hi mx york! so from what i've read on bulbapedia, rowlets like hiding in tight dark spaces and i was wondering if it'd be okay to close my bag while my rowlet's in it (leaving a small space for air to come in ofc)

Hello! You can call me Mr. York if you like, very polite of you to refer to me by anything like that at all haha, you flatter me.

Rowlet are actually very popular to be carried around in bags like that! It's great for them, provided you leave space for air as you mentioned you would. It's especially been recorded in the Alola region, where the little ones are particularly popular by virtue of being common first Pokemon, for Rowlet trainers to often carry two bags, one for actual items, and one for their Rowlet to nestle into on the go. I don't know if, as the Pokedex mentions, you should let it properly nest in there, though. Even the most easygoing bird Pokemon become quite territorial and hormonal when given the oppurtunity to nest, so many trainers who don't plan on breeding their bird Pokemon don't often let them make nests for that reason. Just finding a comfy place to hunker down in is completely different from permanent nesting, though! It's common practice and you should be completely fine.

So a while back, my friend was practicing on their drum set; and I guess my Ariados got curious enough to start trying to replicate the noises herself, and my friend gave her a smaller drum set as a joke. The funny thing is, it's been a week already and she has yet to tire of it. Sometimes, whenever a song comes on and she gets in the mood for it, she'll start drumming. She's great at it, too! So I was curious: do spider-like Pokemon naturally have a knack for rhythm-based activities?

You know what? They actually do!

Most bug Pokemon have very specialized eyesight that surpasses ours in many ways, but in terms of their general vision and how much they can clearly see and comprehend, very few bug Pokemon have good vision, it’s usually focused on a certain specialization of the Pokémon’s in question and the general eyesight comes after. This is also true for Ariados! They have a wider field of vision and can see more than we do, but they can‘t see with the clarity we humans can.

Because Ariados are web-dwelling Pokemon, you could consider their web an extension of themselves, and with highly sensitive toes, they can pick up the smallest of vibrations on the web, which could translate to a friend, a foe, or food. Ariados themselves often live in close communities, usually in jungles or otherwise humid forests, and their way of visiting with one another is to pluck and tap on their webs. This can mean anything from a friendly visit to a neighborly dispute or signifying an interest in mating. Vibrations on the web help Ariados find each other because their vision might detect one another’s movement, but it’s not so reliable for navigating when there isn’t consistent and rapid movement for them to see.

Vibrations are basically second nature for Ariados to understand as a form of communication. Even if your partner was never a wild Pokemon, I don’t doubt those instincts are still part of who she is. Drums provide very similar tactile feedback! It’s surprising she is expressing a very humanlike sense of rhythm, though. Pokemon definitely don’t have a sense for rhythm like we do, even musical-based Pokemon, their sense of rhythm is just fundementally different from ours.

Best guess, I think your Ariados’s intial interest may have been an attempt to communicate with your friend! The vibrations of the drum set reached her, and she may have interpreted them as an attempt at communication. She definitely would have found humanlike rhythm strange, so I can see the interest! 

I think it’s a perfectly healthy behavior that should be encouraged. You’re probably giving her a lot of enrichment this way!

is there a way to get rid of gum from a mudsdales mane? I do not know the gum ended up there but im pretty sure hes losing some self esteem.

Oh no, poor guy! Yeah, they definitely place a lot of value into their manes… I’m sorry to say but there really isn’t much easier of an option other than cutting the gum out completely. Neither you or your partner will probably like it, but it’ll be better for the health of his hair to avoid trying to comb in out, if anything that could only make it worse.

But don’t worry! There are many talented Pokémon groomers out there who would be able to blend the cut area of the mane well. Given the size of your average piece of gum, the affected area’s probably not that big and I’d wager it’s down closer to the ends of his mane, and that’s pretty easy for a skilled groomer to blend so it’s not even noticeable unless you are looking really explicitly for the cut part.

And of course, it’s not like Mudsdale grow a mane one and never again. What’s cut out will eventually grow back and his hair will be all the healthier for it!

For now, just give him some extra love and attention, positive reinforcement, make him feel good! As prideful in their bodies as they are he definitely won’t feel great right after his haircut but bonding with a trainer is a great healing measure for any Pokémon at all.

