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027: Sandshrew
58 Plays1 year ago
Meet Sandshrew, the shriveled toe Pokemon and the most deserving mascot. The moral of the story? If you shrews, you loose!
Join Katherine and Claudia as they stumble through the Pokédex and figure out which of these Pokemon might be semi-edible in a podcast full of stupidity and laughs.
New episodes every Saturday Morning!
Unown Radio is brought to you by Mugstain Productions.
-Find us on IG @unownradio
-Links: https://linktr.ee/unownradio
- Pokemon are licensed to Nintendo
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Transcript
Introduction to Unknown Radio
00:00:00
Speaker
This is a Muckstein Productions Podcast.
Meet the Hosts: Claudia and Catherine
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello, homies and trainers, and welcome to Unknown Radio, your Mugsame production Pokemon talk show, where we take a peek at every Pokemon. As always, I'm Claudia, and I'm here with my co-host, Catherine. Hello, I am Catherine. I bring the pizzazz. Claudia's gonna hit me with some facts.
Spotlight on Sandshrew
00:00:40
Speaker
And today, Catherine's going in blind. Couldn't remember who we're covering today, so it's my pleasure to announce that we are doing number 27 in the Pokedex. Yeah, yeah.
00:00:52
Speaker
This is Sandshrew. Oh, I like Sandshrew! I'm actually excited. I thought it was going to be a really shit one. I was trying to lead you into thinking it was going to be a shit one. Oh, I'm happy now. All right. Do you know what his tagline is? The Rock Mouse. He is the mouse Pokemon, so you were pretty there. I was pretty there. Yeah. Another mouse Pokemon for the books.
00:01:22
Speaker
Yeah, well, they're all bloody mice, aren't they? They're mice. Crazy. This is our fifth mouse Pokemon, I think. That's too many mice. Too many mice. Too many mice. Too many mice. So, Sanshu is a ground type. He stands at two foot tall and weighs 26.5 pounds, which is equivalent to 12 kgs.
00:01:51
Speaker
Aw, he's quite a little boy. Yeah, he's Pikachu size, pretty much. A bit heavier. A bit heavier, yeah. He's got a beard and he's made of rock. Yes, and speaking of, what does he look like? He literally looks like he's made from bricks. Yes, he has a little brick pattern on his body. He's got a little white tum tum.
00:02:14
Speaker
And little ears. Little ears. He looks a bit like a mouse actually. Maybe they should have called him the mouse Pokemon. Right. He's like a... They should have called him the mouse Pokemon. What? Sand mouse? Yeah. I guess that he's supposed to look like a shrew, hence the shrew. Yeah. Mice and shrews are basically the same thing. Different font. Yes. That is fact.
00:02:40
Speaker
So yeah, his name Sandshrew comes from Sand and Shrew.
The Venomous Shrew Connection
00:02:45
Speaker
Shocking. They were really creative with this one, weren't they? The normal version is yellow, like sand. Again, they really...
00:02:56
Speaker
going off the wall. Yeah. Wow. So seeing all the other shiny Pokemon we have covered so far, would you like to take a stab in the dark as to what colour the shiny... This is gonna be... It's a tongue twister. Shiny Shandy. The Shiny Sandshrew is. I'm gonna give it a guess and say he has gone from yellow to pink. I don't know why pink.
00:03:24
Speaker
No, that's too wild. No, that's too out there. I'm gonna go blue. Ah, close. I would have preferred pink, but he's green. Oh. Yeah, he's like a lime green, like an alien. Like an alien? I don't know how I feel about that. Yeah, weird looking. Still cute, but... Oh, he's a knight? Oh, I don't know. He looks like a sage green on the pictures I'm looking at and I've got a lot of time for that. Oh, that's better than my Pokémon Go picture I'm looking at.
00:03:52
Speaker
Yeah, I've got a little sage green guy, he's quite cute. He'd match my interiors. Just get a little green mouse. Definitely taking him home.
