Yanma Report

Yanma (the Clear Wing Pokémon) is an uncommon Bug/Flying-type Pokémon found within forests, swamps and jungles within the Johto, Unova, Kalos, Hisui and Kitakami regions. Although not the strongest of fighters, Yanma are interesting insects that are incredibly adept at moving through the air and are relatively easy to train for most trainers. They might not seem like able to partners to some, but you would be surprised to see just how much potential these critters actually have; just don't take one near a glass house, as a thrown rock will be the last of your worries!

Unlike most insects, the transparent wings of Yanma are partially articulated; besides moving up and down, they can also move slightly in all other directions. This gives Yanma more advanced wing control than most other insects, allowing them to expertly stop and turn while airborne. Furthermore, this extra articulation allows Yanma to flap their wings incredibly fast without causing excessive wear and tear on their joints and exoskeleton, and by flapping their wings at incredible speeds, Yanma are able to actually hover in place. Aside from looking cool, this ability also ties in directly with their most useful attack, the Sonic Boom attack; by flapping their wings at incredibly high speeds, Yanma are able to generate powerful shockwaves that can deal damage to other nearby life forms, shatter glass and even lift homes in extremely rare cases. Although Sonic Boom is a fixed-damage attack, Yanma are able to efficiently generate multiple Sonic Boom attacks in a short period of time, making it their principle form of offense. Yanma are also unique in that they possess telescopic vision, or otherwise can see 360 degrees around them without having to move their large eyes at all. This important adaptation allows Yanma to see any prey the moment they enter their field of vision, making them extremely efficient at hunting and tracking their prey (which is particularly important because their entire diet consists of other insects); the same principle can be applied in the case of approaching predators. However, Yanma do have to move their eyes to spot objects directly above or below them and, for some reason, this makes them somewhat paranoid when they are close to their nests. Yanma flit about rapidly near their nests in order to keep careful watch over their surroundings, but seeing as there are few predators that actually eat Yanma, it is entirely possible that they may do this in pure instinct. It is possible that there was once a predator (which is most likely now extinct) that regularly ate Yanma, which may explain why this behavior is today instinctively hard-wired.

Yanma are unique among insects and Pokémon in general in that they are normally unable to evolve at all but, possibly due to a recent mutation in their genetics, they are able to learn the otherwise bizarre Ancient Power attack and can actually use it to facilitate evolution. As with Tangela and Piloswine, it is believed that the Ancient Power attack allows Yanma to somehow get in touch with a more primitive part of their inner form that, for reasons that are still being debated, enables them to evolve into a form fairly close in construction to that taken by their ancient relatives, namely Yanmega. This comes to the great benefit of Yanma in most cases, as their otherwise unimpressive offensive and defensive abilities are heavily amplified when they evolve into Yanmega (though they still retain a fairly poor Special Defense stat) and the moves they learn even change slightly, as they lose the ability to utilize the Hypnosis and Wing Attack moves and instead learn the Feint and Slash attacks as well as gain the ability to use the Night Slash and Bug Bite attacks. While they might not have the ability to resist being roasted as easily as their pre-evolved form, this evolution is more than helpful for trainers that wish to add a powerful Bug-type top their team.

Although not specifically fit for intense combat, Yanma are good Pokémon for Bug Catchers to try out, as their interesting mix of skills and attacks may prove to be effective in the right situations. While fairly uncommon in most parts of the world and difficult to use on their own, Yanma are still interesting creatures that any Bug-type enthusiast will enjoy training (especially if they want a Yanmega). If you do want one, though, make sure that any glass objects you may have are shatter-proof; otherwise, you might end up footing a bill every time your Yanma tries to hover in one place!

Professor Wormwood