Hey, Bill. I heard a rumor that the Archen line were the parents of all Bird-like Pokemon. Is that true? What about Aerodactyl then? Also, if I may ask, what’s your favorite fossil Pokemon? I’m personally partial to Sheldon and Bastiodon myself!

It’s true! Archen adapted, slowly but surely, into other bird pokémon, depending on the habitat. This frequently resulted in branches of adaptations that became all modern-day bird pokémon.

Aerodactyl, on the other hand, actually belonged to a completely separate line of pokémon that ended with aerodactyl sometime in the late Cretaceous (likely as a result of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event). While the descendants of archen included smaller, bird-like pokémon that could adapt easily to the resulting climate changes, the pterosaur-like pokémon such as aerodactyl were far larger and consumed more energy simply to move, and, well, that would be why they never survived past the extinction event, sad to say.

As for my favorite fossil, now that is a difficult question! I’m quite partial to kabuto myself, as they aren’t technically extinct but have managed to survive in smaller numbers and in extreme environments. Because of this, they’re our best window to the ancient world and could provide a whole host of answers to questions humans have been asking ourselves for aeons.

However, all of them are quite fascinating, and the shieldon family is likewise an excellent choice!

Aerodactyl

bills-pokedex:

Aerodactyl
The Fossil Pokémon
Type: Rock/Flying
Official Registration #: 142
Entry: A ferocious, pterosaur-like pokémon that once ruled the skies of ancient Kanto. Aerodactyl is noteworthy in that it helped establish many practices used in modern paleo-pokémon ethology, which itself is an extremely specific but fascinating field. Much of what goes into paleo-pokémon ethology is guesswork, really. For example, when one sees a set of serrated teeth such as those of aerodactyl, one can safely assume that this pokémon used them for cutting into meat. When one sees wings and claws, one can assume that the pokémon in question was an aerial hunter. Of course, this method of hypothesizing and assuming behaviors based on physical traits of fossilized remains is not infallible. For another example, it was once assumed that aerodactyl was a vicious, fearless hunter, but recent resurrections of specimens using fossil revival technology has proven that aerodactyl are more like very large, very confused, very vocal parakeets.

Mega Aerodactyl
The Fossil Pokémon
Type: Rock/Flying
Official Registration #: 142+
Entry: The advanced form of aerodactyl, via aerodactylite. Some experts believe that the mega evolved form—with its boost in power, its generally violent temper, and its myriad of stone spikes and claws covering its rough skin—is the actual, true, original form of the aerodactyl species. Others recognize that there is actual fossil evidence to the contrary that has been part of public knowledge for decades, but this school of thought doesn’t have the heart to tell members of the other camp that they’re [REDACTED].

If you’re not willing to do a professor dex, why would you say this about other members of the Symposium? —LH

Because it’s true, and Professor Oak isn’t included in that first camp. —Bill

Oh, that second part explains it. —LH

Hey Bill: I was reading my Pokedex on Aerodactyl, and Mega Aerodactyl, and then I read your entry about it, and other fossils and I noticed you didn’t have any information about Mega Aerodactyl. Are what scientist say about Mega Aerodactyl being it’s true appearance a widely accepted thing, and does it have any truth in it? I am extremely interested in this flying fossil friend and/or foe.

Ah yes. I should get to those mega evolution entries someday.

[Yes. Yes, you should. As you’ve said more than a year ago. —LH

Patience, Lanette. Good things take time to produce. —Bill

You designed the storage system in a month. —LH

…touché. —Bill]

On a serious note, anonymous, that’s actually a point of contention within the scientific community. Some scholars say that mega aerodactyl is what the species had looked like in ancient times, yes, but others say there’s actually no fossilized evidence that this is the case. If you look at the rock surrounding an aerodactyl fossil, the type of stone surrounding the skeletal structure is often uniform in nature, meaning the stone protrusions the pokédex claims were originally there are, well, not. Moreover, aerodactyl is traditionally revived through samples of old amber, which preserves the structure of tissue much better than fossilization does (for, well, obvious reasons included in the definition of “fossilization” itself). Yet no sample of old amber exists with any such stone fragment, not even in the famous sample of old amber found recently that successfully preserved a considerable amount of ancient aerodactyl tail. For that reason, I’m personally skeptical about the pokédex entries myself, as much as it pains me to admit that I disagree with reports vetted by a distinguished member of the Pokémon Symposium.

As for whether or not mega aerodactyl’s violence can be attributed to the strain its physical form places on it, I’m admittedly just as skeptical. It’s uncommon but not unusual for a pokémon to undergo some level of personality change when mega evolving, just as they do when simply evolving, and aerodactyl is a notoriously difficult to tame pokémon to begin with. It’s likely that the violence mega aerodactyl displays is merely the result of the freedom it gets from its boost in power, rather than specifically due to the form it’s forced to take or the process itself.

My boyfriend is really attached to his aerodactyl, which is fine, but she’s always attacking me when he’s not around! He was upset that I actually used my Whimsicott to put it asleep a few times, but what do I do about it? I’m male, if that helps any.

It’s very possible that your boyfriend’s aerodactyl is jealous of you or possessive towards your boyfriend, anonymous. Aerodactyl are extremely rare and highly aggressive pokémon, and as such, you only see them in the company of trainers and collectors who would prize them extremely highly. If your boyfriend had his aerodactyl for years prior to meeting you, it comes as no surprise that he’s attached to it, and more importantly, any change in attention his aerodactyl is receiving from him will be interpreted as a threat.

What I mean to say is that this problem is unfortunately one that only your boyfriend can solve. Your best hope is to try and explain to him what his aerodactyl is doing when he’s not around. Perhaps even show him any scars or injuries you’ve suffered. Emphasize that you’re not making him choose between you or his aerodactyl and that you wish to be friendly with his pokémon as well; it’s just that you’re afraid of what aerodactyl will do if you let things escalate. Hopefully, your boyfriend will begin to understand and work on training his aerodactyl to accept you.

If that doesn’t work, however, I’ve heard that dating apps have undergone wonderful advancements in the past few years.

Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl
The Fossil Pokémon
Type: Rock/Flying
Official Registration #: 142
Entry: A ferocious, pterosaur-like pokémon that once ruled the skies of ancient Kanto. Aerodactyl is noteworthy in that it helped establish many practices used in modern paleo-pokémon ethology, which itself is an extremely specific but fascinating field. Much of what goes into paleo-pokémon ethology is guesswork, really. For example, when one sees a set of serrated teeth such as those of aerodactyl, one can safely assume that this pokémon used them for cutting into meat. When one sees wings and claws, one can assume that the pokémon in question was an aerial hunter. Of course, this method of hypothesizing and assuming behaviors based on physical traits of fossilized remains is not infallible. For another example, it was once assumed that aerodactyl was a vicious, fearless hunter, but recent resurrections of specimens using fossil revival technology has proven that aerodactyl are more like very large, very confused, very vocal parakeets.