Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
A weekly Pokédex Podcast from Bald Man in Japan Luke Summerhayes. A different Pokémon family every week.
I’m Luke Summerhayes and I love Wishiwashi.
Fascination with animals is a prerequisite for recording this podcast, and I often find myself with the chance to talk about some critter or creature that fascinates me. One mesmerizing thing that doesn’t often come up when discussing individual monsters, however, is the majestic sight of many, many animals all together.
Birds move in flocks that from a distance can look part gas, part living organism. Bees can be terrifying when they swarm, and ants can be fascinating in their organized little columns. In the seas, schools of fish can be the most amazing, moving as one like a single silvery entity. Extra eyes can spot predators or food, extra bodies can bamboozle predators and, at the end of the day, it’s company. Birds of a feather flock together and all that.
Wishiwashi is a small water-type Pokemon that resembles a thin, large-eyed fish like a sardine or lanternfish.
Moon
It's awfully weak and notably tasty, so everyone is always out to get it. As it happens, anyone trying to bully it receives a painful lesson.
The lanternfish is famous for a slight bioluminescence which lets it match the appearance of the water around it, hiding itself from any predators above. Another fish, the flashlight fish, has a bioluminescence around its eyes. This eye light is recreated in Wishiwashi.
Ultra Moon
When it's in a jam, its shining eyes attract others of its kind. The light from its eyes is visible almost 25 miles away.
This Pokemon is weak, with actually the lowest stats of any Pokemon. Like Magikarp, it seems to be building to something but unlike Magikarp, Wishiwashi doesn’t evolve. Instead, at level 20, it develops the School ability.
Ultra Sun
They're weak, so they move in schools. However, they can also often be seen all alone, having strayed from the school.
Sun
Weak Wishiwashi school together to concentrate their power. Their united force makes them the demon of the sea, feared near and far.
With this ability, when Wishiwashi is called into battle, it summons a school of comrades that form a giant phantom fish. This school form is immensely more powerful than a loan Wishiwashi.
Moon
At their appearance, even Gyarados will flee. When they team up to use Water Gun, its power exceeds that of Hydro Pump.
The sardine is called Iwashi in Japanese, and Kowai is the word for weak, so the Pokemon’s name in that language is simply Kowashi. The phrase wishy washy in English slang refers to an unreliability, and unfortunately this school of allies are fair-weather friends. If Wishiwashi is knocked below 20% health, it will be forced back into Solo form until it recovers its health or faints.
This liability, and a low speed stat, has stopped Wishiwashi from dominating the competitive scene, but skilled players can make it a real monster. Additionally, in Pokemon Sun and Moon, it has a role as a totem Pokemon the player must face.
All of us can feel like solo form Wishiwashi sometimes, but we each have our school out there to join.
Music for Luke Loves Pokemon was composed by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork for the show is by Katie Groves. Funding is by supporters at patreon.com/podcastiopodcastius.
I love hearing from listeners! Get in touch on youtube, social media or email and let me know about your favorite monsters. Coming up next are Mareanie and Mudbray, so let me know your thoughts about those or any other monsters.
Even if you don’t feel like doing any of that, thank you so much for listening.
I love Wishiwashi. And remember, I love you too.