Just weird curiousity I suppose. Has interspecies breeding ever been witnessed in nature? I figured that female-only species like Mandibuzz or Kangaskhan have to do that in order to reproduce, but other than that?

In fact, yes! It happens more often than you think.

Generally speaking, hybridized Pokemon (popular examples being Marowak/Garchomp crossbreeds popping up throughout Sinnoh as of late, I’ve also seen Castform/Drifloon hybrids in Hoenn) are a bit of a rarity. Conditions have to be just so for an offspring to display traits of both parent Pokemon—and those of us who research Pokemon aren’t entirely sure what those conditions are yet. The most prevalent theory thus far is it has something to do with human interference and controlled breeding when a perfectly hybridized Pokemon is made. Pokemon seem to have a natural ability for offspring between two parents of a different species to always utilize the genetics of the mother for species. We think this might be because the ecosystem would run absolutely mad if every interspecies Pokemon born was a perfect hybrid, effectively creating a new Pokemon species with new needs, and even more new species one that hybrid breeds, so it could simply be nature keeping itself in check, in a way.

But as I said, we don’t know entirely why. Definitive hybrid Pokemon are certainly proven to be born more frequently under human care and breeding, but completely wild hybrid Pokemon have been seen before. Unlike shiny Pokemon, which have been confirmed to be born from random genetic mutation, we simply don’t have an answer for what makes an interspecies breeding pair produce offspring reflecting both their species.

But yes, many Pokemon engage in breeding between species in the wild! In fact, it can actually have some great benefits depending on the environment. Key example from what I know best: Durant largely dwell in the dusty mountainous or hilly areas of Unova, and many benefit greatly from breeding with members of the Venipede line, as those Pokemon learn Rock Climb naturally, and passing on that knowledge in the form of Egg Moves will help future Durant in the mountains prosper.

good news my beheeýems surgery went and some of my other psychic types and a fairy type gave him comfort before his procedure. but here´s some bad news he seems to be vomiting he didn`t even eat anything before the operation. is he going to be okay?

Well, good to hear things are as they should be! But I’m sorry to hear about him getting sick!

It is pretty common, though, I wouldn’t worry too much about it being a sign of something serious. Sometimes anesthesia can cause nausea in both us humans and Pokémon, and the fact that it’s very necessary to stop eating a few hours before surgery means the body might be going through a lot of fatigue considering he’s been under stress, the anesthesia is likely causing some nausea as the last traces of it remain in his system, and he hasn’t had much to eat to boot. It’s good for going into surgery to not eat anything, but it definitely makes the post-op recovery a bit difficult at first with all those after effects essentially combo-ing your poor buddy there.

Key thing right now is to watch his behavior, just for indicators something is wrong, like if he’s moving around but giving signs that he clearly needs to rest, or showing signs of discomfort where he’s resting now and needs to move. But most importantly, get him a steady supply of water! The biggest risk for him if he’s vomiting a lot is dehydration, and though Beheeyem are quite good at making a little water last a long time in the wild, if he’s constantly getting sick he’ll be losing that a lot. As long as he is vomiting regularly, you won’t want to give him solid or even semi-solid food. Not only will the food be pretty much pointless, but it’s a lot more painful for anyone to keep throwing up bile rather than to essentially spit up nothing but water. Just make sure to keep him well hydrated, especially if he is continually getting sick. It’s the most you can do besides riding it out and letting it pass.

When he’s gone two to three hours without getting sick, and doesn’t seem to be exhibiting as many signs of nauseousness, then you can try some softer foods, like mashed berries or veggies or soft, blended Pokemon food. Monitor him closely afterwards, just to make sure things don’t start up again. It sucks, and it’s painful, but his stomach will eventually settle. The first 24 hours coming home post-op are always the roughest.

And, of course, stay with him and keep him company. It’s not as strong as actual medicine, but emotional support helps everyone feel more at ease while recovering, and keeping stress levels down sure are important for a smoother recovery. Good to know the rest of your Pokémon seem to be helping too! Psychic types and Fairy types are probably a lot of help considering they’re some of the most emotionally intuitive Pokémon out there, and they’ll be good helping hands for you.

