I just hatched a Mawile, and although I know for a fact that it’s been bread for a beneficial nature and maximum battle potential, I’m worried about what to do if it insists on battling before it’s ready.

Be cautious but firm. I say “cautious” because mawile are generally known for their deceptive abilities, and that extends to more than just in battle. If a mawile has their heart set on something, they will often use their cuteness and deceptive natures to trick those around them into getting it. Always be on your guard around a young mawile, as the species is particularly cute when recently hatched and intelligent enough to know that.

That having been said, set boundaries for your mawile. Establish the fact that she cannot battle in full-scale matches involving experienced pokémon and be absolutely firm in telling her this. Never take her to a battlefield, but if avoiding one is difficult for you (as battlefields are common in public spaces, such as parks and pokémon centers), refuse to battle with her and make it clear to trainers who might approach that you’re not interested just yet. This may force you to cut back on training with your other pokémon, but until your mawile is old enough, it may be for the best.

However, you don’t necessarily have to forgo training routines altogether. Instead of engaging in hard battles, consider using your other pokémon to set up play matches with your mawile. In other words, allow your mawile to “battle” your other pokémon while making it clear to your team that they’re to go easy on her. Roughhousing, as odd as this may seem, is a great way to encourage your mawile to bond with the rest of your team while gaining the strength and experience she needs to grow. Likewise, it’s an excellent way to teach the rest of your team to control their abilities (as it’s easier to go all-out in a match but takes far more discipline and strength to hold back). This may be a perfect compromise for an insistent mawile who’s far too young for actual battling.

Of course, if she shows no interest whatsoever in battling, then that’s an entirely different matter, and for that reason, I would suggest worrying less about whether or not she will be insistent on battling. Some mawile are quite enthusiastic about the prospect, but others may need time to warm up to the idea of battling at all. It all depends on the personality of your hatchling, and you really have just as much of a chance to handle a disinterested mawile as you are one that wishes to fight as soon as possible.

Good luck, anonymous, and congratulations on the newest addition to your team!

I should be getting a Noibat to keep as a pet soon. What do I need to know about caring for one before I bring the little guy home? Also, how should I prepare if it decides it wants to evolve?

Soundproof everything.

In all seriousness, noibat have extremely sensitive hearing, far more than any other pokémon. The first thing you’ll need to do is ensure it has a nice, quiet place to go, preferably one that’s as dark as possible and definitely if you live in an urban environment. Basements tend to be favored places, as the dampness can remind a noibat of its home cave. The larger this space, the better, as you’ll want to give your noibat plenty of room to fly about or roost. Also, just because you’ll want a darker, damper environment for your noibat does not mean it should be cold. In the winter, be sure your noibat’s living area is just a bit warm. If the space is too cold for you to go about without a jacket, then it’s too cold for your noibat.

Besides that, unlike mice- or rat-like pokémon like pikachu or rattata, noibat need minimal direct care, as they tend to be wilder than its rodent cousins. Giving it a soundproof space that you wouldn’t mind cleaning frequently (as in, once a day), as well as sources of food and water, are really all you need to do. Remember that noibat are frugivores, so have plenty of berries on hand for it to eat.

Your noibat will self-groom, so providing it with something to bathe in—even a sand bath—is not necessary unless it’s ill, covered in something poisonous, or particularly dirty. Otherwise, although it’s fine to groom your noibat to build affection, this should only be done after the two of you have established trust in each other—and even then, only occasionally. Noibat are largely independent pokémon, so many of them feel uncomfortable when touched by humans unless they initiate contact themselves.

Ultimately, that’s the main key to taking care of noibat: remembering that many of them like their space. Unless hatched from an egg and raised by hand as a hatchling, noibat are shy, skittish creatures in comparison to their rodent cousins, zubat and woobat included. Always let your noibat come to you if it wants affection or to be touched in general; never force your noibat to come to you. The more you show it that you’re willing to give it the space it needs, the more likely it will trust you and feel comfortable around you (paradoxically enough). You’ll know when you’ve built a solid relationship with your noibat if it comes to you frequently and lets you pet it or give it affection for more than a few minutes at a time.