00:04:02
Speaker
So, Sandshrew appears to be based on a mouse and an armadillo. I think it's more of a shrew, I don't agree with that. And then, as shown by how it can use the move Poison Sting and its prey being Bug-type Pokémon, and by its name alone, here we go, it may also be based on shrews, as they are also able to have venomous bites as well as feast on insects. Did you know that? I did not know shrews were poisonous.
00:04:30
Speaker
Like, remember where we grew up? Shrews everywhere. I'd try and pick them up. Yeah. I just used to be like, oh it's a shrew, it's not mouse, it's fine. Be my friend. But apparently they're venomous. Yeah. The more you know. If we could go back now. So I'm always telling people how England has no poisonous animals. But I was a liar. I was a liar. I can't do this. I just don't believe it.
00:05:01
Speaker
I should look it up.
Symbolism in Sandshrew's Design
00:05:02
Speaker
I don't know if it's the same kind of shrews that are in England but... It's actually the only certain species are poisonous.
00:05:14
Speaker
right and they are mainly found in cuba and america so we were fine we were fine but i wouldn't say picking up any shrews you see in um america though but fun fact shrew venom is not conducted by fangs but by grooves in the teeth huh that's interesting so it's like they have really stinky
00:05:39
Speaker
spit that sticks to the teeth. Britain's largest native shrew has a poisonous bite that packs a punch. The venom is used to paralyze its prey. We're back to square one. We could have got paralyzed by shrews growing up. We could have, but we didn't live near that much water.
00:05:58
Speaker
But do you know what? The water shrew is Britain's largest native shrew. So we could have, no, where we go? We could have died and our parents didn't care. They let us play with wild animals. They were just glad we were out the house. So that brick light pattern you were talking about that's on Sandshrew that makes him look like a rock.
00:06:22
Speaker
Yep. Or a pyramid. I think he looks like a pyramid. Yes, it resembles and is associated with pyramids. Oh, is that what you were about to say? Yeah, because pyramids were made out of sandstone.
00:06:34
Speaker
Yeah, he looks like a... I've always thought he looks like a pyramid. Yeah, me too, but there's actually a reason for it. It's pretty cool. So cool! Are you ready to move into our facts and information? I am indeed, I. Alright, so Sandshrew can roll up into tight balls when endangered to protect their soft underbellies.
00:06:56
Speaker
Their hides can bounce off many attacks, and additionally also great shock absorbers. A sandshrew falling off of a cliff, for example, could save itself by rolling into a ball. It would not only be able to survive the impact, but even crawl away, mostly unscathed. That's bloody impressive.
00:07:17
Speaker
Yeah. It doesn't even say a cliff. That is saying that that's a really high place to fall off of. Like if you fall off a cliff, you're probably going to die, right? Not if you're a sandshrew. Not if you're a sandshrew. Mighty impressive. Mighty. Though begs the question, if there was some kind of migration pattern for sandshrew where
00:07:41
Speaker
They all gather at the top of a cliff because they're moving across. And then the only way to move across is to fall down that cliff. Imagine being at the bottom of that cliff during this migration and then all of these falling fucking sandshrew rocks are just pummeling down on you. That's apocalypse behaviour. That's how you die. But at least you'd go out with something you love.
Habitat and Behavior of Sandshrew
00:08:06
Speaker
Yes, this is... I'm, you know, telling you your future now.
00:08:11
Speaker
Claudia died doing what she loved, watching a bunch of sandshrew fall off a cliff and got belted in the air by one. In the air. We're already going back to British, look at you. Right in the air. Right in the air, mate.
00:08:26
Speaker
So with Sanshu, their bodies are also configured to live off as little water as possible since they are extremely weak to the liquid. Sanshu often curl up into balls on cold nights to prevent dew from building up on their bellies. If they are wet, they will sunbathe, roll in dry sand, or even travel to volcanic areas to dry off. Aww, that's so cute!
00:08:53
Speaker
It's interesting that they are hurt by water, though. Yeah, but you'd expect that because it's a ground Pokémon. You know what? I'm an idiot and I didn't even think about that. Well, you said it, not me, but if the shoe fits... If the sand shoe fits, then the... Oh, that was a good one! I loved it.
