Tag: Anonymous

Hey Bill I was hoping that you would be able to help me out. I recently started living in an apartment with roommates and my Murkrow keeps stealing one of my roommates stuff and harassing them whenever they are here. My Murkrow behaves around my other roommate and doesn’t steal her stuff its just my other roommate that Murkrow bothers.

There are two possible reasons why your murkrow is doing this. First, your roommate (we’ll call them Roommate A for now) may have more expensive or otherwise “shinier” objects than you or your other roommate (Roommate B). Second, your murkrow may consider Roommate A an easier target (which in itself has its own subset of possibilities: that your murkrow is entertained by Roommate A’s reaction or simply wants their attention).

Regardless of why it happens, there are a few things you and your roommate may wish to consider doing to stop this:

1. First and foremost, training is always a good place to start. Murkrow are intelligent, so sometimes, they can be right handfuls, but with patience and some positive reinforcement (say, presenting your murkrow with an object of your roommate’s and rewarding it every time it doesn’t immediately reach for that object), you may be able to instill good habits in your murkrow.

2. Second, you may wish to help Roommate A become acquainted with your murkrow. Like many pokémon, murkrow can tell when a human is uncomfortable with them, and dark-types especially enjoy using this to their advantage or amusement. Helping your roommate bond with your murkrow (for example, by sitting down with them and walking them through interactions) will help them become used to your pokémon and vice versa. Eventually, your murkrow will be less inclined to steal from your roommate, simply because the two will have bonded enough to see each other as equals—or at least enough for your murkrow to respect your roommate.

3. Or simply have your roommate lock their room and place an object too heavy for your murkrow to move (such as a cooler filled with heavy books) in front of their door.

Im a pokemon researcher, and I am currently studying on an island. I was flying around on my Staraptor, trying to get a better view of the area, when I came across a flock of Hoothoot. This doesnt sound exciting at first since Im near Johto, but to my suprise, all of the specimin were shiny! I at first assumed that perhaps the hoothoot living here were more pack like similar to mightyena, but i later discoved that all hoothoot on the island were shiny! Any idea on why?

As you likely know, shininess is determined by genetics, and in turn, genetics are governed by the basic principles of biological inheritance and natural selection. That is, if two individuals both have a certain trait, then there is a certain chance that their offspring will also have it. The offspring, in turn, has a chance of passing that trait to their offspring, and so on and so forth.

In an area with a larger pool of eligible mating partners—such as the Johtonian mainland, for example—the frequency of shiny individuals is kept low because, as shininess is a rare trait to begin with, the likelihood of two hoothoot with the shiny trait is lower than the likelihood of two hoothoot without. 

However, islands are isolated communities, which means they’re considerably more restrictive when it comes to eligible breeding pools, and thus, it’s far easier for two individuals with the shiny gene to mate. If they pass their genes on to their offspring, that offspring enters the mating pool and, in turn, has a chance of passing their shiny gene on to their offspring, even if their partner is not a carrier. If this is allowed to continue over many, many years, then soon enough, the traits for standard colorization ends up being bred out of the community, leaving only those who carry the gene for shininess.

In short, what you’re observing are the results of many, many years of natural selection at work, anonymous.

I work at a pokemon rehabilitation center, and one of our recent pokemon is an illegally obtained Alolan Vulpix, who is very young. I was never trained in caring for alolan pokemon, because of the fact that I’m stationed in Fiore. What does it need?

For the basics, you may wish to consult this post: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/154749948831/what-are-different-care-methods-for-alolan-vulpix 

Essentially, caring for an Alolan vulpix is very similar to a standard vulpix; the only difference is in its temperature tolerance and how one cares for its coat. However, so long as you keep it cool and brush it daily (especially right around the time it blows out one coat for another), then it should be fine.

Meanwhile, be sure to care for its psychological needs. Illegally obtained pokémon often go through some form of trauma, either due to the abuse involved in being captured or in being “cared for” thereafter. Evaluate this vulpix’s psychological health as soon as possible, and if it seems it’s developed any nervous habits, be sure to take the appropriate steps in order to reestablish trust. Always place this vulpix in a comfortable environment, approach it slowly and with non-threatening gestures, and provide plenty of affection throughout its stay with you.

Best of luck, anonymous!

Can Dewgong hover or float? I’ve seen it do something similar in battles and I’ve been wondering… What about with Seel? Any tips on raising them?

Regarding both, this ask applies to all pokémon with fins: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/153030192831/hello-bill-how-often-do-fully-aquatic-pokemon

It’s just that seel and dewgong are slightly more adept at land mobility than most other finned pokémon, so whether or not a trainer uses that mod is up to personal preference.

