Hey Bill! Since its starting to get a bit winter-y over here, any tips for how to care for Grass-Types? I recently evolved a Leafeon and her leaves are going from a green to a more orange-red, is this normal?

As uncomfortable as it may be for your grass-types, it’s best to bring them inside for the winter. If you have a larger grass-type such as a venusaur, make sure you have enough room in your home, or consider building a greenhouse for it. Either way, it’s essential for their health that they remain in a temperature-controlled environment. Grass-types, especially those that are purely plants (the bellsprout line, the oddish line, and so forth), can’t thrive in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for more than a day. In some cases, it can even be dangerous for them, as they risk wilting the colder it gets. If your pokémon must go out, such as for a battle or to play, remember to limit their time in the cold. Always keep their poké balls at hand, and it wouldn’t hurt to give them warm water after they’re done.

Once inside, light is essential. Give them access to a sunny window during the day, and supplement this with a couple of hours under a sunlamp at night. (A sunlamp may be an excellent investment for you and your pokémon, on that note.) This not only keeps a pokémon’s mood up, but it also ensures the plant parts of them are photosynthesizing as they should be.

Additionally, make sure your pokémon are well-hydrated. Central heating units tend to dry out the air in a home, which in turn can lead to stress or browning from a grass-type. Consider adding a humidifier to rooms where your grass-type will be spending the most time, and always make sure their water dishes are topped off. For pokémon that don’t often drink or otherwise can’t (namely cacnea), remember to spritz a little water on them every other week, but check often for any signs that they’re dehydrated (such as softening needles or bruising skin).

For pokémon in a greenhouse, remember that all pokémon need love and attention to survive. In other words, don’t forget to check on your grass-types daily. Spend time grooming them and giving them plenty of water, and reassure them that you’ll be back the next day.

Finally, keep in mind that all of this concerns pokémon that aren’t coniferous or weather-resistant in nature. Snover and abomasnow actually thrive in colder temperatures, so if anything, now is the time you should be letting them stay out longer. On the other hand, certain pokémon, such as Alolan exeggutor, can’t be kept anywhere and should really be stored in the storage system or at least within their balls any time you don’t need them to battle (or eat, drink, and relieve themselves).

As for your question about leafeon, this is a possible reason why, yes. The other reason why your leafeon’s ears might be growing a little golden around the edges is simply due to age. If her ears don’t return to a vibrant green after spring arrives, you’ll know for certain it’s age. Of course, it’s still not something to worry about; leafeon can be quite healthy, even after their ears turn.

Exeggcute and Exeggutor

bills-pokedex:

Exeggcute
The Egg Pokémon
Type: Grass/Psychic
Official Registration #: 102
Entry: An egg-like pokémon gifted with incredible telekinetic and telepathic powers. When one egg is separated from the bunch, it can use these wondrous abilities to locate and rejoin its group. Of course, given the fact that this means each egg clearly demonstrates autonomy, one must ask why researchers never classify an individual exeggcute component as being its own pokémon. And the answer, dear reader, is pokémon is wonderful, aren’t they?

Exeggutor
The Coconut Pokémon
Type: Grass/Psychic
Official Registration #: 103
Entry: The evolved form of exeggcute, by exposure to leaf stone. This palm tree-like pokémon originated in the tropics, and much of its behavior reflects this. It perks up most during sunny weather, when it’s able to collect sunlight in its coconut heads and grow. Such growth tends to be steady everywhere but Alola, where the abundant sun causes the energy somehow mutates exeggutor into long-necked dragon-type creatures. One may be wondering how it gains the dragon-type of all possible elements, never mind why it mutates in the region of Alola only, but the answer to this, dear reader, is that pokémon are indeed wonderful, majestic beings.

