ASK NIDOKING

Give this sexy beast some love! Ask about me, the stuff I do, or anything else! I ain't picky! (Note: I try to answer every question, but it won't always be right away - don't worry if you haven't seen yours posted, it should get there soon!) Avatar image by tenchioutsuno! Go there and show your love too! Header image by ace-primo! You know the drill! Skype: ask.nidoking (a. k. a. "King of Paragraphs") Current research projects: -Pokémon Perception -The Trainer Project Currently Training: *Zychros - Charmeleon *Varius - Grovyle *Arkhadis - Krokorok *Tibor - Gabite *Atilax - Zangoose *Sorex - Sandslash

[asknidoking]

There's something about Basculin I don't get. If it can learn Zen Headbutt, why is it unable to learn Iron Head?

The reasons Pokémon can and can’t learn certain moves is still pretty poorly understood!  We might know more someday, but for now it’s mostly guesswork.

Basculin might have difficulty learning Iron Head due to propulsion issues!  Psychic abilities wouldn’t really interfere with swimming, but steeling yourself would tend to make swimming a lot more difficult due to weight, buoyancy, and density issues!  A Pokémon that’s already a Steel-type would be able to compensate for that, but it could be harder for a Pokémon that isn’t!

[asknidoking]

Dr Nidoking,how much does it take to make a Charizard cry?

That’s not a question that I can give a general answer to!  Charizards have a wide variety of emotionality - one might be especially sensitive and prone to being teary-eyed, another might be the most stoic thing this side of a robot!  So I’d say it depends on the particular Charizard you encounter!  You won’t really know until you you find out for yourself! (Note: This does not constitute an endorsement of intentionally making a Charizard cry and I am not liable for injuries that may be incurred as a result of such efforts.)

[asknidoking]

*Throws a rock* *realizes you shouldn't piss of a giant Pokemon * the wild anon ran away! *

Pfft, that was the wimpiest Rock Throw I’ve ever felt!  You should know I’m resistant due to my Ground-type nature anyway!

[asknidoking]

Dr Nido,I've heard machop,machoke,and machamp are in the fighting group but they remind me of wrestlers,are they also wrestling pokemon?

Oh, yeah, you bet they are!  I’ve had quite a few wrestling matches with them myself!  They’re quite skilled at getting a nice tight grip, using their bodies to turn you around...very adept at pinning...

Er...where was I again?

Ah, right, wrestling!  Yes, wrestling!  They’re among the foremost wrestlers among Pokémon, because their body types are pretty well oriented for it!  But that’s just scratching the surface...in fact, most Fighting-types are better than you’d think at all sorts of athletic activities!  Even a slender Pokémon like Lucario is a good wrestler against Pokémon around its size, though they’re even better at track and field events, martial arts, and other things more speed-oriented!

It’s not just about muscle - if it was, I’d have it down pat!  (Though I do enjoy some pinning of my own at the right times!)  Even though they have impressive raw strength, the real key lies in their exceptional kinesthetic control!  A Fighting-type Pokémon’s brain is incredibly attuned to its body, allowing it superior control over its exertion and coordination!  As a result, they’re incredibly capable at technique motions as well as pure power!  Especially useful for things like wrestling, in fact - a trained Machoke would beat most any human of equivalent strength purely on technical ability!  In fact, this control makes them really good examples for humans training for activities with complex technique, like wrestling or golf (there are Pokémon golf leagues out there that are incredibly competitive)!

I’ve never fully been able to test the level of control that a Fighting-type has, but I’ve heard rumors about them, like that they can actually make themselves physically weaker in order to keep from accidentally hurting someone in a situation that requires fast action!  All in all, they’re pretty impressive!

[asknidoking]

Professor, which Pokémon would you recommend for Bug/Dragon, Normal/Dragon, and Fighting/Dragon Mega Evolutions?

Eh?  I don’t think I’m in charge of any of that, so it would be hard to say!  Gaining a type upon Mega Evolution is a rather odd phenomenon in the first place - it’s one thing to get a type on a regular evolution which is irreversible, but a Mega Evolution is a temporary thing!  Why would the genetic code allow for such a thing to happen for just a brief burst, rather than permanently, if it’s advantageous to have that typing?  I’m still not sure!

[asknidoking]

*holds ur hand* pee on my taxes

Why...would I do something like that?  You are a very strange person, and I don’t think I should honor such a bizarre request.

[asknidoking]

Dr Nidoking have you ever given a baby pokemon like a Charmander a shot before and they cried about it?

Young Pokémon are like any other creature, things that cause pain are unpleasant and can get them to cry!  I haven’t really done that myself - I tend to work more with developed Pokémon, since my studies tend to focus more on abilities and attributes.  But we have a medical center on the campus, and they get young Pokémon in for vaccinations all the time!  It can get kinda rowdy at times - imagine bringing an elementary school of kids in, and then imagine those kids can breathe fire, let off thunderbolts, or throw things with their minds!  I’ve been called in to help keep the peace every now and then; somehow the sight of me in a lab coat seems to fill them with enough wonder that they quiet down!

