Tag: Anonymous

Hey Bill, my kirlia used to be very excited to evolve, but recently she’s gotten upset every time I’ve brought up the topic. I think it might have something to do with the fact that she doesn’t have the choice to evolve into a gallade instead. I’m not sure if the exact issue is that she wants to *be* a gallade or if it’s just that she feels it’s unfair that she doesn’t get to choose, but she’s very upset about this. Anything I can do to help?

Whenever dealing with kirlia who wish but are unable to evolve into gallade (or a pokémon that’s unable to evolve into one of its evolutionary branches, such as eevee or snorunt), it’s extremely important to first emphasize both their own self-worth and the worth of their alternative evolution, gardevoir. Teach them that they can be strong, no matter what evolutionary form they take, and inform them of the strength of their alternate evolutions. In gardevoir’s case, this may be as easy as showing them videos of Champion Diantha’s gardevoir, as she’s well-known (to the point of being an idol for quite a few kirlia I know) for her strength and grace.

Additionally, consider teaching them techniques that can be translated into the evolutionary form they can take. Consider teaching your kirlia Focus Blast shortly after they evolve, or teach them to move about the field using the fencing techniques they would utilize as a gallade. This may help your kirlia feel as if they can get the best of both worlds, so to speak.

Above all else, though, reinforce the idea that you value your pokémon, no matter what forms they take. Let them know that they are still vital parts of your team, and show them—through affection or through displays of your trust—that you will always consider them to be your close companions, even if they can’t evolve into the form they wish.

Also, regarding the kirlia who may be upset that she doesn’t have a choice in the matter, the above advice is only if you’re sure that’s what she’s concerned about. I highly recommend that you communicate with your kirlia first, as what’s bothering her may have nothing to do with evolution at all.

Best of luck to the both of you!

My Pichu and my Pidgey are great friends, but lately Pichu has been having trouble controlling his Electric-type powers. I understand that this is a problem many Pichu have, but this has started to ruin the friendship! When Pichu’s excited, sometimes sparks will fly out from his cheeks, zapping poor Pidgey! Because of this, Pichu has become more hesitant about playing with Pidgey, which is making Pidgey confused and sad. What should I as their trainer do to repair their friendship?

The only thing you can do, anonymous: train your pichu. Your pichu and pidgey’s problem stems from a lack of control. However, if you train him, focusing on control over his electrical powers (through accuracy exercises and the like), you should be able to teach him to manage his abilities on his own.

Alternatively, you’ll bring him closer to evolution, which itself is a good thing because pikachu naturally have better control over their electrical powers than pichu do. (They have larger, more developed electrical sacs, and their tail is better suited for grounding.)

How do genderless Pokemon reproduce?

image

Re, the first question: carefully.

In all seriousness, these questions are actually more or less answered here: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/153028583556/how-is-it-that-two-dittos-cannot-breed-two

To summarize, when in the presence of a ditto, the ditto takes on the form of the subject pokémon … only with appropriate reproductive organs. The ditto lays the egg (more often than naught), and the “genderless” pokémon (they’re actually in possession of male and female reproductive organs typically) fertilizes the egg. On their own, however, these “genderless” pokémon reproduce in a variety of ways, from fission to self-fertilization. 

The latter is true for solrock and lunatone … in a way. Rather than lay eggs themselves, as genderless pokémon cannot lay eggs, they spray nearby rocks with spores, which convert the stone into a baby solrock or lunatone that is genetically identical to the parent.

(You’re welcome for that mental image, by the by.)

Hey Bill, do you know any really good Pokémon conventions for avid Poke Maniacs such as myself to bring my wife and child to as well?

Well, for those of you in Unova, there’s the Nimbasa City Pokémon Con (NCPC), which is a general pokémon convention for enthusiasts from practically every facet of pokémon handling, from training to collecting to coordinating.