Wishing you guys the best! Hope he makes a full turnaround soon!

when my elgyem evolved into a beheeyem. The three orbs on his right arm became the wrong shape and he can`t use his psychic powers correctly. Like when he uses psychic he can only hold objects for 11 minutes or when he uses psybeam he shoots these bullets that he can`t control. And apparently there so bad that he can`t live a normal life so he needs surgery to fix them. How do i conform him before the operation?

Ah! Well, of all the Psychic types you could have asked me about, this is the best one! I’ve actually been working on writing out my full story about my service Pokemon, who happens to also be a Beheeyem, but it’s proved to be a whole novel of info I wanted to share and I just don’t have the time to get all of it written out.

From experience, I can say Beheeyem, while difficult to comprehend, are incredibly intelligent and empathetic Pokémon. Pokémon are marvelous in that every last one is sapient to some degree, but Beheeyem, like many Psychic Pokémon, are some of the most sapient creatures out there. They can be challenging to read and understand, considering the laws and ways of nature and interacting with those in it are things foreign to a species that has only existed on this earth for some 30 odd years to our knowledge, making it one of the youngest known Pokémon species. What I’m trying to say is, though Beheeyem seem like incomprehensible creatures because of how they conduct themselves, your buddy there definitely will have some very complex feelings about the procedure. And considering you said you had him as an Elgyem, and these Pokémon take a long time to evolve, I’m sure the two of you have been together to have a strong trust and understanding.

My own Beheeyem, before he became my service Pokemon, underwent a bit of a medical crisis of his own. He sustained a bullet wound from a bad encounter with some locals in Kanto who saw him when he was still a wild (and pretty out of his element) Pokémon and perceived him as a threat or menace, and when he saved me when I accidentally stumbled into said confrontation, I brought him to the Pewter Pokémon Center to undergo surgery for extraction of the bullet.

Safe to say, for the sake of everyone in the operating room, yourself, and your Pokémon, it would be best to have your Beheeyem sedated in a subtle way, and to do so before either of you are actually at the Center. Beheeyem are very observant, curious, and easily stimulated Pokémon—but on top of that, they’re also very cautious and defensive, considering how rare and diminutive their population already is, and that many humans don’t receive them well. Even if your Beheeyem is aware of what is going to happen, the sight of all the strange tools, machines, and people in the operating room before sedation could send him into a panic, and for a Beheeyem, a panic means psychic attacks meant to stun, paralyze and confuse opponents to let them escape conflict in the wild. But for a necessary operation, having your surgeons be blasted by psychic powers is far from ideal, and given your Beheeyem’s inability to control much of his powers, it could very much be an even more dangerous and unpredictable outcome if he was to panic.

Spend lots of time together before the day you need to put him under and take him in! Beheeyem hierarchy in the wild is very dependent on who can display the most raw ability and intelligence, so to have his psychic powers out of his control is likely very damaging to your partner’s confidence. Reinforce that the operation will be a good thing for him, and that the doctors who agreed to perform it are very certain what he’s going through can be corrected. He might not understand very human concepts and their associated words, like what “doctors” are, but they can sense intention and feeling behind words. They’re smart, almost frighteningly so! Let him know he is valued and loved. As I mentioned, their wild social hierarchy sees the most psychically capable and intelligent individuals placed at the top of the social pyramid, and in the case of Beheeyem like him who may have a disability that impedes their powers, it’s more than likely that such individuals would be abandoned by their colonies in the wild. So, if you prove to him that you care, and that you have no intention to leave him despite what his instincts tell him will happen, he’ll be much more at peace going into surgery. Engage in whatever your favorite activities are together, just show him you care!

And on that note of instinct, try to keep him from using his powers. That aforementioned instinct of hierarchy will hurt his confidence and cause much frustration if he continues to attempt using his psychic powers to no effect, and seeing himself constantly fail will only induce more stress and frustration.

Good luck with your buddy’s operation! I hope he’ll be feeling better soon. No doubt he’ll be a lot happier once this situation is resolved. He’ll probably need some physical therapy for a few weeks to get himself back on track after all this time of his powers failing him, but since you said he was in fine shape before he evolved, I think he should take to using his powers properly again quicker, since he knows what it should feel like.

