Hello. My name is Sophora. I am a Pokemon veterinarian. I live in Unova, but at the time of this writing, I am beginning a temporary stay in Johto to assist with a research project.
My blog is mostly thoughts and discussions of Pokemon care and science, as well as what photos I wish to share.
I am a former member of Team Plasma. My duties were to care for Pokemon injured by human deeds, and assess whether they could be released into the wild. Though I was nothing more than a child in training at the time. I wish to be clear that I, along with most Team Plasma members you will ever encounter, were fooled by Ghetsis, and truly do wish for improving the lives of Pokemon.
My sole Pokemon is a Zorua named Beans. I have had her for many years, and she is my dear companion.
I am often told I have no sense of humor, so please do not expect much in the way of jokes or banter from me. I am also often called rude, or at the very least blunt.
I will speak often on Pokemon care, as mentioned. I will answer any questions on Pokemon care when I am able, though I am mostly only familiar with Pokemon of the Unova region, and some of the Kanjoh region. I also will often speak on the life of a veterinarian and what sort of things one is expected to do in this job.
The difference between a Pokemon veterinarian and a Pokemon Center, for the record, generally involves overall health versus injuries. If it was a problem or health issue that came from battle, you go to a Center. If it is an overall health issue that did not come from battling, go to a veterinarian. Generally, we will refer you to the other one if you got it wrong.
My hobbies are reading and photography. I have given lectures about Pokemon care at conferences before, and I enjoy trying new foods. I am something of a coffee enthusiast, as well.
Most people I mention on this blog, I will be changing their names. This includes myself- Rotomphones should not replace basic internet safety for you all. The main exceptions will be people on this site who use their real name, and people who are otherwise too famous that it would be pointless to try to change their name.
I look forward to pleasant conversations with you all.
//OOC under the cut!
Player is over 21.
All posts will be tagged with 'pkmn irl' and 'unreality'.
This is, obviously, a Pokemon IRL rp blog.
I intend to not get involved in high stakes with the possibly exception of Team Winter stuff, or things that otherwise catch my interest. Most of them will be assumed to not happen.
Some notes on character canon!
Sapient Pokemon do not exist. There are rare exceptions, but they are extremely special and noteworthy. Pokemon intelligence varies, but generally they're animals. As a result, I would prefer not to interact with sapient Pokemon blogs, and if you do, Sophora will assume that you're a child roleplaying.
Legendary Pokemon are rare. The mainline games are canon but generally, Sophora doesn't know a lot of what happened. If it wasn't on the scale of Kyogre and Groudon, Sophora probably didn't hear about it! Sophora does not believe in a lot of legendary Pokemon as a result.
I do not do the whole 'magic anon' thing and such asks will be ignored.
Human-obtainable superpowers are Aura and psychic powers. That's about it. There are no other superpowers. Legendaries do not give children superpowers.
Legendaries may have been worshipped as gods but are not gods. There is no Arceus-based religion. People do not worship Arceus and do not treat it as the Christian god.
Most products that get parodied do not have the Pokemon parody names, and they just have the real world name. However, it is an in-universe meme to force Pokemon names into the product name, and that's why everyone has such differences (i.e. the proper name for the place is Starbucks, but some people call it Starlybucks and others call it Staryubucks, because it's a meme, not the real name.)
I want to avoid crossover stuff, it is not to my interest.
I want to try to keep to the tone of Pokemon as much as possible, so I'm going to be ignoring most things about murder and killing (unless it is a Cubone's mother).
Sophora can be, and often is, wrong about various subjects. However, she is a veterinarian and thus generally going to be correct about Pokemon care. Please do not show up to just correct me and claim my character doesn't know what she's talking about.
I try to avoid getting involved with the 'multiverse' stuff. As far as Sophora is concerned, there is only one reality, and it's hers. Please do not get deep into the weeds on that with her so I don't have to think about it too hard.
Animals exist! Pokemon are part of the ecosystem but normal animals exist, too. They just don't come up often because they aren't relevant.
Sorry if that sounds like too much stuff! I just wanted to be very clear from the outset.
EDIT:
If you are not someone already relevant about it, I will not acknowledge any asks where you try to prove legendary Pokemon. It's much funnier if Sophora refuses to believe in them. For understanding of the gag, please watch this video.
