#poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

After work today, I feel obligated to share a certain reminder again: for the love of Arceus, do not catch a Pokémon if you are not prepared for it to be unwilling or unable to battle other Pokémon. Or perhaps more accurately to today’s situation: Pokémon are allowed to be non-battling if they so choose.

I find far too many people surprised by this concept just because “they must have been battling in the wild, right?” And yes, most of the time, we do catch Pokémon in wild battles. But sometimes Pokémon battle for self-defense, not to make a new partner, and sometimes we catch Pokémon without battling at all.

“But I’m a trainer!” Yes, and it’s a trainer’s job first and foremost to understand their Pokémon’s needs and wants. Not to force a creature that could be traumatized or worse to fight for prize money. And even if your Pokémon does want to fight, what happens if it gets injured, or grows old? It’s simply impossible to expect a Pokémon to be willing or able to battle from birth to death.

“But I don’t have the time/money to raise non-battling Pokémon!” Okay. Though I would say the same logic here applies here as it would to having a child in that you should be prepared for every eventuality before catching one, and if you couldn’t handle raising it without the extra income it provides, then you can’t handle raising it, period… I know that not everyone is taught that. At the least, if this is a deal-breaker, find a person who is willing and able to raise your Pokémon for you, and make sure to rehome them humanely.

As for what not to do: hitting, yelling, withholding food or water, making your other Pokémon attack your non-battling partner… I’ve seen people come in having done all of these, then asking me to “fix” their Pokémon. It saddens me every time, and often there’s little I can do to get these trainers to come around.

This time, I was lucky—I managed to convince this trainer to leave their non-battling Pokémon with me.

[An image of a Darumaka, curled up and rocking back and forth.]

This little gal doesn’t have a name other than “Darumaka” so far, and she hasn’t stopped rocking like that for a few hours. I’ll have to acclimate her slowly to my other Pokémon, but I’m glad she’s in a better place now at least. (If anybody has tips for keeping a Darumaka, please let me know—for now, I’m going about some fireproofing in my home.)

Just… I wish it didn’t have to come to this point for so many Pokémon.

#pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #pokemon #unreality #real pokemon #rotomblr #high stakes pokereality #tw: animal abuse #tw: pokemon abuse #poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Say, people of Rotomblr.

A conversation I was having got me thinking, so wanted to throw a question out there.

Do you have a dream you’re aiming for? If so, what is it?

Mine’s pretty… plain. I’d just want to have a family of some sort. People who I care about, and spend time with, and who maybe aren’t Pokémon.

But what about you all?

#pokeblogging #pkmn irl #real pokemon #rotomblr #poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

You know, as lovely as it is to talk to Pokémon, that’s still not the same as understanding the way they think at times.

This prize-winning Rapidash I’ve been talking about, for instance. Apparently the reason it’s stopped wanting to ride races is because its back’s been hurting—and instead of communicating that, the poor guy ran 30 miles down a highway to avoid an outsider he didn’t know, and then nearly kicked my face in, terrified I was some sort of vet that was going to hurt him.

On reflection, of course it makes sense for him to be wary of an outsider. And he was still reluctant to indicate his own issues, because he didn’t want to be discarded by his owner.

It’s strange to think that: oh, right, you’ve been raised for one single purpose. Oh, right, the love you’ve received is entirely because of your racing skills. Of course you’re terrified.

Luckily, our Rapidash-racer is going to a more low-key ranch that his owner has, where he can chill out without a rider on his back. And our rancher friend has it on good authority now to love his Rapidash for not just his speed, but for existing. For being kind and sweet.

Honestly, most of the problems I find could be fixed by a lot more displays of unconditional love. Pokémon need it as desperately as we humans do, even if it’s tough for a lot of them to ask for it through their own instincts and fear (and lack of human speech).

Anyways, I think I’m going to spend some time touring Galar, starting with Turffield since it’s pretty close to this ranch. Plus, I can’t help but pay Milo and his Wooloo a visit. They’re too cute and fluffy.

#if anybody has any ideas of some good places to stop in galar #let me know :) #pokeblogging #pkmn irl #poketherapist vanilla #Vanilla Galar Tour

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Back on the town today, leading a seminar on recognizing burnout in working Pokémon for the Mistralton Cargo Service!

In order to transport all of our packages and the like, they rely on a lot of help from Flying types and Psychic types, so I’ll be going over some common signs of stress that some of the most common helper Pokémon in the field show. Did you know that a Sigilyph that’s feeling stressed or worn out often flashes its eye in short bursts?

By recognizing stress and burnout in our partners, we can make sure they’re getting the breaks they need to do what they love (and I promise you, the Pokémon that work here love the chance to apply their skills in a way that helps their humans)!

#pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #pokemon #unreality #rotomblr #real pokemon #poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

“Does my Pokémon…?”

“Is my partner Pokémon…?”

A guide to FAQ’s I get from trainers about their Pokémon partners, since I’m lucky enough to understand Pokémon speech!

“Does my Pokémon actually enjoy battling?”

