Tag: asks

Does “watering” a plant pokemon involve more than simply providing enough drinking water?

It could. Usually, giving them enough drinking water in a dish is enough to keep them hydrated, but some—such as bellsprout and oddish—prefer to be rooted in dirt and watered as you would a houseplant, either instead of or in addition to providing water in a dish. Likewise, while the plant half of some pokémon (such as members of the bubasaur line) remain hydrated simply by sharing fluids with their hosts, it’s often more effective to water them as well.

Should I bathe furry warm blooded Ice type Pokémon like Sneasel and Alolan Vulpix with warm or cold water? I don’t want to make it uncomfortable for my Pokémon.

Typically, warm-blooded ice-types are best bathed in cold water, but it also depends on the pokémon’s preferences. Because they’re warm-blooded, they have better thermoregulation than cold-blooded (both biologically speaking and “as in, their blood is literally ice”), which means they may be able to tolerate higher temperatures. Spheal and dewgong with the ability Thick Fat, for example, may prefer lukewarm water, and perhaps as a holdover from their fire-type ancestors, some Alolan vulpix prefer warm baths. Start off with a cold bath for your pokémon, then increase the temperature if they indicate to you (through shivering, splashing about, or pawing at the faucet) that it’s too cold. Keep adjusting until you find your pokémon’s preference.

Also, keep in mind that some ice-types should not be bathed, even if they’re furry, unless they absolutely need it (either because they’re filthy, covered in a toxic substance, or already too sick to bathe themselves). For example, members of the sneasel line self-groom and should be left alone, and the swinub line, being part ground, should be given a dust bath instead.

Can Ice Pokémon be caught and trained if you live in an area without much ice?

Absolutely! Case in point: Alolan vulpix and sandshrew. The key is creating a comfortable atmosphere for them to spend a lot of their time in. A cool home with plenty of air flow (fans are sufficient if air conditioning isn’t feasible for you) will be enough, and be sure they have access to plentiful sources of cold water for hydration. Be aware of their health as well and never force them to train under hot sunlight if you can.

There are, of course, a few pokémon who are literally made of ice, such as vanillite, bergmite, and so forth, and these cases may be more sensitive to cold than mammalian ice-types such as snorunt, spheal, and Alolan vulpix. However, even these are trainable even in tropical climates, so long as their trainers keep an eye on their conditions. If your literal ice pokémon looks lethargic and wet, bring it into a cool place immediately and allow it to rest within a refrigerator or cold bath. (Granted, it should also be noted that literal ice pokémon are harder to come by in tropical regions to begin with, but the point is that if you happened to receive one in a trade or from a breeder, it’s still possible to raise them so long as you’re careful.)

Yo Bill! So, I live in a surburan area just outside Hearthome city and my little girl has been having some trouble coming home after school. Normally she walks home, but recently she’s been having trouble with a trio of mischievous murkrow trying to peck at her head and scaring her. I was planning on getting her a pokemon because her birthday is coming up. Any ideas on what could be a good choice for scaring off those murkrow?

For a young girl living in Sinnoh, electric-types are the easiest and best choice. Above all else, you’ll want something that can attack from a distance—not necessarily with the intent of hurting the murkrow so much as scaring them off. Electric-types not only have that capability and a well-known type advantage against flying-types such as murkrow but also the ability to spread their attacks if necessary. That is, while a Thunderbolt can strike a single target, with practice, it can also catch multiple birds with one shot, unlike Rock Slide (which requires a considerable amount of accuracy training) or even Ice Beam (which concentrates the ice element into a single beam … never mind the fact that not that many pokémon near Hearthome can utilize it).

As for which pokémon, specifically, to use, to the south of Hearthome is a rather famous pokémon collector named Mr. Backlot. His garden is open to the public, and it’s routinely stocked with different pokémon he wishes to share with others. You’ll be able to find pikachu and pichu there on a daily basis, both of whom may be excellent choices, as well as plusle and minun as part of the rotational stock. Alternatively, although they’re fairy- and normal-types, other stock pokémon such as porygon, clefairy, and castform may also be excellent choices with the right TMs. If, however, none of these will work or if the garden is closed (as it sometimes is, being on private property and all), pachirisu may also be an option for you, so long as you’re willing to cross Mt. Coronet.