[asknidoking]

*Throws master ball*

(The Master Ball fizzles out before it reaches)

Hey, there!  You do know I’m already a “caught” Pokémon, don’t you?  Newer Poké Balls create a field that nullifies the capture mechanisms of other balls once a Pokémon is registered to a particular ball.  Some of the researchers in another part of the complex have been working hard on that one, to prevent any “theft captures” that some hooligans try.  So I’m afraid your balls are no good here!

[asknidoking]

Dr Nidoking *Gulp*do Nidokings and Nidoqueens by any chance,breathe fire?*Shivers*

Well, we sure can!  Don’t know why that idea scares you so much, it’s not like there aren’t dozens of Pokémon that can breathe fire as well!  But we can learn a few different Fire-type moves, including Flamethrower, which is very much a fire-breathing move!  It helps that some of the toxic gases we have built up inside us have some flammable properties, weaning we can make some pretty powerful (and noxious) flame jets, but we’ll never be quite as good at them as a natural Fire-type!

[asknidoking]

To create a perfect team, you need one of each type of move except Ghost, 3 Pokémon with the Mold Breaker Ability, have them learn a Ground type attack, a Steel type attack, a Fighting type attack, A Water type attack, and a Flying/Psychic attack, a Skill Link Pokémon that can learn Bullet Seed, Pokémon with strong enough attack or special attack to use the Water HMs, and last but not least, a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve.

Pray, how does that make the team perfect?  Most Pokémon have exploitable weaknesses, just because you can throw together a team with good coverage doesn’t mean you have an unbeatable team.  For that matter, what Pokémon actually fit the bill for your team here?

[asknidoking]

Dr Nidoking,I've also been wondering,Charizards look like they have vampire fangs,do Charizards suck blood?

Nope!  Charizards do not have any vampiric qualities whatsoever!  In fact it’s more that just not having them, they are essentially incapable of it - if a Charizard is not modulating its heat to not damage someone, the inside of its mouth is so hot that it instantly cauterizes a bite wound, preventing any blood flow.  Even its teeth have this effect!

Near as we can tell, the protruding fangs are nothing more than a display of power, designed mainly to show off!  That’s pretty common in Pokémon, all sorts of physical signs of power and health to draw potential mates...I can say with some certainty that just about every physical attribute of a Nidoking is oriented around that!  Nidoqueens as well, of course!  Though it kinda seems odd, because the last thing our kind is is picky...

[asknidoking]

Dr Nidoking,I remember I had to delete my account for a while because of the death of my father,I was just hurting real bad and I wasn't feeling like talking for a while,I'm telling you my fathers death just hurt so bad but I'm back so I'm glad to be back so I wonder what you've been up to in your lab and don't worry I feel lots better now!

I’m glad you are!  I remember you mentioning that, I don’t blame you at all for needing some time away.  That’s a super rough thing to go through!

I’ve been working hard, my duties have increased because a few of our long-time members left for other opportunities and I suddenly found myself with a measure of seniority!  I’m trying to help train some of the newer hires in some of the important aspects of our lab, though many of them already have projects in mind it’s more all the logistics and everything!  Thankfully I’ve got my right-hand men to help me out as well!

[asknidoking]

I've found a way to create a perfect Pokémon team that can use all the HMs, pick on any weakness, and counter opposing abilities.

Do tell, anon!  I’m interested to hear about your stunning new technique!  Of course, I’d be more than happy to provide feedback about it as well!

[asknidoking]

I’ve been really bad about keeping up lately, but I’m not gonna give up!  I’ll start providing some asks and request that you send some so I can find some new blogs to follow!

(Don’t forget you can also query Tamil the Abra and Snip the Charmander!  Learn about them by looking a few posts back!)

[asknidoking]

Dr Nidoking,have you ever had to put a stethoscope to a charizard's tummy?

Can’t say that I have!  Usually the stethoscope goes on the chest, I think!  But beyond that, I’ve never actually used a stethoscope before - these big ol’ ears of mine are just too sensitive, that kind of amplification would be less than pleasant!  To be sure, I can usually pick up what I need to pick up just by putting an ear next to them!

[asknidoking]

FROM 1 TO JOHN CENA HOW MUCH COOL YOU ARE?

Nowadays I only tend to be cool in the “Wow a talking Pokémon with a lab coat!” kind of way.  But to be honest, I never put quite as much effort into cool...I decided to dump all those points into sexy instead!

[asknidoking]

Hi Nidoking, What do you usually do for holidays such as Halloween or Christmas? Do you decorate?

Whoops, I’m a little late getting to this one!  I like to get into the holiday spirit, I don’t do a whole lot of decorating of my own areas but I help out with decorations at the science complex!  And I’m a big fan of holiday parties - sometimes I even go around to try to crash a couple of bashes around the city!  Parties are nice because people tend to cut loose more, so there’s a whole lotta fun going down!