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Sorry I have a couple of questions. 4 days ago I lost my rockruff’s pokeball in a busy shopping center (fortunately she was out of her pokeball at the time) and I’ve checked a few times and it hasn’t been handed to lost & found yet. Now I was wondering if pokeballs have some kind of tracking system in them and if so, how/where do I go to track it? I’d like this particlar pokeball back but if not possible is there a way I can “release” her without having the physical pokeball?

No need to apologize! You’ve actually asked a very excellent set of questions that can be answered in one go.

First, rest assured you’re not the first person who has ever lost a poké ball, nor are you the last. Sending young trainers out into the wilderness means lost poké balls are inevitable, especially when the leagues allow such things as battling over the ocean, in the sky, next to a volcano…

[[If you think Hoenn doesn’t make sense, Bill, just remember your territory has literal maelstroms. In the plural. —LH]]

Anyway, first, yes, poké balls have built-in tracking devices. Normally, this enables the storage system to keep track of your new catches and the leagues to monitor your safety. (Specifically for the latter, if it looks like a team has stopped in a dangerous location for too long, the league will contact authorities to check on their trainer and see if they all need to be rescued.)

For lost balls, though, it is indeed handy for tracking where they went.

From this point onward, you have a few options, most of which require a bit of, shall we say, finagling of storage system settings: 

1. Obtain the general location of your lost ball via the PC or your pokédex. If it’s in a spot that’s easy to reach, this is likely your most straightforward option. Just be warned that in some cases, especially indoors and in crowded areas, the GPS may drift or lag, so move quickly and consider using a pokémon with abilities well-suited for finding objects (such as Pickup) to help you.

2. If your rockruff had been in her poké ball at the time, you could trip the transference component to deposit her, thus transferring her to a known location (i.e., the storage system) for retrieval later. Unfortunately, she’s not, but for those curious, this is in fact an option (and a better one for those of you who drop your poké balls into the ocean—literally Lanette why does Hoenn allow that).

[[Plural. Maelstroms. Bill. —LH]]

3. If the first or second options aren’t feasible for you, you can use the release function, even if you haven’t deposited your rockruff and even if she isn’t anywhere near her poké ball. This will unlink her from her assigned ball and allow her to be recaptured. Trainers often use this option as a means of transferring pokémon to a new (often fancier or designer) poké ball, but it’s also handy in an emergency when you literally drop your pokémon’s poké ball into a volcano, hopefully while the pokémon is busy fighting Team Magma. (Honestly, Lanette, it’s no wonder you redesigned the storage system with so many useful features, given where your league lets its trainers go.)

[[At least I don’t sit on the board of the governing body for a league that lets its ten-year-old trainers enter the multiple labyrinthine cave systems inhabited by extremely powerful and dangerous legendary pokémon, some of which are surrounded by the obscenely powerful whirlpools for which they’re named, sir. —LH]]

What’s your favorite legendary Pokemon of Sinnoh Bill?

I quite like all of them on one level or another; they’re all greatly fascinating to me. However, if I had to choose, I might pick Shaymin. Who can argue with its story? It speaks so eloquently about the power of pokémon and how important it is for us humans to respect them as well as the natural world itself. We may be a clever species, but Shaymin’s story reminds us that we aren’t much without nature and that we should always give thanks to nature because of it.

That and, well, it’s cute.

I have a weezing that i have taught Explosion but a friend of mine thinks that its cruel and wants me to teach him something else but it doesnt appear to bother him too much. he never shows any distress after using it or looks afraid when I command him to use it. what is your opinion on pokemon moves that damages/knocks out the user?

Actually, in cases such as the voltorb and koffing lines, it would be abuse not to let them use these kinds of moves once in a while. I know that seems quite odd, but in both cases, the unfortunate truth is that Selfdestruct and Explosion are their only ways of expelling excess energy. Unless you’re having them battle or otherwise discharge constantly, electricity (for the voltorb line) and noxious gases (for the koffing line) build up in their bodies, which means that unless they let off steam via these extreme moves, they could be heading towards a natural, unpreventable explosion that could actually injure them. This isn’t to say that they’ll simply explode willingly either way; it’s that they become less and less stable over time, which means that any disturbance could trigger them. Or, well, their droppings become increasingly toxic, in weezing’s case. But you likely might have noticed that.