That having been said, seel and dewgong can be a bit challenging to raise due to the fact that they require bodies of cold water. A pool is a must, if not ready access to a natural body of water, and it’s essential to keep the water temperature below fifty degrees if at all possible, especially for the half-ice dewgong. Seel and dewgong may be kept on land, but they should spend as much time in the water as you can manage for the sake of their psychological health, which means that keeping them on land is frankly not an ideal situation.

In terms of food, seel and dewgong are carnivores, preferring fish and poultry over red meat. It’s also possible to supplement their diet with berries and vegetables (as you would for a dog-like pokémon), but always ensure that their primary diet is meat-based.

Moreover, seel and dewgong tend to be more intelligent than dog-like pokémon, so toys are highly recommended. Be sure to get anything that floats, although the line seems very partial to squeaking toys and balls. Beds are not necessary, as seel and dewgong will sleep as close to water as possible, but it’s recommended that you have a solid surface for them to rest on. This is why natural bodies of water are preferable to pools. Not only do you give your pokémon access to the water, but resting in general is easier on a mud bank or pebble or sandy beach, rather than on a concrete surface.

Well, that and both pokémon generally relieve themselves in the water, meaning having excellent water circulation is also a must.

As always, give your pokémon plenty of time to exercise and train, which in seel and dewgong’s case, also means plenty of time on their own to swim.

Best of luck, anonymous!

Since it came out that mega evolution seriously hurts and changes a Pokémon in that form I have lots of issues with it. I’m a 5 time champ in Kalos and Hoenn thanks to my mega gardivor but now.. I don’t feel right mega evolving her

Not necessarily, anonymous.

Put it this way: the ralts line are highly empathic. If you haven’t felt any overwhelming waves of pain any time your gardevoir has mega evolved, chances are she’s fine. Likewise, mega evolution only really carries a risk to the pokémon the first few times they do it, as the process introduces a surge of power they’re not used to handling (for the most part). Once trained, a pokémon can learn to control that power enough to reduce or eliminate the pain involved with transformation; it really depends on the amount of care and work their trainers put into helping them.

In short, I have no doubt your mega gardevoir is fine, anonymous, but if you wish for further reassurance, all you would need to do is ask her how she feels about mega evolving.

Do you have any tips on how to care for a slurpuff? I was just traded one from a friend and I want to be cautious.

Believe it or not, slurpuff are primarily dog-like pokémon. As such, they require many of the same things your average snubbull or furfrou may need: a meat-based diet (or kibble), dog toys, frequent walks, a soft bed, regular tooth-brushing and baths, and so forth.

The difference is in its fur and nose.

First and foremost, you’ll notice that your slurpuff is constantly sticky, even slightly so on good days. This is perfectly normal and a by-product of the unique sweat and curly fur coat of the swirlix line. However, this also means that you’ll need to maintain it regularly by not only brushing out loose hairs and dirt but also, perhaps, by giving it a bath. Baths are not necessary (or recommended) on a daily basis, but it’s always a good idea to give your slurpuff one ever few days—and either way, daily brushing is essential to remove debris. Additionally, an important note: if anything larger than a tennis ball ends up stuck to your slurpuff, try not to pull it out, as this will hurt your pokémon. Rather, carefully clip the object out with a sharp pair of scissors. 

Furthermore, be sure to take your slurpuff to a professional groomer—or groom it yourself, if you have the confidence—at least once every few months to keep its coat pared down. Otherwise, your slurpuff’s sticky hair may grow long and inhibit both movement and comfort.

As for its nose, it’s important to keep in mind that slurpuff’s sense of smell is among the strongest in the pokémon kingdom. It’s therefore important to keep a clean house and to remove any sources of bad odors to avoid confusing or irritating your slurpuff. You may also consider lessening your use of perfume or cologne, although some slurpuff actually enjoy those scents. (It may be worth asking your slurpuff.)

Best of luck, anonymous!

Tips on caring for a freshly evolved Flygon?

Continue caring for your flygon as you had for your vibrava. Most flygon have the exact same needs as a vibrava; the only difference is that they’ll require more. That is to say, your flygon should need more space to fly, more sand to nest in, more food (insects and meat primarily, if not kibble) to consume, and more time to train. Just about the only thing your flygon will need less of is perhaps sleep, as it will no longer be saving energy for a future evolution.

Well, that and toys, as final-stage pokémon rarely want toys for enrichment. They mostly prefer battling, truth be told.

Hello bill, I was wondering if you could help me out. I just moved to the Alola region from hoenn and I brought my Kirlia with me. We’ve been doing fairly well so far… until I caught a wild Steene. I’m not sure what the problem is but my kirlia does not get along very well with her. It seems anytime the two are even near each other, she has no hesitation to keep her away from me, even with brute force if needed. I really need to fix this problem before any family visit. Any advice?

