How to take care of a ralts please?

I must admit, this depends on your circumstances, especially given the fact that ralts is a branched evolutionary family. While there are certainly similarities between how you would raise a ralts who will eventually be a gardevoir and a ralts who will eventually be a gallade, when you get to preparing for their evolutions, the training regimens you will need will undoubtedly be different. Likewise, as soon as your ralts evolves into a kirlia, you may need to adjust its lifestyle, depending on whether or not it wishes to evolve at all and what it wishes to evolve into. A gallade requires a diet heavy in protein (to build muscle) as well as exercises of a more physical nature (especially to build arm strength). Meanwhile, kirlia that don’t wish to evolve and kirlia that wish to evolve into gardevoir will need exercises geared more towards developing their psychokinetic abilities, including more meditation than actual physical fitness. Additionally, as they develop their psychic abilities, they’ll need to rely more on a plant-based diet to avoid consuming anything that could experience emotions upon death, as the psychic exercises may increase their empathic strength.

Speaking of which, that’s the main challenge in raising a ralts at all: the empathic factor. Young ralts especially will be a little uneasy as they get used to feeling your emotions, and thus, from an early age, they should be trained to build psychic barriers. Keeping other, older members of the ralts family (including gallade) could help, but really, any psychic pokémon capable of using telepathy will do. Younger ralts will also require a lot of meditation in order to teach them mindfulness, which in turn will help them control their own emotions and prevent themselves from projecting onto others (including you).

A lot of these exercises may consume much of your ralts’s time, so distractions for stress relief are absolutely necessary. Soft toys may be a good choice due to the comfort the ralts may derive from the way they feel, but be wary when getting anything with a face. Ralts who struggle with controlling their psychic abilities may inadvertently bond with their stuffed toys, which increases the risk of producing a shuppet if the toy ever needs to be discarded. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give a ralts a stuffed animal—just that if you do get them one, don’t let them or the rest of their team beat it up too much, and be sure to have them draw out any psychic energy when the toy is ready to be discarded. Otherwise, believe it or not, but stimming toys normally given to humans are also excellent choices. Moon sand as well, for that matter. The more a ralts’s physical senses can be engaged when playing with the toy, the better, as it allows it to focus on the physical realm, rather than the psychic. (They’re also rather fun to collect or create, but … that may simply be my own personal preference showing through.)

In terms of food, it’s a misconception that members of the ralts family are exclusively vegan. While they can’t eat meat that had been taken from a living animal, eggs and dairy are perfectly fine. Dairy, after all, is not a complex living thing in itself, and eggs have never reached the stage where they would have developed emotions. If you’re thinking of evolving your ralts into a gallade, as I’ve mentioned earlier, protein is a necessity, so eggs—along with vegetarian proteins such as nuts or soybeans—are an essential. Otherwise, ralts that you don’t wish to evolve or ralts that will eventually become gardevoir can be completely vegan—if they wish, anyway. It’s always a good idea to ask your ralts what it prefers.

Otherwise, taking care of a ralts is very much like taking care of a small child. They sleep in small beds (with blankets and a pillow, preferably), they can be toilet-trained, they bathe in similar ways to humans, and they often need the same sorts of affection we give children. It’s just that it’s very highly recommended that you avoid physical contact as much as possible with particularly young ralts until they develop the aforementioned psychic barriers, as projection from a psychic pokémon is not a particularly wondrous experience. Thus, as tempting as it may be, your ralts will really need its own bed, and you may wish to avoid hugging it as much as possible at first.

Best of luck, anonymous.

Anything on caring for a Taillow and a Fletchling that live together, will they need toys or mirrors for their cage? I may be adopting them from someone and while I’ve been assured they get along great now, will I have to worry about them fighting once they get older and evolve?

Thanks to taillow’s flocking instincts and the fact that they were already integrated with one another previously, you will likely not need to worry about these two fighting. You may need to aware of possible tension later on in their respective evolutions because of swellow’s protectiveness compared to talonflame’s preference for solitary hunting, but by then, they should have spent enough time with one another that resolving this issue shouldn’t be too difficult. Tamed pokémon generally do remarkably well together if they’re taught from early ages to see one another as teammates, rather than members of opposing species, and this is something every good trainer has some concept of already.

