I have a roselia and a floette that both really want to evolve, the only problem is I only have one shiny stone that i found at a fair. My middle evo pokemon are consistently fighting over it, so that leaves me with the question, where can i find more shiny stones?

Here’s a secret the stone industry doesn’t entirely want to share with you: you don’t need a fist-sized stone in order to evolve. All you would need is enough energy within a single stone to trigger evolution. Granted, there’s only a finite number of times you can split an evolution stone before it becomes ineffective (typically, that limit is when the sample is roughly the size of a key stone), but in the case of evolution stones found in the wild, you may be able to get one or two cuts from it without losing its effectiveness.

That having been said, take your shiny stone to a reputable jeweler and ask them to cut it into two. They should know what to do from there. It may not be the least expensive solution, but it will certainly save you more than a few headaches.

Besides, finding a shiny stone on the market isn’t easy. You may be able to find them in the Sinnoh Underground (which is a tourist destination, not a euphemism for their black market) or online, but I would be wary about online retailers, especially on PokéBay. Fake stones aren’t that uncommon. If you choose this option, always buy your evolution stones from a reputable seller, such as EvolutionMarketplace.com.

Hey Bill, do you know any really good Pokémon conventions for avid Poke Maniacs such as myself to bring my wife and child to as well?

Well, for those of you in Unova, there’s the Nimbasa City Pokémon Con (NCPC), which is a general pokémon convention for enthusiasts from practically every facet of pokémon handling, from training to collecting to coordinating.

Unova is also home to the Castelia City Pokéxpo, which is less about the different professions involving pokémon and more about the pokémon themselves. It’s thus considered a fan convention and happens to be one of the largest in the world.

For those of you in Kanto, you’re likely familiar with PIX, or Pokémon International Expo, which is hosted in Celadon City. To put it in short, while PIX originally began as an industry convention much like NCPC, it slowly evolved—forgive the pun—into a general fan convention, where pokémaniacs can gather to connect with others like them while learning about the cutting-edge developments of pokémon training and trends. (I might be biased in saying this one is the most fun, seeing as I attend either this or Dragonite Con every year.)

Goldenrod City’s Dragonite Con, meanwhile, is purely a pokémaniac convention, much like Pokéxpo. The difference between it and Pokéxpo is that there’s a strong lean towards pokémon-centered media there. It’s not unusual to see merchandise for leading pokémon performers, panels about pokémon trends in YA literature, or people cosplaying as Gligarman and other pokémon-themed fictional characters there.

Then you have Lumiose’s Pokéxpo EU, which is, contrary to popular belief, not an offshoot of the Castelia City Pokéxpo, although they cover the same general areas. Additionally, Lumiose hosts a second convention called Wonder Trade Con, which is, put simply, a convention for pokémaniacs interested in trading. (It’s famous for its randomized trading events, hence its name.)

If you’re looking for smaller or more specialized conventions, Gym Con, hosted in Jubilife City, is a convention for pokémaniacs who either aspire to be or are fans of gym leaders. (There is plenty of gym leader merchandise here, incidentally.) Alternatively, you could try Lilycove City’s Pokémon Festival Hoenn, a convention aimed at collectors of pokémon, pokémon-related merchandise, and pokémon-themed media. (It’s said that Steven Stone frequents Pokémon Festival Hoenn~~, but I’ve never seen him there~~.)

Alola, unfortunately, has no large convention of its own yet, although it does host RainbowCon, a relatively small fan convention in Hau’oli City.

Good luck, and have fun!

Hi Bill! I was wondering how do Pokemon and Animals interact with each other both in captivity and in the wild. For example how would a house cat interact with a pet skitty? And what about a wolf verses a lycanroc or a deerling, and a regular deer? Could a regular wolf be able to hunt deerling, and sawsbuck as well as regular deer? Or would the pokemon’s elemental abilities overpower a wolf leaving only lycanroc to hunt them?

By and large, pokémon and animals get along reasonably well. I say “reasonably” because of course wild creatures may display hostility to one another, and it’s true that pokémon wield powers no animal can defend themselves against. Furthermore, unlike humans, pokémon gain no benefit from coexisting with animals, generally speaking, so one would assume that the two don’t cohabit.

