ever completely recovered from being "Mean Rachel".

Anxiety-Induced Morphing

Nothing spikes the anxiety quite like your dad marrying your math teacher while your supposedly dead mom infested by an alien and MIA. Understandable that Marco's morphing started freaking out in "The Proposal". Like with yamphut, morphing requires concentration so it's easy to see why heightened stress levels could mess with his ability to stay in the proper morph. I found it interesting how similar the episode was to Rachel's allergy, even making both Animorphs transform straight from one morph to another. Yet the cause was completely unrelated. If only Marco had talked to a therapist about his dad, the anxiety morphs could have been avoided.

Buffa-Human

The last morphing glitch is infamous among fans and it didn't even happen directly to the Animorphs. Somehow an African Cape Buffalo managed to accidentally give itself the morphing ability by touching the Escafil Device in "The Hidden". Since it wasn't a sentient creature, none of us are quite sure how it gained the power and acquired Chapman and Visser Three. This triggered another one of Cassie's moral philosophizing--only person who overthinks moral questions more than Cassie is Chidi from The Good Place. Side note: no one thought to mention how Buffa-Human either morphed clothing or how it morphed a naked version of the vice principal (awkward). But at least Buffa-Human saved Cassie from Ant-Cassie (and we'll say no more of that morphing glitch). 

In reality, the Escafil device was only a recent development (1960s on Earth) when the war against the Yeerks began. The technology was supposedly perfected, but the adventures of the Animorphs proves it wasn't perfect (probably rushed to be used in the war). Perhaps the Andalites started a bit more research and development for the technology after the war, especially after the exposure to non-human morphers. We can only hope at least. We all know how prideful Andalites are, but maybe someone thought they could improve upon Escafil's work. We can only hope.

Potter and Friends

 I’m coming clean here. In a post I wrote about lessons about friendships, I left out the line that first sparked the post in the first place! I had just begun re listening to the Harry Potter series and while I hadn’t reached this part yet, I was thinking about Dumbledore’s words about Neville standing up to his friends "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." This sparked the idea of some of the other friend quotes I used in the post, but I completely forgot about the Neville one!! 

Then while doing the dishes, I thought about another Harry Potter friend quote from Luna. Ok, it’s not a quote per se but it is about friends. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Xenophilius Lovegood, Harry enters Luna’s room and finds names written on her wall/ceiling with the words “friends” making up the lettering from their names. 

I love seeing how Neville and Luna develop as characters in the Harry Potter series and love seeing how they become friends with other characters in the books. I have often thought that I would love to see spin off books about them but I’ll settle for what we have for now. 

Harry, Neville, and Luna all have similarities that were not apparent to me until recently. Harry’s  parents died and he was raised by relatives who hated him. Neville’s parents lived but their minds were so addled that he had to be raised by his Gran who loves him, despite being harsh at times. Luna’s mother died and her father seems to have some rather odd ideas, which may or may not have been the result of losing his wife, so Luna is left to develop similar oddities and risks being an outcast and loner for her life. But all three are able to find strength and skill through their experiences at Hogwarts and beyond. Together with Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, and others they form friendships that allow them to save one another and the greater Wizarding World at large. 

Now, I can not say whether the friendships I form will have the same global reach, but as I have written before, the Savior is our friend and with Him as our advocate and friend, our world can and will be changed

Lunar & Lunar 2 Remasters: A Legendary RPG Revival

For a long time, the Lunar series has held a special place for me. This was one of the first JRPG's that got me invested in story telling. Originally released in the early '90s for the Sega CD, Lunar: Silver Star Story and its sequel, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, set a new standard for storytelling, character development, and beautifully animated cutscenes. Now, after years, both classic titles are receiving remastered versions, promising to introduce a new generation to the enchanting world of Lunar while rekindling nostalgia for longtime fans.

What Makes Lunar Special?

The Lunar series stands apart from many traditional RPGs due to its compelling characters, emotional storytelling, and a timeless coming-of-age adventure. These games are renowned for their charming protagonists, good dialogue, and it will be fully voiced anime-style cinematics. The combination of a classic turn-based combat system with an engaging narrative has solidified Lunar as one of the most beloved RPG franchises in gaming history.

