Author: Rebecca Panks

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Rivalry – Part I (A Charmander Story)

Rebecca Panks1 Comment

A story by Christian Brumwell

Tears start to form at his eyes. He closes them and, for a second, almost seems to stop struggling. Image credit: @lebgar

Both lizards are hunched over, heads extended, eyes locked with each other. The brilliantly burning flames on the tips of the tails are angled in front of the body. The male lizard is mostly bright orange; the cream on his torso is covered in scratch marks and mild burns. The electric blue eyes are narrowed, fixed on the other lizard.

She’s different; her eyes are more focused with a tint of green, and her scaly skin from head to toe is a dazzling gold. There is a slight sparkle to her: even her flame seems brighter. Like her opponent, her eyes are unmoving. She flexes her feet; her claws crunch into the hot, dusty gravel.

He draws himself up to his full height, pulling back his tail. His eyes stretch out into a leer. Her arm twitches and her head drops for a split second. He moves to take a step forward just as she brings her head back up and utters a growl; he now takes a step back. The two Charmander are still locked at the eyes, about ten metres apart.

The silence presses in. The lizards remain motionless. The female’s arm twitches again: she lifts her other arm to scratch her neck and, finally, turns to move away from her orange opponent. Just as he starts to step forward again, she strikes. Turning with the speed of a Weavile, she spits a jet of golden flame. He drops his head again and allows the flame to hit him, keeping his eyes fixed forwards. As he absorbs the oncoming flames, the claws on her right arm extend, transforming from gold into a light, shiny grey.

As she readies her metal claw, his fangs start to extend with bright orange flames erupting from his gums. With the solid white daggers now fully extended from his mouth, entirely layered with orange fire, he flexes his claws and waits. As quickly as she fired her flamethrower, she lets up: they both charge at once.

Both Charmander are sprinting at each other the ferocity of Rhyhorn; metal claw and fire fang at the ready. They get to about five metres apart before they leap. Her arm is extended out above her head, while his head is reared forward, with his mouth wide open.

CRUNCH!  

Her metallic arm is caught in his mouth, while his fangs have pierced deep beneath her skin. She spasms; flinching from the depth of his bite. Pressing his advantage, he lets go, then extends his fangs again. This time the fire around them seems even more fierce. He bites again. Grey smoke starts to seep out of her twice bitten arm. She wails in pain and tries desperately to pull herself free. This time, he doesn’t stop biting, and his own claws on both arms extend into a scratch attack. He uses his claws to hook her arm into her place and continues to sink the fire fang deeper beneath her skin.

She continues to cry in pain, but the orange Charmander still keeps his jaws firmly on her arm. Her own fangs start to extend, layering themselves with the same type of golden flame that she spat at him earlier. His right eye travels up to see a fully formed fire fang.

CRUNCH!

This one is more sickening than the first. He has taken a critical hit from a fire fang to the back of the neck and, like she did after his first attack, he has spasmed into a flinch. Unlike him, she does not let go and bite again: instead, she pulls her arm out of his mouth, while forming her claws into a scratch attack. She hooks one arm onto his head, and another over his back to hold him, while continuing to press her fire fang into the back of his neck. His mouth is wide open, and his eyes are wide, yet he is not making a sound. He’s on all fours, desperately trying to pull away, but her fangs have got him locked into place.

Tears start to form at his eyes. He closes them and, for a second, almost seems to stop struggling. She slightly loosens her grip on his neck. Then the smoke erupts from his mouth, travelling up, engulfing the pair. Instinctively, she closes her eyes and pulls away.

She attempts to jog away from the brawl, but her left foot catches the back of her right foot, and she falls to the ground. Her throat is burning. She coughs hard, but more thick billowing smoke creeps in. For a while, all she can do is lie there, spluttering to try and work the smoke out of her system. Her right arm that took the fire fang from the male Charmander is twitching.

The ground beneath her seems to rumble. She lifts her head up, but keeps her mouth and eyes closed. Almost silence: there is only the light licks of her golden, shimmering flame, whispering to the humid, clouded air. She goes to stand, gingerly pushing herself up, but the rumble comes back. This time it’s more intense; like a mild earthquake. She starts to feel queasy and drops back to the floor, covering her head with her arms. She lies there cowering, but still the rumble continues, increasing with intensity with every passing second. She opens her mouth to cry out, still keeping her eyes firmly shut, with her arms covering her head.

The rumbling stops. Several small pebbles seem to have gone flying, not too far from where she lies. A couple of them bounce of the top of her head. Slowly, she lifts her head up and finally opens her eyes.

The smoke is a lot less thick; it now more resembles a thin cloud of dust. Something is moving along the ground.

This is part I, see part II here!

Generation #1 · Generation #1 (1-10) · Makes and Fun Spots

Signs of the Flame: How to Read Your Charmander’s Tail

Rebecca Panks1 Comment
Pokémon communication specialists have long researched these methods to try and find out how we can best talk to our Pokémon to support their well-being . Image Credit: Scottish LebUwU

Being social Pokémon in the wild, Charmander have developed a complex communication method using their tails. Two Charmander can speak effectively with each other when hunting without making a sound – though verbal communication is also a big part of Charmander life on the whole. Pokémon communication specialists have long researched these methods to try and find out how we can best talk to our Pokémon to support their well-being. This guide introduces nine of the ways you can read your Charmander’s tail to see his mood and health.

A relaxed tail with a medium flame (Top Left)

This is a happy/content tail. A healthy Charmander should be like this most of the time. However, remember that Pokémon have feelings – just like you and me – so just like you’re not always happy and content, neither is he. A happy Charmander may also play with their tails, either chasing them, dancing them or sometimes just giving them a gentle sway. They don’t call it a ‘happy medium’ for nothing – and this is the same for your Charmander’s flame. Not too large, not too small is just right.

To help make your Charmander happier, try encouraging him to partake in his favourite activities. Sometimes Charmander get depressed if they don’t have enough opportunities to hunt, for example. Or, perhaps your Charmander enjoys nightly strolls with you. Quality time is the perfect way to help cheer up your friend.

A relaxed tail with a large, roaring flame (Top Middle)

This is a very angry/I’m showing off my power tail. The two types should be easy to tell between.