Yet strangely … they do. Pokémon actually treat animals with caution for the most part, and while animals are a bit rarer than pokémon, pokémon ensure that there is some sort of niche left for animal wildlife. Sometimes, the two even work together, to build nests, to hunt, or generally to survive. For example, sometimes, wild poochyena will hunt alongside wild coyote to take down larger prey. On the other hand, wild pikachu will often defend rabbits from hawks or snakes, and sunkern will sometimes help squirrels find new sources of nuts. (Then again, with the latter example, that’s partly because squirrels will otherwise eat sunkern.) Even outside of woodland environments, you have corsola serving as homes for fish, rattata leading urban rats to food caches, and so on and so forth.

In the home, meanwhile, most pet pokémon will get along quite well with pet animals. It’s just that pokémon will often perceive themselves to be a step between their human owners and their animal companions. That is to say, pokémon will often view themselves as caretakers for cats, dogs, and so forth, even though they realize they’re only pets for humans themselves.

That relationship has offered a lot of insight into the pokémon kingdom’s relationship to both mankind and the rest of the animal kingdom, actually. By observing the way pet pokémon interact with animal pokémon, scientists were able to form the current going theory: that pokémon view themselves as custodians of nature, in a way. That is to say, because they’re more in-tune with nature than humans are, they take on a role in which they accommodate and work hand-in-hand with the other creatures sharing their world. For humans, that means battling alongside them and getting stronger. For animals, that means living in harmony with them.

Unless, of course, the animals happen to be prey or vice versa. Squirrels eat sunkern, pidgeotto eat worms, and so on and so forth.

Ho big is a pokemon region? How big is a pokemon city? Is a region a country?

No to the last one, anonymous. Rather, our regions are merely fragments of larger countries. For example, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are all regions within the country of Japan. These aren’t the only regions in Japan, but they’re the most populous, to be honest. Kalos, meanwhile, is a good portion of France, while Alola and Unova are both vastly different parts of the United States. There are, of course, more regions than this, but these are simply the only ones participating in the National Dex Program at the moment.

As for how big a city is (I assume you mean one of our cities—pokémon do sometimes organize themselves into primitive social structures, but they’re rarely organized enough to construct entire cities), that also depends. For example, Cerulean City isn’t that large at all. Rather, it only has a population of about 140,000 people, most of which are concentrated within a small urban center surrounding the Cerulean Gym. On the other hand, Goldenrod City, the largest city in Johto, hosts about 2 million inhabitants and sprawls across almost all of Goldenrod Bay’s coastline. Goldenrod isn’t even the largest or most populous city among all seven regions of the National Dex Program (it’s the fifth largest, behind Castelia, Mauville, Nimbasa, and Lumiose), but this should give you a rough idea of how large (and small) a city can be.

Finally, with regards to the size of a region … that’s a bit more difficult to say, anonymous. Some regions, such as Johto, are actually rather small. (Johto and Kanto combined only cover about 40000 square miles. It’s one of the reasons why I have no trouble traveling back and forth across both of them as their regional system administrator.) By contrast, other regions can be quite large—such as Kalos, which takes up over 213 thousand square miles.

In short, our world can be quite diverse in terms of both regional size and population, but no, regions are not countries in themselves.

Are there human hospitals? Embassies? Airports? And the like?

But of course! Human society needs just as many facilities specific to our species as we do facilities specific to pokémon.

Although for whatever reason, a lot of trainers seem to forget that human hospitals exist, so allow me to just say, yes, trainers, if you’re injured and your team isn’t, please consider going to a doctor specific to people. Not only do you avoid using resources meant for pokémon, but you also would be working with a doctor who has a better understanding of how the human body heals. (Not that a Nurse Joy wouldn’t be able to apply first aid, of course! It’s simply that you don’t consult a dentist for a heart condition, so to speak.)

I’ve heard of this thing where trainers visiting new regions will go on an adventure to challenge the league, but will release one of their pokemon if it faints. It’s a pretty popular challenge, but isn’t this considered cruel?

Ah, yes. The “Nuzlocke” challenge.

To be perfectly honest, anonymous, I have mixed feelings about this challenge. On the one hand, yes, there is an element of cruelty to it because it very rarely takes into consideration a pokémon’s feelings on the matter. Oftentimes, pokémon want to remain with their trainers as long as possible, and the act of simply breaking the bonds you’ve worked so hard to achieve after one loss can be devastating or even traumatizing to a pokémon that has come to trust and care deeply for its trainer.

