Pokémon: Litwick-Hisui
Typing:
Abilities: Rain Dish / Hydration | Infiltrator
Stats: 50 HP / 30 Atk / 55 Def / 55 SpA / 55 SpD / 30 Spe
New Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Draining Kiss, Echoed Voice, Hyper Voice, Life Dew, Misty Terrain, Rain Dance
Removed Moves: Ember, Fire Blast, Fire Spin, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Inferno, Overheat, Solar Beam
Flavor/Design:
"Only appearing during heavy rainfall, Litwick shines a brilliant blue light upon its head. While this light may resemble a burning fire, the light doesn't emit any kind of heat. Weakened individuals who are alone in the rain will find themselves swarmed by hungry Litwick."
Running with Hisui's basis on imperial Japan, this Litwick is inspired by
ikari candles, a style of candle in certain parts of Japan that have wide heads and narrow bases. This Litwick also takes much of its inspiration from the various ghost lights of Japanese folklore, specifically
onibi.
Onibi would appear most often on rainy days, do not emit much heat, and were said to develop from the bodies of the dead.
Onibi are said to swarm and consume the life force of anyone foolish enough to approach them and are sometimes believed to be able to replicate the voices of the victims' whose souls they have devoured.
Pokémon: Lampent-Hisui
Typing:
Abilities: Rain Dish / Hydration | Infiltrator
Stats: 60 HP / 40 Atk / 60 Def / 75 SpA / 60 SpD / 75 Spe
New Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Draining Kiss, Echoed Voice, Eerie Spell, Hyper Voice, Life Dew, Misty Terrain, Rain Dance
Removed Moves: Ember, Fire Blast, Fire Spin, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Inferno, Overheat, Solar Beam
Flavor/Design:
"It floats about during rainy days. Contact with water makes the light within its body glow even brighter. It's said that the light becomes more and more luminescent the more souls it devours."
This Lampent is essentially just a
Chōchin-obake, a famous yōkai that is born when a chōchin (style of Japanese paper lantern) gains a life of its own after surviving for at least one century. There are not many legends on chōchin-obake despite having been around for at least the late 1700's, largely only existing in drawings and paintings. Its arms resemble shide, paper streamers iconic to Shinto shrines and rituals.
Pokémon: Obakelure
Typing:
Abilities: Rain Dish / Liquid Voice | Infiltrator
Stats: 60 HP / 55 Atk / 90 Def / 125 SpA / 90 SpD / 100 Spe
New Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Draining Kiss, Echoed Voice, Hyper Voice, Life Dew, Misty Explosion, Misty Terrain, Moonblast, Rain Dance
Removed Moves: Ember, Fire Blast, Fire Spin, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Inferno, Overheat, Solar Beam
Flavor/Design:
"Obake" + "Lure"
"Oh-bah-kay-loor"
"Obakelure is always accompanied by two small spirits, and they work together to lead people astray. When heavy rain falls, Obakelure comes with it, using the cover of the rain to appear only as mysterious blue lights. Its melodic voice is irresistible to its prey."
Stories all over Japan tell of ghostly women and
yōkai that take the form of women who boast a strange array of powers, one of them being the
ame-onna (rain woman).
Ame-onna are said to be women who bring rainfall wherever they go, using the cover of the rain to spirit away unattended children so that they may never be seen again.