Tag: asks

I’ve recently gotten a battle ready midnight form Lycanrock from an event and he is very wary of his new environment. I’ve given him his own space and I’ve set up a feeding and training regiment. He doesn’t seem to trust me, but I was in an accident recently and can’t train him as often. He paces and whines when in the same room as me. How can I help him through the stress without straining myself?

Midnight lycanroc are rather difficult to handle, so I admit I’m not entirely surprised that yours is having difficulties adjusting. This is, of course, compounded by the fact that midnight lycanroc are often eager for battle, so to be placed in a situation where he isn’t fighting as often as he normally does means he’s bottling up energy due to a lack of constructive outlets for it, rather than releasing it on the battlefield the way he would naturally.

That having been said, the best thing you can do for your lycanroc is to provide him with an alternative means of releasing that energy. This may be as simple as setting up a training area with a training dummy (have a friend assist in the construction of such a space) where he may practice his moves on inanimate objects while you observe. Alternatively, you may wish to call on a friend to battle against your lycanroc daily or to take him out for battles while you recover.

Granted, the former may require some physical exertion on your part, and the latter doesn’t entirely build trust. These are simply straightforward answers to lycanroc’s predicament, but there is a third alternative: channeling his energy into another activity. For example, some dog pokémon trainers teach their partners ordinary dog tricks to help them bond and to hone their focus on a particular task. Some trainers simply take long, easy walks through scenic parks or along trails. And some—particularly the owners of dog-like pokémon that are also humanoid in nature (midnight lycanroc being one example, with the likes of lucario and zoroark being others)—teach their pokémon more complicated skills such as painting, playing instruments, yoga, or even cooking. Perhaps allowing your lycanroc to do more about the house would also be an effective outlet. 

Ultimately, be creative but also try to see what interests him the most (besides battling). Communicate with him as much as you can and give him options. And above all else, promise him that you’ll battle alongside him eventually, but your own physical limitations prevent you from doing so right now. You’ll be surprised by how easily he’ll understand that point, even if he’s naturally eager to battle.

Best of luck, anonymous, and get well soon!

My Primarina likes to get her belly rubbed, but sometimes, she gets a bit fidgety and won’t leave me alone until I rub her belly, and she won’t let me stop. What should I do?

Give her more belly rubs.

Before my editor comes in to correct me, allow me to offer a slightly more serious answer:

This is quite honestly a matter of training your primarina to follow good behavior and avoid bad behavior. Whenever she seems like she’s begging for your attention, give her a firm (but not angry) “no” or ignore her completely until she stops. If she refuses to let you go, gently (but firmly) pull away while giving her a “no.”

On the other hand, if she lets you go after you try to pull away, give her a treat. This will help her understand what you want her to do, and she will come to associate knowing when to let go with being rewarded. Likewise, if she stops begging after you tell her “no,” offer her a treat or affection at a later time.

In other words, always reinforce good behavior (in this case, letting you go when you give her a physical cue) with treats and positive reinforcement and discourage bad behavior (refusing to let you go, forcing you to pet her) with a firm but gentle form of discipline. It will take time to train her, of course, so have patience and try not to be afraid of her in the meantime, but with plenty of hard work, you’ll be able to, well, get your hands back, for lack of a better way of phrasing that.

Best of luck, anonymous!

How do you care for a newly evolved Lycanroc? (Midday).

He just evolved, and I’m not familiar with his body language, or if this or that is normal. What toy’s he would like.. I would really enjoy the help.

Bill: Caring for a lycanroc (either of them) is very similar to caring for any other canine pokémon on the most basic terms. Namely:

For food, always remember that your lycanroc is primarily a carnivore. While he can eat grains, berries, and vegetables (try to limit fruits as much as possible, due to their sugar content), his natural diet would have consisted of small animals, birds, and fish, and thus, you’ll want to emulate that as much as possible. If you can’t, kibble will do just as well, but read the label carefully and buy a reputable brand.

For space, you’ll need plenty of it for a lycanroc. They’re by no means small pokémon, and they thrive when they’re given plenty of space to run about. If your backyard has some rugged landscape, allow your lycanroc to claim that as part of its space, but if you simply have a yard, that will do just as well. As a note, be sure to maintain this space, as your lycanroc will likely use it to relieve himself as well. (While, yes, pokémon dung can be used as fertilizer, not cleaning up after your lycanroc increases your chances of stepping in it or your lycanroc’s chances of trailing it all over your home.)

