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My Vaporeon is acting different, she collects the softest things she can find and puts it to her bed and my Flareon is very protective over Vaporeon. They are both female, this seems like they are expecting but how can two females biologically make a baby? Those are the only two Pokémon I have.

Not to be overly blunt, anonymous, but sometimes, two pokémon of the same gender mate. This is especially true in cases where only two pokémon of the same family or egg group are present (as they then view each other as the only potential mates available), but it can happen even if other choices are available, depending on the individual’s preference. Interestingly enough, it’s also possible for such a pair to engage in “expectant” behaviors—including one becoming protective over the other and the the other creating a nest suitable for an egg—even if it’s impossible for a fertilized egg to exist.

In short, even though your vaporeon and flareon are both female and thus cannot produce a fertilized egg together, it’s very likely that they’ve become a mated pair anyway, due to their closeness and bond as your only two pokémon.

Congratulations, anonymous!

Bill, why is it that the shiny variant of komala only exhibits alternate coloration on it’s held log, as opposed to the komala itself? I’d assume the logs aren’t uniform as is, since they’re given to young komala by their perpetually sleeping parents? Do true shiny komala exist?

In answer to your last question … surprisingly no. The komala itself is largely uniform in color, and any variations in pelt shade are actually the result of differences in melanin for the individual, rather than in genetics for its entire family.

As for why some komala parents give their children differently colored logs than others, researchers aren’t quite sure, but it’s known that the pink log comes from a species of tree known to produce sugary, perfectly edible sap. For this reason, it’s theorized that pink logs are given to komala that have difficulty eating at first, to encourage them to feed. (The normal variation of log comes from some of the most common trees of komala’s native habitats.)

…how a komala’s equally comatose parents can tell when their offspring is struggling to eat, however, is the part that’s anyone’s guess.

Ive traveled to Alola reacently and ive noticed that the Hyper potions sold here seems to be less potent, is there some sort of change in the recipie?

In a way. The unfortunate thing is that a number of items need to be imported to Alola because unlike other regions, Alola has no industrial centers that can produce high-powered items themselves. Moreover, some medicine’s potency—especially the most ones such as hyper potions—break down over time and through heat exposure. Thus, while technically, the hyper potion uses the same formula as it always has, its effectiveness has degraded en route to Alola.

Incidentally, you may have noticed the same thing if you keep a hyper potion in your bag for a couple of years. Always check the expiration date of your potions before use; while potions and super potions can be used for a considerable amount of time, hyper potions generally only have a shelf life of a year at best. Less than that if exposed to direct sunlight or heat for an extended period of time (as they tend to be when sold in Alola), so also always be sure to keep your hyper potions at the bottom of your bag and out of the sun whenever possible.

I’ve adopted a Flechinder off another trainer that didn’t know how to raise a bird Pokémon and its since reinforced a lot of bad habits. He’s now a Talonflame, and I have a lot of problems with his habit of picking fights with my other Pokémon. Do ypu have any tips?

First and foremost, establish trust with your new talonflame. I realize that might be stating the obvious (especially given the fact that you’ve had him long enough for him to evolve), but the stronger a traded pokémon gets, the more likely their trainer will find them difficult to control. This is because even after a considerable amount of time, some pokémon are unwilling to “replace” one trainer with another—or, in other words, they grow less and less accepting of their new trainer, as they feel said new trainer has yet to establish that they’re as trustworthy and strong as their old one. That and some pokémon interpret being traded as being abandoned, and those feelings can fester if not immediately corrected.

I say this because trust is vital for undoing quite a lot of negative behavior. Once your talonflame fully trusts you, he will be more willing to listen to you, which in turn will help you reinforce good behaviors.

After that, a lot of what you’ll need to do will require much patience. Begin by introducing the concept of rewards to him by rewarding him for any good behavior he displays automatically. For an aggressive pokémon, rewards are of the utmost importance, as those have a wonderful tendency to appease tempers. Once he understands what a reward is, move on to teaching him, both verbally and through the use of positive reinforcement, good behaviors. Fail to reward him for the behaviors you wish to phase out. Rather, respond with a firm “no” whenever you see such behavior happening, and reward your talonflame only if he restrains himself. Keep your talonflame close by to effectively manage his behavior, and above all else, be consistent about what you do.

Finally, also try to mediate between your talonflame and the rest of your team. Try to introduce him to your other pokémon in a calm environment, and ensure that both sides are not engaging in provoking behavior. (Naturally, try to train your pokémon not to engage in any provoking behavior you see—and that goes for both your talonflame and the rest of your team.)

As I’ve said, it will take a lot of patience, but it’s surmountable if you’re consistent and vigilant, anonymous. Best of luck!

In honor of pride month, are there any pokemon who are more prone to chosing same sex mates? Or do you know of any gym leaders/professors/champions/pc managers who are lgbt?