The only thing you’ll really need to worry about is space. Both of these pokémon will need large cages by default, but as they evolve, they’ll need more and more area to fly about in. Talonflame especially need vast swaths of territory, especially given the fact that it will very likely want to exercise its signature fire abilities. If you’re a traveling trainer, you may have all the space you’ll need for your talonflame to feel comfortable, but domestic situations may be a bit more challenging. It’s best to give your fletchling or fletchinder an everstone to avoid the problem altogether, but if your fletchinder insists on evolving, move your talonflame’s roost outdoors.

Swellow, who are more used to nesting, may be fine indoors as well, but bird pokémon generally thrive better in fresh air. Yours may be just fine sharing a space with your talonflame, however—again because its flocking instincts will drive it to share space with other birds. The only thing you would need to add to this outdoor home would be a nesting box for your swellow, especially if the swellow is the female while the talonflame is the male. (Be aware that the two may be tempted to mate. If you allow this, then the box will be necessary. If your swellow is the male in the pairing, your talonflame can build a nest anywhere. Simply provide her with materials and be aware that “anywhere” may mean your roof. If they’re the same gender, then this point is moot, although your swellow will find comfort in the box anyway.)

As for general care, mirrors are certainly a good idea to keep them occupied, as are jingling toys, ropes, and different levels of perches. Always invest in heat-resistant toys for rather obvious reasons. You will also need a sand bath for your fletchling if it evolves. If it doesn’t, it will do just fine in a water bath alongside your taillow and/or swellow. Both need sources of drinking water either way. Additionally, both have similar diets and can eat seeds as well as dried insects if they don’t eat kibble. (However, be aware that your fletchling may also prefer worms—available at pokémon bait shops—as well as larger chunks of meat in its talonflame stage.) As for lining, you can line their cages with shredded paper and untreated newspaper. This is true even as fletchling evolves, as a fletchinder’s and talonflame’s droppings do not, well, come out on fire (unlike a number of other fire-types’ excrement).

Best of luck, anonymous!

What advice can you give me on how to take care of a drilbur or two? I have a large mostly empty and unused back yard which I think will be good for them to dig in. Is there anything I can do to make it more interesting for drilbur?

One thing you can do is offer them small boulders or a shallow pit of gravel. This may seem dangerous for a drilbur, but this is actually necessary for the maintenance of drilbur’s claws. Gravel pits give them something to dig into that will “refill” itself eventually, and boulders offer larger surface areas to scrape. (It’s extremely difficult to maintain a drilbur’s claws otherwise, although with patience, a human may be able to use a claw file on them. Drilbur generally don’t sit still long enough for this process, however.)

Planting logs or stumps (if one of your neighbors is looking to remove a stump from their yard) may provide obstacles for a drilbur to play with, especially if either of them have thick roots. They can also encourage insect breeding and provide something natural for a drilbur to snack on. Do not plant actual trees, however. Drilbur activity can damage the tree’s roots, which means planting trees in your drilbur’s “territory” may endanger them. The same can be said for gardens, incidentally (although you can use any area of your yard that your drilbur has grown tired of to garden).

Otherwise, simply giving your drilbur plenty of space (such as your entire yard) will be sufficient enough. Your drilbur will create tunnels and occupy themselves on their own, basically.

Other than that, drilbur eat insects, worms, and nuts when not on kibble, and they will often find sources of these on their own. However, it’s still recommended that you feed them regularly, especially during the winter, as those three food sources may not be plentiful enough to support your drilbur exclusively. Give them clean water for drinking as well, but keep in mind that as ground-types, they should never be bathed or placed in a wet environment. (They’ll self-groom, but you can provide them a sand bath as well if you can afford one large enough for them.)

They’re also mainly outdoor pokémon, so while you should bring them inside during the winter or during heavy rains, they can actually survive well enough by being left outside. Additionally, some trainers worry about whether or not their drilbur will wander or create tunnel systems that travel too far away from home, and quite frankly, these are valid worries. Some drilbur do dig burrows that lead far, far from home, but others prefer staying close and digging downward. To curb the potential of your drilbur digging too far from home, offer your drilbur treats and a warm, dry place for inclement weather. This will encourage it to come back or keep its tunnels close to you.

Good luck, anonymous!

So my friend had to move out of town and due to a set of unexpected circumstances I have to take care of her Sylveon. Any tips for raising him?

