What exactly are the dietary requirements for Metagross? I’ve had mine on an omnivorous diet but it’s been underperforming in recent times and there were no diseases or physical conditions found when I visited the Pokémon center. I was just wondering if it’s diet was the cause.

Actually, believe it or not, metagross require very little in terms of nutrients at all. Or, well, it does, but it sounds like you might be missing a few minerals.

Joking aside (that I am absolutely certain my editor will make me regret later), metagross primarily thrive on a mineral-based diet. They’re essentially living computers built into tanks, and they need minerals—scrap metal, rocks, and so forth—in order to restore their armor plating, reinforce their musculature, and quite literally sharpen their minds. They may also need a little bit of electricity if they seem to be severely run down, but be extremely careful with this. Attach wires to your metagross’s face plates and make sure you have a grounder mixed in, then give it an even, low-wattage flow of electricity. You don’t want to fry it with a power surge.

Additionally, have you been giving it water? If no, that’s perfectly fine; you really shouldn’t. If yes, wean it back off water. Contrary to popular belief, metagross don’t have organic parts; rather, they have mineral-based organs that are powered by electricity (again, they are essentially living tanks). Water may cause their innards to rust or their natural electrical systems to short, but that all should sort itself out after a few days without water. (A word of warning: You may hear a grinding noise after the first twenty-four hours. This will persist for a few days, but it’s perfectly normal, as it’s just the sound of your metagross drying out and grinding off any potential rust.)

Food, meanwhile, doesn’t harm a metagross, but it isn’t necessary, as you can probably guess. It can also make a metagross sluggish for the same reason junk food may for us, with the exception of metagross kibble. (Metagross kibble is just essential minerals disguised as kibble pellets, so a metagross’s body can handle it better than ordinary food.) Wean your metagross off that as well and feed it only kibble if you absolutely must (but preferably gravel and scrap), and you should see some improvement in performance in a few days to a few weeks, depending on how long it’s gone on an omnivorous diet.

Best of luck!

I breed Beldum. I do enjoy breeding Beldum with their natural numbers in the wild being quite low, but when they get excited they do tend to destroy electronics and interfere with electrical signals. I also worry my Metagross might be secretly using my computer, but that’s quite unfounded… right?

The destruction or the use of your computer? Regarding the former, unfortunately, that is true, as many of the beldum line’s powers stem from magnetism. The more excited and the further down the evolutionary line an individual is, the more likely it will release a magnetic burst that can interfere quite badly with computers. On the other hand, the further up the evolutionary line an individual is, the better control over itself it will have, so a metagross might be able to exercise enough self-restraint to avoid frying anything it comes in contact with.

Of course, this covers magnetic damage; it doesn’t cover physical. On that note, if you find that your keyboard is strangely worn or even completely destroyed by what seems to be a set of heavy claws … then yes, your metagross has been using your computer. If not, then you’re probably all right.

Pokémon like Porygon and Metagross – due to their technological nature (and mind), do they thing differently than other ‘Mon?

Yes, actually, but not in the same way. For the most part, the porygon line thinks very much like people, but they’re by and large highly obedient and a bit inclined to … think highly of their trainers, to put it politely. This is because they were created by humans, so they were, well, programmed to be like that. Porygon-Z is the exception: while it still retains human-like intelligence, it’s far more unpredictable. Researchers aren’t quite sure why, but I personally believe it might have been an experiment in AI sentience gone a bit awry.

Metagross, meanwhile, is indeed essentially a living supercomputer, but its origins aren’t human in nature. Consequently, it’s a bit more alien in mindset, which of course goes into the challenge of training one. It’s impressive how non-universal something like morality can be, especially when comparing the moral compass of the general human population to that of, say, a rampaging mega metagross.

