Tag: Anonymous

So why dont mammal like pokemon give live births? What is the advantage in the wild (or domestic) to lay eggs?

There are two advantages, anonymous.

First, a live-bearing arrangement simply costs more energy for the organism than simply laying an egg and allowing development to occur outside the body. Think of it like this: for all viviparous (live-bearing) animals, their young are physically connected to them right up until birth. The mother is required to basically care for them through their growth and development, and while the overall impact a fetus has on the mother’s body isn’t exactly as drastic as the entire phrase “[your choice of verb] for two” would imply, the fact of the matter is the mother quite literally carries, eats for, and generally manages the life for her young throughout the gestational period. Then, of course, there’s the actual birth, and given the fact that viviparous individuals are more developed when born than animals that hatch, the process of birth requires even more energy to undergo than simply laying eggs.

Second, keep in mind that battling is a huge part of a pokémon’s life, even in the wild. Moreover, battling for pokémon is much more dangerous than it is for animals, because while animals have their own self-defense mechanisms, pokémon use elemental magic and elaborate, violent techniques to fight. Carrying one’s young into battle may be fine once they’re born (see: kangaskhan), but when they’re still developing within the body, that poses quite a risk for them, especially if the mother takes an attack that can penetrate her body and reach her young (see: electric attacks, ghost attacks, psychic attacks, and so forth). Even attacks the mother launches herself could affect a fetus negatively—imagine attempting to generate electricity within your own body, for example. In other words, while it’s true that viviparous animals have a higher survival rate than oviparous, for pokémon, vivipary actually presents more of a risk, thanks to the biggest part of the average pokémon’s lifestyle. At least with egg-laying, a pokémon can guarantee that their eggs are out of range of an attack and thus, for the most part, perfectly safe. Comparatively speaking, anyway.

My fiancé and I are getting married in March, where would a good place to honeymoon be?

Johto. It’s a place full of culture and history, the people are friendly, and contrary to popular belief, most of the fauna—humans included—won’t actively try to kill you.

But seriously, anonymous, that depends on your tastes. Alola and Hoenn are popular honeymoon destinations due to their tropical environments and relatively low population densities, but some people prefer the charm of Johto, the culture of Sinnoh, the bustling populations of Kanto, or Unova … for some reason.

I admit I’ve never thought about planning a honeymoon myself, as I have no intention of getting married, so I can’t entirely claim expertise on the matter. My partner and editor, as I understand it, largely feels the same. But with all decisions, at least the two of us can say that you should think carefully about what it is you’d most like to do immediately after your wedding (besides, well, consummating it) and plan your honeymoon around that. If you’d like to lie on the beach or relax in warm environs with beautiful scenery, this would be why Alola and Hoenn are popular destinations. If you’d much prefer to do something on your vacations, Sinnoh has plenty to do if you’re looking for hiking or visiting quiet towns, and its sister region of Johto also has plenty to do if you prefer more urban environments.

Good luck, and congratulations, anonymous!

So in Alola, pokémon are usually treated as equals if not like humans. I’m on my journey away from there, and I’ve pretty much been discriminated and harassed for being very equal with my lucario (platonic partner) and my other pokémon. Any advice?

I’d hate to tell you, anonymous, but the sad thing is that any form of deviance to the social norm is often met with resistance of one kind or another. Although in my opinion, you have the right idea in treating your pokémon as equals (they are, after all, fantastic beings from whom we humans can learn quite a lot), the problem is that our society is so ingrained in a trainers’ culture that we often forget that our relationship with pokémon isn’t all about collecting them and having them battle for us. Rather, the whole point of training is to bond with our pokémon friends and to experience the world with them, rather than by using them.

Still, humans have the unfortunate tendency to think in terms of speciesism. Some of us believe the human race are the dominant species, so therefore, to those people, pokémon are beneath us. To place ourselves as equals to pokémon would be to revoke our humanity. It’s an archaic system, honestly—one that I’ve always found quite odd, considering how many of our cultures revere legendary pokémon.

In any case, I say all of this to explain why people may discriminate or harass you. The above certainly isn’t the only reason. (Thanks to the “morph” fandom—that is to say, the internet subculture centered around humanized pokémon, such as half-human/half-meowth creatures, for example—some people believe the act of seeing oneself as a true equal to a pokémon implies something about the human’s private life.) But it’s a major reason, besides the fact that people just don’t like things that are different from them.

