Pokémon Nicknames: Yamper and Boltund

Pokémon Nicknames: Yamper and Boltund

‘ello Galar region! It has been months since I last posted on this blog … way back in August in fact! Well, the new game — Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield – has been out for a couple of weeks now, so you may be in need of Denny’s nicknaming suggestions.

Credit goes to the artist.

One of the first Pokémon you encounter in the Galar Region is little “Yamper” (in Japanese: ワンパチ “Wanpachi”).  Yamper is the Generation VIII “Puppy Pokémon” and is an Electric type. (Source: Bulbapedia)

The way I see it, Yamper is based on the “Welsh Corgi” dog breed. These dogs have distinctive short legs, and despite that, the breed is often used as a herding dog. (Perhaps to herd the numerous Wooloo in Galar?) Corgis are sometimes bred with other dogs, but they retain their short legs, and their friendly temperament. These are those cute little “yapper” dogs. The little dogs that are always excited when you meet them, and jump up on you, as they always want to play.

Yamper evolves into “Boltund” (in Japanese: パルスワン  “Parusuwan”) at level 25 where it remains an  Electric-type. Ahem … Boltund reminds me a little too much of the dog in the Disney movie “Bolt”.

Here are some nicknames that I have used:

You could just go with “Yapper” or “LittleYapper”. (Note that nicknames still have a 12-character limit in Galar.) I also used the name “Yakety-Yak” as in the Coasters song – “Yakety Yak – Don’t Talk Back.”

My favorite name for Yamper/Boltund is “Incorrigible” – as in an endearing person, who always does things their way — and does not give up!!!

“HappyCamper” fits, because camping, playing and cooking curry are an important part of building friendship with your Pokémon in the Galar Region. I had previously used “HappyCamper” for Pokémon’s other puppy —  Rockruff.

“Corgi Girl” – for female Yamper. Alternatively “Georgy Girl” , “Georgie” , “Georgy Gyrl”  after the great hit song from 1967 by England’s The Seekers — “Hey There – Georgy Girl”. It is an upbeat tune with good vibes, man.

Of course I grew up in the 1960s, so that is my cultural reference. You kids might name your little yapper “Baha Baha” or the like, after that terrible song about “letting the dogs out”. Oy.

“Pembroke” – From the Pembroke Welsh Corgi dog breed. Pembroke is also the name of one of the colleges at the University of Cambridge.

“House Bolton” as a GOT reference. Those dogs in that show were too mean though. (Not like my incorrigible little Yamper.)

“Striker” – as in a lightning strike of course. “Dart Leader” is a related lightning term, and is good for a herding dog. “Step Leader” as well. “ReturnStroke” is another lightning term, and is especially appropriate as one of Yamper’s abilities is “Ball Fetch”. This is an ability new to the Galar region.

Now who’s a GOOD BOY?  What is your name for your little yapper? Please comment!

This is NOT Galar Denny.

 

Who’s That Pokémon? AKB48 Labrador dreams, and some clarifications from Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson

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Ha Ha. This is actually NOT another Pokemon post.

That is actually the rear end of Mayu Watanabe performing in the music video for the AKB48 single “Labrador Retriever”.  I know, the single was released months ago, and summer is over.  The thing is, the “official” AB48 release of the music video did not come out until August 26^th.  If you have seen it before, that means that you were watching one of those illegal-copyright-violating posts from an unauthorized user.  I know I feel safer now.  Of course the organization wanted to squeeze as many sales out of the single as they could before they posted to YouTube – which now makes the video basically a commercial.  Well, I LIKE commercials … almost as much as Watanabe-san’s butt.

Also, another great thing about the official release is that you can turn on HD, and you can turn on ENGLISH translations with the CC button.  See image below– you would have missed that lyric otherwise.

This single has really grown on me.  At first I was so confused by what happens in the video, that I could not enjoy it.  Thanks to a lecture I attended by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson however — now I LOVE IT!   Also, Thank You again, Mr. Yasushi Akimoto for being a creative genius.

There are some pretty strange juxtapositions in the video.  Somehow, Mayu Watanabe is a dog – a Labrador Retriever – even though she is really herself.  Note that Mayu’s picture is even on the bag of dog food shown – or is it human adult food? When I first saw the video, I thought the “dog food” opening was just another of those annoying ads on YouTube.  Admit it, you did too.

The video opens up a deeply philosophical question: Is Mayu dreaming of being a dog … or is she actually a DOG dreaming of being a human?

There is a lot of great singing and dancing on the beach!  The lyrics of the song are about waxing nostalgic about an “old friend.”  I have to assume the old friend inferred here is actually a beloved pet – a Labrador.

“The Labrador runs / Along the water’s edge
Bounding through the surf / Inviting us
Chasing him across the sand / Like you did that day
You kick off your sandals / (Laughing)
Shall we / Have our first kiss?”

You can open a window of full lyrics from Studio 48 here.

The girls are having fun, and doing all these things that real dogs too.  Although, oddly — no one’s leg is humped.  At one point, some of them did have to be hosed off however.  We see Jurina Matsui lick her own face.  Is that possible?  Yes, if you have an alternate reality dog-self to do the licking.

The girls look beautiful of course, and they playfully interact with their “dog selves” as well.  I think that maybe the director thought that they would CGI the dogs in later, but ran out of time or budget.

The video sure works for me as is.

Also, something I really like about the “official” music video is that you get the end credits during the instrumental “reprise” part of the song.  The credits are arguably as interesting as the dancing.  During the end credits, a few of the girls are walking their dogs along the beach, and well, perhaps I should let Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson explain:

“Thanks Denny, love your blog. 

In this last part of the video we see what appears to be random motions of the dogs as they walk along with the AKB members. Although the dogs motions may appear to be random, there is an underlying process which explains the overall movement of the dogs as a linear relationship.  Although the dogs may zig, and zag, their overall trend is a linear one. 

Thus this invisible ‘AKB force’ demonstrated here, is clearly providing a trend.

The previous part of the video – where Mayu is a dog – may also represent the paradoxical and unpredictable nature of quantum physics at the sub-atomic level. Strange happenings are possible for certain sub-atomic particles.  A particle may disappear in one part of the atom, and re-appear in another.  Get this – sometimes a particle arrives — before it leaves …  very similar to the ‘space-time’ distortions of the AKB girls dancing on the beach with their future-selves.

Also, at the nano-scale it is possible for a girl to also be a dog particle.  As you zoom in closer and closer to each atom, the defining characteristics of “dog” may flip to “hot girl” and not be just a smaller particle of a dog. 

To sum up, these ‘Quantum AKB forces’ present us with  a unifying – and satisfying – variable.  This effectively fills in the missing term in Albert Einstein’s equation for his ‘theory-of-everything’ … And in a very entertaining manner I might add! ”

You’re not really Dr. Tyson, are you?

Starlight: It took me four months to catch up to the sweetness of this music video.  Where is an Astro-physicist when you need one?

Also, if you are big on those music video games, then this link to game footage of the Labrador Retriever song may be of fleeting interest.