Hello! Do you happen to have the time to explain how HMs and TMs work?

Certainly!

As you likely know, modern-day TMs and HMs require three components: a poké ball, the TM case (a bit of a misnomer, as the case works with HMs as well), and the disk itself. As a note, there are different types of cases. Some people prefer the tube-like universal case that can store multiple disks at once, but others prefer the older style of cube cases that can only take on one disk at a time.

With either style, there should be a slot for your poké ball. In the tube style, this slot is located on one end, in the white-colored groove. For older, cube-style cases, that groove is located beneath the numbered latch. Either way, you would begin by placing your poké ball in that groove, then replacing the cover to avoid injury via the digitization process. For tube-style TM cases, you would also need to insert the disk you wish to use into the labeled drive close to the ball groove; cube-style cases, especially first- and second-generation devices, will have the disk already built in. (This is partly why TMs were single-use up until recently. The whole thing tended to break after one attempt. Third-generation TMs switched almost completely over to the tube-style of case, but the problem with those was that the ejection process tended to damage the disk beyond repair, thanks to a rather nasty design flaw. Fourth-generation TM cases onward improved on the design so that disks are now ejectable on all models, but you likely already knew this.)

Once the poké ball and disk are inserted properly, it’s just a simple matter of turning the device on and initiating the tutoring sequence by way of pressing “yes.”

This is the part you were likely referring to. Inside the TM case is a digitizer and virtual grid, much like the one used to store your poké balls in your regional storage system—or, for that matter, to store pokémon inside each poké ball. Once the contained poké ball has been digitized and suspended within the virtual grid, the information contained on your TM or HM disk is uploaded to your pokémon’s data and integrated where appropriate (that is, within the parts that encode its battling memory). Once that’s complete, your pokémon is reintegrated into the real world, and just like that, it will know the move you were trying to teach it.

Of course, this process applies just to the most popular styles of TM cases. There is also a slightly rarer style of TM case put out by the Pokémon Cutting-Edge Technology Research Center, which is a more pocket-sized cube capable of transmitting move data via digital pulses, so all one would have to do is pull the case apart over a compatible pokémon. Unfortunately, these are single-use TMs for obvious reasons, and the researchers at the Technology Research Center are still working out a few kinks in the system related to that. Also, seeing as how, precisely, this system works is a bit of a trade secret and seeing as the Technology Research Center is also one of my many employers, I’m unfortunately not at liberty to go into more detail than is already covered by the promotional packet. (Sorry.)

Then, of course, you also have the people who prefer to use the TM and HM disks as DVDs. You see, although each disk actually does contain information on how the move is used, they also contain tutorials that break each move down in ways that are comprehensible to a human. Thus, some people prefer to read this data themselves and use it to construct their own methods of teaching pokémon those same moves—which, according to some communities, is far more effective than doing so by machine. It makes sense, largely because by teaching your pokémon manually, you can incorporate their needs and body plan into your method, which in turn allows a pokémon to “feel” a move as they learn it. In short, it makes the process more natural for them, which means they come to comprehend their new moves in terms of the way their bodies use it, rather than purely from an academic approach.

Incidentally, yes, humans who have learned the information contained within a disk well enough to teach that one move to a wide variety of pokémon—including those that might not be compatible with the move according to the TM case—are called move tutors. (Yes, there are move tutors that teach themselves the mechanics of moves that are not contained in TM or HM disks. It’s just that one of the ways some of them learn is through the disk system.) And I only bring this up because there is a gentleman in Goldenrod City who knows, at minimum, three of these moves and frequently offers them to trainers who wander near the Game Corner, and long story short, please do not give him any coins if he offers to teach your team Flamethrower, Ice Beam, or Thunderbolt. I assure you, the explanation behind how he’s able to do this is far more mundane than you would think, and frankly, I’ve told my father many times that he needs to stop scamming tourists.

Could you suggest some options for pokemon that would be most reliable to use as a bodyguard?

That depends on why you need a bodyguard, anonymous. Almost any pokémon can serve as bodyguards for very specific reasons.

For example, most people employ fighting-types, as many fighting-types possess larger, more imposing forms or the hand-to-hand combat skills to discourage a physical assault from a human. Tyranitar, aggron, and vigoroth may also be used for similar purposes. (Slaking is not used for this purpose, however, as its special ability and generally lazy nature tend to make it a less-than-ideal candidate for such a job.) Aggron in particular tends to be extremely popular for this purpose.

However, assaults from a pokémon tend to be handled by either shedinja (which is protected by Wonderguard) or dark/ghost-types such as sableye or spiritomb. Spiritomb is especially favored for this job, as they also possess rather imposing statures themselves.