A very angry Charmander may accompany tail movements with biting, snarling, a furrowed brow, scratching and crouching. Mature Charmander rarely get to this level of anger without cause, so make sure you stop whatever you are doing and have a time out. If it is an external factor that is causing the problem, remove your Charmander from the situation and perhaps talk it out with him when he begins to calm down.

If your Charmander is very young, he may not have received the right guidance from his pack as to the right and wrong times to get angry. In these cases, strong and sure guidance is essential so that your friend doesn’t develop behaviour problems later on. Get him to a Pokémon Breeder as soon as possible for advice as to whether he needs anger management or simple behaviour classes.

A Charmander who has boosted his flame to show off his power may be trying to look tough in front of an adversary or trying to look good in front of its mates (or you, its trainer). If this is infrequent, don’t worry about it, as it can be part of your Charmander’s everyday socialisation. If it happens too often, or if your Charmander starts ‘facing off’ against you, he may be feeling insecure in his ranking in a social group or unhappy with the intensiveness of your training.

A tail flicking from side to side (Top Right)

This is an annoyed tail, and one of the easiest ways to tell if your Charmander is uncomfortable with something. Don’t be confused with the happy-go-lucky dancing where the tail will flick around in different directions – the angry flicking will be flat and consistent: almost like a metronome. He could use this tail for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from not getting fed at his usual time to bickering with his siblings or frustrated after losing a battle. He may also use this movement to show he is hungry or tired.

This level of anger can usually be averted with a quick distraction. Try rubbing his head, having a chat, or suggesting he take a break.

A tail in front of the body with a medium to large flame (Middle Left)

This is a typical prepared-to-battle tail. You’ll get to know this very well if you are training your Charmander for the Pokémon league. It will usually be paired with a standing stance, a slightly bent knee and a toothy grin. This isn’t the only battle stance – your Charmander may adopt a unique one of his own – but it is the most common one I have seen. Your Charmander shouldn’t really be using this stance outside of battle, but sometimes it is incorporated into play between friends.

A tail arched over the back with a low flame (Middle Middle)

This is a crouching or hunting tail. You will see this when your Charmander is hunting prey such as rodents or small lizards. Charmander will often hunt in packs, so your Charmander may try to encourage you to hunt with him and get very frustrated when you scare away the prey. Perhaps team up with a Pokémon friend who can be a better hunting buddy.

An erect tail with a low flame (Middle Right)

This is a surprised or afraid tail. Ever seen your Charmander watching a scary movie and the monster jumps at the screen? When Charmander feels sudden fear, his muscles stiffen as part of the ‘fight or flight’ response. His tail follows suit, straightening along the length, while the flame dips so that the Charmander can either run without the flame getting in the way or he can flash the flame up in an intimidation display.

If your Charmander is slowly becoming more afraid (for example when watching a slow-burn horror film), you can sometimes notice the tail getting progressively straighter and the flame smaller.

A relaxed tail with a very large flame with specks of white at the core (Bottom Left)

This is an overpowered tail and a sign that Charmander is getting too many nutrients or too much food. A Charmander’s diet can be a little tough to manage as they have a tendency towards gluttony. Always portion your Charmander’s meals and never give in if he begs, as a Charmander’s belly is never full.

Getting too much food can increase your Charmander’s risk factor of diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The enlarged flame that comes as a response to these conditions can also be difficult to manage, increasing fire risks around the home. In addition, the possibility of being accidentally burned by your Charmander increases when his flame is harder to control.

A relaxed but dirty tail with a medium to low flame that has specks of blue in it (Bottom Middle)

This means Charmander has not been taking care of himself. This may be a result of a wide array of different physical and mental problems, as well as a simple hygiene issue. Watch out for other signs of illness such as pale gums, retracted pupils, shortness of breath, loss of appetite and lethargy.

If you don’t see any of these symptoms but your Charmander is still dirty or smelly, you may need to teach him the importance of keeping clean. Take him to a Pokémon Centre (or general health centre) to speak with a specialist who can help set up a hygiene routine. Encourage your Charmander to get involved, perhaps including a sticker reward chart. Eventually, he should learn to do things by himself without the need for a reward.

A weak, floppy tail with a low (but still red) flame (Bottom Right)

This is a sick/injured/very sad tail. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell between a Charmander under a sad spell and those that are depressed and sick. However, if you see your Charmander in this condition and the tail does not change position for around half an hour, get him to the Pokémon centre right away, as it could be a medical emergency. Being predators, Charmander usually hide their illness quite well, so he may still look energetic, despite his illness.

If you have been to a health centre and your Charmander has been given a full bill of health, yet you are still seeing a sad tail, perhaps speak with a Pokémon therapist to see if they can work out what the issue is.

Generation #1 · Generation #1 (1-10) · Stories

Al (A Charmander Story)

Rebecca Panks1 Comment
Sometimes he’d get caught up watching and smelling, and his stomach would gurgle painfully. Image Credit: The Char Boy

Al had been dreaming of working as a chef ever since he was a hatchling. One of the first things he saw after breaking out of his egg was the shiny neon lights of Al’s Chicken Shack, after which he’d named himself. The hot air from the restaurant’s ventilation duct brought with it smells of exotic spices, smoke and grease. The young Charmander wondered what created those magical fragrances as he took shelter from the rainy nights with his siblings.

After a few days of waiting for their mother, the pack of three brothers were hungry enough that they started to risk taking turns running out to find food. Typical pickings had been discarded pots with some residual sauce smears to lick, or the remains of dead birds.

Whenever it was his turn to go out, Al would sneak up to Al’s Chicken Shack’s windows to peer inside. He watched in awe as the people wearing little white clouds on their heads cooked. Pans flashed, salads tossed and water boiled. Rain pattered around Al, making the bricks of the alley thick and sooty. The longer he sat there, though, the less the real world seemed to matter. Sometimes he’d get caught up watching and smelling, and his stomach would gurgle painfully.

One night, Scarface (so named after a cool-looking poster that hung in the alley) carried in some strips of meat from the trash. Al and the third brother, Elvis (named after a little keychain they found that said “We ❤ Elvis”), ran over salivating. This wasn’t the usual pickings of stringy, fatty leftovers. This was prime cut.

