Actually, in cases such as the voltorb and koffing lines, it would be abuse not to let them use these kinds of moves once in a while. I know that seems quite odd, but in both cases, the unfortunate truth is that Selfdestruct and Explosion are their only ways of expelling excess energy. Unless you’re having them battle or otherwise discharge constantly, electricity (for the voltorb line) and noxious gases (for the koffing line) build up in their bodies, which means that unless they let off steam via these extreme moves, they could be heading towards a natural, unpreventable explosion that could actually injure them. This isn’t to say that they’ll simply explode willingly either way; it’s that they become less and less stable over time, which means that any disturbance could trigger them. Or, well, their droppings become increasingly toxic, in weezing’s case. But you likely might have noticed that.

In other words, by all means, if you can safely use Explosion, it’s perfectly fine to let your weezing use it. You may even find that it’ll become easier and easier to clean up after your weezing the more you use it.

As for other pokémon, such as members of the geodude line, Explosion and Selfdestruct aren’t necessary, but they aren’t putting a pokémon’s life at risk (unless you use it recklessly, in a situation where using a move that powerful would be dangerous because of the surrounding circumstances). I can certainly understand why one would be uncomfortable with the idea of using such moves (I myself would avoid doing it if given the opportunity, but then again, I tend to avoid battling in general), but the truth is it’s no more dangerous than using a Hyper Beam on an opponent.

Have you tried fire and rescue?

While that may seem unusual for a pokémon known for its volatility, some fire teams employ weezing and similar poison-types for the cases in which firefighters need to enter burning buildings. Because weezing consume poisonous gases, they can enter such environments easily and consume carbon monoxide and smoke to reduce the hazards either pose to human victims or firefighters.

Additionally, some weezing can be used by rescue teams during floods and other missions that require care and precision, as weezing’s ability, Levitate, allows them to hover wherever a rescue worker needs them. Their durability as well allows them to carry small children or pokémon out of harm’s way. (Granted, most rescue teams prefer more durable and stronger pokémon such as carnivine or a psychic-type, but weezing is also an option.)

Finally, weezing may also be used in law enforcement, as its smoke-based moves, such as Smokescreen or Haze, can be used to block a perpetrator’s escape, leading to an increased apprehension rate.

In short, there are certainly plenty of ways a weezing can help humans and pokémon. I would start with asking your local fire department if they could use him and then move to the other options.

As for other poison-types, it really depends on which one you’re referring to, as each one has different abilities. For example, skuntank may be used in law enforcement for the same reason as weezing, but it’s also a great substitute for growlithe due to their exceptional senses of smell. However, skuntank can’t be of much help to a fire crew the way weezing can, as skuntank can’t tolerate heat and doesn’t possess any natural skill that would be of much use to them. Meanwhile, serpentine poison-types such as arbok and seviper can be used to tunnel through debris and are thus fantastic companions to search and rescue teams, but they’re not much help for firefighters or law enforcement. Meanwhile, the gulpin and grimer families are great for sanitation teams, but … they’re not quite as great anywhere else, especially grimer (although some people use grimer as a guard pokémon, as they make wonderful deterrents for robbers).

The point is that whenever looking for your pokémon’s purpose, always take inventory of what abilities and skills they already have. Adapt those skills in new and different ways by merging them with their interests, opening your mind to the vastness of possibility, and being particularly creative and inventive with your abilities.

This piece of advice, incidentally, works just as well with discovering your own purpose … or, well, editing your resume.

Good luck, anonymous!