Tag: Anonymous

LH, do you happen to know why bill is so exceedingly weird about anything related to steven stone?

Partially.

The interesting thing about knowing Bill for so long is you learn pretty quickly that he’s just as human as anyone else, no matter what the media says and no matter how hard he tries to act like he’s not. So with that said, he can sometimes get a little jealous.

Whether he’s jealous of A) Steven in general, B) Steven because I pay a little more attention to him than to Bill when we’re all in the same room, or C) me because Steven pays more attention to me when we’re all in the same room is something I’ve never been able to figure out. I could ask him, but … you’ve seen how he acts whenever you ask him about his interests. It’s just as bad behind closed doors.

Edit: Really, Bill? This is what gets you to text me?

LH, do *you* have a fursona?

No, sorry to say. I always thought the idea was a little nice, actually. Strange parts of the fandom aside, furries are so creative, and the idea of having an animal that describes who you are is a little … comforting. But I’ve never been able to feel strongly enough about a pokémon to see it as a representation of me. I just can’t get past seeing myself as anything other than human.

I know it sounds weird to be so forlorn about it, but besides the creativity, there’s also the empathy. It’s impossible for humans to think exactly like pokémon, but because furries already identify with something non-human, they can probably come close. That’s why I don’t think Bill’s research costumes would work for anyone but him. Even if I wore one, I wouldn’t be able to turn off the human part of my brain and let myself imagine what it’s really like to be a pokémon; I’d still keep thinking on a subconscious level, “I’m human, and this is silly.” Bill, on the other hand, turns that part of him off for a hobby, so it’s almost second-nature for him to put on a costume and let himself slip into the mindset of a pokémon for research. So I envy him a little.

…

Oh. So this is why he keeps going on for pages whenever he answers asks. Who knew it would be this easy to just talk…

LH, what is Bill’s fursona?

Shockingly, it’s neither eevee nor clefairy, although he’s tried identifying as both at one point or another.

I would tell you what it’s been for the past few years, but I respect Bill too much to sacrifice a bit of his private life. All I can tell you is he’s lying when he says he doesn’t know what “scalie” means.

Dear LH, do you know anything about what an Absol is judged on in the Kennel Club shows or if i can even get my Absol into said Show as an Absol Aficionado? Also, I need some pointers on Ponyta/Rapidash Care and Biology to disabuse a niece of mine of her belief of some of the stuff she watches in My Little Ponyta. downside of living with pokemon: Cartoons are harder to prove as impossible.

Oh! Yes! Canine pokémon shows judge absol and all other participants on a list of criteria based on ideals of each species and breed. Generally speaking, that means things like the quality of the pelt, balance, height, weight, teeth and strength of bite, the way the tail arches, etc. Absol are judged on these too, as well as a few extra criteria: the quality/strength/curve of the horn and the thickness and sharpness of the claws. Also, there’s usually a second round where participants are tested for obedience and the strength of basic attacks. In all, canine shows are very much like pokémon contests, but they focus more on the natural qualities and capabilities of each pokémon, rather than advanced style or strength.

Also, for the most part, most shows will consider absol to be canine pokémon as well, but there are a few that think of them as too different to count. It’s worth it to look at the rules for each show you’re interested in, although the largest ones (including the Camphrier Kennel Club, probably the most famous) will accept absol entrants.

Well, the important thing to know about ponyta and rapidash is that they don’t live indoors, contrary to what the cartoon will have you believe. They’re field pokémon, so therefore, a trainer should give them plenty of space to roam and exercise. A field filled with wild grass would work best. Contrary to popular belief, neither ponyta nor rapidash would set a grassy field on fire so long as they’re calm; rather, that’s what they eat and relieve themselves in, so in all, a large, grassy field is just home for them.

Of course, they can also live in a stable for short periods of time, and it’s a good idea to have one ready for them during rainy or other inclement weather. These stables should have stalls large enough for a rapidash to move comfortably from side to side—rapidash, not ponyta, because you never know if you’ll have an evolution on your hands. These stalls should be cleaned daily and stocked with fresh water and food (fodder, or hay and oats—rarely carrots and apples and never sugar cubes because these are all loaded with sugar that can disrupt the bacterial ecosystem of their digestive tracts). Also, if the weather is cold, give your ponyta or rapidash a blanket to stay warm. So no, they don’t live in libraries or wear dresses either. They do wear shoes, of course, but not the sort you see in the cartoon. They’re simply those bands of metal that a human needs to fix onto a horse’s hoof. (They also require daily maintenance.)

Ponyta and rapidash don’t have wings, so they pegasus type of ponyta unfortunately don’t exist. As for the unicorn type, those do in a way, as rapidash technically has a horn, but it can’t simply perform any kind of magic. It’s more that they can shoot beams of concentrated light, and even then, only if you use the TM system. Their fire attacks, on the other hand, actually come from the mouth because the fire gland for ponyta and rapidash is located in the throat (as it is for most fire-types), not the horn. Really, the horn of a rapidash is used more for impaling or jabbing than channeling attacks, so it’s much less … glittery than you would see in the show.

