Why can some pokemon let themselves out of thier pokeballs? Or is it that they all can but choose not to?

The latter, surprisingly enough. While poké balls are indeed capture devices (meaning there is a baseline capture rate for all of them), whether or not they can contain their captured pokémon until a trainer releases them depends entirely on the willpower of the pokémon in question. You see, inside every poké ball is a capture grid that works like an electrical net. So long as the pokémon’s will is neutral, it won’t disrupt the grid, and the ball will remain closed. If, however, the pokémon passionately wants to get out, there’s a chance they’ll disrupt the grid, which causes the poké ball to think a trainer has opened it, thus leading the ball to eject its contained pokémon. For some reason, smaller or basic-level pokémon seem to be more adept at disrupting the grid than larger, more evolved ones, which is why you might see pikachu break out of their balls more often than charizard, even if they’re both equally bonded to their trainers. Some smaller pokémon will even disrupt the capture grid every time, which means their poké balls are really only effective for the initial capture. (This occurs especially with pikachu.)

You may think this is a design flaw, but actually, it’s perfectly intentional. While, yes, a poké ball’s main points are to ensure a pokémon can be withdrawn from a dangerous situation or to prevent rampages, the poké ball is also designed to allow a pokémon to break free in dire situations, such as those in which its trainer is in danger and unable to summon them. That and it’s just seen as more humane to allow a pokémon to break free if it has the overwhelming need to shower its trainer with affection.

It’s starting to get kind of chilly out where I live, and it’s got me thinking about autumn-time holidays. What festivities go on in the pokemon regions around the world?

Well, I suppose the best place to start would be Johto, not only because Johto is very fond of its festivals but also … because I’m from there, so naturally, I would know a thing or few about Johtonian holidays.

But yes, Johto is big on holidays throughout the year, and autumn is the temporal home for quite a few. For starters, there’s of course the Autumnal Equinox Festival, which is when we honor our ancestors and give thanks to nature for the upcoming harvest. There are also minor holidays for the harvest throughout the region, depending on which town you’re visiting. The coastal towns tend to bookend the season with two separate holidays (Autumnal Equinox and the Fisherman’s Day holidays) to ask/thank Lugia for safe waters to fish and sail in before the weather gets too rough and bitter for doing either. In the more mountainous or farming-oriented communities, you tend to have more festivals, often geared towards asking/thanking Celebi or the legendary beasts for blessings. (A side note: You only honor Ho-oh; you never ask Ho-oh for blessings. And you do this during the summer solstice, not the autumn. Autumn is considered to be the beginning of Lugia’s domain more than Ho-oh, but that’s an entire side point.)

And of course, you have Goldenrod, which considers itself in a historical sense to be both a fishing and a farming community, which means it celebrates all of these (or at least it uses this as an excuse to celebrate all of these, as the Goldenrod custom is to use any excuse possible to throw a party).

Either way, these are celebrated with feasts centered around the bounty in question (fried and raw fish for the fishing communities; fruits, vegetables, and grains for the farming), and offerings are often made to local shrines for the deceased.

Then, after the harvest festivals, you have the Respect for the Aged Day, which I admit is more of a media-based holiday (in that you will often see the news or hear the radio interview the elderly during this time), but it’s also often celebrated (at least in Johto) simply by visiting the elderly members of your family. There is also a holiday meant for children (Shichi-Go-San), which is often considered a rite of passage: it’s when Johtonian children pass from young childhood into middle childhood, which might not seem like much to an outsider but essentially means you begin your preparations for a pokémon journey (or adulthood) at this age. So you’re dressed in traditional clothing (for the first time, if you’re male or a younger female) and taken to your nearest shrine to pray for luck and prosperity. As a note, Shichi-Go-San is not to be confused with Kids Day, which is a general celebration meant to honor and respect children, rather than a rite of passage from one stage of life to the next. Kids Day is celebrated in May, so it’s more of a spring/summer festival than an autumn one.

Finally, there’s also Thanksgiving, which is technically a labor holiday outside of Johto. Inside of Johto (particularly Goldenrod), it’s often celebrated much like it is in Unova, as another harvest holiday, because Johtonians are not at all ashamed to admit that they’re fascinated by Unovan culture.

This is, of course, just speaking in terms of broadly celebrated holidays. Some towns in Johto have additional holidays that they celebrate locally, such as one town dedicating an entire festival in November to wobbuffet. No particular reason; it’s just that this specific town really likes wobbuffet.

