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Professor Cycad

@prof-cycad

A blog dedicated to Pokemon welfare, biology and ecology! I specialize in Poison Types and Fossil Pokemon, but have experience with all sorts of Pokemon! Asks/RP open.

Heya!

Before Asking:

-RP is okay! In fact, I encourage it heartily!

-No, I don’t have any experience with Legendaries, Mythicals or other similarly “epic” Pokemon. The closest encounter I’ve had is a Pheromosa totaling my neighbor’s car, and that was more than enough for my tastes.

-Type:Null and Silvally are totally okay to have, as long as they are given the proper care!

-I specialize in the study of Poison, Bug and Dark types but I have studied each type. Alongside modern Pokemon, I specialize in Fossil Pokemon!

-Don’t be scared to ask questions! We grow as we learn!

How can I help my ice-type pokemon adjust more to the Alolan heat? I've turned up the air conditioner and only take them outside for short walks, but they still seem kind of upset with me.

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It's definitely a challenge, but many Ice Types can live happily in Alola! We don't have a Winter season here at all, but Mount Lanakila is tall enough for snow to fall on it's peak.

Most Ice Type pokemon genuinely cannot withstand the tropical heat, but some seem to do well enough. Cryogonal, Snorunt or Bergmite will eventually perish in the heat without proper protection from the sun.

However, some Ice Types actually love Alola! Lapras often migrate between the islands, while Spheal will come together on the beachs! Crabominable are Ice Types too, and love the heat of the day!

To answer your ask, just try to find the right equipment! Order some Nevermelt Ice off of Delibird Presents and put it in a kiddy pool, and your Ice Type will be much happier!

Drifloon and Drifblim have very little control over where they go, as they are very light. They are dispersed quickly by even a light breeze, which makes hunting difficult for them.

Drifloon are predators, and will only hunt when the weather is perfect. They prefer very lightweight prey, like Flabébé or Sewaddle. When there is little to no wind at all, they occasionally join forces to hunt for pokemon like Patrat or Grubbin.

I recently overheard some discourse about the ethics of keeping Sigilyph as a Partner Pokemon, so I'll provide my thoughts as well.

Sigilyph are scientific mysteries, and everything we know about them could probably fill a single pamphlet. We have absolutely no clue what they eat (if they eat at all?), how they reproduce and what they are related to.

We do know, however, a great deal about their behavior. They seem to have predetermined paths through their habitats, and will attempt to blast holes through whatever blocks them.

They are invaluable guardians, even better than Houmdoom or Golurk. Whenever something new or unusual enters their path, they spend days staring at it to formulate a strategy. If the intruder proves to be harmful, they emit an extremely loud alarm call and a bright red light.

As a Pokemon Professor, I would love to learn more about these mysterious ancient pokemon. Anyone who can withstand having a human-sized ancient creature watch them constantly probably knows better than I do, so I'll defer the question to actual Sigilyph experts.

Pokemon Sightseeing!

Deserts aren't exactly the most forgiving place to explore, but there are some very interesting pokemon species that can be found in them!

Looking past the scorching heat and blistering sandstorms, deserts are very special habitats. Some species cannot survive anywhere else, so studying these unique habitats helps us understand just how strange pokemon can be.

Water is scarce in any desert, but it helps when you know where to find it. Sandshrew do just that, and will burrow underground to find precious water deposits. If they spot the shadow of a hungry Mandibuzz, they quickly roll up into an uncrackable ball! Very few pokemon can pry a Sandshrew open.

Cacnea are very friendly pokemon, often offering their water-filled fruits to passing desert wanderers. They do this for two reasons: spreading their seeds across the desert and befriending much tougher pokemon! Large pokemon like Camerupt and Marowak will eagerly defend their Cacnea friends, in exchange for sweet cactus pears.

Gligar are typically found in rocky badlands, but often fly into deserts to prey on weakened prey. With tough claws and a nasty sting, Gligar often drive away large predatory Flying Types like Braviary. They are related to Skorupi, but often swoop down to snatch them up.

Sigilyph are very rare, but they make their presence known quickly. During the heat of the day, they float unmoving in the air, but will travel long distances at night. When frightened, Sigilyph emit a blaring warning call that scares off even Flygon and Garchomp.

Pokemon Trainer Tips!

As the weather in some regions is getting warmer and sunnier, Trainers might stumble upon many new and interesting pokemon species!

Keep reading to learn more about some very special springtime pokemon!

Goomy, the larval stage of Goodra, is often spotted during or soon after a rainstorm! These mollusks love being wet, and rainstorms give them a perfect opportunity to come together and play. Most pokemon hide away in their nests or dens during rain, so Goomy get a lot of space to play!

Pawniard, the nymph stage of Bisharp, like to take long naps in the middle of the day. The warm sun heats up their metal exoskeletons and makes them very sleepy! Pawniard live in small groups of siblings, and often cuddle together during midday naps.

Nincada spend a lot of their lives underground, snacking on roots and tubers. During the first few weeks of spring, they emerge en masse in big groups to nibble on the freshest of leaves. They still shy away from bright sunlight, so you'll most likely spot them dozing off under a tree!

Clobbopus are amphibious cephalopods, just like their evolved form Grapploct. They live on beaches, and wander out of the water once they become strong enough to ward off hungry predators. Clobbopus don't tend to live in groups, but join together to hone their punching skills on unsuspecting Krabby!

Anybody who has ever interacted with a pokemon knows what Evolution is, but some people don't know the two types of evolution!

