#pr-c

As a big fan of this pokémon myself, it gives me no joy to report that a wooper might not be the best pet for a lot of potential owners, all due to a mix of their environmental needs, biology, and potentially dangerous abilities. But…. I mean…. They’re so cute….

At just over a foot tall and weighing less than twenty pounds, a wooper is the perfect size to be a house pet. As for whether you would want to keep one inside, well… it might not be ideal. Wild woopers make their homes in cold, muddy waters, emerging only to look for food when the temperatures are cold enough for them (Gold, Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald, LeafGreen, Diamond, Pearl, HeartGold, X, Y, OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire, Sword, BrilliantDiamond, ShiningPearl). Providing and maintaining such a habitat for a wooper may be beyond the means of a lot of owners. This isn’t a situation that we’ve seen with a lot of other Water-Type pokémon, where one could utilize a multi-use space, like a pool, to accommodate them: wooper’s needs for low temperatures and plenty of mud makes their habitat requirements a bit more specific. This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker or anything, but it is something that may make them an ill-fit for some.

The other issue that comes up with woopers is that touching one barehanded can have detrimental effects. When woopers emerge from their underwater homes, they coat their bodies in a transparent, toxic film in order to protect their skin from dehydration (Silver, Crystal, Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, Platinum, SoulSilver, Black/White, Black2/White2, OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire, Shield, Scarlet, Violet). This film does not seem to be toxic to a deadly level, but it can cause numbness and shooting pains (Crystal, Scarlet), meaning that it is highly recommended that a wooper only be handled with protective gear. This is less than ideal for anyone looking for a cuddly pet: woopers only really come out of the water at night, and when they do you should not handle them without taking careful precautions.

When it comes to their moves, there aren’t many that raise concern, but those that do are a pretty big deal. For on,e you have Toxic; while the membrane on a wooper’s skin may only cause numbness, they are capable of causing some more serious poisoning at a range. Then there’s Earthquake, which has been discussed at some length on this blog before: this 100% accurate, high damage move could cause some serious damage to structures, making it a threat to any human homes around them. While woopers don’t appear to be particularly aggressive or anything, these moves cause a lot of concern.

Castforms are bizarre Pokémon, which naturally makes this a bit of a complicated case. Generally speaking, a Castform would make an interesting, fairly manageable pet for most owners, and they would get a much higher score if not for their surprisingly robust abilities that pose a bit of a threat to humans in a domestic environment.

Size, naturally, is not the issue here. At just a foot tall and weighing less than two pounds, I’d say there aren’t really many owners out there who wouldn’t be able to manage a castform in their home. Castforms don’t appear to be too picky about their environment either; this is especially true considering their natural adaptability to different climates and weather conditions.

Castforms have a unique ability to involuntarily shift between four different forms on a cellular level, all dependent on the climate conditions around them (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed/LeafGreen, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver, Black/White, Black2/White2, X, Y, OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire, Sun - Normal, Moon - Normal, Ultra Sun - Normal, Ultra Moon - Normal, BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl). This brings changes to their physical condition, while also having a distinct effect on their disposition (Sapphire, AlphaSapphire). While the pokédex doesn’t give us much information about the changes in mood that a castform’s transformation comes with, it does give us some details about just how much these forms differ beyond how they look.

A castform’s Sunny Form, for example, is said to be surprisingly warm, though not in a necessarily dangerous way (Sun - Sunny Form, Moon - Sunny Form, Ultra Moon - Sunny Form). Their Rainy Form, by contrast, is slippery and filled with water like a sponge (Sun - Rainy Form, Moon - Rainy Form, Ultra Sun - Rainy Form)! Neither of these forms poses a physical threat, but the same cannot be said about their Snowy Form! In this form, castforms are smooth and cold to the touch, reaching surface temperatures as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit (Sun - Snowy Form, Moon - Snowy Form, Ultra Moon - Snowy Form), easily cold enough to cause frostbite if you touch them for too long with bare hands! Caring for a castform may not be the most difficult thing in the world, for your own safety you must be aware of what forms you can and cannot touch them in. This means that castforms are not a good fit for home with young children or other pokémon.

