In preparation for the reopening of the ask box (which may occur sometime this weekend, if all goes well), I’ve had Bill compile an FAQ covering some of the most common questions we’ve gotten. Please note that we’d like to keep these questions to a minimum to avoid, as one of our more colorful colleagues puts it, “beating a dead rapidash,” so don’t forget to read through the FAQ carefully before sending in an ask, just to be sure that your question hasn’t already been answered.

Also, some common questions for specific species or types may be located in their respective tags. Click here for our most common tags, as well as a tutorial for navigating our tag system: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/taginfo

Thank you!

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Q. What are some good service pokémon?
A. It depends on your needs. Every pokémon has their own specific set of abilities and strengths, and as such, different pokémon fill different niches, depending on what a human may need. There are plenty of service and guide pokémon programs out there to match a human with a specially trained pokémon partner; you may receive a recommendation to consult one, or you may wish to reach out to one on your own.

That having been said, there are really no limitations to what pokémon may be used in which region, although some are indeed rarer than others. For example, although solosis may make excellent partners for those suffering from anxiety disorders, they’re harder (but not impossible) to obtain in Kanto as opposed to Unova.

Generally speaking, yes, psychic pokémon work best to help those with sensory disorders or other neurological conditions, as they can sense even the most minute changes in their partners’ psychological state. Likewise, they can often help ease a human’s mind in an emergency through empathic therapy, and some are also trained in meditative techniques (to guide their partners into a calmer state of mind). Grass-types are also occasionally used for their ability to use aromatherapy, although this is rarer due to the possibility of an allergic reaction to their pollen.

For other suggestions, please see our service pokémon tag: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/tagged/service-pok%C3%A9mon

Pokémon for those with anxiety or sensory issues tend to be the most popular topics, and several posts (such as this one: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/152322784586/hey-bill-i-have-a-lot-of-anxiety-and-depression ) outlline some popular choices.

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Q. My [insert pokémon here] has turned hostile! What do I do?
A. Pokémon are very rarely suddenly hostile for no reason. If your pokémon is not newly evolved and they’ve suddenly begun displaying hostile behaviors, determine what the actual cause is first and foremost. Communicate with your pokémon if you can, and if you can’t, observe their actions and look out for any sign that they’re about to exhibit the violent or otherwise hostile behaviors you’ve noticed. When you see it happen, try to remember what the trigger was, then work from there. As hostile behavior can be rooted in any number of things (from a new pokémon to actual, imminent danger to you or them or an actual medical issue), it’s impossible to answer this question without observing your pokémon for ourselves, so it will be up to you to help your pokémon as best as you can.

Please note that this advice also applies to pokémon that are hostile towards themselves as well, although this is a strong indicator that there may be some underlying medical condition that should be addressed by a professional pokémon nurse as soon as possible.

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Q. What can I do to guarantee my pokémon won’t be hostile to a new recruit? / My new pokémon is shy or socially anxious due to past abuse; what can I do to help it adjust to the rest of my team?
A. Take it slowly. Set up the introduction in an environment your new pokémon considers to be safe, such as a large, open room with plenty of toys or other distractions. Have your new pokémon sit in this room and introduce your team one team member at a time. As in, choose one team member to introduce to your new teammate, then allow them to be in the same room until your new pokémon seems comfortable with them. Then, remove your older pokémon, wait for a bit to let your new one relax, and send in another one, perhaps with the first if your new one seems more comfortable with them in the room. Keep doing this until your pokémon has met your entire team.

However, also pay very close attention to the body language of both pokémon. If at any point, it looks like either pokémon is uncomfortable with the meeting, withdraw them and try again later. Don’t go too quickly; this will only harm your new pokémon’s mental state or drive your older pokémon into displaying hostile or intimidating behaviors.

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Q. How do I take care of a newborn pokémon?
A. For the most part, the mother will care for the hatchling until it’s old enough to live independently. If the mother isn’t available, it tends to vary by species. Most of them (except ice-types that are literally made of ice) will need warmth of some sort to keep their body temperatures balanced. Use soft blankets and beds for this, and always keep your hatchling’s room at a warm, even temperature.

Moreover, it may need to be bottle-fed and weaned. In the first few weeks, you’ll likely be seeing your local Nurse Joy frequently to monitor your hatchling’s growth. Simply follow the pokémon center’s directions regarding feeding and when to wean for your hatchling’s specific species, and you should be fine.