Your lycanroc should also be given a bed indoors, so he may have some sort of shelter during the rain. You may also wish to housetrain your lycanroc so he understands how to relieve himself on newspapers or at least tolerate rain in emergencies (and, well, not relieve himself indoors, of course). Don’t worry. Housetraining works exactly the same way as any other sort of training. It’s just that you’re simply teaching your lycanroc where to relieve himself, rather than how to use his moves.

On that note, lycanroc should be walked at least once a day, if not trained for at least an hour as a form of exercise. Ideally, he should be made to climb something (a pile of training rocks, for example, or a hill near your home) as a form of aerobic exercise similar to what he would receive in the wild, but if this isn’t an option, simply battling with him once a day should work. You can do so against trainers or against sturdy enough training dummies.

In terms of toys, lycanroc enjoy a wide range of dog toys, and those geared towards houndoom, arcanine, or stoutland work just as well as ones geared towards lycanroc specifically. (Some toy makers will advertise sturdier toys specific to lycanroc, but don’t fall for this! Every toy will likely be annihilated by your lycanroc, and ones for larger canines are just as safe.) Because the selection is so vast, it would honestly be best to experiment with your lycanroc in order to discover his preferences. Try taking him with you to a pokémart and have him pick the toys that interest him the most. Alternatively, there are excellent “box subscription” services for dog pokémon (such as Crunch Crate) that curate treats and toys for dog pokémon. These tend to be excellent for canine trainers who aren’t entirely sure what brands or types to try with their pokémon.

Finally, there is one rather important difference between lycanroc and most other dog pokémon, and that’s the fact that midday lycanroc are pack pokémon. (This is contrary to midnight lycanroc, which is exclusively solitary and should be handled with care when integrating into a team.) That is to say, they are among the most loyal dog pokémon in existence, second to perhaps houndoom, and as such, they thrive when placed in settings with multiple pokémon, preferably other (midday) lycanroc. It could thrive with just the company of its trainer, but the point is, it would be happiest if placed on a team.

As for his body language, yes, it’s normal to have an adjustment period after the evolution of a pokémon. It may take some time for you to familiarize yourself with your lycanroc’s habits, but be sure to note down anything that doesn’t quite seem right to you. Unfortunately, without specifics, I can’t really offer any advice on what anything might mean, but if you notice anything odd, you can always bring it up with your local Nurse Joy to get a definitive answer as to whether or not your lycanroc’s behavior is normal.

Best of luck, anonymous!

Hey, I was wondering. What’s the best way to raise a ghost/fire Marowak?

First and foremost, ensure you have plenty of space, preferably outdoors. Alolan Marowak pride themselves on their dancing, and dancing is, on top of everything else, both a form of communication and self-expression for them. Unfortunately, the fire that lights up the bone clubs integral to such dances is very, very real, and as such, keeping an Alolan marowak can be a bit tricky … or, more to the point, costly for your insurance company.

That said, a sheltered place outside (such as a yard with a canopy over part of it) will be sufficient enough. Your marowak doesn’t need to stay out there, of course, and it would be best to ensure it has a bed inside to keep it out of the rain, but at the very least, it should be able to use this space for practice and enrichment. You can also kill two pidgey with one stone (as it were) by also constructing a place where it can train in this same area: simply clear a spot, line it with dirt, and add targets or practice dummies (a large stone or a log will be sufficient) to allow it to practice both its physical fire moves and its long-distance club-throwing moves.

Beyond training, it should be noted that although Alolan marowak are ghost-types, they are not nocturnal. On the contrary, they very much enjoy sunlight, and they’re happiest when sunbathing. You may wish to set up a heat lamp by its bed in order to give it a place to rest. They are also primarily carnivorous in nature, and besides the usual berries most pokémon will eat, they should be fed a diet of live insects, poultry (including eggs), or fish. Alternatively, kibble will do just as well. (Note: Standard marowak kibble is just as suitable for Alolan marowak as specialty/“Alolan blend” kibble, contrary to what kibble companies may have you believe.) Finally when it comes to the basics, be sure to give your Alolan marowak a dish of clean water; it’s a grave misconception that marowak in general don’t need a lot of water due to their typing, which is why many people believe marowak’s expected lifespan is far shorter than it actually is.

One last note: Alolan marowak are far more loyal than standard variations, as the rugged landscape of their native habitats have forced the entire Alolan cubone line to form strong friendships very early. Keep an eye out for any possessive or “clingy” marowak and be sure to train them firmly but gently to avoid separation anxiety or violence towards ex-significant others. Most Alolan marowak will get along just fine with their own teammates and trainers, but they won’t take kindly to anything that harms the people or pokémon they care about.

i do a water show with my brionne and dewgong. well, recently my brionne evolved and she and my dewgong seem to be more at odds. primarina wants to be in the spotlight, and while dewgong doesnt seem to care much for being the center of attention, primarinas attitude and criticisms during practice is angering my ice seal. is there any way i can calm them both down?

