Do service pokemon exist, like guide pokemon? Can dog-like pokemon assist blind people, or perhaps can psychic type pokemon help a deaf person communicate? And what other ways can pokemon be used like this?

They do indeed, anonymous!

For both the blind and deaf communities, growlithe, rockruff, and lillipup tend to be the most popular choice of service dogs, as they tend to be more loyal and attentive than houndour or poochyena (although some breeders raise those as well). Herdier are occasionally used, but many service pokémon with evolutionary forms larger than herdier are typically given everstones to avoid the awkward situation of having a service pokémon far too large for the job. Those with sensitive hearing, such as members of the clefairy or audino lines, also make excellent guide pokémon.

Beyond that, psychic-types tend to be the most popular service pokémon. For example, for the hearing-impaired, psychics with telepathic and telekinetic abilities open up channels of communication that many other pokémon wouldn’t be able to achieve, yes. (They can, for example, help their humans to manipulate devices that enable them to communicate or simply open up telepathic channels that enable more direct modes of communication.) But beyond that, those with precognitive abilities make excellent companions for those prone to seizures, and those with empathic abilities are typically trained to project calming auras to counteract anxiety attacks. Those with particular mastery over their telekinetic abilities—particularly gardevoir—can even help those with limited mobility.

Other than that, when it comes to those facing limited mobility, fighting-types are the second most popular, as even the smallest ones can help their humans navigate their daily lives (literally, even). More nimble ones like riolu and mankey can also reach items their humans cannot.

Conversely, grass-types, particularly ones known for their soothing scent (such as bayleef) or those who can use Sweet Scent are sometimes given to those who require service pokémon for emotional support. Normal-types—especially members of the chansey, togepi, and jigglypuff lines, as well as audino—may also be helpful to those who require a more soothing pokémon, as these lines often possess techniques to calm and heal in addition to the strong inclination to comfort others. Some pokémon, such as klefki and tangela, can even be trained to provide emotional support in the form of stimming—as in, they hold still and allow their humans to toy with their keys or vines or so forth in order to ground themselves and manage extreme stress.

Additionally, hoothoot is often used for those with memory issues, as these pokémon not only provide extremely accurate mental clocks but also can be trained to help humans maintain schedules (such as, for example, schedules for when different medicines should be taken). Murkrow and chatot, meanwhile, are helpful to those with speech impairments, as these pokémon can be taught to repeat the most immediate thing their humans tell them in the clearest manner possible.

Finally, ditto may be used for any of the above, either in its original form (it’s a popular alternative to klefki for stimming, as its true body is smooth, gelatinous, and difficult to actually damage) or by shapeshifting into any of a select set of forms it’s trained to remember to suit specific tasks. (Service ditto, for example, may be trained to take the form of a growlithe without having to see a growlithe.)

These are, of course, only the few I can recall off the top of my head. I have no doubt there are plenty of other kinds of service pokémon out there.

In short, it’s amazing how many ways pokémon and humans come together, and it is equally remarkable that pokémon can do so much to improve our lives for the better. So yes, there are most definitely service pokémon that are used for a wide variety of purposes. Essentially, if you can think of any reason a human would need a pokémon to help them with day-to-day tasks, there very likely is a pokémon that fills that exact niche.

IS THERE A WAY TO POLITELY EXPLAIN TO A WHISMUR THAT PEOPLE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF AND THAT HER CONSTANT SCREAMING IS MAKING MOMMY DEAF?

It depends on whether or not you can train her to recognize the sound of knocking on your door. Begin by showing her your front door and explaining to her clearly what knocking is. Then, knock on it yourself to show that it’s harmless. Do this a few times until she learns to associate the sound with a human. Once she begins to understand, take her inside and sit her down close to the door. Knock again until you’re certain she still understands that the sound itself is harmless, then close the door and knock once more. Continue knocking it until she understands that knocking is simply a sound made by a friendly human or pokémon. Do this every day until you condition her to stop screaming whenever she hears someone at the door. You can also reinforce this behavior by giving her a treat whenever she’s quiet before you answer the door.

If you can’t train her, then I would recommend earplugs for you and your guest.