I’ve gotten this one a lot, probably in part due to Plasma’s messaging having a pretty big impact on Unovan culture! And yes, unless your Pokémon is showing clear signs of anxiety or burnout, and as long as you see that they’re willingly using the moves you’re asking them to, they do enjoy battling! Like most anybody with cool magic powers would, they love showing off their skills and working to improve them with you! It’s natural for Pokémon to battle (even if not all of them do), and it’s great exercise as well.

“Does my Pokémon feel the same emotions I do?”

With the disclaimer that they may not feel or express emotions the same way as us at times (much like humans vary in emotional experience and expression), yes! Pokémon are happy when they eat a good meal and spend time with their loved ones, sad when they lose an important battle, angry when they can’t see eye-to-eye with their trainers, scared when they’re in over their heads, and so much more! One of a trainer’s most important jobs is recognizing these emotions and tending to them, like a parent would with a child.

“Is my Pokémon as smart as a human?”

This one is a controversial question at best, but I’ll do my best to give an answer based on my experiences. The first point, frankly, is that it varies. All Pokémon have the smarts to use moves and abilities, understand and communicate with each other and with humans, and to take care of their needs in life, but beyond that it can vary widely! Typically Pokémon tend to increase in intelligence as they evolve, for one rule. I’ll also note that type does NOT impact general intelligence: there are bug types that are smarter than psychic types, for one example! (I mention this because there's a well-noted phenomenon of assuming psychic-types are more intelligent due to their abilities; while highly intelligent psychic-types like Alakazam exist, there's also Pokemon like Hatterene that put very little critical thought in before deciding to thrash something that annoys them.)

But also, the question of intelligence doesn’t generally make a huge difference in human-Pokémon relationships. Pokemon might communicate less eloquently if they're a Magikarp versus an Empoleon, but they're still capable of love, competition, and everything else that makes Pokemon Pokemon!

"Does my Pokemon love me?"

The vast majority of the time I get this question, the answer is already pretty clear from how their Pokemon behaves. If you treat your partners with love and care, odds are that love will be returned with time! The tells vary from Pokemon to Pokemon, but if you look up your partner species' body language, you'll learn very quickly that most of the time, the bonds humans and Pokemon build are amazingly deep and strong even without words!

(With words, my partner Pokemon are frequently telling jokes, telling stories about their days, and expressing their love in so many ways I feel as though they're the best friends I could ever have. I hope some day the technology opens up to allow for open communication for everyone; it's a wonderful feeling.)

"No, no, I meant like... romantically."

The amount of times I have heard this from trainers of humanoid Pokemon like Gardevoir, Machamp, Lopunny, Incineroar, Zoroark, and Arceus knows why, but for some reason also one trainer with a Vaporeon??? is more than a little disturbing.

Firstly: just because your Pokemon has a humanoid shape does not mean it has human intelligence, something I neglected to mention above. They do feel love, and appreciation, and joy. They are loyal to a fault and would probably die to protect you. They show affection frequently in ways that might come across as romantic to some people: hugs, hand-holding, generally being up in your face.

But for the love of everything holy, that does not mean that your Pokemon is capable of a romantic relationship with you. Or that it would be willing. Most Pokemon are vaguely confused at the concept at best, because the relationships we build are fundamentally different from human-human and Pokemon-Pokemon ones. Relationships where there is already an inherent power dynamic of trainer and Pokemon. Relationships where there is a clear gap in communication.

In not a single one of the cases I have seen was there anything resembling "romantic feelings" from the Pokemon these trainers were talking about, and there was a very swift move to discussion of how to interpret displays of affection, the trainer's own intentions, and what led them to their own conclusions. Most of the time, luckily, it's just the trainer's own worry that their Pokemon is interpreting their bond wrong.

But in the cases where trainers have developed feelings for their own Pokemon... I'm sorry, but that's one boundary I keep in therapy. I just can't handle those kinds of clients, just because of the disastrous results it usually leads to. (And to be perfectly honest, I have my own personal biases here as well due to my... past experiences.)

...I think I got a bit off track here. But I'm happy to answer any other questions people have about their Pokemon in general! Just not the last one.

#pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #rotomblr #tw: pokephilia #poketherapist vanilla #//ooc vanilla is reeeeeaaaallly touchy about that last one

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

A new month also means opening up the late spring calendar here at Humming Pokémon Helpers.

If any individual or organization is interested in therapy for themselves and/or their Pokémon, public lectures, workshops, consultations, testing, or research related to Pokémon psychology, or bonds between Pokémon/humans and Pokémon, please feel free to contact me publicly or in DMs. Thank you!

#//ooc: basically pls contact me if you wanna do plot or smth! #//ooc: or just silly convos #pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #pokemon #unreality #rotomblr #real pokemon #poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Rotomblr, it’s happening.

I got caught in the middle of a rivals-to-lovers story.

Or to be more specific: I got two separate walk-ins today, both of whom asked me how to make their Pokémon fall out of love, and neither of them want to admit they’re badly in love too.

With the first one, I figured it was a pretty standard “new trainer who fights with their rival a bit too often” thing: the rivals fight, their Pokémon become really friendly, they stop wanting to take battles seriously, trainers get frustrated because they want to keep the rivalry serious.

