Whiscash is a dark blue, chubby catfish-likePokémon with a yellow underbelly. It has a cavernous mouth with light blue lips that have short, thin whiskers growing from the lower lips. Long, yellow barbels grow from its cheeks, and there is a yellow marking on its forehead that resembles a W. The light blue dorsal fin has a pattern of three black spots arranged in a triangle, while its horizontal tail fin lacks spots. Its pectoral fins and belly fins match its main body color.
Whiscash uses its caudal fin to cause earthquakes that can extend for over three miles by hitting the bottom of swamp beds. Whiscash can predict when natural earthquakes will occur. It also uses these massive earthquakes to drive away any foes that come near it, going on rampages in the process. This behavior, along with sightings of Whiscash's leaping from lakes, has caused people to mistaken it for starting earthquakes. It lives in a nestat the bottom of ponds and swamps, and is territorial over them. Whiscash tends to wait silently for prey to come to it. This gluttonous fish Pokémon will eat anything that is alive, sometimes whole, and was shown in thePokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire episodeWhiscash and Ash to eat inanimate objects as well. Whiscash also has a diet of consuming mud. Whiscash has poor eyesight, so it has to use its whiskers to detect a prey's vibration.
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire: After hitting the button changing the Pokémon bumpers on theRuby Field a set number of times, Whiscash will appear in the pool. Hitting the ball into Whiscash's mouth will transport the player to theSealeo Bonus Field. In the unlikely event that the ball hits Whiscash from behind, it will get angry and start anearthquake.
Whiscash is extremely territorial. Just one of thesePokémon will claim a large pond as its exclusive territory. If a foe approaches it, it thrashes about and triggers a massive earthquake.
IfWhiscash goes on a wild rampage, it sets off a quake-like tremor with a radius of overthree miles. ThisPokémon has the ability to predict real earthquakes.
Mysteriously, it can foretell earthquakes. In the daytime, it sleeps in mud at the bottom of a pond. When it awakens, it continually feeds throughout the night.
Whiscash is extremely territorial. Just one of these Pokémon will claim a large pond as its exclusive territory. If a foe approaches it, it thrashes about and triggers a massive earthquake.
If Whiscash goes on a wild rampage, it sets off a quake-like tremor with a radius of overthree miles. This Pokémon has the ability to predict real earthquakes.
Strikes its caudal fin against the swamp bed to shake the ground and startle its prey. It will then swallow the fleeing prey whole. People mistook this behavior as the cause of earthquakes.
Whiscash debuted inWhiscash and Ash. A fisherman namedSullivan had been hunting onenicknamed Nero for fifty years because of its huge size. AfterAsh had battled Nero and retrieved hisBadge Case that it had eaten, Sullivan used it as his chance to finally catch Nero. However, even after Sullivan used aMaster Ball, Nero simply swallowed the Ball and swam away.
Mr. Briney owns a Whiscash. He uses it to predict the massive, constant earthquakes to determine when he could go fishing, among other reasons. It first appeared inStick This in Your Craw, Crawdaunt! I.
Whiscash appears to be based on acatfish; more specifically, it seems to primarily draw inspiration fromNamazu, a catfish inJapanese mythology that causes earthquakes (also note Whiscash's Japanese name "Namazun"). Its moveFuture Sight and abilityAnticipation also allude to this myth, which possibly originated from the observation that catfish are capable of predicting earthquakes and become agitated a few hours before their occurrence. Namazu is sometimes depicted as a dragon-serpent, which may explain why it can learn the moveDragon Dance. The yellow zigzag on Whiscash's head is similar to acrown.
Since its pre-evolved form appears to be based on aloach, it may also draw inspiration fromloach catfish. Whiscash could also be based onElectric catfish due to being able to learn the moveSpark.
Name origin
Whiscash may be a combination ofwhisker,mustache, and possiblycatfish. The first letter of its English name may also come from the "W" shaped symbol on its head.
Namazun may be derived from 鯰namazu (catfish) or 大鯰Ōnamazu, acatfish in Japanese mythology which caused earthquakes.
This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please seeWhiscash images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
