Is there any difference between the psychic powers of the few humans who can use them and the abilities of psychic types?

Superficially, not much. Both psychic humans and pokémon are largely capable of the same basic abilities: teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy, precognition, and so on and so forth. The difference is in power. While some pokémon possess abilities of seemingly limitless scope and strength, humans are by and large hindered by their own psycho-physiological makeup. For this reason, the strongest human psychics really only possess abilities that are on par with the likes of mime jr., smoochum, and other relatively weaker psychic-types in terms of strength. The only exception (who’s been recorded, anyway) is Sabrina of Saffron City, but even Sabrina admits she’s uniquely powerful.

More importantly, though: pokémon as a whole possess a unique trait that sets them apart from any other living being on the planet, and that is their ability to organize their respective elements into special, identifiable techniques we humans know as moves. This is also why, no matter how incredibly strong humans can be, they can’t execute normal- or fighting-type moves. We just don’t have the capacity for translating our efforts into consistent maneuvers like that. So although both humans and gardevoir or alakazam or so forth are capable of using telekinesis, we are not capable of controlling our telekinesis with the consistent strength and precision needed to execute Psychic.

In other words, one could say that although we may be powerful in our own rights, humans are slightly weaker and certainly more primitive than pokémon when it comes to channeling and controlling the elements.

What do humanoid pokemon such as gardevoir and gallade eat? I’d assume humanoid pokemon were omnivorous like us but at the same time the thought of a family of ralts ripping another pokemon to shreds with their teeth (or psychic abilities) is horrifying.

It largely depends on the humanoid pokémon in question. For example, when it comes to the ralts line, you are very astute in assuming they wouldn’t be able to hunt, anonymous. Or, rather, they can’t consume anything with enough of a nervous system to register pain. Therefore, plants and many invertebrates—especially worms, most insects, nematodes, and (for specimens who make their homes close to the sea) sponges and very basic sea life—are fair game to any psychic-type pokémon.

However, with humanoid pokémon of other elements, diets can vary rather wildly. Fighting-types, poison-types, and steel-types are typically carnivorous, for example, as their muscle structure and lifestyles dictate that they need a high intake of proteins found only in meat. Likewise, humanoid grass-types (i.e., cacturne) are typically partly photosynthetic and partly carnivorous. In these cases, their cells possess chlorophyll, but they often live in harsh environments where it’s impossible for them to obtain nutrients from soil alone.

And then you have sableye, which eats rocks.

Munna and Musharna

Munna
The Dream Eater Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 517
Entry: This small, rare tapir-like pokémon has the ability to manipulate dreams. Using its hypnotic powers, it lulls a target to sleep and then proceeds to consume their dreams. Insomniacs and those plagued by nightmares find munna especially useful. That having been said, it is also worth it to note that, contrary to current popular belief, munna is not a “drowzee’s sober first cousin.”

Musharna
The Drowsing Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Official Registration #: 518
Entry: The evolved form of munna, by exposure to moon stone. Like its preevolved form, musharna use its hypnotic abilities to lull a target to sleep so that it may consume their dreams. Once consumed, these dreams are converted into dream smoke, which is expelled by the jewel on musharna’s forehead. This dream smoke has a tendency to change colors, depending on the dreams the host musharna had consumed, with the more vivid ones taking on bright, vibrant hues. Said dreams moke also has the tendency to produce psychotropic effects if deliberately inhaled by a human being … which, contrary to current popular belief, the author does not know from experience.

Unova Legendaries, Part IV

Meloetta
The Melody Pokémon
Type: Normal/Psychic
Official Registration #: 648
Entry: A humanoid legendary pokémon said to be the muse of song and dance. According to Unovan lore, Meloetta possessed the ability to influence the moods of human beings with her song and dance. She was capable of quelling the rage of the most bloodthirsty conquerors, as well as inciting the most peaceful priests and farmers into violent uprisings, all through the power of her songs. Other strange and mystical beings capable of doing the same thing: Kesha.

Unova Legends, Part I

Victini
The Victory Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Fire
Official Registration #: 494
Entry: According to Unovan lore, Victini is the legendary of luck and victory and thus has the ability to grant both power and fortune to whomever trains it. It is said that if sent into any battle, no matter the odds, Victini and its allies will always come out victorious. Unless, of course, Victini comes up against Kyogre, Manaphy, a mega slowbro, most ground-types, most other water-types, the slightest affront to Unovan sensibilities, and—despite its native region’s history as a former colony—British cuisine, slang, general culture, and roundabouts.

