My Rapish has quite a large wound, which is being treated and I must take her to the local center to get checked up. The issue is that she HATES going. I’ve tried to explain to her that this is for her own benefit and I’ve even had a nurse visit my home hoping that she’ll be more comfortable there, but nothing seems to calm her. She’s now started thinking of me as the devil and I fear she is going to start hating me, though I’m trying to help! How am I supposed to gain/regain her trust?

Cases where a pokémon’s life may be threatened are the only sorts where I recommend forcing a pokémon to do something it doesn’t want to do. Your pokémon’s well being is your top priority as a trainer, so even if she’s protesting, you really should get her the medical attention she needs.

With that disclaimer out of the way, it’s understandable that your pokémon refuses to get help. Pokémon centers can sometimes be hectic, frightening places for pokémon, and even if a trainer offers comfort and reassurance during the visit, pokémon can sometimes be resentful afterwards. To counter the stress and trauma of the situation, try giving her treats before going to the center, reassuring her that it’s for the best, and possibly having another pokémon sedate your rapidash with Sing.

Regaining her trust, then, should begin when she’s released. Ensure that her space is comfortable and full of her favorite things, and be sure that you have plenty of her favorite foods. Stockpile her favorite berries and consider making pokéblocks, poffins, or poké puffs from them, as some pokémon respond better to these forms of treats. Spend plenty of time with her (even if she seems hostile to you) and do your best to follow Nurse Joy’s directions for care.

Once she recovers, allow her to see that she’s far better of having gotten treatment than letting the wound go, but go back to your normal training routine as quickly as possible. Apologize to her for forcing her through treatment as well—pokémon can understand a simple “I’m sorry,” after all.

Essentially, as contradictory as it might seem to say this, the best way to rebuild your relationship is by spending time helping her and taking care of her. As she recovers, she’ll realize that you had your best intentions at heart and, eventually, forgive you.

What are your thoughts on the alolan pokemon Rockruff? The people of alola say it has some kind of secret evolution. Do you have any ideas or theories about it? Also it is extremely adorable.

Well, for starters, I agree wholeheartedly on the subject of its cuteness. Then again, I’m also rather partial to canine-like pokémon, so I admit I’m a little biased.

That having been said, I’ve heard the rumors of a secret evolution, and I’m certainly intrigued by them. I admit that as of current, I have no theories as to what that may mean, but I’m certainly open to hearing about others’. In the meantime, I’ve been keeping up with news about Alola and its local pokémon for months now, with the hopes of finding out more about not only rockruff but all of the region’s fascinating creatures, and I’m excited to hear the next bit of information that comes to the rest of the world. Supposedly, the researchers of Alola will be integrating their pokédex with the National Dex in November of this year, and you can be certain that I’ll do everything I can to get my hands on the National Dex’s latest edition as soon as possible.

My Togepi wanders of a lot and I’m worried that when she evolves, she’ll just fly away! I really don’t want to lose her somewhere…

It’s certainly a legitimate concern, @evetype, but I assure you that once evolution happens, most pokémon tend to calm down. Your togepi’s wanderlust is actually a trait most of its species experience in varying degrees, and it’s directly related to togepi’s natural curiosity. Once it evolves, the bond between togetic and its trainer takes precedence over any remaining curiosity it has, and thus, it will be more inclined to stay put.

For the most part, anyway. It’s certainly true that this is a generalization and that there are togetic who still feel strongly about wandering, especially if their trainers did not travel much. If you notice that your togetic is still prone to wandering after evolution, there are two things that you should do.

First, be sure that she’s in an up-to-date poké ball that’s linked to both your pokédex and your storage system account. You can track her using either your PC or your pokédex, should she somehow break free.

Second, the above will only work if she also has an implanted chip. Many trainers of pokémon capable of flight make it a point to chip their pokémon, and the procedure itself is both harmless and performable at any licensed pokémon center. Simply take your togetic (or even togepi, as the chip will not harm a pokémon undergoing evolution) to your local Nurse Joy and ask for a chip to be implanted, and she’ll walk you through the rest once the procedure is over. Typically, the whole appointment involves not only the implantation but also the syncing of the chip to your trainer accounts and pokédex, as well as a national database of pokémon. That way, no matter where your pokémon is, she can be found, identified, and—eventually—brought back to you.