Despite his aching belly, Al paused before gobbling it up, chittering at his siblings so they’d do the same. He took a deep breath to let the scent run deep into his snout. He’d first started doing this a few weeks ago, copying some diners at Al’s Chicken Shack. Doing it thrilled him. It made eating (which was pretty awesome anyway) into a real treat, and he had been practicing it at his window seat above the kitchens.

As he smelled, he expected the tang of onion or the smooth jazz of gravy. Meat that looked this good ought to smell of sizzling pan juices and a faint hint of char from the grill. But what hit him was none of that. It was in fact a stark contrast to what he was seeing. The scent was sharp and sickly. It rang in his nose like a loud bell. He pulled back his teeth and sneezed, backing away from the garlic-like chemical odour.

At Al’s reaction, Scarface’s flame intensified, reflecting angrily in his eyes. He flicked it from side to side, and his shoulders haunched as he let out a little growl. As Al continued to sneeze and shake his head to get rid of the smell, Scarface nipped at Elvis, who had been standing to the side with his head cocked. Scarface’s body language was speaking loud and clear: “How dare you turn your nose up at my catch?”.

Once he was done sneezing, Al puffed up in warning to make himself as big as possible. He wasn’t sure what, but something about that smell was just not right. He needed to take charge of this situation and quickly. A wiser Charmander may have taken a softer approach, chittered softly at his brother and convinced him to ignore his hunger and really consider the meat. But neither hatchling had gained their mother’s guidance, and both were just too young to not bicker.

Al eyed his eldest brother as he pushed passed Elvis and towards the meat. This forced Scarface to back off a little, but his tail flicked faster. The closer Al got to the food, the more his brother lowered his stance, tensed his muscles and intensified his growl. Defying all these warnings, Al continued on and disposed of the meat by flicking it into the gutter by the vent entrance. As the food dropped into the abyss, Scarface’s growls became a shrill hiss, “How dare you, how dare you? How DARE you?!” The sound echoed in the duct work, creating a deafening cacophony that finally triggered Scarface into action. He pounced, claws extended, right into Al’s belly.

The two tumbled together, swiping painfully at reach other’s faces. Al was pushed back, out of the drainpipe, and hit the curb hard in the back of his neck. Al brought his own claws round in a sweep, just missing Scarface, who jumped back a step. The two Charmander faced each other off once more. Al felt a white burning rise from the bleeding cut on his belly. His head felt woozy and he shook it. The water pooling on the alleyway turned red. He tried to muster the strength to puff himself up and show dominance, but both Charmander were stopped in their tracks as the alleyway flooded with light.

* *

Camille tossed some garlic, onion and butter in a pan. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the well-known fragrances. The busy hum of the kitchen gave her a beat to move to. She used the rhythm in her cooking. Cha – a pinch of salt; Cha Cha – a dash of pepper; FWAAH – the fizzle of boiling water as it was poured into the pot. She lived for that music. If six months of working as a commis chef in Al’s Chicken Shack hadn’t killed her dreams, nothing would.

“Camille!”, came the bark of sous chef Louis, “Baguettes. Where?”
The dirty scent of charred hobs and built-up grease emerged again like dirt being kicked up in a wind.
“Store #2, chef”, Camille watched as Louis marched round the back, his pointy chin leading the way. He wasn’t gone two seconds before a great shriek came from the store room.
“Camiiiiile”.
Despite being short and stubby, Louis could be intimidating when he wanted to be. When he was dragging you curtly by the arm to a messy store room was one of those times.
“Get this mess cleaned up at once!”
He thrust a mob and bucket into her arms, sloshing some leftover water laced with a thin film of chicken grease onto her shirt. Trying not to balk, she set down the bucket, topped it off with some fresh soapy water, and began to clean the room.

The bucket quickly turned black, the soap dancing delicately around a blanket of scum. Camille grimaced, trying desperately not to breathe through her nose, as she picked up the bucket and headed to the alley.

The door was usually stiff, so, with her hands planted firmly on the mop bucket, she barged it hard with her shoulder. Too hard, it turns out, as the door gave easily and she tripped over the step and tumbled mop bucket forward into the alley.

* *

Al’s eyes and the cuts on his belly stung curtly as a torrent of soapy water washed over him. He yelled out in a series of pained yips, and he slipped on the sudsy pebbles as he tried to run away. Through the blur, he heard the patter of Scarface’s feet as he slipped back into the air duct and back to the nest. For a moment came Elvis’s panicked cries, but this was soon hushed by Scarface.

Camille dropped the bucket with a clang on the alley floor. She nearly tripped right over Al but managed to keep her balance.
“Oh my, you poor thing”.
He looked a sorry sight, he tried to stand back up but a mixture of the slick pebbles and his dwindling energy wouldn’t let him. Camille looked around for something to catch him with, and had to make do with a torn piece of tarp from the dumpster. She scooped him up, avoiding his weak attempts to bite her, and didn’t even take a glance behind her before running to find the nearest Pokémon centre.

Continue to part II!

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Charmander SWOT Analysis

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Water gun fights, paddling pools, and sprinklers can be a nice gentle start, but move on to swimming pools and more natural settings as soon as your Charmander is ready. Image Credit: Faiahaato

There are a multitude of benefits and limitations you get from different Pokémon. This SWOT analysis helps you decide whether to include Charmander to your battle team, and includes specialist advice for both breeder and catcher, as well as combatants facing this Pokémon in battle.

Strengths

Charmander is an excellent choice for a fire trainer, or someone looking to add some heat to their team. Its Ember is a strong move that is learned relatively early in the Charmander lifecycle. There are many fire types that don’t get their first fire-related move until much later, so this early development means plenty of practice time. Therefore, Charmander often have a stronger flame, higher flame quality, and greater stamina than others. Dragon breath, which is learned just before the Charmeleon evolution, is also a great addition to a Charmander moveset as it brings that edge against dragon types—importantly, without being weak to dragon-type moves itself. Outside of the fire-related moves, Charmander has versatile, sharp claws and it is naturally stealthy.

Charmander grow strong bonds with their team mates (especially other fire types). They are fiercely loyal and protective, and looking after others is a big motivator for growth. This high self-motivation makes them relatively easy Pokémon to train. One thing to keep in mind is that they enjoy routine and structure, but this is often seen in a positive light in the early days as young Pokémon must be dedicated if they want to achieve the levels of power needed for competitions.