The real issue with this pokémon, in fact, has little to do with their transformations. Regardless of their current form, a castform can use some wickedly powerful elementally-based moves, including Hydro Pump, Fire Blast, Blizzard, and Hurricane, each of which can cause a significant danger to humans and our structures. This could, of course, be somewhat mitigated by training, but we don’t have an adundance of information about just how receptive these pokémon are to behavioral interventions.

Oof, here’s a big one. And of course, it has to be a complicated one as well! I’ll get into it more, but to put it shortly: a lucario may make an excellent companion in the right conditions, and for the right owner, but they may not be the best choice for everybody.

While they may be larger than most house pets, lucarios are smaller than most people would assume before seeing one in a home environment. At just under four feet tall and nearly one hundred and twenty pounds, a lucario won’t have too much of a problem getting around inside a home, but they won’t be the easiest pet in the world to transport. The average person won’t be able to carry one around for long! Getting a lucario around without the use of a pokéball won’t be easy, but with the intensive training we’ll discuss shortly this may become less of a concern.

As far as temperament goes, lucarios get along well with humans they trust. You see, lucarios possess a powerful ability to sense the emotional auras of those around them, even at great distances (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black/White, Black2/White2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Moon, Ultra Moon, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Violet, Legends: Z-A). They are known to trust and get along well with humans that they can detect as having “justice in their hearts” (Shield), so as long as you have good intentions you should be able to get along with a lucario just fine. They are also capable of understanding human speech, making bonds between them and humans all the more strong (Diamond, Brilliant Diamond). All of this is good, because goodness are these pokémon dangerous.

Capable of unleashing a stunning variety of Fighting Type moves, along with formidable Steel Type moves like Steel Claw and Meteor Mash, lucarios could easily cause great harm to anyone they come into combat with. Additionally, they are said to be able to channel the auras they sense into powerful blows of energy capable of crushing “boulders of large size to dust” (Ultra Sun, Sword), something which could easily prove lethal. Sure, lucarios get along well enough with humans, but accidents happen, especially when we’re talking about a pokémon with hunting instincts (Moon, Sword) that will need enrichment outlets to channel their energy.

All of this, hopefully, could be mitigated through thorough, professional training. As you mentioned in your request, lucarios would indeed make excellent emotional or medical support pokémon! Their ability to detect minute changes in emotion or physical condition, along with their ability to understand human speech, would make them well suited for this roll. As with all support animals or pokémon, however, these lucarios would need to, when possible, be trained by a professional trainer in order to fully mirage risks and to select individual lucarios who are the best suited for such an important role. A support lucario will need to be patient and laid-back, and will need to be taught solid emotional self-regulation techniques in order to maintain their own health: these pokémons’ aura sensing abilities can leave them vulnerable to anxiety and stress (Ultra Moon). The right lucario, however, could make a perfect support companion.

While I may not be able to recommend a lucario to just any owner, especially one who isn’t experienced in training this species, due to their danger-level, there are support roles that they would be perfect for with the proper preparation. For the average owner, however, I would recommend considering a riolu instead. These smaller pokémon require a quite active lifestyle, they’re lower danger risk and smaller size makes them a more ideal candidate.

The Riolu Post: https://www.tumblr.com/would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend/796027996117106688/hihi-could-you-perhaps-do-riolu-3?source=share

Rounding out the simi- trio and sitting right between the others as far as score goes, we have simipour, which is a bit of a mixed bag. While these pokémon appear quite friendly, their destructive abilities make them a bit of a difficult pet to care for.