Bill, my friend and I have been debating whether Alolan Pokémon will receive individual entries in the Alolan National Pokédex! He thinks, for instance, the standard Vulpix and Alolan Vulpix should each have their own ‘dex entries, since they’re so wildly different. I think it’s redundant, especially when there’s a precedence for Pokémon with varying forms only having a single entry, such as Wormadam. What do you think?

It’s a bit of a tricky situation. On the one hand, you’re correct in saying we don’t normally give separate pokédex entries to alternative forms. Doing so tends to cause confusion, especially given the fact that all forms are technically still the same species, even if their traits are vastly different. Wormadam is an excellent example of this. The shellos line and vivillon are as well. Even mega-evolutions are not considered to be separate evolutions but the enhancement of a species, which is why mega charizard X and mega charizard Y are never listed separately from charizard.

On the other hand, the Alolan pokémon are not just cases of different traits but also of different environments, and your friend is astute in saying that they’re so wildly different thanks to adaptations that they’re almost completely new species. It’s also true that we’ve actually handled such a case in the past by giving both forms completely different pokédex entries. That case? Nidoran, a pokémon whose male and female forms are so different they’re actually genetically different species.

So it’s a bit difficult to say at the moment. To be honest, personally, I believe that Alola will create its own regional dex that will be added to the National Dex as subpages of each relevant pokémon. This is because each Alolan pokémon is still related to their off-island kin on a genetic level, so an Alolan vulpix and every other vulpix are considered the same thing, save for the adaptive traits Alolan vulpix have gained over time. But I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, @psychms.

Excuse you, Candela is a queen and deserves the utmost respect and admiration. It’s only through her methodology that the full potential of fire, flying, fighting and dragon types can be brought to bear. Perhaps from the ivory tower of academia Team Valor’s approach may seem plebeian, but from a practical and experimental standpoint, there’s no better way to train and raise pokemon.

Oh yes, I quite agree; training is a necessary step in unlocking a pokémon’s full potential. It’s simply that I lack any and all aptitude with it, so while I understand it on an academic level and can speak at length about its effects on pokémon, I am less inclined to engage in training-based research.

Largely because I would be annihilated within three seconds of stepping on the field.

Especially if my opponent was Candela.

How do pokemon feel when they are traded away? Do they feel abandoned by their original trainers or is it something that would (or should) be discussed beforehand?

It depends on how close you were before the trade, the pokémon’s temperament, and whether or not you’ve made your intentions clear with your pokémon first. For example, if you’ve abruptly traded away a pokémon with whom you’ve bonded, then yes, they may develop trust issues or become resentful, which will require their new trainer to work on building a relationship again. Other pokémon, particularly those who might not have been agreeable to you before the trading process or with whom you haven’t bonded, might be happier with a different trainer, to put it bluntly. If they notice at all.

Speaking to your pokémon beforehand can indeed help reassure them and adjust to their new trainer or at least understand why the trade is happening, but some pokémon may react negatively to the trade regardless. If the receiving trainer puts forth a lot of effort in bonding with their new pokémon immediately, however, these feelings can often be alleviated rather quickly.

Finally, interestingly enough, the exception to the above are pokémon with trade-based evolutions. Many trainers who trade to evolve often engage in “trades and trade-backs,” or agreed swaps between trainers with other pokémon that evolve via trading. Pokémon whose evolutionary requirements involve trading often understand by default that the process is necessary for their well-being, and the practice is so commonplace (and often outlined between all involved parties, including pokémon, beforehand) that they are also aware that the swap is temporary. Thus, they tend to mind less, and if the trade ends up being permanent—as in, they never return to their original trainer—then they’re often so focused on adapting to and training their new forms that they hardly feel anything at all regarding the departure from their former companions, especially if the receiving trainer is well-prepared to train their evolved selves. Of course, this also means it tends to be harder to bond with newly trade-evolved pokémon (as they tend to be too distracted to notice their new trainers), but with patience and care, it’s not unheard of for these trainers to achieve a level of closeness with their new pokémon.