On the other, to be fair, releasing a pokémon is a fact of a trainer’s life, and there are situations where it might not be as cruel as it sounds for this particular challenge.

For one, Nuzlocke challenges tend to be intense, so some trainers release their pokémon out of actual concern for their well-being. Admittedly, this selection of trainers isn’t the majority, but it exists.

For another, the alternative is that trainers engaging in a Nuzlocke challenge send their pokémon home or place them in the storage system until the end of their challenge, which may last only for a single league. After that, they may raise their pokémon equally or simply rehome them as necessary.

And for a third, as I’ve said, releasing is a fact of practically every trainer’s lives, even when they’re not participating in a Nuzlocke challenge. The problem is that not everyone can be a trainer forever, and when one retires, not everyone can keep all of the pokémon they captured on their adventures. It’s simply not feasible for the majority of people. So under normal circumstances, breaking the bonds you’ve created will eventually happen; it’s simply a matter of when. (In these cases, though, I highly encourage rehoming your pokémon with friends or family, or find a reputable shelter that may be able to match your pokémon with a loving home for you.)

So for those three reasons, I can’t rightly say that it’s outright cruel. Granted, yes, the above three situations don’t actually describe the motivations of all trainers who release their pokémon on their Nuzlocke journeys; I’m simply saying that there are instances that are a bit more morally gray than others. In cases where a trainer simply abandons their pokémon for losing, however, yes, that would be outright cruel, especially if the pokémon in question has bonded with them. But otherwise, yes, my opinion of these practices are a bit complicated.

Of course, I don’t entirely understand the point of a Nuzlocke challenge to begin with, but then again, I was never fantastically interested in training for the sake of training itself.

What are the different religions in each region?

Well … this is a bit complicated, anonymous, because every region hosts a varied population, which means you’ll often see a wide variety of beliefs upheld among its people. While it’s true that many regions also have a regional religion tied to local legendaries, these are often only one of many possible, and in some cases, they’re not even the predominant religion of the region.

Take Kanto, for example. Contrary to popular belief, while it’s true that Kantonians generally believe that the legendary birds are actual embodiments of their respective elements, they don’t actually worship them. Rather, the legends tied to the birds are more or less folklore on the same level as local yokai. Instead, the predominant religion of Kanto is actually Shinto, with sizable percentages of the remaining population dedicated to Buddhism and Christianity. Only a small subset of people worship the legendaries themselves, and many of them place Mew at the center of their beliefs—hence the traditional name, Myuu-no-michi (Way of Mew). The beliefs upheld by the followers of Myuu-no-michi are often animistic in nature; that is, they essentially believe that peace can be found if a person becomes one with nature.

Johto, on the other hand, exists on the other end of the spectrum. While there are many followers of Shinto and Buddhism in Johto, it’s more common to find followers of Ho-oh, Lugia, or Celebi (or all three) there. This religion is commonly called Ubame-no-michi (Way of Ilex), although it’s also called Johtoism in Common. I could go into the finer details of what this religion means (I myself am a follower of the sect that worships all three legendaries and would be more than happy to elaborate on its teachings and traditions), but to simplify it as much as possible for the sake of this post, it borrows quite a bit from Shinto, including and especially the respect for kami (which are not necessarily just the legendaries but also the essences of nature in general). Johtonian belief states that all beings have their own essences, and thus, all beings have power and purpose, which in turn means that all living creatures should be respected. Of course, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, yes, Johtoism centers around respecting nature and doing as many good works as one can within their lifetime … or, essentially, it’s Shinto, except we also worship rainbow phoenixes, ocean birds, and/or woodland pixies. (We also believe that there are three beasts who will roam the world until humans are collectively ready as a species to receive Ho-oh again, and seeing as they’re still roaming, I feel completely at ease with referring to the major kami as “rainbow phoenixes, ocean birds, and/or woodland pixies.”)

