#pr-d

Durant is one of those tricky cases where the biggest problem you’ll come up against is space. If one is able to accommodate a durant’s needs, and is willing to take on the physical danger they pose, they could make it work, but I can’t recommend one of these pokémon to just anyone.

Durants’ own size isn’t really the problem here, though it can be startling to those who don’t expect it. These pokémon stand at a foot tall and weigh over seventy-two pounds, quite a hefty weight compared to their size which can be attributed to their steel armor. Usually, this is where I would comment on a pokémon’s ability to move around inside a human home, but in this case keeping a Durant inside your home is ill-advised: you will need to provide them with a space to make their own home. This comes with its own critical problems, which we’ll get into more later.

We don’t have any indication that durants get along with anything other than fellow durants. These pokémon live in communal colonies, working together to drive away natural predators like heatmor or sandacondas (Black, Black2/White2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sword, Shield). Within a durant colony, individuals take on different roles (Black2/White2, X, Omega Ruby) in order to protect the nest. Adopting a durant requires adopting more than one, I’d wager, in order to maintain their social needs. It will also require distance; approaching a durant nest is a bad idea, especially considering how formidable these pokémon are.

Durants have powerful mandibles, which can use moves like Fury Cutter, Vise Grip, X-Scissor, and Guillotine to chomp with enough power to crunch through rock (Shield). A swarm of durants, all working together, could easily prove lethal to a human, so approach a nest with great care.

And speaking of the nest: considering this pokémon’s size, their habitat will need to be pretty huge. Wild durants construct nests in mountains, forming “complicated, interconnected tunnels” (White). They hide their eggs deep in the earth in order to protect them (Sword). Providing a colony of durants the space they need will require you to have access to a lot of land, a resource that is not available to a lot of owners.Keeping them in your home runs the risk of them claiming it as their nest and forcing you out, causing immense damage to the structure by digging through it.

This one hurts, it really does. Despite how cute and unassuming sandshrews are, I cannot recommend one as a pet to most owners due to the particular environment they need to thrive in and the destructive potential of their move pool. It’s a tragedy, but a sandshrew should only be taken on by an owner who not only has intense dedication to doing so, but has the resources to keep them happy and healthy.

To start off on a positive note, these little guys are the perfect size to be a house pet at just two feet tall and under thirty pounds. There isn’t much in the pokédex that indicates that sandshrews have an antisocial or hostile personality, though it also doesn’t confirm the contrary. Where problems come in is where wild sandshrews spend their time, and how difficult this would be to accommodate in the home.

Wild sandshrews live almost exclusively in arid, sandy environments due to their hatred of water, which causes their skin to wrinkle uncomfortably (Red/Blue, Yellow, Silver, Crystal, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Ultra Moon). They have evolved to survive by conserving water, meaning that they require very little (Ruby, Omega Ruby), presumably surviving off of dew that gathers on their dry bodies during the night (Yellow). They make their homes in sandy environments for many reasons. For one, they can use their claws to dig burrows in the sand to keep them safe when they rest, which is most of the time when they aren’t actively hunting for food (Red/Blue, Silver, Crystal, Shield). Sandshrews also love to take sand baths, keeping them clean and, most importantly, dry (Sword).

In order to mimic this natural environment for a pet sandshrew, you would have to provide them with a sand pit with enough depth to satisfy their burrowing instincts and that is dry enough to keep them comfortable. Even if you are able to accommodate for this need, keeping your sandshrew from burrowing beyond your home and getting lost would be a headache of its own. Despite the small size of their claws, sandshrews are powerful diggers, able to scatter hard stones in their way to burrow where they wish (Shield). All in all, creating the right environment for a sandshrew to be happy, healthy, and safe is more of a task for a wildlife professional than the average pet-owner.

And none of this is to speak of how dangerous these pokémon can be in a pinch. While its true that sandshrew are much more likely to protect themselves or flee if trouble comes their way—something they are quite adept to with their ability to role up, bounce, and roll their way out of trouble (Gold, Silver, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald)—their ability to use the home-destroying move Earthquake, the Poison-Type move Poison Sting, and a variety of claw-based attacks makes them a bit of a liability nonetheless. While I’m sure that these behaviors could be trained, they must be taken into consideration alongside the intense environmental needs this pokémon has.