As always, start by trying to communicate with your kirlia. Kirlia are very sensitive psychic-types, and they can pick up on things that might be wrong—or transmit how they feel, for that matter. Sit down with your kirlia and ask her what’s on her mind, so to speak.

Only then can you proceed forward to resolve the issue, as it could be any number of things, from a fear of your new steenee to jealousy to even warning you about a potential latent allergy to grass-types you might not be aware of. Each possibility has its own solution, so in short, it’s best to narrow things down before trying anything with your kirlia and steenee.

As a note of reassurance, most possibilities may be resolved with a simple conversation with your kirlia and possibly by gradually introducing her to your steenee. If this is indeed the case, do so slowly and gradually, in a setting both your kirlia and steenee can be comfortable with. As both are human-like pokémon, they’ll be more active when it comes to vocal communication with each other, so be prepared to mediate any arguments or fights.

Best of luck, anonymous!

How do take care of a treecko and what kind of toys he would like to play with?

Believe it or not, treecko don’t often need toys. Certainly, they’ll play with toys you give your other pokémon (although as a word of advice, due to their shedding skin and the fact that they often carry salmonella, you perhaps will want to give them toys that are easy to clean), but oftentimes, treecko will be content to sun, climb, and train.

That said, above all else, it’s important to provide your treecko with an optimal environment. They’re reptiles, grass-type tropical ones at that, and that means they need plenty of sunlight, warmth, and humidity. (Because of their grass typing, they are not nocturnal, by the way, unlike their animal “counterparts.”) If you live in an urban environment and/or can’t provide your treecko with at least eight hours of sunlight, you’ll need to provide them with a heat lamp, particularly one that can emit UVA and UVB lighting. This will become especially important as your treecko evolves and develops more plant-like characteristics, as by then, it will need light that mimics sunlight to photosynthesize.

Regardless of whether or not you will require a heat lamp, your treecko’s environment will also need two key features: a flat rock on which they can sun (or hide beneath, if they choose) and something they can climb. For the latter, a tree would be ideal, but a cat tree (typically used by meowth, skitty, espurr, and litten trainers as a scratching post) will do just as well. Treecko will often use the former to rest while sunning, and the latter is simply for comfort.

Likewise, to mimic humidity and to keep your treecko’s skin moist on dry days, invest in a humidifier to add moisture to the air at a constant rate. Alternatively, on especially warm days, you may also spray the air periodically with a bottle of clean water.

As your treecko evolves, it will of course be imperative that you provide more and more space for it. While it’s possible to continue keeping a grovyle indoors, it’s highly inadvisable to keep a sceptile due to its sun and space requirements. Thus, it’s worth it to invest in an everstone early on—preferably at the treecko stage—if you live in an urban environment with limited space. If you cannot provide your sceptile with adequate room to sun and climb, you may wish to consider rehoming it or making arrangements with your landlord to provide rooftop accommodations for it.

Despite being able to photosynthesize in later stages, members of the treecko line are actually carnivores and prefer insects—particularly live ones. (This is why many treecko trainers prefer feeding their pokémon kibble, actually. It’s either less of a hassle, or the trainer isn’t particularly inclined to handle live crickets and mealworms.) They can eat berries or leafy greens, and their later stages can gather energy from photosynthesizing, but keep in mind that neither of these methods should be their primary diets due to their nutritional requirements (contrary to popular belief). Either way, provide your treecko with clean water and change their water bowls at least once a day. Twice for later stages.

Regarding keeping treecko’s environment clean, treecko can be taught to use a litter box, but be sure to line it with bark, not sand, as sand carries a risk of soaking up precious humidity. Be sure to clean not only the litter box but your treecko’s environment (unless it lives outside, of course) regularly as, once again, treecko skin may carry salmonella.

Incidentally, treecko do indeed shed their skins (as do their later stages, although sceptile do so at a less frequent rate), but it’s not necessary to clean it up, as the first thing treecko will do upon shedding is eat their own skin. (It’s a defense mechanism held over from their time in the wild, not to mention the skin is a ready source of energy.) You’ll be able to tell if your treecko is about to shed based on energy levels and color: if it seems dull in color and isn’t quite as energetic during your training sessions, then you’ll know. Provide your treecko with an especially humid environment during this time and keep an eye on its extremities. If It seems like its skin is not coming off its toes or limbs, wrap it with wet towels for at least a half an hour. If this doesn’t help, use a pair of clean tweezers to gently peel the skin off for your treecko.

Finally, as always with tamed pokémon, you’ll want to exercise your treecko daily by putting it through at least a half an hour of training. No bedding is required for sleep, as most treecko prefer to sleep in trees or whatever else they can climb.