#q-ranium

[professor-vanad]

bro,,, dude,,,, how do i stop my porygon from messing with my computer. this little goblin keeps worming their way in and removes all my spotify playlists. please this is urgent

When they take up residence in a computer, Porygon are wont to do a little maintenance. Though I think most would be considerate enough to avoid deleting anything on a computer that isn’t theirs, it’s not exactly something that’s programmed in. They might be mistaking your playlists for clutter or malware. Maybe they just aren’t familiar with the app and see the space it’s taking up as a drain on your computer’s performance. In that case, I wouldn’t take it too personally. Talking to Porygon is your best bet to finding out what going on.

That being said, if this is a repeat problem, it is unusual that they wouldn’t just tell you outright. If they are perceiving your playlists as an issue that keeps coming back, most Porygon would at the very least alert you to it. This makes me think that it could be completely accidental on their part – as in they don’t even realise they’re doing it. This is, again, very likely if Porygon isn’t too familiar with Spotify.

There is one thing that strikes me from the phrasing of your question though. If Porygon is “worming their way in” that says to me that you are actively trying to keep them out of your computer. If that is the case and there are no other computers or similar devices in your home, I would not rule out the possibility that Porygon is upset with you. And rightfully so.

This is just in Porygon's nature. Lots of us, human and pokémon alike, need a personal space for comfort and calm and most Porygon use cyberspace for that exact purpose. It is extremely rare for a Porygon to not make frequent trips into cyberspace (my own Porygon is one of those rare cases and even she expresses a desire to.) Moving into cyberspace is simply what Porygon do. It is what they were designed for. While not physically harmful on it’s own, denying them this can will make it more difficult for them to run self-diagnostic scans. It can also be very damaging for their mental health and wellbeing, which could be why Porygon’s actions are reading as passive-aggressive and uncommunicative to you.

In this case, you need to open up communication and work out a compromise with Porygon. Sharing a computer isn’t hard. You can set clear boundaries, lock folders and implement passwords if you need to - though I’ve never known a Porygon to be so intrusive as to need those measures.

If you, for whatever reason, cannot share your computer (I know some people have very strict privacy requirements for their jobs for which a Porygon presence would be illegal or dangerous) you have to provide another device for them. Another computer, smartphone, tablet or laptop would be ideal. This is non-negotiable. Porygon need that cyberspace access. If funds are tight for you, taking them to an internet café for a few hours a day is also an option (just make sure you tell the clerk what you’re doing.) If neither of those are an option, you may need to reconsider whether or not Porygon is the right Pokémon for you.

Also, in the case of the latter issue, accept that you might have a lot of work to do to repair your relationship with Porygon. Open communication, apologies and compassion are going to be very important for both of you going forward. It’s not impossible to salvage, but it may take time.

Best of luck to both of you! And thank you for the question!

[professor-vanad]

Hello Professor! I'm Sky, a pokemon breeder in the Hoenn region. Thanks for running such a helpful blog!

I'm wondering what are common illnesses/injuries for Castform and their signs? We get occasional Castform at the Sanctuary and I want to provide them any care they might need.

Hey there Professor! Glad you’re enjoying my blog. And thank you for asking about Castform! They are such a fascinating case in artificial Pokémon studies, so I love talking about them.

Castform have a lot in common with aerosols - solid/liquid particles suspended in air - like mist or clouds. They are mostly water and, like water, they change according to the environment they are in, specifically the temperature, which causes them to change forms. Each form has different typing and a handful of its own needs. That said, they’re pretty low maintenance overall so regardless of form, you shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping them happy and healthy.

Castform lose water as they go about their day-to-day and resulting dehydration can cause them all sorts of problems. The Rainy Form in particular, can become ill if the water in their bodies is left to stagnate. In our terms, this will look like fatigue, sluggishness and/or some mild dizziness. Giving them a regular supply of fresh water will solve this easily. Flowing water is ideal but as long as it’s regularly replaced there should be no problems. If you have one of those fountains they make for cat Pokémon, those work really well here. The Rainy Form struggles with this the most so do let them out into the rain if you can (or failing that, letting them sit in a running shower for a few minutes will help)

The other major consideration would be regular outdoor time - a high-up spot where they can observe and enjoy the weather is all they need, really. They can get a little glum if stuck indoors too long.

