Stantler is a quadrupedal, cervid Pokémon. It has a tan pelt with a cream-colored belly and a few spots on its back. Its tail is large, short, and round, and each of its legs ends in a black hoof. It has a large, brown nose and a pair of pale cream-colored antlers, each with a black orb in the center. The shape of the antlers and the black orbs causes them to resemble eyes. Stantler can distort reality and create illusions with its antlers by subtly changing the flow of air around them. Staring into them creates an odd sensation, as if one is being sucked through them, and one may become so dizzy that it is impossible to stand. The orbs on the antlers have a pleasant scent, which can induce a bewildering effect on people. The orbs can also be ground into a powder that aids in sleeping.
Stantler's strange antlers were very valuable as works of art, and as such, the species was nearly hunted to extinction. Stantler live in herds in temperate, mountainous forests; these herds are sometimes led by a Wyrdeer. As shown in the Pokémon the Series episode The Little Big Horn, a baby Stantler that is separated from its herd and frightened will instinctively produce an illusion of a big, stampeding herd to scare away perceived threats. In the past, Stantler lived in tougher environments with more enemies, which strengthened its psychic powers and allowed it to evolve into Wyrdeer.
Stantler and its evolved form, Wyrdeer, are the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Psyshield Bash.
Evolution
In Hisui, Stantler evolves into Wyrdeer.
(For specifics on this Pokémon's Evolution in the games, refer to Game data→Evolution data.)
Main series
Major appearances
Stantler debuted in The Little Big Horn, where Brock helped a fawn Stantler reunite with its herd. Before that, the young Stantler had created an illusion of a stampeding herd of Stantler in self-defense, but Brock managed to see through it, allowing him to befriend the fawn.
In Different Strokes for Different Blokes, Bewilder Forest was home to multiple Stantler. Some of the Stantler used Hypnosis on travelers, giving them various hallucinations. Paul caught one of them, but released it almost immediately after deciding that it wasn't worthy of his team.
In Stantler's Little Helpers, Santa Claus used multiple Stantler to pull his sleigh in lieu of his Ponyta.
In Finding a Legend!, a Stantler was casting illusions at the Bell Tower before being caught by Goh. It has since made further appearances in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
Minor appearances
In Tricks of the Trade, a Stantler was at the Pokémon Swap Meet in Palmpona.
Two Stantler appeared in Freeze Frame.
Two wild Stantler appeared in The Legend of Thunder!.
Multiple Stantler appeared in Celebi: The Voice of the Forest.
In the banned episode EP250, a Stantler was living in a forest outside the Ice Path.
In Fangs for Nothin', a Stantler was living on the Dragon Holy Land.
In Gotta Catch Ya Later!, Misty's flashback featured a Stantler.
Three Stantler appeared in A Bite to Remember.
In Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, a Stantler was living in the Tree of Beginning.
A Stantler appeared in The Green Guardian.
In Not on MY Watch Ya Don't!, Team Rocket hypnotized and kidnapped a Stantler.
A Stantler appeared in Dawn's Early Night!.
Multiple Stantler appeared in Giratina and the Sky Warrior.
In Battling the Generation Gap!, a Stantler was part of Lila's famous "Tiger Lily Smile".
Multiple Stantler appeared in Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
In Playing the Performance Encore!, a Coordinator's Stantler competed alongside a Magcargo in the Battle Stage of the Daybreak Contest.
A Stantler appeared in the opening sequence of Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
A Trainer's Stantler appeared in a flashback in The Power of Us. Also, a wild Stantler physically appeared in the same movie.
Pokédex entries
Episode
|
Pokémon
|
Source
|
Entry
|
EP125
|
Stantler
|
Ash's Pokédex
|
Stantler, the Big Horn Pokémon. The eye-like shapes at the base of its horns produce a pleasant odor, that has a bewildering effect on anyone who smells it. It can also create startling, realistic illusions by shaking its horns. Stantler form herds and live in mountainous terrain.
|
|
Episode
|
Pokémon
|
Source
|
Entry
|
DP006
|
Stantler
|
Ash's Pokédex
|
Stantler, the Big Horn Pokémon. Its large curved horns subtly bend the flow of air around them, which creates a mysterious warp in reality.
|
|
Episode
|
Pokémon
|
Source
|
Entry
|
JN009
|
Stantler
|
Goh's Rotom Phone
|
Stantler, the Big Horn Pokémon. A Normal type. If you look too deeply into the rings on Stantler's horns, you will feel quite strange.
|
|
Pokémon Generations
A Stantler appeared in The Reawakening, during a flashback about the creation of the legendary beasts.
- Stantler is found on Johto Route 36, which leads to Violet City, the game counterpart of Nara, Japan, a city where many tame deer roam freely.
- Nob Ogasawara, the translator of the Pokémon games to English, had suggested "Scaribou" for Stantler's English name, although it was not accepted by Nintendo of America.[1][2][3]
- Stantler and Ursaring's evolution requirements, as well as Scyther's evolution into Kleavor, are all programmed into Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, with the Pokémon being affected by the Eviolite item. However, the methods are disabled, preventing the Pokémon from evolving. Stantler is programmed to evolve into Wyrdeer by leveling up after using the move Psyshield Bash 20 times.
- In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Stantler can only learn Psyshield Bash as an Egg Move by having it passed down from a Wyrdeer.
Origin
Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:
Stantler seems to be based on a number of deer species, such as the sika deer, reindeer, elk, or moose. It may also have elements of the Japanese serow, also known as kamoshika or kamoshishi. It may also be based on 鹿威し shishi-odoshi or "deer scare", a Japanese device traditionally used to scare deer and other animals away from gardens.
Name origin
Stantler may be a combination of startle, stare, or stag (a male deer) and antler.
Odoshishi may be derived from 鹿威し shishi-odoshi.