As for your second question, the process of preparing for evolution is more or less the same as it is with any other pokémon, really. If your noibat expresses interest in evolution, be sure to support them but also verify that this is absolutely what they want to do. Then, start your noibat on a daily training regimen consisting of at least one hour of training per day. Flying exercises might also be something worth considering, that might make your noibat’s transition into its noivern form a lot smoother.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that noivern are dragons, not only at heart but also very, very literally. For one, they need a lot more space than noibat, but at the same time, their requirements for a dark, quiet living space is just as important for them. (Hence, basements tend to be even better ideas for keeping them.) Additionally, as draconic pokémon, they’ll want plenty of opportunity to exercise and fly about, so it’s a good idea to maintain your training schedule well after noivern’s evolution. It would also be a wise idea to construct a noivern door connected to its usual living space so that, at night, your noivern may come and go as it pleases and get additional exercise on its own. (For that matter, it would be a good idea to speak with Nurse Joy prior to evolution about options for implanting a chip on your noibat.)

Finally, as noted in its entry, despite being draconic in nature (in that they prefer their freedom), noivern are generally either fiercely loyal or shy around humans. Which yours will be tends to depend on the care you give it prior to evolution. If you’ve reached the aforementioned stage where your noibat will come to you frequently, then it will likely evolve into the fiercely loyal sort of noivern. If, however, your noibat for any reason doesn’t feel comfortable around you by the time it evolves, it will most certainly grow into the sort of noivern who prefers avoiding contact with humans, including you. It would be important, if you end up with the latter sort of noivern, to change your habits and work to build noivern’s trust in you. It’s not impossible to do so after evolution, but it will take a lot more time and patience, as it will require you to give your noivern enough space while also providing it with a reason for it to come home at the end of the night.

I do hope this all made sense, anonymous. Noibat can be a challenging pokémon to handle, just because their normally shy disposition makes them difficult to tame. Nonetheless, as with all pokémon, patience is the key to gaining a lifelong friend.

Something on Ho-oh please? :) I feel it is overshadowed by Lugia.

Well, I admit I was going to end Johto Week with an entry on both Lugia and Ho-oh, but how can I argue with this request?

(Besides, as the son of a kimono girl from a sect dedicated specifically to Ho-oh, I realize now that not dedicating a full entry to Ho-oh would be literally sacrilegious somehow.)

Bill … are you ever actually worried that Ho-oh will set you on fire for not worshipping it enough? —LH

Of course not. I’m well aware that as a human, I will likely be set on fire by Ho-oh either way. It’s just the principle of the matter. —Bill

All right then. —LH

Ho-oh
The Rainbow Pokémon
Type: Fire/Flying
Official Registration #: 250
Entry: The guardian of the heavens and reincarnation, according to Johtonian legend. Once the mentor to the Johtonian people (during its longest and period of peace and prosperity), Ho-oh roosted in the gilded sister tower of Lugia’s shrine, known today as Bell Tower. However, after Lugia became enraged at humanity’s violence and greed, it drew down the storm that burned Brass Tower to the ground, and Ho-oh, in its despair over the death and destruction caused by its fellow legendary and humankind, flew away to parts unknown on rainbow wings, leaving behind three beasts to act as its judges for the Johtonian people. It is said that Ho-oh will only return to Johto when it’s clear that humans and pokémon are capable of living in harmony, and thus, it is said that its subordinates, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, are destined to wander the earth, observing us for the day when we become worthy of Ho-ohs presence once again. In other words, Ho-oh’s legend is one elaborate (but true) story about why none of us can’t have nice things.

Bill, could you explain why it is that pokemon will forget moves in the process of learning new ones?

