As a lover of Dark type pokemon, I must ask: why is the Dark type called the “Evil type” in some cultures?

Cultural differences and beliefs, I’m afraid. Some cultures, either in their past or currently, fear dark-types for a number of reasons.

In some cases, people believed that these pokémon lurked in dark forests to attack humans … which, unfortunately, was somewhat true in olden times. Human settlements and roads were smaller and shorter in those days and did not encroach into wilderness as far as they do. So when travelers crossed through heavily wooded areas—places where pokémon such as houndour, poochyena, nuzleaf, and sneasel made their homes—these pokémon would attack them, thinking that they were prey. However, as time went on and as humans became more and more of a presence in the world, these pokémon gained exposure to humans (or learned about them from other members of their species) and came to realize that they weren’t to be attacked. Thus, wild houndour, poochyena, sneasel, nuzleaf, and similar pokémon are generally less likely to attack people than pokémon of any other type. Unless provoked, anyway.

(Cave pokémon, such as sableye, fall into this category as well, as humans have only recently figured out how to traverse cave systems safely.)

In other cases, people believed that these pokémon were omens or embodiments of death, usually because they would appear shortly before or after disaster. This is only true in a sense when it comes to absol. They can indeed predict disaster, and thus, their appearance should be an omen of impending doom. (And, in fact, they count on this, as they also realize humans don’t generally understand pokémon speak.) However, they don’t cause disaster, as many cultures seem to think. Meanwhile, pokémon like murkrow, vullaby, and zorua are all scavengers, and as such, they’re mistakenly thought to arrive before death, but in actuality, they arrive shortly after to feed on the fresh meat.

Finally, there are cases when the pokémon simply looks so fearsome and violent that it inspires abject fear in humans. Hydreigon is of particular note to this category.

As for why these pokémon specifically are considered to be evil when there are far more pokémon in other types who are associated with death or have attacked humans or are simply fearsome-looking, it’s just that the type contains the most pokémon who are associated with shadows. The elemental essence itself is based on darkness, and the techniques specific to the type often involve sneak attacks or vicious, bestial assaults. So humans have come to fear the dark-type in particular because of its associations with darkness.

If you ask me, though, anonymous, I quite agree with you: there is really nothing to fear from dark-type pokémon. Many of them are quite docile once properly tamed.

I own a Delcatty who, about 2 weeks ago, unfortunately lost her Skitty in an accident. I’ve been trying to help her deal with her loss, but early this morning she ended up bringing home what I think is a newly hatched Meowth. I believe that she’s trying to replace her baby, but I don’t know where the Meowth came from (I assume it’s wild, I asked around but no one is missing it) and I don’t know what to do with it. Any help?

Before anything else, look for wild meowth. They tend to be more difficult to spot, as they’ll likely try to hide from you (especially if they’ve recently hatched a litter), but look for the usual signs: tracks, abandoned food, or rodent or bird remains. The other hatchlings, if there are any, will be highly vocal. If you find the parent, introduce the meowth kitten to it. Place the kitten on the ground in front of the meowth and step back, moving quickly out of sight. However, don’t leave the area. Instead, watch from afar to make sure the meowth doesn’t reject the kitten. If the meowth attacks the kitten, however, step in as quickly as possible to retrieve it, then keep searching for another possible nest. Repeat until you run out of nests or find the meowth’s parent.

If you’re unable to locate a parent, take the hatchling to a Nurse Joy and have it checked over thoroughly. At this point, you can discuss further options with Nurse Joy. One of these options may include putting the kitten up for adoption and seeking treatment for your delcatty. Others, however, include discussing the possibility of adopting the kitten yourself. If you choose the latter, usually, that will be followed up with an immunization plan, talks about spaying or neutering the kitten, and general care instructions.

Personally, I would recommend keeping the meowth kitten if you can, as this should hopefully improve your delcatty’s mental health and help her to move on from her loss. Taking care of a meowth kitten is more or less no different at first than taking care of a skitty kitten, and your delcatty will be doing much of the work anyway. As it gets older, you might encounter slight deviations: meowth generally need more shiny objects to keep them from wandering off, they’re a little more nocturnal and energetic than skitty, and they don’t demand as much affection. However, upon evolution into persian, then you will need to increase the amount of attention you give it. On the other hand, all of these are generalizations, and it’s entirely possible that with your delcatty’s influence, the kitten will act more skitty-like than meowth-like, even as it grows.

Good luck either way, anonymous.

I asked my cousin if she had been feeding Leafeon, and it turns out she has, but only little treats and stuff when he was being cute, not enough to fill him, and he apparently stopped eating those as well! I changed his food but he won’t even try it, and he even bit me! I don’t really have any other Pokemon, but he was rather close with my sister’s Lapras before I went to collage. Do you think he’s mad at me? What should I do?

I don’t think he’s mad at you, anonymous, but now that you’ve mentioned your sister’s lapras, that may be the key to solving your dilemma. While the eevee family and lapras do not share egg groups, both pokémon are known to form deep, lasting bonds with those it considers to be friends. As such, it may be the move away from this lapras specifically that’s causing your leafeon’s stress.