It may be important, in this case, to retrain your primarina on two levels.

First, you’ll need to remind your primarina that she is only one half of a team and that she needs to work with your dewgong in order to succeed. You may wish to engage in team building exercises (practice outside of anything directly related to your water show, for example—or in other words, have the two work together around your home or on other projects) in order to strengthen their bond. Likewise, teach your primarina effective ways to offer constructive criticism. Whenever she speaks to her teammate(s) harshly, tell her firmly that this isn’t acceptable behavior. However, if she speaks to her teammates gently and offers advice on how to improve (demonstrations, for example, or communication that seems to please your dewgong), give her a reward of some sort and thank her for her contribution. Eventually, you should be able to correct that behavior and encourage her to support her teammates in more constructive ways.

Second, of course, you’ll also want to remind your primarina that you’re both her trainer and dewgong’s. Tell her that the routine she’s going through is essentially one you’ve created for her and that you accept that it could be weak at points. Work with your primarina and your dewgong to hear their concerns and try to find a compromise that will work for the both of them. You are, after all, their team leader, and a team works together most effectively when it has a strong leader to guide it.

Best of luck, anonymous!

I’m an aspiring Pokémon trainer, specifically with Pokémon that can fly or hover. I already have a pretty good team, but, since evolving, my Toucannon has been battling on the ground more than in the air, like the rest of my team. I was wondering if I should be concerned about her or if I’m just overreacting.

Well, anonymous, it’s worth noting that in the wild, toucannon’s main sources of food (ripe fruit, berries, small lizards, insects, and so forth) are located on the ground, rather than in the air. (The food sources of its previous two forms are located much higher up in the trees, closer to its birth nest.) As such, once a member of the pikipek line evolves into toucannon, it naturally feels more comfortable hunting and fighting on the ground, even if it’s still capable of aerial battling. This is also why a toucannon’s main attacks are more physical in nature, rather than reliant on control of the wind or fast-paced, precision strikes.

In short, actually, your toucannon is very likely exhibiting normal behavior. You should only be worried if her wings hurt her or if she’s completely unable to fly.

I’ve had my Salandit, Ridley for a good while now. I usually carry him on my shoulder or hold him (the little guy really loves affection) but I noticed he’s a little weird. Sometimes, not all the time, he’ll have some odd behaviors. Sometimes he’ll hiss at male Pokémon that aren’t on my team and even male strangers. But it isn’t constant. Sometimes he’ll just follow me and bob his head. I tried to explain no, and he’ll listen for a bit, but he usually goes back to old behaviors.

Anonymous, your salandit may be viewing you as a rather large and odd-looking salazzle. On the positive side, it’s unlikely he’ll engage in aggressive behaviors, and quite honestly, the behavior you’re mentioning now is perfectly harmless unless he does get aggressive. On the negative side, he thinks you’re an odd-looking salazzle, so … make of that what you will. (You may wish to consider training Ridley to recognize you’re not an odd-looking salazzle, but that’s a bit of a sisyphean task, I’m afraid.)

Hello! This is the anon who asked about his hostile Alolan ninetales some time back. Glacier is more well behaved now, thanks to your swell advice. I’ve been considering catching my first Pokémon for a little while now, but I’m terrified of how Glacier will react. Are there any other species of Pokémon that my Alolan ninetales will get along comfortably with? Preferably ones that can withstand his ice beam and Snow Warning? Thanks in advance!

Excellent to hear! I’m glad Glacier is connecting with you more, anonymous.

That having been said, usually, pokémon from a ninetales’ (or, well, vulpix’s) natural habitat would be the best partners for them. This goes especially for Alolan ninetales, as they have a tendency to see those not native to their own habitats as intruders and will kindly escort them out.

With that in mind, you may find that Glacier might just get along best with members of the Alolan sandshrew line, as well as other ice-types native to Mount Lanakila, such as snorunt or sneasel. He may also get along with glaceon or crabominable, and if he’s particularly easy-going, you might also have luck with ice-types in general.

If you’d prefer a team with more variation, consider absol or castform (both also native to Mount Lanakila) or canine pokémon (not generally native, but typically appeal to ninetales’ latent but inherent social tendencies).

Of course, it’s also worth keeping in mind that no matter what pokémon you choose, with the right amount of training and the most careful introductions possible, any partner might potentially be a good one for your ninetales. It’s all about patience and understanding the way Glacier interacts with others.

Best of luck!