Category: Uncategorized

#AMA for Bill, Lanette, and the Mun. If you absolutely had to join one of the “regional criminal teams” which one would you join and why?

BILL
Likely none of them, to be honest. I would quite honestly prefer to die than be involved in that sort of thing.

However, if I absolutely must, I suppose Team Aqua is benign enough. Or, at least, it’s as benign as one can be when summoning a legendary that can, in turn, summon relentless rain to drown the world. Their goals were noble, at the very least.

LH
Personally, I would side with Team Flare. While, yes, they nearly destroyed the world, on the other hand, it would be a prime opportunity to work with the Eliseo Lysandre, head of Lysandre Labs. Not only would it be enlightening to work alongside one of the most brilliant minds in pokémon technology (or … another one, for a change), but it would also be nice to see what our competition is doing for once.

{THE MUN
Probably Team Skull, just because unlike most teams, Skull is open about the fact that they are meme-filled trash.}

Celebi

Celebi
The Time Travel Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Grass
Official Registration #: 251
Entry: Although those from mountainous East Johto, seafaring West Johto, and rural Central Johto are in disagreement as to which is more important between Lugia and Ho-oh, each Johtonian sect is in agreement that the other most important kami to our collective belief system is Celebi. According to general Johtonian belief, Celebi is the guardian of time, forests, and young pokémon, and its domain is specifically Ilex Forest. For this reason, not only is Ilex Forest sacred ground (and thus untouched, despite a major metro area bordering it to the north), but the region is also dotted with shrines dedicated to Celebi, the largest of which is located deep in Ilex itself. Additionally, there are a number of festivals throughout the year dedicated to Celebi, including one on New Year’s Day. This festival is called Shogatsu, which was the old word for the holiday in general but is, nowadays within Johto, used in reference to Celebi’s festival specifically. On Shogatsu, it’s customary to give thanks and ask for purification from Celebi in the form of offerings (of mochi, rice, or cards) left at any of its shrines throughout the region. 

Although it’s technically a religious festival, Kinjin, or residents of Goldenrod City, are a very hospitable sort and would be more than happy to accept foreigners into our celebrations. However, we also understand that many of you may not know all of our Shogatsu customs, which is why kimono girls are often seen performing demonstrations of Johtonian culture in the various Shogatsu street fairs held throughout Goldenrod City. Simply approach one and ask in Old Johtonian (that is, our language before Common became prevalent) to be shown how to give thanks, and the kimono girl will gladly teach you. For Unovans who might not know how to speak or write Old Johtonian, the author suggests something special for particularly respectful treatment. Simply present a prayer card with “助けてください私はアメリカ人です” written on it, and the kimono girl will be sure that your prayers will be sent to Celebi.

#AMA Bill, Lanette (or any other devs who want to answer). What would your plan of action be if you found yourself abducted by an alien spacecraft? Happy holidays!

Happy holidays to you as well, anonymous!

BILL
Make friends with them, naturally. Imagine what we can learn from such a highly advanced race! We’d have knowledge of technology and worlds beyond our own star! So many opportunities to understand the very nature of our universe would open up instantly!

LH
Steal a piece of their technology, sabotage their transporter to transport me only, and beam myself back to Earth. Also naturally.

BEBE
Yeah, pretty much the same.

CASSIUS
That would be all of us, yeah. Except Bill.

AMANITA
I’d take a fuzzy alien pet if they have one and I knew it was benign, but then I’d run away to Earth.

BRIGETTE
Basically, what we’re all saying is that Bill’s the only one with weak enough self-preservation instincts to stay on board.

ALL, EXCEPT BILL
Basically.

#AMA. Are some of your answers as Bill/Lanette based on your personal opinions (hating milk, certain laws regarding relationships with pokemon…) or are they just things you believe would actually exist in the pokemon world.

{For the most part, I actually try to keep my personal opinions off the blog to avoid coloring posts with bias and whatnot. This is partially because I want to make what Bill says feel genuine (either genuinely his opinion or genuinely something that would happen in his world) and partly because I know that a lot of my opinions are unpopular ones in the fandom, lol.

I think the one thing that’s nearly based on my own personal opinions are the jokes Bill makes about Unova. I’m a New Englander transplant to New York, so part of Bill’s jokes are really me fulfilling my obligations as a self-respecting Bostonian at heart to make fun of New Yorkers. It helps that this version of Bill is the animeverse British one, so the other part of it is Bill fulfilling his obligation as a self-respecting British-descended foreigner to make fun of Americans. (We swear, we still love you. Bill’s just salty that you threw his tea into your harbor, and I’m just salty that a slightly more specific you believes the Yankees are better than the Red Sox.)

Other than that, most of the laws, culture, human-pokémon interactions, and even the science and other odds and ends are really the result of a lot of research, rather than my own opinions, and as such, they’re basically what I think is true about the pokémon world. Either that, or they’re really what I think Bill’s opinions would be about different pokémon or facets of his world.

