What exactly are the dietary requirements for Metagross? I’ve had mine on an omnivorous diet but it’s been underperforming in recent times and there were no diseases or physical conditions found when I visited the Pokémon center. I was just wondering if it’s diet was the cause.

Actually, believe it or not, metagross require very little in terms of nutrients at all. Or, well, it does, but it sounds like you might be missing a few minerals.

Joking aside (that I am absolutely certain my editor will make me regret later), metagross primarily thrive on a mineral-based diet. They’re essentially living computers built into tanks, and they need minerals—scrap metal, rocks, and so forth—in order to restore their armor plating, reinforce their musculature, and quite literally sharpen their minds. They may also need a little bit of electricity if they seem to be severely run down, but be extremely careful with this. Attach wires to your metagross’s face plates and make sure you have a grounder mixed in, then give it an even, low-wattage flow of electricity. You don’t want to fry it with a power surge.

Additionally, have you been giving it water? If no, that’s perfectly fine; you really shouldn’t. If yes, wean it back off water. Contrary to popular belief, metagross don’t have organic parts; rather, they have mineral-based organs that are powered by electricity (again, they are essentially living tanks). Water may cause their innards to rust or their natural electrical systems to short, but that all should sort itself out after a few days without water. (A word of warning: You may hear a grinding noise after the first twenty-four hours. This will persist for a few days, but it’s perfectly normal, as it’s just the sound of your metagross drying out and grinding off any potential rust.)

Food, meanwhile, doesn’t harm a metagross, but it isn’t necessary, as you can probably guess. It can also make a metagross sluggish for the same reason junk food may for us, with the exception of metagross kibble. (Metagross kibble is just essential minerals disguised as kibble pellets, so a metagross’s body can handle it better than ordinary food.) Wean your metagross off that as well and feed it only kibble if you absolutely must (but preferably gravel and scrap), and you should see some improvement in performance in a few days to a few weeks, depending on how long it’s gone on an omnivorous diet.

Best of luck!