Besides stealth, Charmander are also surprisingly speedy. It uses its head and arms for steerage, enabling it to manoeuvre well on the battlefield. Its no Doduo, and won’t win any races, but these head-first charges can add some additional scare-factor to the flame attacks.

Weaknesses

Charmander is an extremely effective communicator with other Charmander, using tail position, vocalisation and eye contact to synchronise. However, team a Charmander up with a Pokémon that isn’t Charmander, and it can quickly become frustrated. It would take years of focused training for many Pokémon to be able to read Charmander’s body language as well as another Charmander could, so—unless you’re a multi-trainer (a trainer that likes to use multiple of the same Pokémon)—I’d recommend not using Charmander for team battles.

Charmander is a creature of habit and routine. While this brings many benefits (dedication to consistent training and practicing skills being just two examples), it makes them rather inflexible. For example, say you decide a good general strategy for most Pokémon is a Tackle, followed by an Ember, so you practice this pattern with Charmander. However, you get to a battle and you find you’re against a water, fire or rock type—that fire isn’t going to help much! However, because training has taught Charmander to combine these moves, it may be a touch stubborn and refuse to drop the Ember, simply because it is it’s habit to use it. This leads many Charmander trainers to have to spend significant time on routine training Charmander with enough move sets to cover all likely scenarios. This is a huge time sink: that time would have been best spent elsewhere.

While they have caught the public’s attention, trainers often do not have a good understanding of Charmander behaviour. In fact, there are many false beliefs around Charmander that should be addressed. For example, many think that Charmander are easy Pokémon for first timers (I wouldn’t say so…), many think they’re rather independent (they are very much pack Pokémon), and many believe that wild Charmander will quickly adapt to home life (very much not true, it can be tough even with bred Charmander). These rumours are easily correctable, but they often lead to some dissatisfaction and frustration in trainers—especially inexperienced trainers just starting out on their journey.

Charmander have an intense fear of water, which includes rain, snow and any water body (sea, lake, river etc). In their natural environment, they get the water they need via their prey or by licking the small streams that run down cave walls. Therefore, rainfall can be very unnatural to them. Trainers should ensure Charmander is introduced to water and taught how to combat it, or risk deeply ingrained weaknesses to water moves. Their flame tail is particularly vulnerable in the early years, and a Charmander can become severely injured if its flame is dowsed.

Opportunities

While many trainers focus on its fire moves (not that this is a bad strategy, the high stamina means Charmander likely has enough flame for the entire battle), I would like to see more trainers utilising Charmander’s stealth. Smokescreen can be a great environmental attack to give Charmander that edge. Charmander can see well in smoky environments, due to their natural affinity with volcanoes and fire, and it is worthwhile using this move steadily throughout a battle.

Agility in Charmander is a largely overlooked ability, especially in breeder circles. Speed training tends to come in at the Charmeleon stage, but it is often set aside for more flame training in Charmander. I would like to see more time dedicated to speed and agility, preparing for more creative moves on the field. Similarly, intelligence training would be beneficial. This is not usually high up on the list because Charmander isn’t always the sharpest knife in the draw. However, they’re interested and quick learners because they love any one-on-one time. I’ve known one or two where this has been very beneficial—including where a Charmander was part of a detective agency.

Threats

There is an unfortunate rise in urban Charmander. Many are illegally bred or escaped from inexperienced trainers and take to living in cities on the streets. This is an unnatural environment for a Charmander, and the harshness of street life can quickly make them hostile to humans. In Los Angeles, where there is a particularly high number on the streets, it is thought that 50% of arson cases are perpetrated by rogue Charmander. The Meleon Menders society charity in LA is doing important work to try and make positive contact with the Charmander (and Charmeleon) gangs in LA and to help rehabilitate its members.

Charmander has poor defence, and, while its fire attacks are very powerful, sometimes Charmander trainers forget that not all opponents are as ill equipped. This is one of the reasons why Charmander tends to have trouble with rock and ground types: their trainers go all out on flame moves but rock/ground types endure it well enough that they cut through the beam. Consistency and strength are good, but not always enough.

With leagues getting more and more flexible in terms of arena construction, more opponents are honing in on weaknesses when it comes to battle environment choice. Charmander’s weakness to water can be a big disadvantage here. While arena management do have rules for the amount of land mass that must be available in heavy water-based arenas, you must learn to make good use of what you are given.

Breeders

  • While fire development is important, remember areas such as intelligence and speed. This will help trainers be more creative in battles and better prepare Charmander for its Charmeleon phase. Enrol your Charmander up for ballet and chess clubs to keep them well socialised while they train.
  • Be particularly responsible when finding trainers for Charmander. Always be mindful that these Charmander are likely to be evolved into Charmeleon in the future. Trainers seeking Charmander are likely dazzled by their potential power, but if they are not dedicated or skilled enough, this could lead to frustration and abandonment. We want to avoid contributing to Charmeleon gangs.
  • The focus on Charmander’s flame can be a great opportunity to experiment with different diets and natural supplements to identify the best combination. There are a couple fire type mini leagues where different breeders and trainers get together and discuss Charmander health, and events like this can really help you refine your techniques, ingredient mixes and (best of all) try out your Charmander against others. Its a good day out for all.

Combatants

  • Charmander has low defence that is tricky to counter without relying on team work. If your Pokémon are tough enough to withstand the flame attacks, push through to make direct hits, or focus on agility to dodge the fire and get in some quick hits.
  • Charmander can be a little unsteady on its feet, so any moves that shake the ground or cause tripping hazards can be useful to stop Charmander in its tracks long enough to get some hits in
  • Heat tolerance training is essential when battling Charmander. Its attacks tend to be much stronger than other base-level fire Pokémon, so don’t underestimate its strength. If you’d usually heat tolerate to a particular temperature, add on 10 degrees to be safe.

Trainers

  • Be creative when it comes to water training to ensure you’re not caught out by water arenas. Water gun fights, paddling pools, and sprinklers can be a nice gentle start, but move on to swimming pools and more natural settings as soon as your Charmander is ready.
  • Charmeleon can have issues with anger, so it is good preparation to teach Charmander anger management techniques ahead of time. There are some great Pokémon Behaviourists that can provide healthy routines and mental health support.
  • Do what you can at leagues and events to do your part in teaching Charmander responsibility. Work with your local firefighters to find out if there is any fire safety messages you can help spread.