Exeggutor (Alola form)
The Coconut Pokémon
Type: Grass/Dragon
Official Registration #: 103
Entry: The evolved form of exeggcute, by exposure to leaf stone within the region of Alola. It’s said that exposure to the bright Alolan sun allows this pokémon to evolve into its true form, the towering, dragon-type exeggutor. This, of course, implies that the exeggcute family originated in Alola and that migration to other, less suitable environments have stunted exeggutor’s growth and forced it to adopt an entirely different skillset to survive. While this is generally accepted as true, the actual mystery lies in how exeggcute migrated in the first place. As of this writing, leading scientists support one main theory: that they were carried elsewhere by pairs of swellow using strands of creeper held under the dorsal guiding feathers.

Please explain to me why the Pokemon Symposium decided to name it the ‘Grass’ type and not the ‘Plant’ type.

Somebody explain to me why they did this, and perhaps we can start from there.

…

Seriously, this is like calling every mammal pokémon a mouse, which I know was an actual issue with the pokédex classification system, but nonetheless…

Furthermore, while we’re on the subject, why is it called the flying type and not the wind type? Flying isn’t even an element, never mind the fact that some of these pokémon can’t actually achieve the amount of power or lift to fly on their own or for long distances to begin with! The mantyke line and hoppip line in particular, but then you have the doduo line, which, despite the fact that they can be taught to use Fly, can’t actually fly on their own. Granted, fine, the actual moves associated with this element have more to do with the act of flying than the generation of wind, but by that logic, perhaps we should rename the normal type to hitting.

Then, if we’re really going to be discussing this subject, what about the steel-type? Just because it’s metal doesn’t automatically make it steel, for Ho-oh’s sake! Half of these pokémon are made of pure iron ore or iron alloys that have only trace amounts of carbon, if any at all. Magnemite, for example? That’s pure magnetite, not steel! Honestly, this is simple chemistry and/or earth sciences!

And while we’re at it, the dark type, which [THIS MESSAGE IS TRUNCATED.]

Believe it or not, he goes on for a good twenty pages. You’re welcome. —LH

The Treecko Line

bills-pokedex:

Treecko
The Wood Gecko Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 252
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Hoenn. This small gecko pokémon is famous for its calm disposition, which makes it an ideal partner for a beginning trainer. It is said that absolutely nothing shakes it, not even the rage of a forest fire. This, of course, is not entirely true. The calm demeanor it displays at all times actually hides abject panic and other extreme forms of emotion … which, given the fact that trainers routinely and happily face danger on a daily basis without so much as a frown, still makes treecko an ideal partner for a beginning trainer.

Grovyle
The Wood Gecko Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 253
Entry: The evolved form of treecko, by battle experience. Grovyle is noted for its nimbleness. Well-adapted to its native jungle environments, it can skitter up trees and jump from branch to branch with an unrivaled swiftness, making it difficult for pursuers to keep up with it. It should be noted that these pursuers, of course, may include trainers who mistake their calm demeanor during their treecko stage as consent to subject it to extreme stress.

Sceptile
The Forest Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 254
Entry: The evolved form of grovyle, by battle experience. In Hoennian lore, sceptile are traditionally seen as forest guardians. Not only are their jungle combat skills completely unrivaled in the pokémon world (due to both its surprising agility and the sharp leaf blades on its arms), but also, the bulbs on their backs contain seeds that they can plant in order to revitalize parts of their forest homes. It should also be noted that this image of sceptile as a jungle guardian is perhaps only helped by the fact that the aforementioned bulbs explode in order to release the seeds within, yet sceptile, much like its original treecko form, take the violent bursting of parts of their body without even flinching. Needless to say, the disinclination to fight a creature that refuses to show pain is something of a survival adaptation for the rest of the forest.

Mega Sceptile
The Forest Pokémon
Type: Grass/Dragon
Official Registration #: 254+
Entry: The advanced form of sceptile, via sceptilite. As mega sceptile, this pokémon is imbued with the ability to detach its lengthy tail as a form of self-defense. Actually, many lizard pokémon possess this ability; it’s just that mega sceptile is the only one for whom this also entails (forgive the pun) seizing the detached limb and stabbing its attacker with it.