Sophora will not ever see or acknowledge a Legendary Pokemon outside of very specific circumstances. Please do not try to force the issue.
Long before the Mew theory was proven through fossil evidence, there was other evidence pointing to the fact that all Pokemon are genetically related. Among the strongest evidence, there was poison. Or, more accurately, venom.
Among all Pokemon, those classified as 'poison-type' or otherwise, all of them share the same compound of venom. This is why no matter the source of the venom, a Pecha Berry can heal it. Other poisons, such as those from plants or non-Pokemon animals, do not share this distinction. Poisoning from eating spoiled food, similarly, is not cured by a Pecha Berry.
Generally speaking, all living species have a resistance to the toxins they produce. This is why Pokemon who have a strong use of venom or toxins, those classified as 'poison-type', are generally immune to the venom of other Pokemon- Almost all Pokemon use the same toxic compound, and thus, those who use it as a primary survival tactic have antibodies to avoid poisoning themselves.
Ironically, the proof of this came from the exception. The fact that Salandits are capable of using their venom on even other poisonous Pokemon is not due to their venom being any more potent than any other. Instead, they simply use a distinct poison, that other Pokemon do not have antibodies for. This proved that Pokemon did not have a general immunity to poisons, but rather, all Pokemon with high concentrations of the poison have a resistance to that poison. And from this, it could be inferred that all Pokemon were related, in order for them all to use the same poison that way.
As for why Salandit venom can also be cured via that same Pecha Berry, or the common antidote to all Pokemon poisons... it is a fortunate coincidence that these can counteract a shared part of that compound, as far as anyone can tell.
Long before the Mew theory was proven through fossil evidence, there was other evidence pointing to the fact that all Pokemon are genetically related. Among the strongest evidence, there was poison. Or, more accurately, venom.
Among all Pokemon, those classified as 'poison-type' or otherwise, all of them share the same compound of venom. This is why no matter the source of the venom, a Pecha Berry can heal it. Other poisons, such as those from plants or non-Pokemon animals, do not share this distinction. Poisoning from eating spoiled food, similarly, is not cured by a Pecha Berry.
Generally speaking, all living species have a resistance to the toxins they produce. This is why Pokemon who have a strong use of venom or toxins, those classified as 'poison-type', are generally immune to the venom of other Pokemon- Almost all Pokemon use the same toxic compound, and thus, those who use it as a primary survival tactic have antibodies to avoid poisoning themselves.
Ironically, the proof of this came from the exception. The fact that Salandits are capable of using their venom on even other poisonous Pokemon is not due to their venom being any more potent than any other. Instead, they simply use a distinct poison, that other Pokemon do not have antibodies for. This proved that Pokemon did not have a general immunity to poisons, but rather, all Pokemon with high concentrations of the poison have a resistance to that poison. And from this, it could be inferred that all Pokemon were related, in order for them all to use the same poison that way.
As for why Salandit venom can also be cured via that same Pecha Berry, or the common antidote to all Pokemon poisons... it is a fortunate coincidence that these can counteract a shared part of that compound, as far as anyone can tell.
Beans has a disability, you see. She cannot use the species' normal illusions. (I believe this also renders her unable to nullify psychic waves, but I do not test this for obvious reasons.)
Beans has a disability, you see. She cannot use the species' normal illusions. (I believe this also renders her unable to nullify psychic waves, but I do not test this for obvious reasons.)
I think about pokemon in non-battle situations a lot. Like pokemon who have been trained/raised to be helpers and assistants than to be battle partners.
Pokemon visiting hospitals to cheer patients up like dogs and cats do. Or ones that help kids learn to read, speak, swim, go through therapy?! Even pokemon who’s abilities help owners with specific disabilities?!
I love thinking of pokemon outside of battle situations.
I am still balancing work and study to get my doctorate and become a proper Pokémon Professor. I am studying in the sciences department, with my primary focus being veterinary health. I am hoping to achieve my doctorate in veterinary care and use that to help as many Pokémon as possible.
But in my time studying, in the general classes, I have discovered an enjoyment of evolutionary biology. To learn about and search for the origins of Pokémon is compelling, and I find myself enjoying it... It reminds me a lot of the research I assisted with on those Vulpixes. I find I want to learn more and more on this.
I am sure two unrelated degrees would be beyond my capabilities, though. Or at least, were I to try it, I would no longer have any time to spend with my wife.
