[video]

[beastofasister]

[The video opens up to a view of Manaka curled up on the corner of a couch. She doesn't look nearly as bubbly as she normally does; if anything, her expression is pensive.]

Um, a lot of people have been here for a really long time, right? So you must know more about Pokémon than I do... I was hoping someone could help me!

[She sits up, then, reaching out to adjust the camera's view as she turns. The view lands on a Deino, curled up with a blanket at the foot of the sofa.]

I heard Deino are supposed to be really ferocious, but all he wants to do is laze around all day! [She reaches down as she speaks, ruffling the scruff around the base of its neck. It answers that gestures with a lazy bleat.] Is there a way to make a Pokémon more interested in battling? I'm trying to motivate him, but it doesn't seem to be working.

Comments

[video]

[usedstockpile]

I could loan His Uselessness to you [please take him off Gil's hands, for the love of all that is good] and he'd probably try to bully him. It's a little harsh but maybe it'd give him some motivation.

[beastofasister]

Mm... "Swim or sink," you mean? I guess that could work, but I have plenty of strong Pokémon I could use for that already.

[Sorry, Gil, try offering her something cuter.]

[usedstockpile]

Well, I'm getting a little serious with my team's training going into Johto, so maybe Bel and Niya could give him a tussle. If Pierre learns any ice moves I could see if he'd be willing.

Or I can see if I can figure out why His Uselessness isn't evolving and fix it, if you'd like an angry Gyrados to harass him.

[beastofasister]

[Just like that, she perks up, clapping her hands together in front of herself.]

Oh! If you're going to be visiting anyway, we can certainly give it a try. [But, more importantly—] I'm sure Chiffon would like to see Bel again, too! She doesn't have many playmates here.

Video;

[schachmeister]

What sort of things have you tried to motivate him?

[Armin isn't sure if a half a year is enough to be sufficiently learned in pokemon training, but he does know a thing or two about manipulating people motivating people to get them to do what you want.]

[beastofasister]

When he does a good job, I praise him and give him extra attention. He seems happy when I pet him, but...

[schachmeister]

Perhaps he needs more than just praise. How does he feel about food? You might be able to get him motivated to fight if you promise him his favourite treat when he wins.

[beastofasister]

Hm...

[Manaka hums thoughtfully, looking toward her Deino again. It responds with another sleepy grumble, then rolls over onto its back.]

That's a good idea, but I don't know what sort of snack would get his attention. I've only had him for a couple of weeks now, so I guess we still need to get to know each other better.

[schachmeister]

[Armin makes a soft, thoughtful noise.]

It says in the pokedex that they eat everything. Maybe he won't even care about the type of snack as long as he is getting some sort of tangible reward?

[beastofasister]

Oh, I know! What if I make it a competition? He can have a little reward for trying, but if he wants a big one, he'll have to win!

[Listen... She has no problem making her Pokémon compete against one another for affection, so why should treats be any different?]

[schachmeister]

It might work. Some people do perform better if they feel like they can compete and have a clear goal. I imagine the same goes for pokemon.

[Not Armin himself, though. He's not a very competitive person, but he's seen both Jean and Eren try and push themselves to run just a few meters more just so they could say they beat the other.]

[beastofasister]

Right! And even if competing doesn't mean anything to him, it'll give him an incentive to work harder than the bare minimum.

[If you need to out-compete someone to get a prize you want, you have to put in some effort.]

Video

[dreamsofahero]

Mine proved to be surprisingly calm for the most part, though she still gets rowdy quite quickly if something upsets her.

*and now she's a hydreigon, which means her bites can be quite a bit more dangerous...*

As for battling, however, it depends on the individual. If he's fond of a specific kind of food or treat, you could use that as motivation. Or a favorite toy or such.

[beastofasister]

Right... They eat a lot, supposedly, I guess because they grow so much when they evolve.

[Hm...]

I've just never had a problem like this before. My other Pokémon all seem happy enough to fight.

[Except for the ones she doesn't use for battling, but, you know. Details.]

[dreamsofahero]

Well, most pokemon do seem to enjoy battling, but some can be rather shy. It depends on their individual temperament, really.

[beastofasister]

I guess I just got lucky, then.

["Lucky." She might be giving her Deino a dry look now...]

[dreamsofahero]

In a sense, I suppose...

Video

[thedifferencebetween]

....sweetheart, you're familiar with my stupid dog, right?

Some of'em just aren't into it. Doesn't matter their type - you should see the other bone dog I got. Doesn't even seem like he's the same species as D.B.

[beastofasister]

[Manaka meets Jack's input with a pout.]

Of course I am, but that's different! [is it, though...] Houndour look mean, but they aren't categorized as "the Irate Pokémon."

[thedifferencebetween]

No, it's the fierce hunter Pokemon, that's supposedly unmatched in its ability to take down bigger things as a pack.

The only 'pack' D.B cares about is a pack of marshmallow squirtles. I don't think he could hunt if he were literally starving to death in the woods, he'd just lie down and cry.

[beastofasister]

That's because you baby him too much! You should leave him alone with your other dog. If they're pack animals, I bet he'll whip Bones into shape in no time.

[thedifferencebetween]

I baby him 'cause he is a baby! A fat, dumb baby.

Ahaha, no, nuh-uh. You haven't seen Havoc, princess. I can't be alone with that thing.

[beastofasister]

Even better, then! If Havoc is really that scary, he'll definitely fall in line.

[She isn't being entirely earnest as she says this, but she isn't being entirely facetious, either.]

[thedifferencebetween]

No, he'll get eaten. Like immediately.

[beastofasister]

Suit yourself. [She giggles.] Maybe you should let me borrow him, then!

[thedifferencebetween]

I hope you mean D.B, cause uh...if I lent you the demonic hellbeast? They'd arrest me on child endangerment or some shit.

[beastofasister]

I have experience with demonic hellbeasts, you know. Real ones, not silly dogs.

[thedifferencebetween]

Havoc's not a 'silly dog', sweetheart, he's a level almost 100 Houndoom that belonged to somebody else who trained him up mean. [At Jack's own recommendation.]

Neither one of us has the badges to control'im.

[islandshore]

Pokédex entries typically just cover the species in broad strokes. Behavior's not always set in stone. My Hydreigon's always been pretty timid.

[Shrugging, he pauses and glances over his shoulder. There's a soft rumble. Eh, he'll worry about it later.]

Anyway, I can think of a few tricks. Food, toys... Basically, give him a reason to do more than laze around.

sorry for the delay!

[beastofasister]

You're the second person to say that to me, which makes three of us... I'm starting to think their representation is a little exaggerated.

[islandshore]

It's a tough call. Pokémon aren't a hivemind. At least, last I checked.

I'd say it's more likely that the Pokédex is based on overall trends, but there's always gonna be the exception to the rule. Case in point? I've got a Dragonite that started off abusive towards him.

So that's probably a factor, too. Nature and nurture.

[There can be a multitude of factors in Pokémon temperaments, basically.]

[beastofasister]

Nature and nurture... Right, just like people. Since he's still young, that means...

[She falls quiet, then, looking contemplatively in Cocoa's direction. Uh-oh...]

[islandshore]

Basically, just keep on top of things before he evolves. Soon as he becomes a Zweilous, you'll have two heads to deal with. That's usually the more destructive phase, but it varies.

The important thing is to stay consistent, because poor training can make the difference between a tame Hydreigon and a living ball of destruction.

[Hydreigons are powerful. Best to have one that can keep that power in check.]