The Gible Line

bills-pokedex:

Gible
The Land Shark Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 443
Entry: A short, shark-like pokémon first discovered in the cave systems of Sinnoh. This pokémon burrows in horizontal tunnels embedded within cave walls. From there, it points its face outward and waits for prey to pass by its burrow opening. When something comes close, it launches itself out of its burrow to pounce on and bite the intruder. It’s important to note that this behavior does not stop when tamed; rather, trainers should fully expect to find their clothing gathered in a small, hole-like pile … as well as ample amounts of time spent with a gible attached to their arms shortly after discovering said pile.

Gabite
The Cave Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 444
Entry: The evolved form of gible, by battle experience. Native to dark caves, gabite is attracted to anything that glitters or glows. In the wild, this means it actively hunts down and collects any shiny object it can get its claws on—including jewels, ores, and even trash from trainers—and hoards these in its underground nest. In captivity, this means it is possibly the most entertaining pokémon to introduce a laser pointer to.

Garchomp
The Mach Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 445
Entry: The evolved form of gabite, by battle experience. The short fins on this pokémon’s arms are actually wings that allow it to fly at supersonic speeds to chase down prey. There is no punchline to this entry. The author just wanted to inform all of you that a 209-pound ground-type land shark with wings shorter than its actual claws can apparently fly and that this world is a wondrous place.

Mega Garchomp
The Mach Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 445+
Entry: The advanced form of garchomp, via garchompite. Formerly, this mega evolution was known for its devastating temper and its twin scythes, the latter of which are capable of cleaving boulders in half with a single swipe and the former of which makes it believe cleaving boulders in half (among other things within its line of sight) is a fun and productive way to spend one’s time. Currently, however, this mega evolution is known for being “a weird sand doggo.”

my gabite and my alolan ninetales used to get along fine but now gabite’s scared of him once he evolved D: i really don’t know what happened, whether it was because of the type change or something, but now, she (gabite) won’t go near him! please help!!

It’s possible that it’s the type change, anonymous, although you shouldn’t rule out a number of other possibilities.

Luckily, there’s a handy way of figuring out whether or not it is because of your ninetales’s type change. Have your gabite enter the room shortly after your ninetales leaves it. If she shivers, then she’s reacting to either the cold or residual fairy aura, and thus, it is, without a doubt, a problem with your ninetales’s type. While, yes, your vulpix, as an ice-type, may have triggered a slight drop in temperature of the air immediately surrounding his body before he evolved, keep in mind that ninetales are far stronger and possess a far more intense command over their native elements. As such, it wouldn’t surprise me if your gabite is only just now feeling discomfort or even abject fear of being around your ninetales.

If this is the case, then resolving it may be as simple as sitting down to talk with your gabite and help her acclimate to your ninetales (all while reassuring her that he is, at his heart, still the vulpix she befriended, of course). If it’s the cold that’s bothering her, then you may consider giving her a sweater to help her tolerate his abilities. Many independent artists online knit wonderful sweaters for pokémon in a number of designs, but if you’d prefer something a bit easier to come by, you may be able to find sweaters in your gabite’s size at the local pokémart. The latter aren’t normally sized to fit gabite (whereas sweaters by artists can be custom-created), so be sure to get a sweater for “medium-sized” pokémon.

As I’ve said earlier, however, this is just one possibility, and it’s certainly important to take into consideration other potential causes. For example, if your gabite looks more irritated or panicked than physically uncomfortable, there may have been an argument or even a fight between your ninetales and gabite when you weren’t looking. If that’s the case, then it’s important to serve as a mediator between them. Sit them down and try to communicate with them. Try to figure out how their differences started and work with them to repair the relationship between them. (Alolan ninetales can sometimes be mischievous, so bear that in mind as well.) Have them engage in team building exercises such as double battles in order to get closer. Ensure that you’re treating them as equally as possible to avoid making one or the other jealous.

The main thing is that it’s never a good idea to jump to the conclusion that your pokémon are rejecting each other due to a change in type after evolution. While that’s certainly a common problem, it’s not the only one. Be absolutely sure that it is the reason behind your team’s differences (through testing and observation) before attempting to treat the issue.

Best of luck, anonymous!

