Tag: Anonymous

Do you enjoy going to contests? Whats one of the most creative uses of a move youve seen?

While I admire the concept of contests as well as the artistry and general pokémon handling skills that are involved with them, I admit that don’t exactly follow them as avidly as, say, my partner. Still, occasionally, Lanette sends me clips that she thinks might interest me. Of these, you would think that a clip starring an eevee or one of its evolutions would pique my interest the most, and to be fair, yes, quite a few coordinators have wielded eevee in contests quite creatively. (More than one incorporate evolutions into their routines, for example.)

However, the most creative use of a move I’ve seen might have come out of a Sinnoh contest, wherein a young lady has her meowth use Fury Swipes to make ramen. Who would have thought of using food as a prop for a performance? Or at least food that the pokémon themselves don’t eat!

Hey Bill I just wanted to ask what a champion in any region has power over? Can they make rules or change things? I ask because I ran into Alder on a trip to Unova and he said being the champion entitled him to the Casteliacone I bought since he dropped his.

Few people outside of Unova have kind words to say about Alder, and frankly…

On a serious note, the actual powers a champion has are more limited than you’d think. While, like gym leaders, they’re heavily encouraged to help protect their domains whenever possible (it’s just that a champion’s domain is an entire region, rather than simply a town or city) as well as make certain public appearances, they’re more or less high-ranking sports stars. The most decision-making power they have is within their respective Leagues, and even then, every proposal they have needs to be put before their branch of the Pokémon Association before it can be passed. (After all, we have ten-year-old champions; we don’t want to give them the power to make massive, permanent decisions.) Likewise, while they could assist in sting operations against the major crime organizations that seem to be cropping up lately, they don’t actually have the power to arrest anyone. Law enforcement only call on them for firepower, and that’s about it.

Or in other words, Alder owes you a casteliacone, and although I know he’s stepped down from his role as champion years ago anyway, I’m going to be sending word to my counterparts in the Unovan Association.

Bill, which Pokemon Professor other than Oak is your favorite to work with? Not asking for anyone.

Strangely enough, I haven’t had the opportunity to work with many of them, if you’ll believe that! The truth is that many of the regional professors (if we limit it to just that) specialize in entirely different fields than my own, and thus, we don’t really have any reason to work together on a project. Professor Oak just happened to be my mentor in college, so I was lucky in that regard.

Out of the ones I have worked with, I must say Dr. Fennel was a delight to work with on the storage system before we mutually agreed that Amanita would be a better fit for an administrative role. Professor Sycamore was also a fascinating man, and his thoughts on mega evolution and pokémon physiology in general have helped me considerably in my work towards studying pokémon behavior. (Incidentally, no, I can’t respond to any of the rumors concerning Professor Sycamore. He’s actually more professional than said rumors would have you believe, not that I had any inclination to believe otherwise, of course.)

Still, I would love to work with Professor Birch someday. He practically wrote the book on pokémon communication, and I feel like working with him would be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about how pokémon live(d), both now and in ancient times. Likewise, although I’ve met and had conversations with Professor Juniper, it would be thrilling to work with her on uncovering where pokémon came from and how new species come to be.

And then! Then of course there’s Professor Burnet. Who can resist the opportunity to discover worlds beyond our own?

Someday, perhaps.

Do pokemon like having stories read to them? Because my friend’s team seems weirdly fascinated whenever she pulls out a book.

Absolutely! Pokémon thrill at practically any sort of interaction between themselves and their trainers. Having their trainer sit down and read to them just means a long, quiet period where they can rest and relax in the company of their favorite humans.

(Some pokémon can’t even understand what you’re reading to them, and it doesn’t even matter.)

Is there a scientific consensus on why Seels slap their bellies? As adorable as my Seel is I’m not sure why he’s begun doing this with increased frequency lately. A friend said it was something to do with mating or territorial disputes but I’m not so sure.

Actually, your friend is correct. Depending on the situation, this may be a sign that your seel is establishing his territory or attempting to court a mate. (The reason why it’s been occurring more frequently is likely because he’s come to the age where he can have either—territory or a mate, that is.) This is especially true if you’ve gotten a new pokémon neighbor or a new teammate, although in some cases, some seel may simply be trying to react to their own trainers.

The next time it happens, pay close attention to both your seel’s expression and what he’s focusing on. If he looks agitated or emits a series of loud barks and growls at the same time, he may be trying to drive away a rival. If the slapping occurs quickly and it’s more of a playful bark accompanied by a soft whine, he’s trying to attract a mate.

Hey bill, I live in the Fiore region, and both my parents are Rangers, but I want to be a trainer. It would mean leaving Fiore, and my parents don’t approve of it (they want me to be a ranger). What should I do?