Most other regional religions fall somewhere in between. Hoennians worship Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza primarily, but their religion (Hoennism) follows the same basic tenets as Johtoism, just with the legends swapped out. (Contrary to popular belief, they do not worship the golems, the lati twins, or Jirachi; these are merely elements of their regional folklore.) By contrast, Unovans and Kaloseans, like Kantonians, don’t follow a regional religion. Rather, Christianity is the primary religion of Kalos (Catholicism, specifically), although I’ve been told more and more Kaloseans describe themselves as non-religious or Muslim. Judaism is also on the rise there as well. (And yes, a few also worship Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde, but these people form a very small sliver of the population. Christians happened to be very charismatic people right around the Middle Ages, and in any case, the Kalosean religion somewhat lost favor thanks to the bit about a weapon devastating a large part of the pokémon population.) As for Unova, it’s more of a melting pot, so while a large number of Unovans describe themselves as Christian (Protestant, especially), practically every religion in the world is represented in some form or another there. However, there is no religion centering around its regional legendaries; this is merely folklore to the Unovans, not an actual faith.

Then, of course, you have the Alolans and the Sinnohans.

While Alola is just as much of a melting pot as Unova (although, as a place where many Johtonian and Kantonian immigrants have settled, it’s more common to see representations of Japanese religions there than western ones), there’s a hardy population of native islanders who worship the local Tapu. Like Johtoism, Alola is heavily focused on respecting nature, but for the Alolans, it has little to do with essences. Rather, nature itself is everything to them. It’s a powerful force in itself, yes, but it’s also a living entity that we humans are merely privileged to be a part of. As such, the local Alolan religion (it has no real name, as it’s tied heavily to Alolan culture) is steeped heavily in traditions, celebrations, and rituals that center around the respect and worship of nature, including its guardians, the Tapu.

Sinnohans, by contrast, follow a unique belief system that centers heavily on the worship of their entire pantheon. Every one of their legendaries is considered a deity to them, but this is especially true for Arceus (their main deity) as well as Palkia and Dialga (the gods of space and time, respectively). In a way, it can be thought of as a very western tradition in that the worship of the gods supersedes the worship of nature (whereas in religions like Johtoism, it’s the other way around), although that’s not to say that the Sinnohans disregard nature at all. It just means that a lot of their beliefs and traditions focus on acknowledging their gods as the creators of all existence and thus not merely a part of it but rather masters of it. (There are also followers of Shinto, Buddhism, and Christianity in the Sinnoh region, but honestly, they’re far fewer in number to the Sinnohans.)

Of course, this just describes the National Dex regions. There are many other regions out there with their own pantheons of legendaries (which themselves have varying degrees of importance to their people). Likewise, there are many other human-based religions out there, including Hinduism (one of the most worshipped religions in existence), Confucianism, Neopaganism, and so on and so forth. It all really goes to show how complex human existence really is. We each have our own ways of thinking and of living our lives, even within each individual region, and even if we share our world with such beings as Arceus, Palkia, and Giratina, we humans still have a lot of questions about who we are, where we came from, or what our purpose in this universe is—questions that we seek to answer through our vastly different faiths and belief systems. Or, well, through our inquisitive natures, of course.

What are the main advantages of living in each region?

Well, that’s an unusual question, anonymous. There are quite a lot of regions out there, and each one has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, depending on what you need and what your preferences are. Even Orre, which is a desert nearly completely devoid of wild pokémon, has fascinating spots of greenery, urban oases, and its own unique analog to the Pokémon League. Conversely, regions such as Kalos, which are highly regarded as popular tourist destinations, has an incredibly high cost of living, never mind how crowded many of its urban areas are. So, really, this is a bit complicated because it really depends on what you’re looking for, and in certain cases, a region that may be seen as paradise to some might be … well, less than ideal for others.

I suppose, though, you’re referring to each of the major regions included in the National Dex, as these tend to be where the highest concentration of trainers tend to go. If that’s the case, then:

Kanto: Kanto is a highly diverse region with plenty to see and do. It has peaceful rural landscapes, plus the modern, urban meccas that are Celadon and Saffron Cities. It’s also proud of its reputation as one of the most technologically advanced and ecologically aware regions in the world, largely thanks to a combination of the efforts of major Saffron-based tech giants such as Silph and the green programs put in place by the Japanese government to protect the nation’s environment. As a result, it’s often seen as the best place for trainers to begin their journeys, as they’re often equipped with the latest pokémon tech, and they have massive expanses of peaceful, pokémon-filled rural areas to explore. It helps, of course, that Professor Oak is the regional pokémon expert, so you quite literally can’t start anywhere better. If, however, you don’t have children who might consider leaving on journeys of their own, then the main advantage of living here would most definitely be its peace. It’s not that difficult to find completely safe neighborhoods full of friendly people who watch out for each other (if you prefer populated areas) or quiet, secluded areas far from civilization (if you’re like me and … don’t prefer populated areas). Additionally, although it’s true that Kanto is technically one of the main centers of Rocket activity, at the very least, our criminal organization hasn’t yet tried to destroy the world using legendary pokémon.

