Tag: asks

Are there different types of paralysis? For example, if my Pokemon got hit with a Stun Spore versus a Thunder Wave. Since they’re completely different types of moves, does it also affect my Pokemon differently other than being paralyzed?

Yes, actually. Although all moves that cause paralysis affect your maneuverability one way or another, how it happens depends entirely on the nature of the move involved. For example, a physical strike (Body Slam, Force Palm, and so on) is less about paralysis and more about either stunning (in the case of Force Palm) or, well, spraining (in the case of Body Slam). While a pokémon affected by these moves can still battle and move about, it just hurts to do so. In their cases, paralyze heal works by easing the pain enough to restore their ability to freely move (in the cases of Body Slam, Bounce, and other full-body moves) or by simply snapping them out of being stunned (in the case of Force Palm).

Then you have non-contact paralysis, such as Glare, Lick, or technically Psycho Shift. In the case of Glare, the target is far too intimidated to move for the most part, and paralysis medications work by essentially lighting a fire within them (slightly literally in the case of cheri berry, given its spiciness), thereby granting the afflicted pokémon enough courage to finish the battle. Lick and Psycho Shift, meanwhile, are supernatural in nature. Psycho Shift causes its victims to think they’re afflicted with paralysis while supernaturally curing the user of its own, while Lick locks a victim into ectoplasm-induced chills. For the former, paralysis medications work the same way as it would with Glare, while for the latter, it works by dispelling a ghost’s supernatural hold on its victim. 

Finally, Stun Spore and all electrical-moves (including Freeze Shock and the electrical component of Tri Attack) are far more dangerous than the above. When it comes to electrical attacks, those target the interactions between a pokémon’s nervous and muscular systems, which in turn cause the status condition’s signature involuntary spasms and seizes. (This is because the interactions between these two systems are founded in electrical pulses: the natural electricity found in everyone’s nervous system is balanced just so, with a specific pattern. An electric shock can change the pattern of these pulses, which can cause a muscle to “think” it’s received a signal from the nervous system to seize when it shouldn’t.) It should be noted that in high doses, this can also affect the heart, triggering arrhythmia or even cardiac arrest, and thus, it’s absolutely imperative to take caution when training electric-types … and, well, teach your electric-types how to minimize the risk of accidentally doing permanent damage to a pokémon.

By contrast, Stun Spore is actually a poisonous spore spore. When inhaled or swallowed, which typically happens when a victim is doused in it, it triggers a reaction that causes a victim’s muscles to seize up, much like in electrical paralysis. (It can also cause a nasty skin rash, but that’s neither here nor there.) In fact, in high enough doses, it can paralyze the respiratory system and essentially prevent you from breathing. On the positive side, a Stun Spore-induced death is actually far easier to prevent than electric attacks, not only because the wind often spreads the attack thin (which also explains why it’s not always a reliable means of paralysis) but also because in order to produce the doses needed to kill someone, a pokémon would have to consciously do it. Pokémon that have Stun Spore in their arsenal can easily be trained to hold back on their spore production, and trainers themselves can take note to not “spam” this move. It’s also somewhat easier to treat, as Stun Spore paralysis responds well to paralyze heal, and it’s just a matter of getting your pokémon to a center and administering a general antivenom. By contrast, an overdose of electrical paralysis may require additional therapy to heal. Still, yes, whereas electric attacks run a risk of killing a pokémon rather quickly (it only takes a high enough shock to send a victim into cardiac arrest), death by Stun Spore is notoriously slow and painful.

Or in short, the answer to your question is … yes. Yes, there are different types of paralysis, and some are both more fascinating and more nightmarish than others.

Hi, Bill! My boyfriend’s Mime Jr. /loves/ to mimic him, so my boyfriend got him a phone (since he was getting frustrated that he couldn’t mimic properly without a prop), and my boyfriend checks his activity every now and then, and he’s self-downloaded so many apps, and he even made friends with a Buneary named Claire over in Sinnoh! (We’re in Unova, for reference), and I’m sure he’d be more than happy to take a quiz. Cheers!

Ah. This seems to have been an ask meant for that period of time wherein people sent in stories about their pokémon using technology. Terribly sorry for missing it!

But I must say it’s wonderful to hear that technology bridges gaps between pokémon just as much as it does for people.

Do you think maybe every Pokemon might have a mega evolution we haven’t found yet? I’m not too educated, so maybe I missed one of your posts. Thanks!

Well, every fully evolved one, certainly. While Professor Sycamore’s research is incomplete in the matter, I’d imagine that the ability to evolve to another stage would interfere with one’s ability to mega evolve, as the processes are very similar and likely use the same pathways, so to speak.

That having been said, yes, I do believe it’s possible. The pokémon known to mega evolve are just varied enough that it wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Why is a pidgeot capable of mega evolution but not a fearow or any other fully evolved bird pokémon, for example? Or what about slowbro but not slowking? Surely these pokémon are also capable; it’s likely we simply haven’t found their corresponding mega stones yet.

I breed Beldum. I do enjoy breeding Beldum with their natural numbers in the wild being quite low, but when they get excited they do tend to destroy electronics and interfere with electrical signals. I also worry my Metagross might be secretly using my computer, but that’s quite unfounded… right?

