ask-professor-laurel

[ask-professor-laurel]

As a fellow researcher, I work LOVE to hear more about your Pokémon research!

Oh gosh that's a broad topic- anything in particular you're interested in? I'm... quite the well of information, haha.

Here's a list of some fun facts, in the meantime, since I think this message is very sweet :)

Honchkrows mate for life, and celebrate anniversaries. They often bring each other the shiniest objects they can find on their anniversaries

A herd of variant Torterra has been discovered in the Unovan deserts. They grow cacti on their back, can go months at a time without water, and often carry Trapinches on their backs. There is speculation they may be Grass/Fire Type due to being able to use Flamethrower

Wild Dubwool often bring their young to herders near to them in order to get themselves and their young sheared when they need it. Established herders who have been around for years have been attending to the same flocks for generations! It's quite sweet

Machops often hold hands with their parents when they're young. A Machop raised by a trainer may hold onto this habit even as a Machamp and it's surprisingly adorable

Shivers, our resident Gengar, has decided to make Ice Beam everybody's personal problem. This is a fun fact only when I'm not the one slipping on the ice and going careening down the hall at mach 5. She got a friend of mine, Ace, yesterday and I nearly laughed myself to tears

Duraludons are not naturally very affectionate, so a Duraludon showing affection to you means they trust you implicitly and are mirroring the affection you show. They may accidentally pop a few things inside of you when they try to hug you, they're not quite aware of their own strength, but they're trying their best. They will also throw you in the air if they watched your aunt do that all the time when you were 5 years old. Definitely not speaking from experience there

Not a lot of research there, but feel free to ask me about anything, I'm happy to ramble on for ages about all things Pokemon!

[ask-professor-laurel]

I see! Well, we accommodate for different Pokemon in every way that we can.

To avoid going on a novel-length ramble, I'll keep this to the facility I work at, Shiverwood. To begin with, we have different areas for different Pokemon depending on both species and tolerance level. Our site is limited to forest, mountain, cave, and lake habitats, so any, say, ocean Pokemon or desert Pokemon get transferred to a more suitable site. Then there's the tolerance levels- Pokemon that don't mind some interaction with both people and Pokemon can wander freely, while Pokemon that are more aggressive and who cannot tolerate these interactions are kept away from the general population. Their needs are still met, of course, but we limit their interactions to what is necessary to both avoid incident, and respect their boundaries while we work with them.

In terms of architecture, everything from doorways to ceilings were designed with large Pokemon and flying Pokemon in mind. There are several accessible elevators, as well as ramps, available for Pokemon who cannot use stairs. Everything here was designed with Pokemon accessibility in mind, so that they can move freely on their own, or with trainers. But, there are also failsafes in the event of a rampaging Pokemon either breaking out of a secure area, or breaking in coming from the wild. This hasn't happened more than a few times, thankfully.

We have designated medical services for Pokemon with Pokemon care experts, as well as behavioural experts for mental health needs. We regularly implement sensitivity training that all staff must complete- this improves any biases we might have, as well as being educational for anything we might not know about a specific type or species. We most often implement these on more stereotypically aggressive species- our latest was on Gyarados, as an example. It's important, in our field, to unlearn our biases and prejudices and approach everything with as open a mind as possible.

We also have Pokemon workers where possible. We have several employed Pokemon in our security detail, as well as emotional support Pokemon working with our behaviouralists, and nurse Pokemon working with medical staff. We often employ Corviknight taxis for quick and easy transport of people, and other ride Pokemon from all around the region. Since Pokemon don't usually have a need for our currency, all contracts are negotiated with them on a case by case basis. We have a Machamp on security we pay in currency, he prefers to purchase his own gear, while we have an emotional support Persian who we pay in his favourite berries!

We revolve a lot around being accessible to Pokemon. When I was looking for a place of my own, I knew I would need something with a lot of space, because of Cloudhopper- my Dragonite. I would also need a lot of outdoor space for Sweetbug, my Vespiquen, and a lot of sun for Honeybite, my Appletun. Shiverwood was built to be a place for both people and Pokemon of all walks of life, of all shapes and sizes.

That's typically the standard here, I'd say! Places that aren't accessible to all kinds of Pokemon tend to not last very long, and are generally frowned upon by most folks. This got away from me a bit still, but I hope it was helpful!

