I keep waking up in the night to my togedemaru having his spines poke out and hurt me. he is asleep when he is doing this and i wake him up and he cries. why is this happening

Sometimes, pokémon simply react to the things they dream about through physical movement. For example, a meowth may twitch its hind legs because it’s dreaming about a catch, a growlithe may roll over and whine because they’re dreaming about receiving affection from their owners, and pokémon that can extend spikes (such as quilfish or togedemaru) may do so in response to a nightmare. The latter sounds like it may be the case with your togedemaru, particularly given the fact that you’ve mentioned he cries when you wake him. (Alternatively, if you touched him to wake him up, he may be startled. If that’s the case, try to avoid touching him to wake him in the future.)

If your togedemaru is experiencing nightmares, there are a couple of things you can do to limit their occurrence. For one, keep in mind that nightmares are often the result of stress or anxiety in one’s waking life, so if your togedemaru seems particularly stressed out during the day, try removing the source of the stressor. Reduce the intensity of your training regimen. Ensure your togedemaru’s environment is comfortable. If you have an important battle coming up, do your best to reassure him that he’ll be fine and consider adding meditation exercises to your training routine. In fact, you may wish to add meditation exercises to your routine anyway, as this will help reduce your togedemaru’s daily stress levels.

Also, be sure that your togedemaru is getting enough sleep at night, and avoid allowing him to eat before bed. Sleep deprivation can actually cause nightmares by increasing stress levels during the day, and eating before bed (especially eating certain foods, such as sugary berries) may cause digestive upset during sleep, which will of course affect his dreams. Practicing good hygiene in general also contributes to the level of comfort your togedemaru experiences during sleep.

If none of this helps, there are licensed Nurse Joys out there who may offer your pokémon some psychological counseling. It may be worth it to ask your local Nurse Joy for help.

Best of luck, anonymous!

Is it true that you will be cursed if you see Mimikyu’s true form? If so, would you be cursed if you only saw it in a photo and not actually i front of you. Does Mimikyu apply the curse or is there some other force? If not, how did this rumour come to be? Sorry about the qeustions, Mimikyu is such an interesting pokemon.

Not cursed exactly. It’s more like mimikyu’s actual appearance is so shocking that it’s been known to literally trigger cardiac arrest, particularly in those who have underlying heart conditions already. In that sense, looking at a photo of its true form may induce a similar phenomenon.

Of course, some mimikyu—especially the more aggressive ones—have been known to take advantage of a victim’s shock by using their spiritual abilities to induce nightmarish hallucinations, but not all mimikyu actually do this. The rumors of the species’ “curse” may stem from this particular behavior or the cases in which a more benign mimikyu accidentally killed a victim through shock alone. Anthropologists can only really theorize which based on historical accounts and local folklore, but the prevailing theory has more to do with the latter (accidental death through shock) than the former.

Are some pokemon more likely to go beserk than others when mega evolving and if so which ones and why do you think so?

Generally speaking, pokémon that receive a significant boost in power are more likely to lose control of it—and, by extent, themselves. Consequently, while you have pokémon such as audino, altaria, and sableye, all of whom take to mega evolution with very few problems, you also have pokémon such as charizard, lucario, and tyranitar, all of whom are liable to lose control rather easily until they grow used to the transition.

Alternatively, if a pokémon’s abilities are psychic or meditative in nature (see alakazam, gardevoir, and medicham), then they’re less likely to lose control, as their abilities require the utmost self-discipline to use in the first place. Kangaskhan also rarely loses herself, largely because of the nature of her particular mega evolution. (You can read about kangaskhan’s mega evolution here: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/152049372796/another-kangaskhan-question-sorry-its-my.)

Conversely, certain mega evolutions simply boost a pokémon’s natural aggression, as in the case of gyarados (which gains the dark type as a result, even), sceptile (which gains the bestial dragon-type), and pinsir (whose aggression can simply be chalked up to the fact that it has just realized it can fly and therefore terrorize mortals from literally any direction).

Finally, you have mega slowbro. Mega slowbro does go berserk, but this is less because of its actual emotions and more because it loses any form of control over the way it moves, as having a 265-pound telekinetic creature with a notoriously slow response time spin about on the tip of its tail is a fantastic recipe for mass destruction.

Hi Bill, I have a lovely Sylveon who is really social, and that sometimes leads him to some trouble, particularly with my Bewear and Incineroar, both of whom nearly crush him in their attention, any way to help them not accidentally rip eachother to shreds?

