Hey, Bill. Recently, I was rescued from a Seviper by a wild Altaria who even went as far as to escort me home, and I want to know how to thank it properly. Any advice?

Altaria (when outside their territories, anyway) tend to be very benevolent, actually. If you see it again, it will likely not expect anything at all, and it might not fully comprehend gestures of gratitude.

On the other hand, if you look out for any swablu hatchlings or fledglings you come across, that may be enough. For example, if you see an injured or sick swablu, consider giving it a hand. If you see a predator attacking a swablu and you have the pokémon to defend it, consider doing so. Or simply construct a feeder or shelter fit for swablu in your hard if you have enough space. Even the little things can go a long way, but the important thing is to repay kindness with kindness.

But resist the urge to feed or give toys to the altaria who saved you. This might cause it to expect you to feed it regularly, and unless you want an altaria on your team, that may be a bit of a problem.

Best of luck!

Swablu and Altaria

bills-pokedex:

Swablu
The Cotton Bird Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 333
Entry: A small, bluebird-like pokémon most commonly found in the mountains of Hoenn. This gentle pokémon is known for its highly friendly demeanor towards humans. When a human wanders into their territory, swablu like to swoop in and settle onto the human’s head like a hat made of down and soft, pillowy cotton. This specific behavior is likely due to the swablu’s preference for soft, pliable building materials for their nests, so therefore, it is said that if a swablu settles on you, then it deems you both trustworthy and comfortable. If, however, two swablu settle on you and proceed to lay eggs on your head, then they deem you extremely trustworthy and comfortable. Or at least this is what the author’s partner and editor assured him when he suddenly found himself with an entire team of swablu.

Altaria
The Humming Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Flying
Official Registration #: 334
Entry: The evolved form of swablu, by battle experience. This graceful pokémon is known for its singing ability and its soft, cloud-like wings. When bonding with its trainer, an altaria will envelope said trainer in its wings and sing a beautiful, soothing melody to lull them to sleep. Or, at least, scientists assume this is an act of bonding and that any unfortunate mishaps involving dense wings and songs that lull a human to sleep are entirely accidental. This is also something the author’s editor (or, rather, her sister) assures him whenever her altaria shows “displays of affection” and “excitement to see him.”

Mega Altaria
The Humming Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Fairy
Official Registration #: 334+
Entry: The advanced form of altaria, via altarianite. The mega evolution of altaria is noted for being far more sociable and vocal than its base form. It’s highly affectionate, and it often sings a soothing, melodic tone when it’s about to display affection towards a given target. This is handy for said target, by the way, should he wish to not be smothered to near death by a cloud of feathers from a very familiar altaria. Again.

The daycare in Solaceon town was taking care of my Swablu for a while, but when I came back for her I discovered that she had forgotten Sing in exchange for natural cure. This made me pretty annoyed, but what even is the daycare protocol for a Pokémon learning a new move? Can the daycare let her forget moves without notifying me?

Unfortunately yes. You see, the daycare owners aren’t actually training your pokémon; rather, they’re letting them roam about a field alongside other pokémon. They are, of course, feeding and caring for your pokémon and ensuring that they don’t run away or injure each other, but the point is, no formal training is involved. So consequently, except for Alola’s daycare (which is actually just a breeding facility), pokémon are allowed to spar and interact with one another, which could result in not only added experience but also the learning (and unlearning) of moves. Typically, daycare owners don’t keep track of this unless the new move is particularly destructive and has posed a danger either to the user or the other charges.

In short, the daycare owners aren’t to blame here, I’m afraid. It’s just that your swablu has been particularly precocious.

I recently adopted a Very young swablu that was rescued from an awful and abusive owner, and she has awful anxiety. So I had my bulbasaur use his sweet scent and just all around wonderful personality to help her become more used to me and my Pokémon. Well she’s bonded with my bulbasaur, but refuses to leave his side and becomes defensive when my houndoom and togekiss get near them, going as far as to peck them! No accidents involving serious injury yet, but what do I do to help her and my team?

As with all instances in which one pokémon has trouble integrating with their team, it’s important to ensure that you have all the information about what’s going on correct. That is to say, it’s worth observing your team for just a bit longer to see if your swablu’s behavior is definitely because of her anxiety and not due to some other issue that may need to be resolved (such as some level of hostility or disinterest from your togekiss or houndoom).