Want to find out about how to look after Charmander? See the Guide post here.

To see more advice as to how to communicate with your Charmander, see this post on How to Read Your Charmander’s Tail

Generation #1 · Generation #1 (1-10)

Charmander (#4)

Rebecca Panks1 Comment
To this day, I still have not worked out how this Pokémon hides so well. Image credit: Laurie MacQueen

Charmander are gutsy little fire breathers that have a strong will to please. They are brave beyond their years, often defending a loved one until near death and no matter the odds. With careful training, they can be powerful in battle but it takes a dedicated trainer to unlock their true potential.

They are also surprisingly social and enjoy a pack lifestyle. Young ones quickly make strong family bonds, often becoming over-attached to an imprinted ‘mother’. This can cause some disputes when Charmander is bred as a companion Pokémon, as jealousy issues may occur if not quickly managed. However, this pack-mindedness can also be a benefit, allowing Charmander to quickly adapt to family life.

Where to find one?

Charmander live in volcanic regions in warm climates. They have also been found in deserts or beaches in countries near the equator. Their ecological niches make catching one a difficult task.

If you manage to make your way through the rugged terrain, your next issue will be their rarity. To this day, I still have not worked out how this Pokémon hides so well. He has a flame on his tail for Pete’s sake, you’d think he’d shine from miles away at night. I have heard rumours that Charmander numbers are actually much greater than we think and that they live in networks of underground tunnels. I laughed at this at the start of my career, but it does go some way to explain their capture rate. I have also heard there are some professional Charmander trackers for hire near Cinnabar Island, but they charge by the hour and its really not guaranteed you will spot them, even with expert guidance.

So, you’ve conquered the terrain and you’ve actually found a Charmander. What’s the next challenge? Its pack. As I mentioned earlier, Charmander form strong pack bonds that stay cemented until they evolve. This can make it tricky to find a wild Charmander that wants to join you. I have tried to hint throughout these articles about the importance of Pokémon free-will when it comes to capturing. Charmander is one of those Pokémon where this makes a big difference. These are feisty Pokémon that happily work as a team to drive away predators – you for example. Their packs are insanely in-sync. Scientists have studied communication patterns in Charmander, finding that they use a mixture of vocalisation, tail position and eye contact to talk to one another. Whatever they do, they do it well.

If you are intent on catching a Charmander in the wild, I’d recommend spending at least six months tailing a Charmander pack. This may seem excessive, but trust me it will make all the difference. You won’t be able to follow them everywhere, of course, but a pack will have a particular location they return to every day. Usually an oasis or hot spring. They are quite habitual Pokémon, so there is no real danger of the pack spontaneously disappearing completely, as long as there aren’t any huge ecological changes. Find out where their favourite resting place is, camp out there and get as close as they’ll allow. Earn their trust and you might be lucky in that one of them makes a pack bond with you.

However, with all that said, I suggest talking to a breeder. You’ll save yourself a lot of effort and get a much easier-to-train partner who sees you as his true pack.

Raising for battle

A lot of people get excited when I mention Charmander. People often grow up seeing grass Pokémon, normal types and even fighting types everywhere. But fire types? They’re not as big a part of people’s pre-trainer life because they’re usually hidden in urban areas, working as chefs or in engine rooms. That’s if they’re allowed to work at all. Charmander is just not practical for most office environments – that tail is hazardous! Therefore, battling is the reason that 95% of Charmander trainers choose to work with this species. What a choice, I say!

Therefore, battling is the reason that 95% of Charmander trainers choose to work with this species. What a choice, I say! Image credit: Hālian

The Charmander line is one of the biggest challenges to a trainer, but the reward can be huge. The power held by a Charizard can be out of this world. Charmander can hold quite a punch, too. I may be biased, as I spent my early trainer days working with fire types, but I’d say Charmander is one of the toughest of Professor Oak’s popular ‘starters’ programme.

The initial years of Charmander training is overcoming the hurdle of fire control, This is a biggie. Fresh out of the egg, your Charmander won’t know what is a suitable level of flame for different situations and this is something you will need to teach him. In the wild, he learns this from his pack. One of the key methods here is positive reinforcement. That is, whenever your Charmander is showing behaviour you want to see (nice low-flame tail in the house, and nice big flame on the battlefield for example) you give him a treat. This will slowly-but-surely get the message across.

Once he has the hang of flame control, start showing him the destructive power of his flame, especially on the battlefield. Get together a small collection of dry leaves in autumn and let him set fire to them (always remember fire safety), go camping and teach him how to start a camp fire, or cook smores over his tail. This will help train sustainable fire use and heat flares, which is all good training for using Ember and Flame Burst later down the line.

A Charmander’s flame isn’t the strongest, compared with other fire types. But, he has some other arsenal. His Smokescreen and Growl can be a formidable support to flame attacks, while his scratch can be a good way to finish off an opponent.

Charmander is very weak to water types, so some water training might come in handy. Try squirting him with a small water gun (not at the tail) to build up his resistance and dodging abilities.

Keeping Charmander happy and healthy

We’ve all heard the rumours about the importance of a Charmander’s tail and for the most part these are true. But, things aren’t as straight forward as they look. For example, yes, a Charmander will be very affected if their tail flame is extinguished. However, an unlit tail doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to die. This Pokémon has exact control over the intensity of its flame from an early age, and its status often reflects a whole range of things, from health to emotion. As a Charmander trainer, the first thing you should do is learn to read his tail. I have put together a basic guide; perhaps I’ll find it out for you. But, no two Charmander are alike and you should take the time to get to know the ins and outs of his tail language.

Another thing you can do to help Charmander get along is take care of its claws. Like our fingernails, these grow constantly throughout the Charmander’s life, and he will need you to help cut them for him. You can do this yourself, or you can take him to the Pokécentre day clinics.

Charmander are quite happy to be inactive for most of the day. They like to sunbathe and keep warm, but this is not essential to their survival. While he may be lazy, he does like to socialise. It is very important to make sure your Charmander is not left alone for more than two hours. A Pokémon companion is fine, or just a digital connection to you if that is all you can do, but he may develop strong separation anxiety if left.