They don’t, actually. Not immediately, anyway. In some cases, pokémon simply get rusty with old ones. After all, a trainer is most likely to use the most recent moves they’ve taught their pokémon, and wild pokémon will tend to use the strongest moves at their disposal. Pokémon simply have no reason to use any other move, and thus, they “forget” them in the sense that they ignore they exist until those moves become less familiar to them than the newer ones. It’s a little like learning languages, actually; unless you practice daily, you will very likely forget certain words, even though you’re still somewhat adept at speaking it.

In other cases, the pokémon in question has excellent memory; it’s just that they refuse to use older moves. So unlike the above case, where older moves become rusty, the pokémon has the ability to use any move they’ve ever learned; they simply don’t because it’s rather pointless to do so.

And in other cases, the new move is the older move, just with an increase in power. For example, if you “overwrite” Bite with Crunch, you’re not teaching the pokémon a new move. You’re simply using the principles behind Bite and adding more technique until it becomes Crunch. The pokémon still doesn’t see a point in ever using Bite again, so every time you attempt to order it to use Bite, what it will do instead is basically execute a slightly weaker Crunch than usual—as in, same principle but with more technique and less power.

In short, pokémon don’t literally forget moves. They simply don’t see a point in using anything else once you’ve taught them new techniques, which is a stance that sometimes results in the pokémon becoming rusty at using the older moves.

Unless, of course, you take them to a Move Deleter. In that case, the pokémon’s knowledge of the move is psychically suppressed, so they literally do forget the move in question.

I’m a hoennian and i’m soon going on a trip to Unova. Is there anything I should know about unovan culture and costume?

Certainly!

The first thing you should do when you get to Unova is go to the nearest travel kiosk, exchange your money, and then book a ticket to Alola and go there instead.

LH: My apologies, anonymous. Bill is kidding. Unova is a nice place, and we both thoroughly enjoy our time there when we go.

Even though certain Unovans have threatened repeatedly to throw tea into my pond while flying the Unovan flag… —Bill

LH: Ignoring that, it’s important to keep in mind that Unova is a bustling, crowded place with a high volume of tourists per year. At first glance, it may seem that Unovans are rude and cold, but many of them are simply tough and proud of their region. So while it’s difficult to ask for directions, if you seem like you’re from Unova or interested in the locals’ perspective of it, then you’ll be treated less like a tourist and more like a friend. In truth, once you get to know them, Unovans are some of the most passionate, friendly people you can meet.

Of course, the passion might seem a little intimidating as well. Unovans are not at all afraid to speak their minds, so if something is bothering them, they’ll let you know. On the other hand, if they’re excited about something, they’re very open about it, and that excitement can get rather infectious. They’re also a highly competitive bunch, so if you’re a trainer, be prepared to battle a lot. They won’t go easy on you in that region, which is why so many tourists flock there. Nowhere else has a league of gym leaders or a community of trainers who battle as hard as Unova’s do, and pushing each other to be the very best is a regional past time. So in short, be prepared.

As for costume, Unova is famous for its fashion and second only to Kalos in terms of trendiness. However, while Kalos boasts European taste and old-fashioned elegance, style in Unova is far more modern. Thus, Unova styles change yearly, and it’s best to do as the Romans do, so to speak. But unlike Kalos, which goes for muted colors, pastels, and stately bolds, Unova is always brightly colored, sometimes with a tastefully distressed pair of jeans. The last time I was there, though, I recall that the latest trends leaned towards hipster chic: a lot of flannel, high-waisted jeans, scarves, hats, sweaters, and old-style glasses. It may have been the only time I’ve felt trendier than my sister, come to think of it.

In terms of culture as in art or philosophy, Unova is again only second to Kalos in terms of that (regardless of what my partner has to say about how much culture his home region boasts). For example, Nacrene City is an entire city full of nothing but artists, and you can find blocks upon blocks of art galleries full of both modern and classical art, and its natural and cultural history museum is not to be missed, either. If you’re more interested in either music or film, Virbank City is home to Pokéstar Studios, as well as a lively underground rock scene thanks to its gym leader, Roxie. Of course, every other city has its own charm or fascinating point of interest as well. Unova is, in other words, a place that has a little something for everyone.