The major thing you should look out for with a Castform is “fronting” or “drylining”. Fronting is what we call it when, due to weather conditions, a Castform ends up stuck between two forms. This has been known to happen, funnily enough, during weather fronts, where two types of weather meet each other. It has also happened in very humid conditions where Castform can wind up in both Sunny and Rainy form at the same time. This is rarely if ever dangerous, but it can be uncomfortable for the Castform and cause them a bit of panic.

The best thing to do here is to let them find a patch of more stable weather. They can do this well on their own but should be supervised in case they need to go far afield. Once they settle into a single Form they may want to stay out and follow that particular patch for a bit while the rest of the weather smooths out.

On a similar note, the existence of fronting has led some scientists to speculate as to whether or not Castform could have a “Storm Form”. As weather fronts are usually the points where lightning storms start to brew. There’s no evidence out there yet, but it’s certainly interesting to think about.

In any case, I hope you feel better equipped to look after Castform now. They are very gentle and sweet Pokémon so I’m sure you’ll have a great time with any that come your way.

Thanks for the ask.

[professor-vanad]

Hi! We got a Bronzong come in with a large crack in one of their arms, and we here are hoping you can help. Is it possible to mend the large crack and if so, how? We want to avoid welding as much as possible as they're skittish around fire types and even open flame makes them uneasy. Any help will be great. I'd ask the boss lady, but she's currently out helping with relaying a pokemon through the area. Thanks for your time! -Aeros Ignus

Hi there!

Cracks and fractures aren't uncommon in Steel-types. I reckon they make up about half of the problems that get sent my way. In a lot of cases, they are usually the result of some underlying issue, rather than just being a problem in of itself.

In a copper heavy metal (such as bronze) the cause is likely season cracking. This happens when copper is exposed to ammonia and produces cupromonium ions. These are water-soluble and will wash out of the affected area, weakening the metal and making it more likely to crack under stress. Your best bet at preventing further damage is through reducing exposure. Ammonia is found in a lot of fertilisers and even in some industrial cleaners, so exposure can happen pretty easily, especially if this guy has been living near farmland.

As for the damage itself, there are a few options! Unsurprisingly, steel-type pokémon can't always be heat-treated safely - it's usually something we use only on pokémon with steel parts or plating (think Aron and Mawile). For small cracks, there are lots of specialised epoxies that can aid natural healing available to buy. They work by essentially creating a scab over the crack which should prevent further damage and give the injury time to sort itself out. Then it’s just a matter of plenty of rest – if they’re a battle Pokémon, I’d recommend keeping them on the bench until they’re all healed up.

Larger or deeper cracks like you’ve described will require cold stitches to fix. Cold stitching involves drilling rows of holes across the crack at various points, joining them and then forging a “stitch” to fill each row of holes. Like so:

Just like the stitches we’d get for a big injury, these stitches will hold everything together until Bronzong’s natural healing can do the rest. It will also quicken recovery, as the amount of metal Bronzong will need to produce to fill in the gaps will be significantly reduced.

Also yes, I am aware of how it sounds. I won’t lie, cold stitching is a long, involved process and the recovery can be uncomfortable. Depending on the size and depth of the crack, it can take upwards of around six weeks to recover completely, during which they really should avoid putting any weight or stress on the affected area. While not always a painful procedure, a more severe crack may require sedation, which is another thing to keep in mind.

On the plus side, we’ve been using cold stitching for hundreds of years and it is a very reliable method of repair. It will also be nearly invisible once it’s healed, as the stitches aren’t going to be removed afterwards – though some excess will have to be filed down.

It’ll take some time but Bronzong are fairly hardy and they’ll be back to their usual self in no time. Thanks for the question!

[professor-vanad]

Hello! It’s Blue Oak again! I’m kinda curious since you live in Motostoke. Have you ever been to one of the dynamax/gigantimax battles in person? I’ve had some videos sent to me by Raihan and they look just as hectic from the field as they do from the stands.