On a very basic level, much of a sylveon’s requirements are very similar to an eevee’s—and, by extension, many of eevee’s evolutions. Sylveon eats the same sorts of food (either kibble or a meat-heavy diet), requires both walks and regular battling, and will gravitate towards the same sorts of toys (including chew toys, squeaky toys, and soft toys). In fact, in many ways, sylveon is among the easiest eeveelutions to care for, as unlike eeveelutions such as leafeon, vaporeon, glaceon, or flareon, it requires no special care according to its type. Fairy-types are generally agreeable and adaptable, and although they may come with mischievous streaks, they’re generally easier to domesticate than even normal-types. This, along with their typically cute appearances, is why they make popular pets in the first place. All of this, of course, is simply to say that sylveon in general are easier to care for than one might think. It just requires some basic knowledge of how to care for canine pokémon.

However, in your case, there may be a few complications that are far more important to address. You see, sylveon evolve in response to a heightened sense of affection. To put it another way, affection is very much like happiness, so sylveon has a lot in common with espeon and umbreon. However, espeon and umbreon simply evolve due to happiness. In tamed situations, this means “whenever the eevee in question feels an overwhelmingly strong bond with their trainer.” Tamed pokémon, after all, derive their happiness from spending time with their human partners. However, happiness is actually a lot vaguer than sylveon’s evolutionary requirement because happiness doesn’t necessarily mean closeness, either. Even in tamed settings, there are rare cases in which an eevee may evolve via happiness derived from time spent with a mate, from pure enjoyment of an activity, or even from a really good joke. It’s just that it’s easiest to achieve the exact level of euphoria eevee needs to evolve by allowing it to feel love for its trainer.

Affection, meanwhile, is also a requirement derived from the bond between a trainer and their pokémon, but it’s more physical and specific in nature. Sylveon are extremely rare in the wild because affection is pleasure derived from being taken care of and loved. An eevee that achieves sylveon’s evolution requirements is typically cleaned, fed, given a home, and showered with love (that is to say, given physical forms of affection, such as petting) on a daily basis. Affection isn’t simply happiness, in other words, but rather an overwhelming sense of belonging. This feeling may occur if an eevee feels strongly bonded to their mates or packs, but the feeling of loyalty an eevee experiences as a result of human affection tends to be a lot stronger than anything it experiences in the wild.

I’m sure by now, you’ve can gather why I’m telling you this, but for the sake of clarity, allow me to put it this way. You’re being given a pokémon that evolved due to his strong feelings of belonging, instilled in him by another human. Trading itself can be a bit tricky, as it requires you to build trust in a pokémon that doesn’t know you, but this is going to be especially challenging with your new sylveon, as you are, at the risk of putting it far too bluntly, not the trainer who helped him to evolve.

That having been said, it’s going to be especially important for you to spend as much time as possible with your new sylveon. You need to work especially hard to build his trust in you, and you need to emphasize the fact that although you cannot replace his original trainer perfectly, you will still love your sylveon as much as she did. Pay attention to the routines your friend had maintained with her sylveon, and try to follow those same routines when he comes into your care. Make your new sylveon an irreplaceable part of your life. Ensure he becomes well-adjusted to the rest of your team, and set aside time each and every day to give him affection.

In other words, go into this new relationship realizing that sylveon exists due to the affection he received from its trainer. Don’t let this discourage you, either. Let it remind you that the trade may affect your new sylveon in negative ways and that it’s important for you to reassure him as much as possible that he’s still loved.

Once you get past the first few weeks and once your sylveon becomes adjusted to you and begins to trust you, you’ll find it will get easier to care for him. (As I’ve said, sylveon’s list of daily requirements is far shorter than those of most other eeveelutions.) Just try not to diminish the amount of affection you show your sylveon (as in, continue making him be a part of your life), and you should be fine.

Good luck, anonymous.

I’m going to get a Torchic in a trade pretty soon, but I’m not too sure how to take care of it as I’m more used to normal type Pokemon instead of fire types. Is there anything I should know beforehand?

Fireproof everything.