Best of luck, anonymous!

yo bill i’m moving and no matter how many times i tell my umbreon, Howlite, that he is coming with me, he will jump in boxes and generally just be a pain to slow the packing down. he usually listens to me, but not this time. i think it’s cuz he was abandoned as an evee before i adopted him. how do i make Howlite understand that i’m never gonna leave him behind??

Moving can be incredibly stressful to a pokémon, even if they’re intelligent enough to understand what you have to tell them. So the important thing to do first is to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Stick to your routine, even if you have a lot of packing to do. Walk Howlite at the same time every day, feed him on schedule, and so forth. This will help him cling to something stable, which in turn will keep him calm.

Second, believe it or not, you shouldn’t tell him you won’t leave him behind. Not in those words, anyway. Pokémon are intelligent, but they pick up on our tone a lot more readily than our words. If you say you won’t leave him behind, he’ll likely interpret this as you will leave him behind. Instead, say, “We’ll be moving together.” Talk about what you plan on doing in this new home. Describe his space in your new home. Perhaps even tell him a bit about the neighborhood and the things he can do in it if you happen to be moving a bit further out. Always maintain a positive attitude, and whenever talking about your new home, remember to include Howlite in the way you talk about it. Eventually, Howlite will understand that the new place will be his as well.

Finally, do everything you can otherwise to keep him calm. Walk him if he seems agitated by the activity. Play with him. Have a friend help you pack so you can devote some time to Howlite if you can. Then, on moving day, be sure to walk him first to help him release pent-up energy, then keep him with you at all times. Unpack his things as quickly as possible to give his space a touch of familiarity, and get back to your normal routine as soon as you can.

In short, be aware of Howlite’s stress levels and do everything you can to help him relax. Combine this with language that firmly establishes that the new place will be his (rather than that he shouldn’t worry about being left behind), and the move will go far smoother.

Best of luck, and congratulations on your new home!

Hello Bill! I have taken interest in pokemon performing, but don’t know much about it like the regions, age, or what pokémon qualify. Hope you can help me!

Admittedly, I never had much of a personal interest in pokémon performing or showcases in general. This is more Lanette’s field, to be quite frank, so I’ll allow her to take it from here.

LH: Well, to start things off, most regions don’t hold pokémon showcases, largely due to the popularity of pokémon contests, a similar sport. Just about the only places where you can participate in showcases are in Kalos (and Europe in general) and Unova (although musicals are more popular over there). Still, it’s worth it. I personally enjoy watching showcases more than contests, just because there’s more variety in the sub events and emphasis on style and synchronization between pokémon and performer.

On that note, practically any pokémon can participate in a showcase, but it’s important to know that, just like in a contest, you have to be strategic about who you use. Of course, most performers don’t know the theme of the first half of a showcase until it happens, so unlike in contests or even gym battles, I don’t mean research the next showcase when I say be strategic. What I mean instead is, of course, choose pokémon who work well together and whose abilities can be combined to highlight not only each other’s skills but also your creativity. Of course, building a routine for the second half of a showcase (the freestyle performance) is important too, so always keep that in mind when choosing which pokémon to enter.

As for your age, that’s rather simple. Just like with contests, you can’t enter showcases unless you have a valid trainer’s license. In most regions, this means you must be ten or older in order to register.

Say I already had a Pokémon gifted to me from a parent or something, could I still go to a professor and get a “starter” from them? Is there a limit? Like what if I got a “starter” from kanto and then went to Hoenn. Could I get a “starter”‘there too?

This tends to depend on the regional league’s rules and the distributor’s discretion. In less populous regions where there are fewer trainers starting out (such as Hoenn), you may be allowed to obtain a starter from a distribution point, even if you already have a pokémon registered to you. On the other hand, the leagues of more populous regions with far more new trainers per year (such as Unova) may specify that the first pokémon you have registered to you, regardless of its origins, is your starter, barring you from obtaining a starter from a professor if you’ve obtained a pokémon from someone else first.

