How can I keep my bewear from crushing my spine? I would love to hug her but dying doesn’t seem like a good idea

In bewear’s case, it may be prudent to pressure train them. Begin with a large log, a boulder, or something extremely sturdy and have your bewear hug it. If she manages to do so without breaking the item, give her a reward. If she breaks it, find a replacement and try again. Keep training her in this way until it’s clear she won’t break the stone or log, then move on to something a bit softer. Continue your training in this manner until you get to the point where your bewear is embracing punching bags or training dummies. Whenever you feel comfortable, try hugging her yourself at that point, and she should be able to restrain herself just enough that her embrace will be harmless to you.

In short, getting your bewear to hug you without crushing your spine is a rather simple matter of training, but it may take time and effort on your part before it can happen.

Best of luck, anonymous!

My mimikyu is a wonderful Pokémon but she’s very shy. My primarina and tsareena keeps trying to be friends but mimikyu keeps getting scared and running behind me

Mimikyu are unfortunately very shy by nature, anonymous; each one simply expresses it a different way. In the case of yours, that means obvious, extreme shyness—hence her tendency to hide when faced with her own teammates.

One way you can help the rest of your team bond with her is by initiating and overseeing group activities. The more your mimikyu sees you interact with your other pokémon, the more likely she’ll relax when in the presence of her. Encourage her (by speaking to her) to interact with your primarina or tsareena alongside you. Note also that this doesn’t necessarily have to be in battle, either. Virtually any activity you can think of can be used to help bridge the gap between your mimikyu and the others. Play with your team, have them do housework together, or simply go on a leisurely walk—whatever is easiest for you.

Additionally, ensure that everything your primarina and tsareena do around her (even when you’re not present) are non-threatening, even on an unintentional level. Have them keep their distance at first as they communicate with her, and make sure they invite her to join them, rather than let them approach her and try to coax her into participating with them. Teach them non-threatening methods of communicating, including open gestures and softer voices, and be sure they understand the difference between asking your mimikyu to join them and pushing their friendship onto her.

Finally, it may help to have mimikyu interact with only one of them at a time. Two may be intimidating to her, especially given the fact that both tsareena and primarina are generally much larger than the average mimikyu. Dim the lights as well in order to make your mimikyu feel comfortable.

Keep in mind that no matter what you do, it will take time for your mimikyu to open up to the rest of your team, even if she has already been a member of your family for a while now. Just be gentle as you approach her and do all that you can to ensure she doesn’t feel threatened, and let her open up in her own time.

Best of luck, anonymous!

Oricorio

Oricorio
The Dancing Pokémon
Type: Electric/Flying or Fire/Flying or Psychic/Flying or Ghost/Flying
Official Registration #: 741
Entry: A honeycreeper-like pokémon native to the tropical region of Alola. Four different varieties exist, each native to a separate island of the Alolan archipelago. From what scientists can gather, these form differences are caused by the presence of four distinct species of flowers, which are found separately on each island. When an oricorio sips the nectar of a differently colored flower, it undergoes a form change into the type of oricorio native to the flower’s home island, thus gaining differently colored feathers and a different elemental affinity. In addition to the physical change, each oricorio learns a different dance, which it instantly incorporates into its fighting techniques. These dances are shockingly similar to human dance styles, leading many to speculate on how oricorio could have learned modern cheerleading, the flamenco dancing of a region nowhere near Alola, sacred Alolan folk dances, or the first half of the Gin no Mai, which even the author wasn’t able to learn from his own mother.

Pyukumuku

Pyukumuku
The Sea Cucumber Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 771
Entry: This hardy, sea cucumber pokémon lives in warm, shallow waters. It’s a stubborn pokémon, and it’s known for refusing to move once it finds a spot it likes, even if the food sources around it are depleted. Occasionally, it washes up on shores, where it remains there, basking in the sun and refusing to move even as its body begins to dehydrate. For this reason, out of pity, the native Alolans formed a cultural past-time out of hunting for pyukumuku on their sandy beaches and chucking them out to sea. Some islanders even make a game of it, wherein many Alolans gather to see who can chuck pyukumuku the furthest. This may mark the one and only time a human being can unceremoniously use a pokémon as a substitute sports ball and not be stabbed in the hand for their efforts.

