Hi Bill, I was wondering if you could help clear something up for me? My family and I moved from Mahogany town to Canalave city a few years ago and since then me and my brother have been getting a lot of odd looks and seem to be being treated differently than most of the other people our age. The only reason I’ve been able to see is that I’m a dark type specialist and my brother’s a specialist in ghost types. I was hoping you might know if this has anything to do with it.

Admittedly, the people of Johto and the people of Sinnoh have had a bit of a rivalry going on for ages over our respective customs. Namely, Johtonians typically honor the twin guardians Ho-oh and Lugia above all other legendary pokémon, whereas Sinnohans follow a hierarchy centered around Arceus and the guardians of time, space, and states of being. It doesn’t help, of course, that the last time our two regions did anything collaborative, the Sinnohans put an altar to Arceus in it. Johtonians, being Johtonians (even back when we worshipped the unown, which was before we worshipped Ho-oh and Lugia), responded by sealing off all entrances to said shrine except for the one going through what’s currently the Ruins of Alph. Because we Johtonians take pride in the fact that we had perfected the art of being petty long before we had a proper word for it.

Also, Johtonians in general have … a bit of a reputation about them in other regions that isn’t exactly flattering. Some regions find us funny, outspoken, or emotional. Others find us brash, loud, overly ambitious, and (if you’re from certain parts of Goldenrod or Olivine) possibly some kind of delinquent.

If I recall correctly, Mahogany Town is a bit more removed from the regional customs than many other cities and towns in Johto—including Goldenrod—and as such, the regional rivalry with Sinnoh isn’t quite as lively there as it is elsewhere. Conversely, Canalave City, being the entryway into the Sinnoh region as well as one of its many cultural centers (thanks to the Canalave Library), is also home to those who are very, very dedicated to Sinnohan customs, including maintaining a rather … welcoming attitude towards anyone who speaks with one of the Johtonian dialects.

Granted, yes, it’s also true that Sinnohans “worship” a dark-type legendary and a ghost-type legendary (in that they fear them—greatly), but for that reason, any researcher or expert who wishes to study them tends to be higher respected than one would think. There’s a reason why Canalave has a library, after all: knowledge is power in Sinnoh.

So in other words, it’s probably less because of your type specialties and more because, well, you may obviously be from Johto. This isn’t to say you absolutely must change yourselves to fit in. Speaking as someone who had left Johto to live in Kanto (a region home to even more colorful opinions of Johtonians than anything that’s crossed a Sinnohan’s mind), it’s possible to get along just fine within a region that customarily thinks you’re hilarious and quaint. In your case, I would recommend establishing yourselves as serious experts of your types. Help other Sinnohans overcome their fear of dark- or ghost-types and teach them the proper way to care for ordinary pokémon of your respective elements. The more you can serve as a teacher to others, the easier it will be to get people to feel comfortable with you … or at least take you seriously.

And because I’m certain at least one of my colleagues is just waiting to make a comment about that last part, I would like to remind all of you that I am, in fact, well-respected within the Pokémon Association and that one of you who I’m sure would love to imply otherwise also speaks with a Goldenrod accent, Bebe.

I have very bad insomnia problems, not only is it hard for me to fall asleep, but I also wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes multiple times. Would the use of sleep powder or sing be beneficial for me?

I would highly suggest only using Sleep Powder in cases where your insomnia is particularly severe. Using Sleep Powder routinely can cause a human to become dependent on it, and in any case, even one use can be risky. If you aren’t extremely familiar with your own body, it may be difficult to figure out the proper dosage. Incorrect dosages may be either ineffective or far too effective, depending on the situation. There have even been cases where the patient was incapable of falling asleep and wound up experiencing vivid hallucinations instead.

Granted, it is an effective sleep aid when taken responsibly. It just requires working with a doctor or, as I’ve mentioned above, an inordinate amount of knowledge concerning one’s own body to figure out what “responsibly” means. But when taken, it results in deep, restful, and (at the risk of revealing far too much about myself) essentially dreamless sleep.

Sing, meanwhile—as well as similar, non-chemically-based sleep moves (Grasswhistle, Lovely Kiss, Hypnosis, and even Yawn)—are indeed far easier to control. More specifically, while Sleep Powder users do consciously manage their quantified output but have no control over the specific qualities of their powder’s chemical potency, Sing users (as well as those using any of the other aforementioned moves) have complete control over the effectiveness of their techniques. Thus, not only would a Sing user lull you to sleep, but they’ll also be able to regulate their singing at a moment’s notice if they feel that they need to adjust. However, Hypnosis users, particularly members of the drowzee family, are preferable because their psychic abilities also allow them to monitor exactly how effective their techniques are. (It’s just that neither drowzee nor hypno should be used in proximity to children or on children directly, as their powers may induce pokémonitis instead.)