In your case, strength training is of the utmost importance. This may sound odd—training your pokémon to get stronger and all—but in truth, strength training also involves a lot of discipline. By helping your incineroar and bewear to grow stronger, you also help them familiarize themselves with the way their bodies work, which in turn allows them to understand how to apply weaker amounts of pressure if needed. You may also wish to target precision specifically by having them attack specific targets, rather than use all of their force in order to achieve a particular goal. Either way, be vigilant during your training exercises and be sure to guide your pokémon into understanding that control, rather than pure strength, is the key to success both on and off the field.

Once they grasp this, having them show affection to your sylveon should be rather simple.

Your sylveon, meanwhile, might need to be taught a bit of restraint—especially if his charisma has anything to do with his fairy-type abilities, such as Baby Doll Eyes—but by and large, it may be more effective to target your bewear and incineroar’s levels of discipline, especially given the fact that this is their teammate.

Best of luck!

Hi Bill! I have a primarily fire-type team, which causes a lot of problems since everyone tends to be a little ‘hot-headed.’ I just adopted a quilava, and my vulpix, growlithe and flareon have been picking on him a lot. They’ve started a LOT of fires, and now they’re dragging the rest of the team into things… let’s just say a certain vaporeon got fed up with the bickering and I had to rush someone to the pokemon center last week. Any suggestions?

You may wish to consider spending a bit more time training each of them every day. For your vulpix, growlithe, and flareon, this is a great way to release pent-up aggression in a constructive manner, especially if you also train them to focus their negative energies into their attacks. You may also consider some team building exercises, such as double-battling or joint-training. This can be done either by pairing your other pokémon with your quilava (which will help him integrate into your team) or with each other (which will help reinforce what it means to be on a team in the first place). Finally, see if you can communicate how destructive behavior—including bullying and literally destroying your home with fire—is affecting not only your quilava but your family as a whole. It’s possible that if you speak clearly but firmly like a loving parent, your pokémon will understand.

If all else fails, training will of course help your quilava to get stronger, and it can learn the rock-type move Rollout naturally, just before evolution. Just as a thought.

I have recently befriended a Ralts who has displayed suprising telepathic talent, but she has started avoiding some of my trainer friends, sometimes going as far as teleporting out of the area when they enter the room. Any advice?

Well, that depends. If your ralts had never met these trainers, she may be exhibiting her species’ signature shyness. If that’s the case, then it’s important to work with her and get her used to spending time around people other than you. Doing this involves a process similar to getting a pokémon acclimated to a new environment or a new teammate: start off gradually (perhaps by introducing her to only one or two friends) and work your way up until she can handle more.

If she seems disgruntled towards these trainers, however, or if this is a sudden change in behavior, then there are two possibilities for what might be going on. First, it’s possible that your ralts is experiencing jealousy. Members of the ralts family are some of the most loyal pokémon in existence, so they’re extremely protective and sometimes possessive of their trainers. It’s not unusual for a ralts to become aggressive towards other humans they feel are jeopardizing their relationship with their trainers. If this is the case, it’s important to explain to your ralts that your relationship with her isn’t going to change just because you’ve met new people. I would recommend increasing the amount of time you spend training her or giving her a bit more affection than usual to reinforce this.

The second option, meanwhile, is that there is something very wrong with the trainers you’ve befriended. Remember that members of the ralts line are talented empaths and can thus sense when someone is not being entirely truthful to you. If your ralts is reacting to specific friends or if she seems on edge as she teleports away, it’s important to communicate with her and try to determine what she’s detected. From there, you may be able to determine the best course of action, whether it’s reassuring your ralts that your new friends are trustworthy or taking action to distance yourself from potentially toxic people.

Whatever you do, anonymous, communication and observation are the keys. Pay attention not only to what your ralts is doing in general but also her body language and any other signal she may be sending you.

Best of luck!

I heard Togetic make great service Pokémon. Do you know why?

Well, they make great emotional support pokémon, specifically. The reason why is because togetic are very much like blissey: dedicated to the happiness of their human partners. As such, togetic will do everything they can to lift the spirits of anyone they sense is unhappy, often by providing “joy dust,” or puffs of its own down. For a reason that researchers have yet to fully explain, this joy dust is widely considered to be an extremely comforting substance to touch. In a way, touching joy down is much like looking at pictures of baby animals or pokémon: most people, regardless of background or preferences besides that, find happiness and comfort in doing so.

Additionally, togetic can use this ability in combination with their natural moves—particularly Charm, Safeguard, or Yawn—to help their partners focus on them and allow them to feel safe, protected, or calm. This, in addition to this pokémon’s naturally attentive nature, allow togetic to function as some of the most effective non-psychic support pokémon out there.