Johto: At the risk of sounding quite biased, Johto is home to a rich cultural history, and it’s quite proud of it too. Every city in Johto possesses its own unique identity, founded on hundreds if not thousands of years of tradition. This isn’t to say that the region is backwards or stuck in the past, either. In fact, it’s just as advanced as Kanto, and Goldenrod City, one of the region’s crowned jewels (okay, perhaps I’m a little biased), rivals the likes of Castelia, Lumiose, and its sister city Saffron in terms of cutting-edge technology. We simply make our history a part of our everyday lives, as Johtonian tradition emphasizes learning from the past in order to better our present. And to top it all off, Johtonians are extremely friendly, largely because they’re very eager to share their culture with outsiders. It’s very easy to feel welcome when moving to Johto, even if you’re by no means a native Johtonian yourself.

Hoenn: Next to Alola, Hoenn is quite possibly the most ecologically beautiful regions one can journey through. While it’s not necessarily as remote as Alola (it is a part of the Japanese archipelago, after all), it’s home to over 100 unique species of pokémon, all of which live in abundance within Hoenn’s equally unique habitats. If you’re hoping for a bit of a tropical vacation in addition to your journey, Hoenn is an excellent choice, as it hosts miles of pristine beaches, a lush rainforest, challenging mountains to climb (including one volcano to traverse), and even its very own desert. Moreover, Hoennians are just as friendly as Johtonians, and they’re often more than happy to share their love of the rural peacefulness of their region. It is, in other words, a place where one can go to get a breath of fresh air and feel one with nature (or with other people living in it).

Sinnoh: If you’re interested in the legendary pokémon, it’s practically imperative that you make at least one journey to (and through) Sinnoh. Sinnoh is a mysterious region, home to vast expanses of rough terrain to travel through, which makes it difficult for many trainers to traverse. However, it’s more than worth it for legendary enthusiasts, as Sinnoh’s cultural identity is thousands of years older than even Johto’s and sports strong ties to the legendaries said to have woven the fabric of the universe itself. As such, there are countless ancient sites dedicated to the legends or to ancient Sinnohans, which means there is a wealth of information for the budding archaeologist or pokémonologist to explore. Otherwise, it’s also a highly mysterious region in itself, home to a number of smaller villages and secluded mountain spots, so if you’re longing for peace and quiet, Sinnoh’s an excellent choice.

Unova: On the other hand, if modern conveniences are of more interest to you, Unova is a constantly growing, constantly developing metropolis. Think of it like every city in Johto and Kanto combined; whereas both Johto and Kanto have smaller, quieter spots, most cities in Unova are exciting and full of people. It’s also a melting pot of culture, with people from all over the world coming together to add their identities to each neighborhood. For example, Unova is one of the few places where you can get Kantonian sushi, take in a Kalosean movie (in the original Kalosean language), and buy authentic Alolan statuettes essentially in the same city block. In short, you will likely never be bored in Unova. (Just … keep an eye on your wallet if you travel through Castelia.)

Kalos: Kalos calls itself the home of high fashion and art, and quite frankly, it’s difficult to argue. The region itself is home to some of the most beautiful rural landscapes outside of Alola and Hoenn, coupled with cities hosting some of the most fascinating architecture one can find. Not only that, but also, the cultural attractions located in Lumiose and Camphrier are second to none when it comes to western art, and most fashion and food trends tend to start in Kalos, thanks to the high concentration of fashion designers based in Laverre and chefs based in the very heart of Lumiose. In short, if you want a dose of western culture on weekends (or if you’re looking for awe-inspiring landscapes), look no further than Kalos. Just … be aware that rent is by no means cheap here.