(@ask-professor-cedar-pmd) Thievul: Greetings. I am a Thievul from another world, and I have been highly curious of your kind and world for quite some time. Might I ask, what kinds of technologies do you have for Pokemon in your world?

...You know, I've seen stranger things than a Thievul able to use a computer.

Aha, anyways. Hello there! I suppose being from another world shouldn't be so surprising- what, with those Ultra Beasts that brought up a ton of fanfare in Alola a while back. Though I can't say I've met a Pokemon who is also a professor! Intriguing.

That's a pretty broad question! What kind of technologies are you meaning? We have everything from devices Pokemon can use to communicate, to prosthetics, to transportation built specifically with Pokemon in mind. Not to mention technology to assist with battling, to connect Pokemon's power to their trainer, technology specifically designed to help Pokemon with certain jobs that require a boost. Really, you name it, we've got it as far as I know.

Did you have something specific in mind? If you're looking for a specific kind of technology, I'd be happy to rattle on about what we have available :)

[ask-professor-laurel]

Professor what should I do about my yamask it's crying alot I went to a pokemon therapist and she says go to you if you don't mind of helping me I'm worried about my buddy

Hm, interesting that I was recommended to you. But! Let's see what we can do here.

So, the first thing to figure out is why is your Yamask crying so much. Yamasks are a very emotional species on average, they tend to feel things in a big way, and so they tend to cry more often than most. Yamasks will often cry with any emotion- sadness, anger, frustration, joy, etc. So, a Yamask crying is not in and of itself a concern, but if this is occurring constantly, then something may be distressing the poor fellow.

The best thing to do in these cases is to find a way to communicate directly with your Pokemon. This can be as simple as asking about different feelings, asking if something is setting them off, and trying to find the source. If you're having a difficult time talking to them one on one, you can make good use of an in-between or a translator. Since I was recommended to you, I assume you're nearby Shiverwood, or at least near Ballonlea- if that's the case, you're more than welcome to come on by and use our services. We have a couple Porygons, but the best course here might be our resident Alakazam.

Once you figure out the source of Yamask's crying, go from there! The hard part is narrowing it down- once that's taken care of, finding the solution is much, much easier. Maybe it needs some more attention, a change in routine, or maybe it just doesn't like the food! This could be an emotional regulation issue as well- if that's the case, we'd be more than happy to help you out and set you up with someone who can help you and Yamask work through these issues.

Please, do feel free to come by and I can help you out personally. I'm more than happy to help get to the root of all the crying and see what we can come up with as a solution :)

[ask-professor-laurel]

(@ask-professor-cedar-pmd) Thievul: Greetings. I am a Thievul from another world, and I have been highly curious of your kind and world for quite some time. Might I ask, what kinds of technologies do you have for Pokemon in your world?

...You know, I've seen stranger things than a Thievul able to use a computer.

Aha, anyways. Hello there! I suppose being from another world shouldn't be so surprising- what, with those Ultra Beasts that brought up a ton of fanfare in Alola a while back. Though I can't say I've met a Pokemon who is also a professor! Intriguing.

That's a pretty broad question! What kind of technologies are you meaning? We have everything from devices Pokemon can use to communicate, to prosthetics, to transportation built specifically with Pokemon in mind. Not to mention technology to assist with battling, to connect Pokemon's power to their trainer, technology specifically designed to help Pokemon with certain jobs that require a boost. Really, you name it, we've got it as far as I know.

Did you have something specific in mind? If you're looking for a specific kind of technology, I'd be happy to rattle on about what we have available :)

[ask-professor-laurel]

Hello professor I need help with something I found this In sinnoh well I wonder what does this mean

The story where I found these things is I was spear pillar my team and I have been researching and discovering hidden truths about the pokemon until we found the flute and this unown text so I need help with my research please maybe this can be the key to know every pokemon besides the word I keep finding is arcues if you know what it means or if it's a pokemon please write me back

From

Professor hunter of the sinnnoh region history society and studies institute

Ps. Come visit sinnoh anytime

Hm... I haven't studied Unown runes in quite a while, forgive me, but I'll give this my best shot!