Overall

Overall, Charmander are social butterflies that excel at fighting. They are tough to train, but very rewarding in later evolution lines. Always remember to be respectful and thoughtful and I am sure you and your Charmander will get along just fine.

Charmander live in volcanic regions in warm climates. They have also been found in deserts or beaches in countries near the equator. Image credit: Hoop Studio
Generation #1 · Generation #1 (1-10) · Makes and Fun Spots

Pokémon Poetry Part 1

Rebecca PanksLeave a comment
As his trust burns as deep as a fire in ignition,
Underneath all the light, a friendship grows. Image credit: Thyfany Ron

A

There once was a monster of grass,
With a bulb growing out of its ass,
He was little and green,
Rarely was he seen,
As a starter, I gave him a pass.

He evolved to a punky teenager,
He grew taller, more leafy and stranger,
His flower was nice,
But you’d not dare look twice,
Cause those poisonous petals spell danger.

Now, the third one he is quite the brute,
Next to him, you could look quite minute,
From the tree on his back,
Comes a viscous attack,
He’s the king and his reign’s resolute

B

Leech Seed, Growl, Vine Whip,
Green quadrupedal poison,
Drains down my HP.

Red eyes staring fierce,
Enveloped by a flower,
Take Down on my heart.

On a petal tree,
Sits a golden crown shining,
A monster is he.

C

Bumbles along, he’s a friend to the forest,
Understanding each rock like the marks on his skin,
Lullaby just as sweet as his skills as a florist,
Bent on winning each match, any fight that he’s in.
Always depend on a brave disposition,
Smiling broadly down on his friends and his foes,
As his trust burns as deep as a fire in ignition,
Underneath all the light, a friendship grows.
Ridiculed and admired, he’s the hero we chose.

Incipient power,
Venusaur’s predecessor,
Youthful energy reigning the woods,
Surging ahead with a brazen desire,
Among these may rule our childhoods.
Understanding there can be only one,
Rambunctious and proud with a beam like the sun.

Venusaur rumbles the ground underneath us,
Ethereal shakes to waken our bones,
Nowadays we may lose touch with the forest,
Underestimate his breatheren’s home.
Shattering walls as the ground crumbles inwards,
A monster rises, as wide as the sun,
Usurp his throne no more,
Revenge, his tactic of woe.

Makes and Fun Spots

Pokémon-Inspired Outfits: Venusaur

Rebecca PanksLeave a comment

You love Pokémon? Well now you can dress like them too! This set of posts is designed to give you some inspirations so you can pull together some outfits based on your favourite Pokémon! The styles are all simple, so you can achieve the look no matter what your budget! These outfits were drawn by Elaineayana.

For Venusaur, we’ve reflected his beautiful flower with a dashing pink floppy sun hat. That is complemented by a sweetheart-neckline white top and a long, flowing turquoise skirt.

Generation #1 · Generation #1 (1-10) · Makes and Fun Spots

Making Space in Your Home for Venusaur

Rebecca PanksLeave a comment
Venusaur takes great pride in having a place to call his own that he can decorate as he sees fit. Image credit: Marta Maszkiewicz

A young Venusaur stands at around 6ft tall and 8ft wide, and grows more as it gets older, so not the most house-friendly! He certainly wouldn’t fit through your average door – or indeed in most rooms. However, not all house-raised Venusaur want to be outside all of the time. This creates a conundrum for a lot of trainers who want to meet their Venusaur’s needs but can’t afford to send them to a Pokémon retreat, sunlight gym or specialised daycare every day. This article explores some of the things you could do to create space in your home for your Venusaur.

Widen doorways

Accommodating a Venusaur comes with many impracticalities – the first being his inability to get through a doorway. A typical door is roughly 4ft wide, meaning you would need to more than double your door width to have a chance at Venusaur fitting through comfortably.

One way to do this is to install French doors. If you’re not planning on altering your whole house, install these on the room nearest the garden as a priority, so Venusaur can move in and outdoors when he pleases. Venusaur can typically open and close doors using his vines and won’t need a special handle.

If you do intend on changing the internal doors, a barn-style door might be the easiest to get in widths you need, or consider just having open walkways. Always keep fire safety in mind!

Install smart technology

If you are leaving your Venusaur home alone for long periods of time, it might be useful to install some smart technology systems – the sort that powers certain objects in the home via remote control. Venusaur’s vines are dexterous enough to use a remote and it can help him have better access to items you might store in nooks and crannies he just can’t reach.

I’ve heard great things about an upcoming tech company called PokéTalk that is developing a communication device for Pokémon that will let them give verbal commands to certain electrical items around the house. When this is finished, the device will bring great flexibility to Venusaur’s life, allowing him full access to kitchen appliances, television, the radio, lighting, heating and many other utilities that was just not possible before without some serious planning. Of course, this is a big project: Pokémon speak in different ways and to different complexities. But, I wish them all the best.

Heavy duty lifts

One common issue for Venusaur is stairs. Ramps would be the best solution, but this is often just not practical to accommodate such a large Pokémon. An alternative is to install a heavy-duty lift to allow Venusaur to reach the top floor. These sort of lifts are often seen in hospitals or warehouses where large trolleys need to be carried up or down floors. It should have an easy-to-use interface and be built into a wall that will never be obstructed.

The Elderly Pokémon Company has some good offerings for these sort of lifts, and they often install them for good prices – especially for older or disabled Venusaur. Mine used to ride his right to the roof. He wasn’t allowed on the roof, of course, but he sure did like the view. Most Venusaur are scared of heights, so just first-floor lifts should be fine for most houses.

Outside shelter

Not everyone can practically alter their house, but you may just have enough room on your garden or yard to install a Venusaur outhouse. These are often very nice, as the Venusaur takes great pride in having a place to call his own that he can decorate as he sees fit. I once knew a Venusaur who loved this job so much, he trained to become an official painter/decorator for the local community.

Do you also have enough room in your garden for a pool and vegetable garden? If so, task looking after these to your Venusaur and I’m sure he’ll appreciate it!

What if I just can’t adapt my house?