In other words, by all means, if you can safely use Explosion, it’s perfectly fine to let your weezing use it. You may even find that it’ll become easier and easier to clean up after your weezing the more you use it.

As for other pokémon, such as members of the geodude line, Explosion and Selfdestruct aren’t necessary, but they aren’t putting a pokémon’s life at risk (unless you use it recklessly, in a situation where using a move that powerful would be dangerous because of the surrounding circumstances). I can certainly understand why one would be uncomfortable with the idea of using such moves (I myself would avoid doing it if given the opportunity, but then again, I tend to avoid battling in general), but the truth is it’s no more dangerous than using a Hyper Beam on an opponent.

Bill, do you subscribe to the theory that humans originally came to this world from another planet or dimension, or do you believe that we descended from pokemon?

While I’m open to practically any theory, I actually subscribe to the idea that we were descended from members of Kingdom Animalia right here on Earth, not, well, pokémon or aliens. There’s actual fossil evidence that strongly suggests this.

Granted, I fully understand why there are theories to the contrary. Our intelligence, resilience, and occasional gifts (that is, Aura channeling, psychic ability, and so forth) do indeed present strong arguments that we’re collectively a lot more special than, say, a house cat or a goldfish. However, it’s really more likely that we simply adapted to possess the traits we do because we interact directly with pokémon. Of course we would adapt to survive a Thunderbolt from a mischief of angry pikachu; our ancestors had to deal with much worse.

On the other hand, this all is only a theory. Where we actually come from and how we came to be what we are is still a bit of a mystery to scientists, and it’s one of the greatest mysteries we have yet to definitively solve.

Do you know any good collective nouns for different pokemon? (Also, if a group were to contain different evolutionary levels of the same line, how would you refer to that? As in, would it be ‘a flock of pidgeot’ even if the flock contained pidgey and pidgeotto, or would you have to say ‘a flock of pidgeot, pidgeotto, and pidgey’?)

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To answer the easiest question here first, group names typically apply to the whole line, rather than the individual, because most pokémon either live closely together, or they separate after evolution to live solitary lifestyles (and thus have no group name).

As for group names, there are quite a lot of pokémon, which means that naming every single group name would result in a post so long I doubt few of you would appreciate it. Thus, I’m going to cover as many as possible without going overboard, and all of it is behind the readmore below.

For the record, please note that when a pokémon is named, I’m actually referring to the entire evolutionary line unless otherwise noted.