Of course, a togetic’s effectiveness only increases when it evolves into the down-covered, extremely loyal togekiss, but that’s more or less a side point.

Hey there. So, I recently lost my right leg (above the knee) due to a rampaging Gyarados. (Well, to be more specific; I recently awoke from a coma as a result of said attack with one less leg and various other injuries.) Anyway – my Lucario was there as well, and though he helped to save my life, he had been fretting whilst I was comatose – and now he refuses to leave my side, even to tend to his own needs. I’m not very sure what to do about this and advice would be appreciated. (1/2, Leg Anon)

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Regarding your lucario, keep in mind that the riolu line in general are very loyal and intense pokémon, so what you’re describing seems rather typical for his species. Granted, I’m not at all saying that it’s good; on the contrary, it’s rather something a trainer should always keep in mind. To counter it, you’ll need to persuade him that you’re healing. I would recommend asking your doctor for a helper chansey. These are “loaner” nurse chansey, not permanent service pokémon, and their primary function is to tend to you as a personal nurse, rather than as an assistant. (Some regions offer audino or wigglytuff instead, or you may be given a more patient and independent audino as opposed to a chansey, but for the purposes of this post, I’ll just refer to the far more common chansey.) This nurse chansey will be by your side 24/7 until it’s clear you’ve recovered enough and gone through enough physical therapy to be able to function basically on your own or with the assistance of a long-term service pokémon, depending on your needs. Most pokémon will understand the nature of a nurse chansey, and thus, her presence may help put your lucario’s mind at enough ease that he may listen to you when you tell him to take care of himself.

As for the gyarados, that’s a bit trickier, especially in your current state. Your best bet is to convince your husband to speak rationally with the trainer. You may even wish to wait until you’re well enough to handle going with him. It’s important to remind your husband that there is no such thing as an evil pokémon, regardless of what folklore and pokédex entries may have one believe, and if a trained pokémon gets particularly violent, it’s typically due to bad training, self-defense, or another very good, rational reason. Thus, it’s important for your husband to listen to gyarados’s trainer and try to understand why the attack happened in the first place while keeping in mind that what happened very likely is not completely gyarados’s fault. (This is not to say that you were at fault. It’s simply to say that what happened was an unfortunate circumstance and that euthanizing this gyarados is, most likely, far too extreme a punishment.)

Alternatively, also explain to him that what’s happened has already happened and that it’s no use to put down the gyarados on the off-chance that it may prevent another accident in the future. Responding to the accident by putting this gyarados down will not restore your leg or heal the other injuries you’ve endured. Likewise, if he was successful at putting the gyarados down, that means someone else suffers as a result. This is why it’s actually important for your husband to speak with the gyarados’s trainer: to understand what bond he’s hoping to break. Absolutely, it’s rather touching that your husband is that dedicated to you that he would fight for you, but it’s simply that his methodology will do far more harm than good in the long run, even if he thinks he may be protecting others from this gyarados.

Best of luck, both on this and your recovery, anonymous.

My Rockruff and Litten use to be best friends, until they evolved. When Litten evolved into Torracat, she and my Rockruff still got along just fine. But when Rockruff evolved into Lycanroc (Midday) he started ignoring Torracat and he even attacked her once when she tried to get him to play with her. I was thinking that letting Torracat evolve might resolve these issues but Torracat has made it clear she doesn’t want to evolve. What should I do?

As always, it’s of vital importance to forge an understanding of your pokémon before proceeding. It’s entirely possible that your lycanroc’s behavior can be explained by his evolution and thus shift in personality. Midday lycanroc are indeed highly loyal pokémon, but they’re only loyal to those they perceive as being members of their pack. To anyone outside of that pack (as the cat-like torracat would be), they may become defensive or even territorial.

Alternatively, your lycanroc may be experiencing the beginnings of his maturity. That is to say, seeing as lycanroc and torracat are compatible with one another in terms of breeding, it’s possible that your lycanroc is attempting to drive away what he perceives to be an inadequate breeding partner, or he may be dealing with conflicting feelings about his former best friend.

On the other hand, it may also have nothing to do with your lycanroc’s evolution at all, and it may simply be a coincidence. It may be that your lycanroc and torracat are going through a personal quarrel or a misunderstanding that has less to do with your lycanroc’s evolution and more to do with how much food they receive, what toys they have, or something entirely different.

Thus, the first step is observation and communication. Observe your pokémon to see if you can determine a point of conflict, and if you can’t, simply ask them why they’ve started fighting. If you can determine the root cause of your pokémon’s arguments, you may be able to work from there to settle things once and for all.

Best of luck, anonymous!