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[my-makeshift-masquerade]

Service and therapy pokémon are proof of the unbreakable ties between human and pokékind! These helpful companions assist people of all ages, colors and creeds, forming truly unique life-changing bonds. However, it is highly recommended that service and therapy pokémon be properly trained and certified! Red vests and harnesses, along with a legitimate license, signify a service pokémon has been officially certified.

@victoryroadburnout

[theshunbun]

🌸 Well.. Only one more to go 🌸🌺💜

[sweetwhitechoco]

Sharing this lovely post~

[mayespokeverse]

All pokemon are big eaters. They store pure energy in a highly specialised organ (colloquially: energy pouch) to utilise for attacks and special moves; this energy is collected through the food they eat. In order to use any moves or abilities at all, a pokemon must have some energy in their energy pouch. 

In a pinch they can rapidly convert adipose tissue as a backup source of energy. But this can only provide them with a very small boost to power and is typically only activated when a pokemon’s life is in danger. 

Pokemon bodies are extremely efficient at absorbing energy. When eating, pokemon will first put on the absolute minimum healthy amount of fat, then fill up their energy pouch completely, and then begin storing more body fat. Excess body fat is burned through regular exercise, just as in humans, but at a far slower rate than humans. This is why pokemon that battle or otherwise use their powers a lot are almost impossible to over-feed, but also why it is so difficult to slim down an overweight pokemon. 

Any pokemon that is underweight requires urgent attention. That is always a sign that there is something medically wrong with the pokemon, and that it is almost certainly in distress. 

[mayespokeverse]

With the extinction of almost all old-world animals, and the severe reduction in population of all remaining species, humans do not suffer from zoonotic diseases or parasites spread from animals. Only some parasites and diseases transmitted by remaining insect species (such as mosquitoes) remain in the modern era. 

Pokemon and mammals do not share a common ancestor, and are fundamentally biologically different to the point where microbes and parasites rarely, if ever, cross between the two groups. A handful of fungal infections are the only exception to this rule. 

[mayespokeverse]

Kantonian rattata have silky, soft, fine fur. 

Kantonian raticate have coarse outer fur with a soft undercoat.

Alolan rattata and raticate have silky-but-stiff outer fur, and a thick downy undercoat. Their outer coats have extra whisker-like protrusions to help them navigate in the dark.

Rattata paws, and raticate paws and tails, have incredibly short scale-like hair growing on them. Their prominent whiskers are stiff. They have little person-like hands with which they can grip food, and their fingers and toes are tipped with tiny claws. 

Both lines take well to domestication, as long as their need to chew to wear down their teeth is accommodated. Rattata enjoy being carried by their human, especially when tucked into a jacket. However, due to the Alolan line’s nocturnal habits they are generally less suited to being kept by humans than their Kantonian counterparts. 

[mayespokeverse]

Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot have silky, firm, thick feathers covering their bodies. The skin on their feet and shanks is tough and lightly scaled. Their talons and beaks are sharp. 

Pidgey are the most-frequently released pokemon in Kanto. As pidgey are common across the region and generally docile, many people catch them as a ‘beginner’ pet (often to children). However they are liable to be released mere days later when their new owner learns the kind of damage a pidgey’s disproportionate grip strength and sharp talons can do to unprepared furniture or shoulders. 

The long headcrest feathers of pidgeot are highly sought-after by artists, high-end fashion designers, and spiritual leaders. Undamaged feathers are very valuable, which has led to some creative poaching. 

Ceremonial cloaks made from pidgey-line feathers are traditional religious attire across Johto. 

[mayespokeverse]

Weedle have an exosekeleton only on their head segment; the rest of their body is soft. Weedle can be trained to distinguish between different kinds of plants and are sometimes used to clear out specific weeds or invasive plants with their voracious appetite. 

Kakuna have a hard body and a stinger on the end of their tail. They have arms which can extend from their body, which they use to cling to trees or (slowly) move. They feed on sap from trees, and arborists use them to identify sick or dying trees, as kakuna will refuse to feed from such trees. 