  • First and foremost, there are no group names for legendary pokémon, as there are no records that such pokémon live in groups large enough to warrant being named. (There are, of course, instances of multiple legendaries arriving to certain important events in history en masse, but these seem to be exceptions to the rule, as opposed to examples of day-to-day life for them.) Collectively, all legendaries of a region are referred to as a pantheon (e.g., the Johto pantheon), but this is less an indicator of their lifestyles and more a note about regional society.
  • As rare as it is to see groups of starters (many of these often occur far from human civilization, if not artificially in breeding centers), there are in fact group names for each of the starters. Several of them (bulbasaur, squirtle, cyndaquil, mudkip, and turtwig) form nests, although groups of bulbasaur or turtwig can also be called knots. Charmander and treecko form lounges, although if you’re referring to charizard specifically, those can also be referred to as a congress. (The entire treecko line keeps the same group name throughout.) Speaking of political words, rowlet form parliaments all the way through their line, although decidueye tends to be solitary. A group of chikorita or tepig is a herd, while totodile forms a bask. A group of torchic is a flock, and while that name is popularly applied to the equally bird-like piplup, the proper word for a group of piplup is a rookery. (They can also be referred to as a colony.) Multiple chimchar form a troop, while multiple froakie become an army. Oshawott form floats, chespin form scurries (singular scurry), fennekin form leashes, and litten form ambushes. And popplio? Harem.
  • Referring to most bird pokémon as a flock isn’t technically incorrect; people will generally understand what you mean if you do. However, there are certain words for particular evolution lines. For example, a group of murkrow is called a murder, a group of hoothoot is called a parliament (just like rowlet), and most groups of bird pokémon that nest by the sea tend tend to be called a rookery. (This is slightly different from the label given to actual birds, but yes, “rookery” can also specifically mean bird pokémon that are nesting.) Additionally, a group of chatot can form a company, hawlucha form a kettle or ring, rufflet are a convocation or an aerie, and vullaby are a wake.
  • Most bug-types form either hives, swarms, or colonies. Generally speaking, if they don’t form a visible nest and/or are on the move, they’re a swarm. (This includes non-mobile pokémon such as ferroseed and pineco, incidentally.) If their nest is underground, they’re a colony, and if their nest is in a tree or is otherwise visible, they’re a hive. If their nest is in your house, then they’re an infestation, and you should perhaps consult a trainer.
  • A group of pikachu is a mischief, as is a group of rattata. The term is equally appropriate for both.
  • Serpent pokémon generally form nests. The exception is dratini, which actually forms a colony. (To be fair, “nest” has often been used to describe dratini as well. Dragonair and dragonite are always called colonies, although older texts also call a group of dragonite a flight.)
  • If domesticated, a group of nidoran of either line form houses or herds. In the wild, they form nests.
  • Nest is actually a pretty common term for animal-like pokémon, actually. So if you don’t see it specified here, it’s safe to assume a group can be referred to as a nest, especially if it’s in the wild.
  • Multiple clefairy form a colony, and multiple jigglypuff form a choir. A lot of people get the two confused, but it’s easier if you remember the urban legend about clefairy coming from space.
  • Bat-like pokémon are likewise called colonies, regardless of species. This includes the noibat line.
  • Most canine pokémon form packs. Yes, this includes eevee (although it’s true that a couple of its evolutions are more cat-like in nature). The exception are fox-like pokémon (vulpix, abra, and fennekin, one of which is mentioned above), which form leashes. Vulpix can also form a skulk; however, this word isn’t used for a group of fennekin. Likewise, a group of abra may also form a clan.
  • In domesticated or wild settings, most cat-like pokémon (namely skitty, meowth, glameow, and purrloin) form clowders. Feral cat-like pokémon in urban settings are called destructions, however. Especially meowth.
  • Meanwhile, lion-like pokémon such as shinx and litleo form prides.
  • Most flower-like pokémon form gardens. Tree-like pokémon form forests. Note that the latter is not dependent on actual type; a group of sudowoodo is absolutely a forest.
  • Fruit- and vegetable-like pokémon are a bit trickier, but generally, those are harvests. For example, it’s a harvest of pumpkaboo or a harvest of bounsweet. However, if they evolve into something that isn’t entirely edible, then the whole line is labeled with the appropriate term in their case. (For example, a group of cherubi is a garden, not a harvest.)
  • Seedot is a unique case, as it evolves into a more ninja-like pokémon. Consequently, it’s not referred to as a harvest either but rather a clan.
  • Tropius, meanwhile, are always in herds. Additionally, mushroom-like pokémon are masses or colonies. (The exception is paras and parasect, which compose swarms.)
  • A group of exeggcute is a cluster or dozen, but a group of exeggutor is a forest or herd. This is one of the few pokémon that are referred to with completely separate terms before and after evolution. Contrary to popular belief, remoraid isn’t the other example.
  • Humanoid pokémon often form tribes (if they’re at least part psychic) or clans (if they’re not). Humanoid pokémon that coexist with humans (but are still wild or feral) are called communities. For example, a community of machop.
  • Pokémon that resemble inanimate objects vary with their group name, depending on what they’re modeled after. For example, a group of geodude is a quarry, a group of onix is a mine, and a group of voltorb, in all seriousness, is called a hazard. A number of species also form collections (such as a collection of bronzor), and porygon form folders.
  • Fish-like pokémon form schools if they’re in motion as one unit and shoals if they’re merely gathered together in one general place. The wailmer line and lapras form pods, seal-like pokémon can form a herd, and most crab-like pokémon form casts. Octillery are solitary and thus don’t have a group name, despite the fact that remoraid do indeed form either schools or shoals. If in the company of their preevolved form, you can refer to the whole group as either a school or shoal and basically be correct. Groups of inkay are still called shoals, though, and this term can apply to them, even if they’re in motion as a single unit.
  • Horse-like pokémon form teams, whereas groups of sheep, goats, cows, buffalo, and so forth are all called herds.
  • Also, if you have multiple pokémon that fit the same general description or would use the same group word, you can simply refer to them by that group word, rather than separate them out. For example, rather than calling it a school of magikarp and a school of finneon, you would call them a school of magikarp and finneon.
  • A group of absol is not called a panic but rather a pack. Officially, anyway. The joke has gained enough popularity as of recent that panic is also becoming an increasingly accepted term.
  • For anything else, please feel free to ask!