The important thing is … ignore them unless they actually physically harass you. You may be able to educate a few people, but unless you want to escalate a situation, it’s best to choose your battles in a metaphorical sense. Otherwise, sometimes, it’s either not worth it or not possible to force others to agree with you. People will likely still discriminate against you, despite your best efforts. I don’t mean to depress you, of course. It’s just that humanity is a little bit complicated like that.

Rest assured, though, that you’re not alone in maintaining such a philosophy. There are plenty of people in the world who view themselves as equals to their pokémon, many of whom aren’t even from Alola. For example, most fighting-type and psychic-type specialists in each of the gym circuits and Elite Four rosters take this view, and this philosophy seems to be prevalent among native Johtonians and Sinnohans. If you need someone to talk to, simply seek one of these people out, and they would be more than eager to support you.

Best of luck, anonymous. Stay strong, and know that you’re not alone.

I’m a trainer, but I’m finding that the battling lifestyle just isn’t my thing. I love exploring around with my pokemon but battles are just not my cuppa. I worry that it would be unfair to my pokemon to just settle into a non-training life after my Journey is done, though. Do you have any advice on keeping their skills integrated into other things?

Well, anonymous, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to take an active role in battling to raise pokémon, and it’s not necessarily unfair to the pokémon themselves if you don’t. A journey is only a temporary condition, after all. Once you get to where you’re going—literally or philosophically speaking—you and your pokémon have every right to retire, especially if you find that battling isn’t your best talent.

It’s just that battling is the easiest way to exercise them and bond with them, but there are plenty of alternatives to doing so. For example, even walking your pokémon and letting them spar amongst themselves are adequate replacements for battling. Playing fetch or other games with them may be as well. Alternatively, what most researchers do is allow pokémon to help them as research aides, and what most breeders do is employ their former team to herd pokémon and help raise and hatch eggs for currently traveling trainers. Some people (particularly those who are neither researchers or breeders) have their pokémon help out around the house doing minor tasks, like keep up with the cleaning, assist with grocery shopping, and so forth.

What’s most important to you during this transitional period, though, is communicating as much as possible with your pokémon. Let them know that you’d like to retire (emphasizing that this is your choice and that it has nothing to do with how well they’ve been doing as your pokémon) but also ask them what they would like to do as well. Some of your team may wish to part ways with you (which may be heartbreaking, I know), but others may transition easily, adopting tasks you suggest once you explain what you want to do instead of traveling. The more you include your pokémon in your decision to retire, the easier it will be for them to retire with you.

In the Forrest near where I live there is a swamp deep inside and I think a little goomy got lost and keeps coming to my door for food. I’ve given it a few dishes so it doesn’t starve (it looks very small so it may be a baby still). Should I catch it or try and help it find its mother? If the latter, how?

In my opinion, a pokémon fares best in its natural habitat. (Yes, I’m aware of what popular belief has to say about me. No, I do not keep the pokémon I add to my collection … of pokédex entries.) This may be especially true in your case, as it sounds like your goomy friend is a young one. Either that, or it was a runt hatchling. Regardless, it may be better off sent back to where it came from.

However, ultimately, it may be up to the goomy. The next time it arrives at your doorstep, let it know that you wish to help it find its mother. It will likely look at you quizzically (most pokémon can get the basic gist of human speech, but if it’s wandering onto your doorstep, the idea of a human helping it home may be unusual to it), but show it what you mean by leading it back to the edge of the forest. You can ensure that it follows you by bringing along a little bit of food, but it’s really better to allow it to decide whether or not it wants to go with you on its own, without an incentive.

If it does follow you, lead it back to the swamp. If you have pokémon that can help you navigate the terrain, now would be a good time to use them. Goomy tend to prefer the wettest, darkest parts of a swamp, so you may need to travel deep in before you begin finding anything that may resemble your friend’s home. Also be on the lookout for any signs of sliggoo or goodra activity. Sliggoo territories are defined by mucus-covered tree trunks, as sliggoo will often climb up trees to get at food sources. Goodra, meanwhile, can be found any place where there’s evidence of a burning by dragon fire … for somewhat obvious reasons. (Goodra need to train too, after all.) Trees that look like they were pushed over are also good indicators of goodra activity.

Once you begin seeing these signs, it’s very likely that you have reached the edge of your goomy friend’s home. Check its reaction, however, to be absolutely sure. If it looks like it recognizes the place (by growing excited or by wandering away from you), then that’s that. You may leave your goomy friend there and return home. It’s recommended that you do so quickly, as while goodra are not known for being particularly aggressive pokémon, they are still dragons, and you are still in their territory.

