Hi Bill, I’m in a bit of a tricky situation. I’m moving away from the suburbs back to my family home, which is on the edge of a thick forest that has been at risk of forest fires for years now. My Charizard is coming with me, but he’s been really anxious lately because he’s afraid of accidentally starting a brush fire. But he’s older and has great control of his flames. We’ve lived in a residential area for years now without an issue. Is there any way to help his anxiety about the move?

If you don’t have a water-type, catch one and introduce it to your charizard as his new partner. Alternatively, if you have a water-type, have the two of them meet and arrange an agreement with the both of them that they’ll stick close together from here on out. The security your water-type will provide should help alleviate some of your charizard’s anxiety. That and companionship is often great for helping pokémon to transition from one place to another by allowing them to take their minds off the move itself and focus it on their partners. So in general, obtaining a pokémon who can help your charizard ground himself (and perhaps who can help control his flames, should a fire happen anyway) is really the best method of reducing your charizard’s stress in this case.

Otherwise, be sure to establish clear boundaries for your charizard. Tell him that battling is not to occur anywhere near your home, but reassure him that you will still take him out to train in a safe area as much as possible. Yes, it will be a little more inconvenient, but the removal of risk can also provide reassurance. In the process, you can establish the fact that the yard is still his home and that he’s welcome to do as he pleases in it as well; it’s just that you trust him to know when he should and shouldn’t use his fire abilities.

Likewise, before the move, allow your charizard to help you pack. By allowing him to handle packing material (such as dry cardboard, packing styrofoam, and so forth—all of which is, of course, highly flammable), you can show him that he’s fully capable of controlling himself, which in turn may instill a sense of confidence in him.

Good luck with both this and your move, anonymous.