Of course, it’s also wise to consult with your doctor about a more long-term option. While these moves are great for treating insomnia on a night-to-night basis, it’s far less risky and far healthier to determine the root cause of your sleep issues and treat those. That way, you avoid developing a dependency on any of these sleep aids (all of them can be habit-forming), as well as any adverse side-effects your condition may have on your overall health. It may even be as simple as using a pokémon with Aromatherapy or Sweet Scent to reduce stress instead of following the procedures outlined above.

Good luck, anonymous.

What Pokémon are used in times of war and for what purposes?

To be frank, human beings have found ways to use just about every pokémon in war—even togekiss and blissey, pokémon who would be vehemently opposed to the concept. It’s a rather ugly subject, and I for one am staunchly opposed to the use of pokémon in active war zones myself. It’s one thing to engage in friendly battles with other trainers or to use pokémon in self-defense. It’s another thing entirely to put a pokémon’s life in danger for the sake of politics.

I think that among the few pokémon I’d be willing to talk about regarding the matter would be the medics, which consist of exactly the sorts of pokémon you would think: chansey, audino, wigglytuff, and all others used by Nurse Joys. Blissey tend to be the most prevalent for this purpose, as their healing abilities are the most potent of all. Medic pokémon are also sometimes used for more domestic purposes on military bases, such as cooking, unloading supplies—even helping to train new recruits (although the latter function is usually handled by fighting- and rock-types).

Then, of course, there are “sniffer pokémon,” or pokémon trained specifically to hunt for mines. These are used during peacetime in certain countries as well, as those nations frequently have active minefields from past wars. Quite a few pokémon may fit this description, but rattata’s light weight, combined with its keen sense of smell, have made it a prevalent sniffer pokémon as of late.

Finally, of course, there are togekiss, which are less used and more seen guiding civilians to safety and protecting them from the less pleasant aspects of living in a war zone. Some ghost-types, such as members of the yamask line, have also been known to do this.

Then, of course, you have the plethora of pokémon who are used as soldiers, as mentioned above, but … I would rather refrain from describing all the ways any given military force has used pokémon for active warfare. I know that it would be far more professional to prevent my feelings on the matter from getting in the way of my ability to answer a valid question, but it’s not just because the actual details are rather horrific, anonymous. It’s because human beings are extremely creative when it comes to finding ways to turn things into weapons. Think of anything a human being would do during a war. Literally anything. Humans have figured out how to use pokémon to do it, and that’s only part of the list of what uses humans have found for pokémon during a war. If you recall news from a decade or two ago, you may remember that some of the things we’ve used pokémon for are technically war crimes.

That should give you an idea of how wide the spectrum is. On one end, you have medical pokémon, training pokémon, and perhaps a few normal-types assisting with administrative work. On the other, you have … well. You probably remember.

So it’s likely understandable that I’m a bit uncomfortable with the subject.

So I’m going to be leaving soon for about a week, and so far I’ve no one willing or able to look after my pyroar while I am gone. Is it okay to leave him at home in his pokeball or in a pc just for the week, or do I simply need to keep looking?

Yes, it’s absolutely fine to leave your pokémon in a PC if you’re expecting to be incapable of caring for a pokémon over a longer period of time. In fact, that’s actually one of the reasons why the PC exists. We’re aware that not every pokémon is capable of being housed for long-term care, especially given the finite space that traditional pokémon centers, day care centers, or “pokémon hotels” have. (Never mind the fact that most centers and day cares have limits on how long a pokémon may be able to stay, and it’s sometimes difficult to find a reputable pokémon hotel.) The PC will place your pokémon in a safe state of suspended animation until you’re fully capable of caring for them again, so it’s certainly one option.

Understandably, of course, some humans prefer to find actual people who will be able to take care of their pokémon, so I would suggest using the PC as a final resort, if you’ve exhausted all other options…

…short of a pokémon hotel, anyway.

(Seriously, don’t put your pokémon in a pokémon hotel. A day care or pokémon center, perhaps, but not a pokémon hotel.)

Best of luck in temporarily homing your pyroar, anonymous!

I was just recently offered the position of fairy type gym leader, and I was wondering how to choose the Pokémon I use in battle? I have very strong fairies but they’re probably too strong for gym Battles… what do I do?

It may be worth it to note that this is a fairly common question for new gym leaders. You see, all gym leaders have strong teams that may be too difficult for a trainer to defeat. We wouldn’t give someone gym certification if they weren’t strong, highly skilled trainers, after all!

