A new generation of Pokémon is upon us - between the RPG epics of Sword & Shield and the recently-aired anime that accompanies it. This means we get to gaze upon some lavish, colorful new settings and new characters, though it also means a slew of cool new monster varieties.
One amusing Pokémon on this front is the Electric puppy known as Yamper; a creature that has more traits and background than its cute, simple appearance may reveal.
With this list, we’ll light the fuse and enlighten you with ten interesting facts and trivia surrounding this unique Pokémon that you likely didn’t know about.
10 Has A Diverse Range Of Learnable Moves
While single-type Pokémon often learn a fairly limited moveset, this Electric dog is deceptively versatile in its learnable abilities. It can, in fact, learn a couple of Dark moves in Bite and Crunch, and the Fairy moves Charm and Play Rough natively.
In terms of TMs, it can learn the Dark move Snarl, the Psychic move Rest, and the Fire ability Fire Fang. This latter move is particularly useful, given the vast distinction in Electric and Fire. It can also pick up the Fire move Flame Charge by way of breeding with a Ponyta or Scorbunny.
9 Based On The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Puppy
Many Pokémon draw inspiration from real animals, or perhaps a number of them. In the case of Yamper, the Electric dog is mainly based on the Welsh Corgi Puppy.
This is fitting given its English origins, which is in fact, also famous for being the pet of the current Queen of the U.K. It also makes sense given their similar build and appearance, along with the fact that they’re both herding breeds.
According to Pokémon lore, Yamper is a popular choice in the Galar region for herding creatures such as Wooloo, the same way this English dog is used to herd cattle and sheep.
8 One Of 4 Puppy Pokémon
While Elemental types are a key component to Pokémon, they’re listed in the Pokédex by an even more specific “category.” This is a name that helps further describe and identify the creature mainly based on biological traits.
In the case of the cute critter known as Yamper, he occupies the “Puppy” category with just 3 other monsters amongst the 8 Generations of Pokémon. The other beasts in question are the Fire-type Growlithe, the Rock-type Rockruff, and the Normal-type Lillipup.
7 May Be Inspired By A Mythical Lightning Beast
Though we’ve gone over the biological inspiration for Yamper, his motif and abilities seemingly expand well beyond a simple British pup.
In fact, there’s a good chance that this Electric canine actually draws inspiration from a mythical lightning beast in Japanese mythology called Raiju. This theory certainly holds water, given that this creature is known to take on the form of a wolf or dog. Though this beast is much larger and more intimidating physically, there are a few parallels characteristically.
6 Generates Electricity From Its Tail To Run Fast
The means in which Yamper can generate electricity is a bit unorthodox compared to some of his fellow Electric-types. The base of its prod-like tail can generate electricity as its runs. As it’s unable to store this energy, you’ll be able to see sparks while it’s running.
This also helps it generate needed speed, which is useful in Yamper’s favored activity of chasing after people, other Pokémon, and even vehicles. Though it’s not particularly speedy, thanks to its gluttonous nature, it certainly doesn’t stop the pup from trying!
5 The First Galarian Pokémon Owned By A Main Character In The Anime
Even after over 20 seasons of the Pokémon anime, Ash’s Poké-chum Pikachu tends to hog the limelight when it comes to Electric-types. Yet, the Sword & Shield anime appears to be changing this somewhat, as one of the main characters of the new season, Koharu, possesses a Yamper.
In fact, this dog stands as the first secondary major Electric-type owned by a friend of Ash who isn’t part of the Pikachu family. It also holds the distinction of being the first Galarian Pokémon owned by a main character in the show.
4 Its Name Is Derived From 3 Related Words
Yamper’s array of influences extend to its seemingly simple name as well. Without even touching on its Japanese name here, “Yamper” is very likely derived from a total of 3 words related to its characteristics.
The words in question are “yap,” “scamper,” and “ampere,” the latter of which is a measurement of electricity. Indeed, there seems to be an impressive amount of careful plotting when it comes to the design and naming of these monsters.
3 May Be Based On A Mythical Demonic Ghost In British Folklore
Seeing as the Galar region is based on the British Isles, it would make sense that many of its native Pokémon would take some inspiration from cultural traits there.
While we’ve already touched on the likely Japanese mythology influence, it would seem this electric pup may be partly influenced by a mythological British “Black Dog.” This dog is apparently a demonic or spectral apparition that’s known to be seen during thunderstorms.
There’s definitely more to this seemingly cute critter than meets the eye!
2 Its Japanese Name Is Likely Onomatopoeia For Barking
As it happens, there looks to be some thought put into Yamper’s Japanese name derivation as well.
Its name “Wanpachi” is very likely meant to draw from the word “wanwan” which is a Japanese onomatopoeia for a barking noise. The second part of its name, meanwhile, is probably based on “pachipachi.” This is fittingly onomatopoeia for crackling, which would make sense given the crackling sound of electricity and static.
1 The Game Can Be Beaten With Just Yamper
One fun aspect of the Pokémon games is their ability to be beaten and exploited in a number of interesting ways. Thanks to the lengthy research and trials of Youtuber “Short Tempered,” it was discovered not long after the Sword & Shield launch that at least technically speaking, the game can be completed with only Yamper.
This is partly thanks to its array of moves, and specifically the effectiveness of its Fire Fang. A 20-minute video, where the user delves into their strategy and methodology to achieve this, can be found here.
This little guy is truly a deceptively tough beast!
NEXT: How To Get Marshadow (& 9 Other Things You Didn’t Know About The Pokémon)