Unova is also home to the Castelia City Pokéxpo, which is less about the different professions involving pokémon and more about the pokémon themselves. It’s thus considered a fan convention and happens to be one of the largest in the world.

For those of you in Kanto, you’re likely familiar with PIX, or Pokémon International Expo, which is hosted in Celadon City. To put it in short, while PIX originally began as an industry convention much like NCPC, it slowly evolved—forgive the pun—into a general fan convention, where pokémaniacs can gather to connect with others like them while learning about the cutting-edge developments of pokémon training and trends. (I might be biased in saying this one is the most fun, seeing as I attend either this or Dragonite Con every year.)

Goldenrod City’s Dragonite Con, meanwhile, is purely a pokémaniac convention, much like Pokéxpo. The difference between it and Pokéxpo is that there’s a strong lean towards pokémon-centered media there. It’s not unusual to see merchandise for leading pokémon performers, panels about pokémon trends in YA literature, or people cosplaying as Gligarman and other pokémon-themed fictional characters there.

Then you have Lumiose’s Pokéxpo EU, which is, contrary to popular belief, not an offshoot of the Castelia City Pokéxpo, although they cover the same general areas. Additionally, Lumiose hosts a second convention called Wonder Trade Con, which is, put simply, a convention for pokémaniacs interested in trading. (It’s famous for its randomized trading events, hence its name.)

If you’re looking for smaller or more specialized conventions, Gym Con, hosted in Jubilife City, is a convention for pokémaniacs who either aspire to be or are fans of gym leaders. (There is plenty of gym leader merchandise here, incidentally.) Alternatively, you could try Lilycove City’s Pokémon Festival Hoenn, a convention aimed at collectors of pokémon, pokémon-related merchandise, and pokémon-themed media. (It’s said that Steven Stone frequents Pokémon Festival Hoenn, but I’ve never seen him there.)

Alola, unfortunately, has no large convention of its own yet, although it does host RainbowCon, a relatively small fan convention in Hau’oli City.

Good luck, and have fun!

So my neighbors umbreon and my sylveon ended up mating and now I have 3 baby eevees. The only thing is, one is melanistic. Now I’ve heard albino eeveelutions and other albino Pokémon are very temperamental and neurotic. Is there any behavioral issues I should be worried about with melanistic Pokémon?

Generally speaking, no. As mentioned in an earlier post, while albinism is linked to certain health conditions (meaning albino pokémon are at a higher risk of being actually, physically sick—but do keep in mind that this is a risk and is not true for all albino pokémon by default), melanism is not linked to any particular health issue. Thus, a melanistic pokémon may act in the same way as a brown-coated eevee, albeit a melanistic pokémon may be hardier than its brown-furred cousins.

My espeon smacks his tail on the ground repeatedly when he’s upset. Why does he does this

It’s actually common body language, anonymous. When a pokémon like your espeon thumps its tail against the floor or ground, it’s expending pent-up energy. In some cases, this can be a positive thing—an outlet for excess happiness—as in the case of dog-like pokémon such as growlithe. However, among cat-like pokémon such as espeon, it’s another way of emphasizing his annoyance with you (or a situation), as he’s expending pent-up irritation. Think of it like letting off steam by doing something productive or by screaming into a pillow or so forth.

Bill, some people have asked you about enrichment for various Pokémon. May I suggest children’s picture books? Most Pokémon, in my experience, love to be read to, and to look at bright, colorful pictures. It’s a great bonding exercise between trainer and mon. My scyther especially loves books by Mo Willems, like “Knuffle Bunnelby” and the Donphan and Tepiggy series.

Ah! Excellent suggestion! Yes, books can sometimes be excellent devices for enrichment, as are art supplies, music, and so forth. Of course, it’s also important to be aware of your pokémon’s preferences as well. Some pokémon simply don’t enjoy reading or being read to and should be given other materials. You’ll be able to tell whether or not your pokémon is engaged with the material you’ve given them by their body language and whether or not they’re focused on you (as opposed to quite literally anything else in the room).