Kanto Starters I: Bulbasaur

bills-pokedex:

@psychms: I just noticed you haven’t written about any of the regional starters! Can you tell us about your most memorable experience with a starter Pokémon (or its evolutions)?

Ah, keen observation! Starters are a bit special to a researcher, as we tend to associate them with new beginnings while maintaining our status as a ridiculously sentimental breed of people. In particular, I must say I’m closest to the Kantonian starters, in part because I consider one of my home regions to be Kanto and in part because, despite beginning my journey in Johto, my starter was a bulbasaur. While I could go on and on about the bulbasaur line, I hardly think it would be appropriate to only cover it and not the other two families. Thus, consider this to be part one of a three-part series.

Bulbasaur
The Seed Pokémon
Type: Grass/Poison
Official Registration #: 1
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Kanto. Many people believe that out of the three, bulbasaur is the easiest to raise, as bulbasaur are more docile than the other two, the species’ offensive and defensive traits are balanced, and a grass-type has more of an advantage against the earliest Kantonian gyms than a fire- or water-type. However, while all of this is true, such advice frequently forgets any word on what to do when you have a pokémon that learns Leech Seed, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, and Sleep Powder all basically at the same time. On that note, should you be a new trainer who finds himself with a rambunctious bulbasaur who enjoys showering you with “affection,” be sure to carry full heals. A lot of full heals. Do not buy anything but full heals until your bulbasaur evolves. You will thank me later.

Ivysaur
The Seed Pokémon
Type: Grass/Poison
Official Registration #: 2
Entry: The evolved form of bulbasaur, by battle experience. As it nears evolution into a venusaur, an ivysaur’s blossom grows larger and more fragrant to the point where it naturally emits a sweet, spicy fragrance strong enough to be detected from a distance. Thus, an ivysaur is the easiest among the three middle-evolution starters to evolve, not only because the weight of the bulb makes each ivysaur more eager to battle (in order to gain the strength needed to support its own flower) but also because the scent emitting from the blossom happens to be the exact kind of aroma that draws pokémon towards one in droves. That said, while ivysaur are still among the easiest pokémon to train, new and mediocre trainers should be warned that preventing an ivysaur from battling is nearly impossible and that many of your days may be spent being dragged through Viridian Forest by a charging ivysaur chased by a horde of beedrill.

Venusaur
The Seed Pokémon
Type: Grass/Poison
Official Registration #: 3
Entry: The evolved form of ivysaur, by battle experience. A venusaur’s evolution is among the most beautiful to occur within the pokémon world. When the time comes, an ivysaur will seek the sunniest clearing in a forest, crouch within beams of sunlight, and allow its flower to grow and bloom. Petal by petal will open, and its fragrance will become more intense and aromatic. The power of this sight and the soothing nature of its signature perfume will rejuvenate an observing trainer just as much as the venusaur experiencing it, which is worth it to note as a warning to both. While you may be tempted to run forward and embrace your long-time pokémon partner in a rush of mutual pride and elation, note that your venusaur has gone from being 29 pounds to over 220 and that it will use all 220 to affectionately tackle you before realizing that it is no longer the size and weight of a large dog.

Mega Venusaur
The Seed Pokémon
Type: Grass/Poison
Official Registration #: 3+
Entry: The advanced form of venusaur, via venusaurite. Important safety tip for people who train venusaur: everything about venusaur becomes more powerful when it’s mega evolved. This includes its defensive capabilities, the destructive power of its distance attacks, the potency of its pollen, the calming effects of its spicy floral scent, and most importantly, the damage it can do to the human body if you’ve failed to teach your venusaur that it is no longer the size and weight of a large dog. Use your venusaurite with caution, preferably after you get it to forget how to use Tackle.

