My Torkoal is having trouble breathing fire lately; she’s sneezing a lot and producing a lot of nasty-smelling black smoke instead of the normal white steam. Is she sick? Any treatments you could recommend for her?

It does indeed sound like your torkoal has a cold, anonymous. For the most part, all you’ll need to do is ensure she gets plenty of rest. Additionally, although this might seem a little counterintuitive for a fire-type, give her warm fluids (such as soup) and be sure she sleeps in a warm, steam-filled room. (You can use a vaporizer to generate a steady stream of, well, steam.) If this sounds exactly like how you might treat a cold for a non-fire-type or even a human, that’s because … it is. Oftentimes, a cold will go away on its own; the body simply needs rest and enough fluids to keep one’s mucous membranes moist.

If your torkoal’s sneezing and congestion doesn’t clear up within a week, however, take her to a pokémon center. Your local nurse may prescribe antibiotics or other medications that may also help.

Best of luck, and may your torkoal get well soon, anonymous!