For this reason, the first step in any gym leader’s career is to catch and raise a variety of pokémon at different skill levels. Gym leaders typically have two or three different teams, which they rotate to match their opponent’s general ability. Take Misty of Cerulean City, for example. Her more well-known team consists of a young staryu and equally young starmie, which she uses to battle novice trainers. This is because on a typical Kantonian journey, she’s the second gym leader in the circuit, so she needs to be prepared to battle trainers who don’t quite have the skills to take on a gym leader operating at full strength. however, occasionally, she faces experienced trainers from Johto or trainers doing the Kanto circuit backwards (starting from Cinnabar or Fuchsia and ending in Viridian), so rather than allow these trainers to blow past her gym, she instead challenges them with the team that helped her earn her certification, which consists of four highly trained, highly experienced water-types. Additionally, she doesn’t simply keep those; rather, she collects water-types who may one day replace her staryu or starmie if they grow too powerful. (Or, rather, she collects less powerful water-types whenever she isn’t busy loitering on my property uninvited, but that’s neither here nor there.)

The point is, anonymous, don’t feel restricted to your team. By all means, catch another set and train them until they pose an appropriate level of challenge for the trainers you will see on a daily basis. You should have time to do so before your gym is ready to be opened (assuming you’re taking the customary grace period given to new leaders for this exact purpose and for preparing their gyms), and there’s nothing in the rules that say you can’t work with a breeder if you’re worried about time.

Best of luck, anonymous, and congratulations on your new position!

When Psychic types “talk” to humans, do they have their own voices and accents or do they just sound like that little voicr in you hear

It depends on their level of mastery over telepathy, actually. Younger, less powerful pokémon tend to sound exactly as they do when speaking aloud. That is to say, an abra’s words will sound like an abra’s barks do to your ears.

As they get older or more powerful, however, they gain the ability to replicate different voices, and thus, they sound however they feel like sounding. Some of the most powerful pokémon, I’m told, tend to use deeper voices, occasionally with accents seen as being “high class” to humans, all in an effort to instill an appropriate level of respect. For another example, my own kadabra most often reminds me of my grandfather’s voice: bass, smooth, and with an accent much like my own. Amanita’s munna, conversely, often “speaks” with a high-pitched, feminine voice, even though the munna is actually male.

In general, though, psychic pokémon make an effort to avoid using your voice when it speaks. This is for two reasons. First and foremost, using your voice increases the risk that you mistake what they have to say for your own inner thoughts, leading you to inadvertently ignore them. Second, it doesn’t exactly do wonders for one’s emotional stability, no.

So I read in a magazine a boy named Ash Ketchum and his greninja were able to sort of fuse and create an Ash- Greninja. Is this fusion possible with all types of Pokémon? Or was that story a hoax?

It’s difficult to say, anonymous. The “Ash-greninja” is a fairly new discovery, and not much is known about how it works and whether or not it’s possible for others. We assume that it’s similar to mega-evolution, but until we fully understand that, it may still be a mystery.

I do know, though, that Ash Ketchum is a rather unique individual, so it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if this is a talent of his alone. On that note, I fully believe that the story was not a hoax … but then again, I first learned of this evolutionary anomaly from Professor Oak, so perhaps my opinions were influenced just a little from the outset.

Occasionally trainers send out Pokémon who are actively caring for their young, e.g. Clamperl or Kangaskhan. I always forfeit for fear of harming the young or damaging the ability of the parent to care for them, but what is the legal status here?

One important thing to keep in mind concerning clamperl at the very least is that many people mistake the lumps inside its shell for children. In actuality, the pink sphere is its head, and the lumps surrounding it are merely its organs. Granted, all of these are soft tissues, but clamperl is fully capable of shutting its shell before any real damage is done to them.

As for kangaskhan, rest assured that if her joey is too young to battle, then the kangaskhan herself will refuse to battle except in life-threatening instances, and believe me, it is extremely difficult to convince a kangaskhan to battle otherwise. Any kangaskhan who wishes to battle with a joey in her pouch is actually attempting to teach her joey how to battle, and she will always keep a wary eye out for any attack that may do harm to her young or render her incapable of taking care of it. This sounds like a kangaskhan is therefore at a disadvantage, but in actuality, the species is infamous for its ability to multitask. A mother kangaskhan who’s teaching her joey how to battle is even more formidable and skilled than most pokémon who battle on their own.

All of this is really important to note because in these cases, the Pokémon Association and the regional governments see nothing wrong with allowing clamperl or kangaskhan to battle. In fact, in kangaskhan’s case, preventing her from doing so is considered detrimental to her mental health and the development of her young. Joeys, unfortunately, don’t learn how to battle on their own, so they need the observations they glean from watching their mothers battle up close to figure out how to do it themselves.