How about zamazenta?

Like many legendary pokémon, there isn’t much objective information about Zamazenta, which makes them a little bit of a puzzle to assess. It seems to me that they wouldn’t be the best choice for a house pet, though it would be an honor to befriend them.

I suppose it’s not a surprise, given their size alone, that they aren’t receiving a glowing grade. Zamazenta stands at a towering nine-and-a-half feet tall! This would make it difficult for them to get through doorways, let alone stand at full height in many rooms! If they are equipped with their signature shield, they would likely be too wide as well! While wearing their shield balloons Zamazenta’s weight to almost two tons, their normal weight of over four hundred and fifty pounds is going to make them a pretty unwieldy house pet. Getting Zamazenta around is not going to be easy, and their size makes their move set just the more dangerous.

Given their status as a legendary defender of the Galar region, Zamazenta is, to put it lightly, quite dangerous. Considering their size and weight, their signature Behemoth Bash is enough to raise everyone’s eyebrows. This is a pokémon that once went toe-to-toe with Eternatus, so it’s needless to say that they’re a bit too powerful to keep as a house pet.

And that’s assuming that they would want to be your pet in the first place. As we always must keep in mind with legendary pokémon, there is only one Zamazenta. They are a mighty warrior, once feared and respected by all the people of the Galar Region aeons ago (Shield - Hero of Many Battles, Sword - Crowned Shield, Shield - Crowned Shield). While they are known to work well with humans (Sword - Hero of Many Battles), they may simply have duties too important for domestic life. Adopting the one Zamazenta in the world would require traveling to Galar and taking away one of its protectors, something Zamazenta might not even want to do.

It’s been a while since I’ve covered an Ultra Beast! These one’s are tricky: we know so little about them, since researchers have had such little contact with them. Their biology and behavior is often so… well… alien that they are difficult to assess. Considering their general aggression in our dimension, I would wager that a pheramosa would not make the best pet.

Pheramosas stand at just under six feet tall, though I doubt that they would have much trouble navigating a home considering that they are roughly the shape of a human. While they only weigh fifty-five pounds, this height will make them a little difficult to transport, though taking them on errands to the vet or a groomer or whatnot might be futile anyway given their alien biology. The pokédex isn’t able to give us much information about their ideal habitat: while pheramosas are a common pokémon in their homeworld, Ultra Desert (Ultra Moon), we don’t know a whole lot about it as humans have only travelled there on extremely rare occasions. Its arid, rocky environment might dictate that a pheramosa would be more comfortable in drier environments, but I can’t say for sure. We do know, however, that they feel uncomfortable with a perceived “uncleanliness” in our world (Moon), which I’ll get into more later.

What I can say for sure is that pheramosas don’t have a good temperament for living alongside humans. The pokédex refers to this pokémon as a danger in our world (Sun, Ultra Moon), due to their aggression upon traveling here through an Ultra Wormhole. While pheramosas aren’t the “nstantly vaporized you” type of dangerous, they still pose a serious threat. Despite their thin appearance, pheramosas aren’t incredibly strong (Ultra Sun) and can move about “at terrific speeds” (Sun), using kicking moves like Low Kick, Double Kick, Triple Kick, and High Jump Kick to brutalize their opponants. Being attacked by a pheramosa is no joke: there’s a reason why the authorities are so keen to get them under control when they make their way to our world! I wouldn’t count on being able to train a pheramosa very effectively, given their discomfort with our world, so I’m not sure if there is a way to get around how dangerous these pokémon are.

Well, this one is certainly a mixed bag. While, like other eeveelutions, glaceons are quite friendly, their unique biology presents some peculiar concerns about keeping one as a house pet. While some owners will certainly be able to handle a glaceon, I can’t say that they would be the perfect fit in every case.