You could do what I did and obtain a starter and trainer’s license behind their backs, leave them a note, and run off, only to contact them almost a year later after you’ve figured out what you wanted to do with your life through a series of exciting adventures that bring you closer together with your pokémon.

Bill! —LH

Or alternatively, parents can often be difficult to convince, as they typically believe they know what’s best for their children. Not saying that the majority of them don’t, of course! It’s simply that parents (the good ones, anyway) often worry, so many of them are reluctant to watch their children take considerable risks.

With that in mind, though, it’s certainly worth it to try. A trainer’s journey is about discovery, both outside oneself and in, and that may be a good thing to remind them of. You simply need to be strategic about it.

First, come up with a plan—one with concrete dates. You’ll need to tell your parents exactly how long you plan your first journey to be. For example, consider telling them that you’ll spend a year as a trainer (this is roughly how long going through a single league circuit takes anyway) and that afterwards, you’ll contact them, and the three of you can discuss what your next plan of action is. Include a promise to keep in touch periodically—either once a week or whenever you reach a new pokémon center, whichever would be more comfortable for you to follow through with. Giving them a timeframe reinforces the idea that this is a temporary part of your life, that you’re simply trying out new things, and that becoming a ranger is still very much an option for you. The latter especially will make it easier to reason with them because you’re opening up an avenue for compromise down the road.

Additionally, do a bit of research into the logistics of a journey too. Think about how much one would cost and go in with a rough budget. I know that seems a bit overboard (especially if you’re the minimum age for obtaining a license), but telling your parents that you plan on being responsible with your money or responsible in general (through showing them that you’ve thought of these things) will also help them relax when it comes to the idea of letting you take care of yourself on something as exciting as a journey far from home. Here’s the part where you can also bring up the fact that training will teach you how to interact and handle pokémon, which are essentials for becoming a ranger anyway.

Of course, it wouldn’t also hurt to actually be more responsible. Helping out around the house without asking or taking small jobs around your neighborhood (but preferably both of these things) will show your parents that you have the sort of ambition, motivation, and responsibility you’ll need out there on a journey.

Above all else, though, when you do sit down to talk to your parents, do so as an adult: level-headed and willing to negotiate. Chances are, your parents will be far more willing to compromise or even relent if you’re confident enough in your arguments and you’ve come in with a thought-out plan.

Best of luck!

(As a note, yes, this doesn’t work with all parents. Some are indeed not the sort who can be reasoned with, but your situation sounds like it might not be the case.)

where can i get a beldum that isn’t having one just handed over to me by a pokemon exchampion who is clearly a sugar daddy, i am so jealous of the current hoenn champion

You and me both, anonymous.

Beldum are rare, but they’re native to mountain ranges rich in either iron or rare minerals, such as the mountains of Sinnoh or the ones surrounding Giant Chasm, Unova. It won’t be easy to find them (metang, strangely, are more readily found in the wild, and in any case, beldum nests are fantastically remote and typically well-guarded by the fast and typically highly aggressive wild beldum themselves), so my advice would be to plan for a very long hiking trip in the mountains. In other words, train for surviving in extreme locations and perhaps don’t go alone.

Best of luck!

Hey Bill, Ive noticed something interesting. Ive found myself placed in Orre for an internship for the HQ lab there, studying the wild pokemon that are now popping up around the region. And, well, I’ve noticed that some have different colorations than where I’m from (Hoenn). Particularly shiny Ralts and their evolved forms. They seemed to take on a violet color instead of blue. Do you think this could be because of the increased sunlight in the region?

Not just think! Studies have shown that ralts have indeed adapted to the sunlight of the region. You see, the sun in Orre tends to be a bit harsher than elsewhere (as it’s predominantly a desert region). Most pokémon, including standard ralts, are hardy enough that living in these conditions hasn’t changed them drastically enough to be noticeably different than their counterparts from other regions. 

However, it’s true that ralts is naturally a physically fragile species, and their shiny forms are more so thanks to the genetic mutations whose side effects result in their alternate coloration. Thus, a shiny ralts from any other region would literally wilt in the Orre sun. Meanwhile, ralts born and bred in Orre have adapted to the region’s harsher weather, and as such, these adaptations may carry over to their shiny forms. That is to say, while you might not notice any differences between an Orrean standard ralts and one from another region, you will notice with a shiny ralts born from Orrean parents: Orre shinies produce more melanin in response to the sunlight, leading to their distinctive violet color.

Before anyone asks, these ralts are otherwise identical to those of other regions, so this is not considered a regional variant, no.