Tag: asks

My mimikyu is a wonderful Pokémon but she’s very shy. My primarina and tsareena keeps trying to be friends but mimikyu keeps getting scared and running behind me

Mimikyu are unfortunately very shy by nature, anonymous; each one simply expresses it a different way. In the case of yours, that means obvious, extreme shyness—hence her tendency to hide when faced with her own teammates.

One way you can help the rest of your team bond with her is by initiating and overseeing group activities. The more your mimikyu sees you interact with your other pokémon, the more likely she’ll relax when in the presence of her. Encourage her (by speaking to her) to interact with your primarina or tsareena alongside you. Note also that this doesn’t necessarily have to be in battle, either. Virtually any activity you can think of can be used to help bridge the gap between your mimikyu and the others. Play with your team, have them do housework together, or simply go on a leisurely walk—whatever is easiest for you.

Additionally, ensure that everything your primarina and tsareena do around her (even when you’re not present) are non-threatening, even on an unintentional level. Have them keep their distance at first as they communicate with her, and make sure they invite her to join them, rather than let them approach her and try to coax her into participating with them. Teach them non-threatening methods of communicating, including open gestures and softer voices, and be sure they understand the difference between asking your mimikyu to join them and pushing their friendship onto her.

Finally, it may help to have mimikyu interact with only one of them at a time. Two may be intimidating to her, especially given the fact that both tsareena and primarina are generally much larger than the average mimikyu. Dim the lights as well in order to make your mimikyu feel comfortable.

Keep in mind that no matter what you do, it will take time for your mimikyu to open up to the rest of your team, even if she has already been a member of your family for a while now. Just be gentle as you approach her and do all that you can to ensure she doesn’t feel threatened, and let her open up in her own time.

Best of luck, anonymous!

When my my raichu (alolan) was a pikachu it seemed my mimikyu was really shy around it but now that Peaches (my raichu) has evolved they’re best friends. Mimikyu even rides on Peaches tail! Is this normal behavior? Are mimikyus typically at odds with pikachus?

While it’s true all mimikyu are envious of pikachu, how they express that varies from mimikyu to mimikyu. Some are at odds with pikachu and display violent behavior in the vicinity of one (even going so far as to engage in intense battle with them on sight), but others may prefer to watch pikachu from afar or shyly befriend them in order to understand them. It’s very much like human jealousy, really. Some people befriend the people they envy or respect, and others spend much of their lives allowing their jealousy to fester into toxicity. Naturally, the latter isn’t exactly the best outlook for one’s psyche, and as such, it may be prudent to help your mimikyu find a healthy way to manage their frustration should you find yourself training a mimikyu of the more violent, negative variety, but if you find yourself training a mimikyu of the positive variety, you may be pleasantly surprised that it will do perfectly well around a pikachu teammate.

In other words, what you’re describing sounds perfectly normal, anonymous. Your mimikyu is evidently the type that deals with their envy by building understanding. It’s good to hear that your mimikyu gets along so well with your raichu! May their relationship only strengthen from here onwards.

Have you ever seen a melanistic eevee, Bill? Do you know what exactly causes this effect? I have a melanistic umbreon that was given to me by my father, his coat is entirely black, and the area where his rings would be, doesn’t glow either. His eyes are a very lovely shade of copper instead of the regular red, as well.

Ah yes, melanistic eevee. It’s actually quite interesting, to be honest. Melanistic eevee are more or less akin to albinos of the same species: not shiny but rather pokémon with melanin levels that differ from the norm. However, unlike albino pokémon, melanism in pokémon can be an adaptational advantage and—in the absence of melanism-related disorders such as ocular melanosis—often is.

That’s important to clarify because melanism is a genetic condition. In laymen’s terms, it’s caused by a mutation in a pokémon’s genetic code that causes them to have one extra copy of a specific sequence that controls melanin production. However, whether or not that mutation is expressed is a recessive trait. As such, pokémon may either carry it and pass it to their young or, well, be melanistic themselves.

As for the reason why this mutation occurred in the first place, as mentioned above, it’s often an adaptational advantage. For example, while non-melanistic umbreon use their rings’ glow as an intimidation tactic, umbreon that can’t glow at all are less likely to be detected in the first place and are therefore actually more effective hunters. (The glow helps, of course, to stun faster prey, but glowing umbreon lack the stealth non-glowing umbreon have.) Additionally, melanin protects the skin from ultraviolet light, synthesizes vitamin D (which in turn is vital to the immune system), and may be associated with viral resistance, all of which in combination allow melanistic pokémon such as your umbreon to be hardier than their normal counterparts. As such, there is some “survival of the fittest” at play here as well.