Minior

Minior
The Meteor Pokémon
Type: Rock/Flying
Official Registration #: 774
Entry: A small, meteoroid pokémon native to the mountains where cleffa are prevalent. The most commonly sighted form is actually composed of this pokémon surrounded by a rocky shell formed from its own wastes. Minior’s true form is a ball of brightly colored plasma most commonly found in the upper atmosphere. It consumes dust at the edge of Earth’s stratosphere, and when this dust is digested, it colors minior’s plasma and forms its outside shell. When minior grows heavy enough, it falls to Earth, where its shell may break open, either on impact or whenever it’s struck by a wild opponent. The core, meanwhile, is unstable and explodes after a few seconds of exposure unless drawn into the suspension grid of a poké ball. Because of the highly volatile nature of its own body, minior often employ the move Self-Destruct in a desperate attempt to keep itself from predators. Despite the danger its very nature poses, minior is a favored companion to cleffa, who are often seen attempting to catch and ride minior in possibly the most adorable and unfortunate examples of pokémon-to-pokémon domestication in existence. It’s considered to be highly cute because of cleffa’s adorable nature and the light minior produce, but it’s considered to be highly unfortunate because cleffa don’t normally possess defenses against a close-range Self-Destruct.

When my my raichu (alolan) was a pikachu it seemed my mimikyu was really shy around it but now that Peaches (my raichu) has evolved they’re best friends. Mimikyu even rides on Peaches tail! Is this normal behavior? Are mimikyus typically at odds with pikachus?

While it’s true all mimikyu are envious of pikachu, how they express that varies from mimikyu to mimikyu. Some are at odds with pikachu and display violent behavior in the vicinity of one (even going so far as to engage in intense battle with them on sight), but others may prefer to watch pikachu from afar or shyly befriend them in order to understand them. It’s very much like human jealousy, really. Some people befriend the people they envy or respect, and others spend much of their lives allowing their jealousy to fester into toxicity. Naturally, the latter isn’t exactly the best outlook for one’s psyche, and as such, it may be prudent to help your mimikyu find a healthy way to manage their frustration should you find yourself training a mimikyu of the more violent, negative variety, but if you find yourself training a mimikyu of the positive variety, you may be pleasantly surprised that it will do perfectly well around a pikachu teammate.

In other words, what you’re describing sounds perfectly normal, anonymous. Your mimikyu is evidently the type that deals with their envy by building understanding. It’s good to hear that your mimikyu gets along so well with your raichu! May their relationship only strengthen from here onwards.

Turtonator and Drampa

Turtonator
The Blast Turtle Pokémon
Type: Fire/Dragon
Official Registration #: 776
Entry: A mata-mata-like pokémon native to the mountains of volcanic, tropical regions. Everything about this pokémon is explosive. Its shell is liable to explode violently on impact; it breathes volatile, highly flammable gases; its internal organs can be extracted and used as alternative fuel; and even its dung can be used as a substitute for TNT. This, of course, explains thoroughly why it lives in the hottest areas of volcanic regions, as close to sources of heat as possible. Given the hazards in trekking to this pokémon’s natural habitats to obtain one and the hazards in training one at all, if your opponent sends a turtonator out to battle you, it may be wise to forfeit. There is, of course, no true danger in facing a turtonator that’s been adequately trained (because, as noted elsewhere on this blog, pokémon can often control their deadlier abilities); it’s just that when seeing a pokémon this dangerous to obtain and train in the first place, you may wish to ask yourself if it’s really worth it to face a trainer who is apparently extremely deficient in self-preservation instincts.