Lots of love from one Beheeyem fan to another! My trusty service Pokemon George hopes your friend will be ok, too. He knows what it’s like to have a scary operation like that, and I can tell he sympathized when I told him all about it.

I don’t think I’ve ever touched much on my service Pokemon, who he is, why I need him, his story and what he does. I’m not even sure he’s been introduced to this blog. Let me know if you’re interested in knowing about him!

My friend has a Golisopod that evolved from a Wimpod she caught during summer vacation in Alola, and I often hear that Golisopod is either territorial or one of those gentle giants that one of the Pokedex entries says spends most of their time meditating. Just wondering if either behavior is likely, or if one tends to occur more than the other. Asking for an essay project. (I'd ask my friend herself, but she's back home in Johto, and I'm all the way in Galar with very bad signal...)

Thanks for your question! I mentioned this in a previous care guide, but a Golisopod’s behavior is often dependent on how it was raised. Many wild Golisopod have very little trust and tolerance for humans and can indeed be viciously territorial, and Wimpod who were not raised attentively in a minimal stress environment will evolve into aggressive Golisopod as a means of defense when they deem an area around them unsafe.

Golisopod meditate when they are at peace, and comfortable with the environment around them! Even the most aggressive of Golisopod will meditate when completely alone, if that is what it prefers. Human-reared Golisopod that are confident and have grown up in a caring environment with minimal stress as Wimpod will meditate much more frequently, though, and that’s purely by virtue of them being able to feel comfortable enough to enter such a relaxed state nearly anywhere.

Considering your friend raised this Golisopod from a Wimpod, as long as she did so with care and minded its stress levels, it shouldn’t be an aggressive Pokemon! And I don’t doubt your friend did!

Be warned, though: Golisopod are always territorial, and that can be applied to defensive ones in the wild or well adjusted trained ones. But regarding the trained ones and their territorial behavior, they will only act out if they believe something they own is at stake. Which includes their trainer. (Yes, Golisopod do think they own you.) So if they determine someone or something is a threat to that possession, they will act out defensively.

Hope this helped you understand your friend’s Pokemon better!

So, I’ve received two questions now both regarding the care and raising of Larvesta and Volcarona so if you asked, this is for you!

Like most small or early stage bug Pokémon, Larvesta are not particularly active or “bouncy” Pokémon so to speak. Having such tiny legs they’re very slow-moving, so thankfully they aren’t easy to lose track of like some other bug Pokémon. Their fur is very nice and soft, and they’re of course warm to the touch, but avoid the horns that produce fire! They can cause third degree burns immediately upon contact and prolonged contact could even lead to the flame eating through skin. But provided you play smart and avoid the horns, their bodies are a very pleasant temperature to the touch and can be a great cold-weather companion. If you worry about your Larvesta setting fire to things it may bump with its horns—you won’t need to. Even dwelling at the bases of volcanos, Larvesta learn to move very carefully and hold their bodies in a way that will not set fire to things like dry grass that are common around the bases of volcanic areas where they make their homes. It’s an instinct thing, they are very careful Pokémon!

Larvesta diets largely consist of greens. Because of their natural habitat in the bases of volcanic mountains, they have a strong digestive system that can stomach the ash that often sticks to the dry plant life in the area. Since leafy greens and vegetables are uncommon in the area, they largely eat roots and stalks—this includes plants often considered to be weeds, in an environment like that, being picky makes an already limited diet much more restrictive.

Enrichment wise, Larvesta are easygoing Pokémon that usually trail after whatever their trainers are doing. Working on your laptop? You may find your Larvesta trying to sit close and look at what you’re doing. Making dinner? Don’t be surprised to find your Larvesta shuffling around by your feet trying to contribute in its own little way. Don’t leave paints unattended if you’re an artist! If it’s seen you paint, your Larvesta may try to replicate it with its own hands and make quite the mess.

But what happens when they evolve? Well, many things will stay the same. The diet, for one thing, will remain virtually unchanged, though Volcarona have been known to dine on meat on some occasions—though certainly far less than they eat plants. It’s likely they’re simply scavenging off things that couldn’t make it in their harsh volcano valley native environment. You should also be careful touching a Volcarona—rather than avoiding its horns, though, you need to make like a Frosmoth trainer and avoid the wings. The wings are where its flaming scales for attacking are shed and regrow, and though they aren’t as hot as they are when delivered in an attack, contact can still burn you. However, the rest of Volcarona’s body is fair game! Their furry body is very nice and soft, and if you have issues with the cold, they’re great companions to hug.

