#ask brent

[the-trainer-life]

Help! I was walking through the woods, when i spot a couple eggs on the side of the road. I stop for a moment, just to see if i could figure out why, when they hatch, and now i've got a pair of Eon chicks i think Imprinted on me! I called the local Jenny and Joy and the local Ranger number, but I'm at a loss of what to do if they can't find the parents and since the chicks imprints. Non emergency as Joy currently has my waiting for a verdict

Oh boy, anon, that's a serious issue, and I don't even know if I can really help with it. The Eon Pokémon are so rare that there are very few studies on them and how to care for them.

It's good that you contacted the Rangers - they specialize in this sort of thing. Maybe the chicks should be brought to the city of Alto Mare, as a Latios and Latias used to guard the city together until Latios sadly passed away. But yea, I'd discuss this with the local Rangers.

I'd love to help more, but I don't think I have anything useful to add, so I'm going to redirect you to my friend @ask-a-pokemon-ranger

Good luck, anon!

[the-trainer-life]

Hey, I... have an awkward question. My family's Buneary passed away two weeks ago. He lived a good life, and we made sure he was comfortable in his last moments. However, I don't think our Shedinja understands. It keeps searching around, leaving the room and coming back, and hovering around where Buneary died. I think it's confused, because it's used to death not being the end. What's the best way to... I dunno, break the news gently?

I'm so sorry for your loss, anon. This kind of stuff is never easy, so give yourself and your Shedinja time. There's no clear-cut cure for grief, and just like humans, each Pokémon will grieve differently. It's just... rough.

A few years back, a very valued member of my team, Flash the Arcanine, passed away after an incident that I am not at liberty to elaborate on. Marble, my Charizard, was absolutely heartbroken and she even stopped eating for a while. I was at a loss, much like you now, but a trusted friend suggested erecting a little shrine in my yard to honor Flash and his bravery. So that's what I did. Marble and I worked together on it which also made it a bonding activity, and it was cathartic, to say the least.

Since Shedinja is indeed a Pokémon that would struggle with understanding the concept of death, perhaps you could try making a shrine with it and explain that Buneary is no longer with you physically, but instead her spirit resides around the shrine.

If Shedinja's grief becomes overwhelming, I suggest seeking out a behavioral expert who specializes in Ghost-types.

I wish you and Shedinja the best, anon. Take care.

[the-trainer-life]

Hey Brent, are you able to Confirm or deny that buizel have the ability to fly by rotating their tails like a certain character in a certain game franchise. I heard of one doing so in a Jubilife City Contest

Yeah it was a hoax, unfortunately. Someone claimed to have filmed it but the footage was tampered with.

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a Buizel should be able to fly.

[the-trainer-life]

Hello bill. I run a Daycare and I was wondering: Is it unusual for young pokemon like Ralts and Riolu to exhibit behavior analogous to thumb-sucking? I've noticed a few under my care suckling on their fingers or paws. is this a behavior to be concerned over, and if so, can it be partially remedied with the use of baby pacifiers? If it's nothing to worry over, is there a logical reason for my charges' behavior?

Hi Anon! (It's Brent, btw, not Bill hahah)

For Riolu, it's not uncommon. Much like with human infants, thumb-sucking releases a hormone in the brain that counteracts cortisol, the stress hormone. It's basically a suckling reflex that some human-like Pokémon display. I'm not sure if the hormones have the same names, because I'm not a biologist, but the concepts are pretty much the same.

It's much less common in Ralts, which aren't mammals and thus don't have a suckling reflex. I think your Ralts are copying the behavior they see in your Riolu, because the Ralts can sense that it has a calming effect.

As for possible negative side-effects, yes, they exist, though this is specifically an issue in Riolu. Riolu start teething very early on. If this behavior persists for too long, you might be looking at Riolu or even Lucario with crooked teeth, making it much more difficult for them to hunt and eat. There's luckily an easy fix to stop your Pokémon's thumbing habits. I usually crush an Aguav berry and drip the juice on the Pokémon's paws. Works like a charm.

Good luck, anon!

[the-trainer-life]

Hey Brent, do you have a Favorite season of Survivor? I watched a couple episodes of Survivor: Alola couldn't really follow it but a lot of my friends love talking about it. most i got was that it involves sticking a group of contestants in some remote part of the world for a Reality competition. I don't even know how Pokemon figure into it.

Oh heck yes, I love Survivor! Unfortunately, I don't get to watch a lot of TV given how busy I am, but my favorite season is Survivor: Hoenn (and yes I am biased as heck because I'm from Hoenn). Basically, sixteen players are split into two "tribes" and forced to live off the land. They're also pit against each other in a variety of challenges until one of them remains. And well, some of the challenges require the contestants to catch Pokémon!