00:09:15
Speaker
So most sandshrew are timid and they usually run away by digging holes. Like we said, they live in arid climates. As they hate water, they create burrows underground for shelter using their claws to dislodge the stones in their way. And when hunting, they wait near the lips of their little burrows and then they lunge out to grab people like those spiders that hide. Or like a cat hiding behind a bush when they go bam.
00:09:45
Speaker
Yeah, exactly like that, but a sandshrew. I would like a sandshrew to jump out and appear, to be honest. I would piss. That would freak the hell out of me. Just walking and then one just jumps out of the ground and grabs your toe. So despite this nature, they can become braver and more courageous once they're trained by skilled trainers.
00:10:10
Speaker
Yeah, so it's like a dog. And our puppy classes. Yeah. Oh, do you reckon they take nervous sandshrews to like big play dates? I would love that. That would be so cute. It legitimately would be. So when their skin becomes wrinkled due to moisture, they head to volcanic areas to dry themselves out through laying on a spot with lots of geothermal heat.
00:10:37
Speaker
Ooh, look at you getting all scientific. So I guess kind of like how reptiles and stuff lay down like flat on the sand. I was just about to say like a lizard. That's what they do with their bellies. And with their soft little bellies when they get all wrinkly. Like a toe in a bath. Oh, it's like a person in the bath.
00:11:03
Speaker
So Sandshrew can also use sand attacks and curiously poison sting to defend themselves as their claws secrete a mild poison.
Alolan Sandshrew and Cultural Significance
00:11:12
Speaker
Recently, researchers have discovered that their saliva, in fact, contains some of the same poison.
00:11:19
Speaker
Right, okay, so another poisonous shrew. Yes, that's why I guess they got that from actual shrews. Yeah, which I actually... I actually can't believe, honestly. I know, it's still mind-blowing the fact that shrews are fucking poisonous. I just don't believe it! I just... it's a shrew! So before we move on from the sandshrew, I do have a fun fact that's a country fact? A geography fact for you?
00:11:50
Speaker
The country fact! So, Sandshrew, and this is in the real world, okay? Sandshrew is the regional mascot of Tatori, which is a prefecture in Japan known for its sand dunes. Oh, that's cute! Yeah, so this Pokémon is the mascot for an actual real-life place. I mean, to be fair, I'd like him to be my mascot. Just your personal mascot?
00:12:20
Speaker
Yeah, I said what I said. I love that for you. And oh, to all the poisonous shrews you were trying to grab as a kid. Yeah. Me and you, you can have our own one. Our personal, we could take them on play dates. We didn't have to change the name of the podcast to, um, you shrews, you lose. Oh, I love that. You shrews, you lose.
00:12:44
Speaker
So, Sandshrew has a regional variant. Go on. Oh, is it Alola by any chance? It is Alola. Yeah. Go on then. What's it doing? So, the Alolan Sandshrew, again, is the mouse Pokémon. It is a ice-steel type, stands at 2 foot 4 inches, and weighs 88.2 pounds, which equates to 40 kgs.
00:13:14
Speaker
Okay. Do you know what this guy looks like? I see it's just like a white version of the current Santri. Like, I just don't think they're going to be that inventive. Yeah, yeah, pretty much. It has a white belly and then it has instead of the yellow back, it has like an icy blue back that kind of represents pavements or walls. It just looks like an igloo. Yeah.
00:13:39
Speaker
Yeah, it's slightly different face shape to kind of get that igloo face shape rather than rock. It's a little igloo. Can you imagine an Antarctica? His little ears. His little ears look like little entrances to igloos. He's very cute. Oh, that's cute. And then the shiny version is exactly the same, but instead of a yellow belly, it's got a blue belly. Oh! Yeah, he's cute. He's pretty cute. Oh, obsessed.
00:14:08
Speaker
So it's a lowland form, like its hide pattern, its skin pattern resembles that of an igloo, like we said, and then its ability to roll up and slide on ice may be a reference to a curling stone. Have you seen that at the Olympics? Yeah, it's in the bin.