"These legands (legends?) protect Sinnoh (I believe that's Sinnoh, based on location of discovery) know as the legendary Pokemon (this may be Arceus, but I'm unsure) with (that Pokemon name again) as the (???) of the new world the (flute? maybe? this one's evading me) (perhaps that object there?) one pure of heart shall meet him"

As I said, I'm afraid I'm quite rusty with Unown runes, so take that translation with a grain of salt. I haven't had to translate anything since a trip with my aunt to some ruins in Unova. I'm inclined to agree this could be about Arceus, but with how little we know about them, it's hard to say.

If it is about Arceus- I recommend staying away. We know extremely little about them, and if they do actually exist, they haven't been spotted in centuries. Anything with that much power that has decided to hide away should be left alone, in my opinion. I would advise against trying to find Arceus for your own safety.

As for that object, my best guess is it might be some sort of instrument? I've never seen anything like it- human artifacts aren't my forte and I'm no historian. It reminds me of some old drawings I saw once when I was researching my Hisuian ancestor, but there wasn't really any information on what it was. That's lost to time, or maybe destroyed, if it had anything to do with Arceus.

Take care in this endeavour of yours! I'd recommend seeking out a Johtonian researcher who knows Unown runes- that's their native region, after all. I'm afraid I can't be too much help with that.

[ask-professor-laurel]

Have you ever had a pokemon use helping hand on you and for what ?

Yes, actually! This was a few years back- a while, actually, I didn't have the facility yet. I was in Almia, working with some Rangers. The region was recovering from a pretty intense attempt on controlling Pokemon- some... ridiculous team, I don't remember their name, but they were bad news. I got called down to help with some relief efforts- calming down Pokemon, relocating, that sort of thing. Not my usual kind of work, but I can do it in a pinch. Plus I had staff with me for backup.

There was a particular Ranger I was working with- Auburn was her name, I believe, I understand that she's one of the Top Rangers of the region, was heavily involved with the whole ordeal. Lovely girl, her partner was a Galarian Rapidash, actually. Anyways, I'm getting off topic.

We'd stumbled across some straggling team members who still had their mind control tech. We weren't even looking for them- we were cleaning up some heavily damaged forest and helping the injured Pokemon with the help of some Auburn had captured and then these guys ambushed us out of nowhere. One of Auburn's Pokemon- a Clefairy? Maybe? Forgive me, it's been a few years, anyways whatever it was used Helping Hand and I don't think it was intending to target me but it did and I, ah. Well.

Listen, I'm no stranger to violence. And I won't hesitate to throw a punch. Which I didn't- I was going for one of the guys anyways, then I got hit with the Helping Hand, and I... may have punched the guy so hard he flew back about 10 feet. Not something I would usually be capable of- not even close- but that power up you get is no joke. The rest of them were taken care of by Auburn's Rapidash- they didn't want to put up much of a fight, if I'm being honest.

Would I do it again? Maybe after some endurance training. It's a great power boost, sure, but the drawback is that I'm not a Pokemon who's built for battle, and I broke a couple knuckles with that hit. Probably lucky I didn't break my hand. It's why I don't encourage people to let their Pokemon power them up unless they have the endurance to do so and they've prepared for it- getting a power boost is nice and theory, but our bodies often aren't meant to handle that kind of strength, and it can cause some serious damage.

That said, with the proper training and preparation? 100% would do it again. Not even just for a fight- it'd be nice if I had, like, the means to lift a tree off of a trapped Pokemon, or dig someone out of rubble. Granted, it'd also be nice to punch a poacher clear across a room! I'm not immune to a satisfying punch. I like to try and solve things with words first, but sometimes people only listen to actions.

[ask-professor-laurel]

Hello! It’s been a while! So sorry!

I’m not dead! I just had a super intense last few weeks of semester- it all went well, but I was extremely busy and about the most stressed I’ve ever been in my life, so the energy for this blog was just Not There. I needed to take some additional time after semester ended to just breathe, and settle into a fancy new summer job, but now that I’m more settled, my energy levels are back up!

I apologize if I’ve ever worried anyone! I’ll be able to be more active now- but I still can’t promise I’ll be able to update if I need to vanish for a bit. I’m hoping I won’t be yanked away again anytime soon, but if I vanish, I’m probably fine and just really busy. 

Feel free to flood my inbox! I’ll be checking this blog again, so send me all your asks about both Pokemon and this silly fruity professor of mine. I’d love to answer them!