The Snover Line

bills-pokedex:

Snover
The Frost Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ice
Official Registration #: 459
Entry: Although this short pokémon strongly resembles a snow-covered tree throughout the year, it is actually highly responsive to the seasons. For one, it migrates: in the warmer months, it migrates to the top of its mountainous habitat to live in the colder climes, whereas during the colder months, it migrates to the food-rich foothills to breed. Likewise, during the spring, just before it makes its journey up the mountain, it sprouts berries the texture of frozen treats all over its belly and chest. … The author highly suggests that you do not put too much thought into the second trait.

Abomasnow
The Frost Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ice
Official Registration #: 460
Entry: The evolved form of snover, by battle experience. These giant snow monsters are known for their reclusiveness and protectiveness towards their own kind. To protect themselves and their newborn snover, they whip up giant blizzards to conceal their location. In that way, their snover may get up and migrate up their mountainous territory in peace. Travelers who wander through these abomasnow-induced blizzards may stumble across what appear to be moving parts of forests. On the negative side, this greatly increases those travelers’ chances of getting horribly lost within the dizzying, bitter-cold storm. ~~On the positive side, such a sight is incredible to behold if the traveler is on the right combination of psychoactive substa~~

Actually, never mind.

Mega Abomasnow
The Frost Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ice
Official Registration #: 460+
Entry: The advanced form of abomasnow, via abomasite. Upon mega evolution, abomasnow not only gains a considerable boost in its ability to command ice and a special ability that calls down hail storms but also a fearsome, quadrupedal appearance and the predilection of defending its mountain territories by charging downhill towards intruders. In other words, abomasnow mega evolves into the living nightmare of anyone unfortunate enough to have played SkiFree.

Morelull and Shiinotic

Morelull
The Illuminating Pokémon
Type: Grass/Fairy
Official Registration #: 755
Entry: This small, mushroom-like pokémon are why it’s highly inadvisable to go mushroom hunting in Alola (that is, its native region) unless you happen to be an expert mushroom hunter. Specifically, in the darkness of the Alolan jungles, the inedible morelull can easily be mistaken for the highly edible and delicious balm mushroom. There are, of course, two ways to tell morelull and balm mushrooms apart. First, if it’s resting beside a mossy rock, chances are it’s a balm mushroom, whereas if it’s resting at the root of a fruit tree, it’s likely a morelull. Likewise, if it does nothing when you nudge it gently with the toe of your boot, it is likely a balm mushroom. On the other hand, if it begins to glow and spew a cloud of sleep-inducing spores at you, there’s a good chance it’s a morelull.

Shiinotic
The Illuminating Pokémon
Type: Grass/Fairy
Official Registration #: 756
Entry: The evolved form of morelull, by battle experience. The other reason why it’s an ill-advised idea to hunt for balm mushrooms in the jungles of Alola is because morelull are often found in the vicinity of at least one shiinotic, which is not only bigger and more powerful but also is highly predatory and prone to feasting on the energy of any prey it considers to be worthy for consumption, including humans. While an effective form of protection against shiinotic would be the standard flying- or fire-type pokémon that can attack from outside shiinotic’s attack radius, it is often more recommended by locals to bring another mushroom-like pokémon, such as parasect or breloom. Shiinotic are often prone to engaging in territory wars with such pokémon, and thus, they provide an adequate amount of distraction while the seasoned, human mushroom hunter slips away. While one would think this recommendation is due to basic logic (fire and hurricane-force winds are far more destructive than close-range attacks from pokémon that are immune to shiinotic’s Sleep Powder), in actuality, it’s more because Alolan natives, for whatever reason, find the drama and in-fighting between fellow mushroom-like pokémon to be hilarious. (To be fair, they’re right in that regard.)

The Bounsweet Line

Bounsweet
The Fruit Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 761
Entry: The sweetness of this coconut-like pokémon is readily apparent just from its aroma alone. Gifted with a nutty but vaguely citrusy aroma, bounsweet attracts bird- and insect-like pokémon to its nests and allows them to feed off its sugary sweat. This same sweat can also be harvested and consumed by humans, but only after being processed and watered down, as the high sugar content makes the sap nearly inedible raw. Or at least most Alolan natives call this sap “nearly inedible raw.” The author calls this “a challenge.”

