I’m Luke Summerhayes and I love Dedenne.
In English-speaking countries, many children grow up with tales of the tooth fairy, a little sprite who sneaks into sleeping children’s bedrooms to replace lost baby teeth with coins. In both France and Japan, the local variant on this legend is a mouse, or at least a fairy transformed into a mouse.
Another connection between Japan and France is the iconic Tokyo Tower, and its inspiration, the slightly shorter but much more iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. Created for a World Fair at the end of the 19th century, the reason the Eiffel Tower is still standing today rather than having been torn down after the celebration it was built for was finished is that it found a second life as a radio transmitter. Tokyo Tower, Sapporo Tower and many others like them all function as television and radio antennae.
Dedenne is a small, electric and fairy type rodent Pokemon, serving as the sixth generation’s member of the cheek-pouched so-called Pikachu Clone family. The name Dedenne, the same in almost all languages, combines the Japanese denki, or electricity, with the English word Antennae. Just like the Eiffel and Tokyo towers, Dedenne can transmit radio waves.
X
Its whiskers serve as antennas. By sending and receiving electrical waves, it can communicate with others over vast distances.

As well as electric type, Dedenne is also a fairy type. And like the tooth fairy, or the Little mouse, Dedenne sneaks into people’s homes and takes something. It doesn’t pay, however, and what it steals is not teeth but power.
Y
It uses its tail to absorb electricity from power plants or from outlets in houses, and then it fires the electricity from its whiskers.

Ultra Sun
It sneaks into people's homes and steals electricity from their outlets. When your electric bill seems off, it's the handiwork of this rascal.

Shield
Since Dedenne can't generate as much electricity on its own, it steals electricity from outlets or other electric Pokémon.

Dedenne may not have much power, and subsequently no major role in competitive pokemon, but it is a very popular monster. Dedenne won an official pole to name the most popular Pokemon in 2021, primarily due to its huge popularity in Japan.
Beyond popularity, Dedenne is also a rare and very useful Pokemon in Pokemon Sleep, the smartphone game. I’ve not had the luck to find one myself.
I’ll never fully understand Dedenne’s superfans and their great love for the Pokemon, but I can appreciate a round little mouse that harkens back to the days when Pikachu was a little more rotund.
Music for Luke Loves Pokemon is by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork for the show is by Katie Groves. If you enjoy the podcast, find out about my other shows at podcastiopodcastius.org, get in touch on bluesky @podcastpodcast, or support the show at patreon.com/podcastiopodcastius.
I love hearing from Listeners! Up next are Dedenne and Carbink, so hit me up about those or any other Pokemon. Even if you don’t feel like doing any of that, thank you so much for listening.
I love Hawlucha. And remember, I love you too