[ask-professor-laurel]

are you and prof peach related at all? just asking cause you guys have a similar look

Haha I've had people ask me that at conferences a few time. No, no relation there. All the respect in the world for her, Professor Peach is fantastic at what she does and I'm no stranger to shooting her the occasional message about Grass Types when we get new ones sent to us or if I need to transfer any in a pinch, but we're not related.

It's the hair, right? Yeah, mine is dyed. My natural hair colour is black. I keep on top of my hair and watch it like a Staraptor, so it gets touched up regularly. My aunt's been dyeing it since I was a kid, I always wanted it to look just like hers, cause it's her natural hair colour. And, as far as I know, she's not related to Professor Peach in anyway. She's mentioned being to Dōtaku and bringing her Dragons along to tussle, but that's about it.

(OOC: I personally LOVE pink so when making my extremely self-indulgent boy here I decided to give him pink hair.)

[ask-professor-laurel]

I have to know- how did you and Leon meet?

I wondered if someone would ever ask. Alright, for this one we have to go quite a ways back.

So, as I've said before, I started out as a Pokemon trainer. With Cloudhopper the Dratini by my side, I set out to take on the Gym Challenge here in Galar. I had all the confidence in the world, as children often do, so I headed straight for Motostoke City. And, well, I've always been the curious sort, so when I saw I could get off the train early and go explore the Wild Area that leads to the city... I mean, did any of you expect I wouldn't jump at the chance?

I was making my way through, battling with Cloudhopper, chatting with other trainers and having a grand old time seeing all the different wild Pokemon. It was starting to get late, which was of no concern to me, I had the camping gear and I was a few days early anyways. All would've been well if not for the Pangoro we encountered- or, well, Cloudhopper encountered. She'd wandered away while I was looking for a good spot to set up camp in, and I don't know what she did, but she came flying out of the trees with a very angry Pangoro chasing her. I didn't stop to ask questions, I just picked her up and bolted.

Well, I've been a klutz since birth, I'm pretty sure, so after a good bit of running without looking where I was really going, we went and fell right down a hill. And I'm lying there with my Dratini, and I do remember thinking that it was going to be really embarrassing to die to a Pangoro before I even got to try the Gym Challenge, when out of nowhere comes this Charmander spitting fire. Next thing I know someone's hauling me up by the arm and telling me to run. And I really wasn't gonna say no at that moment, so I did.

We ran together. And I'd love to tell you we escaped unscathed, but we were a couple of kids and that was a mature Pangoro. We stood our ground and tried to fight with our Pokemon, got thoroughly beaten, but it was at least satisfied with roughing us up a bit and lumbered off. It was only then, lying on the ground and trying to catch my breath, that my rescuer finally introduced himself. Told me his name was Leon, asked me if I was alright, and when I said I was he told me he had a great time battling alongside me.

We patched each other's wounds up, and then did the same for our Pokemon. We made camp together, cooked up something that passed for food for a couple of kids and their Pokemon, and spent the rest of the evening talking and talking until it was so late we were both barely keeping awake. And right before we fell asleep he asked me if I'd take him to Motostoke in the morning, cause he'd been hopelessly lost wandering in circles all day, and I agreed.

And, well, the rest is history. Not much has changed since then. He still gets hopelessly lost even in Postwick and needs me to bring him places, and I still get myself into way too much trouble with wild Pokemon and need him to bail me out. But after spending almost half my life growing up with him, I can confidently say I wouldn't trade it for the world.

[ask-professor-laurel]

Have you ever met/do you know of the Subway Masters in Unova?

Yes, actually! Whenever I'm in Unova I try to stop by and shake off the rust by taking on the Battle Subway. It's a lot of fun, it's a great opportunity to go all out, and Emmet and Ingo are always good for a battle and a chat. I haven't been by in a while, my last trip didn't afford me the time to go see them, but hopefully next time!

My aunt knows them both quite well, actually. She LOVES hopping on the subway and reigning terror on everybody who challenges her. She's a regular menace- said affectionately- and apparently the three get along great.

Now I've got the battle itch- maybe I should go see if anybody wants to join me in the training grounds.

[ask-professor-laurel]

What's up with the Shaymin in the banner? You've mentioned avoiding mythicals and legendaries, so I'm just curious.

