My starmie was playing with my ampharos and things got a little too intense and a thunder shock ended in starmie having a crack on its gem!! What do I do?? How can I avoid this in the future?

Believe it or not, this actually happens quite frequently, even in the wild. This is because staryu and starmie’s jewels are large, often exposed targets and thus the easiest things for other pokémon to strike. So long as the jewel hadn’t completely shattered, starmie should be able to heal itself over time. Until then, you may wish to keep yours off the battlefield. Do not, as some suggest, apply an epoxy to “seal” the wound. This will actually prevent the wound from healing properly and lead to a more brittle gemstone.

As for how to prevent it, there are very few ways to do so because of how much surface area the jewel takes up. However, you may wish to consider teaching your starmie Light Screen or Reflect, or simply rely on Recover to restore damage immediately.

I sent an ask a while back about my scyther, and it seems like the situation’s getting worse… just when I was at the point where I could leave her alone with flareon, I stepped out for a few minutes and he was literally trying to attack her! He’s a bit feisty but not to this point, and I honestly don’t think she provoked her because she’s normally very well behaved… what should I do?

Yes, this would be why it’s important to keep a close eye on pokémon that seem to have a tense relationship. One thing I’d forgotten to mention in the previous answer (for which I apologize) is that sometimes, it’s not a matter of type but rather an issue with team dynamics.

Now that you’re aware that your flareon hosts a level of hostility towards your scyther, your next step is to determine why. This could be for any number of reasons. Does your flareon act this way towards all bug-types or just your scyther? Was your flareon raised by someone else who had a scyther, or did you catch him in an area with a high population of wild scyther? Did the amount of time you spend with your flareon change when you got your scyther, or did you change its living arrangements? (Did it used to be an outdoor flareon until you had to make room for your scyther, or vice-versa?) Do his teammates treat him differently now that your scyther is part of the team? The answer to any of these questions could be the reason behind your flareon’s behavior—or it could be something completely different. Keep an eye on your flareon for a few days to see if you can spot any clues that point to any specific reason.

It’s only after you can discern what the issue actually is that you can work towards resolving the matter. Without knowing why your flareon is reacting this way, it’s difficult to recommend a particular course of action because each situation requires something completely different. For example, if your flareon’s behavior stems from a past trauma, that requires a specific form of therapy (perhaps even exposure therapy), but if he’s simply jealous, then it may be as simple as reassuring him you haven’t replaced him. It could even be that your scyther accidentally provoked your flareon, at which point it would require mediation between the two. Or the reason behind your flareon’s behavior could, again, be none of these things, which would mean you would need a completely different strategy.

The point is, try to figure out why your flareon is acting this way through observing him first, and then you’ll be able to work towards a peaceful solution.

I’ve been using my Exploud’s resonance as an amp for my guitar, but recently my downstairs neighbors have started complaining about the noise. Is there a way to help my Fortissimo get the sound louder so we can drive those squares out?

Well, as strange as it might seem to say this, an exploud can only get so loud before it damages its own vocal cords. Some musicians have reported that having exploud be higher up (standing on a platform, for example) improves the sound, but really, the scientific answer is literally to get more than one exploud. The more exploud, the more speakers, which in turn means more sound dispersion.

Putting it another way, sound is, in extreme laymen’s terms, air pressure. Imagine a perfectly still pool of water. Sound is like sticking your hand in and creating a wave. If you have only one hand stirring the water, your wave will only go so far, and it will only be so strong once it reaches the other side of the pool. However, if you stick both of your hands into the pool and if your friends stick their hands in, all of you together can create a wave strong enough to splash against the other end without a problem. In the same sense, only one exploud can only stir the air so much, but more than one can create extraordinarily powerful sound waves.

Of course, if you have more than one exploud, you risk damaging not only the structural integrity of your neighbors’ house but also the structural integrity of your own house and the well-being of your eardrums, never mind the fact that it could get you in trouble with your local law enforcement on charges of destruction of private property and disturbance of the peace. Honestly, the only reason why I’m telling you any of this is because it’s technically not illegal to be in possession of more than one exploud … and, all right, because I’m hoping you’ll film this. Just a little bit.