00:14:26
Speaker
He's a little curling stone. Yeah. He can slide on his tummy like a penguin. He can. Oh, I love it. He's a sweetheart. He's a sweetheart. So we'll get into him. When Sandshrew first arrived at the islands of Alola, they tried to scrape out niches in lowland desert areas. However, these such places were plagued with frequent volcanic activity, making them unsuitable for most forms of life.
00:14:54
Speaker
So although they are somewhat accustomed to geothermic activity, the frequency of such disturbances was far too great that they were forced to flee to higher ground. So today Alolan sandshrew inhabits snowy mountains. Their skin has grown thicker and steel-like to help insulate them from the cold. And additionally, they are also covered in thin layers of ice.
00:15:21
Speaker
He's a little ice ice baby. It's a nice little origin story about how they had this like convergent evolution. Yeah, I like it. I like the fact that there's a story behind it and it's not like, oh yeah, now this is just different. Yeah, they just look different here, but they have the same name. Yeah.
00:15:43
Speaker
kind of like how the Rattatas became Rattatas because they had to adapt to only be nocturnal.
Diet and Survival Tactics of Sandshrew
00:15:51
Speaker
You know, you can bring Rattata as much as you want. I still hate it. It could be worse. It could be Ratticate. Oh my God. Ratticate. Why are you calling it Ratticate? So being this now ice steel type, it gives them great defensive capability.
00:16:12
Speaker
capabilities, but it also hinders their flexibility. Consequently, the Alolan Sandshrew cannot curl up into balls like their mainland relatives. Aww, that's why they can slide on their tum-tums. Yeah, to move, they slide across slick ice on their bellies like curling stones. And, you'll like this, a popular competition in Alolan festivals, in fact, is Sandshrew sliding.
00:16:38
Speaker
where contestants try to slide their Pokemon as far down the ice as possible. I love that. I feel like that would also happen in Canada. What happens at Alola also happens in Canada. No, I see no life.
00:16:53
Speaker
It's like a Hawaii, Canada crossover. I love it. Also, I like just the image of people just, would they push them or would they like grab their tails and flick them? I don't think they'd push them. Like, I feel like the tail flick just sounds evil. They get like a running start kind of like when they actually do curling stones. Yeah, I think so. And then people are there with the brooms to make it go further. Yes, exactly like that.
00:17:22
Speaker
I love that. So the Elolan Sandshrew have also developed claws that help them cling into the ice without slipping. And when attacked, they will hold tight to the slippery ground in order to keep their soft underside safe from predators. This compact form also keeps them low to the ground and prevents them from being blown away during powerful blizzards. Oh, that's cute.
00:17:48
Speaker
Just imagine a big blizzard coming and they're just all clinging to the floor. Like, please don't take me. I can't get wet. I can't get wet or I'll shrivel up like a toe. I don't want to be an old man's toe. Make it stop. So that icy bodies allow them to launch themselves across the ground at bullet-like speeds to attack or flee from danger.
00:18:17
Speaker
So that's us answers. That's us answers. You ready to move on to the questions section? Am I ready?
00:18:24
Speaker
I've never been more ready. All right. We're going to go off the walls now because you are currently wandering around in a desert. And if you were in this desert and you're just walking along and then all of a sudden you nearly piss because a little sandshrew jumps out of a hole and tries to grab hold of your leg. What do you do? I'd let him climb up me like a bloody tree. And keep him forever? And keep him forever. I want him following me around. I want him to bite my enemies.
00:18:55
Speaker
with their paralytic poison. Yeah, you go paralyze my enemies, little sandshrew. I'll put him on a flag. I'd name him. Take him on play dates to build his confidence. Exactly. I love that view. I'd take him into school. I'd make him like a therapy shrew. A thereshrew. Oh my god. And before you ask, his name will be Kevin.
00:19:24
Speaker
Kevin, Kevin the Sandshrew. Yeah, little Kev. So you're back on your little vacation in Alola, we've been here before, and you decided this day you go up on a hike into the mountains and you come across what looks like a little rock on the floor and that it lifts its little head up and you see it's a little Alolan Sandshrew, what would you do? Again, he's coming home with me. Just pick him up and take him? Yeah!