Do you so happen to know the safety measures they’ve got in place seeing as they have moves that quite literally tear the ground apart? I was planning on asking Leon when Red and I head to Galar but my curiosity got the better of me

—

Also! Because neither Red or I specialize in non-organic Pokémon, I’ve actually handed them over to a friend who knows a bit more about the Magnemite line since they’ve cared for one and experienced a few similar cases. I’ll try to keep you updated on the situation

Hello again!

Yes I have. Though probably not as many as you’d think. I live in Motostoke now but most of my time in Galar was spent living in Spikemuth, which has no active Dynamax spots. Though I’m not an official battler and never undertook the Galar League Challenge, I have participated in a few in Dynamax battles too and can absolutely understand how chaotic they must look from the outside!

You should know, for starters, that Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing are partially cognitive in nature. What I mean by that is, while the changes they undergo do make a Dynmaxed pokémon and it’s moves incredibly dangerous, they are affected by the pokémon’s own desires - a pokémon that doesn’t want to do any collateral damage won’t.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any safety precautions though. For one, Dynamaxing is limited to stadiums and areas where space is in abundance – such as the Wild Area. Our stadiums are also much, much bigger than those outside of Galar – for obvious reasons. The stadiums are built with the range and strength of G-Max moves in mind. Structurally, they have a lot in common with buildings in areas that regularly experience extreme weather and/or natural disasters. Cross-bracing, shock absorption zones, flexible foundations, adjustable flood gullies – it’s very comprehensive. The exact specifications vary from gym-to-gym in order to accommodate repeated use of certain moves by the gym leader as well as whatever moves they are weak against.

(This is why the fallout between Gordie and Melony was such a huge deal. MacCos had to make major modifications to Circhester Stadium in order to accommodate both Leader’s preferences. If you go now, they have these huge safety warnings that basically explain that, in the event of a Max Quake, the building is supposed to sway and please don’t panic.)

Also, the three turn limit on Dynamax usage and the structure of the League itself play a role here too. Three turns means that only a certain number of Max/G-Max moves can be used per battle. The League only happens at a certain time of year too and ALL of the down-time is spent checking and re-checking the stadiums for damage and implementing new measures.

There are also a lot of safety precautions in place for the audience. Seating areas are very well-shielded, in the event of an attack going astray. There are also systems in place to completely shut down the flow of Dynamax energy – should it be deemed necessary. There are a lot of technicians and medics on the side-lines in the event of an accident too. It’s mostly a joke but stadiums widely considered to be the go-to destination an event of a disaster.

--

That’s great news about Magnamite! Thanks for letting me know.

[professor-vanad]

[Professor-Blue-Oak] Hey Professor Vanad, I’m currently suffering with an issue that I’m not equipped to deal with. Just recently, we had taken in a scuffed up looking Magnemite and things are kinda... fucky.

I’ve never properly dealt with an inorganic Pokémon but I’m pretty certain Magnemites don’t just go attracting all kinds of metal objects and screwing up computers and any other form of electronics. I’ve had to bound down some knives after they nearly scraped Red.

Do you so happen to know what could be causing this?

Oh wow, THE Professor Blue Oak! Sorry, I did not expect to get a celebrity in my inbox. I’m happy to offer all the insight I have, especially with Magnemite.

I can’t put numbers to it without seeing it first-hand but, yeah, this is very unusual. A single Magnemite on its own doesn’t generate a very strong magnetic field, at least not enough to cause that much trouble.

The Magnemite line are basically just living electromagnets. Unlike the kinds of magnets on your fridge, electromagnets are powered by an electrical current and can be turned on and off by removing the source of electricity. Ordinarily, Magnemite are able to adjust the strength of their magnetic field and do so often to compensate for changes in their colony and their environment. This is what stops the colony from constantly attracting metal and stops its members from sticking to each other. Your Magnemite doesn’t seem to be able to do this, which wouldn’t be a massive cause for concern, particularly if you’re dealing with a very young Magnemite as it’s a skill they have to learn. Simply getting it to discharge any additional electricity it’s storing would fix the problem easily.

