Rockruff and Lycanroc

bills-pokedex:

Rockruff
The Puppy Pokémon
Type: Rock
Official Registration #: 744
Entry: Thought to be the cousin of growlithe, this small, puppy-like pokémon possesses very much the same disposition. It is highly loyal, and it’s very fond of humans. As such, it’s considered one of the easier pokémon for beginning trainers to start off with, as its loyal and agreeable disposition make it easy to teach rockruff new tricks. For this reason, rockruff is also generally considered to be a Good Dog.

Lycanroc (Midday Form)
The Wolf Pokémon
Type: Rock
Official Registration #: 745
Entry: The evolved form of rockruff, by battle experience, if trained during the day. Exposing rockruff to sunlight during its evolution causes it to evolve into a quadrupedal form of lycanroc. This form retains a lot of the same loyalty and agreeable disposition as its preevolved form, and as such, this pokémon is considered to be a stalwart battler and excellent companion. However, be warned: while it normally uses the sharp rocks around its collar as weapons, some retain the tendency to rub these rocks against their trainers as a form of affection. Considering the fact that these rocks can grow to be a foot long and roughly as sharp as knives, this may result in unfortunate mishaps. Nonetheless, this form of lycanroc is still generally considered to be a Good Dog.

Lycanroc (Midnight Form)
The Wolf Pokémon
Type: Rock
Official Registration #: 745
Entry: The evolved form of rockruff, by battle experience, if trained during the night. Allowing rockruff to evolve under the cover of night causes it to assume a more violent, impulsive form. While this form of lycanroc loses its rocky collar, it gains a hard head, which it uses to smash its opponents into submission after it goads them into attacking. Well aware of its boots in power, midnight lycanroc actively seeks opponents and will attack without being ordered to, rendering this form of lycanroc highly difficult to tame and train. However, despite the comparative difficulties of training this form (as opposed to rockruff or midday lycanroc), midnight lycanroc is not considered to be a Bad Dog but rather a Not Quite Great But Still Pretty All Right Dog.

Lycanroc (Dusk Form)
The Wolf Pokémon
Type: Rock
Official Registration #: 745
Entry: The evolved form of rockruff, by battle experience, if trained at dusk (if the subject’s ability is Own Tempo). When exposed to the fading light of dusk, some rockruff may evolve into a quadrupedal form that is, in many ways, the midpoint between midnight and midday lycanroc. Not only is it physically very much like a midpoint between these two forms (quadrupedal like the midday form but also covered with spikes similar to midnight’s), but also, its disposition is a rather unpredictable mix of midday’s calmness and midnight’s aggression. Yet despite this, lycanroc’s dusk form is not known for being a Good Dog or a Bad Dog or even a Not Quite Great But Still Pretty All Right Dog. Instead, it’s known for being a Cheeto Dog … because of its orange pelt. Because that’s just how the internet works.

I am considering evolving my rockruff. What are the difference in upkeep of each lycanroc’s formes and do you have any recommendations for which forme to evolve?

In terms of basic care, all three are essentially identical. The difference between them (other than conditions of evolution) lie in personality and habits. You see, midday lycanroc are largely diurnal (meaning, active during the day), whereas midnights are nocturnal. Thus, if you train a midday lycanroc, be prepared to wake up early to begin training at dawn (or to simply feed it and let it out). On the other hand, training a midnight lycanroc tends to be difficult for any trainer short of habitual night owls.

Furthermore, midday lycanroc are often calmer in nature. This makes them great pets, but they don’t particularly excel at battling and often prefer running away. By contrast, the more aggressive midnight lycanroc possesses more power and defensive capabilities than its diurnal counterpart, but its disposition often means it doesn’t play well with its teammates and may need constructive outlets for excess energy.

Then there’s the dusk lycanroc, which is the most adaptable and balanced forme. That is, they have largely calm dispositions like their midday counterpart, combined with the power and willingness to battle of their midnight cousins. The downside is that dusk lycanroc can sometimes display bouts of aggression, and on top of that, they’re the hardest evolution to attain, with only a handful of rockruff being capable of it in the first place.