Size, just like in the case of simisage and simisear, isn’t really a problem here. Simipours stand at just over three feet tall and weigh less than sixty-five pounds. While this may make them larger than most conventional pets, I wouldn’t worry that they would be too difficult to accommodate or transport when it comes to size and weight. Like I said earlier, these pokémon seem friendly enough with no indication of aggression towards humans in their pokédex entires. Unfortunately, however, I have to treat this as inconclusive: the lack of an indication is not necessarily a lack of concern. And boy, could these pokémon pack a deadly punch the wrong situation! But we’ll get into that more a little later.

Creating the right environment for a simipour appears pretty straightforward at first. These pokémon store water in the tuft on their heads, meaning that they require access to clean, fresh water to replenish it whenever needed (Black, Black2/White2, Y, AlphaSapphire, Legends: Z-A). So far, so good: this shouldn’t be too hard for most owners to accommodate. But what do these pokémon use this water for? Well, simipours are capable of launching water from their tail with enough pressure to “destroy a concrete wall” (White, X, OmegaRuby)! The pokédex doesn’t tell us exactly what this behavior is for. One could assume that it is primarily a means of self-defense, but there is no way to know that it isn’t a playful, not-necessarily aggressive one instead. Either way, upkeeping the integrity of the structure of your home will be a little difficult if your pet can blast a hole in the wall whenever they want to. And that’s not even to speak of just how dangerous this water pressure makes their moves!

Simipours use a lot of Water-Type moves that, in many cases, aren’t particularly alarming. The sheer power of this particular species’ water expulsion, however, makes moves like Water Gun and Hydro Pump ginormous hazards for both living throngs and structures alike. While simipours may not be the most outwardly aggressive or ginormous pokémon, the danger they pose to their neighbors and environment makes them an ill-fit for living among humans as a pet. I have no doubt that a particularly motivated owner could find ways to handle one of these pokémon, and I’m sure that more research into this pokémon’s behavior could ease my concerns a bit, but working with what we have does not paint a good picture. While I have not covered panpour on this blog yet, I would be willing to wager that they would be a much safer pick than a simipour, simisear, or simisage.

The Simisage Post: https://www.tumblr.com/would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend/796210881086324736/would-simisage-be-a-good-pet-i-feel-like-the?source=share

The Simisear Post: https://www.tumblr.com/would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend/808896515783442432/simisear-i-love-the-fluffy-monkey?source=share

Unfortunately, as absolutely adorable as I find this pokémon, a politoed would not make the best pet for every owner, primarily due to their noise, social needs, and powerful moveset. That being said, the right person could certainly make it work.

Politoeds stand at just over three-and-a-half feet tall and weigh just under seventy-five pounds, putting them on the heavier side of things when it comes to a house pet but not necessarily disqualifying them in this regard. While one might expect this species, being Water-Type, to require a sizable aquatic habitat to thrive, the pokédex actually makes little mention of this. One entry refers to politoeds gathering on the shores of lakes at nightfall (Sword), but otherwise there isn’t any indication that this pokémon’s need for water will outpace the abilities of the average owner. I would still recommend providing them with a pool of some sort to stay hydrated, but I’m not saying that you need to live on a lakefront property or anything. Their other behaviors, however, may be more difficult to manage.

Politoeds are social pokémon, in a particular way that makes them rather impractical to living in a domestic environment. While they are known to compete for dominance amongst a group of politoeds by impressing their peers with their adorable hair (Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald, OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire, Ultra Moon), they do tend to get along and thrive when amongst other politoeds. In fact, they naturally for territorial bonds among a group of leading politoeds, who together croak a call that both attracts and commands poliwags and poliwhirls (Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed/LeafGreen, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver, Black/White, Black2/White2, X, Y, Moon, Sword, BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl, Scarlet, Violet). This is a problem for three reasons. First of all, any pokémon that thrives best amongst its peers is going to be a bigger ask when it comes to adoption: for a politoed to be as happy as they can be, you may need adopt multiple for them to establish a territory with. Secondly, their ability to attract poliwags and poliwhirls from “far and wide” is only going to add to this problem, and may result in the accidental abduction of someone else’s pet! Finally, there’s the sound. Now, to some, like a notable composer in the Alola Region, the call of a politoed may be an acquired taste (Ultra Sun), most find it to be abrasive, sounding like angry bellowing or screaming (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, X, Sun, Ultra Sun, Sword). This problem is even more pronounced when it comes to male politoeds, who tend to have louder voices and compete for the attention of females by making theirs as “menacing” as possible (Shield). You will not be a popular neighbor with a pet politoed, to say the least.