If, however, the goomy looks scared, turn back around and leave the swamp or go to a different area. You may have wandered into a rival goomy rout’s territory, or your friend may not want to return home at all. Keep a close eye on your friend’s reactions as you travel to see if it gets more comfortable the further away from the swamp it gets. If it doesn’t seem happy as you leave, keep looking in the swamp for another spot full of signs of sliggoo and goodra activity.

Alternatively, if the goomy doesn’t follow you to the forest or if it’s obvious that the goomy, once in the forest, doesn’t want to be there, you might be able to take it in. However, before catching it, be absolutely sure that this is what it wants. Open your door to it—literally. If your goomy friend crawls into your house or looks excited by the idea of being in your home, catch it. Goomy are rather easy to take care of afterwards. Just give them a nice, wet spot to live, preferably a tank or pool with plenty of clean water, a place for it to crawl ashore, and enough vegetables every day to keep it fed. Some goomy like to have large rocks in their habitats that they practice their attacks on, so this may be a suitable addition to your new goomy’s living space. (If it doesn’t spar with such a rock, at the very least, it will give the goomy another interesting thing to climb.)

Best of luck with whatever happens, anonymous!

I recently adopted a Very young swablu that was rescued from an awful and abusive owner, and she has awful anxiety. So I had my bulbasaur use his sweet scent and just all around wonderful personality to help her become more used to me and my Pokémon. Well she’s bonded with my bulbasaur, but refuses to leave his side and becomes defensive when my houndoom and togekiss get near them, going as far as to peck them! No accidents involving serious injury yet, but what do I do to help her and my team?

As with all instances in which one pokémon has trouble integrating with their team, it’s important to ensure that you have all the information about what’s going on correct. That is to say, it’s worth observing your team for just a bit longer to see if your swablu’s behavior is definitely because of her anxiety and not due to some other issue that may need to be resolved (such as some level of hostility or disinterest from your togekiss or houndoom).

If this issue is indeed caused by swablu’s nervousness, start slowly. Try to keep your togekiss and houndoom away from your swablu at first. Use their poké balls if you have to, but the important thing is, if at all possible, try to avoid exposing your swablu to the both of them at the same time, especially at times when you can’t keep an eye on them.

Now, for your first step, I would recommend introducing your swablu to togekiss first, as togekiss in general have nurturing dispositions and an innate urge to make others happy. To set up the introduction, have your bulbasaur stand by swablu and use Sweet Scent to keep her calm. Explain to your swablu what’s about to happen and who your togekiss is to both you and your bulbasaur. (That is to say, emphasize that your togekiss is a friend.) Take a few steps back, enough to ensure that there’s plenty of space between you and your pokémon, and release your togekiss next to you, rather than between yourself and your swablu. Do not have your togekiss block your swablu’s view of you.

If your togekiss knows Heal Bell, now would be a good time to use it. I know that sounds odd, but the soothing tones of Heal Bell can possibly calm and entrance your swablu, even if she doesn’t suffer from any specific ailment. If your togekiss doesn’t know Heal Bell, don’t worry. This is just a helpful tip, not something that’s absolutely vital to bridging the gap between your swablu and togekiss.

From there, as with most instances in which one of your team members is terrified of another, begin with short, simple interactions, perhaps led by your bulbasaur. Have your bulbasaur interact with your togekiss first. Let him converse with your togekiss and then draw your swablu into the conversation naturally. Allow your togekiss and swablu to have a short conversation with each other, then end the session by withdrawing your togekiss back into its ball to show your swablu that you have the ability to ensure that none of your pokémon hurt her. If at any point, she attempts to attack your togekiss anyway, have your bulbasaur calm her down with Sweet Scent or by using a gentle Vine Whip to hold her back (by wrapping her, not hitting her).

Once your swablu is able to handle short, friendly conversations with your togekiss on her own, give your togekiss more time to interact with her. Additionally, at the start of each session, work your way closer and closer to your swablu until you’re able to release your togekiss within beak’s reach of her. If she isn’t startled by your togekiss’s presence then, graduate to using the two of them side-by-side in double battles or sparring sessions to reinforce the bond between them.

Due to houndoom’s rougher nature, it’s unwise to introduce it to your swablu until after she’s absolutely comfortable with your togekiss. Once she reaches that point, perform the exact same steps with your houndoom, only have your togekiss be present for the introduction as well. Thus, place your togekiss and bulbasaur next to your swablu, give yourself enough space, release your houndoom next to you, and begin by having either your bulbasaur or your togekiss (or both) interact with your houndoom. There’s a good chance that your swablu, at this point, will recognize this process and understand on some level that you’re attempting to introduce her to a friend, but don’t assume that having her interact with houndoom will be any easier. Take it slow and let your swablu tell you when she’s comfortable enough to proceed to the next step.