However, even a Magnemite with very poor control shouldn’t affect home electronics that much. Modern electronics are well-insulated against this kind of thing. This tells me that this Magnemite also has a quite a naturally strong magnetic field. The strength of electromagnets are effected by the metal used to make them so it’s possible that this Magnemite may have a large amount of iron or an alcino in its core. Either of these could make a magnetic field that is extremely strong. This can be fixed by degaussing, which would reduce Magnemite’s magnetic field to close to nothing. A weak electrical current could then be used to remagnetise them over time. Though not painful, it would be a bit disorientating for Magnemite and would render them unable to float around until their magnetism was sufficiently strong again. This may afford Magnemite an opportunity to get a better handle on their sense of control but I couldn’t guarantee that. It also wouldn’t be a completely permanent solution as any electrical current over a certain amount would increase the strength of the magnetic field again. Meaning that Magnemite would have to stay away from strong currents and avoid storing too much electricity. It would also be possible to adjust the make-up of Magnemite’s alloy but the safety and feasibility of that would take some time to work out. Magnemite don’t eat metal like other steel types so it would require using actual metallurgical extraction techniques, which can get risky.

That’s most of the advice I can offer for now. While you didn’t mention any specifics about how they came into your care… if they were wild beforehand, I suspect that they may have been ejected from their colony. Given that Magnemite is going to need pretty constant care going forward, if you plan on re-homing them, I wouldn’t recommend they go to a trainer. I’m happy to help if you have any difficulty there. I know a lot of people who used to work with Magnemite who may be willing to take them in.

Thanks for the ask and do keep me updated if you can!  

[professor-vanad]

Are there cases of Pokemon wanting to evolve into forms they can’t? (eg. My female kirlia loves physical combat and I have caught her looking at dawn stones in shop displays more than once)

Oh man.

Yeah, that happens from time to time and it’s always a tricky area. Sometimes it’s cross-species - I knew a Blitzle that had been adopted by a herd of Sawsbuck and he didn’t quite understand that the wouldn’t be evolving to look like his herd. All you can do in those situations is try get them excited about what they will be when they evolve. Introducing Blitzle to some others in his line was enough to bring him around after a while.

Kirlia’s case is potentially more complicated than that. Kirlia are very intelligent pokémon, it’s likely that yours knows on some level that evolving into Gallade just isn’t possible for them. So, I think it’s worthwhile for you to determine exactly how signficiant this is for them and if they have any worries regarding their possible evolution.

I’d say that letting them know they don’t have to evolve into Gardevoir anytime soon is a good place to start (though you should keep in mind that it could still happen naturally once Kirlia gets older). Also, encouraging their love for physical combat could help them feel less anxious about the change.

Thank you for the ask and feel free to follow up when you learn more. This one hits on some personal feelings so I’d like to help more if I can.

[professor-vanad]

Am I right in saying people from the Fálmi region are... Falmer?

Nah, it’s Fálmish. Said like f-AWL-mish, with a long a.

... Wait this is from that game, isn’t it?!

[professor-vanad]

There are a lot of different methods that electric-type pokémon use to generate electricity... some are more effective than others.

Heliolisk is one of the absolute best, as it has evolved to take advantage of the photovoltaic effect, which allows them to transform energy from the heat and light of the sun into electrical energy – just like a solar panel! So, they can get tonnes of electrical energy stored up just by lying in the sun for a while.

One of the worst, believe it or not, is Magnemite. Though they utilise a very clean and reliable version of an electromagnetic dynamo* their small size means that the volt production is extremely low, so they often cannot produce the electricity needed to justify using their internal generators. This is why they’re drawn to places like power plants and why they can cause so much chaos in them – they have to scavenge A LOT of electrical energy for their colonies.

 (*Dynamos were once a mainstay in steam engines and small electrical devices. If you’ve ever had a clock, radio or flashlight that had to be hand cranked, it probably had a dynamo. They’ve been largely surpassed by more energy efficient generators because they are, in scientific terms, a bit crap.)

[professor-vanad]

hello I am Mel, worker Mel and I have found this...Pokémon? while I was digging in a newly established mine, Its ... kind of humanoid and its been electrocuting me every time I tried to move it somewhere safer since the cave is unstable it looks rusty and it has bright yellow eyes, Looks like its been trapped in clay or some kind of material like almost like cement. for id say more than a phew centuries with how degraded it looks. how do i fix it ?

Going by your description, I would guess that it might a Bisharp? Maybe a Scizor or a Duraludon? Rotom bonded with human-shaped electrical equipment? Honestly, it’s difficult to tell without more information. Though, being real, what they are matters less than getting them somewhere safe!