Other Japanese regions—including Kanto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn—share many of these holidays because, quite obviously, we’re all one country (which means that state holidays apply to all of us, and we all share a baseline culture), but attitudes towards them tend to vary by regional culture. In Sinnoh, there’s a particular emphasis on local harvest holidays and the autumnal equinox because it’s largely a farming region, and even then, many of its stories center around giving thanks to pokémon. This is not only a reference to Shaymin but also to the Sinnoh folk story about returning the bones of the animals and pokémon you’ve eaten to the wild to be resurrected. It’s important, in other words, to give thanks and respect even the pokémon you intend on consuming in order to ensure the balance of life is maintained—or at least, this is true for a Sinnohan. That having been said, Sinnoh does indeed have one other holiday not shared with the other regions, and that is Gratitude Day, to honor Shaymin and the Sinnohan ancestors.

Then you have Unova, Kalos, and Orre, which as western regions, tend to celebrate similar holidays due to the shared heritage of either their founders or their countries themselves. For example, all three celebrate their military veterans in a holiday that’s called Veterans Day in Unova and Orre and Armistice Day in Kalos. Both holidays are celebrated on the same day (November 11) and in similar fashions because ultimately, they share an origin (World War I specifically, but World War II and the Great War all play important parts in those regions’ histories).

On a lighter note, though, each of these regions also celebrate Halloween, although there’s far more emphasis placed on the fun of it (that is, costumes, candy, and horror) in Unova than in elsewhere. In Kalos, it’s often celebrated just after a festival dedicated to gourgeist, the Gourgeist Festival. In fact, the Gourgeist Festival is often when most of the customs associated with the Unovan Halloween are observed, particularly the costumes. Conversely, in Unova, Halloween is celebrated just before the a number of holidays meant to honor the dead, including the Wishing Bell Festival (if you live in Mistralton City) and Day of the Dead (if you’re Mexican-American). As a side note, Day of the Dead is a very fascinating holiday with its own history, and its customs tend to vary from community to community. For example, in Castelia, there’s often a parade, whereas in relatively quieter towns such as Nuvema, celebrants simply bring offerings for the dead to their local cemeteries. Sometimes, these celebrations also incorporate Halloween and other autumn festival customs as a means of “rolling it up into one,” so to speak.

Finally, there’s the second biggest autumn holiday to Unovans and Orreans, Thanksgiving. Supposedly, this is meant to be a holiday dedicated to the story of Unova’s founding, but really, it’s more of a modern-day harvest festival, in which the Unovan family gathers together over a massive feast (often involving turkey, pumpkin pie, and awkward political conversations). Or at least, that’s what it is from my understanding. This is not to be confused with the Grand Harvest Festival, which is a Unovan festival in mid-September meant to honor a time when Unovans learned to settle their differences and work together in peace to restore and protect the nature around them. On the other hand, this holiday is followed quickly by the ones where Unovans fight over resources to the detriment of their fellow Unovan, so I suppose one could say these holidays are unintentionally related.

Alola technically is part of the same country as Unova and Orre and thus shares many of its holidays, but because Alola possesses a very unique culture with a separate history, less emphasis is placed on the state holidays and more on the local ones. In Alola, this means that there’s a lot more emphasis placed on honoring the tapu. While each of the tapu have their own holidays, Tapu Bulu is especially celebrated throughout the autumn season. Each of the islands has their own separate festival for them, but on Ula’ula Island, Tapu Bulu’s home territory, the Tapu Festival is a week-long celebration in mid-November. Some of the customs include leaving offerings within the ruined buildings of Tapu Village (or Ruins of Abundance, if you’re willing to traverse the often unrelenting Haina Desert), as well as the standard battles (often at the top of Mount Lanakila) to entertain the tapu. The latter also involves a series of challenges staged through the Lanakila cave system that participants must get through to reach the top of Lanakila.

And finally, there are a few globally celebrated holidays, including Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) and the Jewish High Holidays (primarily the Jewish new year Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur). This isn’t to say that the above-mentioned holidays—Day of the Dead, for example—aren’t celebrated outside of the regions mentioned above. It’s more to say that practically every region has a significant population of Hindu and/or Jewish people that these holidays are recognized on some level by practically every region.

Of course, this just scratches the surface because the world is such a vast place with so many different peoples and customs that it’s impossible for me to cover them all. However, if you’d like to mention your own region’s autumnal holidays, by all means, send an ask!

What info do you have on the “people of the water” or on samiya in general?

Unfortunately very little, as they keep very much to themselves and are so few in numbers and so quick to move from place to place that it’s difficult to keep track of them.

It is known that they’re a highly nomadic people whose origins are a matter of strong debate. Some stories say that they’re from Sinnoh, as what’s known about their lore seems to center around Manaphy. Others say they’re from Kanto, as their technology bears striking similarities to the tools of Pokémopolis, Pokélantis, and other extinct Kantonian cultures. There are even claims that they’ve come from Alola, Hoenn, Unova, and more than one region in the South Pacific. Perhaps the most creative theory is that they’re remnants of the lost continent of either Atlantis or Mu. However, as interesting as that theory is, it seems to only be supported by fringe conspiracy theorists on the internet. I would say that the most mainstream theory is the one that proposes the People of the Water are from Kanto, as that’s the one with the most compelling argument.