Otherwise, it’s more or less a simple matter of caring for the hatchling the way you would an adolescent or adult form of the same pokémon, so be sure to consult guides (located under our pokémon care tag) for more information: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/tagged/pok%C3%A9mon-care

Alternatively, you can view pokémon care guides for specific species or lines by searching through its own tag.

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Q. How do water-type pokémon move about on the land?
A. Either barely at all or supported by an energy net emitted by the poké ball system. See this post for further details: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/153030192831/hello-bill-how-often-do-fully-aquatic-pokémon

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Q. How do you know what type pokémon/moves are? / Why did no one realize that _____ was a fairy-type?
A. Type classifications tend to be tricky, as a lot of what goes into classifying pokémon into the (currently) eighteen types is pure observation. Moreover, it’s important to keep in mind that because the physiologies of each pokémon species tend to be wildly different from one another, it might not be entirely apparent that a certain pokémon is displaying the hallmark weaknesses or resistances of its elemental affinity until researchers can get a closer look. For example, because of gardevoir’s fragility, it didn’t strike pokémonologists as odd that gardevoir would take quite a bit of damage from a steel-type attack until it was discovered that it took more damage than usual due to the interactions between its fairy typing and the steel element. Conversely, clefable’s resistance to the fighting type was attributed to its bulky appearance before it was discovered that its defensive capabilities are average at best and that its fighting resistance comes from its elemental affinity instead. The definitions of types tend to be about as mutable as any other taxonomic classification in biology; even when we’re certain that we’re correct for a specific reason, that doesn’t always seem to be the case.

The same can be said for moves. While researchers can detect elemental affinities a lot easier with moves (because we simply need to sample the energy resonance via standard lab equipment, if it’s not already visually obvious what type a move is), sometimes, even when we’re sure that a move resonates with one type of energy, it might actually resonate with something completely different, such as in the cases of Charm, Sweet Kiss, and Moonlight. (Or even Curse, for that matter, before it was re-evaluated and classified as a completely ghost-type move.)

For further information, please read this post: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/160242832496/how-did-no-one-realize-pokemon-like-the-clefable

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Q. How do I cheer my pokémon up?
A. Through a lot of time and patience, just as you would a human friend. Don’t force your pokémon to feel better, but do everything you can to make them feel comfortable and reassure them that you’ll always be there to support them. You might also consider cheering them up with distractions—more training or play time, for example—and never discount the importance of basic care (including and especially ensuring that your pokémon gets enough sleep and exercise, as well as a balanced diet and plenty of fluids).

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Q. How do I stop my pokémon from ______?
A. Use its poké ball.

Alternatively, most bad habits can be trained out of a pokémon through positive reinforcement. Establish a good behavior (or otherwise what you want your pokémon to do instead of the bad behavior) through visual teaching. Show them and verbalize to them in as clear a manner as possible what it is you want. Then, allow them to practice this good behavior and reward them (with treats or affection) whenever they perform it successfully. Afterwards, any time they perform the good behavior, reward them, and any time they perform the bad behavior, don’t reward them but do give them a stern but gentle warning. (You may also wish to employ a clicker to reinforce good behavior and dissuade bad.)

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Q. My pokémon has separation anxiety! What do I do?
A. Always stick to a routine. Routines normalize things for a pokémon and helps them adjust to any sudden changes. So if you feed them at a very specific time, always feed them at exactly that time in order to help them stabilize themselves and give them something reliable and predictable to count on.

This can be vital for pokémon that need to be left at home. Always leave at the exact same time every day to establish that in your pokémon’s daily routine. Always come home at exactly the same time as well, and couple your comings and goings with a specific cue (jingling of keys, announcing your departure/arrival, or so on) so your pokémon has something concrete to help them anticipate how long you’ll be gone. The more you do this, the more your pokémon will begin to understand how long your absences feel, so it’ll be easier for them to pass the time.

Additionally, always leave something of yours behind (such as a piece of clothing that smells like you) so your pokémon can seek comfort from it while you’re gone. Finally, if they can handle being away from you for that period of time calmly, reward that as you would any other sort of good behavior so they can begin to understand that being away from you isn’t a form of punishment (nor is it a sign of abandonment). And of course, always block out some time each day to play with your pokémon so they know you would never abandon them.

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Q. Are poké balls ethical?
A. See this post: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/169480712313/so-is-the-use-of-pok%C3%A9balls-ethical