Long-term Evolution is the term for how a pokemon species has adapted and changed from generation to generation. We can't see this with our own eyes, but we have a perfect example of Long-Term Evolution! We know that modern-day birds evolved from Archen, because we can see how their wings and feathers evolved!

Short-term Evolution is the term for the changes a pokemon goes through as it matures, grows and finds a niche. We can see this in our everyday life, like a little Charmander evolving into a Charmeleon in a matter of minutes. Many insects, like Weedle and Grubbin, use special cocoons to protect their soft bodies during evolutionary development.

Like caffeine, Humans love spicy foods. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans started to grow pepper plants only soon after growing grains, hops and certain berries.

Unlike caffeine, spicy molecules aren't necessarily harmful to pokemon. Insects, reptiles, some draconids and most avians can't even taste capsaicin (the molecule that gives peppers their kick).

Mammals (like humans, Greedent, Slaking and Diglett) are very receptive to capsaicin. However, certain mammalian pokemon enjoy spicy food.

Even more curious is that almost all non-mammal synapsids (Nidoran, Kangaskhan and Rhyhorn) seek out spicy foods even if they are carnivorous. Nidoran in particular are very fond of Chople and Cheri berries!

While humans have very peculiar tastes for their food, some pokemon are even stranger!

Coffee, which comes from roasted coffee berries, needs no introduction. It is exceptionally popular among people, but is very toxic to pokemon.

Caffeine, the molecule inside coffee that makes us jittery, is poisonous to most pokemon. Most Bug Types, canids and avians (Yamper, Growlithe or Swablu/Pidgey) are all at risk for caffeine poisoning!

Despite its potential to cause illness, some pokemon like coffee just as much as we do. Pikipek, Torkoal and Mankey actively consume plants full of caffeine, either to provide a little pick-me-up or as a natural bug repellent!

Many Steel Type pokemon consume literal tons of minerals and soil when they search for their preferred food. When they eat enough mixed earth material, they regurgitate it as a pile of slag.

Steelix and Aggron prefer iron, nickel and zinc but often predate on Dugtrio, Orthworm and Dunsparce they find underground.

These slag piles are very important for the majority of Steel Type pokemon, because they can't excavate for themselves. Special pokemon, like Mawile or Galarian Stunfisk, eat these super-soft metal piles to boost their own bodies!

Many pokemon become very large when they evolve, and can poses issues to some Trainers. Magikarp are very common household pets due to their charming behavior and hardiness, but Gyarados are very big and carnivorous.

If your Magikarp evolves and you cannot take care of a Gyarados, you can send them to the Lake of Rage Research Center! The scientists who study Gyarados provide them with excellent care, and encourage visitors!

Pokemon Trainer Tip!:

While Trainers can keep their pokemon out of their pokeballs in most areas, many cities have designated play areas just for pokemon. These Pokemon Parks are a perfect place for your pokemon to socialize, play and maybe make friends!

Almost all Pokemon Parks have fun playground equipment designed specifically for pokemon! Some have little slides, while others have perches for flying pokemon. Larger parks may even have a built-in pond so Water Types can join the fun as well!

Most Pokemon Parks are sectioned, with separate areas for large and small guests. Because of this, Trainers with big pokemon like Snorlax or Kilowattrel are encouraged to stay in their own area.

Pokemon Trainer Tip!:

Just like canine pokemon (Growlithe, Yamper, Poochyena etc.), many reptilian pokemon like to go on walks as well! Reptiles are cold blooded, which means they like to lay around in the warm sunlight.

Because of this, it's not uncommon to spot a Sandile or Scraggy playing in a public Pokemon Park alongside Eevee and other typical pets. Even pokemon like Ekans and Salandit will enjoy the warm weather, but obviously can't be unattended around small pokemon.

Even though Pikachu do not show regional differences like Ratatta or Vulpix, they do exhibit different behaviors depending on where they live!

Pikachu in Johto and Sinnoh prefer to make their own nests with twigs, feathers and fur. However, Pikachu in Galar and Paldea prefer to nest in established dens made by other pokemon!

While many Pokemon species exhibit a vast array of intelligence, Murkrow and Honchkrow take it one step further by holding what is called a "Murkrow funeral".

If a Murkrow comes across a deceased individual, they will sound an alarm to call in individuals from miles away to congregate around the body. Once enough cawing Murkrow come together, they eventually attract the attention of their Honchkrow leaders.

The Honchkrow will stand around the fallen Murkrow and inspect it, then the entire flock falls silent. After an hour, the Honchkrow will disperse alongside their flocks of cronies.

The funerary behavior of Pokemon is a very strange topic, as quite a few species have very different funeral behaviors.

Tangela aren't like many other Grass Types of their ilk, in that they are capable of quickly moving from place to place. They have little bootie-like feet that soften their hurried stride. This peculiar locomotive style lets them tackle small prey like Nidoran and Bulbasaur.

Tangrowrh however, aren't very fast at all. They are often seen as a plant version of Snorlax, which notes their laziness. The biggest Tangrowth only have to catch one large prey item before resting for months.

While most Trainers prepare not to keep Pokemon like Trubbish or Grimer in their homes, they are actually quite clean Pokemon (apart from their tendency to eat garbage).

Trubbish, Koffing and Grimer don't produce waste products like normal Pokemon (Eevee, Gible, Squirtle etc.) and actually metabolize almost all of their food!

Similar to Noctowl regurgitating pellets of hair and bone, these Poison Types will occasionally throw up blobs of Black Sludge. In Grimer's case, they will even eat their own Black Sludge to recycle more nutrients!!