Hey Bill! Instinct, Mystic, or Valor?

Ah, are you referring to Professor Willow and his assistants’ unconventional research techniques? If so, it’s a fascinating subject. Professor Willow must be a wonderful mentor, allowing his students to split up and research what excites their passions the most.

Among them, I must say it’s difficult to choose. Of the three, I admit I’m less interested in Candela’s research, not that her work is at all uninteresting. It’s simply focused more on the mechanics of battling and training, which I also admit I’m not in the least bit adept at.

Of the remaining two assistants, in theory, I would agree the most with Blanche, who in turn believes in understanding pokémon through wisdom and knowledge. That is the core essence of what it means to be a researcher, so it’s difficult to say I disagree.

On the other hand, having spoken with Spark, it’s difficult to disagree with him in practice. After all, not only are his philosophies focused on seeing the inherent talents of every pokémon, but also, Spark himself is rather … persuasive, to put it in a way.

Bill has a type. It’s “literally anyone who’s enthusiastic about pokémon.” —LH

If you’re implying what I think you’re implying, I respect Spark on a strictly professional level. —Bill

Which is why whenever he’s around, you make the exact same face as you do whenever someone mentions that girl in the Goldenrod Flower Shop. —LH

Yes! It’s a face of respect! —Bill

Are some species pokemon more prone to certain illnesses or conditions than others, or even certain types? Could Psychic type pokemon perhaps be more prone to mental problems? What examples can you give?

Absolutely, anonymous. In actuality, though, psychic-types are often inherently stronger and more mentally stable than most other beings in existence, purely because of the burden telepathy and empathy hoist onto their users. Thus, it’s like any other form of Darwinistic evolution: those who couldn’t adapt to the psychic strain also couldn’t pass their traits on to offspring, whereas those with well-fortified minds could.

However, ghost-types tend to be susceptible to mental illnesses, and it’s not for the reason one would think. You see, some ghost-types, particularly yamask and phantump, are supposedly the deceased spirits of human beings. Regardless of whether or not that’s true, it’s undeniable that they are more melancholic than most other pokémon, and some are even prone to symptoms that uncannily resemble those of either PTSD or depression. They aren’t the only ones, either. Members of the shuppet line are also prone to these issues, and spiritomb is supposedly aggressive due to the exact nature of its unfinished business, so to speak.

Fairy- and normal-types are also prone to mental issues in the form of anxiety, likely due to an inborn aversion to humanity. Clefairy in particular seem to be affected by this, but anxiety has also appeared in audino, meowth, granbull, and skitty.

As for physical afflictions, there are indeed a wide variety of possible illnesses that affect some pokémon and not others—far too many to go into, to be frank. For example, grass-types are far more susceptible to cold and may experience frostbite sooner than other pokémon, electric-types that have been exposed to electromagnets or extreme surges of electricity may experience shock sickness (a condition in which they’ve stored too much electricity and/or can’t release any of it), and steel-types can actually be burned by their own armor under extreme heat (a condition called self-burning). In terms of diseases, some infections affect some grass- or bug-types but not others, some mites infest the fur or hair of some mammalian pokémon but not others, and the flu may devastate some bird-like pokémon but not others. I wouldn’t say there’s any one type or species of pokémon that are more susceptible to disease or conditions than another (even though I’ve mentioned grass-types twice in this paragraph alone), but there are certainly plenty of examples of certain conditions afflicting some pokémon more than any other.

Do service pokemon exist, like guide pokemon? Can dog-like pokemon assist blind people, or perhaps can psychic type pokemon help a deaf person communicate? And what other ways can pokemon be used like this?

They do indeed, anonymous!

For both the blind and deaf communities, growlithe, rockruff, and lillipup tend to be the most popular choice of service dogs, as they tend to be more loyal and attentive than houndour or poochyena (although some breeders raise those as well). Herdier are occasionally used, but many service pokémon with evolutionary forms larger than herdier are typically given everstones to avoid the awkward situation of having a service pokémon far too large for the job. Those with sensitive hearing, such as members of the clefairy or audino lines, also make excellent guide pokémon.

