Rat Reef and Dhelmise

"Closed?"

"Obviously. If you were pulling in over two million in sales a day, you'd take a break too."

"If I made over two million a day, I'd work myself to the bone! After fifty days, I'd be set for life!"

"They already have enough money to live comfortably for life. The shop was only opened for fun. They sold out all their stock in one go yesterday, so there was no point staying open. Besides, I heard something happened over at Rat Reef, which was why they sent him there. Don't forget, he isn't actually a shop owner."

"Oh, right, right. I nearly forgot. Still, I'm so jealous... over two million a day."

The owners of two souvenir shops in the scenic area watched as Blake pulled down the shutters of his little shop and posted a notice saying he was away on business, both of them filled with envy. Meanwhile, Blake had followed Uncle Sam's boat out to sea and was now less than fifteen nautical miles from Rat Reef.

Although Rat Reef was called a reef, to those unfamiliar with such things, it looked more like an island. It was formed by a connected stretch of reefs. At high tide, the rocks were hidden beneath the water, but once the tide receded, vast patches of reef emerged, forming a reef cluster two or three kilometers across that resembled a small island. Many ships approaching for the first time could easily run aground there if they had not checked their charts, lacked warnings from Water-type Pokémon, and happened to arrive at high tide. The sharp reefs would tear straight through their hulls. The wreck they were heading toward was one such unfortunate ship.

The wreck had been there for some time. What made it interesting was that it had happened to encounter low tide halfway through its voyage. The receding water had left it stranded atop the reefs, and the spot where it got stuck was especially unfortunate. Under its own weight, it had been pulled directly in two. It had not split completely, with only the keel barely connecting the two halves. One half had sunk into the water, while the other hung above the sea. This time, Blake and Uncle Sam were heading for the upper section that had been turned into a camp for survivors—the part exposed above the water.

"Stop for a moment!"

Blake called out to Uncle Sam and the others. Professionals left professional work to professionals, and the moment Uncle Sam heard him, he immediately stopped the boat.

"Give me a moment."

Blake took out an amulet and hung it around his neck, then pulled out a small flask. He reached inside, dabbed two drops of water onto his eyes, closed them, relaxed his mind, and suddenly opened them!

"Bzzzzz—!"

A buzzing sound that no one but Blake could hear rang out. The next moment, everything around him turned purple. He stared at the distant wreck, which seemed to draw closer and closer, enlarging within his field of vision.

"Black. It really is a Ghost-type Pokémon."

Blake nodded. This ability came from his family's special gift, similar to psychic powers and Aura, though far less convenient. It could only be used to observe Ghost-type Pokémon or so-called evil spirits. Ghost-type Pokémon appeared black in this purple vision, while evil spirits appeared red. As for the water in the flask, it was dew gathered from the rare leaves of Phantump, which could amplify the range of this ability. As for why it worked, no one could explain it.

"Can you tell what Pokémon it is?"

Uncle Sam had seen Blake's father use this ability before, so he was familiar with Blake's actions and immediately asked.

"Not yet, but I have a guess. By the way, are the Tentacruel ready?"

Blake asked again.

"They're ready. Tentacruel and Tentacool are among the Pokémon we have the most of. The same goes for Wingull and Pelipper."

Uncle Sam nodded.

"Good. I'll go calm it down. If that doesn't work, we may have to fight. You don't need to help me—just give me a hand and make sure it can't escape."

Blake nodded.

"Are you planning to catch this Pokémon?"

The moment Uncle Sam heard that, he naturally guessed what Blake intended to do.

"That's right. If it really is what I think it is, I'll catch it. Of course, it still depends on what the Pokémon wants. If I can't convince it, at most I'll find somewhere else for it to go. This place isn't suitable for it to live in, and it could affect the other Pokémon here."

Blake nodded again.

"So, what Pokémon do you think it is?"

Uncle Sam asked curiously.

"A Ghost-type Pokémon that lives in the sea and requires Flying-type and Poison-type Pokémon to deal with. Uncle, why don't you take a guess? Here's another hint: something every ship has."

As Blake spoke, he tapped the chain beside him with his foot. It was the iron chain for the anchor.

"Wait, you mean that one!"

Uncle Sam finally caught on. Having been neighbors with Blake's family for generations, aside from Water-type Pokémon, Ghost-type Pokémon were probably what he knew best. Combined with how few Ghost-type species there were, he immediately thought of one Pokémon James—Blake's father—had once mentioned.

"That's right, Dhelmise! A Grass-type and Ghost-type Pokémon. But there is something important to remember: that huge ship's wheel and anchor aren't its actual body. The seaweed wrapped around them is. So if it really tries to run, Poison-type attacks must target the seaweed, not the ship's wheel or anchor, even though those look easier to hit. Attacks there are useless against it."

Blake confirmed Uncle Sam's guess and took out a picture he had prepared beforehand from his waist pouch. It showed Dhelmise's usual appearance.

Yes, only its usual appearance. This was a real world, after all. It was impossible for every Pokémon to look exactly alike, especially Dhelmise. Its ship's wheel and anchor were replaceable equipment. No one could guarantee that a Dhelmise would not find a better-looking anchor or wheel and abandon its old one. That was entirely possible. Of course, to ensure its own mobility, Dhelmise generally would not choose anchors or wheels that were too massive and heavy. Most were found on wrecked old sailing ships. But no one could guarantee that this Dhelmise's seaweed was not exceptionally lush.

According to the family records, the largest Dhelmise discovered so far had been wrapped around the five-ton anchor of a hundred-thousand-ton cargo ship. The enormous anchor itself was a powerful weapon. It did not even need moves—simply flying up and dropping down would be enough to give someone a serious headache. So the note in the Pokédex that its information was for reference only, or merely speculative, was no joke. It was something that genuinely happened.

"All right, we understand."

Uncle Sam and the accompanying crew nodded.

"But don't worry too much. Dhelmise usually stay on the seafloor and rarely come ashore, so their overall combat strength generally isn't that high. So, are you ready, Gastly?"

Blake looked down at his own shadow.

"Kehehe! ᕦ(･ㅂ･)ᕤ"

Gastly floated out from Blake's shadow, curled its tongue and tried to imitate someone flexing their arm muscles. But with only a tongue, the gesture merely made it look adorable. Blake did not mind at all. On the contrary, he was just as excited.

"Good. Then let's see if it can become a new member of our family!"

"Kehehe! ヾ(●´∀｀●)"

"Ha ha ha ha! Full of spirit, aren't you!"

Uncle Sam laughed heartily at the sight of Blake. This was what youth was supposed to look like!