Beedrill have a hard, smooth exoskeleton. Their wings have a glossy, papery texture, and while they might look fragile they are actually difficult to damage. Beedrill will make little ‘shelters’ out of a papery substance made from wood fibres mixed with their own saliva. A beedrill is the logo of a high-end sports car company in Kanto. 

The entire line has been observed comunicating with their own kind by tapping or ‘drumming’ on surfaces with their tail stingers. They have even been found to have unique drumming patterns to refer to individuals - in effect, they have names for each other. Domestic individuals will also ‘name’ their human. 

[mayespokeverse]

Shiny nidoran are common icons in transgender communities

[mayespokeverse]

Caterpie have a hard exoskeleton on their head and shoulder segments; the other segments of their bodies are soft. These pokemon are popular to give to children because they are gentle and low-maintenance. 

Metapod have a hard shell for protection. They stick to surfaces by extruding silk from their undersides, and can move, albeit very slowly, by pushing themselves with the segmented sections of their tail end. Metapod have ‘scraping’ mouth parts which they use to consume moss and lichen. 

Butterfree have sparse downy fuzz covering their bodies, and long, stiff hairs on their legs. Raising butterfree and releasing them during the mating season is a popular hobby in rural Kanto and Johto. Butterfree wings are covered with extremely tiny iridescent scales, which are often used in high-end metallic paints. 

[mayespokeverse]

Squirtle, wartortle, and blastoise have a hard shell attached to their body. The shell is a living component of their bodies, and will bleed if damaged (but it is very resilient to damage). They have armoured plating on their limbs and soft, scaly skin on their joints. The line’s body temperature is naturally cool. 

Members of this line can shoot pressurised water from their shells for propulsion through water. The ‘fur’ covering a wartortle’s ears and tail actually has a structure more similar to feathers than regular fur. Blastoise’s cannons are made of the same substance as their claws, and they are not connected to any nerves or the vascular system beyond the growth point, so the pokemon will not suffer any pain or bleeding if the cannons are damaged. 

The squirtle line are very common as working pokemon, pets, and as competitive battlers. They are easygoing, loyal, and obedient, and their low exercise needs coupled with their high endurance means they are extremely versatile. 

[mayespokeverse]

Charmander, charmeleon, and charizard have scaly skin and a naturally high body temperature. The horns of charmeleon and charizard are used for display purposed rather than fighting. 

Contrary to popular belief, the charmander line will not die if its tail flame is extinguished - in fact, the tail flame cannot be extinguished in a healthy pokemon. The tail flame is produced by an internal lighting mechanism, and sustained by the flammable gasses that are a by-product of the line’s powerful respiration. If the tail vent is blocked it will interfere with the pokemon’s breathing. If a pokemon’s breathing is weak, then the tail flame will be small, and the flame always goes out when the pokemon dies. 

Charmander line are not common pets due to the cost of fire-proofing and their high activity needs. They are common in appropriate industries and battling teams due to their loyalty, strength, and friendly disposition. 

[mayespokeverse]

The bulbasaur, ivysaur, and venusaur family have leathery scaled skin with a slightly glossy texture. They have no fur or hairs of any kind. The plant sections of their bodies feel very similar to their skin, but have a more glossy texture. The leaves and petals are much more difficult to damage than regular plants, but if damaged they will bleed. 

The bulbasaur line can photosynthesize. 

The bulbasaur line are common as pets, working pokemon, and battling pokemon due to their loyal nature and docile temperament. They are often used in horitculture and medicine synthesis. 

[mayespokeverse]

Disclaimer: the following contains broad generalisations about types based on historical classification and treatment. There will always be some lines that break the mold.

There are nine types that were historically classified as ‘physical’ (ie; owned by the lower classes): 

Normal, Flying, and Bug types are common and easy to train. They typically have easy temperaments and rarely have complex needs. This meant historically they were the only pokemon types open to the lowest classes in society. 

