I’m Luke Summerhayes and I love Popplio.
Possibly the most famous Hawaiian song is Aloha ‘Oe, sung by the Queen Liliʻuokalani, last Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii, while she was still a Princes, in tearful farewell to one of her Colonels. Today, the song is commonly heard at funerals.
Historically, it was believed the dead were accompanied to the afterlife by Hawaiian Monk Seals. Living only around the Hawaiian Islands, these seals were once considered cryptids by western science, and are now gravely endangered, but for a long time they were venerated in Hawaii.
Combining these death rituals old and new, songs and seals, we might think of something quite different. A singing seal brings to mind performance and entertainment – and a performing seal.
Popplio is the water-type starter in Alola, a blue seal with a little ruff around its neck like those worn by circus seals, and a big pink nose like a clown or perhaps the ball a seal might balance on its snout.
Sun
This Pokémon snorts body fluids from its nose, blowing balloons to smash into its foes. It's famous for being a hard worker.
Moon
This Pokémon can control water bubbles. It practices diligently so it can learn to make big bubbles.
In the run-up to Pokemon Sun and Moon, Popplio was much less popular than its two fellow starters. Perhaps because I felt sorry for it, or perhaps because it’s the closest to a dog (The Hawaiian name for the local species of seal is ʻīlio-holo-i-ka-uaua and means Dog that Runs in Rough Water)and I’m more of a dog person than a cat or bird person, I only doubled down in my decision to pick water once again.
The name Popplio has the pop of the bubble, with Popo also being Hawaiian for ball. The lio part could come from ʻīlio-holo-i-ka-uaua. The Japanese name is Ashimari, combining Ashika, sea lion, with mari, ball.

Seals in real life are a curious mix of incredibly agile in the water, but comically clumsy on land. In Popplio’s case, though, it’s acrobatic everywhere.
Ultra Moon
Popplio gets on top of its bouncy water balloons to jump higher. It's quite the acrobatic fighter!
It begins to become even more athletic when, at level 17, Popplio evolves into Brionne.
Brionne is a little longer, Popplio’s single ruff now multiplying into a billowing dress. The ears have extended and blown up into several additional bubbles, or balls, and Brionne is a lighter sky blue.
In a performing troupe, if Popplio was a clown or an animal performing crude tricks, Brionne is the dancer.
Sun
A skillful dancer, it creates a sequence of water balloons as it dances, and briskly bombards its enemies.
Moon
It cares deeply for its companions. When its Trainer is feeling down, it performs a cheery dance to try and help.
Ultra Sun
It gets excited when it sees a dance it doesn't know. This hard worker practices diligently until it can learn that dance.

The name Brionne is a complex one. The final suffix surely comes from a sissonne ballet step. Is the first part of the name from the brine of the sea, a bravo to its performance, maybe the ion from sea lion? The Japanese name, Osyamari, is at least a simple combination of Oshama, precious young girl, and Mari, for ball.
With all the talk of ballet and precious young girls, its easy to forget this is still a powerful starter Pokemon that stay with a trainer for a whole game.
Ultra Moon
It attacks by smacking its enemies with the exploding water balloons that it creates.
This isn’t yet the peak of its battling power or the crescendo of its performance, as at level 34 Brionne will evolve into Primarina.
Primarina splits its white and blue colors evenly at the middle, grows out a mane of hair and adds some decoration in the form of sea shells, all adding up to give the appearance of a beautiful, elegant mermaid – appropriate for a water and fairy type Pokemon.
The Mo’o of Hawaiian folklore is very similar to stories of mermaids and sirens in European canon. There are small spirits in rivers and lakes, dangerous ladies of the coasts who lure men to the rocks, and mighty goddesses of the sea.
Moon
Its singing voice is its chief weapon in battle. This Pokémon's Trainer must prioritize the daily maintenance of its throat at all costs.
Ultra Sun
To Primarina, every battle is a stage. It takes down its prey with beautiful singing and dancing.
Ultra Moon
Also known as a songstress, it has a fantastical look on moonlit nights when it leads its colony in song.

As with the other two Alolan starters, Primarina has a unique move in the form of Sparkling Aria.
Sun
It controls its water balloons with song. The melody is learned from others of its kind and is passed down from one generation to the next.

The name Primarina contains Prima Donna and Ballerina, alluding to the performa, but also incorporates marina in the middle there. The Japanese Ashirene combines Ashika, sea-lion, this time with siren.
Primarina could do more than just lure opponents with song and hope they sank. Water and Fairy is a very effective defensive typing, and Primarina backs that up with a very effective spread of attacking moves. The only thing stopping it from being an all-timer is that it was introduced in the same generation as a water and fairy type Legendary Pokemon, somewhat undermining it.
I’ve mostly picked water types ever since getting Pokemon Blue almost thirty years ago. Even on top of that, however, seals are a very popular choice for cute animals at the moment. There are memes and videos everywhere, and I think it’s time these beautiful performers were given the stage they deserve.
Music for Luke Loves Pokemon was composed by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork for the show is by Katie Groves. Funding is by supporters at patreon.com/podcastiopodcastius.
I love hearing from listeners! Get in touch on youtube, social media or email and let me know about your favorite monsters. Coming up next are Pikipek and Yungoos, so let me know your thoughts about those or any other monsters.
Even if you don’t feel like doing any of that, thank you so much for listening.
I love Popplio. And remember, I love you too.