Thankfully, with a size that doesn’t exceed that of a pretty average sized dog, glaceons are far from too big to ever live in a home. If you live in a smaller space, a glaceon might not be your ideal option, but said cases are probably few and far between. Despite their icy appearance, the pokédex actually doesn’t indicate that glaceons need to live in a cold environment to be comfortable. Rather, this pokémon runs cold, to say the least: glaceons can lower their body temperature to as low as -75 degrees Fahrenheit (Sun, Ultra Sun). You might not need to keep your home freezing for a glaceon, but you can count on them making your home freezing for you, for better or for worse.

Glaceon’s body temperature is so low, they can instantly freeze the moisture in the air around them, which could leave your home fillies with a flurry of ice and snow (Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver). This can cause needle-like ice to form on their fur, which they use to attack their prey both with physical contact and at a range (Diamond/Pearl, Black 2/White 2, Moon, Ultra Moon). It probably goes without saying that this is all going to be a bit too much for some owners.

-75 degrees is well below temperatures that are dangerous for human skin, meaning that contact with a glaceon could result in frostbite. That’s without even mentioning moves like Freeze-Dry and Blizzard have the ability to freeze someone or something solid from a distance. As active predators, one can assume that glaceons would need to engage in a lot of active play: without very special training, their icy instincts could cause you and your home a lot of harm.

Ok. So. When it comes to a blastoise, what you get is basically what you see: this is essentially a giant turtle with deadly water cannons on their back. They’re not the best option for most owners, though I must admit that we actually have surprisingly little information about their behavior or environmental needs. Let’s get into it.

Like I said, these pokémon are pretty huge. Blastoises stand at over five feet tall, which given their width makes them an ill-fit for confined spaces. While a blastoise might not have quite as hard a time getting around inside a home than a venusaur, I still think they may not be able to fit through most doorways. Add onto that a weigh of one hundred and eighty-eight pounds, and you have a pokémon that is simply an unreasonable challenge to get around. This isn’t an immediate deal-breaker, of course! Unlike charizards, blastoises aren’t liable to fly away, so making a safe and comfortable space for them outdoors is possible. While blastoises are Water-Type pokémon, the pokédex doesn’t indicate that they need an aquatic environment to thrive, so accommodating them shouldn’t be too difficult. The real problem here is just how dangerous these pokémon are.

Blastoises are undeniably evolved for combat. Those cannons on their back are capable of blasting out water with force “capable of punching holes through thick steel” (Red/Blue, Yellow, Silver, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, SoulSilver, Black/White, Black2/White2, Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, Shield, BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl). These blasts of water make moves like Water Gun and Hydro Pump easily lethal to humans in the wrong circumstances. These water blasts are wildly accurate, as well: a blastoise can hit a target as small as a tin can from as far away as And it doesn’t end there. These pokémons’ shells do more than just protect them from attacks (FireRed, X, Sword, Legends: Z-A) and provide the weight they need to withstand the recoil of their cannon (Gold, HeartGold, Scarlet): they also can be used to crush opponents with rocket-speed tackles (FireRed, LeafGreen, X, Y, Sword, Violet, Legends: Z-A). Essentially, adopting a blastoise means adopting a tank.

There’s a silver-lining though… kinda. As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, we have to give blastoises a little leeway on the danger level due to their apparent friendliness towards humans and positive reception towards training as a common first partner pokémon. The pokédex doesn’t indicate that these pokémon are particularly aggressive or that they seek out combat like charizards, though it does describe them as “brutal” (Red/Blue). I would say that, despite the easily apparent danger they pose to humans, it isn’t altogether impossible to train a blastoise to be a good, if large pet. In general though, I would posit that blastoises are another pokémon that might be best left to pokémon trainers rather than your typical pet owner.

I sound like a broken record by this point in the day, but I must recommend this species’ pre-evolution, squirtle, instead. They are a much more manageable size, all while maintaining the lack of difficult-to-accommodate environmental needs and the friendliness of a first partner pokémon.