Woobat and Swoobat

Woobat
The Bat Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Flying
Official Registration #: 527
Entry: A small, bat-like pokémon native to certain cave systems in Unova and Kalos. Blind from birth, woobat use ultrasonic waves to navigate until they find solid surfaces. There, they rest by latching onto the surface with a powerful form of suction generated by their heart-shaped nostrils. This suction is so strong that it can leave a heart-shaped mark behind, but this mark is said to be a symbol of good fortune to the Unovans. To the rest of the world, these are called “hickeys” or “love bites,” and they’re only of moderate importance.

Swoobat
The Courting Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Flying
Official Registration #: 528
Entry: The evolved form of woobat, as a result of a heightened sense of happiness. Swoobat use their ability to generate ultrasonic waves in their courtship rituals, usually as a means to woo potential mates. Studies have shown that anyone caught within these waves experience sudden bouts of euphoria and generally positive mood shifts. Studies have also shown that slight changes in the frequency of these waves can smash concrete, so either “positive mood shifts” is a euphemism on the part of the pokédex or trainers interested in raising swoobat should take extra precaution during mating season. The author will allow his readers to decide.

Sigilyph

Sigilyph
The Avianoid Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Flying
Official Registration #: 561
Entry: This strange, telekinetic pokémon is said to be the guardian of ancient cities. As such, it is frequently found patrolling specific areas that once housed sites that were important to ancient Unovan culture. If an intruder is found on these grounds, it will attack viciously using beams of psychic energy and its telekinetic powers. Perhaps it should go without saying, but sigilyph make absolutely no distinction between humans who are trespassing with malicious intent and completely innocuous human researchers who happen to be fantastically curious about rumors concerning Unovan ruins and certain extremely rare and powerful insectoid pokémon. That is to say, take caution if you choose to enter sigilyph territory, as sigilyph are both impulsive when it comes to attacking and perfectly capable of chasing one across miles of Unovan desert.

The Beldum Line

Beldum
The Iron Ball Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 374
Entry: A magnetic pokémon rare in but native to the mountains of Hoenn and Sinnoh. It uses its magnetism to move and communicate with other beldum, both of which are essential to it, as its movepool is limited. More specifically, until evolution, beldum only learn one move naturally: Take Down, a devastating physical move in which it rams itself into its opponent, dealing damage to both itself and its target. As an aside, given the shape of this pokémon and the aforementioned fact, it is worth it to note that “rams itself into its opponent” is also not a euphemism, Bebe, and quite frankly, the author is horrified by the fact that anyone thinks it would be.

Metang
The Iron Claw Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 375
Entry: The evolved form of beldum, by battle experience. When two beldum become very close, their magnetism draws them closer together until they fuse at the head to form a larger, faster, and stronger pokémon gifted with a higher sense of enlightenment and intelligence. To answer Bebe’s question, no, this is not a metaphor, nor is this an accurate description of how certain organs the author and people like him would work during any sort of biological function outside of terribly written and highly bizarre slash fanfiction.

Metagross
The Iron Leg Pokémon
Type: Steel/Psychic
Official Registration #: 376
Entry: The evolved form of metagross, by battle experience. Much akin to beldum evolution, metagross form when two metang fuse. The resulting pokémon is not only physically and magically powerful (in that it is capable of launching both devastating physical attacks and devastating psychic attacks) but also highly intelligent. The combined brains of the constituent metang work in unison, allowing the metagross’s brain as a whole to function as a highly efficient supercomputer. …This, of course, is what makes metagross interesting, not the first thing in this entry, yet the author’s Sinnohan colleague is writing the fanfiction anyway.