I'm gonna answer this one out of character just cause Arthur wouldn't answer it but it's fun lore.

Long story short, Arthur has a Shaymin. His name is Pecha, and there are VERY few people who know about Pecha. Not even everyone at Shiverwood knows about him.

Arthur met Pecha in that Team Rocket incident- found him in a cage, freaked out once he realized why the Rockets were so desperate to defend this haul, and did his best to rescue him. He only got so injured by the Nidoking because he was protecting Pecha- which, he would've done that for any Pokemon, that's just how he is. Anyways, Arthur tried to release Pecha safely back into the wild, but Pecha wouldn't go. Absolutely refused to leave him. So, Arthur decided to keep him around.

As far as a lot of the facility knows, Pecha is a Shaymin that frequents the forest. The Pokeball Arthur has for him is unregistered, Pecha is not registered anywhere, and Arthur guards that Pokeball like his life depends on it whenever Pecha is in it. It's kept on his person at all times and while he'll bring Pecha with him when he travels to Sinnoh and Unova, when he travels elsewhere he tends to leave Pecha with Leon or with Sonia and Hop.

Arthur keeps Pecha a secret both to keep Pecha safe, and to keep Shiverwood safe. They deal with enough poaching attempts as is, if it got out that there was a Shaymin being kept there, who knows who else would try to get their hands on him. The staff understand not to talk about the supposedly wild Shaymin who hangs out around the site for the same reason.

He's a very well kept secret! Pecha's been with Arthur for a few years now and they haven't run into any problems. Arthur will also, famously, die on the hill that Shaymins shouldn't count as mythicals and that they've been mislabelled. That has nothing to do with him having Pecha- he's always thought that, and it's about the only reason he didn't try harder to release Pecha back to the wild. If it had been, say, something like Jirachi? He wouldn't have it.

[ask-professor-laurel]

It has been a while, so I thought I'd update you on the impidimp with horns that I had found. I've captured him to observe him and he isn't like any impidimp I've seen before. He has no want for causing mischief and is very lazy, however he's also very easily emotional, more like a lazy raltz than an impidimp. The horns are still confusing to me. They're not much of horns and are actually a little fleshy, like a stantlers horns before they shed. He's very sensitive about them, too. The more I learn about this little guy, the less I understand him.

...Hm. Bear with me on this one here, I'm looking into the genetic possibilities that might explain how he got those horns. I'm not exactly an expert in Pokemon genetics, so I invite anyone who is to hop on and offer up some advice should they have any, but for now my knowledge can at least be passable.

The way I'm seeing it, I think your little Impidimp must be a hybrid of sorts. Not uncommon, really, plenty of Pokemon are compatible with plenty of Pokemon that aren't their species. The main problem I'm running into with trying to find a narrow list of possible parents is that there are quite a few options with horns or horn-like growths. I'll try and list a few that make sense...

- Lucario, might not seem like it because of the laziness mentioned, but might explain the sensitivity

- Clefable, could explain the laziness, they aren't exactly a lazy species but they're not incredibly active

- Indeedee, with their horns and their habitats overlapping, seems like a fairly easy to make assumption

I would recommend seeking out someone who can track genetics if you really want to know what your Impidimp is mixed with. It would probably be helpful in his care as he grows up, especially since he already displays different traits than are typical of his species. Those are the three best options I could come up with, but it's also possible that it's something else entirely, or that he just has a strange mutation. I'm not an expert in genetics, so this is literally coming from a textbook I have open in front of me right now that I unburied from a pile of things I haven't used in years, so please take this with a good pinch of salt.

[ask-professor-laurel]

Hi Professor! It's me, with the Riolu partner who loves plants! I took your advice and we have some lovely news! First! Gold is absolutely flourishing. Their favorite part of the day is watering and taking care of their plants. I communicated that sometimes plants like it when we talk to them, and now Gold "talks" with them every time they see them. Speaking of plants! I took Gold on a little nature adventure and they loved it. They climbed on everything, stopped at every flower to say hi, it was going great! I knelt down for a moment to dig out lunch, and Gold was gone. Of course I panicked and freaked out, which Gold picked up on and came back. Turns out, they found a flower they wanted me to see, but I didn't hear them. Turns out!! It was a Bellossom! Gold wasn't happy they didn't want to come home with us, but Gold let them be. We didn't go home without a friend, though. On our way back, Gold got upset and pulled me to the side, leading me to an injured Bulbasaur. And. Well. One thing led to another. And she kept coming back to the door, so... Now Azalea the Bulbasaur lives with us! Let's hope this isn't a pattern.