A Fresh Take on a Classic Tale

While the core story and gameplay remain faithful to the originals, the remasters promise enhanced visuals, improved audio, and quality-of-life updates that make the experience smoother for modern players. Expect beautifully reworked 2D sprites, remastered orchestrations of the original soundtrack, and optimizations that will bring the world of Lunar to life in ways that weren’t possible in previous releases.

Additionally, the remaster aims to maintain the charm of the original English localization, which was famous for its humor and heartfelt moments. Whether you’re revisiting these adventures or experiencing them for the first time, the upcoming versions will provide a definitive way to enjoy the story of Alex, Luna, Hiro, and the rest of the unforgettable cast.

Why This Remaster is Exciting

The Lunar series has seen multiple ports and remakes over the years, but a full-fledged remaster with modern enhancements has been a long time coming. Many RPG fans consider Lunar: Silver Star Story and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue to be among the greatest games ever made, and their absence from modern platforms has left a noticeable gap in the genre’s history.

This release not only preserves an iconic piece of gaming history but also introduces it to a new audience that may have missed its earlier iterations. With the recent surge in popularity of classic JRPG remasters, Lunar’s return is a welcome addition to the ongoing revival of the golden era of role-playing games.

Whether you’re an RPG veteran eager to relive cherished memories or a newcomer looking for an unforgettable adventure, the Lunar remasters promise an experience filled with heart, humor, and timeless storytelling. Prepare to embark on an epic journey once again when these legendary games return to modern platforms!

Why I am excited about the new release?

Being honest with you, I feel like it has been a long time since a new JRPG that involves turn-based actions has come with a great story. I do not remember the story of the game as well as I do, but I do remember loving the story. I remember being consumed with the drama and storytelling, and I remember the anime cinematic feel it presented. I am excited for the game to come out April 18th, 2025, to replay the game and have it feel like I am playing it for the first time. It's like rewatching Lord of the Rings and not remembering what happened. Isn't that so exciting?

Friday Creature Feature - Sutekh

Once upon a time in college, to celebrate the 50th anniversary, my friends and I did a Doctor Who marathon of sorts. One story from each doctor over the course of a week. Just so happens that we picked Sutekh’s appearance for our Fourth Doctor story. We were underwhelmed by “Pyramids of Mars” and ended up picking a story from the Fourth Doctor/Romana era. There was no way we could know Sutekh would come back around during the Fifteenth Doctor’s tenure. 

In the pantheon of Egyptian gods, Sutekh is the god of death. I learned a little about him while writing a Yu-Gi-Oh fan fiction in high school. Sometimes known as Set or Seth, this deity reigned over violence, storms, deserts, and pretty much everything else unpleasant. In the world of Doctor Who, he’s still the god of death. However, like other myths portrayed on Doctor Who, the god-like power doesn’t make him a deity, only mistakable for one. Though not literally a god, Sutekh possessed immense power even on his first encounter with the Doctor. Those powers put him on par with and in league with powerful forces like the Toymaker, the Trickster, and Maestro.

By the time Sutekh encountered the Fourth Doctor, he had been imprisoned by Horus for a long time. Having recently taken control of an archaeologist named Marcus Scarman, his scheme centered around shooting a missile at the Eye of Horus on Mars, which held him captive. To his credit, unlike most villains, he was able to destroy the Eye and free himself… but the Doctor managed to get back to Earth first and trap him in a time corridor. Supposedly.

The Doctor banked on him aging to death in the time vortex. Unbeknownst to the Doctor (and all companions he had in the years following) Sutekh survived by latching onto the TARDIS–which made for a funny series of memes after the most recent season finale. Using the Doctor’s memory of his granddaughter Susan to create a trap, Sutekh reformed and spread his death dust across time and space. But using his own trap involving the mystery of Ruby’s mother, the Doctor managed to send Sutekh back into the time stream to really be destroyed this time. Probably. Maybe. Who knows?

As much as I recall the complaints of heavy plot armor to explain his defeat at the hands of the Fifteenth Doctor (and I’m not sure I can disagree with those complaints) I enjoyed the return of Sutekh. I think I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy the retelling and reframing of mythology for Doctor Who (probably why I’ve also enjoyed Once Upon a Time and Percy Jackson). There’s something about making fairytales and myths relatable and fresh to the viewer. Even better when the story can motivate me to learn about the original myth or source material. Whether he had that effect on you or not, he definitely made me rethink the idea that all dogs are good dogs. Hard to see a good dog in those evil glowing eyes. But maybe I’ll feel differently when I rewatch the story before the new season of Doctor Who… now if only they’d give us a premiere date for that.