In other words, the most important thing here is that your houndoom and your togekiss are parts of her team now, and team dynamics are vital, both on and off the battlefield. They may even be vital to your swablu’s ability to heal from her past. Thus, there is likely no way around introducing her to the rest of her team, but with enough patience and time, you may be able to coax her to connect with your other pokémon.

Are the kimono girls still a thing? I know your mom was one but I think if they’re not around anymore they should have a new group of them. I have a sylveon I think would make a lovely addition

Yes, of course! Johto has a very proud set of traditions, dating back nearly two thousand years, and kimono girls are part of that. They’re the keepers of our traditions, and it’s their duty to pass their knowledge on to the next generation so that our culture will live on until the return of Ho-oh. It’s not that our culture as a whole will be forgotten if kimono girls don’t preserve it; it’s more that they’re another cultural resource, one that makes sure at least some part of our regional identity is still alive.

Thus, there are actually always more than one troupe of kimono girls, most of whom are from Ecruteak City. The most famous of these, of course, are associated with the Kimono Dance Theater, as the kimono girls of that particular place are the ones who are taught the Kin no Mai and Gin no Mai (the specific prayer-dances meant for summoning Ho-oh and Lugia, respectively). To be fair, these would disappear if the kimono girls had no successors, and given the fact that Ho-oh and Lugia are a major part of our culture, I suppose in a way, the troupes do safeguard the future of our region.

That having been said, I admit that sylveon are not traditional partners to kimono girls, but ever since the rise in popularity of the fairy-type (partially due to the registration of the Kalos Dex and partially due to the rising popularity of my fellow descendant-of-a-kimono-girl, Valerie), it’s become a bit of a trend among the kimono-girls-in-training of Ecruteak City to pamper eevee and hope they become sylveon. Or so my younger sister tells me. In any case, technically, there’s nothing in the rules for being a kimono girl that states they can’t own recently discovered eeveelutions (or, for that matter, that they can’t own any pokémon they want), so sylveon is a perfectly viable addition to a kimono girl troupe.

Did you have anyone in mind, anonymous, or were you thinking of becoming a kimono girl yourself? If the latter, be warned that a kimono girl’s training is notoriously rigorous, but should you still be interested, the best place to begin would be Ecruteak City.

Hoenn Legendaries! Mostly Rayquaza. :D

Well, there are certainly a number of fascinating stories about the Hoenn region, and a single post can’t quite do them all justice. For that reason, let this be the first in a (half-)week-long Hoenn special.

Starting with, of course:

Rayquaza
The Sky High Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Flying
Official Registration #: 384
Entry: According to Hoennian lore, this legendary dragon has lived for millions of years in the uppermost layers of the planet’s atmosphere, and because of how far high and how fast it flies, only recently (comparatively speaking) has humanity developed the technology that makes it possible to see Rayquaza in flight. Otherwise, it does not leave this part of the atmosphere except for when Earth is in imminent danger. Rather, it glides ever vigilantly across the sky, sleeping rarely and eating nothing but the tops of thunderclouds and incoming meteoroids. The author really has nothing funny to say about Rayquaza; he just thinks the idea of an eternal, meteoroid-consuming dragon flying across the edge of space is awesome.

My whimsicott likes sleeping with me, but sometimes gets cotton everywhere. So lately I’ve been kicking her out of my room when I sleep to avoid getting coated in cotton, but she’s still somehow sneaking in when I wake up! How is she doing this?

This is true for whimsicott as well as its preevolution, cottonee, but the majority of a whimsicott’s mass is actually just cotton. Its actual body is incredibly thin, to the point where unless it’s eaten recently, it can fit itself under door cracks. That having been said, it’s very likely yours is doing the same: sliding herself through the crack beneath your door or even around your door’s edges. This is why many experienced whimsicott trainers reinforce their doors by fitting door seals (available at most hardware stores) beneath their doors and rubber sealing around the edges. It’s also quite handy for treating drafts, for that matter!

Or, alternatively, you could try training your whimsicott to sleep elsewhere (by using the typical strategy of feeding her a treat whenever she does something you want her to do—such as, for example, giving her a favored berry for breakfast), but sealing your door is an effective strategy too.