Tag: asks

Do pokemon like having stories read to them? Because my friend’s team seems weirdly fascinated whenever she pulls out a book.

Absolutely! Pokémon thrill at practically any sort of interaction between themselves and their trainers. Having their trainer sit down and read to them just means a long, quiet period where they can rest and relax in the company of their favorite humans.

(Some pokémon can’t even understand what you’re reading to them, and it doesn’t even matter.)

Is there a scientific consensus on why Seels slap their bellies? As adorable as my Seel is I’m not sure why he’s begun doing this with increased frequency lately. A friend said it was something to do with mating or territorial disputes but I’m not so sure.

Actually, your friend is correct. Depending on the situation, this may be a sign that your seel is establishing his territory or attempting to court a mate. (The reason why it’s been occurring more frequently is likely because he’s come to the age where he can have either—territory or a mate, that is.) This is especially true if you’ve gotten a new pokémon neighbor or a new teammate, although in some cases, some seel may simply be trying to react to their own trainers.

The next time it happens, pay close attention to both your seel’s expression and what he’s focusing on. If he looks agitated or emits a series of loud barks and growls at the same time, he may be trying to drive away a rival. If the slapping occurs quickly and it’s more of a playful bark accompanied by a soft whine, he’s trying to attract a mate.

Hey bill, I live in the Fiore region, and both my parents are Rangers, but I want to be a trainer. It would mean leaving Fiore, and my parents don’t approve of it (they want me to be a ranger). What should I do?

You could do what I did and obtain a starter and trainer’s license behind their backs, leave them a note, and run off, only to contact them almost a year later after you’ve figured out what you wanted to do with your life through a series of exciting adventures that bring you closer together with your pokémon.

Bill! —LH

Or alternatively, parents can often be difficult to convince, as they typically believe they know what’s best for their children. Not saying that the majority of them don’t, of course! It’s simply that parents (the good ones, anyway) often worry, so many of them are reluctant to watch their children take considerable risks.

With that in mind, though, it’s certainly worth it to try. A trainer’s journey is about discovery, both outside oneself and in, and that may be a good thing to remind them of. You simply need to be strategic about it.

First, come up with a plan—one with concrete dates. You’ll need to tell your parents exactly how long you plan your first journey to be. For example, consider telling them that you’ll spend a year as a trainer (this is roughly how long going through a single league circuit takes anyway) and that afterwards, you’ll contact them, and the three of you can discuss what your next plan of action is. Include a promise to keep in touch periodically—either once a week or whenever you reach a new pokémon center, whichever would be more comfortable for you to follow through with. Giving them a timeframe reinforces the idea that this is a temporary part of your life, that you’re simply trying out new things, and that becoming a ranger is still very much an option for you. The latter especially will make it easier to reason with them because you’re opening up an avenue for compromise down the road.

Additionally, do a bit of research into the logistics of a journey too. Think about how much one would cost and go in with a rough budget. I know that seems a bit overboard (especially if you’re the minimum age for obtaining a license), but telling your parents that you plan on being responsible with your money or responsible in general (through showing them that you’ve thought of these things) will also help them relax when it comes to the idea of letting you take care of yourself on something as exciting as a journey far from home. Here’s the part where you can also bring up the fact that training will teach you how to interact and handle pokémon, which are essentials for becoming a ranger anyway.

Of course, it wouldn’t also hurt to actually be more responsible. Helping out around the house without asking or taking small jobs around your neighborhood (but preferably both of these things) will show your parents that you have the sort of ambition, motivation, and responsibility you’ll need out there on a journey.

Above all else, though, when you do sit down to talk to your parents, do so as an adult: level-headed and willing to negotiate. Chances are, your parents will be far more willing to compromise or even relent if you’re confident enough in your arguments and you’ve come in with a thought-out plan.

Best of luck!

(As a note, yes, this doesn’t work with all parents. Some are indeed not the sort who can be reasoned with, but your situation sounds like it might not be the case.)

where can i get a beldum that isn’t having one just handed over to me by a pokemon exchampion who is clearly a sugar daddy, i am so jealous of the current hoenn champion

You and me both, anonymous.

Beldum are rare, but they’re native to mountain ranges rich in either iron or rare minerals, such as the mountains of Sinnoh or the ones surrounding Giant Chasm, Unova. It won’t be easy to find them (metang, strangely, are more readily found in the wild, and in any case, beldum nests are fantastically remote and typically well-guarded by the fast and typically highly aggressive wild beldum themselves), so my advice would be to plan for a very long hiking trip in the mountains. In other words, train for surviving in extreme locations and perhaps don’t go alone.