That's fantastic news! I'm so happy Gold is enjoying getting his little paws all over gardening- it's such a rewarding hobby, I spend a lot of time in our greenhouses helping out with the plants myself, so it always delights me when others get into it. I love that he talks to them, that is so beyond adorable I have the biggest grin on my face.

Congratulations on your new addition! What a good thing it was, that you happened upon that poor Bulbasaur. Azalea is a wonderful name for her, and she'll be a great help with your gardening! You'll get some fun plants out of her when she starts releasing seeds, it's always a mixed bag of what you'll get.

[ask-professor-laurel]

say prof, what are your theories on the alpha Pokemon from Hisui? they seem pretty similar to Totem Pokemon in Alola from what I can tell- but I'm no expert

Good question! Alpha Pokemon are such a recent discovery that there are theories flying around everywhere at the moment, but I'll do my best to explain the one I'm leaning into.

So, firstly, your own observation that they're similar to Totem Pokemon is correct. Both are notably larger than their species should be able to grow, as well as being quite a bit stronger. Though I don't think they served the same function. I'll explain that;

Totem Pokemon in Alola and greatly respected. They're often left small offerings, and they have a friendly relationship with the locals. Hence why the Totem Pokemon serve in the trials trainers go through, similar to our own Gym Challenge here in Galar. It's a relationship of mutual respect, with the Totem Pokemon being greatly cared for and loved by the communities they live in and around, and offering their services. They also protect the Pokemon they live with, standing out as leaders due to their size and strength, and watching over large units of Pokemon in their areas. I would say that in this respect, Totem Pokemon are very similar to the ancient Noble Pokemon, who were also larger and stronger, and were worshipped by the locals.

I think Alpha Pokemon came about because they were necessary. As strange as it is for us to think about these days, back in ancient Hisui, people and Pokemon weren't friends. Now, we have the recountings and the journals and all the evidence that shows people lived in fear of Pokemon, but we don't get the other side of that story. Pokemon lived in fear of people, they were just as scared as the people were, if not more! Pokemon did hurt people, yes, but people also hurt Pokemon, killed Pokemon, stole away their young and whisked them away. So, when people adapted, so did the Pokemon. I think Alphas came about because the Pokemon were trying to protect themselves and their families from people. This would explain why Alpha Pokemon were reportedly much more aggressive than regular Pokemon, as well as explaining why they were so much bigger and stronger.

I don't mean to paint a terrible image of the past. Everyone was acting to protect themselves and their loved ones, people and Pokemon alike. But while humans could make, say, houses and towns and protection, armour and weapons, vehicles, Pokemon can't do that. All they could do was get stronger, and so they did just that.

We don't see Alpha Pokemon anymore, and I think that's because they're not needed anymore. Sure, there's still people in the world who go out of their way to hurt Pokemon, but there's a lot more people looking out to help Pokemon. Pokemon can rely on their own strength, and on us, to help them when they need it.

I have to say I'm glad that Alpha Pokemon aren't around anymore. For one thing, it's wonderful that Pokemon no longer feel the need to defend themselves so fiercely that they evolve to be angry and strong. But for another... the idea of an Alpha Corviknight is absolutely terrifying. I love Corviknights, don't get me wrong, but the idea of one of those being even bigger, even stronger, and actively hunting you? No thank you!

[ask-professor-laurel]

thank you for the help with my sableye, i showed him what you said and he spent the rest of the day rubbing his feet on my carpet and then poking me.

Of course!! Always happy to help out :)

[ask-professor-laurel]

Hello! I am Professor Dracaena I specialize in dragon types and am head at aAshbirn dragon type sanctuary.

It seem we share having a Dragonite as our first Pokémon, though mine was obtained less conventionally, what specific challenges would oh say you faced starting with a dragon?

Hello! Haha yes, I got Cloudhopper by very conventional means. But there were... definitely a lot of challenges.

For anybody who doesn't know, I received Cloudhopper as a Dratini from my aunt, when she found out I wanted to set out as a trainer. Cloudhopper and I have been inseparable ever since. But, there were lots of challenges! I was a kid, she was a young dragon, there were bound to be hiccups.