I should start by saying DON’T MOVE THEM YET. If you’re being shocked they either don’t want to be touched, are in a lot of pain or both. If you try to move them you could end up making their injuries a lot worse. I would give the local Pokémon Center a heads up with what’s going on. While it’s unlikely that this pokémon has been trapped here for literal centuries, they will no doubt have some serious injuries or possibly other health issues. It would be beneficial to have someone with medical experience present to assess the situation and sedate them if nesscessary. (And it probably will be nesscessary.) They will also be able to advise you based on the specfics of the situation.

What you can do in the meantime is start work towards freeing this poor thing.

You should try and curry some favour with it in order to gain it’s trust, otherwise it’s probably just going to keep attacking you or whoever else might try and help it. This will be a little bit of a delicate operation, if it’s been down here for a long time it could be actually, legitmately starving, in which case feeding it carelessly could be very dangerous.Try giving them water first. A small amount to start. For a pokémon with limited mobility, approach slowly, low to the ground and slide the container gradually to within reach of it. Do use a stick of some kind if possible, don’t risk your fingers. If it starts trying to intimidate you, pause, keep eye contact to a minimum and give it some time to assess you, then resume if it eases off.

You mentioned that the shaft is unstable so, to start, any reinforcement you can muster to stop a collapse is vital. You’re a professional so use your best judgement here just be mindful of the logistics, depending on what the material is, you may have to use a crane or hoist to get the pokémon out of there.  

You probably know this but for the benefit of the readers I’ll point out that in a newly established mine, it’s unlikely to be concrete or cement. You’d normally only have concrete in there if the grouting supports have been put in already and if this pokémon has been here a long time, it being concrete doesn’t quite add up. If you’re certain it’s concrete, you’ve probably got an old abandoned mine down there somewhere. (Which, granted, might go some ways as to explaining how that pokémon got stuck there in the first place.)

Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to indentify how to cut a piece of rock - all you need is a piece of glass or steel and your fingernails.

The hardest rock will scratch glass and steel so it will need a slab saw to cut - ideally with a diamond blade. Be sure to put as much distance between where you cut and the pokémon as you can so the vibrations don’t upset them or cause more undue injury. Softer rocks won’t scratch glass but will leave a scratch on your fingernail. Most of those can be cut with a conventional circular saw or even an angle grinder. Very soft rock types won’t even scratch your fingernails and the majority of those can be broken by sheer force but again be, careful of the pokémon.

You will be better off removing a chunk of the material from the mine with the pokémon in still in it as opposed to removing the pokémon from the material. Again, we don’t know what state this pokémon is in so minimising direct contact will be safer for them in the long run. Unpleasant as it is, there’s a not unreasonable chance that the material is holding this pokémon together.

After that it’s a case of getting them to a pokémon centre for treatment.

Best of luck with the situation and for the love of everything be careful!

[professor-vanad]

Professor, could I get some suggestions of what to try doing? I've had a bit of a problem for a while now..

Two of the pokemon I'm very fond of in my team are a shiny magnemite named Ruby, and a rather snappy porygon named Extraction. Both of them are great, I've had them both a whole and love them, but they wind up in a lot of fights with each other. Extraction is very defensive of electronics around home and simply when we're out and about, for whatever reason, and especially of the computer at home, and when Ruby comes too near to any of them he begins intimidating her and sometimes attacks. Ruby is pretty tolerant of his behaviour, but.. sometimes she gets fed up with him and hits him back, and even once fried our TV when they were in a fight over her getting too close to it. What do I do to get them to stop fighting?

Oh no, poor Ruby!

Hmm, it sounds like Extraction is very territorial, which is unusual for a Porygon.

I’d be curious to know what Extraction’s age and background are. Porygon are not normally programmed with that sort of behaviour, which tells me that it’s something he’s learned. Also, does Extraction digitise very often (i.e. “go into” computers/smartphones etc)?

I ask because it’s quite common for Porygon to develop a fondess for particular devices. Back in the research lab we had one who was very attached to a specific laptop and didn’t like it when other Porygon used it. It would be unusual but it’s possible that Extraction’s particular fondness has extended to all of your electronics, especially if their background involved maintenance of some sort.