The Fennekin Line

Fennekin
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 653
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Kalos. Fennekin are popular starters for their adorable appearances and behaviors. They are frequently found trailing after larger pokémon or their trainers while chewing cutely on twigs they find along Kalosean forest paths. These twigs fuel fennekin’s internal fires, so in order to combat this, they shake their large ears cutely in order to expel hot air. Considering the number of cute traits and the species’ identity as a fire fox, it should be worth it to note that the vulpix line, a fellow fire fox evolutionary tree noted for their vain dispositions, do not get along with fennekin and have been known to engage in vicious physical assaults on fennekn out of jealousy, despite the fact that the two lines are actually distantly related. Therefore, it is ill-advised to leave a fennekin in the same room as a vulpix. Unless, of course, you happen to be the sort of trainer who is somehow entertained by reality shows such as Undella Shore and Real Housewives of Orre … at which point the author respectfully asks you to relinquish your trainer’s license at the nearest pokémon center.

Braixen
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 654
Entry: The evolved form of fennekin, by battle experience. This bipedal fox-like pokémon keeps a twig in its bushy tail when not engaged in battle or in the vicinity of fellow members of the fennekin line. In either condition, the braixen unsheathes this twig, the tip of which—as a result of friction against its stiff, flint-like hairs—catches on fire as soon as it’s fully drawn. Once lit, braixen may use this light to communicate with its fellow pokémon by waving its twig in elaborate patterns before it. A visual representation of multiple braixen communicating by twig fire with one another may be seen here.

Delphox
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Fire/Psychic
Official Registration #: 655
Entry: The evolved form of braixen, by battle experience. A five-foot-tall fox gifted with powerful flame and psychic abilities, delphox’s signature attack involves combining its elements to create a vortex of fire that reaches temperatures of up to 5400 degrees Fahrenheit. In theory, this attack draws in its opponents and inflicts a devastating blow of the fire element. In practice, given the fact that a vortex of hot air creates a powerful vacuum, this attack draws in literally anything around it save for itself and inflicts a devastating amount of property damage.

The Ralts Line

As an apology for our delay in both the response to the last question and our entries as a whole, please accept this special, extra entry for the day. Thank you for your patience. —LH

Ralts
The Feeling Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Official Registration #: 280
Entry: A childlike pokémon native to the quieter forests of Hoenn. Because of its ability to sense the emotions of others, it typically avoids contact with anything that is not of the ralts line and is, therefore, extremely rare and difficult to find. However, because of its timidity, its soft but cute cry, and its eagerness to please others (in order to neutralize any negativity that surrounds it), it is also a popular pokémon among children and young adults … which very likely does absolutely nothing to alleviate ralts’s aversion to drama and high doses of extreme emotion.

Kirlia
The Emotion Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Official Registration #: 281
Entry: The evolved form of ralts, by battle experience. Although kirlia possesses more mastery over its psychic abilities than its predecessor, it is still prone to being highly affected by the emotions of its trainer. For example, trainers who experience incredible emotions of joy or pride may cause their kirlia to dance with happiness. Trainers suffering through negative emotions will find that their kirlia has become lethargic and depressed. And trainers in the vicinity of other humans they find incredibly attractive will cause their kirlia to ███████

Really, Bill? Really? —LH

Gardevoir
The Embrace Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Official Registration #: 282
Entry: The evolved form of kirlia, by battle experience. Only the strongest trainers who form the closest, most loving bonds with their kirlia may see their pokémon evolve to their final, natural forms. Thus, a gardevoir is born out of strong feelings of loyalty, so it stands to reason that gardevoir in general are inherently extremely protective of their trainers. This is true; all observable tamed gardevoir have been known to go to extreme lengths to protect their trainers from any potential threat. Unfortunately for most people, “extreme lengths” may include creating a miniature black hole, and “potential threat” may include literally anyone within five feet of their trainers.

Gallade
The Blade Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Fighting
Official Registration #: 475
Entry: The evolved form of male kirlia, by exposure to dawn stone. Although its sibling evolution results from the incredible bonds formed between a kirlia and another being, this does not mean gallade do not experience similarly intense urges to protect their trainers and loved ones. If anything, their ability to sense the emotions of potential foes, combined with the drive to battle inherent in all fighting-types and extreme fondness for using the swords hidden in their forearms, make them even more gung-ho about protecting the people and pokémon they value the most. Therefore, trainers should be extremely wary about teaching their gallade to attack only on command, rather than any time they sense danger. Well-meaning researchers who intend to give gallade to sisters with questionable tastes in men, however, are free to teach their pokémon whatever they wish.

They aren’t, but good try. —LH