On behalf of Bill and myself, we hope you enjoy the Unova region! It’s not half as bad as Bill ever makes it out to be. He’s just a little too proud of his own region.

Hi Bill, I’m in a bit of a tricky situation. I’m moving away from the suburbs back to my family home, which is on the edge of a thick forest that has been at risk of forest fires for years now. My Charizard is coming with me, but he’s been really anxious lately because he’s afraid of accidentally starting a brush fire. But he’s older and has great control of his flames. We’ve lived in a residential area for years now without an issue. Is there any way to help his anxiety about the move?

If you don’t have a water-type, catch one and introduce it to your charizard as his new partner. Alternatively, if you have a water-type, have the two of them meet and arrange an agreement with the both of them that they’ll stick close together from here on out. The security your water-type will provide should help alleviate some of your charizard’s anxiety. That and companionship is often great for helping pokémon to transition from one place to another by allowing them to take their minds off the move itself and focus it on their partners. So in general, obtaining a pokémon who can help your charizard ground himself (and perhaps who can help control his flames, should a fire happen anyway) is really the best method of reducing your charizard’s stress in this case.

Otherwise, be sure to establish clear boundaries for your charizard. Tell him that battling is not to occur anywhere near your home, but reassure him that you will still take him out to train in a safe area as much as possible. Yes, it will be a little more inconvenient, but the removal of risk can also provide reassurance. In the process, you can establish the fact that the yard is still his home and that he’s welcome to do as he pleases in it as well; it’s just that you trust him to know when he should and shouldn’t use his fire abilities.

Likewise, before the move, allow your charizard to help you pack. By allowing him to handle packing material (such as dry cardboard, packing styrofoam, and so forth—all of which is, of course, highly flammable), you can show him that he’s fully capable of controlling himself, which in turn may instill a sense of confidence in him.

Good luck with both this and your move, anonymous.

Are sableyes supposed to bite their trainer? Alot of them show this behavior

No, but then again, many trainers don’t realize that sableye have a tendency to bite anything that gets within range of their mouths. You see, anonymous, sableye are effectively blind. Their natural habitats are deep caves, and the crystallization process their eyes undergo leave them nonfunctional. Instead, sableye navigate their world through a combination of thermal sensitivity, echolocation, and scent, rather than actual sight. That is to say, although they can tell when something is in their way and although they can tell the difference between food and something that isn’t food, they cannot tell the difference between their trainer and a threat—at first, anyway. So putting a body part anywhere near a sableye’s face confuses them. They perceive it as a threat, and thus, they bite.

Thus, it’s vitally important that whenever you first obtain a sableye, you train it to recognize your voice first. Speak to it as you approach it, and allow it to take in your scent while you keep yourself out of arm’s reach of it. Never touch a sableye unless it’s been acclimated to you.

Why are dragons weak to ice?

For the same reason why many of the dinosaurs were killed off in the last major Ice Age, anonymous. Although modern-day dragons have adapted to withstand colder climates, they are still not fully adapted to withstand abrupt drops in temperature. Many dragons do not possess an insulating layer of fat, fur, or armor the way many other species of pokémon do, so they’re far more susceptible to things like hypothermia. It doesn’t help that many of the more famous dragon-types are also partially flying-types, which itself has a weakness to ice due to the fragility of their wings. (Freeze a flying-type’s wings, and you effectively disable them.) Seeing as the wings are of an additional importance to dragons due to their integral role in thermal regulation, this makes dragon/flying-types such as dragonite even more susceptible to lower temperatures.

In other words, dragons are weak to ice because they’re not well-adapted to colder temperatures. They are, however, well-adapted to succumbing to hypothermia.