If this issue is indeed caused by swablu’s nervousness, start slowly. Try to keep your togekiss and houndoom away from your swablu at first. Use their poké balls if you have to, but the important thing is, if at all possible, try to avoid exposing your swablu to the both of them at the same time, especially at times when you can’t keep an eye on them.

Now, for your first step, I would recommend introducing your swablu to togekiss first, as togekiss in general have nurturing dispositions and an innate urge to make others happy. To set up the introduction, have your bulbasaur stand by swablu and use Sweet Scent to keep her calm. Explain to your swablu what’s about to happen and who your togekiss is to both you and your bulbasaur. (That is to say, emphasize that your togekiss is a friend.) Take a few steps back, enough to ensure that there’s plenty of space between you and your pokémon, and release your togekiss next to you, rather than between yourself and your swablu. Do not have your togekiss block your swablu’s view of you.

If your togekiss knows Heal Bell, now would be a good time to use it. I know that sounds odd, but the soothing tones of Heal Bell can possibly calm and entrance your swablu, even if she doesn’t suffer from any specific ailment. If your togekiss doesn’t know Heal Bell, don’t worry. This is just a helpful tip, not something that’s absolutely vital to bridging the gap between your swablu and togekiss.

From there, as with most instances in which one of your team members is terrified of another, begin with short, simple interactions, perhaps led by your bulbasaur. Have your bulbasaur interact with your togekiss first. Let him converse with your togekiss and then draw your swablu into the conversation naturally. Allow your togekiss and swablu to have a short conversation with each other, then end the session by withdrawing your togekiss back into its ball to show your swablu that you have the ability to ensure that none of your pokémon hurt her. If at any point, she attempts to attack your togekiss anyway, have your bulbasaur calm her down with Sweet Scent or by using a gentle Vine Whip to hold her back (by wrapping her, not hitting her).

Once your swablu is able to handle short, friendly conversations with your togekiss on her own, give your togekiss more time to interact with her. Additionally, at the start of each session, work your way closer and closer to your swablu until you’re able to release your togekiss within beak’s reach of her. If she isn’t startled by your togekiss’s presence then, graduate to using the two of them side-by-side in double battles or sparring sessions to reinforce the bond between them.

Due to houndoom’s rougher nature, it’s unwise to introduce it to your swablu until after she’s absolutely comfortable with your togekiss. Once she reaches that point, perform the exact same steps with your houndoom, only have your togekiss be present for the introduction as well. Thus, place your togekiss and bulbasaur next to your swablu, give yourself enough space, release your houndoom next to you, and begin by having either your bulbasaur or your togekiss (or both) interact with your houndoom. There’s a good chance that your swablu, at this point, will recognize this process and understand on some level that you’re attempting to introduce her to a friend, but don’t assume that having her interact with houndoom will be any easier. Take it slow and let your swablu tell you when she’s comfortable enough to proceed to the next step.

In other words, the most important thing here is that your houndoom and your togekiss are parts of her team now, and team dynamics are vital, both on and off the battlefield. They may even be vital to your swablu’s ability to heal from her past. Thus, there is likely no way around introducing her to the rest of her team, but with enough patience and time, you may be able to coax her to connect with your other pokémon.

Swablu and Altaria

Swablu
The Cotton Bird Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 333
Entry: A small, bluebird-like pokémon most commonly found in the mountains of Hoenn. This gentle pokémon is known for its highly friendly demeanor towards humans. When a human wanders into their territory, swablu like to swoop in and settle onto the human’s head like a hat made of down and soft, pillowy cotton. This specific behavior is likely due to the swablu’s preference for soft, pliable building materials for their nests, so therefore, it is said that if a swablu settles on you, then it deems you both trustworthy and comfortable. If, however, two swablu settle on you and proceed to lay eggs on your head, then they deem you extremely trustworthy and comfortable. Or at least this is what the author’s partner and editor assured him when he suddenly found himself with an entire team of swablu.

Altaria
The Humming Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Flying
Official Registration #: 334
Entry: The evolved form of swablu, by battle experience. This graceful pokémon is known for its singing ability and its soft, cloud-like wings. When bonding with its trainer, an altaria will envelope said trainer in its wings and sing a beautiful, soothing melody to lull them to sleep. Or, at least, scientists assume this is an act of bonding and that any unfortunate mishaps involving dense wings and songs that lull a human to sleep are entirely accidental. This is also something the author’s editor (or, rather, her sister) assures him whenever her altaria shows “displays of affection” and “excitement to see him.”