Other people use psychic pokémon for their bodyguards, thanks to a combination of their powerful telekinesis (which are effective against bullets and other weaponry) and their precognitive abilities (which are effective against, well, any situation). Psychics can also neutralize poison-types and protect their owners from telepathic assaults.

Then you have the people who prefer more discreet methods for a wide variety of reasons, including for use in highly public events. Members of the gastly line tend to be the most popular for these cases, as their abilities to turn themselves invisible and slip into and out of shadows make them very difficult to detect. However, any ghost-type with an intangible body (and thus, most ghost-types barring the shuppet line, shedinja, and the ghosts of Kalos) and smaller dark-types work just as well.

Of course, then you have the people who employ “cute” or “fluffy” pokémon such as clefable, wigglytuff, blissey, or audino as bodyguards, possibly because nothing guards a human being against the violence of our world better than irony, I suppose. Also, these four pokémon, when angered, are terrifying, and anything that could aim to hurt you will learn that rather quickly if they don’t already know.

Naturally, the above are only a list of commonly used bodyguards as far as I’m personally concerned. That is to say, these are the ones that I know about thanks to either personal experiences or connections who run security operations themselves. (No, readers, I was never on the wrong side of a bodyguard, contrary to popular belief. Newly established leagues have a tendency to hire bodyguards to look after me whenever I set up a storage system in a new region, especially after that rather nasty Team Plasma business.) The point is, there could very well be other types of bodyguards out there for scenarios I wouldn’t be able to dream up myself. Thus, the simplest answer is, possibly, to think of a scenario and then think of the best pokémon to counter that scenario. From what I understand thanks to the aforementioned contacts, that’s largely how security works.

Do pokemon enjoy being shown affection (such as petting, hugging, kissing?) even the none-animalistic ones?

It actually depends on the pokémon, anonymous. Some are more open to affection (petting, hugging, kissing, and so forth), and others are not. Always be aware of a pokémon’s body language as you approach and engage with them. If they start to back away from you, do not attempt to shower them with affection. If they squirm and protest you touching them, do not continue to touch them. If they attempt to attack you at any point, back away and give them space. Meanwhile, if they stand still and allow you to touch them or if they come to you, then chances are good you may show them affection (although keep in mind that this may not be recommended for all species—such as skarmory, for example).

Moreover, be aware that certain forms of affection to some pokémon are not actually good ideas for other pokémon. For example, while hugging is perfectly fine for a humanoid pokémon such as a jynx, hugging a feline pokémon puts them on edge, as you’re essentially binding them and preventing them from defending yourself. If you shower your pokémon with affection, be sure to do it in ways that don’t make them feel trapped or threatened. Give them the ability to defend themselves, and they’ll be more at ease and receptive to affection.

And of course, never shower a wild pokémon with affection until you establish a rapport with them. No, not even if they come to you. If you’ve spent an abundance of time with them to the point where they trust you, then perhaps it’s fine. However, if you’ve just met them, and they come to you and look like they want affection, there is a very, very good chance that it’s a trap in which that pokémon is seconds away from executing Draining Kiss.

(Nothing is more rewarding than befriending an entire clefairy colony and getting them to hug you … but also, nothing is more humiliating than stumbling across an entire clefairy colony and having them respond by giving you forty Metronome-induced Draining Kisses at the same time.)

As a colorblind art student, what are some good Pokemon from Sinnoh to help me with my colors?

There are a few that may be able to help. Some artists prefer the more direct approach of using a psychic-type, such as a member of the abra or ralts lines, to use their telepathic abilities to impose images of the colors their trainer wishes to capture on their mind. However, this is also a rather invasive approach, so not that many artists prefer to use it outside of more complicated pieces. (Additionally, excessive use of an abra, kadabra, or alakazam’s abilities may induce rather nasty headaches due to overexposure to psi waves.)

For that reason, most artists in your situation prefer a more synesthetic approach. Rather than forcing themselves to see the colors they need, they prefer using sight or sound to compensate. For example, they may catch a chingling or chimecho (or any pokémon with a very distinctive call) and train these pokémon to emit very specific tone-and-syllable combinations that match different shades of a certain color. A high-pitched “chime” may indicate a lighter shade of red, whereas a lower-pitched “echo” may refer to a dark green. This pokémon can then be asked to survey a model for any color that may present a challenge for their trainers, then indicate that object’s general color and shade with the corresponding tone they were taught to use. They can then guide their partners through the mixing of these colors by observing the artist’s paints and emitting tones until the pokémon’s sound matches the one they used while observing the model exactly.

The olfactory technique works in a similar manner, wherein an artist uses a pokémon capable of controlling their scent (such as pokémon that can use Sweet Scent, members of the budew family, or—in rare cases involving more eccentric artists—stunky or skuntank) to match the scent of a model with the scent of the paint an artist uses. However, because odors can sometimes take time to dissipate, it’s a less popular technique than the auditory one.

