3 heads somewhere? Like are the heads separate entities or…? This has always confused me.

Ah, excellent question, reader!

Both pokémon have separate brains in each of their heads. In fact, studies have shown that each head can possess vastly different personalities. One would assume this would mean doduo and dodrio are in constant conflict with themselves, but in actuality, each of these heads are linked telepathically. Scientists aren’t entirely sure why doduo and dodrio possess this ability when they are not otherwise psychic, but the ability is essential for resolving conflicts almost immediately, before it becomes a physical problem.

Did domestic canine Pokemon descend from wilder Pokemon like Mightyena, or is there no real evolutionary history for the overall canine family? (I do hope this makes science. Biology and it’s vocabulary was not my strong suit in school.)

They did indeed! In fact, mightyena are themselves descendants from the same common ancestor as growlithe, lillipup, and so forth.

I could go further into detail as to when, roughly, each species diverged, but this may overcomplicate matters a bit. The important thing to know is that, indeed, mightyena is very closely related to the “dog” pokémon—possibly, even, to the point where a proto-mightyena might have been the common ancestor and that human domestication led to dog-like pokémon adapting into their own species.

It’s actually quite interesting to look at, actually. Each of the dog-like species share similar traits, but it’s very easy to tell why they were domesticated based on what types they’ve become. But that’s neither here nor there, I suppose.

How much trouble would I get into if I just so happened to have illegally downloaded a Porygon? Hypothetically of course. nervous laughter

That depends. If you have somehow bypassed the anti-piracy measures on a porygon to download one illegally, you could face hefty fines or jail time (depending on your country and its interpretation of pokémon theft), never mind a lawsuit from Silph Co. itself if you attempted to distribute an illegally downloaded porygon. In short, with the government and Silph Co. itself, I would say a lot of trouble.

However, should it be of any comfort to you, when it comes to the storage system and its involvement with all of this, you would likely receive a high five and a job offer, given my partner’s recruitment history. —LH