Fighting, Ground, Rock, and Steel types are very physically strong with fairly low care needs. Fighting types do get bored easily, but thrive on consitent physical effort and routine, which made them a favourite type among the labouring peasant classes. Ground, Rock, and Steel types were (are still are) invaluable in quarries or on farms. The lower classes could only afford pokemon that contributed to their household in some way, and these types could more than pull their weight. 

Poison types were historically vilified and considered unsafe and unclean. Most people - nobility and peasantry alike - considered them too dangerous and impractical to be in close contact with. The exceptions were: traditional healers, who figured out how to tap into the medicinal qualities of diluted and mixed Poison type toxins; and con-artists, piggy-backing on the success of legitimate healers. Poison types were also commonly associated with assassins, for obvious reasons. With these social stigmas, only outcasts dared to keep Poison types. 

Ghost types have always been drawn to places of intense emotional energy. Religious centers such as churches, cemeteries, temples, and shrines have a wealth of such energies. Before long, Ghost types were befriended the revered-but-typically-destitute priests and priestesses of such locations; this association benefitted both parties, in terms of everyday life and in social perception. But this also made Ghost types all but untouchable by any other class of people - none were willing to risk the attention of the dead or gods. 

[mayespokeverse]

Disclaimer: the following contains broad generalisations about types based on historical classification and treatment. There will always be some lines that break the mold. 

There are nine types that were historically classified as ‘special’ (ie: typically only belonging to the wealthy). The ‘special’ types are as follows:

Psychic, Dark, Fairy, and Electric types all take a lot of time to train. They can be difficult behaviourally; all of these types are reknown for being headstrong, proud, and mischievous. They also have a tendency to get destructive when bored, and they get bored easily. Historically, only the wealthy could spare the time needed to train these types. 

Water, Grass, Fire, and Ice types were all difficult to accommodate. Water types require sizeable bodies of water to live comfortably. Grass types, while considered easy to look after in modern society, are very sensitive to poor nutrition and low-quality water, and typically need more rest than other types. Fire and Ice types need specialised living conditions which are hard to meet without modern technology. The peasantry typically did not have access to the resources or land rights needed to care for these pokemon types. 

Dragon types were incredibly difficult to find, so in only individuals with a lot of determination and money would be able to obtain one. Dragon types are known to be highly emotional and naturally very powerful, as well as proud, stubborn, and easily bored. Dragon types were historically limited to royalty for good reason. 

[mayespokeverse]

The (now outdated) classification of types as ‘Physical’ or ‘Special’ has little to do with the powers of pokemon and more to do with the social standing of their trainers. 

The ‘special’ types were typically difficult to find, raise, or care for. This limited the ownership of these pokemon to those who had the wealth or time to spend on them - in other words, the upper classes. 

Meanwhile, the ‘physical’ types were either typically easy to obtain and house. This meant they were common among the lower classes. 

The establishment of the type division meant all tournaments and competitions had a ‘special’ and a ‘physical’ ranking - which also meant that the social elite would not have to fight (and therefore risk defeat by) any peasants. 

The special/physical terminology morphed over time to mean ranged or contact moves. Though some pokemon or types do show a natural aptitude for one over the other, every pokemon type can use both contact or ranged attacks. 

[mayespokeverse]

If a pokemon will be large when fully evolved, good practice is not to allow it to sit on you or objects that won’t be able to hold their fully evolved weight. A growlithe pup jumping onto your lap might be cute; a fully grown arcanine trying to do the same is not. 

Addtionally, the sudden change in rules upon evolution might make a pokemon feel rejected. 

[mayespokeverse]

There is great debate about whether so-called ‘Alolan variant’ pokemon should be considered distinct breeds of pokemon. 

Arguments against cite genetic sequencing as proof that the two variants have not diverged significantly enough to be considered separate breeds. The claim, and general scientific consensus, is that the breeds are in the process of diverging, but have not yet diverged. 

Those in favour cite the type change from that of the original breed is proof that they have fully diverged. They argue that replying on genetic testing alone is flawed, and there are accusations of Kantonian colonialism.