While it is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon, Wishiwashi can change forms with its SchoolingAbility if it has reached level 20. When it enters a battle or ends a turn with its HP above 25%, it changes from its Solo Form to its School Form. It will revert back to its Solo Form if its HP is below 25%.
Wishiwashi has two interchangeable forms: Solo Form and School Form.
Solo Form
School Form
Solo Form
In its Solo Form, Wishiwashi resembles a small fish. It has large, light blue eyes with irises that resemble puddles of water and dark blue eyelids. The head and tail are both white. There is a line of white teardrop-shapes on each side of its body with the teardrop nearest the head being slightly larger. The top half of its body is dark blue and has a short, rounded dorsal fin. The lower half of its body is gray with two pectoral fins. This tiny Pokémon is both the shortest and lightestWater-type.
An individual Wishiwashi is small, weak, and notably tasty. As a result, it has numerous natural predators, including humans, Dewgong, Wailmer, Wailord, Wingull, and Pelipper. While Wishiwashi are known to move in schools, they're often seen alone. They gather when confronting opponents by calling its friends with an SOS signal in the form of shining eyes seen almost 25 miles (40 kilometers) away.[1] When they're in a tough spot, their eyes tear up, which make them seem like they're crying.
School Form
In its School Form, Wishiwashi resembles a large fish roughly formed from various smaller fish with glowing eyes. Starting with its head, its body is divided into four bands that each become a slightly darker shade of blue. A ring of bright blue glowing spots lines the front edge of the two middle bands. The centers of its "eyes" are formed by a single white fish with glowing eyes for pupils. Surrounding the white fish is a dark blue recess, and at the rear edge of the "eye" is a raised white area for eyelids. Above each eye is a single, dark blue fish shape. Wishiwashi's mouth gapes wide open, apparently unable to close fully due to gaps on each side. Its lips in the front are lined with glowing spots, and many more spots dot the inside of its mouth. On each side of the School Form's body, in the second band, there is a pair of dark blue fish-shaped recesses. Wishiwashi can fire fish-shaped torpedoes from this area. Its pectoral fins are the same color as its head and have three finger-like projections. There are glowing spots at the base of each "finger" and at the base of the fins themselves. On top of its head are two short projections shaped like fishtails, one behind the other. Additionally, Wishiwashi has a large dorsal fin that is darker around the base and has two glowing spots at the tip. The third section of its body has a ring of four spike-like fins around it. Three spikes encircle the tip of its tail, each with two glowing dots at the base. Dark fish shapes float freely a short distance from the end of each spike, all with two more dots on them. Finally, the tip of its tail is a rounded teardrop shape with a single dot on each side.
Though it it a normally weak Pokémon, Wishiwashi is feared by the people of Alola as the "demon of the sea" because of its capacity to by assemble in groups and change into a sinister, more powerful form that scares away even the fearsome Gyarados.[2] It assumes this form whenever a fellow Wishiwashi is in danger or is bullied. The School Form's Water Gun is said to be more powerful than Hydro Pump, but it will split into a regular school before fleeing should it get wounded.
A special school of Wishiwashi in Alola acts as the Totem Pokémon for Lana's trial in Brooklet Hill. These Wishiwashi possess Z-Power, an energy that originates from Ultra Wormholes and takes the form of a golden, flaring aura. The reward for defeating Totem Wishiwashi and completing the trial is a Waterium Z.
Game data
NPC appearances
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: Silhouettes of schools of Wishiwashi may randomly appear in the background of the pond.
New Pokémon Snap: A school of Wishiwashi are part of the IlluminaPokémon who saved the Lentalregion from a meteorite 2000 years ago. Unlike the other Illumina Pokémon, the individual Wishiwashi themselves do not possess a pattern while under the effects of the Illumina phenomenon; instead, a pattern is seen when they are under the effects of it while in School Form. They reside in the Maricopia Islands Illumina Spot.
These Illumina Wishiwashi have grouped together into their School Form. As soon as they gathered, we picked up an Illumina energy reading that was absolutely enormous.
Wishiwashi has two interchangeable forms: Solo Form and School Form. It can change between them using its SchoolingAbility if it is at least level 20. Outside of battle, Wishiwashi is always in its Solo Form.
Wishiwashi starts battles in its Solo Form. If it is at least level 20 and has above 25% of its maximum HP remaining when it enters battle, it will change into its School Form. If its remaining HP is at or below 25% of its maximum HP at the end of a turn, it will revert back to Solo Form; however, if it subsequently has above 25% of its maximum HP remaining at the end of a turn, it will change back into School Form. If it is switched out while in School Form, it will revert to its Solo Form.
Wishiwashi has unique form change animations that show other Wishiwashi (represented by blue silhouettes) gathering to change it into School Form or dispersing to revert to Solo Form.
A Totem Wishiwashi appeared in both its School and Solo Forms in Big Sky, Small Fry!, which also served as the debut for the species' School Form. Lana managed to defeat it with her Popplio and was subsequently rewarded with a Waterium Z.
Of all Pokémon with multiple forms, Wishiwashi's base stat total undergoes by far the most drastic change.
Solo Form Wishiwashi has the lowest base stat total of all Pokémon at only 175.
Wishiwashi is the only Totem Pokémon to not be larger than its usual size. As such, it is also the only one that cannot be obtained as a Totem-sized Pokémon in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
School Form Wishiwashi weighs exactly 262 times more than Solo Form Wishiwashi; therefore, this is likely the number of individual Wishiwashi in a single school.
Origin
Wishiwashi's Solo Form bears a resemblance to Pacific sardines. Its eyes' ability to light up may be derived from flashlight fish. Its bioluminescence, great abundance, and overall shape may also reference the lanternfish. Its School Form bears some resemblance to a submarine and the extinct Dunkleosteus.
Name origin
Wishiwashi may be a combination of wishy-washy, describing the weak state of its Solo Form; wash, in reference to its Water type; and 鰯 iwashi (Japanese for sardine).
Yowashi may be a combination of 弱し yowashi (weak; the classical Japanese form of 弱い yowai) or 弱々しい yowayowashii (frail) and 鰯 iwashi (sardine).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.