My Charmeleon and my friends Gabite used to have a sort of friendly rivalry going on, but recently they have been fighting, not simple battling, actually fighting to the point that they must be separated to prevent them seriously injuring each other. We don’t know why or when this started, could you maybe give us clues on what the problem might be and how to solve it? (My Charlie is female and the Gabite is male, so we’ve ruled out show-offy masculinity contests)

Conveniently, another reader had a similar issue with their lucario and zoroark not that long ago! The answer here is similar, although with reptilian pokémon such as charmeleon and gabite, also keep in mind that their mating rituals may be just as aggressive as their actual in-fighting. If your friend’s gabite is the instigator or if your charmeleon turns her back on him and lifts her tail shortly before the battle begins, then it’s most certainly a mating ritual. There’s not much you can do to stop them, so it would be best to take them to a place that can offer them plenty of room to mate. Once she lays an egg, their behavior should subside until the egg hatches. Consider spaying or neutering one or the other for a more long-term resolution.

Otherwise, take very similar actions as the other reader. Team up with your friend to observe your pokémon’s behavior. When you see a fight just about to start, separate them and mediate. If one of your pokémon hasn’t done anything wrong, then it may be that the other one needs an outlet for their aggression, so increase the amount of time you or your friend spend training it. And if it’s boredom, clearly establish that fighting for that sake is not acceptable.

Alternatively, given that one has evolved and the other has not, the increase in aggression may be an attempt to push your friend’s gabite into evolving. This is especially true if your charmeleon generally starts the fights or if your friend’s gabite struggles harder against being separated. If this is the case, then you’ll want to establish to your charmeleon that while it’s noble of her to help out a friend, this is not a productive way to do it. At the same time, if gabite wants to evolve, then your friend may want to consider options in getting him enough experience to do so.

Finally, there really is only one other thing that I can add to the other post, and it has to do with the fact that the pokémon in this case are owned by two different people. Sometimes, pokémon fight if they perceive that their trainers aren’t getting along well or that their relationship can be improved. By increasing the aggression of their fighting, the pokémon are essentially forcing you and your friend to work together. You’ll be able to determine whether or not this is the issue if your pokémon look at either of you at any point during their fights. If this is the case, then establish very clearly to both of your pokémon that playing matchmaker is also not acceptable behavior (but that you appreciate their efforts all the same).