As for why it might be Ruby in particular that causes this behaviour, my best guess is that Extraction could be anxious about the possible negative effects of Ruby’s magnatism on your electronics. This is honestly not as much of problem as some people think it - modern electronics are not as effected by magnets as their older counterparts. This is why I asked about Extraction’s age, if they had at any point been dealing with floppy disks or CRT monitors, magnets would have been a big no-no.

Magnemite, especially young ones, are often careless with their output, be it electrical or magnetic. (It’s not malicious by any means - it’s just something they have to learn to control.) I wouldn’t be surprised if Extraction has noticed some performance problems and blamed Ruby as the likely culprit - espeically if they didn’t get on to begin with.

I will also say that some pokémon just don’t get on. Most can be brought to point where they will put up with each but it’s not always a guarantee. Odds are they won’t become best friends but you can still encourage them towards peaceful co-existance. If they get to a point where they are content to be around each other, then you can try encouraging some team-work.

Start with a trip to the Pokémon Center to rule out any underlying medical reasons. (Not every Center is equipped to fix coding issues in Porygon but most have the facilities to identify one and can advise you from there.)

Once you’ve ruled that out, my advice would be to take it slow and focus on getting them to some kind of compromise to begin with.

It’s important to let them both know that the fighting has to stop, first and foremost. Giving them room to avoid each other if you can will be helpful in redcucing the potential for fighting. Making sure they both have outlets - be it battling, excercise or other hobbies will help them vent any frustration or aggression they may have.

You should also start implementing some simple but reasonable boundries for example - Ruby will stay away from X, Y and Z electronics but Extraction has to promise not to try intimidate Ruby anymore. You might have some teething problems with them at first. Old habits die hard and boundries are no good if they’re not helping anyone. Use your best judgement on when to alter the rules and when to be firm about them. Working out a clear, safe way that Extraction can voice his discomfort - one that Ruby can understand - will help you all out here.

Ideally, you should try and get Extraction to explain to you what it is he’s so annoyed about. Whatever is bothering Extraction is clearly pretty important to him so he may get resentful if he thinks you’re not taking him seriously. That said, if he hasn’t been forthcoming about it yet he may be having some issues with articulating his feelings. It’s usually better to be patient when it comes to these things but you can still be firm in how you handle it. Let him know that you are trying to help him but Ruby is a member of the team too and it’s not really fair that she has to put up with this.

As for Ruby, it sounds like she has been putting up with a lot she didn’t have to and might be feeling a little excluded. A little extra one-on-one time with you doing something she likes would do a lot to help reassure her. If she has any close friends among the rest of your team defintely encourage them to spend time together too - it will mean she has a friend she feels safe around for if another fight does happen.

If you’re having a really hard time, there are pokémon behavioural experts that specialise in this sort of thing. They can give you a clear-cut plan and identify any more serious behavioural conditions that might be at play here.

Best of luck with keeping the peace and thank you for reaching out!

[professor-vanad]

Yamper have a long history of being used as herding dogs throughout most of the Galar region. They nip at the heels of herding pokemon, such as Wooloo, to encourage them to move. 

They became a much beloved domestic breed following their popularisation by one of the old Galarian queens, who was said to have had over 30 Yamper in her lifetime.

[professor-vanad]

Meet the Team - Jet

This here is Jet, who despite how it looks, is apparantly comfortable. She’s a Spotted variant of Luxray, who are generally larger than the Merle or Self-coloured kinds.

Jet was rescued from a pretty nasty group that were trying to breed “unique” pokémon for private “collectors” (ugh). She was still a Luxio when she was given to me. She was very resistant to the usual paths that we’d normally give rescued pokémon.

At the time, Jet was a bit too tempermental for domestic adoption or to train as a working pokémon. It was decided that she’d have to be rehabilitated for a long time to have any hope for release but she proved extremely hostile to others like her too and the rehab team was really concerned that she wouldn’t pick up the necessary survivial skills.

I was only supposed to be fostering Jet for a few months to help socialise her... which was about seven years ago now. It was... rough, for both of us. She was very, very set on having nothing to do with me for a long while. We had a lot of mis-steps (I have the scars to prove it) but she came around bit by bit.