Recently my brother brought home a young Pidgey and my two Swellow (both male) are both very protective over it. They’re not fighting with each other, I mean they are working together, almost like parents, to look after this Pidgey. They take turns trying to feed or guard it and are occasionally becoming aggressive towards anyone who goes near. Why could they be doing this, and is it a common thing?

Out of all the common, bird-like pokémon in any region, taillow and swellow are actually the most social. They commonly organize themselves in massive flocks that are much, much larger than even typical pidgey flocks, especially when it comes time to lay eggs and raise their young. In fact, the reason why tamed taillow vocalize so much is simply because they’re running on instinct: young taillow vocalize to call other members of its species to it so it can seek comfort in numbers.

Upon evolution, swellow tend to be a little more independent (much like other evolved bird-like pokémon), but their flocking instincts never really go away. Even as swellow, they’ll respond to young taillow and swoop in to protect and care for those that seem to be abandoned.

That’s basically what your swellow are doing with your brother’s pidgey. To your swellow, that pidgey is simply an odd-looking but abandoned pidgey, so they’ve accepted it into their “flock” and are attempting to raise it until it’s strong enough to find a mate and hunt on its own. Very likely, though, your swellow will stick very close to your brother’s pidgey throughout its life, as even when it reaches maturity, they will see it as another member of its flock and will engage in typical taillow flocking tendencies as your brother’s pidgey seeks out a mate, lays eggs, and hatches its own young.

In short, it’s so common that this is textbook swellow behavior. I wouldn’t worry about it too much unless it’s particularly disruptive to your or your brother’s lives.

My Eevee originally wanted to become a Sylveon, but recently he resisted evolution so I let my Espeon talk to him to ask why and he now wants to become a Jolteon to impress another trainer’s Flaaffy he just met (literally, just met her yesterday). Can I discourage him from making such a hasty decision? She has shown no interest in him and I doubt the trainer is going to stay in town for much longer. He seems to just be blinded by “love”

Oh dear.

First and foremost, yes, you can discourage him from going through with this decision. But first, ensure that he has absolutely no way of coming in contact with thunderstone. Remove any source of it from your possession to ensure that your eevee doesn’t get impatient and sneak off with it himself.

Once you succeed in doing that, your best chance is to wait until the flaaffy and her trainer leave. Eevee can be stubborn when it comes to mating partners, so you’ll need to be patient. If it looks like they won’t leave for quite some time, however, work with the flaaffy’s trainer if you can to let your eevee continue with his attempts to woo her. Sometimes, getting rejected repeatedly with increasing fervor on the flaaffy’s part will trigger a decrease of interest in your eevee. Of course, do keep an eye on both pokémon to ensure that the flaaffy doesn’t do too much damage to your eevee.

Also, use the fact that you have an espeon to your advantage. As a fellow member of the eevee family, your espeon is in the best position to explain evolution to your eevee, as they will know how grave the decision is for their kind. If it looks like your eevee is growing restless to evolve, if he’s being particularly ornery over the denial of a thunderstone, or if his interest in flaaffy refuses to wane after a few days, have your espeon sit down and communicate with your eevee on what it means to evolve. If you have any other evolved pokémon, allow them to join in on the discussion.

If your espeon can’t convince him, however, try sitting down with him and explaining to him yourself that evolution is a process that should only be undertaken for oneself, if one is absolutely certain that the form they’ve chosen is right (as it’s irreversible and all). I would only try this as an absolute last resort to reason with him, as it sounds as if your eevee is set in his decision. Allow for time to whittle away at his interest first and then try to speak with him about it.

If, even after going through all of these options, your eevee still wishes to evolve into a jolteon for the sake of love, consider finding him a potential mating partner of a type that he can’t possibly evolve into (as far as we know at the moment). Glameow, for example. In the best case scenario with this option, your eevee will become too distracted by his new partner to care about the flaaffy. In the worst case scenario, you’ll be the discoverer of a new eeveelution.

Good luck, anonymous!