The first big thing was diet. Dratinies are just as carnivorous as Dragonites. So, I was having to handle meat products and actively prevent her from hunting while we were travelling Galar. A fun fact about me is I'm a vegetarian, have been since I was a kid, so handling meat was... very much not something I was prepared for. It was an adjustment, but I knew that if I couldn't handle Cloudhopper's diet I would have to give her up, which I didn't want to do. So, I powered through.

Shedding was a lot. Dratinies and Dragonairs shed... so much. It took a while for me to get used to having to clean up shed and help her with tough spots. It took even longer for me to get used to her eating it! Shed has a lot of nutrients, so it's a perfectly healthy boost, but for a kid? Horrifying. I used to always cover my eyes when she was done shedding so I wouldn't have to watch her eat it. These days I don't mind it at all.

Activity was never a big issue, she got lots of exercise and I've never really kept her in her Pokeball that much. Lots of battling, lots of playing, lots of moving around. It did take a while for us to adjust once she was fully evolved, I'll say. Flight was very new, took her a good while to get the hang of those new wings, but with my aunt's help she got there! Now she's a fully licensed ride Pokemon and we fly often.

Honestly, the biggest challenges presented themselves when she evolved into a Dragonite. Suddenly she had to eat a lot more, her hunting instincts were a lot more intense, the exercise she needed jumped way up. I was lucky- I was prepared for that, and I had someone I could easily contact to help when needed, and I think that's why things didn't go horrifically wrong. The instincts took a lot of getting used to- I've always been a trouble magnet, you can ask anyone who knows me, and Cloudhopper suddenly had the mass and strength where she could be as fiercely protective as she felt. We had lots of conversations about how she couldn't just... blindly attack anything she thought might hurt me, basically. We worked on redirecting that so that now, if she thinks something might hurt me, she instead just grabs me and basically holds onto me until she thinks the danger has passed. Which can be quite funny- she's twitchy, and has on multiple occasions scooped me up and stared down a Paras that happened to pop out of a bush and startle her.

But, hey, she's my partner and my best friend, and all those challenges just brought us closer together. She's actually having a shed right now as I type this, she's currently lumbering around my office gathering up what's already come off so that she can keep it all in one place and have herself a snack later.

Thanks for the message! Dragonites are incredible Pokemon, and I wouldn't trade Cloudhopper for the world :)

[ask-professor-laurel]

Hello! This is Maya again.

So, in regards to finding a new Pokémon companion to help me at the daycare, I looked over what you had mentioned about the different potential Pokémon who might be able to help me out. I ended up taking the information to my mother, seeing as she knows almost everyone in town and would be able to point me in the right direction - which turned out to be to the local Pokémon centre.

Apparently they had some eggs and young Pokémon that were seized from irresponsible breeders that still needed homes to go to - seeing as they needed to monitor their health and make sure there won't be any complications as they grow. The Pokécentre staff were very helpful, and made sure I understood how to properly care for and measure the growth of the Pokémon before I even got a chance to meet the little ones.

I wouldn't want to bother you with too many more unnecessary details, but I ended up encountering a young shroomish that was under the Pokémon centres care. She's an absolute sweetheart, and she seems to be a very bouncy and happy little Pokémon behind her grumpy-looking face. Chances are that I'll be able to bring her home once I finishe making sure I have the correct requirements set up so that she can have her own areas both indoors and outdoors so she can thrive properly in th new environment.

It'll take a fair amount of time and effort to support her growth and development, as well as train her when she's grown a bit, but I believe that with the rangers arriving soon, I'll be able to take my time with her and make sure that she grows up healthy.

(I have known her for less than a day but I'm emotionally attached already)

Well, I'm sorry to hear the eggs and youngsters were seized, but I'm glad this at least afforded you the opportunity to meet up with a new friend! Shroomishes are a favourite of mine, we have some here on our security detail, as well as Brelooms. Fantastic species with cute grumpy faces.

I'm glad to hear this is all working out! And I feel ya- it's so easy to get attached, right? I'm the same way, even with Pokemon that aren't my own around here, I'm emotionally attached to all of them.

Wishing you and Shroomish all the best! Feel free to keep me as updated as you like :)