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A weekly Pokédex Podcast from Bald Man in Japan Luke Summerhayes. A different Pokémon family every week.
I’m Luke Summerhayes and I love Pecharunt.
Peaches play a role in Japanese folklore and mythology similar to that played by apples in the West. With their soft, inviting outside and hard, poisonous innards, peaches are ripe for metaphor. We’ve already explored at length the legend of Momotaro, the boy born from a peach who teamed up with a dog, monkey and pheasant to oust some villainous ogres.
Originating from China, peaches have been eaten in Japan for 16,000 years at least. Early varieties were less sweet, eaten instead for health and medicinal reasons. Thanks to this, they were also used in religious ceremonies, and Japanese myths tell of the god Izanagi descending to the underworld and escaping with his life thanks to the peaches he used to fend off its denizens. Ever since, peaches have been a source of long life.
Pecharunt resembles a hovering pecha berry, the Pokémon game held item which was itself based on a real-world peach. This robot-like shell opens to reveal the little creature inside, a peach pit or possibly even a Momotaro.
In the epilogue for all of the ninth generation, we learn that this Pokémon crafted the toxic chains which empower the Loyal Three, and can use its poisonous mochi to control others. In the Momotaro story, the boy hero shares his mochi to befriend the animals, but in Pecharunt’s case its mind control, making people dance a weird chicken dance and move in unison like a zombie horde.
Scarlet
It feeds others toxic mochi that draw out desires and capabilities. Those who eat the mochi fall under Pecharunt’s control, chained to its will.
The Pokémon is a poison and ghost type and with the ability poison puppeteer, any opponent whom it poisons also becomes confused. This could make Pecharunt a very frustrating opponent to face. Though, as a mythical, it may never be seen in official competitive play.
Violet
Its peach-shaped shell serves as storage for a potent poison. It makes poisonous mochi and serves them to people and Pokémon.
The Pokémon seems like quite a villain from all of this; it poisons others and makes them do its bidding, using this to make the Loyal Three attack Ogerpon and steal its masks. In the Story of Pecharunt, an official Youtube video, we learn that it was taken in by and elderly couple, just like Momotaro, and used its powers to grant their wishes, only for their wishes to grow greedier and greedier, while it desperately tried to fulfil them out of a desire to be loved.
Though it isn’t shown explicitly for certain, there is speculation that Pecharunt’s influence, either intentional or not, was a factor in making Kieran grow so obsessed with first catching Ogerpon and then beating the player. Or maybe he was just a confused, bullied little kid.
Ultimately, this whole exploration of the Momotaro myth in the Pokémon DLC doesn’t really have a villain – Pokémon rarely does, apart from in the form of human greed. Instead, it shows how little squabbles can develop into bitter rivalries, and that seeking out ogres is less important than just making friends.
Music for Luke Loves Pokémon is composed by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork for the show is by Katie Groves. Writing, Producing and Editing is by me, Luke Summerhayes. Funding is provided by my lovely listeners. If you’d like to join them, to help keep the show online and find other podcasts by me and my pals, head over to Patreon.com/PodcastioPodcastius.
Coming up next is Paldean Tauros, so if you have thoughts about that monster or any other, hit me up with a DM @LukeLovesPKMN or an email to LukeLovesPKMN@Gmail.com. And of course, I’d love if you could leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Even if you don’t feel like doing any of that, thank you so much just for listening.
I love Pecharunt. And remember. I love you too.