Drampa
The Placid Pokémon
Type: Normal/Dragon
Official Registration #: 780
Entry: A Zhulong-like pokémon native to snowy mountaintops. An extremely friendly dragon, it comes down from its isolated habitat at the peak of a mountain to interact with humans, especially human children. However, it should also be noted that angering a drampa is unwise, as it also possesses the ability to level skyscrapers with its intense draconic breath. Naturally, it’s the favored subject of many children’s program, in part because of its cartoonish design and friendliness towards children and in part because showing a cartoonish, friendly dragon leveling cities is apparently fantastic entertainment to both Alolan and Unovan children.

Have you ever seen a melanistic eevee, Bill? Do you know what exactly causes this effect? I have a melanistic umbreon that was given to me by my father, his coat is entirely black, and the area where his rings would be, doesn’t glow either. His eyes are a very lovely shade of copper instead of the regular red, as well.

Ah yes, melanistic eevee. It’s actually quite interesting, to be honest. Melanistic eevee are more or less akin to albinos of the same species: not shiny but rather pokémon with melanin levels that differ from the norm. However, unlike albino pokémon, melanism in pokémon can be an adaptational advantage and—in the absence of melanism-related disorders such as ocular melanosis—often is.

That’s important to clarify because melanism is a genetic condition. In laymen’s terms, it’s caused by a mutation in a pokémon’s genetic code that causes them to have one extra copy of a specific sequence that controls melanin production. However, whether or not that mutation is expressed is a recessive trait. As such, pokémon may either carry it and pass it to their young or, well, be melanistic themselves.

As for the reason why this mutation occurred in the first place, as mentioned above, it’s often an adaptational advantage. For example, while non-melanistic umbreon use their rings’ glow as an intimidation tactic, umbreon that can’t glow at all are less likely to be detected in the first place and are therefore actually more effective hunters. (The glow helps, of course, to stun faster prey, but glowing umbreon lack the stealth non-glowing umbreon have.) Additionally, melanin protects the skin from ultraviolet light, synthesizes vitamin D (which in turn is vital to the immune system), and may be associated with viral resistance, all of which in combination allow melanistic pokémon such as your umbreon to be hardier than their normal counterparts. As such, there is some “survival of the fittest” at play here as well.

Finally, as for whether or not I’ve ever seen them in person, I have indeed. While melanism is rare in the wild, domesticated eevee are often bred specifically for those traits due to the fact that besides being ideal traits in the wild, they’re actually more aesthetically pleasing to eevee enthusiasts. However, I must admit I’ve never owned one myself, but I’ve met my fair share of eeveemaniacs with at least one on their team. They’re quite beautiful indeed—so you’re very lucky to own one!

I’m thinking about going on vacation next summer. Sevii Islands, Orange Islands, or Alola?

Hm. I suppose it would depend on what you want from an island vacation.

Allow me to put it this way: although all three of those regions are tropical in nature, their cultures make them vastly different. In Alola, the people are highly friendly and eager to share their culture with outsiders, in part because the tourism industry is the biggest contributor to their economy. As such, if you’re the sort of tourist who enjoys exploring historical landmarks and observing regional culture, Alola is an excellent choice for a destination.

Meanwhile, the Orange Islands also rely on their tourist industry, but it shares a lot of culture with its neighbors, Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Thus, people travel to the Orange Islands less to take in the regional culture and more to enjoy a tropical island paradise. There are plenty of resorts and relaxation spots throughout the archipelago, and the less-inhabited islands, such as the Seven Grapefruit Islands, are tourist destinations centered around the region’s agricultural industry or its unique gym circuit. (I would highly recommend the Orange Islands’ fruit tasting tour, for example.)

Finally, the Sevii Islands are far less inhabited than the other two regions, and due to that and its general isolation, the locals are less friendly towards outsiders. You’ll find it harder to partake in local culture or find a resort outside of Seven Island. Even then, Seven Island is more of a destination for trainers due to the Battle Tower, rather than a general tourist spot. (Seven Island is also home to the Tanoby Ruins, but that’s a highly sacred site to the Seviian people. Thus, it’s discouraged for most people to enter them.) On the other hand, the entire island chain features highly rugged territory, beautiful swaths of wilderness, and the best hot springs in Japan, so it’s worth exploring for those who enjoy hiking or training in rigorous environments.

