Is there a scientific consensus on why Seels slap their bellies? As adorable as my Seel is I’m not sure why he’s begun doing this with increased frequency lately. A friend said it was something to do with mating or territorial disputes but I’m not so sure.

Actually, your friend is correct. Depending on the situation, this may be a sign that your seel is establishing his territory or attempting to court a mate. (The reason why it’s been occurring more frequently is likely because he’s come to the age where he can have either—territory or a mate, that is.) This is especially true if you’ve gotten a new pokémon neighbor or a new teammate, although in some cases, some seel may simply be trying to react to their own trainers.

The next time it happens, pay close attention to both your seel’s expression and what he’s focusing on. If he looks agitated or emits a series of loud barks and growls at the same time, he may be trying to drive away a rival. If the slapping occurs quickly and it’s more of a playful bark accompanied by a soft whine, he’s trying to attract a mate.

Can Dewgong hover or float? I’ve seen it do something similar in battles and I’ve been wondering… What about with Seel? Any tips on raising them?

Regarding both, this ask applies to all pokémon with fins: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/153030192831/hello-bill-how-often-do-fully-aquatic-pokemon

It’s just that seel and dewgong are slightly more adept at land mobility than most other finned pokémon, so whether or not a trainer uses that mod is up to personal preference.

That having been said, seel and dewgong can be a bit challenging to raise due to the fact that they require bodies of cold water. A pool is a must, if not ready access to a natural body of water, and it’s essential to keep the water temperature below fifty degrees if at all possible, especially for the half-ice dewgong. Seel and dewgong may be kept on land, but they should spend as much time in the water as you can manage for the sake of their psychological health, which means that keeping them on land is frankly not an ideal situation.

In terms of food, seel and dewgong are carnivores, preferring fish and poultry over red meat. It’s also possible to supplement their diet with berries and vegetables (as you would for a dog-like pokémon), but always ensure that their primary diet is meat-based.

Moreover, seel and dewgong tend to be more intelligent than dog-like pokémon, so toys are highly recommended. Be sure to get anything that floats, although the line seems very partial to squeaking toys and balls. Beds are not necessary, as seel and dewgong will sleep as close to water as possible, but it’s recommended that you have a solid surface for them to rest on. This is why natural bodies of water are preferable to pools. Not only do you give your pokémon access to the water, but resting in general is easier on a mud bank or pebble or sandy beach, rather than on a concrete surface.

Well, that and both pokémon generally relieve themselves in the water, meaning having excellent water circulation is also a must.

As always, give your pokémon plenty of time to exercise and train, which in seel and dewgong’s case, also means plenty of time on their own to swim.

Best of luck, anonymous!

My seel and skiddo are really close friends and the often play together in the shallows however my skiddo wants to bring my seel on walks with us to the woods and I was wondering if there was some safe way to have skiddo carry them? What should I do?

Actually, believe it or not, although skiddo are typically smaller than seel, you should have no problem placing your seel on your skiddo’s back and have it ride without any further cushioning or restraints. Skiddo can take a surprising amount of weight; some have even been known to carry new trainers for hours at a time. So I wouldn’t worry so long as your skiddo is comfortable carrying seel and so long as your seel is comfortable riding on its friend’s back.

Unless, of course, you’re actually referring to multiple seel, as the “them” might also imply, at which point you may wish to consider strapping baskets to your skiddo’s back.

Hey bill I’m an exclusive water type trainer and my boyfriends parents came to me about getting a starter for their daughter. Considering they live in sootopolis, Hoenn they figured a water type would be best. While I agree, I’m Not quite sure which of my Pokémon to breed for her. I have a starmie, Dewgong, dragonair, azumarill, Lapras, and milotic. What do you think?

I can tell you right now that lapras, feebas, and seel may be a bit difficult. While Hoenn is indeed a heavily aquatic region, much of the gym circuit takes you inland—up a volcano, no less. Even if your boyfriend’s sister plans on keeping her starter in its poké ball for much of her journey, the dryness of Mt. Chimney, Lavaridge, and the Hoennian desert may make it difficult for training pokémon not well-adapted to land.

Of the remaining three, dratini may be the most difficult to train. It doesn’t learn powerful moves right off the bat, and it’s slower to raise and evolve than the other two, even considering the fact that one of them can only evolve via exposure to a water stone. However, it is the most powerful option in the long-run, so it really comes down to how much patience your boyfriend’s sister is willing to exercise.

Meanwhile, staryu and marill (or azurill, depending on whether or not you plan on giving your azumarill sea incense before breeding it) are both perfectly fine choices. Both are fully capable of traveling on land, both are equally easy to raise, and both learn moves rather quickly (compared to dratini). Staryu may be a little more challenging to bond with because it’s not as expressive as marill, nor is it quite as affectionate, but on the other hand, marill’s secondary fairy typing instills in it a natural mischievousness that may be a challenge to a trainer who’s not quite expecting it. Additionally, marill may be easier to raise (and certainly easier to evolve), in part due to its ability to bond with its trainer and in part because its defensive capabilities make it more difficult to defeat, but on the other hand, staryu and starmie learn a wider variety of moves and have generally better offensive capabilities.

In the end, I would recommend either a marill or staryu, as those two may be the easiest for your boyfriend’s sister to train. Between the two of them, you would have to ask yourself if she would prefer a more defensive, more affectionate pokémon or a mysterious pokémon that’s a bit faster and can hit harder by default.

Of course, as always, be sure to ask the new trainer what she would like as well. She may even be willing to train a dratini if she has her heart set on something a bit more mystical.

But … try to steer her away from the idea of raising a seel, feebas, or lapras in the heart of the Hoennian mainland. Just … just trust me on that.

Seel and Dewgong

Seel
The Sea Lion Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 86
Entry: A three-foot-tall seal-like pokémon native to colder waters. As with all adorable pokémon, seel is a dangerous predator, capable of hunting down prey in the arctic seas by ramming into them with its sturdy horn and then ripping into them with its fangs. This, of course, isn’t the part that shocks people the most about it. Rather, what shocks people the most is the fact that, contrary to its pokédex classification, it’s light blue, not white.

Dewgong
The Sea Lion Pokémon
Type: Water/Ice
Official Registration #: 87
Entry: The evolved form of seel, by battle experience. This pokémon has the tendency to find icebergs, drag its body onto it, and curl up for a nap. In ancient times, mariners would stumble across lounging dewgong and mistake them for mermaids. This either says a lot about dewgong’s beauty or a lot about the mariners’ understanding of what women look like—the author has never been quite sure which.