And I, meanwhile, refuse to claim any involvement. —LH

Recently I recieved a piece of a Sceptilite and I really want to use it, as me and my Sceptile have been together forever so we have a great bond. My worry is that I’ve heard of pokemon losing control during mega evolution because of increase of power and I understand my Sceptile probably will too. So if I can’t avoid this happening, what could we do to at least prepare for mega evolution so that no one gets hurt?

I’m afraid it’s difficult to say, anonymous, because the level of control each pokémon exhibits can vary wildly. Some pokémon experience very little loss of control, while others—despite ample preparation, bonding, and meditation—become fantastically violent. I don’t mean to scare you off the idea, of course. Mega evolution can be a deeply intimate experience between pokémon and trainer if performed correctly. It just takes work and patience to reach that point.

Until then, avoid practicing mega evolution on the battlefield or in public areas. Instead, work with your sceptile in secluded places. Employ regular training regimens against anything you can use as a punching bag, rather than on anything living. Have a psychic-, ice-, or fairy-type stand by for emergencies. This sort of setup will allow you to have your sceptile gain experience with the power boost induced by mega evolution without hurting anyone or doing significant property damage.

Thus, I suppose that in a roundabout way, the answer to your question is “prepare a secure draining ground and plan your regimen.” You’ll have a better idea of what, specifically, you need to do once you try mega evolution and observe what happens to your sceptile. However, generally speaking, if you give it plenty of space and time to learn how to control its power, then it will be easier to focus on his immediate needs, rather than divide your attention between your sceptile and anything that may be in danger.

Best of luck, anonymous.

There’s a poke park next to my home that my Riolu just loves going to, but there’s a woman who will not get off her phone to pay attention to her granbull and it keeps picking on my riolu! What do I do?

Teach your riolu Force Palm. Granbull’s main weak point is the underside of its jaw. Strike upwards from there, and you’ll throw off its balance entirely.

Good luck!

You do realize that violence is not a good answer, right?—LH

Ah, so you agree that violence is an answer when it comes to neglectful trainers! Excellent! —Bill

I … you’re not going to edit this, are you? —LH
Sigh. —LH

What Pokémon are used in times of war and for what purposes?

To be frank, human beings have found ways to use just about every pokémon in war—even togekiss and blissey, pokémon who would be vehemently opposed to the concept. It’s a rather ugly subject, and I for one am staunchly opposed to the use of pokémon in active war zones myself. It’s one thing to engage in friendly battles with other trainers or to use pokémon in self-defense. It’s another thing entirely to put a pokémon’s life in danger for the sake of politics.

I think that among the few pokémon I’d be willing to talk about regarding the matter would be the medics, which consist of exactly the sorts of pokémon you would think: chansey, audino, wigglytuff, and all others used by Nurse Joys. Blissey tend to be the most prevalent for this purpose, as their healing abilities are the most potent of all. Medic pokémon are also sometimes used for more domestic purposes on military bases, such as cooking, unloading supplies—even helping to train new recruits (although the latter function is usually handled by fighting- and rock-types).

Then, of course, there are “sniffer pokémon,” or pokémon trained specifically to hunt for mines. These are used during peacetime in certain countries as well, as those nations frequently have active minefields from past wars. Quite a few pokémon may fit this description, but rattata’s light weight, combined with its keen sense of smell, have made it a prevalent sniffer pokémon as of late.

Finally, of course, there are togekiss, which are less used and more seen guiding civilians to safety and protecting them from the less pleasant aspects of living in a war zone. Some ghost-types, such as members of the yamask line, have also been known to do this.

Then, of course, you have the plethora of pokémon who are used as soldiers, as mentioned above, but … I would rather refrain from describing all the ways any given military force has used pokémon for active warfare. I know that it would be far more professional to prevent my feelings on the matter from getting in the way of my ability to answer a valid question, but it’s not just because the actual details are rather horrific, anonymous. It’s because human beings are extremely creative when it comes to finding ways to turn things into weapons. Think of anything a human being would do during a war. Literally anything. Humans have figured out how to use pokémon to do it, and that’s only part of the list of what uses humans have found for pokémon during a war. If you recall news from a decade or two ago, you may remember that some of the things we’ve used pokémon for are technically war crimes.