Alola: Although Alola is remote yet also home to a diverse population of pokémon (meaning the species there aren’t necessarily unique to the region), it’s also one of the most fascinating to travel through. At the moment, it boasts not a gym circuit but instead an island challenge, which is a journey stocked with not only traditional battles but also challenging trials. Additionally, each island hosts its own unique habitat, ranging from tropical paradises to lofty, snow-capped mountains, and each island hosts its own unique ecosystem with separate populations of pokémon. Finally and most importantly, the people of Alola are among the most laid-back one can find among the seven regions of the National Dex. They’re extremely friendly (far friendlier than even Johtonians and Hoennians), and they’re often eager to share their unique culture with others. It’s a fantastic choice for anyone wishing for something different. Just … be aware that rent is even worse here than in Kalos.

I’m shocked that you made it through an entire post about various regions without badmouthing Unova once. —LH

I’ve sworn not to do it anymore. Apparently, it makes Amanita feel bad. —Bill

Oh. Well, in that case, allow me to give you a belated you monster. —LH

I deserve every syllable of that. —Bill

Hello Bill, I apologize for the improper letter formation, my device is screwing with it. But, to the point. Where do you do your research for legendary Pokemon like Palkia and Groudon? I have always enjoyed reading the myths and fables of every culture there is, but for most of the Legendary Pokemon, my library is barren. Thank you for your time!

Excellent question, @veemonup, and the answer is, simply, I have a lot of sources. In some cases, such as with Groudon and Hoennian legendaries, I may actually visit sites related to them, accompanied by experts, in order to gather information for myself. Sometimes, it’s better to see the sites in order to understand a legendary’s power, its element, or the vaguest notion of how it lived. Other times, it’s simply better to visit such sites in order to take in local culture and gain a better understanding first-hand of the lore surrounding them.

In other cases, I may travel to regions in order to locate texts related to legendaries (as with the Sinnohan legendaries, whose sacred texts have been collected and stored in the highly venerable Canalave Library), or I may simply dig for scans or transcribed texts online.

Finally, the other option is simply consulting a network of experts, such as Cynthia, Steven, Professor Sycamore, and so forth. Oftentimes, their research is just as comprehensive and invaluable as anything I can find on my own. Perhaps even more so, as they’ve got more years of experience and exposure to those legends than I do, and thus, they’re more capable of interpreting texts.

(Alternatively, in some cases, it’s better to consult the experts than anything else. Take Johtonian legends, for example. While I recommend visiting our shrines and while our texts are highly enlightening if you can read Old Johtonian, it’s just an all-around better experience if you ask a kimono girl.)

Of course, I’m aware that these methods aren’t exactly feasible for anyone with limited time, money, or mobility, and for that, I apologize. I can recommend the second, though—particularly the part concerning finding scans or transcribed texts online. Many libraries in which the old or sacred texts are housed have actually carefully scanned them in order to make them available online (usually because the texts themselves are culturally important but too fragile to display or share with the public). It would be worth it to start there, then use search engines to find more. For example, try visiting canalavelibrary.org if you’re interested in Palkia, then try searching for professors’ websites or other academically recommended text depositories.

Good luck!

My Primarina and I have a great relationship, on and off the battlefield. Recently, my parents hired what they thought was a good vocal coach for her. However, as the days passed on, my starter’s voice became hoarser and hoarser. We’ve decided to take a break from battling until further notice. My mom went back to check the coach’s credentials and turns out, he wasn’t certified at all! My parents are taking legal action against him. What should we do to prevent this from happening again?

Always check a professional’s credentials before leaving your pokémon with them. Anyone can create a seemingly legitimate business these days, even if they actually lack the credentials or training to perform the skills they’re offering. It’s especially a problem in regions where criminal organizations (namely Team Rocket) are active, as many will use these businesses as fronts for money laundering, if they aren’t simply attempting to scam customers out of money or their pokémon partners.

So yes, verify a business’s credentials first. Read reviews from other customers. Do a lot of research on the business and, if possible, the person running it. Never assume that a business is legitimate, just because it looks that way at first glance.

(Also, don’t feel bad about falling for this “singing coach.” There have been reports in Kanto and Johto of a pair of Rocket underlings scamming the same trainers out of their pokémon using entirely different scams every week for years. Some con artists are simply good at what they do.)