When they gather together, they're like a giant lightning rod that attracts lightning from nature. The wool from Mareep that haven't been baptized by lightning tends to be of slightly lower quality. If there's no thunderstorm in sight, Electivire might have to step in.
To prevent fires, the place where Mareep gets struck by lightning is on the slightly barren hills at the border between Kuri and Hiwa. The Mountain God Wild Boar used to frequent here, but after evolving into Emboar, it moved away.
Now it lives with Whimsicott in Kojiro's rear yard, enjoying good food and drink every day, and occasionally being taken out to participate in large-scale battles, living a very comfortable life.
"Maa~ Maaa~"
The Mareep huddled together, looking at the dark clouds in the sky with anticipation.
The people guiding them had already hidden behind nearby rocks. At most, touching their wool would leave you a little paralyzed from an electric shock, but being caught in the thunderstorms summoned from the sky would ruin their day.
So they had to stay away from the Mareep at this time, but the flock still followed the direction of others.
"Yo! Yo yo!"
The ears and tail remained the same yellow and black stripes, with a little red bulb at the end of the tail, similar to Mareep. However, its body, except for the white abdomen, was mostly yellow, with some black stripes around its neck and a red orb on top of its head.
Its body structure was quite similar to Mareep, although it stood on two legs, resembling a kangaroo. The crucial point was that they were hairless.
This is Ampharos, the final evolution form of Mareep, which assumes a dual role of sheepdog and leader in the Mareep tribal community.
Mareep listens to the Ampharos with authority, which gets duly acknowledged by the tribal community. Even Mareep would look down on a too weak Ampharos.
After all, Ampharos has the heavy responsibility of protecting the clan, and a weakling cannot fulfill the duty of protector.
Although it looks like a kangaroo, Ampharos actually harbors Dragon Blood within. If it Mega evolves into Mega Ampharos, it can awaken the Dragon Blood within, changing from a single Electric Type to Electric + Dragon attributes.
Living as Mareep in Wano Kuni, there isn't any tribal crisis. The main tasks of Ampharos here are to guide Mareep for their lightning baptism and handle night shifts.
The environment outside Wano Kuni is treacherous, and the ships of the Hundred Beasts cannot guarantee only returning to Wano Kuni under clear skies, so the lighthouse guiding the way becomes extremely important.
Since navigation began, lighthouses have always been the greatest hope for vessels at night. As long as they determine the entrance of the Hidden Port, experienced helmsmen are confident of navigating the ships safely back to Wano Kuni.
So, every day, two Ampharos play the role of a beacon at different halves of the night. After evolution, not only has the glowing ability of the Ampharos' tail been retained, but it has also greatly enhanced.
The most exaggerated description is that even aliens in outer space can see the beacon of Ampharos. While that's not really the case, the tail of an Ampharos does far exceed the effectiveness of a normal lighthouse.
Because it's too dazzling, Ampharos' tail doesn't light up easily unless they are gathering lost Mareep or communicating signals with others, like right now.
"Rumble... crack!"
Thunder began brewing in the sky, and Ampharos started guiding their flocks into the designated areas. Different herds kept certain distances from each other, and in the midst of thunder noises, Ampharos communicated through flag signals.
"Boom!"
As lightning struck down, the crying of Mareep came with it, and they felt very comfortable, bathed in the lightning.
This process would continue for a while, and when their tails started to glow, they knew they had reached their limit.
During this period, Ampharos would watch over them to prevent some Mareep from remaining oblivious even when fully charged, as being electrified feels too comfortable.
For Mareep, bathing in lightning is akin to cats enjoying catnip, making them easily intoxicated. In that case, they would turn into black sheep, rendering their fleece useless.
The summer thunderstorms come fast and leave just as quickly. After the thunderstorm passed, the Mareep noticeably inflated, unlike Whimsicott; their wool doesn't absorb water easily—it's the static expansion effect.
The plumped-up Mareep huddled together, occasionally causing static electricity. Up next, they would graze in the meadow then head to the shedding area, where the fleece of some Mareep had already begun shedding.
...
"Toshio? You came back so soon?"
At the worksite, they saw a man with sausage lips, precisely the one who had been sent to the Pokemon Center earlier. The sausage lips were an effect of Cheri Berry, as people from Wano Kuni generally preferred lighter flavors, as evident from the General's banquet.
However, some people were quite interested in the super spicy curry made from Cheri Berries.
"Yeah, I told you it was a minor issue, but you guys made such a fuss over it."
At this moment, he was holding a lamb, a Mareep infant. Having just been born, it hadn't yet built up much static electricity on its body and posed no significant threat.
"Toshio, you should really put on gloves."
"Yeah, getting shocked is not a pleasant experience."
The people around him tried to persuade him, but to no avail.
"You guys don't understand. I've been one of the first workers handling wool here. As long as you're careful and sincerely care for the Mareep, there's no problem dealing without gloves."
With the demeanor of a seasoned veteran, he picked up a pair of shears and headed to take care of the Mareep that hadn't fully shed their wool.
At first, nothing happened. His luck held as he sheared the first few Mareep, free from static electricity attacks.
"You just don't get it, only by touching the wool with your own hands can you feel how special it is. That cumbersome thing only hinders the feel during work."
He began to boast about his experience, but moments later, a burst of static echoed, and he fell to the ground again, his hair more wildly electrified than before.
"Maaa..."
The newly shorn Mareep beside him let out a helpless bleat, signaling just how much he enjoys pushing limits. The people around him, with expressions of helplessness, placed him on a stretcher to be taken back to the Pokemon Center again.
Seeing someone being taken back for the same reason after less than a day of discharge darkened the faces of the nurses and doctors.
"Where are his gloves?"
"Well...."
"Hey, don't tell me you guys are attempting to file for occupational injury on purpose?"
She couldn't believe anyone would enjoy getting shocked, even suspecting these people of having strange ideas like claiming occupational injury compensation.
"No no no, it's not like that. He just wouldn't listen to advice..."