Hey, everyone! Lumi here, bringing another chapter of Science from a Pokemon. We don't have a full paper today, but something different this time. Over the holidays, Ta-Ni took a risk and polled a bunch of people at the park playing Pokemon GO, and compiled a quick FAQ of their questions and answers. Just something to tide people over until our next paper is ready. Enjoy!
Are Pokémon dangerous to humans?
I'll let my primary Legendary contact answer this one.
"Pokémon won't be a threat to most normal humans unless you're foolish enough to invade their space or customs. You see, shortly after Arceus made humans, they and Pokémon co-existed in a similar manner that other species live: fighting over territory, hunting back and forth, and that sort of thing. However, humans couldn't quite measure up to the raw elemental power that Pokémon commanded, and they were slowly dying out. So, Arceus asked me to encode all Pokémon with an instinct against attacking humans; just enough to give them a fighting chance. I reluctantly agreed and vowed to apply it to all current (at the time) Pokémon, as well as future Pokémon. And it worked…for a time; natural depredation was still quite high. Then, I had an idea: what if I spread a rumor that those who attack humans unjustly receive divine punishment? Almost immediately, attacks on humans dropped significantly; those few who didn't heed the warning learned it wasn't a mere rumor. I won't say how they were punished, for that would ruin the surprise, but rest assured, it appropriately fits the crime. However, self-defense and territorial squabbles do not fall under this purview, so be careful with that."
Do people eat Pokémon? Or are there natural animals in the world?
Short answer, they used to. Both humans and Pokémon hunted each other, just as some Pokémon species hunted one another. However, when Pokémon were forbidden from attacking humans, things shifted heavily in favor of the humans. However, consuming the flesh of an elemental creature like Pokémon, especially when your own body cannot handle such energies, tends to cause unusual side effects to crop up. Even to this day, there are remnants of these effects in the human populace: superhuman strength, psychic powers, that sort of thing. When the overlord noticed this happening, they worked together with Mother Mew to create regular animals to stand in for Pokémon in day-to-day life: cows and goats for milk, deer and elk for venison, etc. This cut down on the predation of Pokémon right away since humans wouldn't need to endure Pokémon attacks to get food. Over the years, some Pokémon species went back to provide their services again, this time of their own will. A great example is miltank, the primary source of nutritious Moo Moo Milk. However, when the side effects began popping up again, they were immediately shunted to being Pokémon-only. Sadly, most of the natural animals living in the wild couldn't compete with their Pokémon counterparts, and so died out.
Are Latias and Latios siblings, or different genders of the same species?
The two Eon Pokémon were initially created to be opposite genders of the same species. One pair arrived in Altomere just in time for the town to be menaced by a giant tidal wave. The Latios sacrificed himself to stop the wave and save the town, turning into the Soul Dew, and as a result, the Latias chose to stay in Altomere to protect it. When the next generation of Latis was created in Altomere, the presence of the Soul Dew triggered a change resulting in the birth of twins; one of each. From that point on, the two Eon Pokémon who settled in Altomere were always siblings of each other.
What is inside a voltorb? Is it biological or mechanical?
It's difficult to tell exactly what's inside a voltorb or electrode, as you can't exactly dissect one without it exploding. However, testimony from a willing participant told me that it's a mixture of both. They can feed on berries and electricity, so they need internal systems for both purposes. Last of note is their combustion system, which is mechanical in nature, but refills after each explosion biologically.
When pichu evolves into pikachu, why do their ears get smaller, but their tails grow longer?
I'm planning to cover the overall effects of evolution in a proper submission, but for this specific example, pichu is more preyed upon than pkachu are, so they need better hearing to ensure their safety; hence the large ears. As for the tail growing, those of this line can channel ambient electrical charges from the air through their tails. However, pichu is less adept at channeling electricity in general, so they don't need a long tail for that purpose.
How does magikarp physically evolve into gyrados? How much of the legend is true?
I won't go into most of the mechanics of evolution, as I said above, but I will say that magikarps are far from the most drastic when they evolve. However, the myth of magikarps climbing a waterfall to become dragons is not completely unfounded. Personal accounts state that many of their species will attempt to climb waterfalls to prove they're strong enough to evolve, but it's not the action itself that triggers it. However, there was one witness to an evolution happening while a magikarp was climbing, which led to the story being spread.
That's all for this set of questions. Actually, why don't you post questions in your reviews, in preparation for the next FAQ? Ta-Ni and I will try to answer as many as we can, and will compile them later for your reading pleasure after a couple of full papers. Fair?
Anyway, please read and review, and may your Ice never melt!