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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 Pyukumuku
Echinoderms are a phylum of life which feels very alien. About as far from humans on the evolutionary tree as it is possible to be while still being in the animal kingdom. We talked before about how extra-terrestrial starfish can seem, but the other echinoderms are also very unusual.
Sea cucumbers are slug-like creatures that live on the sea floor and gobble up detritus. They come in all shapes sizes, long and thin, round and fat, often with a starlike appendage at the front. Some species are able to expel their own internal organs as a kind of defense mechanism.
Pyukumyuku is a water-type Pokemon that resembles a cute, round little sea cucumber with pink spikes.
Moon
These Pokémon line the beaches. The sticky mucous that covers their bodies can be used to soothe sunburned skin. How convenient!
While it resembles a cute species, like the sea bunny, it takes from some of the other sea cucumbers I talked about earlier and can use its own organs as a weapon, expelling its stomach and shaping it into a fist.
Sun
It lives in shallow seas, such as areas near a beach. It can eject its internal organs, which it uses to engulf its prey or battle enemies.
Sword
It lives in warm, shallow waters. If it encounters a foe, it will spit out its internal organs as a means to punch them.
In battle, Pyukumuku saves this last attack until absolutely necessary. The ability Insides Out means that Pyukumuku will deliver a final attack doubling its opponents damage when hit with the knockout blow. I imagine it feels pretty uncomfortable to cough up one’s guts and punch an opponent with it, so I understand saving it until the last minute.
Using a Pyukumuku to set up for the rest of the game and then taking a swing on the way down makes for a tricky but effective tactic.
The name Pyukumyuku combines puke and mucus, which is appropriate if unpleasant, but it also sounds a bit like cucumber and a bit like pūʻukuʻuku, Hawaiian for something tiny and small. The Japanese name, Namakobushi, combines Namako, sea cucumber, and Kobushi, fist, a pun which probably accounts for this Pokemon’s very existence.
The real world is full of weird and wonderful creatures. While some are inherently cool or cute, others are pretty bizarre, and it takes a genuine love of life to see their good side. I’m glad for Pokemon that shine such a spotlight.
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 Pokemon. Coming up next are Type: Null and Minior, 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 Pyukumyuku. And remember, I love you too.