I know. It’s not as exciting as multicolored emissaries of friendship and love, but ponyta and rapidash are easy-going pokémon in their own right. While I wouldn’t recommend getting her a ponyta if she’s only seen the cartoon, maybe having her learn more about them through children’s books or by seeing one in person on a farm or at a breeding center might help her understand what real ponies are like. One of the great things about cartoons like My Little Ponyta is that they’re often the first step for young girls to gain an interest in pokémon; it’s just that they need the right materials and experiences to take the next step of learning what those pokémon are really like.

But if it makes things any easier, you can tell her that ponyta and rapidash do make wonderful friends.

My daughter just turned 12 and really wants to be a Pokemon trainer, and she is dead set on her starter being a dark type. I’ve considered getting her an Eevee but there’s no guarantee it’s evolve into Umbreon. Do you have any suggestions?

Actually, umbreon is one of the easiest eeveelutions to obtain because all it requires is for you to befriend an eevee and have it hold an everstone until nightfall, but since I can feel my editor leering at me through the internet, allow me to point you to this post, as it offers a more comprehensive guide to dark-type starters: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/166971002585/my-daughter-will-become-a-trainer-soon-she-adores

Best of luck to your daughter!

Through shenanigans involving a trapinch and a really, really old floor, i recently fell into what looked to be partially excavated ruins in hoenn, where I found a volcarona with a manmade clip on its wing. I’m worried that it was a team magma capture, in addition to the trauma of being transported so far from its home region if so. In addition, it’s grown on me, and i want to keep it. What challenges should i expect from training an older Volcarona, and how worried should I be about team magma?

Because it’s grown close to you, take a good look at the clip. If it has Magma’s emblem on it, then you may need to be very worried. If, however, it has Devon or Silph’s (or any other brand), it may actually be a research tag. Sometimes, we researchers seek out and tag pokémon known to migrate (such as volcarona) in order to observe and better understand their migratory patterns and seasonal habits. If that’s the case, then you may wish to leave this volcarona alone. (You may also bring it to your local professor to be absolutely sure it’s a tracking tag for research purposes. If it’s not, then that researcher will also know what to do from there.)

Actually, come to think of it, you may wish to bring this volcarona to your nearest professor first before thinking too much about training it. You never know if you may be interfering with vital data … or having an actual criminal organization after you.

So my uncle allister is planning on making a blog as well. He’s kind of an adventurer guy. He doesn’t quite know tumblr yet, but he asked me to ask what you think about differing forms of pokemon? He has a budew named Briar that is.. Different. Its less like a rose bud and more like a tulip bulb. He’s theorizing that she coupd evolve into a new regional variant of Roselia, with tulips instead of roses.

It’s entirely possible, actually. Generally speaking, regional variants are much less documented than the “standard” forms (which are often far more common), but they do indeed exist. In this case, budew does indeed have a regional variation native to very specific regions of the Netherlands, where they find it much more useful to blend in with tulip fields than wild roses. These budew are often well cared for and are thus both pure grass and taller than standard. (Care for them is roughly the same, though.) Finally, they’re not that common as breeding stock outside of their home region because, bizarrely enough, they’re more fragile, but consequently, they’re well sought-after by truly avid grass-type collectors. In short, your uncle may be quite lucky!

My snorlax, Bear let himself out of his pokeball in the car. Bear’s okay, but the car is… well, you can probably imagine. Will insurance pay for that? Also, how do I keep Bear from letting himself out at inopportune times?

That depends on your insurance, I’m afraid. Many cheaper policies consider these acts of God—or worse, the fault of the policyholder. If you invest in a more expensive policy with a more reputable company, then there’s a chance that it might be covered. You would really need to read the fine print to be sure. (I wouldn’t recommend relying on the word of an agent exclusively. Never trust anyone working in insurance.)

As for keeping Bear from breaking out, that will be difficult, and the only way to do it is to train that behavior out of him. Establish when he may come out (i.e., only in emergencies), and use positive reinforcement to teach him that he should only come out when you summon him otherwise. For example, every time he stays in his ball until you let him out, feed him a treat.

Of course, you’ll also need to address why he breaks out as well. Pokémon can perceive a limited amount of the outside world from within their poké balls. (Usually, it’s just their immediate surroundings and a vague notion of the passage of time.) It’s possible that Bear may be startled or scared by the motion of the car as well, at which point it would be a good idea to show him your car (well … once you get it repaired) and let him see you drive it around the block or so forth so he can begin to understand that it’s nothing to be afraid of. If that’s not it, you may need to dig a little deeper in order to understand what drives your snorlax to break out, whether it’s fear … or boredom.

Best of luck!