Best of luck, anonymous!

How do pokemon choose their mates? And can they be attracted (not the move) to another simply because they have a pretty face?

It depends on whether you’re referring to a wild or a tame pokémon, anonymous. Wild pokémon typically choose mates based on suitability, which itself is actually a combination of factors, including hardiness, health, and physical attractiveness. Tame pokémon focus less on the first two factors and more on both physical and mental attraction (or, in other words, a combination of looks and personality, much in the same way humans choose their mates), largely because the need for a hardy mate is less important when a pokémon has someone to care for them.

Of course, beyond that, it also depends on the pokémon itself. For example, to psychic-types, intelligence or empathy may be seen as attractive traits, grass-types sometimes seek out the best-smelling mate, and male fighting-types, for reasons that are somewhat (but not entirely) beyond yours truly, are attracted most to females who can defeat them resoundingly in battle. And even then, what determines attractiveness to one member of a type may be different from the definitions held by all other members. For example, magikarp select mates who can propel themselves the highest while using Splash, which is something no other water-type looks for (seeing as Splash is otherwise not a particularly useful skill, generally speaking).

In short, yes, some pokémon can be attracted to a pretty face and not much else, but there are a wide variety of factors that go into what defines an ideal mate in each species.

There’s a guy around town I often seen who always has a pretty beaten up looking Granbull with him. It has an obvious severe limp, rather torn up ears, and normally has fresh bruises whenever I see it. I’ve never seen him enter a pokemon centre to have it treated, and I don’t like to jump to conclusions, but I think it may be in trouble. Is there anything I can do to find out what’s happening or is it simply best to contact an officer?

Notify your local authorities immediately—not just your local Officer Jenny but also your local pokémon welfare agency. (The number is different in every region.) They’ll be required to investigate and determine whether pokémon abuse is happening or if the trainer is just particularly unlucky. Likewise, be sure to document what you’ve seen as well, as you may be asked to testify in court if it’s a case of gross pokémon abuse. If you can, try to take pictures of the granbull without its trainer noticing.

Whatever you do, however, do not engage directly with this man. You never know what he may do as a result, either to you or his granbull, and you also don’t want to risk alerting him to a potential investigation (and, therefore, any potential help for the granbull). That and there is always the potential that this isn’t a case of abuse on the trainer’s part but rather either fantastically bad luck or a case of past abuse (meaning the granbull could be a rescue). Allow authorities to figure out what’s going on, but do place a call as soon as possible.

I have a few Steel-type partners, a Mawile and Bisharp, and I’ve noticed that especially during Summer, it can be a little difficult to regulate their temperatures. I don’t have enough room in my home to let them get their proper exercise, but, leaving them outside in the sun for too long makes them visibly uncomfortable as all the metal uncontrollably heats up. Can you recommend any ways to keep them cool besides leaving them indoors? I can’t afford the restless biting and clawing damage.

As neither of these pokémon are partially rock-types, you can actually give them a pool or other body of water to keep them cool. Ensure, of course, that the water is always as cold as possible by stationing a water-type at its side.

Alternatively, many steel-type trainers give their pokémon a form of shelter, such as a lean-to or hut, to provide them with additional shade. Planting more trees may be beneficial to the bisharp in particular, as they tend to be forest-dwelling pokémon and will take comfort in the presence of a forest shade. Mawile are cave-dwelling pokémon, meanwhile, so a hut, a shed, or even a small, cave-like structure dug into your yard will do for its needs.

If all else fails, however, consider partnering them with water-types and have them periodically spar with their water-type teammates. Water from a pokémon is typically of the optimum temperature to cool most pokémon down, so this may be sufficient short-term solution.

May I ask what pokemon would be good to give as a first Pokemon to my disabled younger brother. (He uses a wheelchair because he can’t move his legs at all.) We live in Unova, but my sister and uncle travel a lot so we could get Pokemon from other regions, too. He’s going to be eight.

First and foremost, at the risk of stating the obvious, never use a service pokémon as a starter. I know this should stand to reason, but many people give their wheelchair-bound or otherwise disabled pokémon they believe can perform both functions. The problem with doing so, however, is in the fact that service pokémon should never be allowed to battle, as a fainted or injured service pokémon is not a pokémon that can do its job. Thus, if its human needs it during or immediately after a battle, it won’t be available to perform, which rather unfortunately defeats its purpose as a service pokémon.

That having been said, most likely, your brother should consider getting a service pokémon in addition to a starter, and he certainly can do so without having the former apply to his six-pokémon limit. That is to say, your brother can have a service pokémon in addition to a full team of six, and in that case, which one he chooses should be specific to his case. Very likely, he can work with one of several government or medical organizations to determine which one would be the best fit for him.