LDS Geeks Podcast #35: Disney Songs (Part Four)

Happy Valentine's Day! They're a bit sappy at times, but Disney has some great love songs. So check out our latest Disney song podcast episode.

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 35 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here

Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here

Show Notes:

    Spencer's Recommendation: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

    Russell's Recommendation: Harry Potter and the Curse Child

    “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” (The Lion King)

    “I See the Light” (Tangled)

    “I Won't Say I'm in Love” (Hercules)

    “That's How You Know” (Enchanted)

    “A Girl Worth Fighting For” (Mulan)

6 Historical Figures Who Were Demigods

I'm working my way through the original five Percy Jackson books again before the second season comes out on Disney Plus (and before I start Heroes of Olympus). Rick Riordan did a great job remixing Greek mythology in a way that makes me want to know more about the original stories. As I've mentioned before with Doctor Who, that's a hallmark that the story was done well. On the flip side, the Riordanverse seems to love little Easter eggs of turning real world people into Greek mythology. At times we got a snippet of their stories and sometimes just a passing name drop. I'm not sure how many mentions we got in the first five books, but I'll start with six of my favorites and maybe some head-canons.

William Shakespeare, Son of Apollo

Annabeth noted Shakespeare’s demigod status alongside his role as an Underworld judge. How his work as a playwright qualifies him to judge the dead, I have no idea. For hundreds of years, he’s been praised as one of the greatest writers (even if high school students can’t see it). As a son of Apollo, it makes sense that his works would be so well known and widely praised… even if Apollo can’t write a half-decent haiku to save his immortal life. Still, how does writing Hamlet qualify him to judge the dead?

Amelia Earthart, Daughter of Zeus

The famous pilot who flew solo across the ocean and disappeared. A feminist icon. She was mentioned by Annabeth during "Sea of Monsters" in defending herself to Circe. Apparently, she was mentioned again in "The Lost Hero" but since I haven't read that book yet, I'll say no more. As a daughter of Zeus, it makes says that she was a flying phenom. Despite being lost, her story was well known enough among half-bloods that Annabeth didn't feel the need to expand on her mention. I can only imagine that being daughter of the sky and thunder god helped her navigate as a pilot. Makes me wonder how she could have ever gotten lost, but that might be coming in "The Lost Hero". 

Harry Houdini, Son of Hecate(?)

Talking to Percy in "The Lightning Thief", a Nereid casually mentions Orpheus, Hercules, and Houdini as half-bloods who managed to escape the Underworld. Acting like Houdini's demigod-ness should be common knowledge, our ocean friend didn't mention whose son he was. Perhaps he was an unclaimed demigod who resided in Hermes cabin. But since Hecate is the goddess of magic and witchcraft, I'm going to guess he's a son of Hecate. But since he was famous for his dramatic escapes (that could have killed him) he could be a son of Hades--He was born long before the Big Three's oath after all. But I'm still going to go with the Hecate head-canon. 

Edward Teach, Son of Ares

AKA Blackbeard. Of course the most famous pirate in history is a son of Ares. It’s almost understandable that Circe trapped him, when you think of how Ares and Clarisse love to bully the main characters. That being said, when Annabeth and Percy saves him and the other guinea pigs, Blackbeard and the other pirates made for a good distraction, enabling the escape. And now he can roam the ocean pillaging again. 

Harriet Tubman, Daugther of Hermes

With Luke Castellan being the main Hermes demigod in the original five books, his half-siblings can be easily forgotten. His half-sister Harriet Tubman is famous among mortals for saving former slaves. In "Battle of the Labyrinth" she gets a mention by Chiron (hinting that maybe she was at Camp Half-Blood as a youth). It was said she used clear-sighted mortals to assist in her rescue. Chiron hinted that her Underground Railroad may have even utilized the Labyrinth. 

George Washington, Son of Athena

The primary historical figure of the American Revolution. Of course Washington was a son of Athena. I’m sure the connection to the goddess of wisdom came in handy during the war and his presidency. His mention in “The Lightning Thief” was another passing reference, alluding to crossing the Delaware. But I would love to learn more about out the Riordanverse side of Annabeth’s half-brother.