On a serious note, it depends on how old the torchic is. In general, the older the fire-type starter, the more likely they’ll know how to control their abilities, so although it’s wise to fireproof your torchic’s space (that is, remove any flammable materials from wherever it will spend the most time, invest in another fire alarm and a fire extinguisher if possible, consider catching a water-type, and so forth), it’s not completely necessary to go out of your way to do so.

Beyond that, the most important things to remember is that your torchic is a bird and a fire-type. Torchic thrive better in open spaces, rather than coops or cages (contrary to popular belief), but a coop is important to have as a form of shelter for the rain. You could also keep your torchic inside your house, but if so, be aware that torchic are harder to housebreak than any other fire-type. In other words, it’s honestly better to keep your torchic in your yard, just because of the flaming poop alone. If keeping your torchic indoors, provide for it a “litter box” with bedding and train the torchic to stay within reach of it. Also, remember to douse any accidents with water before cleaning it up. Even if not actively on fire, torchic excrement can still be smoldering and too hot to touch. If keeping an outdoor torchic, be sure to clean its coop as often as possible and keep a water-type outside to take care of any accidents on dry grass.

Also, provide your torchic with a sand bath, not a water bath. Sand baths will help your torchic stay clean and keep off parasites, whereas water baths will just irritate its skin and lead to a drop in body temperature.

Speaking of which, while older torchic, as well as combusken and blaziken, will have stable body temperatures, younger torchic need a heat source to stay warm. Even then, until evolution, it’s generally a good idea to keep your torchic as warm as possible, especially in the winter months. Indoor torchic can be kept warm with any ordinary electric heater, but pokémarts also sell special heaters for torchic coops.

The coop itself should be large enough to house a blaziken, have a roof, and be lined with mesh, not only to avoid burning but also to discourage predators from getting at your torchic or scavengers from getting at its droppings and food. The mesh should allow breezes to enter the coop to maintain your torchic’s respiratory health, but the roof needs to be large enough to keep the rain off. It’s fine if you need to sacrifice some wall space to minimize flooding inside the coop, but vents or windows are absolutely necessary. Remember to put in a shelf for your torchic and its evolutions to sleep on and provide nesting materials (hay, for example—and, yes, it’s fine if it burns, so long as you’re fine with replacing it). Finally, your torchic’s food and water dishes can be placed inside the coop—or by its litter box, if it’s an indoor torchic.

As for food, torchic typically eat vegetables, fruits, and grains, and they can be given leafy greens, whole beans, shelled sunflower seeds, corn, and flowers. However, they’re not exclusively herbivores, and they can be given meal worms and finely crushed oyster shells as well. (Shells are a great source of calcium, which female torchic may need for egg-laying.) Additionally, be sure to give your torchic grit (also available in pokémarts—it will be marketed as “bird pokémon grit”), as torchic’s lack of teeth mean it needs something in its gizzard to grind its food and aid in digestion.

Finally, as the precursor to a fighting-type line, it’s important to establish a training routine early on. Having your torchic go for a run or practice kicking on a training dummy will do wonders to develop the kicking abilities its evolved forms are known for. Otherwise, the standard hour of training and battling for any new addition to your team is highly recommended. Just note that, as a newly traded pokémon, your torchic will be far more eager to please and bond with you than a pokémon you’ve caught yourself (this is normal behavior—and, in fact, a good sign that your torchic doesn’t think it’s been abandoned by its former trainer but rather sees you as a stranger to befriend), so it may be quicker to learn and grow than other pokémon you may have handled. Keep an eye on it and remember to step in if it looks like your torchic is going overboard.

In other words, many of the things you may have done for your normal-type pokémon (especially if those normal-types were also birds) can apply to your torchic; it’s just that you may need to take extra caution when it comes to cleaning up after it.

Good luck, anonymous, and congratulations on your new torchic!

I recently caught a Bulbasaur. He gets along pretty well with my Growlithe and Noibat. Any tips for raising him??

Well, it’s certainly a good thing that your bulbasaur is used to pokémon that would naturally harm him. I have no doubt that his relationships between these pokémon will only continue to grow. Should you be worried at all that either of them would harm him, it’s thoughtful but not necessary. So long as your noibat and growlithe are in full control of their abilities (which they should be if they’re tame), they should pose no threat against the new addition to their family.