Finally, as for whether or not I’ve ever seen them in person, I have indeed. While melanism is rare in the wild, domesticated eevee are often bred specifically for those traits due to the fact that besides being ideal traits in the wild, they’re actually more aesthetically pleasing to eevee enthusiasts. However, I must admit I’ve never owned one myself, but I’ve met my fair share of eeveemaniacs with at least one on their team. They’re quite beautiful indeed—so you’re very lucky to own one!

I’m thinking about going on vacation next summer. Sevii Islands, Orange Islands, or Alola?

Hm. I suppose it would depend on what you want from an island vacation.

Allow me to put it this way: although all three of those regions are tropical in nature, their cultures make them vastly different. In Alola, the people are highly friendly and eager to share their culture with outsiders, in part because the tourism industry is the biggest contributor to their economy. As such, if you’re the sort of tourist who enjoys exploring historical landmarks and observing regional culture, Alola is an excellent choice for a destination.

Meanwhile, the Orange Islands also rely on their tourist industry, but it shares a lot of culture with its neighbors, Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Thus, people travel to the Orange Islands less to take in the regional culture and more to enjoy a tropical island paradise. There are plenty of resorts and relaxation spots throughout the archipelago, and the less-inhabited islands, such as the Seven Grapefruit Islands, are tourist destinations centered around the region’s agricultural industry or its unique gym circuit. (I would highly recommend the Orange Islands’ fruit tasting tour, for example.)

Finally, the Sevii Islands are far less inhabited than the other two regions, and due to that and its general isolation, the locals are less friendly towards outsiders. You’ll find it harder to partake in local culture or find a resort outside of Seven Island. Even then, Seven Island is more of a destination for trainers due to the Battle Tower, rather than a general tourist spot. (Seven Island is also home to the Tanoby Ruins, but that’s a highly sacred site to the Seviian people. Thus, it’s discouraged for most people to enter them.) On the other hand, the entire island chain features highly rugged territory, beautiful swaths of wilderness, and the best hot springs in Japan, so it’s worth exploring for those who enjoy hiking or training in rigorous environments.

Additionally, if you’re a trainer who likes transitioning from a vacation to your next big adventure, keep in mind that only the Orange Islands has a gym circuit. Granted, each gym is a bit nontraditional in nature. Rather than simply a battle, you’re required to participate in a challenge of skill before you’re permitted to face the gym leader. There are four gyms in all, culminating into a battle against the reigning champion. Thus, the Orange Islands may have something fairly close to the gym circuit you’re used to, but at the same time, it’s a vastly different experience from the traditional gym system.

Alola has its own trainer’s circuit in the form of the island challenge, but this is more of a local concept. Outsiders can participate, but they’re less encouraged to do so. However, the Pokémon Association is in talks with Professor Kukui about setting up an actual gym circuit in the region, but this won’t happen for a few years and is therefore less useful to you.

The Sevii Islands, as noted earlier, has no gym circuit or equivalent trial of their own; besides training in the wilderness, the only facility for trainers is the Battle Tower on Seven Island. Of course, also as noted earlier, the region is still filled with excellent training spots.

In short, if you’re the sort of person who just wishes to relax in the island sun, go to the Orange Islands. If you’re looking for a full tourist experience, try Alola. Finally, if you wish to go on a full-scale adventure in the wilderness, take your team to the Sevii Islands.

May your vacation be highly enjoyable, regardless of what you choose, anonymous!

Hi Bill, I have a question regarding Toxapex. It is said through the Pokedex that Toxapex has dangerous poison that can incapacitate for 3 days with dangerous aftereffects. Does that make Toxapex a dangerous Pokemon to own and battle with? Could it fatally wound a small Pokemon or a human with poison? How would one go about safely owning and battling with a Toxapex?

While it’s true that toxapex can utilize poison that potent, it’s important to note that all poison-types have the ability to generate extremely dangerous toxins or harbor deadly microorganisms. For example, the toxic fluids that compose grimer and muk’s bodies are so potent that they can render an area virtually inhospitable to plants and any other wildlife for up to three years just by passing through it. The slightest scratch from a toxicroak’s claws, for another example, can outright kill an adult man in seconds. Dragalge’s poison is so acidic it can eat through three feet of solid steel, and koffing and weezing’s toxic gases are so volatile that they can ignite in a fiery explosion upon contact with open air. Poison-types by nature are extremely dangerous to handle, which is why they are one of the more difficult types to master.