Since Larvesta need to reach such a high level to evolve, most Volcarona are fiercely loyal to their trainers, and also very protective. It sounds odd, but I have known several families in my time that had a Volcarona as a “family Pokemon”, because someone in the family raised it up, and their Pokemon then became guardians to their family, recognizing the importance of them to their trainers. Raise a Larvesta into a Volcarona, and you’ll have a friend for life. Quite literally. These are among some of the longest lived Bug Pokemon we currently know of! The oldest known Volcarona lived to 124 years, and the current average lifespan of the Pokemon is up to 100 years.

Professor, what pokemon did you originally go on your first journey with?

Oh, those are some fond memories. When I was growing up my birth region of Johto was recovering some substantial wildfire damage, so I was sent to Kanto for my own journey when I was ten. All the Pokémon who were with me are all still alive and well, though most of them have dropped out of the battling circuit. Not that I battle much at all anymore!

My first Pokémon was Bulbasaur, on the entire boat ride to Kanto I made sure to stay wide awake so sleep wouldn’t hold me back from picking first, just to make sure I got a Bulbasaur. Turns out it probably wouldn’t have mattered as that species wasn’t as popular back then, but I wanted one bad. That Bulbasaur was old Maxwell, my first Pokémon. I thankfully have a small country home in Johto out by the Ilex Forest, but with a rather large yard so I don’t have to worry about space, and most of my Pokémon who aren’t active teammates anymore have that as a base to linger around and roam, including him. Maxwell’s a big lug and he’s really slowed down with his age now, but he’s fiercely loyal. We’ve had good fights together. The window in my study faces my yard, and old Max comes by periodically to rest his face on the windowsill and watch me write reports. He’s near the end of his life, near 70 years, but that old Venusaur has lived a good one and I’m making sure his golden years are comfortable. And that some of the... younger upstart Pokémon I took in give the old man some peace once in a while.

While camping in the Viridian Forest on my first night on the road, a Weedle crawled into my sleeping bag! I was honestly lucky to not get stung by accident thanks to the close quarters, but I figured it was a sign and took him with me. That was Hubert, my now-Beedrill, and though bug types are generally not long lived, Hubert is going on 20 now. Beedrill at their oldest tend to reach mid-thirties, so I have plenty of time with him. Hubert is my ambassador for the greatness of the bug type! Quick evolving bugs like him are often disregarded as beginner species, but he remained on my team as I collected all eight gym badges and contributed a lot. He’s pretty friendly for a Beedrill, but I’ve always made sure he was well socialized. He’s made his nest on the top of my wardrobe and always freaks out visitors because he’s so possessive of me.

In Mt Moon I got lost a lot, like, a LOT thanks to all the twists and turns, but I found a Paras on one dead end I hit. I’d always loved bugs and was in love with those big, cute eyes, so he came with. That was France, the now Parasect still wandering around my house. He’s pretty docile and usually stays inside, but as I warned before, it’s important to watch out for spores with a Parasect in the house. He was a pretty formidable battler for his calm nature, but I think he was happy to leave the battling scene. A lot of trainers who see him get concerned if he’s even alive thanks to all the misinformation about Parasect, but make no mistake, he is alive and fully alert! Lethargy is just part of the symbiotic relationship Parasect share with the mushrooms they carry thanks to a mixture of energy sharing, but most importantly, consistent exposure to sleep-inducing fungal spores.

I remember trading with a boy who was desperate for an Abra because he hated the psychic type he was given and thought it was scary. A Mr Mime! That was Marcel, and he was only 10 when I got him, not to mention most psychic types are super long-lived, so Marcel will be around for a very long time. He might not have liked Marcel, heck, most other trainers my age didn’t like him either when we were around, but Mr Mime has always been my type of Pokémon. I did contests and most prominently theater for a long time, and still do, and have been trained in clowning a lot, so I appreciate such a silly clown Pokémon! Mr Mime are great friends, they’re radically intelligent, you just have to be ready to manage such a smart and often mischievous Pokémon. Marcel has toned down the pranks now since I’ve established countless times I don’t have an appreciation for being tripped over invisible walls, but that doesn’t stop him from pestering other Pokémon sometimes. For all his troublesome behavior and a bit of a rough start with an unappreciative trainer, Marcel was a hard worker during my first journey and he never fails to make me laugh at least once a day.