Best of luck!

Hey Bill, Ive noticed something interesting. Ive found myself placed in Orre for an internship for the HQ lab there, studying the wild pokemon that are now popping up around the region. And, well, I’ve noticed that some have different colorations than where I’m from (Hoenn). Particularly shiny Ralts and their evolved forms. They seemed to take on a violet color instead of blue. Do you think this could be because of the increased sunlight in the region?

Not just think! Studies have shown that ralts have indeed adapted to the sunlight of the region. You see, the sun in Orre tends to be a bit harsher than elsewhere (as it’s predominantly a desert region). Most pokémon, including standard ralts, are hardy enough that living in these conditions hasn’t changed them drastically enough to be noticeably different than their counterparts from other regions. 

However, it’s true that ralts is naturally a physically fragile species, and their shiny forms are more so thanks to the genetic mutations whose side effects result in their alternate coloration. Thus, a shiny ralts from any other region would literally wilt in the Orre sun. Meanwhile, ralts born and bred in Orre have adapted to the region’s harsher weather, and as such, these adaptations may carry over to their shiny forms. That is to say, while you might not notice any differences between an Orrean standard ralts and one from another region, you will notice with a shiny ralts born from Orrean parents: Orre shinies produce more melanin in response to the sunlight, leading to their distinctive violet color.

Before anyone asks, these ralts are otherwise identical to those of other regions, so this is not considered a regional variant, no.

I feel as if I’ve become an Eevee trainer, as I’ve recently been… “gifted” a pair of triplets, one of whom seems to have been born blind. Would it be a good idea to evolve him to an Espeon to boost his sensory abilities? How should I train him — other than the lack of sight, he’s very exuberant and plays with his siblings quite a bit (it’s very cute watching them tussle!)

Although it may seem like a good idea, it’s best to try communicating with your eevee to see if that’s what he would like to do. If you have an espeon or know anyone with one, it would be an excellent idea to have your eevee meet them in order to shadow them, in a way. That is, exposing your eevee to an espeon will help it decide whether or not being one is right for it. If he’s sure after interacting with an espeon that he wants to be one, then by all means, proceed.

If he seems hesitant, however, consider other options. In truth, all of eevee’s evolutions have unique ways of navigating the world that isn’t necessarily reliant on eyesight. Jolteon, for example, read electrical charges in the air. Vaporeon does the same with humidity, but leafeon can detect changes in the ground through its paws (likely due to its connection with the earth, as a grass-type).

Even then (and in response to your other question), there are certainly ways a trainer can assist a pokémon with an impaired sense. Training them to rely on their hearing and smell, for example. Designing strategies that take your eevee’s disability into account while leaning on what he can do instead, for another. Some trainers even use the impaired sense to their advantage, as most opponents will either underestimate a disabled pokémon or not expect one at all, which means they won’t expect whatever strategy you throw at them. Blindness can even throw a wrench into strategies that rely on a target being sighted, including and especially the popular Attract strategy, as well as the somewhat rarer Hypnosis.

The point is that while evolving your eevee into espeon could help, it should ultimately be up to him. If he chooses not to evolve into an espeon, rest assured you still have plenty of options. You just have to think creatively about what he can do instead and build training techniques around that.

Best of luck!

absolutely not the same texture, it’s not as… crumbly? almond ice cream feels more watery and when frozen it’s crumbly, cashew milk is thicker and lovely

In response to your comment about almond milk ice cream, exactly. Then there’s coconut milk, but as much as I like coconuts, I’m afraid whoever says it’s easy to mask their flavor is lying.

That having been said, though, this does sound quite lovely. Thank you, anonymous!

bill imma tell you this once so listen to me close: cashew milk. it is our saving grace. moomoo milk is too watery, it tastes terrible even if it’s flavored, and the film in your mouth is god awful. but cashews? creamy. perfect. chocolate cashew milk is the best thing i’ve ever tried. and with veganism on the rise you can now find this glorious creation in ice cream form, and i gotta recommend the caramel, either on sticks or in tubs. take this knowledge. use it well. feast.

Huh.

Does it have the same texture as almond milk? Because if so, then I’m afraid I’ll still pass, but thank you for the suggestion!

Bill, nobody has an aftertaste when they eat dairy products. Are you allergic?

What? Surely I’m not the only one who notices that strange, cardboard aftertaste whenever they drink milk!

Granted, I haven’t touched dairy since I was very young because I am severely lactose intolerant, but nonetheless, I distinctly remember that it always left an uncomfortable taste in my mouth. That’s half the reason I stopped eating dairy products!

…other than the crippling pain and nausea, but that aside…