That should give you an idea of how wide the spectrum is. On one end, you have medical pokémon, training pokémon, and perhaps a few normal-types assisting with administrative work. On the other, you have … well. You probably remember.

So it’s likely understandable that I’m a bit uncomfortable with the subject.

I’ll be giving birth in December and my Walreign is also due to give birth at the same time. Would it be a good idea to give my child a Spheal as a starter/pet to grow up with?

Certainly. Spheal are easily tamable pokémon who are very eager when it comes to learning new tricks, including moves, and their rubbery bodies and cushiony fur mean they can withstand rough handling by a toddler. (Of course, keep your baby and the hatchling separate to allow both to develop enough to handle any sort of play with one another.) Moreover, as they grow, tamed spheal actively seek out interaction with and affection from others, partly because they’re normally a highly social pokémon and partly because they simply enjoy being rewarded for doing tricks. Young children find said tricks especially amusing (if aquariums are anything to go by), which only further encourages spheal’s behavior.

As a starter, spheal are excellent choices. Their line possess excellent defensive capabilities, and their offensive abilities are equally formidable. After all, there’s a reason why walrein are preferred by Glacia of the Elite Four. (But then again, as a trainer of one yourself, you likely already know that.) In other words, spheal are hardy, friendly pokémon, and because of both of these traits, they make excellent traveling companions. Moreover, many gym circuits traditionally begin with gyms that are weak to spheal’s Water Gun or Powder Snow, which means a trainer who begins with spheal may have an easier time conquering gyms than most. Of course, you may wonder whether or not traveling early on would be easy for something that can’t rightly walk, but rest assured that spheal’s ability to roll across land quickly make it just as mobile as any other pokémon.

In short, absolutely, anonymous. Spheal would make an excellent partner for your newborn. Best of luck to all of you, and congratulations!

Why do sawk and throh wear robes. If you took them off (for… science, yeah) would they feel naked

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Please don’t court humanoid pokémon. There are quite literally laws against that.

In all seriousness, though, sawk and throh wear robes because it’s part of their training to make them. While, yes, sparring and punching and kicking things are part of their training as well, there’s a certain level of patience and skill required for sewing and making clothing. A sawk or throh that has put together a full outfit is said to have completed much of its basic training and is, thus, an advanced student of their respective branches of martial arts. And yes, if you took those robes off, they would feel naked, but this is largely in a metaphorical sense, rather than a literal one. Because a sawk and throh’s robes are symbols of how far they’ve come along in their training, to be without them would basically to be stripping away all evidence of how strong they are. Thus, most sawk and throh feel vulnerable when literally naked.

Meanwhile, for the most part, other humanoid pokémon don’t actually wear clothes (they’re simply skin flaps or otherwise parts of their bodies—such as jynx’s “dress,” for example), but those that do simply wear clothes because that’s part of their societies, much like how humans wear clothes because it’s just part of ours. Of the humanoid pokémon that don’t actually wear clothes, many of their genitals are simply either covered by flaps of skin or plates (such as in the aforementioned case of jynx), or they possess internal, rather than external, sex organs.

So I’m going to be leaving soon for about a week, and so far I’ve no one willing or able to look after my pyroar while I am gone. Is it okay to leave him at home in his pokeball or in a pc just for the week, or do I simply need to keep looking?

Yes, it’s absolutely fine to leave your pokémon in a PC if you’re expecting to be incapable of caring for a pokémon over a longer period of time. In fact, that’s actually one of the reasons why the PC exists. We’re aware that not every pokémon is capable of being housed for long-term care, especially given the finite space that traditional pokémon centers, day care centers, or “pokémon hotels” have. (Never mind the fact that most centers and day cares have limits on how long a pokémon may be able to stay, and it’s sometimes difficult to find a reputable pokémon hotel.) The PC will place your pokémon in a safe state of suspended animation until you’re fully capable of caring for them again, so it’s certainly one option.

Understandably, of course, some humans prefer to find actual people who will be able to take care of their pokémon, so I would suggest using the PC as a final resort, if you’ve exhausted all other options…

…short of a pokémon hotel, anyway.

(Seriously, don’t put your pokémon in a pokémon hotel. A day care or pokémon center, perhaps, but not a pokémon hotel.)

Best of luck in temporarily homing your pyroar, anonymous!