The Hiver staggers a bit. But only a bit. "That did not hurt nearly as much as fire. Would my poison stingers count as poison type?"

"...Maybe, but no 'mon has three types, and you might just be a bug/something with a poison attack. My Rapidash knows a poison attack. And let's not try it on Zag in case it's complicated compared to 'mon poison in some way."

"I think I need to be subjected to more attacks to determine exactly which type I am. It could be important to know."

"Poison has pretty few defensive weaknesses. Juu could hit you - if you're bug/steel that'll average out to normal, if you're poison/steel same thing, but if you're bug/poison you'll barely feel a thing? Zag can ice you, which is standard for bugs, standard for poison, weak against steel. Zag, hang back for a sec." Zag stops dancing around the hiver.

"Yes. And try to poison me. I thought I was immune to fire, I also think I am immune to poison and wish to check."

"Almost nothing. How does this creature produce such a wide variety of effects and can I learn to do it?"

"'Mon can each learn four formal attacks, few exceptions apply. Some of them are ones they pick up naturally just by existing, others they have to learn by machine, and most 'mon can't learn all possible moves even by machine. The Pokécenter worked on you, so move machines might also. C'mere, Zag." She puts Zag away. "The same 'mon who knows the poison attack is a fire 'mon. I won't have her burn you, but don't touch her mane or tail, she doesn't like you enough to have that be safe."

"I remember the Rapidash from that building. I had not planned to."

The Hiver is completely unaffected. "I am Bug/Steel type, apparently."

"It's at least a solid guess. You could be immune to poison for some other reason - a few species of 'mon are unaffected by specific attack types even if they ought to be vulnerable - but you are probably bug/steel."

"If I fight more seriously, to see if I can win a fight, are your 'Mon likely to be permanently harmed?"

"...Usually, when 'mon fight each other, they fall unconscious and can be fully healed at a Pokécenter. If you are in some relevant sense not a 'mon, I wouldn't want to risk it, not with one of mine. We can go for a hike and try to find something wild for you to beat up that no one will miss."

"Very well. I have no desire to kill your 'mon." It follows wherever she leads at a reasonably quick speed.

"Not as fast as a running Houndour."

In answer, he dashes at it and gives a full-bodied two-fisted punch. The Shinx is knocked back hard, but it's tough enough not to go down just from that.

The Shinx zaps him! Rawr!

Between zaps the Hiver swipes at it with claws, applies its poison stingers, and tries to give it a bite with its thick claw-like mouth, though that one misses.

The Shinx doesn't last particularly long. It is not a particularly powerful Shinx.

"So I am still capable of winning a fight. Good to know."

"Yep. You'd be very useful on a perimeter. Humans can't directly fight 'mon ourselves, so we keep them out of places we live as much as we can, and only go out with our own teams for defense."

"You don't use weapons? I suspect the weapons I had access to at home would be effective against 'mon."