Then there was Jane, an Elekid I found who washed up on the river by Rock Tunnel, probably from the nearby Power Plant. She was and still is quite the spitfire! Jane isn’t really used on the occasions I do battle, but she hasn’t been dropped from the battling circuit quite yet. I can’t bring myself to evolve her into an Electivire, though. She’s very content as an Electabuzz and I don’t see much of a reason to. Her and Marcel are a bit of a troublemaking duo but I love them both dearly. I do occasionally loan Jane out to people in need of a temporary Pokémon companion for things like trips through treacherous terrain with unfriendly wildlife. It’s good enrichment for her, which she constantly needs. I don’t think I would ever want to raise another Electabuzz, they’re far too high energy for my liking, but Jane is my special exception.

The last of my first Pokémon is actually the only one who’s still in the team I now regularly use for battling on the rare occasions I do it, but mostly for the sake of outings. Post is my Dragonite, which is probably the only Dragon type species I consider myself capable of handling. He‘s a retired mailworker, if you couldn’t guess by the name, haha! That was back when Dragonite were used much more commonly as postal service Pokemon, before breeders from Hoenn helped make the much more efficient Pokemon Pelipper more widely available outside its native region. He’s a kind and gentle soul, as most Dragonite are. There really aren’t many other dragons (besides the lovely Drampa or perhaps some Altaria) that can match Dragonite for its inherent friendly and loving nature. I use him for travel, as he does miss his delivery days, so we both win in that situation. I get a way to travel quickly for my research, and Post gets his exercise!

“Excuse me, my wife asked for no pickles.”

This is a doodle for the inspiration for this blog, @prof-peach !! Mr T. Ogepi is a great addition to your island’s staff. Wish I had a Pokémon like that to do my taxes given how bad I am with numbers, but chances are, all my Bug Pokemon would just want to eat the paperwork.

I wasn’t sure what the missus looked like so I just took a guess at the image I pictured. Love your blog and let Mr Ogepi know my Pokémon and I are fans!

Graduation! I have been studying as a researcher for a long time and now graduation is finally on me. I’ve been getting in good practice with this blog but now my schooling in Pokémon is finally over. I’m graduating!

It’s hard to choose what Pokémon will walk with me. The team has been through a lot and the active Pokémon I use as I travel are all very special to me. But at the end of the day the most likely Pokémon to accept my diploma alongside me will be my very first Pokémon and my long-time partner, my Venusaur, Maxwell. He’s a bit old and walking might be hard on his joints, but he’s made it clear he wants to walk with me very badly.

Here’s to a new chapter as a fully trained researcher in the world!

Hiiii~! My little sister received a Snivy as a friend, but she's worried about her not eating much. Is this normal? Can I assume it has something to do with photosynthesis? We have a greenhouse and a fairly big backyard if that helps, it's just that we live an area that has a lot of rain, so not many sunny days. Anything we can do to supplement?

Hello! Firstly, Snivy is quite the interesting choice for a first partner for a beginning trainer, but your sister will certainly become quite experienced after rearing such a Pokemon!

If you would want an accurate gage of your Snivy’s health given its eating patterns, keep an eye on that tail! Snivy are not very communicative Pokemon, admittedly, but they do indicate their health and energy levels with their tails. Snivy traditionally hold their tails high to give themselves a confident posture so their fellow Snivy see them as an alpha. But with minimal energy, Snivy will abandon this posture so even the smallest amount of energy it takes to hold the tail high is conserved for the other parts of the body that may need it. If your sister’s Snivy isn’t holding its tail up, then there is cause for concern.

Pokemon that eat primarily through photosynthesis can be quite confusing, I know. Even if you’re providing all they need, it can feel like you’re neglecting the Pokemon by not actively putting food out for it all the time.