[the-trainer-life]

Hey bill? Recently, 4 of my pokemon have recently developed an interest in each other for mating. the issue? they're 2 sets of twins: a Gardevoir and Gallade, and 2 Lucario. i'm sure you can see my predicament. Do you know of any ways i can mitigate the chances of the Ralts and Riolu born from their unions having debilitating birth defects from Cross egg group breeding, that doesn't involve me breaking up these happy couples? Cont.

Cont. I know Gardevoir were recently discovered to be in the Human-like egg, but I still worry given Lucario have a secondary Field Egg Group and Gardevoir's Amorphous Secondary Grouping. i live a couple regions southwest of Unova and we're starting to reach the Autumn months and it looks like we'll have a pair or even Quartet of Winter Babies. and Yes, the pairings are Fem Lucario/Gallade and Gardevoir/Male Lucario.

Hi anon, that's indeed an interesting question you got there. There's a reason it took researchers decades to label the Gardevoir line as "human-like" in terms of egg group, and I myself am not even 100% sure what my stance on it is. Then again, I'm not a Psychic-type expert. Anyways, my point is that while overlapping egg-groups shouldn't matter too much, Gardevoir's primary egg-group might.

As you might know, amorphous Pokémon are physically quite different from other Pokémon here. We're talking Pokémon that can turn into mist, reshape their physical forms, soft-bodied Pokémon, levitating Pokémon. A union between two Pokémon that are so very different in terms of physical characteristics probably won't mesh together very well when it comes to having eggs. That's not to say it's impossible, it's just unlikely.

If you're insistent on pairing them up, I suggest seeking out breeders that specialize in your Pokémon's respective types. Best of luck!

Ps. The name is Brent!

[the-trainer-life]

hey Brent. I just found something out that feels rather odd. My Gardevoir, Kairi's lately been giving me empathic suggestions that she might be interested in actually becoming my spouse. I'm been hearing a lot of hate speak about pokephiles and how disgusting the idea is, despite also hearing that some of the partnerships are consensual and asexual. me and kairi are retired from battling so that's not an issue, but i still worry, especially with A lumiose city trip in the works. Any advice?

Nope nope nope nope, Anon, this is just not done. You have to set boundaries about this. Kairi and you are entirely different species, you do not speak the same language, you both have different ideas about affection, and the concept of love.

THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND: humans often mistake a Gardevoir's cues for romantic affection, even though - as I said - your two languages cannot even begin to compare! It's obvious that you and Kairi share a strong bond, but don't mistake that affection for anything other than a deep friendship. Gardevoir are among the most empathic and intelligent Pokémon in existence, but that often leads to misinterpretation on their trainer's part.

[the-trainer-life]

Hey Brent, restaurant owner here. some time ago this trainer and his friend came in and the kid's pikachu drank the entire bottle of ketchup at their table. I gotta know, is it safe, or even healthy for a Pikachu to do that? I try to stay up to date on Pokémon Dietary limits. Also, a trainer came in with a kirlia that won't touch anything Sugary and thinks she's diabetic. is it possible? she's a good trainer, but i wanna know for her sake so i can include diabetic friendly options on my menu.

Hi anon, thanks for reaching out!

Ketchup is incredibly high in sugar content and other things that are hard for most Pokémon to digest, and Pikachu is no exception. Luckily, this isn't one of the foods that can and will kill a Pikachu (Do Not Feed A Pokémon Chocolate Oh Sweet Arceus Do Not), but it certainly isn't healthy either.

Which brings me to my next topic: diabetes. It actually is a rising problem among pet Pokémon, especially those who get little exercise. Overfeeding, feeding the wrong kinds of kibble, and frequent snacks are all contributing factors to this. Snacks tend to be high in sugars and low in nutritional value, meaning that they should only be given in moderation.

If you want to treat your Pokémon, you should lean towards natural snacks, like berries. They're free to pick from berry bushes (ALWAYS make sure you know what you're picking beforehand, oran is a safe bet), easy to come by, and very high in vitamins.

If you'd like to offer diabetic-friendly menu items, there are certainly ways to do that (and it's much better for your customers in the long run). As I said, berries are your best friend. Check with the Trainer beforehand to make sure what flavors the Pokémon likes, and go to town! I heard that Pokémon cafes in Lumiose, Kalos offer sugar free berry tarts, you should check those out!

Best of luck, anon! Happy cooking!