Everyone should be given the opportunity to have a Pokémon, regardless of wealth or house size! If you just don’t have the room, or can’t afford to modify your house, don’t worry! There are other options:

  • The Professor Oak Institute and other Pokémon scientists often offer a free day and night-care service to trainers willing to let them monitor and keep collected data. This is a great option, as it lets scientists develop better Pokémon healthcare products!
  • If your Venusaur is elderly or disabled, there are a few charities that may be able to contribute towards the cost of modifications. Try Venusupport For Life or The Vineline to see what they can do for you
  • Gym trainers sometimes offer care services for trainers willing to let their Venusaur help train the gym leader’s Pokémon. This is great if your Venusaur still likes to battle
  • There are some government jobs your Venusaur can apply for that come with free housing. Anything from nursery nursing to caretaking for town parks

Uncategorized

Venusaur SWOT Analysis

Rebecca PanksLeave a comment
Venusaur asleep as Jigglypuff draws on its face

Its not uncommon for a Venusaur to fall asleep mid battle after using up its major moveset once or twice. Image credit: Shizukahanari

There are a multitude of benefits and limitations you get from different Pokémon. This SWOT analysis helps you decide whether to include Venusaur to your battle team, and includes specialist advice for both breeder and catcher, as well as combatants facing this Pokémon in battle.

Strengths

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Venusaur’s immense size, strength, and pure might. Venusaur is the fifth most powerful grass-type Pokémon in the world (known to date) and they can be pure powerhouses on the field. They dominate most team battles in mid-to-high battle arenas, and are incredibly intimidating foes to face.

One thing that contributes to this power is that Venusaur is incredibly in tune with its environment and has a very deep understanding of the natural world. This can be very useful for certain battle arenas. For example, your Venusaur can use its vines to chop up a lake and make it harder for water Pokémon to navigate, they can manipulate air waves and create a deafening sound to disorientate a foe, or they can speak to plants and spur rapid movement of root systems, branches, thorns and spores. If you ever see a Venusaur fighting in a forest-based arena, it is a pure spectacle and nigh impossible to beat. Unfortunately, most trainers know this and (if they have the choice) they will constantly challenge you with more urban arenas that are void of all plant life. Either way, there are very few environments where your Venusaur can’t have a little fun with.

When Venusaur’s types were last assessed (they re-test each Pokémon’s abilities every couple of centuries or so to see if they have developed any new type abilities), my grandfather told me that he advised the assessment board to add psychic to its type listings due to their ability to uncannily “know” an opponent’s next move. Subsequent testing has found that it is not a psychic ability, but simply a highly developed empathy and understanding of psychology. Venusaur are, indeed, very attune to Pokémon’s body language and even audible clues that give away their next movements. This counterbalances Venusaur’s slower speed and is tricky to battle against.

Weaknesses

A disadvantage of Venusaur’s size is that it is inevitably immobile. Venusaur can move around, but it expends a lot of energy doing so, and this only gets worse with age. Venusaur are slow growers, but they never actually stop growing. At one point, they’re reclassified as ‘Mega’ or ‘Gigantamax’, but (unlike other Pokémon that can undertake this transformation) Venusaur can achieve these sizes naturally with time. This phenomenon is actually thought to be part of their natural lifecycle: they get so huge that they stop being able to take care of themselves and their bodies become part of the forest—which is quite darkly poetic, if you think about it. However, with the invention of the Pokéball and modern Pokémedicine, trainers can set up a successful care routine so that Venusaur can survive much longer than they do in the wild. But, the larger they grow, the slower and less agile they will be in battle.

Venusaur is so closely tied with its environment that it really suffers if its living conditions are less than ideal, and this can drastically affect its performance in the field. There are very strict rules in the larger leagues as to what condition your Venusaur must be in before it can even sign up for a competition, including the quality of Venusaur’s leaves and tree bark, the colour of its flower, and even tooth, claw and skin condition. Many trainers opt to keep their Venusaur in a nature preserve, rather than keeping them at home, but the rising pollution of forests is making things tougher. For those that want to regularly use moves such as Solar Beam also need PLENTY of sun time (usually with additional vitamins and heat lamps, which come with their own risks).

Another downside to being environmentally sensitive is that Venusaur often have an acute fear of fire. It is thought that this comes from something called ‘tree memory’, where Venusaur taps into the memories of the forest and feels the hurt and pain caused by wildfires. This can be very distracting to Venusaur who are in the middle of a particularly fiery battle and cause it to let down its defenses.

Opportunities

Due to their rarity, Venusaur has a lot of fans. There are whole groups dedicated to attending every single arena Venusaur battle—I attended their meets once or twice over the years, they’re a good bunch! This fandom can easily help raise the profile of any trainer that places Venusaur in a high-ranking position in their battle team. A higher profile means more sponsors, and more sponsors mean a higher chance in getting a ticket to the more prestigious leagues. Any Venusaur trainer must learn to work with fans, but I say see it as a positive experience: interact with them, be kind to them, enjoy them.

Venusaur’s natural moveset does not include any poison-based moves, but it has capacity to learn some (Sludge Bomb and Venoshock to name a few). Manually teaching these moves could be a great differentiating factor for your Venusaur and give you the edge against fairy and grass types.

Threats

Deforestation and pollution are massive threats for Venusaur health. They don’t tend to do to well in more urban areas, as a connection to nature is quintessential to Venusaur happiness. Similarly, in battle, some arenas will dramatically affect your Venusaur’s performance (especially for strategies that use a lot of environmental effects). Concrete floors, metal walls, brick buildings, and glass pyramids (like the infamous Abbey Stadium) are a challenge.

Older Venusaur will need to find ways to keep up defense and attack flexibly from one spot—especially if your strategy does not include environmental manipulation. Venusaur can be at risk from medium-to-high speed Pokémon without specific training to counter such attack styles.

