Wishiwashi VS Unown

Dusknoir quickly commanded its subordinates inside the ghost ship to control it to ascend, but a tremendous pulling force came from the whirlpool, dragging the ship toward its center. The Ghost-type Pokémon couldn't lift the ship at all.

The ghost ship swayed increasingly violently, making it nearly impossible for anyone aboard to stand firm. Jack anxiously shouted to Yuga, "At this rate, the ship will definitely be capsized!"

Shep's son, Kyle, suggested, "Why don't we let the Water-type Pokémon go down to control the whirlpool?"

Yuga quickly intervened, "Don't do that! The power of this whirlpool is too strong; ordinary Water-type Pokémon might not be able to calm it down!"

"Where did Manaphy go? Is Manaphy going to be in danger outside?" May leaned against the ship's railing, trying to spot Manaphy in the water, but at that moment, there was no sign of it at all.

Seeing this, Yuga hurriedly pulled May back, saying, "That's too dangerous! Manaphy will be fine."

"But..." May still wanted to search for Manaphy, yet the ghost ship was already in chaos. Yuga quickly pulled her away from the railing; if a human fell into the whirlpool, it was uncertain whether their body could ever be found.

Dusknoir was struggling against the pulling force of the whirlpool alongside its subordinates.

Although Dusknoir was a master-level Pokémon, it was not a Psychic-type. Its psychic power, while formidable, was still far from that of a true master-level Psychic-type Pokémon, and it was becoming increasingly strained.

As the ghost ship drew closer to the center of the whirlpool, the swaying intensified, and it became more difficult for the Ghost-type Pokémon to stabilize the ship. There were several close calls where they almost capsized.

All the Ghost-type Pokémon aboard now revealed themselves, floating above the ghost ship, a dark mass of figures, some flashing blue light, others purple, directing their psychic energy toward the ship. Yet even so, Dusknoir urgently called out to Yuga.

"Dusknoir, Dusknoir!"

Yuga, we can barely hold on any longer!

Hearing this, Yuga quickly released Chimecho to assist Dusknoir. If it really came down to it, they would have to take to the skies with a Flying-type Pokémon and abandon the ship.

This ghost ship had accompanied Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pokémon for many years, forming a deep emotional bond with them. Yuga didn't want to make such a decision unless it was absolutely necessary.

As soon as Chimecho appeared, it floated over to Dusknoir, releasing a powerful psychic force. Chimecho's psychic energy was far stronger than that of an ordinary Champion-level Pokémon, and with its addition, Dusknoir indeed felt a bit relieved.

However, before they could enjoy their brief respite, the ship rocked violently again. Somehow, the pulling force at the center of the whirlpool had intensified.

Seeing this, Yuga almost found himself uttering the words to abandon ship. But just then, Chimecho suddenly let out a sharp cry, its blue-white and pink body beginning to manifest strange black patterns, transforming its originally cute visage into a fierce one.

As the black patterns appeared on Chimecho, a mysterious low chanting sound suddenly mixed with the sound of the waves, as if whispering or singing, the rhythm remarkably enchanting, seemingly infused with an indescribable power. Though the volume was soft, it instantly filled Yuga's mind, driving out even the roar of the tumultuous waves.

It was the sound of an Unown!

This sound momentarily slowed Yuga's thoughts; the command that was about to leave his lips failed to be spoken, and in an instant, the entire ghost ship was engulfed by the waves.

However, just a second before the ghost ship was swallowed by the waves, an incredibly powerful psychic force erupted from Chimecho, instantly enveloping the entire ship and expelling the psychic energies of the other Ghost-type Pokémon and Dusknoir.

Chimecho's psychic energy formed a circular energy shield, tightly enveloping the ghost ship. The surging waves ruthlessly crashed against the psychic barrier, failing to shake it even the slightest bit.

Countless Unown surged forth from Chimecho, resembling black tidal waves. They became part of Chimecho's psychic energy, spreading outward along with it and merging into the psychic barrier.

At that moment, Chimecho had no idea what was happening. Protected by the psychic barrier, the ghost ship continued to toss in the water, while Yuga and the others had long lost consciousness due to the impact, but fortunately, they were not seriously harmed.