00:19:55
Speaker
He can't really want one! And he wouldn't be able to run away from you either if you pick him up because then he can't launch himself. Exactly, what's he gonna do? You'd have to make sure he didn't get too hot because then that ice would melt and then he'd get wet. And then he'd shrivel up like a big toy. Yeah, you have two little hydrophobic friends. Yeah, exactly. I love that for you. I think they'd be friends. Yeah, I wouldn't need a playdate because I have the two of them.
00:20:25
Speaker
along with my Bulbasaur and my Charmander. So cute. So what functions do you think a normal Sandshrew would have that's not battling? It would be a pet. The perfect pet. The perfect pet.
00:20:42
Speaker
You could use them as missiles and shoot them at people. It'd be a good bowling ball if you'd forgotten your bowling ball. Oh, it would be a great bowling ball and he'd be fine. He wouldn't even be bothered. Nah.
00:20:57
Speaker
Oh, that's cute. Um, he can detect the, um, where the earth is warm. So like, Oh my God. Yeah. He could go on like research missions, get the geothermic, you know, renewable energy. I love that. He could help save the world. That's very handy. And then
00:21:18
Speaker
I guess you could milk as poison and it's a paralytic, so that would be... I mean, you could either sell it as a drug or you could use it in medicine as anesthetic. Yeah, depending on if you're going to go down, you know, the illegal route or the wholesome route. Yeah. Whether you want to be evil or nice. Or you could do both. You could do both. Best of both worlds. As long as one doesn't find out about the other, you could. Yeah, exactly. So what about the Alolan boy?
00:21:49
Speaker
Um, I don't really know. I mean, apart from the Olympic sport, Olympic Games. Yeah, sport. Yeah. Um, they can climb up ice very good or can grip onto ice very good. So you could take one if you want to go like ice mountain climbing and you could just use it, you know, pop it in, climb up a bit, pop it in. Like he could be part of a rock climbing wall. Yeah. He would make good company for Everest.
00:22:17
Speaker
Aww yeah. Yeah that'd be quite cute. Like every now and again you see a little sandshrew and that would bring you joy up that height couldn't it? It really would just take him with you. I know I for one would happily climb Everest if I knew there was a sandshrew every like few miles. Oh especially if like if you haven't like now and if they said hey sandshrew exists
00:22:42
Speaker
but you can only see it if you go up Everest. That would be the only reason I would climb a mountain. We could go together, can you imagine? Oh, we'd probably die. It'd be Duke of Edinburgh all over again. But we almost died. But we didn't.
00:23:00
Speaker
So what do you reckon the regular old Sandshrew eats? Well we already know he eats bugs. He eats bugs. Yeah and you can share your sandwich with him. Yeah. Anything that doesn't have water and I think he'd be fine. I think he has to have some water to sustain himself. Like to drink. Yeah so maybe he gets the water that he needs from food. Oh maybe he loves watermelon.
00:23:24
Speaker
oh that would be cute i'd love to see him gnawing on a big watermelon or just like in his little paws holding like a little triangle of watermelon just chomping on it oh can you imagine it would make um have you seen the videos of like bunnies eating that or like uh big cappy bars and stuff when they're eating it and they just go
00:23:47
Speaker
Yeah. And they have that cute little chewy face. Yeah, that's what he'd look like. Exactly. Yeah. What do you reckon the Alolan sand sure eats? Weirdly, I reckon he fishes.
00:24:00
Speaker
Oh, he is weak to water, but if you are living in this icy place, he could just wait for, because don't the fish jump out of the water occasionally and get left on the land? Yeah, or it could be like a bear and just when they leap up, he just pours them. Oh, because he can launch himself like a bullet, so he just waits and then he's like, I got you. Yeah.
00:24:25
Speaker
I like that. He does look like a fish eater. He really does. Plus, most of the animals that live out in the middle of nowhere, like Antarctica and that, eat fish.