A greenhouse is a great idea for a Pokemon like Snivy, it sounds like you’re providing a great environment for it so far! Though rainwater is healthy for your sister’s Pokemon, it is true constant clouding over will slow the photosynthesis process. However, just like non-Pokemon plants, photosynthesis still does happen on cloudy days. The process is slowed, yes, but it absolutely still happens.

The best thing you can do for your sister’s Snivy is to let it really sit out and soak up the sun on the days the clouds do clear and it give it plenty of time both in and out of the greenhouse for minor photosynthesis on rainy days. There are water-soluble pills for Vitamin D that you may want to dissolve in Snivy’s drinking water if sun-based vitamins are a concern, but as of now, I don’t think you have too much to be worried about, friend. Let me know how Snivy progresses!

Hello, my dear friends! Apologies for my absence!

I’ve just recently returned from a very exciting expedition in the Lental region. Very beautiful place and it’s wonderful they’ve opened tourism back up there! I even got to meet Professor Mirror and his ecological survey team, though our interaction did end up very brief. I was able to join their team out on one expedition to an Illumina spot in a nature park to meet the most incredible Illumina Meganium! The Illumina Pokemon are just the most amazing phenomenon. I would have loved to do research further, but Johto was still calling and I’m back at home now.

I’ll return to answering questions shortly!

Does a Burmy’s diet vary slightly depending on its form?

Yes, but it really is an ever-so-slight difference.

All Burmy feed on nectar from both flowers and fruits, and sugar water, using their proboscis. Of course they all feed on relatively the same things but since form is impacted by the Burmy’s literal environment, each form would naturally be adapted to the food they would encounter in said environments.

Plant cloak Burmy bear some of the most varied diet due to forests and meadows being an absolute hotspot for plant life variety. The types of berries they consume on the regular are incredibly varied and a plant cloak Burmy will not shy away from new berries or flowers to feed from, because they’re used to almost never eating the same thing twice.

Sand cloak Burmy, being dwellers of the badlands, deserts and even caves, have a very limited range of foods they’re naturally used to. Sand cloak Burmy have a proboscis that is considered tougher than the other two varieties because it needs to pierce the skin of much hardier plant life and fruits. They might be a bit averse to trying new things because in their native range they often eat the same tough cactus fruits or rock-hard berries and only that.

Trash cloak Burmy are, quite literally, just Rattata. Living among humans so long in cities, if it’s edible and it can puncture it with its proboscis, a trash cloak Burmy will eat it. It’s primarily called “trash cloak” for that reason... they’re scavengers and will just pluck up anything in reach for a quick snack. Of course, if you own one of these trash cloaks I don’t recommend following up on that... uh, “natural” trash diet. It’s not technically anything they’re supposed to be eating and the regular assortment of fruits, berries and flower nectar will be much better for their health.

Hey! I'm a bit of a budding researcher, so I thought I'd fire a question your way before making a decision here. I'm building a little team to assist with research, and I'm looking into adding a new member once the Luxio I'm currently raising is a bit older and more confident.

I'm thinking about trying to adopt a Pokémon that can help me get around faster and more safely, especially in rocky and mountainous terrain - I'm currently in Sinnoh studying Legendary Pokemon, so this is a definite concern - and while I have a Charizard capable of flying me around, I'd love to have a Pokemon capable of assisting me on the ground, and I worry about needlessly tiring out my Charizard or Psychic-type on this kind of thing when I tend to rely on them quite a bit once I'm on location.

I've been doing some research, but I really haven't come to a conclusion on what Pokémon might be a good fit for this kind of thing. Do you have any advice? Thank you so much for your time!

Sinnoh—very rocky place! You certainly will need a specialized Pokémon to help you get around. Now, Luxray have very strong legs and can leap among the many cliffs and bluffs of the region, but they don’t really tolerate mounting so you should only use that in case of an absolute necessity.

I would generally recommend a Pokémon native to Sinnoh to get a partner who is aware of the lay of the land. Some breeders in Sinnoh raise mountain Pokémon, but of course, you can always go the traditional way and find a partner in the wild. Not that that doesn’t pose its own challenges, of course.