I was planning to just suggest battling other trainers a bit to let things cool down, or battling with other Pokémon, but then this girl’s Oshawott had a totally different story. Apparently it, and the rival’s Tepig, have come together in a sort of alliance to get their trainers together!!

They thought that if they pretended that they wanted to play together a bunch, they could give their trainers a chance to get to know each other… the Oshawott’s trainer is pretty serious and straight-laced, so she’s too shy to be honest about her feelings, and the Tepig’s trainer is more of a high-energy, stubborn, playful type, so she doesn’t want to admit they’re more than friends. Plus, the Oshawott trainer’s parents don’t like her hanging out with “hooligans”, so they have to sneak around… unless their Pokémon drag them over, because that can’t be helped, right?

So instead, I asked this trainer to talk about her rival and the rivalry and what she really wanted out of it. And here she wants her Oshawott to stop it so her parents wouldn’t notice their friendship that was really precious to her! That she was worried that Oshawott was taking on her own feelings! I’ve never heard such cute high school romance…

And then a few hours later, the girl with the Tepig walked in, asking for the same help so she doesn’t harm the Oshawott trainer’s reputation, because she’s really sure that she’ll get into a good school if not for her…

I wish I could tell them to be honest with each other, but that of course opens them up to danger because of the Oshawott trainer’s parents… at the least, they can be honest with themselves, and decide which path they really want to take as rivals.

Still, it’s so sweet… I hope the next time I meet them, they’re both happy.

#//ooc yes this would be a breach of client confidentiality irl #//ooc but let’s pretend there’s no way rotomblr will ever influence fictional clients for the sake of storytelling #//ooc don’t break patient confidentiality irl kids! #pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #unreality #pokemon #rotomblr #real pokemon #poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Thinking today of an encounter on the street I had years ago with a trainer with a Seviper and Zangoose who had no idea why they kept attacking each other.

When I told her they were quite literally natural enemies, her response was “But you can train them to get along… right?”

Be my guest in trying, but I’m a therapist, not a miracle worker. (And not responsible for any bites you’d get trying to get in the middle of that.)

#pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #pokemon #unreality #rotomblr #real pokemon #poketherapist vanilla

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Today at least half of my clients mentioned they were worried about Team Snagem, or Team Plasma, or some combination of the two. I don’t watch the local news a lot, but I presume at least Team Snagem reached our local news.

To hear trainers talk about worrying they can’t protect their Pokémon, or to hear Pokémon who fear their trainers will get hurt if they can’t fight well enough… it’s harrowing, to say the least. I wonder if this was how things were back during the days of the original and Neo Team Plasma.

But at the same time, seeing the lengths trainers and Pokémon would go to in order to protect each other and stay together… it’s something truly precious. And for a lot of my clients, just expressing that worry was enough to deepen their bonds with their Pokémon.

I obviously can’t say this is some net positive, or that everything’s going to be okay, but know that even in times of difficulty, your partner Pokémon wants to be there for you. Just as you do for them. Lean on each other. And lean on your friends, as well. It’s a rough time out there, and snuggles with Wiggly the Jigglypuff (or whatever corporeal, hug-friendly partner you might have) can go a long way towards feeling safe and secure.

#pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #pokemon #unreality #real pokemon #rotomblr #poketherapist vanilla #high stakes pokereality

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Another update about Darling Dolly the Darumaka.

She’s been in good spirits for the most part; eating well, sleeping well, and covering my home in soot very well!

Still no vocalizations though… and embarrassing as it is to take this long, I think I finally have a theory. I believe Dolly may be fully deaf, as well as mute!

I’ve noticed several instances where I’ve called out to her and got no response; that much is expected since she isn’t familiar with me yet, but unlike my other Pokémon, she also doesn’t react to the sound of food being prepared, Fidough being an absolute menace towards the mailperson, or even the sound of a Soothe Bell or other items being shaken directly behind her. Planning to confirm with an appointment later this week with Nurse Joy, but for now, it seems like deafness would be the leading explanation.

She seems to get through her life fine with other sensory cues such as vibrations through the air and floor and visual cues, so I’m planning to incorporate some more visual communication into our bonding, and more cues visually for when things like dinner time are approaching, so she can form a routine comfortably. I’m also looking into how to teach sign language to Pokémon—something I hadn’t considered before now, but luckily seems to be possible, at least on a basic level, according to recent studies!

It’s strange to approach my own bias in this case too: I keep wondering how I’m supposed to communicate with a Pokémon who can’t hear me, and a Pokémon whose own voice I can’t hear, but it’s also important to remember that she is living her own full, varied life even without sound being a part of it! I hope to learn more about her world as time progresses so I can be a better part of it too.

(And hopefully start stepping more forcefully, so I don’t scare her every time I walk into her field of view. Sorry, Dolly.)

#pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblr #unreality #pokemon #rotomblr #real pokemon #dolly the darumaka #poketherapist vanilla #ooc: author is not deaf #ooc: basing this on care guides for deaf pets