Worldbuilding Pokemon: Yamper
In this subseries, I will analyze the potential origins of the Pokemon in order to discover hidden details and potential. As part of a trailer published recently we saw several Pokemon revealed including Yamper.
This is not the first time we saw it. Yamper appeared during the E3 demo as a Pokemon that you could use in the battle.
Yamper seems to be a combination of the words “yap”, “amp”, and “scamper” according to Bulbapedia. Its design is based on a Welsh Corgi, a good selection for a dog Pokemon in a region that includes Wales. The inclusion of ‘amp’ in its name is due to its electric typing.
According to the Pokemon website, its description is:
Yamper has a tendency to be drawn to things that are moving quickly. It can chase after people and Pokémon or even go charging at vehicles!. Yamper has an organ in its body that generates electricity, and this organ is activated when Yamper runs around. Yamper can’t store the electricity it generates, so it’s often seen running around with electric sparks crackling around it.
Yamper’s energetic nature ties into its type, as the natural energy that corgis have is here represented by a literal external form of energy.
Their habit of chasing after moving things is further alluded to with its new ability Ball Fetch, which allows it to pick up a Pokeball if you threw it and didn’t catch a Pokemon. This ability only works if Yamper wasn’t previously holding anything, as it holds onto the item after thrown.
This game mechanic is similar to mechanics for arrow recovery in other video games. In Skyrim, for example, you typically are able to recover 33% of the arrows you shoot from your target’s body after killing them. However, that 33% chance works for all the arrows, not just the first.
Welsh corgis have a very long history in Wales. For many centuries that were used primarily for herding animals like cattle and sheep. Given their small size, they were able to maneuver animals by biting at their legs.
Within the species of Welsh Corgi, there are two specific breeds: the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Both species have been placed on the Vulnerable Native Breeds list from The Kennel Club, although the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is no longer there.
Even though it’s not a popular type of dog, it is one that is closely associated with Queen Elizabeth II. She got her first corgi in 1933, named Dookie, and has continued to raise generations of dogs. She has also owned a crossbreed of a corgi with a dachshund called a dorgi.
Dachshunds, also known as weiner dogs, are similarly short and long dogs whose role has been smelling and hunting small animals like rabbits and prairie dogs. These are popular dogs in the US, serving in dachshund races around the country. Dachshunds have also been owned by many European leaders including England’s Queen Victoria.
As Yamper’s Pokedex designation is “Puppy Pokemon”, the same as Growlithe, Lillipup, and Rockruff, it likely has at least one evolution. I imagine it will have a dachshund or dorgi evolution, and perhaps a final evolution based on a Scottish Terrier.
Yamper’s line represents the great small dogs of British culture, with how the corgi has played a role in domesticating animals and its prominence in royal society. I look forward to seeing more about Yamper. What do you think it will evolve into?