And then there’s their moves. While politoeds aren’t known to be particularly aggressive towards humans, they can use a startling number of particular moves that give me pause. From Hypnosis, which can cause a human to fall asleep at a moment’s notice (quite dangerous in the wrong context), to Earth Power, which can cause serious bodily and structural damage, politoeds are not a threat to be ignored. While this doesn’t impact their score as much as their behavior due to their relatively passive, nonviolent nature, it is something we must consider.

I very much debated doing a little twist on the “basically just a cat” rating for persian with a “basically just a mountain lion/cougar/puma,” because that is essentially what we’re working with here. Adopting a persian is not necessarily an impossible task, but I would say its very much not something I can reasonably recommend. This is a pet for bosses of crime organizations, not the average pet owner, unfortunately.

First off, as always, let’s talk about size. Persians stand at a little over three feet tall and weigh seventy-and-a-half pounds, putting them at around the same height but at a much lower weight than your average aforementioned mountain lion/cougar/puma. Given their agility and lack of particular environmental needs, this size doesn’t necessarily make them incomparable with living in a home, though transporting them could certainly be an issue. This is especially true if they are not interested in going where you want to go, as they can be quite stubborn and mean.

Persians are prideful, mean, barbaric, vicious, and violent (Red/Blue, Yellow, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Black, White, Black2/White2, X, Sun, Moon, Sword, BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl). They are notoriously difficult to befriend due to this fickle, violent personality, even to the point of (in a very rare occurrence) the pokédex directly stating that they are “tough to raise as a pet” (Red/Blue, LeafGreen, X, Moon, Sword, Scarlet). If you’re looking for a cuddly companion, you’re looking in the wrong place. And that’s all before we talk about just how violent and dangerous persians can be!

These pokémon are known to lash out on a whim, even from provocation as light as eye-contact (Gold, Crystal, HeartGold, Sun, Sword, Legends: Z-A). They are exceptionally fast attackers (Silver, SoulSilver, Y), using moves like Bite, Slash, and Fury Swipes to “inflict deep wounds” (Sun). While one can somewhat anticipate a persian attack by keeping on eye on their tail, which straightens before a pounce (FireRed, Violet), these violent tendencies make them essentially incomparable with living in a home. They can be calmed by grabbing their whiskers, normally used to detect prey (Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald), but I would be willing to bet that this is uncomfortable or even distressing for them, like scruffing a cat, so I can’t recommend it.

Overall, due to their violent tendencies, I would say that persians simply aren’t well suited for being pets, though they can make good partners for pokémon trainers who can channel their aggression safely through pokémon battles. I would recommend looking at any one of the “basically just a cat”’s that I’ve covered instead, including their pre-evolution meowth.

The meowth post: https://www.tumblr.com/would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend/766083072225656832/lets-do-the-og-cat-do-you-think-meowth-would-be?source=share

[While I’ve covered rowlet before, I haven’t done either of its evolutions! Since you mentioned them directly, I thought I might as well jump to decidueye (the alolan variant, to be precise)] While this probably doesn’t come as too extreme a surprise, but this Grass- and Ghost-Type pokémon would not make the best pet for every owner. But boy are they cool. I love decidueyes.