Regardless of where they’re from, what’s known about them is that the People of the Water are actually a collection of small, nomadic tribes scattered throughout the globe. Many take on odd jobs in the towns and cities they pass through, but some take on professions centered around water, such as one particularly notable tribe that formed a rather famous water circus.

Samiya, meanwhile, was built as a temple for the Manaphy. Stories conflict concerning whether or not the People of the Water ever used it as a place of residence—or, in other words, we’re not sure if it was ever a city for the People of the Water or even a part of one. It’s simply their best-kept secret, a floating fortress that travels from one ocean to the next, completely undetectable by even modern equipment. (It’s part of the reason why we’re not even sure if it actually exists, although we do indeed have one report of its sighting in recent times, from one of Professor Oak’s own proteges.) The Sea Crown, the People’s holiest object, is actually the item that powers Samiya and ensures it remains afloat. Supposedly, it has some sort of power over water-type pokémon as well, but again, this is merely a rumor, rather than confirmed fact.

In short, I’m afraid at most, all I have are rumors and very sparse scraps of information. It would certainly be wonderful to know more—especially if the People of the Water are connected to Manaphy—but unfortunately, unlike the Draconids, they’re not likely to divulge anytime soon.

Hey Bill. What info do you have on the Draconid people?

A bit, actually, as they’re very similar to some of the clans of Johto, particularly the Blackthorn Dragon Clan, the (extinct) Alph Clan, and the Houou no Hito (that is, the People of Ho-oh, otherwise known as the subset of Johtonians that consist of sages, kimono girls, and those associated with them specifically), and thus, it’s either fairly easy to understand what Draconid culture is like … or we’ve had historical encounters with them. Either way, you could say it’s a bit of a personal interest of mine.

That having been said, the Draconids had lived in isolation far in the depths of Meteor Falls up until recent times, so consequently, their social and political ties tend to be … sparse, to say the least. That is to say, prior to the event known as the Delta Incident, when their lorekeeper (something akin to a chieftain, of sorts) came into the public and brought the Draconids with her, very few people knew much at all about them. The Blackthorn Dragon Clan knew, of course, but largely, this was because the two groups considered each other rivals, and to this day, the Blackthorns have a bit of a sore spot towards the Draconids. (According to some stories, there might have even been fights between the two over sacred grounds and pokémon, back before the Draconids built the Sky Tower and isolated themselves.) By contrast, while the Houou no Hito are aware of practically every ancient clan a Johtonian culture dealt with at one point or another, the Draconids and the Houou no Hito are largely neutral towards one another, with the latter essentially giving the former liberty to do whatever they want, so long as it doesn’t disrupt Lugia.

Politics aside, as mentioned above, the cultural structures within the Draconid people are similar to the ones you find among the peoples of Johto. Just as with our cultures, the Draconids worship a legendary pokémon (Rayquaza) and place heavy emphasis on the ancient lore of their region (particularly Mega Evolution and the battle between Groudon and Kyogre), which is preserved and retold by a priestess (the lorekeeper). Additionally, the Draconids likewise emphasize the importance of bonding with a pokémon and acknowledging the value of pokémon life (…despite the actions of the current lorekeeper). In fact, said lorekeeper supposedly knows the secrets to summoning the legendary central to their belief system, just as the secret to summoning Ho-oh and Lugia are passed down from kimono girl to kimono girl (or, well, their daughters).

Here’s where the similarities end, of course. As mentioned above, the Draconid people had retreated into an isolated village deep within Meteor Falls ages ago, unlike both the Houou no Hito (which actively embrace the rest of Johto) and the Dragon Clan (which will generally interact with people who venture into Blackthorn City, even if they deny that they ever would). Moreover, the Draconids discouraged visitors by ensuring their village would be difficult to reach, and those that manage would be driven away by high-powered pokémon or assimilated into their clan. All of this, supposedly, was to protect themselves and the secret to summoning Rayquaza, as much of their culture revolved around a prophecy concerning the destruction of the world. This is how the Draconids managed to garner their reputation, and even now, after they’ve opened up their village to visitors and reached out to the outside world, they still carry a certain reputation for being a reserved, somber sort of people.

Admittedly, their customs beyond the retelling of their core stories and the maintenance of their rituals to summon Rayquaza are not particularly understood. It’s always been known that they were responsible for both Sky Pillar and the murals that depict the Weather Triad across Hoenn, but their day-to-day life and customs outside of the Triad have yet to be fully studied. Hopefully, though, things might change, now that the Draconids are open to interacting with the outside world. Perhaps we’ll have ample opportunity to understand them and bridge gaps we’ve never been able to bridge before.

