Tag: torchic

Hi Bill and Lanette, I’ve been breeding Pokemon for six years and something has come up that I need assistance with. My Blaziken just hatched a shiny Torchic, but for some reason she’s rejected it. I’d tried reintroducing it to her but she shows no interest in it and has even lashed out at us a few times. In my six years I’ve never had a Pokemon reject a shiny offspring and the Pokemon Center has said that the chick is of optimal health; do you have any ideas as to why she’s behaving this way?

Bill: This can happen from time to time, I’m afraid, anonymous. Scientists and breeders alike aren’t quite sure what causes a parent to reject a hatchling, but shininess does indeed seem to increase those chances. It’s thought to be tied into a sort of survival instinct: the more oddly colored a pokémon is, the less likely it will be able to benefit from the advantages its standard coloration provides (camouflage from predators, camouflage from prey, warning patterns, mimicry, etc) in the wild. Therefore, a shiny pokémon tends to be less likely to survive. Additionally, in some cases, shininess may be mistaken for illness, particularly in species whose coloration are lighter than standard or specific colors associated with internal problems (such as yellow being associated with jaundice, especially in humanoid pokémon). Given the color of a shiny torchic, this might be the more likely case—your blaziken might not recognize what a shiny torchic looks like and may think that this hatchling isn’t meant to survive.

Alternatively, it could be something wrong with the mother as well. Just as humans occasionally suffer from postpartum, pokémon mothers may feel the same way, which could result in their inability to even want to care for their offspring. If the birth of this torchic was recent, these feelings may fade away over time, but you’ll need plenty of patience (as well as a temporary surrogate mother to care for the torchic for now) until your blaziken recovers. Support her as much as possible in the meantime and observe her behavior carefully. If/when she feels at ease and safe, reintroduce the chick to see if this is the cause.

The third and final possibility (that I can recall off the top of my head, at least) is that the torchic was separated from its mother far too early. If, for example, you removed the chick from your blaziken for even as little as a few hours after birth or even if you’ve removed the chick from the nest and failed to put it back at night while your blaziken was resting, you may have accidentally interfered with the bonding process. While the entire idea that handling a hatchling with your hands will cause parents to reject their children is a myth for most species, for blaziken, there is a grain of truth to it, especially when they’re extremely young. While your blaziken likely won’t be able to catch your scent on her chick, she will be unlikely to recognize its look or heat signature if it’s not next to her for the first several hours after birth.

Of course, these are only a few possible scenarios out of many. As I’ve said, it’s difficult to tell what the case actually is, and as expressive as pokémon are, they may not be able to convey effectively what’s wrong. You could certainly try (and this would be an excellent idea, actually), but I’m afraid many of the possibilities have rather bleak outcomes. That is to say, if your blaziken has outright rejected this torchic, then it’s likely to have been permanently rejected, and any attempts for reintroduction may actually result in violence from your blaziken. (Many wild blaziken will kill torchic they reject, and this holds true for tame ones as well, as you likely know.) I would advise giving your blaziken a little more time to recover from the excitement of having a torchic hatch, then trying to reintroduce her torchic to her one more time. If she still rejects it, I’m afraid you’ll need to raise the torchic yourself.

Luckily, though, many bird pokémon such as torchic are rather independent, compared to most mammalian pokémon. That is to say, your torchic still has a very strong chance of survival, even without its mother, so long as you’re careful about hand-feeding it and keeping watch on it for the first few months.

Best of luck!

Dear Bill, My birthday was a few days ago, and my family, in their ever present lack of communication, got me a Rowlet, a Piplup, and a Torchic, along with a SNivy, Turtwig, and Treeko. Do i need to worry about the Avian starters picking fights with each other? and what of my Grass Reptilians? Also, any Care tips you can suggest for them? and are there any concerns i should watch for in their Later Stages? I’d rather avoid issues BEFORE i need to take a ‘Mon to the Pokemon Center ER.

This is … quite an ask, I must admit. So to begin, I’m afraid I can’t offer care tips for six vastly different pokémon in a small amount of space, so I’ll simply offer this as a general tip: read up on each pokémon species to get hints about their basic needs. For example, treecko is a tropical insectivore, so it will need a moist environment and a largely insect-based diet. While you could possibly double up on habitats or diets for like pokémon, it’s also worth it to be aware that two pokémon, as alike as they may be, might actually have different needs. (Turtwig is an herbivore, and snivy needs larger prey, like feeder mice.)

If you’re out on the road and these are meant to be your starters for a journey, it might be easier to care for all of them (that’s what kibble and general care facilities at pokémon centers are for), but if you live at home, a team this diverse might be difficult unless you have a lot of space and money. If it is difficult, consider leaving a few at a shelter or rehoming them. This goes especially if you plan on evolving them, as their needs—not only for space but also basics—will increase exponentially. It’s not impossible to house six fully evolved starters if you’re not a trainer, but it’s difficult. And, well. Expensive.