Beyond that, psychic-types tend to be the most popular service pokémon. For example, for the hearing-impaired, psychics with telepathic and telekinetic abilities open up channels of communication that many other pokémon wouldn’t be able to achieve, yes. (They can, for example, help their humans to manipulate devices that enable them to communicate or simply open up telepathic channels that enable more direct modes of communication.) But beyond that, those with precognitive abilities make excellent companions for those prone to seizures, and those with empathic abilities are typically trained to project calming auras to counteract anxiety attacks. Those with particular mastery over their telekinetic abilities—particularly gardevoir—can even help those with limited mobility.

Other than that, when it comes to those facing limited mobility, fighting-types are the second most popular, as even the smallest ones can help their humans navigate their daily lives (literally, even). More nimble ones like riolu and mankey can also reach items their humans cannot.

Conversely, grass-types, particularly ones known for their soothing scent (such as bayleef) or those who can use Sweet Scent are sometimes given to those who require service pokémon for emotional support. Normal-types—especially members of the chansey, togepi, and jigglypuff lines, as well as audino—may also be helpful to those who require a more soothing pokémon, as these lines often possess techniques to calm and heal in addition to the strong inclination to comfort others. Some pokémon, such as klefki and tangela, can even be trained to provide emotional support in the form of stimming—as in, they hold still and allow their humans to toy with their keys or vines or so forth in order to ground themselves and manage extreme stress.

Additionally, hoothoot is often used for those with memory issues, as these pokémon not only provide extremely accurate mental clocks but also can be trained to help humans maintain schedules (such as, for example, schedules for when different medicines should be taken). Murkrow and chatot, meanwhile, are helpful to those with speech impairments, as these pokémon can be taught to repeat the most immediate thing their humans tell them in the clearest manner possible.

Finally, ditto may be used for any of the above, either in its original form (it’s a popular alternative to klefki for stimming, as its true body is smooth, gelatinous, and difficult to actually damage) or by shapeshifting into any of a select set of forms it’s trained to remember to suit specific tasks. (Service ditto, for example, may be trained to take the form of a growlithe without having to see a growlithe.)

These are, of course, only the few I can recall off the top of my head. I have no doubt there are plenty of other kinds of service pokémon out there.

In short, it’s amazing how many ways pokémon and humans come together, and it is equally remarkable that pokémon can do so much to improve our lives for the better. So yes, there are most definitely service pokémon that are used for a wide variety of purposes. Essentially, if you can think of any reason a human would need a pokémon to help them with day-to-day tasks, there very likely is a pokémon that fills that exact niche.

How do you gently let down a pokemon that is dropping hints of a romantic interest in you

[Editor’s note: The content of this post has been deleted for the following reason: That is a terrible idea, and you clearly need adult supervision. Again. An edited version of this post is below.]

It’s difficult to handle a pokémon that displays oddly romantic feelings towards their trainers for two reasons. First, letting down humans is difficult enough, and we actually speak the same language and, by and large, can empathize with one another. Second, unlike humans, pokémon wield power over the elements, so angering or upsetting one is a risk.

That having been said, though, as with letting a human down, a trainer must exercise tact and clarity when communicating with an overly affectionate pokémon. Establish boundaries and be sure to tell your pokémon firmly when they’ve crossed them. Unlike humans, pokémon communicate in a very simple manner, so when you tell them no, they usually will take your no at face value, rather than cobble together an interpretation based on your body language.

However, like humans, pokémon may get upset or confused by the existence of this no, so it’s important to establish an amicable but clear relationship thereafter. If your pokémon reacts poorly, calm them with treats, training, or forms of affection that cannot be interpreted as consent. (Petting, for example.) When dealing with more human-like pokémon, be sure to keep a physical amount of distance and follow up your no with activities that clearly establish the master-pet dynamic, such as training.

In short, tell your pokémon very clearly that you don’t wish to have that sort of relationship with them and that it’s uncomfortable for you but be sure to establish what your relationship is shortly afterwards with entirely platonic activities.

Good luck, anonymous!