There is truly nothing Beans wants more in the world than to poison herself fatally. Not for the first time, I am relieved by her disability making it easier to care for her, as I am not sure if I could have kept her away from the chocolate cake if she could use illusions.
What do people even talk about on the internet. I don't remember.
...Did anyone see the new Giant Woman! movie? Rosa's acting was excellent as always but I do feel like they've stretched that premise a little thin. The plot seemed...cheap
Pokestar Studios movies always seem to be that way, I think. More about the spectacle than the story. An assumption that anything and everything must be stretched into sequels.
Recently I have been watching older movies of the martial arts genre. Drunken Master or Machamp City are both classics well worth a watch.
I wish to remind everyone that there has never once in history been a confirmed case of a human dying, and their spirit becoming a Ghost-type Pokemon. There are folktales and superstitions, with Pokemon such as Yamask and Phantump often bearing the brunt of them, but never a confirmed case.
Most of the time, what people see in those Pokemon is nothing more than grief and confirmation bias. A Yamask's mask looks close enough to a departed human's face, or a Phantump is found near where a child went missing. Any behaviors similar to the lost human is attributed to it being the human's ghost, while any missing behaviors are attributed to memory loss from becoming a Pokemon.
It is known to be true that humans whose spirits become ghosts frequently lose memory. Often, they lose all memory except for whatever regrets or grudges bind them to the living world. However, that is merely correlation. Ghost-type Pokemon are often able to sense remnant emotions and memory, similar to psychic power, and thus would also be more capable of mimicking the deceased human's mannerisms to those who are too consumed with grief to think the differences through.
There is plenty of hearsay. Stories, folk tales, friend-of-a-friend stories. Never with a source, and never proven. If a human were to ever become a Pokemon after death, it would only be through reincarnation, in accordance with their karma, and nothing else. The semi-famed Silph Scope has all but proven this, as while it can reveal a ghost's true form, it has never once revealed a Pokemon to be a human's spirit.
The name 'Ghost-type' is misleading in the first place. They were named that solely because of their place in superstitions and folklore, when in truth, they are nothing more than gaseous life forms.
If you lose someone important to you, please do not look to Pokemon. You will never find them there. Instead, please look to your fellow humans. There are many therapists who can help you process grief, and a robust social network can help you through even the toughest of times. And if you are truly unable to handle it, search for a reputable Channeler or other similar professions to help determine if their spirit has moved on or remains in this world. Morty of Ecruteak Gym can manage such things, for example.
But I beg of you, please do not let grief over the dead dictate the way you live.
I would argue this is a good thing. Having a fulfilling real life is more important than an online social network, no matter how important that online social network is.
we know dedenne can communicate with other dedenne over long distances, but can other electric rodents pick up on dedenne signals?
asking because we just found someones released nonnative dedenne chilling in a local pikachu colony. im waiting to hear back from our local ranger about it, but the chus seem to have accepted it as one of their own from my amateur observation
we know that they can sometimes pick up on the transfer of electricity through the air, since they'll react when there's a dedenne firing off signals nearby. but they often can't pick up on it from the same distance. pikachu, for example, will typically only notice dedenne signals if their tail is already up in the air and if the dedenne is within a kilometer or so.
for those pokemon that can pick up dedenne signals, though, they still don't know what those signals mean. if they haven't been raised around dedenne, they mostly react to the signals with confusion. that being said, if they get familiar with the dedenne, they can learn what the signals mean! so it's not unusual for a dedenne that's lost track of its group to settle in with other electric rodents. a large group of electric types can interfere with dedenne's signals, so there have been plenty of documented instances of dedenne getting separated from their group and just...moving in with a different species, and they seem to get along just fine.
While this is all true, I do wish to add a slight word of warning.
"Moving in with a different species" will generally mean other electric rodent-type Pokémon. You should, if possible, never allow Unowns and Dedenne to be in the same area. If you are heading through ruins with Unown sightings, it is important to keep your Dedenne in its ball.
Dedenne use these electromagnetic waves for communication at similar frequencies to Unown. As a result, their waves can cause electromagnetic or radio-wave interference with each other, rendering both sides incapable of communicating while in the other's presence. This naturally causes distress.
To my knowledge, there is no region that has both wild Unown and Dedenne, so it is unlikely to ever come up, but for traveling trainers, I did wish to bring it up.