Regarding the latter, I must say quite a few of the figures you’ve mentioned are either closeted or straight, so I’m either not at liberty to out them or can’t include them here for obvious reasons.

At the very least, though, my colleagues on the storage system’s staff and I are quite happily open. Among the core developers (that is, the administrators of Kanto/Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola), Lanette is the only one who’s both straight and cisgendered. Her sister and Molayne are aroace, Bebe is bisexual, Celio is gay, Cassius is pansexual and polyamorous at that, and I am an unfortunate cross between panromantic and asexual. Amanita is excluded here because she hasn’t really explored her sexuality or gender yet. Neither our circle nor her sister are putting any pressure on her to do so, though, but we’ll fully support her when she’s ready. In addition, Molayne is genderfluid (their pronouns are he/him and they/them, incidentally), but we also have a number of trans and nonbinary administrators among the non-core developers. Ingrid of London, for example, who seems to be a fan favorite,  is trans.

Among the gym leaders and Elite Four, as I’ve said, a number of them are either straight or closeted. When it comes to outed members, there is quite an extensive list. For the sake of ease, allow me to only give a few examples. For one, Valerie of Kalos is trans and also aroace, but Jasmine and Will, likewise trans, identify as bisexual and straight, respectively. Burgh, meanwhile, identifies as genderfluid (pronouns are also he/him and they/them). Erika and Sabrina both identify as wlw, although Sabrina is asexual as well. On the other hand, Morty is openly gay, as are Brawly, Wallace, and Grant.

As for Elite Four and Champions, I admit I can’t say for the vast majority of them (they keep their identities rather secret due to our unfortunately backwards media, as you may be aware). However, Steven Stone is openly asexual which … is perhaps because of some rather fascinating rumors about him. Quite honestly, he’s a man after my own heart—far more interested in science than more human pursuits. Of course, his main interests lie in geology rather than in pokémonology, but I don’t judge him for it. I just lament that it’s simply never meant to be.

(Bill, is that really necessary? The media has a field day with you on the daily as it is… —LH

It is 100% necessary. —Bill)

As for pokémon, few of them share our concepts of gender and sexuality, so mated pairs of all possible orientations are not at all unusual in the pokémon world. Wild jynx populations, for example, are known to form same-sex couples and use nearby pokémon (sometimes found well outside the jynx’s home cave systems) to fertilize their smoochum eggs. Even when healthy populations of compatible male pokémon are presented to jynx, they often prefer the company of their own species or female representatives of the male’s. The tyrogue family, sawk, throh, and the bounsweet line seem to be the same way, and froslass, upon evolution, also gravitate towards other froslass and female glalie, even if they displayed a preference towards either gender as snorunt. (Researchers aren’t entirely sure why froslass do that, unfortunately.)

In short, I suppose one can say that should you be LGBT, readers, rest assured you are far, far from alone.

Are there any service Pokemon you’d recommend for an autistic person with hyper-sensitive sight and sound issues?

This can sometimes come down to personal preference, anonymous, but there are a number of choices, each sorted by move.

For one, some people with hypersensitivity issues find that using moves like Feather Dance or Cotton Spore effective—the latter especially because it can be done in small doses to create makeshift earmuffs that are effective in filtering sound. To this end, members of the cottonee line are especially popular.

Additionally, others prefer using Teleport to transport themselves to a fixed, calming location. It’s also useful when the person in question is rendered unable to verbalize their need to leave; most pokémon with this move are psychic and thus able to sense their partner’s distress or hear their thoughts. While the abra line are most known for their ability to use Teleport, the ralts line tends to be more popular, especially given ralts’s empathic powers (and kadabra’s tendency to induce headaches).

Other people with hypersensitivity issues prefer using moves such as Wonder Room, which can—depending on the power of the user—be used to create a comforting space anywhere the user’s partner may be. (Some pokémon capable of using this method are trained to keep their spaces small and to custom-tailor each space to suit their partner’s needs. Such spaces can be anywhere from soundless rooms with opaque walls in calming colors to transparent boxes that merely filter sound.) Solosis tends to be popular for this, as it can double as a stim toy if necessary (no, this doesn’t hurt it), but for reasons I admit I’m not sure of, psyduck is just as popular. Apparently, its vacant stare is both hypnotizing and calming.

And then, of course, some people may only need a pokémon that can help them navigate overstimulation without moves. In this case, psychic pokémon are often the best, as they’re capable of helping their partners communicate their needs, and because many psychic-types train through meditation, they often are extremely patient and capable of guiding their humans through similar calming techniques long enough to help them find a safe, calming (physical) place. Medicham is especially popular for this.

So, in short, I suppose it depends on whether you want to filter stimulation, remove yourself from stimulation, or simply have a pokémon who’s calm and reassuring at all times, but there are quite a few options for you, should you need it. Of course, don’t forget to talk to your therapist (if you have one). They may offer suggestions that will fit your specific needs—possibly even suggestions that aren’t listed above.