Standing at over five feet tall and weighing just over eight pounds, decidueyes certainly push the limits of size when it comes to house pets, but I can’t say that it necessarily disqualifies them in whole. While decidueyes are capable of flight, the pokédex doesn’t give us any information about migratory habits or a need of wide open space to stretch their wings, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to live somewhere with such space to keep them comfortable. Otherwise, there aren’t any particular habitat needs to account for here.

No, the real problem with decidueyes comes from just how dangerous they are. Decidueyes are fantastically skilled marksmen, firing arrow-like feathers from their wings with such accuracy, they have been said to never miss (Sun, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Sword, Shield, Scarlet, Violet). These feather arrows’ power comes from their precision and speed. Decidueyes are capable of piercing a target as small as a pebble from as far as a hundred yards (Sun, Scarlet). By pulling the vines on their hoods, they can increase their accuracy even more by narrowing their view (Ultra Sun, Violet), allowing them to keenly strike at any target’s weakest points (Shield). They make these shots in as fast as a tenth of a second (Ultra Moon), faster than their targets can react (Shield). These skills make moves like Leaf Storm and Razor leaf quite dangerous, and that isn’t even to speak of their Ghost-Type moves like Spirit Shackle, which inflicts harm while keeping the target from escaping. This isn’t a pokémon to mess around with, which ends up reflected in their final score.

On the bright side, their role as first partner pokémon in regions across the world mitigates this somewhat, indicating that these pokémon get along well with humans and are receptive to training. However, I am still particularly concerned about accidents; while they usually carry themselves appearing “cool and cautious,” decidueyes are known to panic suddenly if met by a surprise (Moon). Given their deadly speed and precision, this means that a startled decidueye is quite a danger. This risk makes this species a hard sell for a house pet.

While caring for a decidueye is far from impossible given their successful integration as first partner pokémon in multiple regions, their large size and formidable abilities makes them too great a risk for me to recommend to every potential owner. Once would be far better suited going with a rowlet instead.

The Rowlet Post: https://www.tumblr.com/would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend/768776970189389824/would-decidueye-or-rowlet-be-good-pets-i-love

Despite the fact that we don’t have very much information about this pokémon, this is still a complicated case. In many ways, a togekiss would be a lovely pet, but their size and rarity makes them an impractical option for many owners. If you can find and accommodate one, a togekiss could be a good companion, but it’s really up to your personal context. This one is not a happy one, despite the cheery nature of this poke2mon, so beware of that before reading on! Let’s get right to it.

Like I said, this pokémon is certainly going to be too large for many owners. While they weigh in at less than eighty four pounds, they stand at an impressive four feet and eleven inches, with an unspecified wingspan that seems to exceed that. As aerial pokémon, togekiss need plenty of space to move around, which is certainly going to be beyond the means of ownership living in more urban, tight environments. Aside from space, they don’t have any particular environmental needs to account for.

Togekiss are kind-hearted, generous pokémon, who have a long history of getting along will with the right humans. This is great news: considering this pokémon’s rather formidable abilities, including hard-hitting moves like Aura Sphere, Extreme Speed, and Tri-Attack, their affinity for humans makes the chances of an attack very low. Togekiss are known to bring with them blessings and gifts to humans (Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver, Black/White, Black2/White2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Shield, BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl), no doubt including the healing abilities of moves like Life Dew. There’s a reason these pokémon have come to be seen as symbols of good luck (Shield)! However, togekiss are only said to visit peaceful regions, free of strife, making them increasingly rare to see in the wild (Diamond/Pearl, HeartGold/SoulSilver, X, Omega Ruby, Sword, BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl). In the past, according to records from the early surveying of the Sinnoh Region, there have been entire periods where few living people had ever seen one in-person (Legends: Arceus). Anywhere where peoples’ rights are not being respected, a togekiss is unlikely to appear (Platinum, Black/White, Black2/White2, Y, Alpha Sapphire), ruling out appearances in many places of the world today.