Just as the ship was about to be capsized, Chimecho held only one thought in its mind: it had to protect Yuga, to protect Yuga's ghost ship!

Then it seemed that Unown heard its heartfelt plea and began to resonate with its psychic energy.

An Unown who is alone does quite powerful, but they were very remarkable when they were together, seeming both tangible and intangible, shifting from physical forms to ethereal presences, all merging into Chimecho's psychic energy. They ignited Chimecho's psychic force, enabling it to unleash an unprecedented strength!

Among those sharing a similar fate was Archie.

However, Archie was much luckier, having hidden within the belly of Wailord, so only Wailord suffered.

The suddenly appearing whirlpool was beyond the capabilities of even the massive Water-type Pokémon like Wailord, which could only be pulled toward the unknown by the power of the whirlpool.

Time passed, though it was unclear how long it had been, and the people aboard the ghost ship gradually began to awaken.

"What happened?"

Max crawled out of his sister's embrace, shaking his head in confusion as he asked.

Before losing consciousness, May had instinctively held onto Max, and she hadn't let go until the very end.

"I don't know," May replied, also awake now, rubbing her bumped head and involuntarily gasping as she realized it must be bruised.

At this moment, Yuga was looking out through the purple, translucent psychic barrier. The ghost ship floated quietly in the deep sea, and the previous whirlpool seemed as if it had never existed, the surroundings terrifyingly tranquil.

Looking around, everyone realized they had been pulled into the deep sea by the whirlpool!

Chinchou and Lanturn swam back and forth outside the ghost ship, their glowing tentacles providing a glimmer of light in the pitch-black depths. Sometimes, they would curiously approach the ghost ship, only to swim away in fright moments later.

In addition to the Chinchou and Lanturn, there were also many Relicanth that was larger than adults, leisurely swimming about. Perhaps having lived in the deep sea for so long, these Relicanth had degenerated eyesight, oblivious to the ghost ship drifting past them.

"Chimecho Chimecho!"

Chimecho's voice suddenly rang out, and everyone finally noticed Chimecho floating by the ghost ship's mast, using its psychic energy to protect the entire ship.

They still couldn't determine how deep they were underwater, but it was clear that Chimecho was not having an easy time.

Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pokémon wanted to help Chimecho, but their psychic energy couldn't merge into the psychic barrier at all. Even the slightest contact caused the transparent purple psychic barrier to display the patterns of Unown, violently bouncing back the psychic energy of Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pokémon.

Watching Unown flickering occasionally on the psychic barrier, Yuga thought to himself: so the voice I heard earlier wasn't just an illusion!

He extended a hand and placed it on the psychic barrier. The moment his hand made contact, Unown that had been hidden there suddenly materialized like a black tide, gathering around Yuga's hand, subtly conveying a sense of closeness.

At the same time, the previously mesmerizing rhythmic sound echoed in his ears once more.

Yuga glanced at the others and realized that it seemed he was the only one able to hear this sound.

The sound conveyed no specific meaning; it was merely a pure melody!

This startled Yuga, but he also found it strange.

What Yuga didn't know was that at this moment, Unown were resonating with Chimecho. Chimecho acted like the nerve center for Unown, equivalent to their brain, controlling all their actions and thoughts, while the individual thoughts of Unown were infinitely weakened.

In Chimecho's subconscious, the one it felt closest to was Yuga, so that awareness was conveyed to Unown.

Yuga withdrew his hand from the barrier, and the gathered Unown swiftly retreated like a tide, disappearing into the purple barrier in the blink of an eye.

Yuga found Unown fascinating. Since they had attached themselves to Chimecho, this was the first time they had revealed themselves, and unexpectedly, they had saved them.

At that moment, Jack and Shep approached and asked, "What should we do next?"

"I don't know," Yuga replied, looking around the ghostly surroundings, unable to make up his mind.

"Brother Yuga, Manaphy is missing. It can't be in trouble, right?" May asked with a worried expression, and Shep's family shared the same concern.

"Don't worry," Yuga reassured May by patting her head. "Manaphy will be fine."

After all, Manaphy was a mythical Pokémon, supported by all Water-type Pokémon. Though it had not yet fully grown, it should be safe in the water.