However, the main thing to remember about them is that although they can kill, they won’t unless you pose a very real threat to them. Even grimer and muk, whose abilities you’d think would be passive, actually only secrete the fluids they’re known for as a last resort. During any other time outside of those dire circumstances, even a human can touch them without suffering any ill consequences whatsoever.

In other words, poison-types are fully capable of controlling how much poison they use at any given moment, and they understand that landing a lethal strike may do more harm than good when it comes to their own personal growth. That is, if they’re tame, and they kill their opponent, they know that means it may be a long while before they can battle again. If you encounter one in the wild, they know that if they kill you or your pokémon, then their chances of being caught and trained will decrease exponentially. They know they need you to either train them or to spar against them, so, in other words, they need you alive.

Of course, if you wander deep into a poison-type’s territory, then you may actually be in real danger, but with toxapex, that would mean diving into the ocean and intentionally touching one. While toxapex do indeed learn Venoshock (a distance attack) early on, they much prefer not attacking unless you come too close for comfort.

In short, anonymous, yes, toxapex can kill small pokémon or a human, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dangerous to handle. So long as you make it clear to your toxapex that every battle is meant to be non-lethal, it will very likely understand and hold itself back. The only time you’ll need to worry is if your toxapex is scared for your life or its own life, but part of your job as its trainer is ensuring it always feels safe and comfortable, even on the battlefield.

I have have luxio and want him to be a luxray but is true that they can see throught just about anything, he is slightly perevted to other people so when he evolves would cause trouble for me? if so how can I stop him from doing so?

It is indeed true, anonymous, but luckily, there are solutions. For example, many trainers have their luxray wear choice bands wrapped around their heads to cover their eyes.

Of course, luxray can still see through these bands; the measure is really more so that other people can’t tell what luxray is looking at.

On a serious note, it’s difficult to say whether or not this will cause any problems when your luxio evolves. It really depends on his personality as a luxray and how perverted he actually is. You could potentially train him not to stare at inappropriate things by way of positive reinforcement (giving him treats and the like whenever he resists staring, for example), but if he happens to be a particular nuisance, then it may be better to train him to resist acting on urges that stem from what he sees … and apply a choice band at the same time.

I have some issues with my male luxray, I use to let him sleep with me on the bed all the time but now I kicked him off for he got a little too “close” if you catch my meaning, now he mean to me and others around him. What do I do fix this?

Well, one option is having him neutered if he isn’t already. This usually resolves issues involving a feline pokémon’s … friendliness towards others. The alternative option would be to get him a suitable mate in order to satisfy his need for physical contact. A female luxio or luxray is usually ideal, but if finding another member of his family in your region is highly difficult, consider a more common pokémon, such as a member of the rattata, patrat, or zigzagoon families.

Alternatively, try letting your luxray down gently. Tell him that you still love him as your pet but that you need space. Get him a comfortable bed and a nice-sized pillow for him to wrap his paws around and train him to stay in his bed, rather than yours.

The key, in other words, is understanding that your luxray may be experiencing a dire need for something to cling to at night, and he expresses his frustration with that unfulfilled need by lashing out at those around him. If you can find a way to satisfy that need—either by replacing yourself with a mate, neutering him, or giving him a comfortable sleeping space—then your luxray will be a bit calmer towards you and the rest of your team.

I did not follow your advice to not google Goodra, and now I feel nothing but horror as to what the internet does. What’s a good way to forget I ever saw any of that? Is there a pokemon move that can help me forget?

I’m sorry, anonymous, but there is no escape. Even if you used a psychic-type to erase your memories, the goodra fanart will still be there. Waiting.

At the very least, you didn’t Google gardevoir, delphox, or palkia … I should hope.

A few months back, my city had a Drowzee infestation. The local government couldn’t keep up and encouraged people to catch them and release them away from the city. I… sorta didn’t do the second thing. Long story short, I now have five Hypno and I’m not really sure what to do with them. I think I’m going to teach them instruments and start a band, but I don’t know what to call it. Any ideas?

Why do people keep asking you to name things when it’s been well-established that you’re terrible at that? —LH

Excuse you, but “Sea Cottage” is a perfectly acceptable name for a cottage by the sea! —Bill

That depends, @the-firebrand. Is this a metal band or a boyband?

Not that it would matter much, of course, as I’d like to propose that you call them the Hypno. Maybe misspell it somehow—that worked for pop bands in the 60s, anyway.