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A weekly Pokédex Podcast from Bald Man in Japan Luke Summerhayes. A different Pokémon family every week.
The name’s Summerhayes. Luke Summerhayes. I’m a private dick. Public one, too, if you ask my ex wife. I had five slugs in me – three of them whiskey, those were recent, two of them lead, those not so much – when in walks a dame with legs that go all the way up and a case that went all the way to the top.
“I hear you’re a man who can get answers?”
“Well, that depends on the question.”
“There’s a stranger in town. I’d like to know all about him.”
“Let me guess- tall, dark and handsome?”
“Long, mean and yellow.”
I knew the stranger she was talking about. Normal-type Pokemon, brown mongoose with a streak of yellow along its back. Mongeese were introduced to Hawaii artificially to deal with the rats brought over accidentally on ships. Yungoos had probably found itself in Alola in the same way.
Sun
With its sharp fangs, it will bite anything. It did not originally live in Alola but was imported from another region.
I hit up my usual informants.
Moon
It wanders around in a never-ending search for food. At dusk, it collapses from exhaustion and falls asleep on the spot.
Ultra Sun
Its stomach takes up most of its long torso. It's a big eater, so the amount Trainers have to spend on its food is no laughing matter.
Sounds like Yungoos the young mongoose came over here looking for work, ran out of things to kill for the man and started taking for himself. Tale as old as time.
I told the dame he was probably asleep on some street corner after chowing on one too many Pecha berry, but she wasn’t hearing it.
“He ain’t like that no more, he’s changed. At level 20, he evolved into Gumshoos.”
Rats are nocturnal, the mongoose was never a good choice to hunt it. Just another set of mouths to feed in a world with too many folks and not enough laws. That’s why they can only evolve in the day time.
Gumshoos is stood upright, its yellow streak hanging over its head in a hairstyle a little too reminiscent of a recent president of the united states.
It has a keen nose – not useful for hunting rats, maybe, but more than capable of finding trouble. I should know – we’re both in the gumshoe business.
Scarlet
Once it finds signs of prey, it will patiently stake out the location, waiting until the sun goes down.
Violet
Gumshoos specializes in relentlessly tracking down prey. The simple-minded Skwovet doesn't seem to provide Gumshoos enough challenge.
He might have made a killing at it. The stakeout ability is an interesting one in battle – it does double damage to enemies that switched in this turn. In Pokemon Sun, Gumshoos is even the first totem Pokemon players must face on their island trial.
Unfortunately, this guy picked the wrong city to mess around in – my city.
Moon
It adores having Rattata and Raticate for dinner, but as it's diurnal, it never encounters them. This Pokémon boasts incredible patience.
Ultra Sun
Although it wasn't originally found in Alola, this Pokémon was brought over a long time ago when there was a huge Rattata outbreak.
I wasn’t getting anywhere. I asked the dame if she could give me anything extra, and she coughed up a name. Seems that while he calls himself Gumshoos in these parts, when he’s in the land of the rising sun, he goes by another name.
“Dekagoose. It’s a combination of mongoose and Deka, Japanese slang for mongoose.”
I went back to my sources and tried this new name. I turned up a new clue.
Sun
When it finds a trace of its prey, it patiently stakes out the location...but it's always snoozing by nightfall.
I knew it’s prey would be Alolan Rattata. I might not like it, but in my line of work I find myself dealing with a lot of rats. I knew where to find this one – and sure enough, their was Gumshoos. Fast asleep. My first slap was to wake him up – the second was for leaving a beautiful dame worrying all night long. The two of them went off into the sunset.
I was left with a headache and a cheque that would probably bounce.
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 Grubbin and Crabrawler, 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 Yungoos. And remember, I love you too.