Thud-thud-thud-thud, thud—whirr—
With the engine shutting off, Blake and the others finally arrived near the wreck.
The situation here was complicated.
Their boat could no longer approach safely, so from this point onward, they would need the help of Pokémon.
For a moment, several Pokémon were released one after another: Drednaw, Tentacruel, Sharpedo, Wailmer, and a few others.
Everyone began switching transportation, and the group of nine entered the wreck.
“Watch your step!
This place has been abandoned for too long, so the floor isn’t sturdy in some areas.
It’s also very slippery.”
Uncle Sam warned them.
“Then why didn’t anyone repair it properly when this place was turned into a temporary rescue station?”
Blake carefully stepped onto the broken deck.
The slick feeling beneath his feet made him deeply uncomfortable.
“No choice.
This isn’t exactly an official rescue station.
People just voluntarily left an emergency beacon here, along with some food and water.
Besides, most boats nowadays have electronic detection systems, so this place honestly doesn’t see much use anymore.”
Uncle Sam shrugged.
If something had not gone wrong here, they really would not have wanted to bother with it.
Still, this place had once been built through everyone’s effort, so they could not simply ignore it either.
“Fine.
No point talking about that now.
Three people should stay here and wait.
If it tries to run, stop it from getting out through this side.”
Blake spoke to three men who looked almost like triplets.
Honestly, for some reason, multiple births seemed especially common in this world.
Blake had seen plenty of twins and triplets growing up.
“You three stay here and be ready.
What next?”
Afraid that the three young men might not listen properly, Uncle Sam specifically repeated the order, then turned back to Blake.
“I’ve looked at the map.
If we don’t consider it breaking through the walls, there’s one other exit inside.
Three more of us will split off and head there.
After that, I’ll go in with you and one more person to find that Pokémon.”
Blake had already prepared a strategy.
He was not afraid of Dhelmise fighting him.
What worried him more was Dhelmise escaping.
A Pokémon like that could hold quite a grudge.
“Good.
We’ll do that, then.
You, you, and you—three of you go to the other exit.
Circle around from the outside.
Don’t go through the inside.”
Uncle Sam was experienced enough that, after confirming there were no major flaws in Blake’s plan, he immediately gave orders and assigned people to carry them out.
Once the personnel were arranged, the remaining three plunged deeper into the wreck and began exploring.
Blake kept his ability active the entire time, while Gastly hovered around him to prevent any sudden accidents.
“This spot…
At close range, Blake’s ability became even clearer, allowing him to pinpoint the target’s location with precision.
In fact, Blake had used this ability during his battle with Nessa as well.
Back then, the Haze created by Gastly had made it impossible for everyone to see what was happening.
To everyone else, the field had been pitch-black.
But to Gastly and Blake, who had activated his ability, everything had been as bright as day.
It was the same now.
“That’s strange.
Dhelmise shouldn’t stay out of the water for too long.
But from the time we approached until now, it doesn’t seem to have moved at all.” Blake spoke with some uncertainty.
It was not that Blake was being paranoid.
Ghost-type Pokémon were simply too unusual.
Even the smallest irregularity could lead to an entirely different situation.
“Is there a problem?”
Uncle Sam leaned closer and asked.
“For now, there shouldn’t be anything major.
If it doesn’t move, that also saves us from having to chase it all over the place.
But it’s still strange.
Logically speaking, if a Dhelmise stays away from water for too long, it should become dry and uncomfortable.
Yet even from this distance, I can sense that it’s in a good mood.”
“Gastly?
Σ(⊙▽⊙”a”
Gastly was just as surprised when he heard Blake.
In a good mood?
Seriously?
“I’m starting to doubt my own ability.
Normally, I shouldn’t be able to sense its emotions this clearly unless this Dhelmise’s happiness has already reached a level where I can feel it even without any bond between us.”
Blake sounded unsure.
“Don’t overthink it.
Let’s move.”
Uncle Sam patted Blake on the shoulder.
He knew Blake was actually nervous.
After all, this was the first time Blake was properly handling a problem on his own.
In the past, James had taken Blake along for some simple jobs, but having someone guide him and doing it himself were completely different things.
Not to mention, this also counted as Blake’s first real attempt at catching a Pokémon.
Being nervous was only natural.
It was no big deal.
Everyone had to go through this kind of thing sooner or later.
“Mm.”
Blake nodded.
The group set off again.
Since they knew the other side was hiding and had no intention of coming out, things became simpler.
They did not need to take a detour and headed straight toward the captain’s cabin.
Before long, they arrived in the corridor outside it.
“We’ll keep watch at both ends of the corridor.
The rest is up to you.”
Uncle Sam patted Blake on the shoulder and released his Pelipper, while the sailor on the other side released a Crawdaunt.
The two of them stood to the left and right, guarding both ends of the corridor for Blake.
Blake took a deep breath and stepped up to the door of the captain’s cabin.
“Ready, Gastly?” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Gastly!
(p≧w≦q)!”
Gastly nodded excitedly.
As always, he liked battling, especially battles against different opponents that felt almost like pranks.
More importantly, this was a tactic he and Blake had developed together.
They had never shown it to outsiders before.
Even Nessa did not know about it, because she had never managed to endure even half of this strategy.
“Good!
Go, Gastly!”
“Gastly!
ψ(*`ー´)ψ”
Blake kicked open the door, which had long since rotted and weakened, and Gastly flew in instantly.
The Pokémon inside had been completely absorbed in its own little world and did not react in time.
It was startled by the sudden intrusion.
Blake had guessed correctly.
The Pokémon behind the door was indeed Dhelmise!
“Dheeeelmise!”
The startled Dhelmise immediately began shaking its body to express its anger.
Who was this?
How could someone be so rude?!
“So it really is Dhelmise.
Dhelmise!
I’m here to negotiate!”
Blake opened with the tone of a certain Sorcerer Supreme and raised the Cleanse Tag in his hand.
Aside from repelling weaker wild Pokémon, the Cleanse Tag had an even stronger effect on Ghost-type Pokémon.
In particular, although the Dhelmise in front of him looked huge, Blake’s senses told him that it was not actually that strong.
“Dheeeelmise!” Dhelmise was furious.
Who kicked down someone’s door before negotiating?!
“You’re affecting the lives of the other Pokémon here.
You need to leave!”
Blake did not care what Dhelmise thought.
He stretched out his hand, and a faint purple-black aura appeared.
It soothed Dhelmise while also allowing Blake to understand its thoughts as much as possible.
This was another manifestation of his family’s special ability.
“Dheeeelmise!
I can’t.
There’s something good here that I need!”
Dhelmise felt the aura around its body.
The sensation was very comfortable, and its anger eased quite a bit.
However, considering its own interests, it still shook its body and refused.
“Something good?
You mean what’s inside that safe?”
After approaching the captain’s cabin, Blake had already noticed something different about this place.
A rich concentration of Ghost-type energy filled the room.
It seemed this was the reason Dhelmise had left its usual habitat and come here.
“Dheeeelmise!
Don’t even think about taking it from me!”
Seeing Blake’s gaze turn toward the safe, Dhelmise assumed he intended to steal its treasure.
Without caring about anything else, it suddenly spun its body at high speed and charged straight toward Blake.