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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 Heatmor.
Found in the Americas, anteaters are a group of large mammals related to sloths. They have bushy tales, long claws and even longer snouts, with sensitive noses and long, sticky tongues which they use to seek out and slurp up their favorite prey; ants and termites.
Sending their tongues snaking down tunnels to collect bugs, and using their claws to tear apart anthills and termite mounds, an Anteater hunting its prey resembles a monster attack from a kaiju movie. With some termite species having glowing larva, the image of a human skyscraper being demolished is completed.
Heatmore is a fire-type Pokémon which resembles a cross between a living anteater and the firey mechanisms of an iron forge.
Sword
There's a hole in its tail that allows it to draw in the air it needs to keep its fire burning. If the hole gets blocked, this Pokémon will fall ill.
Flames are often described like a flicking tongue, and Heatmor is a Pokémon which takes that concept and makes it literal.
Black 2
It draws in air through its tail, transforms it into fire, and uses it like a tongue. It melts Durant and eats them.
White 2
Heatmor’s fire typing is specifically in opposition to Durant, a bug and steel type Pokémon whose 4x weakness to Heatmor’s fire type reflects how a real-life anteater can devour tens of thousands of ants or termites in a single day.
It’s understandable that Andy is a little confused there. In early Pokédex entries, it seems like Heatmor has an actual tongue which is on fire:
White
Using their very hot, flame-covered tongues, they burn through Durant's steel bodies and consume their insides.
While later on, the wording suggests that the tongue is flame which only acts as a tongue.
Shield
A flame serves as its tongue, melting through the hard shell of Durant so that Heatmor can devour their insides.
Perhaps this was a misconception which got figured out within the Pokémon world itself?
Anteaters are an animal with such a specific environmental niche, eating ants, that it makes up their name. Similarly, Heatmor is a Pokémon defined by its relationship with another. Heatmor and Durant never appear in games or the anime without their counterpart.
The Japanese name is Kuitaran, coming from arikui, the Japanese name for an anteater, while also being a pun, sounding like the phrase “not eaten enough” in Japanese name. Similarly, the English name combines heat and mortar while also sounding like “eat more”, which is what it plans to do.
When we look at the megalithic structures made by millions of ants and termites, it’s hard not to compare them to the cities built by human civilizations. Once we make that comparison, though, we have to ask; what will be the Heatmor to our Durant?
Original music for Luke Loves Pokémon is by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork is by Katie Groves. Heatmor and Durant were designed by Ken Sugimori. Funding is provided by listeners at Patreon.com/PodcastioPodcastius. For just a dollar a month, supporters can listen to episodes a week early and also help cover hosting and fees, making it possible for me to keep making episodes every week.
I love hearing from listeners! Get in touch about upcoming Pokémon on twitter or facebook at LukeLovesPKMN. Drop a comment if you’re watching the video, or a review on apple podcasts or spotify. Coming up are Durant and Deino, so please get in touch about those or any other monsters.
Even if you don’t feel like doing any of that, thank you so much just for listening.
I love Heatmor. And remember, I love you too.