Breeders

  • Maintain Venusaur’s connection with nature as part of its daily routine. It is preferable if you live near a wooded area (that isn’t already a Bulbasaur territory). In addition, try to get Venusaur involved in charity work: working in a human or Pokémon community would do.
  • It is essential that you offer extensive one-to-one training with trainers wanting to own a Venusaur who have not had any previous experience with the Bulbasaur-Ivysaur-Venusaur line before. Ideally, you would make it mandatory that they have had previous experience, but I understand that this can’t always be the case. Cover nutrition, health and environment as core requirements—especially when it comes to ageing.
  • Venusaur can get a little bad tempered as they grow older, so teach emotion coaching to allow new trainers to maintain an open communication about thoughts and feelings with their Pokémon

Combatants

  • High speed will usually be a good tactic against a Venusaur, and more effective the older (and larger) they are. Consider all attack angles available on the battlefield (attacks from above, below, behind, to the side, and straight on), and vary up attack patterns. Attacks such as Decoy and Substitute can be effectively used alongside.
  • If you can dodge its vines, you may be able to get into a big Venusaur blindspot to its rear, giving you a major advantage.
  • Venusaur often have little stamina, so aim to keep dodging attacks to wear them out. Its not uncommon for a Venusaur to fall asleep mid battle after using up its major moveset once or twice—especially if its trainer didn’t ensure it got enough sun time.

Trainers

  • Don’t forget that Venusaur is part poison type. If fed the right foods, Venusaur’s skin can secrete a toxic substance. This can cause slight poison damage when your opponents attack with certain moves (for example, Bite, Peck, and Lick). Ask your local breeder for the best diets (remember to keep them safely away from non-poison type Pokémon, children, and pets if you go down this route, however).
  • Sunbathe, sunbathe, sunbathe. This is especially important if you intend on using high-energy moves such as Hyperbeam. Consider Hyperbeam use very carefully in battle, because it is a big energy sapper. Many battles are over too soon because the trainer used the big move too early.
  • Make environment use a key part of your training and your battle plans. You’ll need to be flexible, to account for all possible arena types, but a strong environment manipulation can be a huge counter to your limited movement and can be very effective.

Love Venusaur? Check out the Guide posts on how to catch and look after Bulbsaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur

Click here to see more SWOT Analysis for Bulbasaur and Ivysaur

Click here to read a story about a man travelling upriver to learn about a legendary Venusaur.

Generation #1 · Generation #1 (1-10)

Venusaur (#3)

Rebecca Panks1 Comment
There is a sense of mystery around them to which their slow, reflective nature only adds. Image Credit: Takamizawa Usui

Venusaur are mighty and sacred individuals, often nicknamed King of the Forest. Often the star of myths and legends, wild Venusaur often remain motionless for years at a time and only stir at times of crisis.

It was once thought that Venusaur was part psychic type because of its innate awareness of its environment, but scientists are now discovering that Venusaur may be able to connect to the mycorrhizal network of the forest, a connection that can span miles around.

Where to find one

Venusaur are rare in the wild and extremely powerful. On top of this, there is always the moral question as to whether you should catch a wild one. Ivysaur only evolve into Venusaur one at a time and they do so to become protectors of the forest. Scientists are only just discovering just how deeply these Pokémon are connected to their forest homes. Each Ivysaur accepts this special mission and will not be readily prepared to stop its cause.

I have known a few instances where Venusaur capture was necessary. In one awful case, a fire ravaged a whole woodland beyond repair. The council decided to build on the land and turn it into a Pokémon retreat, but the Venusaur in charge of that area was so distraught that he’d let down the Pokémon he was destined to protect, he quickly fell into depression. I, and a team of breeders, was asked to help him. We decided he needed specialist care. We found a trusted trainer to capture him and take him to a therapist. It took him a few years of dedicated care, but the Venusaur is doing well! Last I knew he started his own nursery.

A Venusaur’s power is very hard to tame. It takes a long time for this Pokémon to fully respect you if you catch it from the wild. For all of these reasons and more, I would instead recommend raising an Ivysaur to evolve to Venusaur. Though, I would only advise this for battle purposes. Venusaur is a hard-to-manage breed that have a lot of specific requirements. Think very carefully about the reasons you have for evolving him before doing so. Ivysaur live long, happy lives without needing to evolve and it comes quite natural to them.

Scientists are now discovering that Venusaur may be able to connect to the mycorrhizal network of the forest. Image credit: Marta Maszkiewicz

Raising for battle

Ivysaur evolve to become Venusaur at level 32. After they evolve, they can learn the moves Worry Seed, Synthesis, Petal Blizzard and Solar Beam. Of these, Ivysaur only learns one of these, so there is a benefit to evolving for battle. If you’re planning on delaying, I’d recommend evolving no later than 45 for learning Synthesis. Worry Seed can probably be missed, especially if you’ve kept Bulbasaur’s Sleep Powder and are happy with the accuracy.

Venusaur have immense power and can be a great battle partner. However, long gone are the days of sporty Ivysaur, and your Venusaur will tire very quickly in battle. Don’t use him against anything that uses speed, as you’ll be at a disadvantage. That’s not to say that his moves are slow, just his movement. Razor leaf, Petal Blizzard and Solar Beam are all intense, fast-paced attacks that Venusaur can perform with exceptional accuracy.

Keeping Venusaur happy and healthy

Venusaur need a lot of care, especially when they get older. They often find it difficult to move and will need consistent leg-strengthening exercises to maintain full mobility. It is advisable that you hire a personal trainer for your Venusaur, who will be able to plan a personalised activity plan to meet his specific needs.

If you have raised your Venusaur from an Ivysaur and wish to continue his development, I’d recommend stopping agility course training and begin wellness training. This is a new concept that was helping develop a few years ago. Essentially, a study into Venusaur battle statistics found that young Venusaur who had regular battle training were just as effective in battle as middle-aged Venusaur who had many more years of time to hone their skills. It is thought that by age 53 or so, Venusaur reaches its peak in terms of power. This makes some biological sense, as it is the time when he learns Solarbeam, his most powerful attack.

Wellness training comprises a mixture of grooming (leaf / claw trimming and exfoliating the skin), plant care (using fertiliser, nutrient food additives and carefully planned water / sunlight schedules) and mental development (puzzles, socialisation and work). This might not sound like training, but these all keep Venusaur happy and focused, which have shown some promising results in battle.

It is advisable to take some courses in plant care, as Venusaur’s plant will need similar care to exotic species

Overall

As a breeder, you come to gain a lot of respect for Venusaur and it truly is a miracle to see one. There is a sense of mystery around them to which their slow, reflective nature only adds. Venusaur are immensely powerful Pokémon that need a lot of care. They show great courage in battle, but often get tired and show their age.

It took him a few years of dedicated care, but the Venusaur is doing well! Last I knew he started his own nursery. Image credit: Laurie MacQueen