Pokémon Nicknames: Mareanie and Toxapex

“Alola cousins! Do you have time for one more walk down to the fishing hole? Just watch where you step.”

Mareanie (in Japanese: ヒドイデ “Hidoide”) is a Poison and Water dual-type Pokémon introduced in the Alola Region (Generation VII). Mareanie was one of the hardest Pokémon to catch in Sun and Moon. You had to fish for Corsola, then wait for the coral Pokémon to call for help.

Mareanie evolves into Toxapex (in Japanese: ドヒドイデ  “Dohidoide” ) starting at level 38, where it remains a Poison and Water dual-type. (Reference: Bulbapedia.)

Mareanie and Toxapex are modeled after poisonous sea urchins or spiny starfish. These echinoderms* are sea animals common in rocky inter-tidal pools.

My favorite name for Mareanie is “Poison Pen” after the phrase “poison pen letter”. Once upon a time (before the Internet) people would write and send letters to each other through the mail. A poison pen letter is a type of malicious hate mail sent to a recipient for the specific purpose of upsetting them. These letters were always sent anonymously. Sometimes a letter would be sent to a third party detailing how terrible another person is. No one writes anonymous poison pen letters anymore — as trolls have the anonymity of the Internet to malicious harass another. On that note, “Malicious” might be a good name for this poison-type.

Some Sea Urchins have venom, and many have sharp, prickly spines. Thus, “Spiny Norman” (after the Monty Python reference) may be a good name for a male.

Other, “prickly” names could be used, such as “Pin Cushion”. “AccuPuncher” after the Chinese “acupuncture” medical technique (which is actually supposed to rid you of toxins).

“Blue-Meanie” after the characters in the Yellow Submarine movie.

“Mean Gene” after the sports name given to anyone named Eugene.

After evolution, then … um … Toxapex?  (Denny scoffs) It sounds like a feminine hygiene product!

(insert cricket noises here)

Aw, come on … Don’t you get it – the name sounds like “Tampax” or “Kotex” … only toxic.

Nice.

You could probably just name it “Kotex” or perhaps “Toxic Shock” after the medical condition linked to super absorbent tampons.

If you want to make a snarky comment on the ongoing “Battle of the Sexes” you could name your male Toxapex “Masculinity” after that “toxic masculinity” phrase that sophomore sociology majors use to blame their own failures on. Conversely, you could name a female Toxapex “Feminism” after the “toxic feminism” encountered so often by frustrated STEM majors.

 

What is the name of your toxic little sticker? Please comment!

*See my post about the other echinoderm Pokemon Pyukumuku is linked here.

The smallest and the most defenseless are always the ones most vulnerable to the powerful, random forces of nature.

While I was cleaning up some of the devastation that was 2018 Atlantic Hurricane #F today, I found this bird’s nest.

They lived in a tree in my front yard. It is a dogwood tree, and I think I am actually allergic to the pollen of that species. I would have liked to cut it down, but it makes a pretty good shade tree over the driveway. A couple of days ago, Hurricane #F blew away some of the smaller branches.

The storm did what I should have done — which was trim away some of the lateral branches that were starting to extend too far over the driveway. Also, these birds were building nests on higher branches, so if I ever parked my car under the shade, the birds would usually crap on my car.

“Dang it birds” I thought …  “Always crapping on my car, and oh no … not down the passenger window … again”. Who is going to get into the passenger seat with a big stream of bird doo doo running down the window? Stupid birds.

The long branch that was growing and extending over the driveway is no longer a problem. I have to feel sorry for the bird and its nest of eggs that were destroyed. They couldn’t have possibly understood what was happening to them.

32 humans.