My Charmeleon and my friends Gabite used to have a sort of friendly rivalry going on, but recently they have been fighting, not simple battling, actually fighting to the point that they must be separated to prevent them seriously injuring each other. We don’t know why or when this started, could you maybe give us clues on what the problem might be and how to solve it? (My Charlie is female and the Gabite is male, so we’ve ruled out show-offy masculinity contests)

Conveniently, another reader had a similar issue with their lucario and zoroark not that long ago! The answer here is similar, although with reptilian pokémon such as charmeleon and gabite, also keep in mind that their mating rituals may be just as aggressive as their actual in-fighting. If your friend’s gabite is the instigator or if your charmeleon turns her back on him and lifts her tail shortly before the battle begins, then it’s most certainly a mating ritual. There’s not much you can do to stop them, so it would be best to take them to a place that can offer them plenty of room to mate. Once she lays an egg, their behavior should subside until the egg hatches. Consider spaying or neutering one or the other for a more long-term resolution.

Otherwise, take very similar actions as the other reader. Team up with your friend to observe your pokémon’s behavior. When you see a fight just about to start, separate them and mediate. If one of your pokémon hasn’t done anything wrong, then it may be that the other one needs an outlet for their aggression, so increase the amount of time you or your friend spend training it. And if it’s boredom, clearly establish that fighting for that sake is not acceptable.

Alternatively, given that one has evolved and the other has not, the increase in aggression may be an attempt to push your friend’s gabite into evolving. This is especially true if your charmeleon generally starts the fights or if your friend’s gabite struggles harder against being separated. If this is the case, then you’ll want to establish to your charmeleon that while it’s noble of her to help out a friend, this is not a productive way to do it. At the same time, if gabite wants to evolve, then your friend may want to consider options in getting him enough experience to do so.

Finally, there really is only one other thing that I can add to the other post, and it has to do with the fact that the pokémon in this case are owned by two different people. Sometimes, pokémon fight if they perceive that their trainers aren’t getting along well or that their relationship can be improved. By increasing the aggression of their fighting, the pokémon are essentially forcing you and your friend to work together. You’ll be able to determine whether or not this is the issue if your pokémon look at either of you at any point during their fights. If this is the case, then establish very clearly to both of your pokémon that playing matchmaker is also not acceptable behavior (but that you appreciate their efforts all the same).

How do you gently let down a pokemon that is dropping hints of a romantic interest in you

[Editor’s note: The content of this post has been deleted for the following reason: That is a terrible idea, and you clearly need adult supervision. Again. An edited version of this post is below.]

It’s difficult to handle a pokémon that displays oddly romantic feelings towards their trainers for two reasons. First, letting down humans is difficult enough, and we actually speak the same language and, by and large, can empathize with one another. Second, unlike humans, pokémon wield power over the elements, so angering or upsetting one is a risk.

That having been said, though, as with letting a human down, a trainer must exercise tact and clarity when communicating with an overly affectionate pokémon. Establish boundaries and be sure to tell your pokémon firmly when they’ve crossed them. Unlike humans, pokémon communicate in a very simple manner, so when you tell them no, they usually will take your no at face value, rather than cobble together an interpretation based on your body language.

However, like humans, pokémon may get upset or confused by the existence of this no, so it’s important to establish an amicable but clear relationship thereafter. If your pokémon reacts poorly, calm them with treats, training, or forms of affection that cannot be interpreted as consent. (Petting, for example.) When dealing with more human-like pokémon, be sure to keep a physical amount of distance and follow up your no with activities that clearly establish the master-pet dynamic, such as training.

In short, tell your pokémon very clearly that you don’t wish to have that sort of relationship with them and that it’s uncomfortable for you but be sure to establish what your relationship is shortly afterwards with entirely platonic activities.

Good luck, anonymous!

Why isn’t the Ralts family in the Human-Like egg group (other than “lol they cant breed with anything in there, silly!”)? They look a lot more human than Volbeat, Spinda, Buneary, etc. to me.

Because for whatever reason, members of the ralts line seem to be more inclined to mate with balls of gas, possessed trees, and chandeliers than things that look human.

Most researchers try not to think about it too much, frankly.

Honestly, Bill. Between the both of us, you’re the behavioral researcher, yet you give that kind of explanation.