That having been said, as part-plants, remember that bulbasaur need warm, sunny places to lounge and clean water, just as any other plant pokémon does. He will also need at least six hours in direct sunlight to avoid wilting, so ensure you have a place by an eastern- or western-facing window for him to lounge. (However, it’s better if he can lounge outside as much as possible.) If you can, give him a flat stone to perch on. The warmth from the stone’s surface can be relaxing to the reptilian half of his body. Additionally, keep him warm during the winter months; never let him outside without his growlithe partner, as the cold can freeze his bulb.

Other than that, the reptilian part of his body eats insects or very small pieces of meat in addition to kibble. He can eat the same things as your growlithe, but be sure that they’re much smaller, as bulbasaur don’t have teeth quite as sharp as canine pokémon.

It’s also perfectly normal for your bulbasaur’s skin to be on the dry side, but if it appears cracked, that may be cause for concern. Look out for any signs of lethargy (refusing to eat or sun, for example) and take your bulbasaur to the nearest pokémon center if you see these signs in combination.

Beyond that, bulbasaur are among the easiest pokémon to take care of. That’s why they’re frequently given out as starters. (Or … sold to children by less reputable dealers, not to reference anything in particular.) So long as you give your bulbasaur a steady supply of sunlight, water, and food, your bulbasaur will generally be very happy. You don’t really need to give it many toys, either, although some bulbasaur trainers give it balloons, install hooks high on walls, or generally provide their bulbasaur with distractions that it can play with using its vines. However, given the fact that it has companions who would have toys of their own, your bulbasaur may be content enough to play with his companions. The only thing to keep in mind is that a happy bulbasaur may vocalize frequently, especially at night or when it’s close to evolution. It’s best that you let it. It should only be a cause of concern if your bulbasaur vocalizes too loudly (that is, loudly enough to disrupt neighbors) or not at all.

Also, be warned when it learns Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, or Poison Powder. While bulbasaur are conservative about spraying powders or spores (their go-to defense mechanism is Vine Whip, followed by Razor Leaf), they will use Sleep Powder if they feel easily excitable pokémon such as growlithe are getting too excited for their liking. Other than that, it may be best to watch out for Razor Leaf and Vine Whip as well, although in general, bulbasaur are very difficult to startle into using their attacks.

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

I just hatched a Mawile, and although I know for a fact that it’s been bread for a beneficial nature and maximum battle potential, I’m worried about what to do if it insists on battling before it’s ready.

Be cautious but firm. I say “cautious” because mawile are generally known for their deceptive abilities, and that extends to more than just in battle. If a mawile has their heart set on something, they will often use their cuteness and deceptive natures to trick those around them into getting it. Always be on your guard around a young mawile, as the species is particularly cute when recently hatched and intelligent enough to know that.

That having been said, set boundaries for your mawile. Establish the fact that she cannot battle in full-scale matches involving experienced pokémon and be absolutely firm in telling her this. Never take her to a battlefield, but if avoiding one is difficult for you (as battlefields are common in public spaces, such as parks and pokémon centers), refuse to battle with her and make it clear to trainers who might approach that you’re not interested just yet. This may force you to cut back on training with your other pokémon, but until your mawile is old enough, it may be for the best.

However, you don’t necessarily have to forgo training routines altogether. Instead of engaging in hard battles, consider using your other pokémon to set up play matches with your mawile. In other words, allow your mawile to “battle” your other pokémon while making it clear to your team that they’re to go easy on her. Roughhousing, as odd as this may seem, is a great way to encourage your mawile to bond with the rest of your team while gaining the strength and experience she needs to grow. Likewise, it’s an excellent way to teach the rest of your team to control their abilities (as it’s easier to go all-out in a match but takes far more discipline and strength to hold back). This may be a perfect compromise for an insistent mawile who’s far too young for actual battling.

Of course, if she shows no interest whatsoever in battling, then that’s an entirely different matter, and for that reason, I would suggest worrying less about whether or not she will be insistent on battling. Some mawile are quite enthusiastic about the prospect, but others may need time to warm up to the idea of battling at all. It all depends on the personality of your hatchling, and you really have just as much of a chance to handle a disinterested mawile as you are one that wishes to fight as soon as possible.

Good luck, anonymous, and congratulations on the newest addition to your team!

I should be getting a Noibat to keep as a pet soon. What do I need to know about caring for one before I bring the little guy home? Also, how should I prepare if it decides it wants to evolve?