But the milk thing? The milk thing is canon.}

{Below is another lost ask. Sorry about that, anonymous!}

Oh, without a doubt. Not to be sarcastic about this answer (because it’s the last thing I intend, I promise), but there are very likely many, many species of pokémon we don’t know about, even if they’re not technically legendary or mythical in any way. In fact, we seem to be discovering more and more new species every year. Many of these species are often inconceivable, too. Why, just five years ago, I doubt any of us would have thought there would ever be a pokémon that’s essentially a ghost inhabiting a pikachu costume, yet now we have mimikyu. So I know there are many new pokémon out there to discover, and I can’t possibly choose which one I would wish to meet the most. Honestly, I would love to meet them all!

Of the pokémon we know about, though, I’m afraid I haven’t met many pokémon from Alola yet, just because the region is so far away and because its league is so newly established they haven’t needed my services yet. Molayne has done a wonderful job setting up a storage system himself, so thus, I haven’t really had an excuse to go yet. If it counts, I am rather curious about the stories Lillie has told me concerning type: null and silvally in particular, but I would also love to befriend mimikyu as well.

An Interview with Brendan

After the editor’s interview with @trainersofhoenn​’s Brendan, she sat down with him again to ask him a few questions.

So, The Pokédex According to Bill presents for your viewing pleasure a rarity for our blog: actual advice from a trainer on interacting with a starter.

LANETTE: To start things off, why don’t you tell us a little bit about your starter and your relationship with it? Which starter did you choose?

BRENDAN: I chose Mudkip, and he’s been an incredible partner! It’s been very easy to raise him. I was surprised that he picked up all my commands very quickly in our first few battles. When I started calling him Axle, it didn’t take long for him to get used to it, too!

LANETTE: Nicknames are great ways of bonding with pokémon, and that’s certainly a cute one for yours! Speaking of bonding, though, all new trainers go through challenges when first bonding with theirs. What challenges did you face while bonding with Axle?

BRENDAN: If anything, I had to get used to camping out near a body of water at night, since mudkip like to sleep at that meeting point of land and water. It wasn’t that necessary anymore once he evolved because the species are more amphibious, but I still made it a point to do so since marshtomp and swampert appreciate getting their bodies damp.

I also had to get used to how he loves battling. I mean, he really, really loves battling. I’m glad that my project allows me to meet so many trainers and in turn lets me battle them, because Axle won’t be able to sleep at night if he hasn’t battled at least a couple of pokémon. It only got worse ever since I was able to mega evolve him! I didn’t plan on being a battling-heavy trainer, but Axle single-handedly steered me to that direction.

LANETTE: It sounds like he was quite a handful at the end! On that note, what are a few things you wish someone would have told you beforehand about raising your starter?

BRENDAN: That he likes getting your attention by blasting water to your face! When he was a mudkip, I saw it as a playful thing and took it as a sign of friendliness, but when he evolved and his attacks got stronger, I had to tell him that there’s only so much water I can take. Axle still does this to me sometimes, but it’s more out of humor than anything. One time he did that to Melody, my exploud, and both of us had to deal with the constant ringing in our ears for the entire day because of her Hyper Voice attack. Axle stuck to picking on me after that.

LANETTE: [laughs] He sounds like he keeps you on your toes. But on the other hand, they say pokémon with forward personalities are more likely to create strong bonds with their trainers. So tell me, what’s the most rewarding part about being with your partner? And for that matter, what general advice can you give to a trainer who chooses your starter?

BRENDAN: I think my answer to your first question would be similar to what most other trainers would say about their partner, regardless of species. I’m very thankful to have a pokémon who I can trust and who jives so well with me. I can say the same thing for my other pokémon, but there really is something special when you’re talking about your starter. I’m not exaggerating when I say that he’s a big reason why I’m still journeying. 

As for general advice to trainers who are starting or want to start with mudkip: Don’t sweat it! It’s very easy for them to form a bond with their trainers—there’s a reason why Professor Birch gives them away as starters. Just make sure to be wary about their affinity for damp, muddy places. I’m sure the species’ name should’ve given it away!

Also, belly rubs go a long way in making mudkip more affectionate to you. And that grows exponentially after every evolution!

LANETTE: [laughs again] Yes, that’s very true for nearly every pokémon! Well, thank you, Brendan, for all your advice. I’m sure that this will be helpful for anyone who’s considering adopting mudkip as their partner in Hoenn this year! One last question, though, just to help send them off—what sort of advice do you have for anyone journeying through Hoenn?

BRENDAN: Great question, and one that I love asking to my interviewees as well! I’d say to keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Your eyes will let you to discover many new pokémon and places to make your journey more expansive. Your ears will let you find out more about other people and let you learn from them to make your journey more colorful. And your mind will let you be ready and willing to take all of that in to make your journey more meaningful.

{Thanks again to @trainersofhoenn, who wrote Brendan’s parts this time around, for the awesome collab! It was a lot of fun, and it’s an honor to work with a really sweet writer!

Not to repeat myself (although it’s 100% worth it in this case), if you haven’t followed Trainers of Hoenn, you really should. His blog is not just a Humans of New York/Pokémon spiritual crossover. It’s also a humanizing, creative, and often heartwarming look into the NPCs of the Hoenn region. If you love reading character studies or pieces about people being people, give it a look!}

Tapu KoKo entry please!