On the other hand, distributors may also either create their own rules or file for special cases. For example, Professor Sycamore of Kalos has, on at least one occasion, given an additional starter to specific trainers as part of his research, thereby suspending Kalos League rules for those special cases only. Conversely, while there are no starter restrictions in Alola, Professor Kukui and Kahuna Hala limit trainers who begin their journeys with them to just one starter, due to the specifics of Alolan tradition. (It’s thought that any pokémon given to Alolan trainers is their chosen partner, so those who are already partnered with a pokémon prior to the starter ceremony must undergo the ceremony with that pokémon, rather than one of the traditionally offered trio.)

Thus, it’s a good idea to check with both your local league and the person from whom you plan to get your starter, just to understand the rules in your particular circumstance.

Question (Askbox doesn’t work for some reason)

One of my friends recently died, and I’m trying to take care of her Pokemon for her. However, not all of them have met me before, and some of them were very close to her. Do you have any advice for how I should deal with the Pokemon that won’t know me, and how to help them handle this in general?

Bill: Remember first and foremost that these pokémon are grieving, just as a human would if one lost someone very close to them. So before anything else, you must establish yourself as both loyal and reliable. The quickest way to do this is to be flexible for them. Listen to them and pay very close attention to their needs. If one is aloof or refuses to communicate, don’t ignore them. Rather, tell them that you want to give them space, but you’re available if they need anything.

Moreover, try to find out what their routine had been with their late trainer. Routines mean stability as well as communication. To some pokémon, going through the same motions as always will give them something familiar to help ease the transition into your care. For other, more intelligent pokémon, it at least opens up a dialogue if they believe you’re trying to be their trainer. (That may sound negative, but it happens with pokémon who possess advanced intelligence and bond strongly with humans. The gardevoir line, for example.) Either way, the busier they are and the more they stick to routine, the easier it will be for time to pass and for them to move on.

And of course, it doesn’t hurt to learn more about them. Figure out their likes and dislikes and provide plenty of either to help ease the pain and to reward them for positive behavior (as opposed to negative behavior, such as excessively marking territory or howling).

Finally, always keep an eye on their health. Grieving pokémon sometimes refuse to eat, but you must be persistent on getting them to take care of basic needs. Offering the food they like might make things easier, but if this behavior goes on for too long or if your pokémon absolutely refuses to eat no matter what you do, see your local pokémon center. Your Nurse Joy will help with grief counseling.

Best of luck, anonymous, and I’m very sorry for your loss.

Hi! I was thinking about adopting a vulpix. Could you tell me the pros and cons of both alolan and non alolan vulpix? Thanks

Care for the two variations is more or less the same, anonymous. The only differences is that Alolan vulpix are generally seen to be slightly harder for the following reasons:

1. Grooming. Their cloud-like manes and tails capture more debris than the neatly curled manes and tails of standard vulpix. Thus, Alolan vulpix require more vigorous daily brushing to maintain its peak mental health. Moreover, its fur only gets harder to groom after it evolves, not only because an Alolan ninetales possesses thicker, longer, and more unruly manes and tails but also because Alolan ninetales are far more fickle than standard ninetales.

2. Personality. While standard ninetales are far more hot-headed (forgive the pun) and much easier to provoke, they’re also easier to predict and understand. That is, a standard ninetales will never attack for no reason. However, although it’s famed for its calm demeanor, Alolan ninetales’s affinity for the fairy element may make it more mischievous and prone to trickery. It’s said that you should never lay a hand on a standard ninetales … but you should never turn your back on an Alolan one. 

By contrast, however, the variations of vulpix are nearly identical, although the Alolan one tends to be calmer and easier to please.

3. Evolution. The ice stone needed to evolve an Alolan vulpix into ninetales is extremely rare, available only in certain parts of Alola and the Arctic Circle. By contrast, fire stone is readily available, so if your standard vulpix wishes to evolve (or if you wish to evolve your standard vulpix), all it takes is a visit to a reputable stone dealer.

All of this isn’t to chase you off the idea of raising an Alolan vulpix, anonymous. Both forms make for excellent pets and partner pokémon, and if you prefer a calmer pokémon or one of the ice element, the Alolan variation is an excellent choice. (At the very least, it won’t set fire to your possessions or home.) It’s just that overall, it’s a bit more of a challenge to raise, especially if you’re considering evolving it at some point in time.