With regards to any other pokémon that has young, trainers are expected to exercise their better judgment. Most good trainers never use hatchlings immediately after birth as they lack proper battling skills, but their parents are usually ready (and frequently eager) to go. Obviously, if a hatchling is so weak it absolutely needs its parent (namely in the case of illness), then a trainer is required to let their pokémon care for their young, but most good trainers will allow the parent to do this. A trainer who refuses and insists on using the parent despite the failing health of the hatchling is quite possibly abusive. However, you’ll be able to tell the difference between the average pokémon-trainer relationship and a case of abuse by looking at the disposition of the pokémon. If it seems that the pokémon is at all unwilling to battle, then that’s a good sign that something is wrong. A pokémon with young to care for will put the young first, before even battling.

In short, that’s rather kind of you to be so concerned about hatchlings and their parents, dear reader, but rest assured, both clamperl and kangaskhan are more capable of battling than you would think, as are most other pokémon with young. So for that reason, there are only really laws in place regarding general pokémon abuse but not specifically bringing young onto the battlefield.

My boyfriends younger sister is very close to me and I’ve been asked by her parents to figure out a suitable starter for her (I’m a fairy researcher, but I don’t think they know I’m specialized in only one typing) she’s very shy with new people, what do you think a good starter for her would be?

Well, anonymous, that depends. What would your boyfriend’s sister want? If she would be interested in a fairy-type, then there’s actually nothing that would prevent you from giving her one. In fact, given her shyness, some of the ones who do well around humans, such as jigglypuff or marill, may be excellent choices for her, as these may encourage her to communicate with others (rather than run away at the first sight of a human who isn’t her). In fact, marill’s secondary water typing may even give it the advantage in some regions, particularly those where the first gym is of the rock type.

Otherwise, there are quite a vast number of pokémon that would be ideal for people who are otherwise rather shy. The traditional starters themselves are often trained to handle people of all dispositions, including those who might not be comfortable communicating off the battlefield. Of those, grass-types tend to be the calmest and least challenging in most regions, and bulbasaur and chikorita are widely known for their ability to calm those who might be in uncomfortable situations (including socializing).

If, however, the traditional starters are not accessible to you, it would then depend on your region or on which breeders you know. By and large, the more common the pokémon, the more comfortable with humans they are. Naturally, they may also be challenging starters, as extremely common pokémon such as rattata may be weaker than most other available pokémon. Thus, giving your boyfriend’s sister one of these as a starter may do more harm than good for her self-esteem, as early battles may be difficult for her. On the other hand, they also tend to be easier to tame and quicker to train than rarer pokémon, as their requirements for care tend to be easier to meet. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t rule out rare pokémon entirely, either. If you can obtain them, a fair number of them—such as meowth, pikachu, growlithe, or eevee—are both extremely friendly and wonderful conversation starters, meaning it’s more likely that someone would be willing to break the metaphorical ice with a trainer who owns one of these than anything else.

The point is, it’s difficult to offer specific advice because, really, every pokémon may be a suitable starter. I would simply avoid any pokémon who’s also notoriously shy, lazy, or difficult to handle, and many of these are listed as such in their pokédex entries. Conversely, for someone who’s shy around new people, she may fare well with pokémon who are more well-known for being friendly or loyal.

But above all else, you may simply want to ask her what pokémon she would most like to train. Matching her with a partner she wants to bond with will help her feel more comfortable with the idea of training and battling. If she can reach that point, she’ll be able to communicate with others the best way trainers know how: by battling.

Best of luck to you and your boyfriend’s sister!

I suppose my question is a bit more on the technology side of things than the pokemon side, but why is it that Dusk Balls work better in the dark?

Dusk balls are actually part of a line of environmental/circumstantial capture devices that also include dive and net balls. While dusk balls were released to the public much later than the other three, they work essentially the same way. For example, have you ever wondered why dive balls work better underwater or in the vicinity of a large body of water? It’s because the ball is built in with sensors that gather information on the wetness of a certain area. Even when surfing, you’re bound to get a bit wet, and the dive ball understands this and increases the strength of its capture net. In the same way, dusk balls have sensors calibrated to detect light. The less light detected when you expand the ball, the stronger the ball’s capture net will be. In both cases, there is always a baseline; dusk and dive balls work just as well as basic poké balls when not in their respective environments. It’s just that their capture systems are designed in such a way that when certain conditions are met, their internal batteries give them a power boost when used on a pokémon.

As for why, specifically, these balls are designed to do such a thing, it’s because this specific line of poké balls was designed to capture very specific pokémon. Whereas dive and net balls were designed to capture ocean- and river-dwelling pokémon (and bug-types, in the case of the net ball), the dusk ball was originally meant to capture cave-dwelling and nocturnal pokémon.