That was about seven years ago now and while she’s mellowed out a lot since then, I still wouldn’t call her a very friendly pokémon. She’s genuinely lovely and very affectionate but she takes a very long time to warm up to people and still has some lingering temper management problems. Part of the reason she couldn’t come to the lab with me at first was because I needed to be sure there was somewhere safe for her to go if there were too many people around and that she’d have enough space to burn of some steam.

Thankfully, she’s gotten used to the new place far quicker than I thought she would. As you can see, she has no problem getting comfortable.

[professor-vanad]

He’s a cutie when he wants to be.

[professor-vanad]

How zapdos creates so much electricity biologically

Ah great question! Slight disclaimer: As a Legendary, the studies we’ve conducted on Zapdos have been based solely on careful observation in wild. As such our knowledge of Zapdos could be inaccurate with regards to biological functions and anatomy. I’m doing a bit of guesswork here but it’s based very firmly on what we know about electric-types. I’m also going to get very maths heavy so my apologies if numbers are not your thing.

It’s a slight misconception that electric type pokémon “make” all the electricity they need by themselves. Don’t get me wrong, most of them absolutely can generate a lot of electricity but it would be very inefficient to do so all the time. The majority of electric-types use a combination of internal biological generation and scavenging from external sources to supplement their needs. (You may be familiar with the concept of “energy cannot be created or destroyed, it is only transformed into other types of energy”, it’s the same principle. All electricity is generated by transforming other types of energy into electricity but that just means that “making electricity” requires a different kind of energy in the first place.)

But to get to your question, Zapdos more than likely uses the more commonplace electrochemical method of generation found in our more mammalian electric types, such as Pikachu and the other electric rodents. The method is very similar to a battery in which the pokémon uses two types of specialised electrochemical cells - one to produce electricity and one to store the electricity. These cells host a specific chemical reaction that naturally produces electrical energy. This can be very efficient but has the drawback of being dependant on regular food consumption and usually needing a bit of time to get going. As a result, a lot of these pokémon scavenge any difference from generators and power plants. This is where Zapdos has a unique and terrifying advantage.

We know from repeated observation, Zapdos is capable of storing the electrical energy from multiple lightning strikes. This is a lot of electricity. To give you some perspective, one lightning strike carries around 5 gigajoules of power. Assuming an average of 44 strikes a second (based on global averages) in a 20-30 minute storm, Zapdos can capture up to 52’800 strikes, which is around 264’000 gigajoules. This is about 74’000’000 (74 trillion) kWh. The average Galarian household uses, like, 4000 kWh a year. So a fully charged Zapdos could supply 18’500 Galarian households for a year after 30 minutes of flying. Even if it does not get struck by every bolt or does not linger for the full duration of the storm, this is still an insane amount of electrical energy for one organism to hold.

While it’s unlikely that Zapdos cannot create electricity on its own, by these metrics I simply don’t think it has to. The storage cells required to hold even half that much electricity are almost definitely robust enough to do so for an extended period. Zapdos is only around 5”06, which is big for a bird pokémon but still not massive. There is no way that Zapdos uses even a fraction of it’s minimum to sustain flight. Even 1 gigajoule is the same as 239’006 kcal which is enough to sustain me for 95 days… and I’m 6”0 and do not have as many energy saving methods as a bird.

This does even account for the fact that bird use things like wind currents to reduce their energy usage or that it does, in fact, eat fairly regularly. It’s possible that Zapdos’ ability to hold a massive electrical charge might operate independently from it’s digestive system. This would necessitate regular expulsion of these huge volumes of electrical energy or Zapdos would simply burn up.

There is a lot more I can say on this. There all sorts of theories about Legendaries floating around and I have rambled this much about just one of them.

Thanks so much for the ask!

[professor-vanad]

[OOC: I got this cool Porygon Z sticker from UrsocsDen over on Etsy and they include random pokemon cards in their pokemon orders and I got a Steelix! It’s like they KNEW lol! Anyway, go check them out if you want some cool stickers and prints.

[professor-vanad]

In the wild, Luxray alway hunt during storms. This may seem like a no-brainer, as the weather would boost the power of their electric moves it is actually because the noise makes it harder for their prey to detect them.