With all of that in mind, which starter would be best for him depends on what his interests are and whether or not your sister or uncle can get quite literally any pokémon for him. I do recommend against more energetic pokémon, such as fighting-types or some fire-types, however. While your brother may be able to handle these as he continues on his journey, giving him one early on may pose a difficult challenge, as he will be new to traveling and battling on his own. Energetic pokémon, particularly those of the fighting-type, typically demand rigorous training routines in rougher terrain, and they may not understand the limitations of their own trainer. There have been cases of more experienced trainers with limited mobility figuring out how to balance their limitations with their pokémon’s needs, but this usually comes after years of trial-and-error and, well, raw experience.

By contrast, however, psychic and grass pokémon tend to be less demanding in that department, as their abilities are more meditative or internally-focused. Thus, they require less vigorous physical training and more internal growth and meditation, and these involve training routines anyone can keep up with. In fact, a psychic-type’s need for meditation and mindfulness exercises may be important for your brother’s own development as a trainer. Unova actually has an excellent choice in the form of munna (who, itself, is a formidable battler), as well as solosis and gothita, but ralts is an excellent choice as well. Should you choose a grass-type (which don’t so much meditate as quietly and contemplatively absorb sunlight for the sake of sustenance), most grass-type starters except snivy work well, as do oddish, petilil, budew, lotad, and seedot. (I would, of course, not recommend pokémon that have a tendency to drift on the wind, namely hoppip or cottonee.)

Of course, ultimately, you’ll want to take into consideration what he wishes to train as well. If he does want to train fighting- or fire-types, there are certainly calmer members of either classification you may consider. The point is, don’t give him something that would be too demanding or challenging right away.

I wish you and your brother the best of luck, anonymous. May his journey be filled with wonder.

Some people may not know this, but unlike wilds ralts (whom are ‘attracted’ to kind-hearted trainers), ralts that are hatched from eggs from breeders (or worse, rescued from poke-mills) tend to form bonds with trainers that have latent physic abilities. These ralts, and their evolutions, have a stronger connection with their trainers, well beyond what the pokedex entries state.

Bill: It’s true that people with psychic abilities—latent or not—tend to form stronger bonds with psychic-types in general. This is for either of two reasons. First, if the trainer’s abilities are unlocked and overt, then it’s easier for that human to empathize with their pokémon, both emotionally speaking and psychically speaking. That is to say, psychics not only understand their pokémon better, but they can use their own abilities to forge connections with them. Likewise, trainers with unlocked abilities can sometimes use those same powers to strengthen the bond between themselves and their pokémon. Think of it like holding hands with someone, and neither of you want to let go.

Second, if the trainer’s abilities are latent, then the reverse happens, and the psychic-type will latch onto that human—perhaps even attempt to awaken those talents, in certain cases.

Of course, it should be noted that according to some experts, such as Saffron City’s own Sabrina, everyone has latent psychic abilities on one level or another, but to be fair, there is still some debate in the academic circles about whether or not this is true. Studies thus far have been largely inconclusive on the matter.

In short, what you say has more than a few grains of truth to it, dear reader, and ralts are indeed open to forming strong bonds with humans they feel a particularly intense level of empathy towards, especially if the human in question is capable of reciprocating psychically.

Bill, could you explain why it is that pokemon will forget moves in the process of learning new ones?

They don’t, actually. Not immediately, anyway. In some cases, pokémon simply get rusty with old ones. After all, a trainer is most likely to use the most recent moves they’ve taught their pokémon, and wild pokémon will tend to use the strongest moves at their disposal. Pokémon simply have no reason to use any other move, and thus, they “forget” them in the sense that they ignore they exist until those moves become less familiar to them than the newer ones. It’s a little like learning languages, actually; unless you practice daily, you will very likely forget certain words, even though you’re still somewhat adept at speaking it.

In other cases, the pokémon in question has excellent memory; it’s just that they refuse to use older moves. So unlike the above case, where older moves become rusty, the pokémon has the ability to use any move they’ve ever learned; they simply don’t because it’s rather pointless to do so.

And in other cases, the new move is the older move, just with an increase in power. For example, if you “overwrite” Bite with Crunch, you’re not teaching the pokémon a new move. You’re simply using the principles behind Bite and adding more technique until it becomes Crunch. The pokémon still doesn’t see a point in ever using Bite again, so every time you attempt to order it to use Bite, what it will do instead is basically execute a slightly weaker Crunch than usual—as in, same principle but with more technique and less power.

In short, pokémon don’t literally forget moves. They simply don’t see a point in using anything else once you’ve taught them new techniques, which is a stance that sometimes results in the pokémon becoming rusty at using the older moves.

Unless, of course, you take them to a Move Deleter. In that case, the pokémon’s knowledge of the move is psychically suppressed, so they literally do forget the move in question.