Anonymous, it’s because members of the ralts line don’t wish to mate with things that remind them of their trainers because to them, it carries oedipal implications. The reason why ralts feel the need to protect their trainers so strongly is because they consider their trainers part of their family, so in short, other human-like creatures, even those that vaguely look human such as lopunny and spinda, don’t appeal to them.

Also, yes, this implies that the egg group system is based entirely on a pokémon’s preferences, rather than its ability to interbreed, and … it is. If you attempt to breed pokémon, you’ll notice that “compatible” pokémon will be nearly inseparable, but those that won’t produce an egg stay as far away from each other as possible. On a level, yes, these preferences are also inherent in every pokémon, but in theory, it’s possible for a male ralts and a jynx to breed. They just don’t because, well, they won’t. —LH

Don’t pokemon in the wild have friends and families? When a trainer comes along and decides to catch one, what happens? Does the caught pokemon just decide to leave to go with this trainer without letting its friends know, or is there some kind of poke-meeting where they say their tearful goodbyes?

They do indeed have friends and families. However, what happens when you catch one depends on the species.

Many pokémon actually don’t form tightly knit communities, so if they lose one member, they by and large don’t notice. For example, the fields of Kanto are rife with rattata who had left the woods in search of food. The rattata are by and large independent, so if you catch one, the others will simply continue foraging as if nothing had happened. The most they might do is avoid you, but otherwise, they exhibit no change in behavior. If one had young, then the others will simply adopt the abandoned hatchlings or leave them to die. This is, of course, taking into consideration the fact that there is always a risk that the younglings of these pokémon will die anyway, as it only takes a few minutes for predators to raid their nests—which is to say the death of a litter of hatchlings might actually be inevitable if the pokémon has ventured so far from its nest to leave it perfectly exposed to the wild.

Other pokémon never venture away from their nests anyway unless they intentionally wish to leave home. Take clefairy, for example. Clefairy form vast, closely-knit communities, but these communities are well-hidden deep within mountain ranges and cave systems, in places that are nigh inaccessible to humans. Additionally, many pokémon and animals between the clefairy nests and human-accessible parts of these cave and mountain systems eat clefairy or at least will attack them on sight, and clefairy themselves are weaker pokémon not particularly well-suited for battle. Thus, any clefairy you stumble across in the wild is usually one that is dead-set, for whatever reason, to leave home. (Why this is, researchers aren’t quite certain. Some clefairy are curious about the outside world; others wish to get stronger through training.) Thus, it’s morally acceptable to catch these pokémon, as they’re actually far, far from home and very likely have already said their goodbyes.

Conversely, if you do find a clefairy colony or the nests of other pokémon that behave like clefairy, it’s highly recommended that you do not attempt to catch one. The general rule is the larger the group of pokémon, the more likely you’ll want to leave them alone, as taking one will only give the others time to put together an argument as to why you should let their friend go. And by “put together an argument as to why you should let their friend go,” I mean “attack you en masse.” (One clefairy may be ill-suited to battle. Thirty upset clefairy, however, are not.)

And of course, other pokémon are a combination of the two groups mentioned above. They live in flocks or herds that operate in close-knit communities, but they actually don’t mind if you take one of their numbers (unless in the rare case that they do). These pokémon rely on their numbers to defend themselves, and they expect you to understand that the volume of their group is a threat. Many bird pokémon fall into this group, with examples such as pidgey, taillow, and spearow being the hallmarks of this behavior. All of them live in flocks, so if you encounter one, it’s very likely that a few dozen of its friends and family are very close by. However, if you catch one, then very likely, that few dozen of its friends or family won’t mind. (Why this is comes down to the fact that most pokémon understand there are benefits to forging relationships with humans.) On the other hand, if you attempt to catch a spearow, and the other spearow feel strongly about not parting with their friend, they will let you know … by also attacking you en masse.

In short, this is why it’s a good idea for trainers to exercise extreme levels of caution when dealing with wild pokémon. Many will allow you to catch them, yes, but there are several that will not. You’ll be able to figure out which is which simply by observing them and watching out for others like them. If it looks like it or its friends feel threatened by your presence, leave them alone. Finally, always remember that pokémon are absolutely capable of defending themselves, especially in groups.