Soundproof everything.

In all seriousness, noibat have extremely sensitive hearing, far more than any other pokémon. The first thing you’ll need to do is ensure it has a nice, quiet place to go, preferably one that’s as dark as possible and definitely if you live in an urban environment. Basements tend to be favored places, as the dampness can remind a noibat of its home cave. The larger this space, the better, as you’ll want to give your noibat plenty of room to fly about or roost. Also, just because you’ll want a darker, damper environment for your noibat does not mean it should be cold. In the winter, be sure your noibat’s living area is just a bit warm. If the space is too cold for you to go about without a jacket, then it’s too cold for your noibat.

Besides that, unlike mice- or rat-like pokémon like pikachu or rattata, noibat need minimal direct care, as they tend to be wilder than its rodent cousins. Giving it a soundproof space that you wouldn’t mind cleaning frequently (as in, once a day), as well as sources of food and water, are really all you need to do. Remember that noibat are frugivores, so have plenty of berries on hand for it to eat.

Your noibat will self-groom, so providing it with something to bathe in—even a sand bath—is not necessary unless it’s ill, covered in something poisonous, or particularly dirty. Otherwise, although it’s fine to groom your noibat to build affection, this should only be done after the two of you have established trust in each other—and even then, only occasionally. Noibat are largely independent pokémon, so many of them feel uncomfortable when touched by humans unless they initiate contact themselves.

Ultimately, that’s the main key to taking care of noibat: remembering that many of them like their space. Unless hatched from an egg and raised by hand as a hatchling, noibat are shy, skittish creatures in comparison to their rodent cousins, zubat and woobat included. Always let your noibat come to you if it wants affection or to be touched in general; never force your noibat to come to you. The more you show it that you’re willing to give it the space it needs, the more likely it will trust you and feel comfortable around you (paradoxically enough). You’ll know when you’ve built a solid relationship with your noibat if it comes to you frequently and lets you pet it or give it affection for more than a few minutes at a time.

As for your second question, the process of preparing for evolution is more or less the same as it is with any other pokémon, really. If your noibat expresses interest in evolution, be sure to support them but also verify that this is absolutely what they want to do. Then, start your noibat on a daily training regimen consisting of at least one hour of training per day. Flying exercises might also be something worth considering, that might make your noibat’s transition into its noivern form a lot smoother.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that noivern are dragons, not only at heart but also very, very literally. For one, they need a lot more space than noibat, but at the same time, their requirements for a dark, quiet living space is just as important for them. (Hence, basements tend to be even better ideas for keeping them.) Additionally, as draconic pokémon, they’ll want plenty of opportunity to exercise and fly about, so it’s a good idea to maintain your training schedule well after noivern’s evolution. It would also be a wise idea to construct a noivern door connected to its usual living space so that, at night, your noivern may come and go as it pleases and get additional exercise on its own. (For that matter, it would be a good idea to speak with Nurse Joy prior to evolution about options for implanting a chip on your noibat.)

Finally, as noted in its entry, despite being draconic in nature (in that they prefer their freedom), noivern are generally either fiercely loyal or shy around humans. Which yours will be tends to depend on the care you give it prior to evolution. If you’ve reached the aforementioned stage where your noibat will come to you frequently, then it will likely evolve into the fiercely loyal sort of noivern. If, however, your noibat for any reason doesn’t feel comfortable around you by the time it evolves, it will most certainly grow into the sort of noivern who prefers avoiding contact with humans, including you. It would be important, if you end up with the latter sort of noivern, to change your habits and work to build noivern’s trust in you. It’s not impossible to do so after evolution, but it will take a lot more time and patience, as it will require you to give your noivern enough space while also providing it with a reason for it to come home at the end of the night.

I do hope this all made sense, anonymous. Noibat can be a challenging pokémon to handle, just because their normally shy disposition makes them difficult to tame. Nonetheless, as with all pokémon, patience is the key to gaining a lifelong friend.