The squirtle post: https://www.tumblr.com/would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend/726646464455000064/would-a-squirtle-be-a-good-pet?source=share

Taking care of a gastly as a pet would not be, if you’ll excuse the pun, a gas. Like many Ghost-Type pokémon, gastlies are mischievous on their good days, and their intangible forms make them a bit of a headache to manage. And none of that is to mention that they’re, well, toxic. While gastlies are far from the worst pet candidates I’ve covered, I can’t really recommend them.

To begin with, unless you’ve seen a gastly before, I’d guess that they’re a bit bigger than you imagine. Their gaseous forms average out at just over four feet tall. Now, space isn’t too much of an issue for a gastly, but it would be for you. Since their bodies are made up almost entirely of gas, gastlies can fit in pretty much any space (Yellow, Ruby/Sapphire, Diamond). However, said gaseous forms average is quite dangerous to humans: prolonged contact with a gastly’s gaseous form can induce sudden unconsciousness, poisoning through the skin, and even suffocation (Red/Blue, Silver, Crystal)! I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people would not experience good outcomes by welcoming in a four foot cloud of poison and suffocation into their home.

Even if you try to plan for this by designating specific spaces for your gastly to spend their time in, you’re most likely going to be out of luck: due to their immaterial forms, gastlies can get in and out of pretty much wherever they please (Gold). Now, you probably needn’t worry about a gastly leaving your home, as they tend to stay indoors to remain safe from the wind (Yellow, Gold, Ruby/Sapphire), but inside the house is always gonna be a risk. Now, we don’t have any specific evidence of anti-social behavior with this species (in fact, they get along great with each other [Ruby/Sapphire]), but vague references to “prey” in the pokédex does raise some concerns, especially when their evolution, haunter, is known to hunt humans.

Besides the suffocation and poisoning risk, gastlies are quite formidable and dangerous, capable of confounding you with Hypnosis and Confusion and causing bodily injury with Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball. Not that they need any of this, of course, as you can imagine they just have to sort of envelop you to knock you out or suffocate you.

While dragonites do score a D rank, you do have good instinct in pointing out that size is the biggest issue here. Although, their sheer power is certainly something to keep an eye on.

Dragonites are pretty big, needless to say. At seven feet tall, it certainly wouldn’t be impossible to keep a dragonite in your home (there’s human beings that tall, after all). But space isn’t the only issue when you get into a pokémon species this large: think about the food costs, the bed, the transportation, etc. They’re quite heavy too, at over 450 pounds! This size increases the their threat level significantly.

Thankfully, as you pointed out, dragonites are big orange softies. They are described in the pokédex as “kindhearted” (Ruby/Sapphire) and are known to fly over the sea to rescue people from drowning (Gold). That being said, very few humans have interacted with this species (Red/Blue, LeafGreen). They are theorized to live on an isolated island out at sea populated only by dragonites (Yellow, Crystal). At the very least, dragonites are not very used to living among humans Unfortunately, these pokémon are said to be as intelligent as humans (Red/Blue). This brings up some really difficult ethical questions about if it would be just to keep one as a pet in the same way that it would be unjust to keep a human as a pet. Perhaps they should be left to their own agency.

As previously mentioned, dragonites are immensely powerful pokémon. Despite their large build and relatively small wings, they can fly at pretty incomprehensible speeds. The pokédex claims that dragonites are capable of flying around the globe in just 16 hours (Emerald). Doing some pretty simple math, this means that dragonites could fly as fast as 1,556 miles per hour. While we must acknowledge that this is a vast oversimplification, because it is much more likely that it takes them some flight time to build up this speed, it is an indication of unbelievable strength that makes moves like Extreme Speed and Slam even more dangerous. Then you add in moves like Thunder Punch and Fire Punch, which present significant hazards, or high damage moves like Hurricane and Hyper Beam, and you have a pokémon with a truly startling ability to cause destruction. All that being said, they are usually quite calm. They are not, however, completely above having bad days: as the pokédex puts it, “incur the wrath of this… pokémon at your peril, because it will smash everything to smithereens before it’s satisfied” (Moon).