(1) Do you have any advice for someone who wants to “catch em all” so to speak? I’m from Kalos and I might be getting an internship in Alola, maybe even with a Rotom Dex! (Fingers crossed) I’ve always been really interested in Pokémon caretaking, and ever since I was a kid I wanted to raise every Pokémon I could. …Catch was I was raised by a single mom who couldn’t afford to care for any Pokémon, let alone multiple. Do you think I could go from no Pokémon to all of them?

Well, perhaps not all of them, but it’s possible to befriend many of them. I don’t mean to discourage you, of course. It would certainly be impressive if you did catch them all. It’s just that no one knows how many pokémon there are in the world, and more are discovered each and every day.

I will say this, though: part of what makes working with pokémon wonderful is the opportunity to discover and interact with so many of them. Even if catching at least one of every pokémon would be extremely difficult, it’s still worth it to seek out as many of them as you can in order to learn as much about them as possible. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll stumble across a one-of-a-kind pokémon no one else has discovered, and maybe that will make the journey worth it.

As for building a personal relationship with each and every pokémon you catch, it certainly is possible, but it may be difficult. You’ll find that you’ll build stronger relationships with some pokémon than others. This is perfectly natural; after all, humans may be closer to some friends than others. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t love your friends all the same. It simply means there are some friends you may find yourself talking to more than others. Likewise, you may find that you have six or fewer pokémon that you use more than others, but don’t worry. It doesn’t mean you won’t love your other pokémon all the same, either. The important thing, really, is simply loving your pokémon.

Best of luck on your journey!

International police anon again, I found a website that looks like it… could -possibly- be official? The design is that level of bad that it could be outdated designers or could be a joke by someone just starting to learn how to make sites… Not reassuring!!

No, no. That sounds about right for the International Police. They’re a top-notch organization of justice, yes, but their webdesign department is … unfortunately lacking. I know a few people who have tried to apply for that position because one look at the site would lead one to believe that the webdesign department has been either vacant or understaffed since 1993, but for whatever reason, no one has gotten so much as an interview. Something about “letting the code chimchar do their work,” from what I understand.

(I sincerely hope “code chimchar” isn’t literal, but quite frankly, I don’t know.)

Hello, I was just wondering, and I’ll probably sound like a hick saying this, but is there actually an International Police? My village is fairly isolated, but last week we had someone in a trench coat practically move into the community center, saying he was on official business. He has an accent like I’ve never heard before in any movie or anything! I guess what I flew into town to send an ask for is, do we have a madman in our village or just an off kilter investigator?

While, yes, there is an International Police, it’s hard to say whether or not this gentleman is with them. You could very well ask for a badge, but quite honestly, it may be better to leave him alone, just in case he is, ah, not quite legitimate, so to speak.

tirien66
replied to your post “Hey Bill, I’m preparing to take on the Alola Elite Four. My team is…”

Whatever happened to Magikarp guy…

She won the championship title, then forfeited it back to the previous champion and then went on to tackle the other regions in much the same way. From what I understand, she’s currently training her magikarp in the mountains. Not Mt. Silver like Red—just … the mountains. As you do with a magikarp.

I can’t tell you how many companies have openly expressed their disappointment that they couldn’t get her magikarp to serve as their spokesmon.

Hey Bill, I’m preparing to take on the Alola Elite Four. My team is Incineroar, Snorlax, Salamence, Leafeon, Metagross, and Golurk. Opinions on my chances?

Fair, anonymous, so long as you have faith in your team. This is partly an acknowledgement and agreement with Karen’s philosophy that strength is irrelevant and that one should always try to win with their favorites (that is, the team they’ve bonded with the most).

It is also partly a statement that you could practically win an Elite Four challenge with any pokémon so long as it was well-trained. For example, not too long ago, someone took the Kantonian gauntlet using a magikarp … and only a magikarp. Bruno and Lorelei thought it was hilarious, but Lance refused to face the public for nearly a week.

In other words, yes, this is a sound team, anonymous. Good luck!

Are there any pokemon that dont like cosplay? Im asking because i want to make sure me and my friends can be the entire cast of Narutorkoal for a convention

There isn’t any one species, really—just individual preference. Start with smaller, singular, looser-fitting costume pieces, rather than a full cosplay. Watch for any signs of discomfort. If your pokémon is fine with the piece, work your way up, little by little, to a full costume. If your pokémon shows signs of discomfort or even distress, sad to say, you’ll need to exclude your pokémon from your cosplay group. Never force a pokémon into a costume.

Also, keep in mind that some pokémon can’t cosplay. For example, despite what the cartoons would have you believe, gastly can’t really wear anything except hats, and even then, they need to be calm at all times, else they’ll simply phase through.

Best of luck!