Are there any pokemon that are considered “taboo” to eat or are they all pretty much game? (as long as they are farmed or hunted properly of course)

Well, if you hunt it, it’s by definition game.

Bill. —LH

Edit: Right, right. Terribly sorry.

Generally speaking, there are quite a few pokémon humans should not eat, either due to cultural issues or simply because not all pokémon can be eaten.

First and foremost, there are the legendaries, as these are culturally significant—although the sheer difficulty in obtaining one would make this moot anyway. Ghost-types and dragon-types are likewise considered to be untouchable for the exact same reason.

Second and equally obvious are pokémon that are not edible to begin with. This category includes all rock-types and most steel-types due to body composition (excadrill is the only exception when it comes to steel-types, as the others either possess armor or are taboo for other reasons), as well as many poison-types due to the difficulty in removing their venom. As noted in earlier entries, there are other poison-types that are completely fine to eat so long as they’re prepared with the utmost care. These are typically the more animal-like poison-types. The less animal-like a poison-type is, the more likely it is to be lethally poisonous, with pokémon such as grimer, koffing, and trubbish (as well as their evolved forms) being particularly deadly.

Additionally, there are members of other types that are also not edible, including slugma, the baltoy line, the porygon line, the voltorb line, cryogonal, the bergmite line, and anything whose special ability is either Flame Body or Magma Armor. Grass-types tend to be either-or on the subject; of the non-poisonous species, anything that is not made of or covered in wood may be eaten.

Ditto is likewise not edible for reasons similar to the problem facing poison-types. As ditto produce more ditto by budding, breaking off a piece of one (say, by biting it) is not a guarantee that what you consume will actually be dead, and it’s not easy to kill a ditto, either. Which is to say, consuming a ditto, even cooked, may result in a very unpleasant death for the person daring enough to try it.

On a technical level, psychic-types are also considered to be inedible, although this is largely because all psychic-types possess a telepathic defense mechanism. In other words, attempting to kill a perfectly healthy psychic-type, even using humane slaughtering techniques, may result in permanent brain damage. It’s simply not worth it.

Among the pokémon that are technically edible, only a percentage is universally or culturally acceptable to eat. We do not, for example, kill and eat pokémon that greatly resemble humans, including the machop line, the tyrogue line, the timburr line, the makuhita line, sawk, and throh (as well as those that are also psychics, such as jynx and gardevoir). Likewise, most cultures frown on the consumption of “pet” pokémon, such as the clefairy and jigglypuff lines, as well as starters, monkey- or ape-like pokémon, and all feline, equine (yes, including blitzle and zebstrika), and canine pokémon. Pokémon known for their healing attributes, such as audino and chansey, are also taboo, although chansey’s eggs are fair game (but only if the chansey freely gives you one). Speaking of eggs, the togepi line is also frowned upon, despite the fact that many cultures have plenty of jokes concerning the slaughtering of togepi for breakfast.

Finally, if it’s rare, then there are actually government regulations in place protecting those species from being hunted. Farfetch’d is a notable example of this, as there was a period of time in which they had been overhunted (due to not only the taste of their meat but also the convenience of having your main course carry its own garnish around as a weapon) to the point of near-extinction in Kanto and Johto. Thanks to strict regulations that had been implemented fairly recently, the farfetch’d population is only now regaining its numbers. Other pokémon that enjoy government protection include wailmer and wailord (in Unova, Alola, and Kalos), lapras, carvanha and sharpedo, and absol (especially in the Hoenn region).

I suppose the shorter answer would be “if you would eat the animal, plant, or thing they resemble, then you may eat them.” But short answers are hardly fascinating, in my view.

Lanette, can you confirm or deny the natural sableye eyes Bill just inflicted upon us?

While it’s true that wild sableye start out with organic eyes that harden into a diamond form, they look nothing like that image. In fact, they’re barely noticeable, as they’re small and the same color as sableye’s skin. (I’ll spare you an image, unlike some people.)