What I would suggest, as difficult as it may be for you, is to transfer your leafeon to your sister for a week to see if your leafeon’s condition improves by allowing him to see her lapras again. If your leafeon begins eating while in the care of your sister, he may still live with you, but you may need to consider visiting your sister as often as possible to make it clear to leafeon that he isn’t going to be permanently separated from her lapras.

If he still refuses to eat, of course, don’t hesitate to send another ask.

((Out of character- I just wanna say I think it’s adorable how people are making up problems or asking questions about ‘their’ pokemon lol.))

{Thanks! 😀 I think it’s awesome too! It’s really neat to see people come up with really creative situations or just, in general, get super-into the blog.

On that note, I’d also like to take the time to apologize for the fact that I haven’t answered that many asks lately! It’s been a pretty busy half a week for me, but I hope to get some out tonight. Thanks so much for your patience, everyone!}

Can you write about Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde please!

Certainly, anonymous! Apologies for the delay!

Xerneas
The Life Pokémon
Type: Fairy
Official Registration #: 716
Entry: One of the three central legends of Kalosean myth—the deer-like guardian of life. It is said that when this pokémon’s horns glow in seven colors, it shares everlasting life with all those who are bathed in its mystic glow. This, as far as the author is concerned, is a far better alternative to a similar myth found in Johto, in which a pokémon that shines with rainbow colors will bestow life onto those who are bathed … in its sacred, unrelenting fires. The author appreciates that about Kalos: its calm, peaceful guardians of their world that do not set people on fire.

Yveltal
The Destruction Pokémon
Type: Dark/Flying
Official Registration #: 717
Entry: One of the three central legends of Kalosean myth—the eagle-like guardian of death. Yveltal is known best for its massive and fearsome wings. It is said that when it spreads these, they glow a bright red and absorb the life force of anyone bathed in its fiery brilliance. First, this description may actually be a reference to Oblivion Wing, a devastating attack that simultaneously heals Yveltal’s wounds … so, yes, of course such a glow would steal the life forces of others. Second, the author takes back half of what he had said in the Xerneas entry. He is clearly wrong and apologizes for this.

Zygarde
The Order Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 718
Entry: One of the three central legends of Kalosean myth—the shapeshifting guardian of the region. Contrary to popular contemporary belief, Zygarde is not the legendary of the balance between life and death but rather the legendary guardian of Kalos’s ecosystem. It stands watch for anything that threatens the balance of nature and interacts with the problem in one of four forms (the cellular core, the dog-like 10% forme, the worm-like 50% forme, and the fierce, humanoid complete forme), depending on the level of the threat. However, it cannot be said enough that Zygarde’s interests are said to lie only in the ecosystem. Thus, if you happen to be simultaneously gifted with eternal life while being subjected to life-draining rays because Xerneas and Yveltal are engaged in combat before you … you’re on your own unless either of them destroy a tree full of pokémon. Terribly sorry.

Are pokemon like Lampent ever used for patient monitoring? Or is that a really, really bad idea. (Unless one is in Unova)

Given the fact that many ghost-types feed on the human soul, they’re among the only pokémon that are very, very bad choices for service pokémon. This includes lampent, who—while not actively aggressive—is an opportunistic pokémon who will feed on a soul as it leaves the body. So on a technical level, lampent is harmless to people who are recovering or in need of day-to-day support, but it’s rather tactless to give them to the terminally ill or elderly.

For those wondering, the other types not particularly recommended for use as service pokémon are bug-types and poison-types. Of these, poison-types may be the most willing to act as service pokémon, but many of them will inadvertently sicken their humans, either because of the toxins in their body or, in the case of the grimer and trubbish lines, because they’re not very sanitary. Bug-types, meanwhile, typically couldn’t care less about the plight of humanity.

The Hitmons!

Ah, a challenge, but one I’m certainly willing to oblige!

Tyrogue
The Scuffle Pokémon
Type: Fighting
Official Registration #: 236
Entry: This small, childlike pokémon can be a challenge for many new trainers. It requires daily training to maintain its mental health, and if it is denied of its routine training period or if it feels that its trainer is ignoring it for any reason, it will immediately punch its human with as much force as it can muster. On the one hand, they say “no pain, no gain,” and tyrogue trainers tend to be incredibly fit by the time their partners are ready to evolve. On the other hand, they also say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and the author did say “tend to be” and not “most certainly are.”

Hitmonlee
The Kicking Pokémon
Type: Fighting
Official Registration #: 106
Entry: The evolved form of tyrogue, by battle experience, if the subject is stronger offensively than defensively. Hitmonlee’s legs are quite literally pure muscle; it requires no real bone structure due to the tightly coiled mass of muscle serving as support instead. Because of this, hitmonlee’s legs are notoriously elastic and long, capable of uncoiling and stretching up to double or even triple their resting length. This allows hitmonlee to land devastatingly powerful kicks on distant foes … and to land some of the most lucrative modeling careers in the modeling industry.