Steenee
The Fruit Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 762
Entry: The evolved form of bounsweet, by battle experience. Upon evolution, steenee’s formerly edible sweat becomes virtually inedible to anyone, pokémon or otherwise. This is not because it becomes unappetizingly tasteless and bitter (although, yes, it does that too) and more because the average steenee has a tendency to smash its hard, armor-like shell into anyone who tries to harvest her sap, usually before delivering a hard kick to the offender’s face.

Tsareena
The Fruit Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 763
Entry: The evolved form of steenee, by battle experience, if the subject knows Stomp. A royal pokémon in nature, tsareena can often be seen deep in the jungles of Alola, defending large groups of bounsweet and steenee. Tsareena is a formidable fighter in her own right, capable of delivering powerful kicks to predatory pokémon and anyone else who may be distracted by her enticing scent. However, it is said that touching her crown may render her immobile. Given that final note and the way the internet works, one would assume this entry is going into inappropriate territory, but the truth of the matter is that while it’s true that touching a tsareena’s crown renders her defenseless, the actual period of time she spends in this state is only a few seconds and is often followed up by a kick to the ribs with the force of a sledgehammer.

Fomantis and Lurantis

Fomantis
The Sickle Grass Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 753
Entry: This small, bud-like pokémon is nocturnal in nature, largely because daylight leaves it largely defenseless. During the day, it hides in tall grasses and gathers sunlight for sustenance as it sleeps. However, because fomantis are by and large fragile pokémon, it never stays in the same spot as either it or other fomantis had rested the day before. Rather, every night, each fomantis becomes active, seeking out entirely different areas of refuge to settle into as soon as the sun rises. For the most part, fomantis can go completely undetected, but because of its subtle but enticing aroma, cutiefly have been known to gather around fomantis during the day, thus revealing sleeping fomantis to potential prey. Cutiefly, of course, don’t actually feed off fomantis; they simply enjoy fomantis’s scent … and are also generally vicious, vindictive pokémon.

Lurantis
The Sickle Grass Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 753
Entry: The evolved form of fomantis, by battle experience, when exposed to sunlight. Noted for its beauty (and highly fashionable “pants,” for that matter), lurantis are highly sought-after by collectors, even though it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain its signature vivid coloration. In the wild, lurantis give little thought to their own coloration, opting instead on perfecting their sickle-shaped petals. These petals, when properly honed, can fire beams of sunlight and slice effortlessly through predators that may have harassed them as fomantis … including and especially cutiefly.

Shroomish and Breloom

Shroomish
The Mushroom Pokémon
Type: Grass
Official Registration #: 285
Entry: Contrary to popular belief, this mushroom-like pokémon is not hallucinogenic. You cannot, as the urban legend claims, snort its powdery spores in order to experience transcendental visions. Rather, its spores are actually toxic and will simply cause paralysis and full-body pain when inhaled. Also contrary to popular belief, the author does not know this from experience; he simply went to college with several gullible gentlemen and a girl who had a shroomish and a strong dislike for college first-years who would hit on her then-fifteen-year-old sister.

Breloom
The Mushroom Pokémon
Type: Grass/Fighting
Official Registration #: 286
Entry: The evolved form of shroomish, by battle experience. It’s never easy to figure out whether one should be more wary of the front end of the back end of a breloom. On the one hand (no pun intended), breloom are famous for their lightning-fast punches and kicks, facilitated by the elasticity of their claw-tipped limbs. On the other, they also possess hollow rattles on their tails—seeds containing highly toxic spores capable of inducing horrendous stomach aches when ingested. Should anyone wonder exactly how the dangers of ingesting breloom seeds are relevant to its battling style, please note that breloom can learn no fewer than four different seed-based attacks, two of which come naturally. And yes, this is something the author knows from first-hand experience.