In short, choose midday if you want a pet, midnight if you want to battle, and dusk if you want both (or a challenge).

Best of luck, anonymous!

How do you care for a newly evolved Lycanroc? (Midday).

He just evolved, and I’m not familiar with his body language, or if this or that is normal. What toy’s he would like.. I would really enjoy the help.

Bill: Caring for a lycanroc (either of them) is very similar to caring for any other canine pokémon on the most basic terms. Namely:

For food, always remember that your lycanroc is primarily a carnivore. While he can eat grains, berries, and vegetables (try to limit fruits as much as possible, due to their sugar content), his natural diet would have consisted of small animals, birds, and fish, and thus, you’ll want to emulate that as much as possible. If you can’t, kibble will do just as well, but read the label carefully and buy a reputable brand.

For space, you’ll need plenty of it for a lycanroc. They’re by no means small pokémon, and they thrive when they’re given plenty of space to run about. If your backyard has some rugged landscape, allow your lycanroc to claim that as part of its space, but if you simply have a yard, that will do just as well. As a note, be sure to maintain this space, as your lycanroc will likely use it to relieve himself as well. (While, yes, pokémon dung can be used as fertilizer, not cleaning up after your lycanroc increases your chances of stepping in it or your lycanroc’s chances of trailing it all over your home.)

Your lycanroc should also be given a bed indoors, so he may have some sort of shelter during the rain. You may also wish to housetrain your lycanroc so he understands how to relieve himself on newspapers or at least tolerate rain in emergencies (and, well, not relieve himself indoors, of course). Don’t worry. Housetraining works exactly the same way as any other sort of training. It’s just that you’re simply teaching your lycanroc where to relieve himself, rather than how to use his moves.

On that note, lycanroc should be walked at least once a day, if not trained for at least an hour as a form of exercise. Ideally, he should be made to climb something (a pile of training rocks, for example, or a hill near your home) as a form of aerobic exercise similar to what he would receive in the wild, but if this isn’t an option, simply battling with him once a day should work. You can do so against trainers or against sturdy enough training dummies.

In terms of toys, lycanroc enjoy a wide range of dog toys, and those geared towards houndoom, arcanine, or stoutland work just as well as ones geared towards lycanroc specifically. (Some toy makers will advertise sturdier toys specific to lycanroc, but don’t fall for this! Every toy will likely be annihilated by your lycanroc, and ones for larger canines are just as safe.) Because the selection is so vast, it would honestly be best to experiment with your lycanroc in order to discover his preferences. Try taking him with you to a pokémart and have him pick the toys that interest him the most. Alternatively, there are excellent “box subscription” services for dog pokémon (such as Crunch Crate) that curate treats and toys for dog pokémon. These tend to be excellent for canine trainers who aren’t entirely sure what brands or types to try with their pokémon.

Finally, there is one rather important difference between lycanroc and most other dog pokémon, and that’s the fact that midday lycanroc are pack pokémon. (This is contrary to midnight lycanroc, which is exclusively solitary and should be handled with care when integrating into a team.) That is to say, they are among the most loyal dog pokémon in existence, second to perhaps houndoom, and as such, they thrive when placed in settings with multiple pokémon, preferably other (midday) lycanroc. It could thrive with just the company of its trainer, but the point is, it would be happiest if placed on a team.

As for his body language, yes, it’s normal to have an adjustment period after the evolution of a pokémon. It may take some time for you to familiarize yourself with your lycanroc’s habits, but be sure to note down anything that doesn’t quite seem right to you. Unfortunately, without specifics, I can’t really offer any advice on what anything might mean, but if you notice anything odd, you can always bring it up with your local Nurse Joy to get a definitive answer as to whether or not your lycanroc’s behavior is normal.

Best of luck, anonymous!