The destruction or the use of your computer? Regarding the former, unfortunately, that is true, as many of the beldum line’s powers stem from magnetism. The more excited and the further down the evolutionary line an individual is, the more likely it will release a magnetic burst that can interfere quite badly with computers. On the other hand, the further up the evolutionary line an individual is, the better control over itself it will have, so a metagross might be able to exercise enough self-restraint to avoid frying anything it comes in contact with.

Of course, this covers magnetic damage; it doesn’t cover physical. On that note, if you find that your keyboard is strangely worn or even completely destroyed by what seems to be a set of heavy claws … then yes, your metagross has been using your computer. If not, then you’re probably all right.

Is eevee related to arceus in any way?

It depends on whether or not you believe in the idea that Arceus created the universe and thus all pokémon. If you do, then yes. In a way, anyway. According to the myth, Arceus created Mew, who in turn is the ancestor of all pokémon, which means that eevee would be distantly related to Arceus itself.

If, however, you take more of a scientific approach, then likely no. While no one has a sample of Arceus’s DNA to confirm this, judging by appearances alone, I would venture a guess that eevee and Arceus are too genetically dissimilar. However, they do belong to the same taxonomic kingdom, so there’s that.

I’d like to ask for your advice. I have a very frail, sickly son, who just became 12 years old. He can’t go outside much and gets sick quite easily. My husband and I decided to catch a Pokémon for him, and he said he preferred an ice type. The only ice types near our home are Vanillite and Cubchoo. Which one would you recommend we’d catch? Because of our son’s weak constitution, we’d prefer a Pokémon that doesn’t require a lot of exercise to keep them happy and healthy.

This is a bit of a tough decision, admittedly, but it hinges on whether or not your son would like a pokémon capable of evolution.

You see, if we’re only considering base evolutions, vanillite is actually the harder of the two to care for. While it doesn’t need much in terms of basic care (it only needs water and food and is perfectly content staying indoors, playing easier games with its owners), it does require cold at all times. This means an air conditioned room in your home all year round, as well as enough space in a freezer for it to rest if it gets sick. Technically, it can survive at warmer temperatures, but you may find that it will be a bit more lethargic than how it was when you caught it.

Conversely, cubchoo doesn’t necessarily require cold; it simply prefers it. If trained properly, cubchoo can survive at pretty much any temperature short of tropical or desert heat. However, it’s a far more active pokémon than vanillite and requires daily exercise and training. On the other hand, a daily walk or an easy game of fetch may be enough for some cubchoo, but this only means you’ll need to be careful when selecting your catch. The cubchoo you give your son must be of a calmer nature, or you’ll find that it will need a more active lifestyle than what your son may be able to provide.

Conversely, if your son evolves his pokémon, then the advantages will be flipped, so to speak. As a vanillite progresses up its evolution chain, its ice powers will grow stronger and stronger. In turn, this means it will gain the ability to adjust the temperature immediately surrounding it to its own liking, which will make keeping one indoors a much easier task. (As a side note, yes, some vanilluxe gain the ability Snow Warning as a result of its strengthening powers. Many believe this to mean that it will always be hailing whenever one is present, but this is only true on the battlefield. Otherwise, a tame vanilluxe with the Snow Warning ability will just be keenly capable of producing that cold aura.) Meanwhile, its needs, including its activity requirements, will likely stay roughly the same, and it’s likewise a very easygoing and caring pokémon.

On the other hand, beartic are notoriously more difficult to care for. It is, after all, a giant bear with ice powers, and as such, its appetite will grow considerably, its space requirements will increase, and, most importantly, it will require more vigorous exercise than before. (Again, it’s possible to have a more sedentary lifestyle with a beartic, but it’s not particularly healthy.) Likewise, remember that beartic are apex predators, and they need to be trained behaviorally as well. Otherwise, their tempers, which they are also notorious for, can be quite dangerous to anyone around their trainers.

So ultimately, it comes down to this: if your son has no intent of evolving his pokémon, consider a cubchoo. Catch a docile one and give it an everstone, and your son will have a partner who will be fairly easy to care for.

If, however, he would prefer to let his partner evolve, catch a vanillite. Just be sure you have enough room in your freezer for it, or help your son train it until it’s ready to evolve. Either way, over the long term, vanillite’s evolutions are excellent indoor companions.

Best of luck!

What are your thoughts on the bond phenomenon and the legends that surround it, do you think any pokemon might be able to achieve this level?

It’s certainly a fascinating subject, one I hope to someday have a chance to study closely myself.

Before my editor or perhaps some of my wittier readers can get a word in edgewise, allow me to answer your second question: I believe so. While it’s true that the only known examples of the bond phenomenon in action involve a greninja, there really isn’t anything to the process that should limit it to just that species—or, at least, nothing to my knowledge. Likewise, the requirements we do know about are fantastically vague: bond phenomenon, according to old Kalosean texts (and arguably the known examples themselves) only requires a uniquely powerful level of trust between a trainer and a pokémon, although supposedly it helps to have a pokémon with unique special talents hidden deep within them. Of course, as with all texts, what those talents are has never really been made clear, and the only modern-day research we have on the process (from one Professor Augustine Sycamore) has not yet uncovered what that means.

Quite honestly, though, I prefer to believe it means any pokémon can have the potential to achieve such a transformation. Or, rather, that bond phenomenon is not limited to species but rather to the individual pokémon and trainer themselves. A special trainer would be able to draw out the latent talents of any pokémon, and thus, so long as you have that bond between them, it’s possible that a transformation could happen with any species, from greninja to rattata.