Hitmonchan
The Punching Pokémon
Type: Fighting
Official Registration #: 107
Entry: The evolved form of tyrogue, by battle experience, if the subject is stronger defensively than offensively. Both of hitmonchan’s fists are hard as rock and extremely dextrous, and because of this, it can punch through solid concrete with both hands, regardless of dominance. Additionally, it’s said that hitmonchan is infused with the spirit of a pro boxer who had been working towards a world championship. Whether or not this is true—and, if it is, which pro boxer—is difficult to say, but it is known that playing “Eye of the Tiger” in the presence of any member of this species will cause them to feel compelled to run up the steps of the nearest art museum.

Hitmontop
The Handstand Pokémon
Type: Fighting
Official Registration #: 237
Entry: The evolved form of tyrogue, by battle experience, if the subject is equally strong in both offense and defense. Hitmontop is known for its graceful, dance-like kicks, which it launches by flipping itself upside-down and spinning around on its horn towards its enemy. One would think striking a solid object while spinning upside-down at high speeds on a fine point would only knock the attacker over, but pokémon are wonderful, magical beings, and it’s perhaps not worth it to question the physics of hitmontop when we share this world with thirteen-pound rodents that are capable of releasing 100,000 volts of electricity from their cheeks.

I have just recently evolved my tyrogue into hitmonchan,and it now punches anything in sight at random. Is it common for it to do that?

I’m afraid so, anonymous, especially for newly evolved hitmonchan. The entire line is known for their eagerness to train and fight, and hitmonchan especially is not only proud of its punching but also the most determined out of all three tyrogue evolutions. Just as you had with your tyrogue, you’ll need to maintain a daily training ritual to alleviate his new urge to punch everything and to maintain his overall mental health. Likewise, always make sure he has something sturdy to punch…

…and maybe avoid standing directly in front of him or within arm’s reach.

Good luck!

I just caught an abra and I was wondering about its teleportation abilities. Like, is there any risk of us getting jumbled together into a human-abra hybrid if we teleport too far or while distracted or something? Or is that just a silly urban myth?

Ah, abra! One of the most challenging pokémon to train but also one of the most rewarding!

Luckily, anonymous, the idea that pokémon teleportation of any kind will result in human-pokémon hybrids is a complete myth. In truth, Teleport is one of the safest ways to travel by pokémon—even safer than using Fly. Your only real risk is having your abra misjudge the landing, resulting in it sitting on the edge of a cliff and you standing just off it. However, I can reassure you that this rarely happens … unless you and your abra or kadabra have a disagreement of some sort, anyway. For example, there was an incident when a trainer (who shall remain nameless) had a disagreement with his kadabra concerning which way Vermilion City was from Cerulean, and the next thing he knew, his kadabra had teleported him to an abandoned lighthouse on a rather lovely cliff. Or, rather, the kadabra teleported there. The trainer, who had been right beside the kadabra just before teleporting, was a few inches away from the cliff, and needless to say, he found the cliff and its lighthouse lovely enough to move there.

Er, the point is, never have an argument prior to teleporting with a pokémon. That’s basically the only way you can really be in danger when asking a pokémon to use Teleport.

Artificial teleportation via a teleporter or teleport tile, however, is an entirely different matter, but we won’t get into that.

My Rapish has quite a large wound, which is being treated and I must take her to the local center to get checked up. The issue is that she HATES going. I’ve tried to explain to her that this is for her own benefit and I’ve even had a nurse visit my home hoping that she’ll be more comfortable there, but nothing seems to calm her. She’s now started thinking of me as the devil and I fear she is going to start hating me, though I’m trying to help! How am I supposed to gain/regain her trust?

Cases where a pokémon’s life may be threatened are the only sorts where I recommend forcing a pokémon to do something it doesn’t want to do. Your pokémon’s well being is your top priority as a trainer, so even if she’s protesting, you really should get her the medical attention she needs.

With that disclaimer out of the way, it’s understandable that your pokémon refuses to get help. Pokémon centers can sometimes be hectic, frightening places for pokémon, and even if a trainer offers comfort and reassurance during the visit, pokémon can sometimes be resentful afterwards. To counter the stress and trauma of the situation, try giving her treats before going to the center, reassuring her that it’s for the best, and possibly having another pokémon sedate your rapidash with Sing.

Regaining her trust, then, should begin when she’s released. Ensure that her space is comfortable and full of her favorite things, and be sure that you have plenty of her favorite foods. Stockpile her favorite berries and consider making pokéblocks, poffins, or poké puffs from them, as some pokémon respond better to these forms of treats. Spend plenty of time with her (even if she seems hostile to you) and do your best to follow Nurse Joy’s directions for care.

Once she recovers, allow her to see that she’s far better of having gotten treatment than letting the wound go, but go back to your normal training routine as quickly as possible. Apologize to her for forcing her through treatment as well—pokémon can understand a simple “I’m sorry,” after all.

Essentially, as contradictory as it might seem to say this, the best way to rebuild your relationship is by spending time helping her and taking care of her. As she recovers, she’ll realize that you had your best intentions at heart and, eventually, forgive you.