I own a large pool (large enough to keep quite a few pokemon in) which my Gyarados currently lives alone in. I’m thinking of getting a few more, what pokemon could safely live with a Gyarados? He is tame and has been trained so he will only eat food that I specifically place in his mouth for him (friend’s pokemon occasionally visit so he knows what is or isnt food)

Well, as noted in an earlier ask, you’ll want to be cautious of introducing anything that can breed with gyarados into a gyarados pond. This means any female fish-like pokémon may be a bad idea, as presenting a gyarados with one as a companion may trigger his more primal instincts. Male specimens, however, are fine, and there are quite a few stories of lifelong friendships between milotic and gyarados. (It’s likely because both of their preevolved stages can commiserate over being formerly the weakest fish in a pond, so to speak.)

The other sorts of pokémon that would be bad ideas to keep in your gyarados’s pond would, of course, be chinchou and lanturn, as they sometimes discharge electricity into their habitats. As you likely know, gyarados in their natural states possess a potent weakness to electricity, so being that close to either chinchou or lanturn may be dangerous to your gyarados’s health. Try to keep him away from anything that knows electrical attacks as well. Starmie that you obtain from a trainer or breeder, for example, may know Thunderbolt, and specially bred remoraid and octillery may know Thunder Wave.

All other pokémon that live in the water are excellent choices, but gyarados prefers anything it can swim with. Part of this is because gyarados tend to be highly competitive, but some part of it is left over from its time as a magikarp. (Magikarp congregate in schools and shoals to protect themselves, after all.) If you can get a pokémon that’s native to the same place your gyarados is from, even better. If you received your gyarados from a breeder, obtaining a local pokémon from the same sort of environment magikarp generally live (such as marill, wooper, psyduck, tentacool, and so forth) will do as well. This is largely because, as these pokémon are native to gyarados habitats, they’re more likely to be used to a gyarados, or they’ll at least adapt well to your gyarados’s presence.

In short, most water-types are perfectly safe to raise with your gyarados, especially given the fact that you’ve said he is well-trained and understands the difference between food and everything else. But the closer you can get to pokémon that would normally live with it, the better. If not, simply stay away from anything it would want to mate with or that its entire species is weak to.

hello I’ve just hatched an Archen that I wasn’t exactly expecting and I want to give it the best care possible, do you have any insight on how to raise them or should I leave mine in the care of professionals – since it is in my understanding that Archeops are very rare and on the threatened species list?

Actually, if you were present when your archen hatched, then it very likely imprinted on you, and thus, it may be better off with you than with a professional—if you can give it adequate care, anyway.

That having been said, as a bird pokémon (essentially, anyway), it needs many of the same things birds would: safe housing (where it can perch at night or where it can eliminate its wastes), clean drinking water, enough food to feed it twice daily, a means of keeping it entertained and enriched, and an abundance of affection. Just like many other birds, archen will vocalize to locate and reassure itself of the presence of its flock—you, in other words. So be prepared for a rather loud or talkative pokémon.

Also, despite possessing fangs, archen are actually herbivorous, and they prefer whole fruit to seeds. However, if feeding your archen kibble, keep in mind that archen-specific kibble does not exist, but archen can and will eat either generic poké-kibble or kibble designed for certain bird pokémon (namely chatot, swablu, pidove, or ducklett). If going with any of these choices, you may need to supplement your archen’s diet with vitamins. Your Nurse Joy will be able to tell you if that’s the case.

Additionally, as archen are rock-types, the water should only be used for drinking. Never bathe your archen if you can help it. Rather, provide it with a sand bath separate from its cage (preferably outdoors, as it will fling sand everywhere in the process of cleaning itself). While it self-grooms afterwards, a great bonding method is to help it to preen by sitting it beside you and brushing its feathers with a standard pokémon brush.

In terms of exercise and behavior, archen are very easy to train, as they’re more eager than a number of other pokémon to battle. As ancient pokémon, they are also highly curious and prone to wandering off if left unattended. In other words, while archen and archeops are typically eager to listen to you on the battlefield (not to mention easy subjects to train when it comes to teaching moves), they can be quite a handful off the battlefield. When going out, be sure to keep your archen or archeops secure in their poké balls, and when at home, keep an eye on it and keep it away from both wild pokémon and those of your neighbors.

Generally speaking, archen and archeops are fascinating pokémon that I admit are far less understood than I’m implying above. For this reason, you have a wonderful opportunity to befriend and study one of the rarest pokémon in existence, and for that, I admit I’m a little envious. Nonetheless, I wish you the best of luck, @jun-mon, both on caring for your new archen and learning more about its species through your experiences.