However, in the next second, Yuga was slapped in the face by reality. No sooner had he finished speaking than a roar and screams echoed from a distance, causing the Chinchou, Lanturn, and Relicanth that had been gathered outside the ghost ship to vanish without a trace.

Immediately after, Yuga and the others saw Manaphy's tiny form darting through the water like lightning, closely pursued by a massive shadow.

"Manaphy! Manaphy! Manaphy!"

Upon spotting Yuga and the ghost ship, Manaphy's eyes lit up with joy, and it joyfully dashed over, plunging through the psychic barrier and landing in May's arms, acting all cuddly.

The massive shadow that had been chasing it crashed into the psychic barrier, causing the ghost ship to sway as it was blocked outside.

At this moment, Yuga and the others finally got a clear look at the true form of the shadow.

...

[ Wishiwashi (School Form) ]

Type: Water

Ability: Schooling

Gender: In school form, cannot be determined

Potential: In school form, cannot be assessed

Level: 100

Move: Water Gun, Brine, Aqua Ring, Tackle, Dive, Beat Up, Water Tail, Souble-Edge, Water Cannon, Water Pulse, Soak, Whirpool.

...

This colossal creature was even larger than the ghost ship itself. At that moment, Yuga finally understood how that previous whirlpool had formed—it was indeed caused by this swarm of Wishiwashi!

Wishiwashi were somewhat similar to Unown; the individual strength of each of them was so weak that it could almost be ignored. However, when they gathered together, they could unleash incredible power.

Especially since Wishiwashi had a specific School form!

The School form of Wishiwashi was a special state created by their ability, Schooling, which brought the entire school of fish together. The more Wishiwashi there were in the School form, the higher the level they achieved upon gathering, and the more terrifying their power became.

Despite the name "weak" in Wishiwashi, which suggests individual cowardice and frailty, Pokémon scholars affectionately referred to the School form of Wishiwashi as "sea demons," indicating their fearsome nature.

The School form of Wishiwashi before Yuga had reached level 100, meaning the number of these fish had reached its limit.

Yuga had heard a rumor that at their maximum form, Wishiwashi could even challenge Kyogre. Whether this was true or not, Yuga didn't know, but he understood that they needed to run! A level 100 Wishiwashi was not something they could provoke.

"Chimecho, let's run!" Yuga shouted, and Chimecho immediately controlled the ghost ship to dash away. Unfortunately, the ship's speed was severely hampered by water resistance, making their escape very slow.

"Roar!"

Wishiwashi roared as its massive body crashed against the psychic barrier again, causing the ghost ship to sway once more.

The skill Wishiwashi used to ram the ghost ship was the reckless charge, which inflicted recoil damage to the user. However, this School of Wishiwashi actually used their heads to perform the reckless charge and their tails to execute Aqua Ring.

Wishiwashi at the front suffered recoil damage but was instantly healed by the Aqua Ring used by Wishiwashi at the back. For a swarm comprised of countless individual Wishiwashi, this was easy!

How cunning they were!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Wishiwashi repeatedly collided with the psychic barrier, creating ripples in the water that spread out continuously. All the Water-type Pokémon they encountered along the way were frightened and fled in all directions.

Even if Chimecho's psychic barrier was sturdy, it couldn't withstand repeated collisions from a level one hundred Pokémon! If it weren't for the presence of Unown, Chimecho probably wouldn't have been able to hold on for even one round.

Seeing the brazen Wishiwashi outside, Chimecho was genuinely furious, and its anger was conveyed to Unown. Unown began to instinctively follow the subconscious commands of Chimecho.

Suddenly, the hidden Unown on the psychic barrier revealed themselves, and the purple barrier was swiftly stained black. A gigantic black hand shot out from the barrier, slamming the incoming Wishiwashi away.

Roar, roar, roar!

Wishiwashi roared as they crashed into the barrier again, only to be swatted away by the black hand. They came crashing in again, and again they were sent flying...

Witnessing this scene left not only Yuga and his friends stunned but even Chimecho itself was startled.

The clash between the two Schools of Pokémon caused the sea to surge and swell, creating a commotion that directly affected the surface of the water, stirring up towering waves.

Not far away, the previously calmed Wailord was swept away by the force of the waves, drifting toward another direction. Archie, which had just woken up in its belly, fainted again due to Wailord's tossing.