Hypothetical Scenarios: Sandshrew in Action
00:24:36
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. I love that for him. Could we eat a sandshrew? I'm going to say no. A, because they're poisonous, and B, they're more like armadillo-y. What's that one called? Is it like a panagolian? Panagolin?
00:24:54
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not even going to try and say it. But yeah, so I think they're going to be more like armor and toughness than the nice stuff to actually eat. But I think you're right. I think we should always stick to that. If the Pokemon has poison, then it's probably not edible. Yeah. I think that's just like a safe bet in life. Yeah. But we did very quickly say that we would eat Ekans and Arbok, but that's different.
00:25:23
Speaker
Yeah, but you also get go about to blind them up as balloons. Yeah. So what about the Alolan version? Same. Yeah, I think I'd probably be more likely to eat this only if I was stuck in that really cold place. I also feel like it would be like a fishy chicken.
00:25:44
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Like Gator is fishy chicken. Yeah. Like that was my initial thought. Like I reckon it would taste like Gator. So if you're a nice little bar, yeah, let's say you found a bar while you were in the desert, you know, people are very parched to the desert and you go in there to get yourself like a nice dry martini or something that seems desert themed. I thought that. I was like, where are they going? That's what they're for.
00:26:12
Speaker
And you walk in and you immediately scare a sandshrew because you know they're very scared. And you didn't realize but you have a flask of water on your hip and it's kind of spilling out and he's spooked and he just comes towards you with them claws. Who would win in that fight?
00:26:34
Speaker
I'm not being funny, but if I had water on him, I'm throwing the water at him. I'm going to kick him in the soft stomach while he's trying to be like right in the stomach, right in the soft butt. That's an easy one. As long as he doesn't get your skin with his... But even then, it's just a small paralytic. I think it'd be fine. Oh yeah. I also think like, I don't think he would be poised enough to hurt me. No. Like a small child, a hundred percent, but I feel like I could... Yeah. I think I could take that one.
00:27:02
Speaker
You've had stronger stuff than since you're paralytic. You'll be fine. Yeah, just pour some water on him. Yeah, exactly. What about if you were wandering around in those snowy mountains and there's a nice you come across a big igloo and then you walk inside and it's an ice bar like on the cruise ships.
00:27:27
Speaker
But as you're walking in, you didn't notice, but you stepped on an Alolan Sandshrew that was just clinging to the ice and having a nap. And he's fucking pissed. And he starts trying to launch himself towards you like a bullet. Who would win in this fight?
00:27:46
Speaker
I don't know, I just feel like this one would be like, again, if I could get his stomach, I would kick straight in the soft bit of the stomach, take him out, you know? But I feel like the speed of this one and the fact that he's icy, he's going to be hard to grab. Yeah, I guess you could spook him until he gets scared and clings onto some ice and then you could do some like skin to skin contact to melt him. That is true. I have got very warm hands all the time, so.
00:28:17
Speaker
There'll just be you at the bottom of this bar just spooning it. Yeah. And being like, don't look at me. I'm waiting for him to melt so I can kick the shit out of him. Don't look at me! Don't look at me. I'm committing an act of treason. I'm not happy about doing this, but it's me or him.
Closing Thoughts and Teasers for Next Episode
00:28:37
Speaker
The tears... It's all right. The tears will melt the ice. They're salty, aren't they? Just cry on him. That'll make me do it.
00:28:48
Speaker
So that's that's it for our double sandshrew team. What do you reckon of these two? I actually like them more, like I liked them before anyway but I am 100% more in love with sandshrews now.
00:29:02
Speaker
Now you know they're poisoners. Yeah. And then you can play sport with them. Yeah, like I don't see why we wouldn't want one. Beautiful. Yeah. Stunning. And then next week we get to evolve them both. Slash slash. Slash slash. We're gonna evolve our sans sans to slash slashes. Our shrewy buoys become slashy washes.
00:29:34
Speaker
That sounds terrible. I don't know why that sounds x-rated. Because we say slash for we. That's true. I think it's forgotten. All that and more to look forward to next week. I'll see you in that desert bar with my dry martini. I'm not even gonna file it up, that sounds dreamy. See you on the flipside.