My female Gardevoir hates being near any Gallade for some reason? Is she scared of them? Are Gallade naturally more aggressive to female Gardevoir? My male Gardevoir is just fine around them he’s even close friends with a Gallade? I’m very confused and concerned. This is the first female Gardevoir I’ve ever raised.

There are many possible reasons why a gardevoir might dislike being around gallade. Some find gallade intimidating because of the level of aggression they naturally display. Some find gallade’s protectiveness off-putting. Some actually feel repulsed by them due to type differences.

And some gardevoir are basically lesbians and don’t care for romantic advances from an all-male species.

In any of these cases, rest assured that a dislike of gallade is perfectly normal and just as common as a love for them among gardevoir. This should really only be a cause for concern if your gardevoir is exhibiting a significant amount of distress about the subject or if her feelings are disruptive to her day-to-day life. If that’s the case, start with communicating with her to understand the root cause and work with her from there.

Best of luck!

Okay so long story short, my talonflame just had a clutch of eggs and sadly, one of the chicks did not make it long after hatching. I have had to research how to look after the babies myself because (due to grief, I think) she will not take care of the rest. I’ve had no problems caring for them, but this isn’t the ideal situation. Is there anything I can do to help her deal with her loss and have her caring for her young again?

First and foremost, I’m sorry for your loss, anonymous.

This can be a difficult time for you and your talonflame, but there may be a few things you can do. First, ensure that her nest is in a place free from stressors. Keep her space clean and quiet, and always stock it with plenty of food and water, as well as access to fresh air. The more comfortable she is, the easier it will be to keep her calm.

Next, tend to her needs personally. The calmer she is, the easier it will be to go through the rest of the reintroduction process. Feed her treats, give her wing massages, and reassure her that you care deeply for her until she seems completely at ease.

Then, reintroduce her chicks to her nest. Depending on how violently she rejects them, it may be best to do this step slowly, with one chick at a time. Place the chick in the nest and watch for her reaction. If she doesn’t toss it out (and I mean that literally, so be prepared to catch fletchling here or there), add the next one in until the clutch is in her care.

You’ll need to follow this up with a combination of regular check-ups to the pokémon center (which may also offer help for her mental health and assistance with the grief process) and active training, the latter of which should be focused on maternal tasks. That is to say, you may need to teach her how to be a mother again.

Above everything else, though, remember that this may take time. Losing a child is almost always heartbreaking for a mother, even one that isn’t human, and it may be difficult for her to heal. Be patient as you help her, and eventually, she may come to love her surviving fletchling.

If all else fails, though, be ready with a foster parent, or another pokémon who’s willing to act as their mother. As sad as it is to say this, sometimes, a mother who rejects her clutch never reaccepts it.

Best of luck, anonymous!

Pokémon like Porygon and Metagross – due to their technological nature (and mind), do they thing differently than other ‘Mon?

Yes, actually, but not in the same way. For the most part, the porygon line thinks very much like people, but they’re by and large highly obedient and a bit inclined to … think highly of their trainers, to put it politely. This is because they were created by humans, so they were, well, programmed to be like that. Porygon-Z is the exception: while it still retains human-like intelligence, it’s far more unpredictable. Researchers aren’t quite sure why, but I personally believe it might have been an experiment in AI sentience gone a bit awry.

Metagross, meanwhile, is indeed essentially a living supercomputer, but its origins aren’t human in nature. Consequently, it’s a bit more alien in mindset, which of course goes into the challenge of training one. It’s impressive how non-universal something like morality can be, especially when comparing the moral compass of the general human population to that of, say, a rampaging mega metagross.