Garchomp, being a mountain and cave-dwelling dragon, is a great choice. While they do walk upright, hanging onto one is relatively easy with its fins and broad shoulders. They also make for a good defense Pokémon, being an apex predator of the land should deter most attackers if you ever travel to a risky location. And, if intimidation doesn’t work, their fighting abilities are truly nothing to sneeze at. They also possess great strength fitting for many tasks in rocky terrain that could help a researcher such as yourself, having enough strength to shatter or move rocks and scale sheer surfaces. Emergency services in Sinnoh, particularly, actually use Garchomp among their rescue operators since they can cleave through rockslides and dig escape routes for trapped travelers. Naturally this comes with the challenge of raising a dragon—Garchomp is a lot of work to both get to that final stage of evolution and level of obedience. If you do not borrow or purchase a fully evolved and trained Garchomp from someone, the process of raising one is time consuming.

Onix are another good choice in terms of terrain adaptability, speed, and strength, but their size can be... a lot to work with. While it certainly won’t take as long as training a Garchomp in full, you’ll need to spend some time with an Onix to get it to understand what being mounted feels like and the both of you will need to work together to be conscious of each other on rides. Consider a harness—it seems like a big ask for such a huge Pokémon, but makers of ride Pokémon harnesses are very flexible and do customs all the time! For instance, I keep a harness on my travel Pokémon, my Dragonite, and I also had to custom order that one because of Dragonite’s pear body shape needing a wider buckle on the bottom half of the harness.

My last recommendation would be Rhyhorn. It’s a strong all-terrain Pokémon, though it of course excels in mountains and badlands where it’s most naturally built for. There’s a reason Rhyhorn racing started booming years back—for a rock type Pokémon, they are VERY fast! They can also help you clear or scale rugged terrain, though slower than the previous two. A Rhyhorn chips stone with its horn in a very methodical manner and they usually need great momentum to smash stone on impact. They are also great climbers, but won’t move nearly as fast while scaling surfaces. Their plate armor and claws lock into rugged surfaces, meaning they can hold on a rocky wall for a long time, but having the short legs they do mean they need a lot of time to scale one surface.

Hope this helps! Good luck in Sinnoh, it’s a fascinating region steeped in mythology!

Could you share some tips on appletun care?

Appletun is what I like to call a good “backyard” Pokémon. I would recommend it to people who have a decent amount of land, at least enough to maybe sustain a garden—a typical suburban backyard could be considered good enough for one. When it comes to eating, they literally just stand around outside to lure in insects to eat, so to promote natural behavior, I recommend having an outdoor area that you can just let your Appletun out in where it can stand around and bait its food. You can also feed it berries as little treats, and I would recommend sweet berries with a strong scent, because they will transfer that odor and flavor to the nectar they produce, just making it easier to catch a meal. Also, investing in a pond or other kind of water feature may be nice for that outdoor area so your Appletun can take drinks as it pleases. It’s definitely not an indoor Pokémon, is what I’m saying!

Some sources, namely beginning trainers’ guides, claim children eat Appletun as snacks. This is partially true, but the simplified version is definitely a lot worse sounding. In reality what people in Galar eat are SHED SKIN from Appletun’s back. Appletun and Slowpoke are alike in the regard that they have body parts they naturally drop and replace with age which also make for flavorful treats—just, like with a Slowpoke, don’t try and force them off too early, or you’ll risk stunting of the next growth and potentially no regrowth at all! They drop these crisscross pieces of skin about every three weeks, because eventually, the nectar-producing glands “dry out” in the old ones, so to speak. The dropped skins are often called “Appletun rinds” because they resemble giant melon rinds.

Appletun are much less attention-demanding than the more energetic Flapple, but they are still one of the friendliest dragon types out there right next to Dragonite, Goodra or Drampa. They’re often considered a great family Pokémon because of this! Just because Appletun is low maintenance doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it attention. They do like physical affection, particularly scratches since their limbs are too short to reach most itches laying or sitting down, just be wary of the flaps on the sides of their heads. Since the eyes are connected to those, even though they look like ears that might like a good scratch behind them, they’re very sensitive and the average Appletun won’t appreciate being touched there. And a minor note, just be prepared to wash your hands if you touch your Appletun’s back. That’s where the bug-luring nectar is secreted and though it does smell nice and tastes very sweet, it is super sticky! They also might attempt to bite your hand if you touch their back without them seeing you first, just because they mistake it for the feeling of prey landing on them for a sip of their nectar.

Hope this helped!