The Gible Line

Gible
The Land Shark Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 443
Entry: A short, shark-like pokémon first discovered in the cave systems of Sinnoh. This pokémon burrows in horizontal tunnels embedded within cave walls. From there, it points its face outward and waits for prey to pass by its burrow opening. When something comes close, it launches itself out of its burrow to pounce on and bite the intruder. It’s important to note that this behavior does not stop when tamed; rather, trainers should fully expect to find their clothing gathered in a small, hole-like pile … as well as ample amounts of time spent with a gible attached to their arms shortly after discovering said pile.

Gabite
The Cave Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 444
Entry: The evolved form of gible, by battle experience. Native to dark caves, gabite is attracted to anything that glitters or glows. In the wild, this means it actively hunts down and collects any shiny object it can get its claws on—including jewels, ores, and even trash from trainers—and hoards these in its underground nest. In captivity, this means it is possibly the most entertaining pokémon to introduce a laser pointer to.

Garchomp
The Mach Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Ground
Official Registration #: 445
Entry: The evolved form of gabite, by battle experience. The short fins on this pokémon’s arms are actually wings that allow it to fly at supersonic speeds to chase down prey. There is no punchline to this entry. The author just wanted to inform all of you that a 209-pound ground-type land shark with wings shorter than its actual claws can apparently fly and that this world is a wondrous place.

Not an ask, a thank you! We did solve the issue with Charmeleon and Gabite. We ended up finding a suitable place to leave them alone for some… ahem private time together. I had no idea that a Charmeleon’s way of saying “I like you” was a Dragon Claw square in the nose. Gabite didn’t seem to get the message at first (who could blame him?) and was simply retaliating but when he found out what was really going on, well, he was more than willing to do his part…

You are also very welcome, anonymous. I’m glad you were able to get to the bottom of your predicament, and hopefully, you were able to clarify to your charmeleon that there are better ways of showing affection.

In the meantime, I congratulate you in advance for the hatchlings that are very likely soon to come.

My Charmeleon and my friends Gabite used to have a sort of friendly rivalry going on, but recently they have been fighting, not simple battling, actually fighting to the point that they must be separated to prevent them seriously injuring each other. We don’t know why or when this started, could you maybe give us clues on what the problem might be and how to solve it? (My Charlie is female and the Gabite is male, so we’ve ruled out show-offy masculinity contests)

Conveniently, another reader had a similar issue with their lucario and zoroark not that long ago! The answer here is similar, although with reptilian pokémon such as charmeleon and gabite, also keep in mind that their mating rituals may be just as aggressive as their actual in-fighting. If your friend’s gabite is the instigator or if your charmeleon turns her back on him and lifts her tail shortly before the battle begins, then it’s most certainly a mating ritual. There’s not much you can do to stop them, so it would be best to take them to a place that can offer them plenty of room to mate. Once she lays an egg, their behavior should subside until the egg hatches. Consider spaying or neutering one or the other for a more long-term resolution.

Otherwise, take very similar actions as the other reader. Team up with your friend to observe your pokémon’s behavior. When you see a fight just about to start, separate them and mediate. If one of your pokémon hasn’t done anything wrong, then it may be that the other one needs an outlet for their aggression, so increase the amount of time you or your friend spend training it. And if it’s boredom, clearly establish that fighting for that sake is not acceptable.

Alternatively, given that one has evolved and the other has not, the increase in aggression may be an attempt to push your friend’s gabite into evolving. This is especially true if your charmeleon generally starts the fights or if your friend’s gabite struggles harder against being separated. If this is the case, then you’ll want to establish to your charmeleon that while it’s noble of her to help out a friend, this is not a productive way to do it. At the same time, if gabite wants to evolve, then your friend may want to consider options in getting him enough experience to do so.

Finally, there really is only one other thing that I can add to the other post, and it has to do with the fact that the pokémon in this case are owned by two different people. Sometimes, pokémon fight if they perceive that their trainers aren’t getting along well or that their relationship can be improved. By increasing the aggression of their fighting, the pokémon are essentially forcing you and your friend to work together. You’ll be able to determine whether or not this is the issue if your pokémon look at either of you at any point during their fights. If this is the case, then establish very clearly to both of your pokémon that playing matchmaker is also not acceptable behavior (but that you appreciate their efforts all the same).