Why stop at just Tapu Koko?

Tapu Koko
The Land Spirit Pokémon
Type: Electric/Fairy
Official Registration #: 785
Entry: The guardian spirit of Alola’s Melemele Island. Supposedly the bravest of the four Alolan guardians, Tapu Koko is known for observing islanders and bestowing blessings upon worthy trainers. These trainers are then encouraged to undertake the island challenge, a type of journey specific to Alola, geared towards the training and selection of each element’s next kahuna. While Tapu Koko tends to be the most active tapu in selecting such individuals, it is also known for being the most capricious when it comes to deciding which among them actually becomes a kahuna. For this reason, trainers on Alola may start out on a journey to become strong enough to represent their island and elemental specialties, but they could very well find their lives veering off into an entirely different direction thanks to one of Tapu Koko’s sudden change of heart. Not that the author is complaining about such a process, of course. We did get Molayne out of such an arrangement. As well as a wealth of fantasy YA novels that seem to keep the editor happy.

Once again, Bill, I don’t judge you for your literary tastes. —LH

Tapu Lele
The Land Spirit Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Official Registration #: 786
Entry: The guardian spirit of Alola’s Akala Island. It is said that this legendary pokémon scatters glittering scales as it moves and that these scales have the ability to restore one’s health upon physical contact. The latter is highly useful because as with all adorable, pink pokémon described on this blog, Tapu Lele is also infamous for being fantastically cruel and sadistic, and it’s both telepathic and capable of warping the fabric of space to create a strange and highly dangerous pocket dimension around its immediate area. In other words, you will very likely need these scales as Tapu Lele uses its psychic abilities to thoroughly destroy you.

Tapu Bulu
The Land Spirit Pokémon
Type: Grass/Fairy
Official Registration #: 787
Entry: The guardian spirit of Alola’s Ula’ula Island. Supposedly, this pokémon is extraordinarily lazy. Rather than attack an opponent head-on, it simply wills the vegetation around it to grow and ensnare the challenger before it delivers a devastating, close-range blow itself. Honestly, though, the author is intrigued by the fact that some people of Alola consider this to be evidence of Tapu Bulu’s laziness. If anything, it’s a brilliant strategy, and given how much effort the author has put into trying to will plants to do his bidding, he can safely say Tapu Bulu’s battle strategy is really much harder than it looks.

Not a good harvest, Bill? —LH

Oh, the garden was perfectly fine this year. It’s a certain half-plant, half-toad starter with a penchant for eating my crops after I explicitly tell him not to that’s the problem. —Bill

Tapu Fini
The Land Spirit Pokémon
Type: Water/Fairy
Official Registration #: 788
Entry: The guardian spirit of Alola’s Poni Island. This mysterious island guardian is supposedly the most laid-back of the four tapu. Unlike the others, who either actively seek out humans to observe (Tapu Koko) or toy with (Tapu Lele) or who actively avoid human contact altogether (Tapu Bulu), Tapu Fini prefers allowing humanity to do whatever it likes and will often only reveal itself to the truly worthy as a result. This may seem like Tapu Fini is putting in extra effort to avoid being detected, but in actuality, given the fact that her shrine is located in the highly unrelenting environment that is Poni Island, the fact that it surrounds itself with a dense fog full of danger, and the fact that the aforementioned shrine is called Ruins of Hope for a reason, it may be safe to say that Tapu Fini allows the environment to do much of the work when it comes to protecting her—much more than Tapu Bulu does, anyway.

Necrozma

Necrozma
The Prism Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 800
Entry: Much confusion and debate surround this strange and highly destructive pokémon. For example, although it was first discovered emerging from deep underground beneath Alola’s Melemele Island, some say that Necrozma actually came from the Ultra Beasts’ world and is, thus, an Ultra Beast itself. Others argue that its emergence from Alola’s caverns is proof of a terrestrial origin and that its appearance and abilities are merely reflections of the Ultra Beasts—a defense, in other words, created by the tapu to counter the extradimensional threat. Then, of course, there are the more important questions, such as how a perfectly black crystal can reflect light, why any of this matters when it’s an intensely violent super-pokémon, and whether or not its design inspired certain rock bands of the 1970s to make absolutely fantastic album covers. While all of these are certainly good questions, the author would like to reassure his readers that he and his counterparts of Sinnoh and Kalos are very close to a breakthrough on that last one.

UB-05: Guzzlord

Guzzlord
The Junkivore Pokémon
Type: Dark/Dragon
Official Registration #: 799
Entry: One of the Ultra Beasts, or strange pokémon that had appeared from another dimension. According to witnesses, this pokémon eats everything in its path, from garbage on the ground to full-on buildings. In fact, guzzlord is constantly eating, stuffing its massive maw with its crab-like hands. However, despite how much it consumes, no one can identify its anus or, in fact, locate its droppings. However, considering what it eats, perhaps it’s better that we never find the inevitable horror that must be guzzlord poop.

It’s good to know that you make an effort to maintain a level of class on this blog, Bill. —LH

It could be worse. These entries could be written by Bebe. —Bill

Good point. —LH