As for your avian pokémon fighting one another, most bird-like species are actually highly social, so it’s more likely that they’ll form a flock (and perhaps try to rope in some of the reptiles while they’re at it), especially once they understand they’re part of the same team. The others, meanwhile … generally, you shouldn’t have a problem because in most cases, starters are bred to be amicable with other pokémon, but keep an eye on that treecko and snivy.

Best of luck!

The Torchic Line

bills-pokedex:

Torchic
The Chick Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 255
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Hoenn. A small, chick-like pokémon whose natural body temperature is so hot that the fireballs it launches during battle can reach temperatures in excess of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, in Hoenn, it is said that torchic are very warm to cuddle, but given that these are the same people who live in a region that feature a desert, an active volcano, a dormant volcano, and a tropical jungle, outsiders should take torchic’s cuddliness with a grain of salt.

For your information, it is very cuddly, and someone who had the misfortune of being raised in a region where you don’t see sun for six months out of the year because of the constant rain should perhaps keep his opinions about Hoennians to himself. —LH

The reason why I poke fun at every other region but Hoenn, ladies and gentlemen. —Bill

Combusken
The Young Fowl Pokémon
Type: Fire/Fighting
Official Registration #: 256
Entry: The evolved form of torchic, by battle experience. A powerful and energetic pokémon, combusken is capable of delivering ten kicks per second, and each kick is capable of rending solid concrete in two. In Hoenn, this has made combusken a prized fighter ideal for taking on the rock- and steel-heavy Hoenn League. In Unova, however, combusken are noted for their muscular legs, which apparently taste wonderful to an Unovan when said legs are breaded, seasoned, and fried in whatever magical oils the local Floccesy Fried Chicken establishment uses.

Blaziken
The Blaze Pokémon
Type: Fire/Fighting
Official Registration #: 257
Entry: The evolved form of combusken, by battle experience. Upon evolution, blaziken gain the ability to jump thirty-story buildings, set their fists on fire via flame cuffs, breathe jets of flames, and endure hours of intense fighting. Upon mega evolution, it also gains the ability Speed Boost … because that’s exactly what you need a six-foot-tall chicken with fire powers and superhuman martial arts skills to do: gain speed boosts naturally.

Mega Blaziken
The Blaze Pokémon
Type: Fire/Fighting
Official Registration #: 257+
Entry: The advanced form of blaziken, via blazikenite. As noted in the entry for its base form, blaziken gains the ability Speed Boost upon mega evolution. This ability allows it to launch its notorious flurry of kicks with even greater speed than it would as an ordinary blaziken. It does not, contrary to popular belief, allow blaziken to become a “spicy fast boy,” as the internet puts it.

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!

Do Torchic actually taste like spicy chicken?

Of course not, anonymous. The components that make food spicy—such as capsaicin, glucosinolates, and so forth—are not found in muscle tissue but rather in the cells of plants (and, well, plant-like pokémon, to be fair). Thus, without seasoning, it’s possible for oddish to taste spicy, but torchic? No, I’m afraid not.

However, torchic do actually taste like smoked barbecue chicken, so you at least have that.

The Torchic Line

Torchic
The Chick Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 255
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Hoenn. A small, chick-like pokémon whose natural body temperature is so hot that the fireballs it launches during battle can reach temperatures in excess of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, in Hoenn, it is said that torchic are very warm to cuddle, but given that these are the same people who live in a region that feature a desert, an active volcano, a dormant volcano, and a tropical jungle, outsiders should take torchic’s cuddliness with a grain of salt.

For your information, it is very cuddly, and someone who had the misfortune of being raised in a region where you don’t see sun for six months out of the year because of the constant rain should perhaps keep his opinions about Hoennians to himself. —LH

The reason why I poke fun at every other region but Hoenn, ladies and gentlemen. —Bill

Combusken
The Young Fowl Pokémon
Type: Fire/Fighting
Official Registration #: 256
Entry: The evolved form of torchic, by battle experience. A powerful and energetic pokémon, combusken is capable of delivering ten kicks per second, and each kick is capable of rending solid concrete in two. In Hoenn, this has made combusken a prized fighter ideal for taking on the rock- and steel-heavy Hoenn League. In Unova, however, combusken are noted for their muscular legs, which apparently taste wonderful to an Unovan when said legs are breaded, seasoned, and fried in whatever magical oils the local Floccesy Fried Chicken establishment uses.

Blaziken
The Blaze Pokémon
Type: Fire/Fighting
Official Registration #: 257
Entry: The evolved form of combusken, by battle experience. Upon evolution, blaziken gain the ability to jump thirty-story buildings, set their fists on fire via flame cuffs, breathe jets of flames, and endure hours of intense fighting. Upon mega evolution, it also gains the ability Speed Boost … because that’s exactly what you need a six-foot-tall chicken with fire powers and superhuman martial arts skills to do: gain speed boosts naturally.