I’m not entirely sure where Bill got that image, but I suspect he made it himself in lieu of doing something far more productive. Rest assured that he will be reprimanded for it. — LH

Reprimanded? Blazes, Lanette! What if Amanita is reading this? —Bill

You’re getting reprimanded for that too. —LH

According to Nurse Joy, there’s nothing physically wrong with my Leafeon, so I started thinking more about what you said. I recently moved to a larger city to go to college, and I moved in with my cousin to avoid paying for a dorm. He’s used to living in cities, so I’m not too worried about that, but I can’t take him to my classes with me, and I still have to do my homework. So I haven’t been hanging out with him as I used to, but my cousin is really sweet and is babying him. What can I do?

You were the anonymous who was concerned about the fact that your leafeon was not photosynthesizing or eating, right? If so, then if you have the suspicion that your cousin is feeding him, then I would recommend being open with your cousin about the situation. Tell them you’re concerned because you’ve noticed leafeon is no longer engaging in his usual feeding habits. Once you establish that you’re concerned about leafeon’s health (and not accusing your cousin of any wrongdoing), simply ask them if they’ve been feeding your pokémon. If the answer is yes, work with your cousin to make sure, for the peace of your own mind, that your leafeon’s nutritional needs are met and allow your cousin to care for him while you’re away. Ensure that babying does not involve spoiling and trust that your cousin is doing their best to help you while you earn your degree.

If you’re also concerned that this may affect your leafeon’s loyalty towards you, it’s true that this may cause leafeon to grow fond of your cousin, especially if you don’t make it clear to him that you’re not abandoning him or giving him away. In order to counteract this, it’s highly recommended that you set aside time, as difficult as it may be, to give your leafeon a proper dose of affection. Insist on being the one to take him to parks or outside, and if he refuses that, be sure to play with him indoors. While, yes, higher education may inundate you with work to the point where you feel overwhelmed, even you need a break now and then, and studies have shown that spending time with pokémon can greatly reduce stress. Even simply an hour will achieve this affect while cementing your relationship with him.

If, however, your cousin is not feeding your leafeon or babying him, there are still the possibilities that your leafeon has grown picky or is stressed out due to a new addition to the household. If neither you nor your cousin have caught new pokémon recently, then consider switching brands of poké kibble. It may even help to make sunning more appealing to him by changing parts of his usual sunbathing spot or routine. Add a bed, place toys within reach, or reward him with either additional treats or affection (in the form of petting, playtime, or brushing—whichever he prefers). In short, tastes and preferences may evolve over time, especially if your leafeon grows accustomed to being babied, so the issue may simply be that your leafeon is telling you he’s bored with his usual routine.

I wish you the best of luck, anonymous, and by all means, please don’t hesitate to come back if none of the above works for you.

Are there some questions that you have, but haven’t answered yet for one reason or another? I think I’ve asked one or two that I havent seen yet. Not being pushy, just curious, maybe somehow they didnt get through. :P

My apologies, anonymous. I do indeed have quite a backlog of questions—twenty-three, to be exact. Twenty-five, if we count two questions that due to the wondrous technological ability of this platform’s web developers, may only be viewed via its mobile app. I’ve taken screenshots of these, and I plan on answering them both soon. In the meantime, should anyone have theories as to why these questions are only viewable via the app and not the desktop inbox, regardless of which computer and browser our team uses and how clean our caches are … we may reward you with a job offer.

(Bill, we have over 3000 applicants in queue! Stop offering jobs to every somewhat competent programmer you find! —LH)

I admit it’s my own fault that this backlog occurred. When I launched this blog, I never anticipated such a high volume of interest in it—not that this is a bad thing, of course! I’m very flattered by the amount of questions I’ve received so far, and I plan on answering as many as possible whenever I have a chance (which is—at the moment—at nights, when the storage system’s daily maintenance programs are running, or when I allow myself a “day off,” or by standard definitions, a few more hours spent away from my work than I usually allow myself).

Otherwise, questions tend to be answered in chronological order, except when they seem to be a bit more time-sensitive. For example, the question about koffing and weezing would likely not have made sense days later, and a few of you have sent in concerns about the health of your pokémon or small children around them.

With that in mind, I apologize again for the delay in response! This weekend, please expect a higher volume of answers than usual, and in the meantime, I thank you for your patience.