The Beldum Line

bills-pokedex:

Beldum
The Iron Ball Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 374
Entry: A magnetic pokémon rare in but native to the mountains of Hoenn and Sinnoh. It uses its magnetism to move and communicate with other beldum, both of which are essential to it, as its movepool is limited. More specifically, until evolution, beldum only learn one move naturally: Take Down, a devastating physical move in which it rams itself into its opponent, dealing damage to both itself and its target. As an aside, given the shape of this pokémon and the aforementioned fact, it is worth it to note that “rams itself into its opponent” is also not a euphemism, Bebe, and quite frankly, the author is horrified by the fact that anyone thinks it would be.

Metang
The Iron Claw Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 375
Entry: The evolved form of beldum, by battle experience. When two beldum become very close, their magnetism draws them closer together until they fuse at the head to form a larger, faster, and stronger pokémon gifted with a higher sense of enlightenment and intelligence. To answer Bebe’s question, no, this is not a metaphor, nor is this an accurate description of how certain organs the author and people like him would work during any sort of biological function outside of terribly written and highly bizarre slash fanfiction.

Metagross
The Iron Leg Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 376
Entry: The evolved form of metagross, by battle experience. Much akin to beldum evolution, metagross form when two metang fuse. The resulting pokémon is not only physically and magically powerful (in that it is capable of launching both devastating physical attacks and devastating psychic attacks) but also highly intelligent. The combined brains of the constituent metang work in unison, allowing the metagross’s brain as a whole to function as a highly efficient supercomputer. …This, of course, is what makes metagross interesting, not the first thing in this entry, yet the author’s Sinnohan colleague is writing the fanfiction anyway.

Mega Metagross
The Iron Leg Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 376+
Entry: The advanced form of metagross, via metagrossite. As a result of the power surge from mega evolution, this already fiercely intelligent and extremely powerful pokémon becomes a veritable force of nature on the battlefield. That is to say, mega metagross combines newly sharpened intellect with incredible offensive capabilities to engage in battles so brutal and strategically destructive that opponents—and stadiums—are often rendered utterly out of commission for weeks. Another interesting fact: mega metagross is the signature mega evolution of the champion of Hoenn, Steven Stone. Just … as an unrelated side note that in no way is relevant to the author’s partner.

I can’t tell if you’re trying to dissuade me from having an entirely platonic relationship with Steven because you’re jealous of him or of me. —LH

I don’t see how any part of that could possibly indicate that I’m at all jealous of either of you. —Bill

…okay, maybe I’m a little jealous of you. How did you manage to get invited to coffee with him anyway?! I’ve been talking to him about rare stones and pokémon for years, and we’re barely on a first-name basis! —Bill

A girl has her secrets. 😉 —LH

The Beldum Line

Beldum
The Iron Ball Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 374
Entry: A magnetic pokémon rare in but native to the mountains of Hoenn and Sinnoh. It uses its magnetism to move and communicate with other beldum, both of which are essential to it, as its movepool is limited. More specifically, until evolution, beldum only learn one move naturally: Take Down, a devastating physical move in which it rams itself into its opponent, dealing damage to both itself and its target. As an aside, given the shape of this pokémon and the aforementioned fact, it is worth it to note that “rams itself into its opponent” is also not a euphemism, Bebe, and quite frankly, the author is horrified by the fact that anyone thinks it would be.

Metang
The Iron Claw Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 375
Entry: The evolved form of beldum, by battle experience. When two beldum become very close, their magnetism draws them closer together until they fuse at the head to form a larger, faster, and stronger pokémon gifted with a higher sense of enlightenment and intelligence. To answer Bebe’s question, no, this is not a metaphor, nor is this an accurate description of how certain organs the author and people like him would work during any sort of biological function outside of terribly written and highly bizarre slash fanfiction.

Metagross
The Iron Leg Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 376
Entry: The evolved form of metagross, by battle experience. Much akin to beldum evolution, metagross form when two metang fuse. The resulting pokémon is not only physically and magically powerful (in that it is capable of launching both devastating physical attacks and devastating psychic attacks) but also highly intelligent. The combined brains of the constituent metang work in unison, allowing the metagross’s brain as a whole to function as a highly efficient supercomputer. …This, of course, is what makes metagross interesting, not the first thing in this entry, yet the author’s Sinnohan colleague is writing the fanfiction anyway.