Additionally, if you’re a trainer who likes transitioning from a vacation to your next big adventure, keep in mind that only the Orange Islands has a gym circuit. Granted, each gym is a bit nontraditional in nature. Rather than simply a battle, you’re required to participate in a challenge of skill before you’re permitted to face the gym leader. There are four gyms in all, culminating into a battle against the reigning champion. Thus, the Orange Islands may have something fairly close to the gym circuit you’re used to, but at the same time, it’s a vastly different experience from the traditional gym system.

Alola has its own trainer’s circuit in the form of the island challenge, but this is more of a local concept. Outsiders can participate, but they’re less encouraged to do so. However, the Pokémon Association is in talks with Professor Kukui about setting up an actual gym circuit in the region, but this won’t happen for a few years and is therefore less useful to you.

The Sevii Islands, as noted earlier, has no gym circuit or equivalent trial of their own; besides training in the wilderness, the only facility for trainers is the Battle Tower on Seven Island. Of course, also as noted earlier, the region is still filled with excellent training spots.

In short, if you’re the sort of person who just wishes to relax in the island sun, go to the Orange Islands. If you’re looking for a full tourist experience, try Alola. Finally, if you wish to go on a full-scale adventure in the wilderness, take your team to the Sevii Islands.

May your vacation be highly enjoyable, regardless of what you choose, anonymous!

Hi Bill, I have a question regarding Toxapex. It is said through the Pokedex that Toxapex has dangerous poison that can incapacitate for 3 days with dangerous aftereffects. Does that make Toxapex a dangerous Pokemon to own and battle with? Could it fatally wound a small Pokemon or a human with poison? How would one go about safely owning and battling with a Toxapex?

While it’s true that toxapex can utilize poison that potent, it’s important to note that all poison-types have the ability to generate extremely dangerous toxins or harbor deadly microorganisms. For example, the toxic fluids that compose grimer and muk’s bodies are so potent that they can render an area virtually inhospitable to plants and any other wildlife for up to three years just by passing through it. The slightest scratch from a toxicroak’s claws, for another example, can outright kill an adult man in seconds. Dragalge’s poison is so acidic it can eat through three feet of solid steel, and koffing and weezing’s toxic gases are so volatile that they can ignite in a fiery explosion upon contact with open air. Poison-types by nature are extremely dangerous to handle, which is why they are one of the more difficult types to master.

However, the main thing to remember about them is that although they can kill, they won’t unless you pose a very real threat to them. Even grimer and muk, whose abilities you’d think would be passive, actually only secrete the fluids they’re known for as a last resort. During any other time outside of those dire circumstances, even a human can touch them without suffering any ill consequences whatsoever.

In other words, poison-types are fully capable of controlling how much poison they use at any given moment, and they understand that landing a lethal strike may do more harm than good when it comes to their own personal growth. That is, if they’re tame, and they kill their opponent, they know that means it may be a long while before they can battle again. If you encounter one in the wild, they know that if they kill you or your pokémon, then their chances of being caught and trained will decrease exponentially. They know they need you to either train them or to spar against them, so, in other words, they need you alive.

Of course, if you wander deep into a poison-type’s territory, then you may actually be in real danger, but with toxapex, that would mean diving into the ocean and intentionally touching one. While toxapex do indeed learn Venoshock (a distance attack) early on, they much prefer not attacking unless you come too close for comfort.

In short, anonymous, yes, toxapex can kill small pokémon or a human, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dangerous to handle. So long as you make it clear to your toxapex that every battle is meant to be non-lethal, it will very likely understand and hold itself back. The only time you’ll need to worry is if your toxapex is scared for your life or its own life, but part of your job as its trainer is ensuring it always feels safe and comfortable, even on the battlefield.