Rei's Upgrade

The sun hung lazily in the afternoon sky, casting a golden glow over the beach where Rei and Elise sat. The ocean breeze was cool, and the gentle sound of waves crashing onto the shore added to the peaceful atmosphere.

Rei leaned back against the sand, his fishing rod resting in his hands, waiting for a bite. Elise sat beside him, humming softly as she enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

Suddenly—

Tug!

The rod jerked violently. Rei's grip tightened as he pulled hard, his muscles flexing as he reeled in his catch.

A Feebas flopped onto the sand, gasping for air.

Its scales were dull and uneven, its appearance far from elegant.

But Rei's eyes gleamed.

Yellow qualification.

Without hesitation, he tossed a Pokéball—

Click!

The capture was instant.

Elise frowned, watching him in confusion. "You're really catching that ugly thing?"

Rei smirked. "You'll see."

Just then—

A loud splash came from the waves.

Swampert emerged from the water, shaking off the droplets from its thick hide.

"Rei," Swampert said, its deep voice serious, "I found something at the bottom of the ocean. A sunken ship."

Rei's brows lifted. "A shipwreck?"

Swampert nodded. "It's old, but there's something strange about it. I felt a strong, ominous aura coming from inside."

Rei glanced at Elise. "Looks like my vacation just got interesting."

He turned to his team.

"Staraptor, Lycanrock, and Dubwool—you stay here and watch over Elise."

Staraptor scoffed, ruffling its feathers. "Hmph. Fine, but if you die, I'll peck you when you come back."

Lycanrock smirked. "Bring back something cool."

Dubwool simply snorted, uninterested in the drama.

Rei chuckled, then turned to his battle team.

"Hanuape, Mimikyu—you're coming with me."

A strange glow surrounded Rei's hands. Channeling his energy, he formed a protective bubble, encasing himself, Hanuape, and Mimikyu inside.

With Swampert leading the way, they descended into the depths.

As they approached the sunken wreck, Rei could feel it—an unnatural presence lurking in the shadows.

The ship's rotting wooden frame was covered in coral and seaweed, a grim reminder of time's decay.

Suddenly—

A shimmer in the darkness.

Then—an attack!

A massive Sharpedo burst from the wreckage, its eyes gleaming with hostility.

It moved like a torpedo, aiming straight for Rei's team.

"Swampert, intercept!"

Swampert's fist glowed white as it met Sharpedo's charge head-on—

Hammer Arm!

A shockwave rippled through the water as Swampert's attack slammed into Sharpedo, sending it crashing into the ocean floor.

Before they could celebrate, more predators emerged—

A Huntail and Gorebyss, moving in perfect coordination.

Huntail struck first, its fangs glowing dark purple as it lunged at Mimikyu—

Poison Fang!

But—

Mimikyu vanished.

A split second later, it reappeared behind Huntail, spectral claws raised—

Shadow Claw!

A black arc sliced through the water as Mimikyu's attack cut deep into Huntail, sending it tumbling.

Gorebyss tried to escape, but—

Hanuape's eyes glowed.

A powerful psychic force crushed Gorebyss in place.

The enemies had no chance.

One by one, Rei captured them, planning to raise them on his farm.

Then—

He felt it.

Something far more dangerous awaited him.

As Rei entered the ruined cabin, the temperature plummeted.

A thin mist curled around the wooden wreckage, whispering of something ancient and forgotten.

At the center of the room—

A spectral figure hovered over an old, broken table.

The ghostly captain, dressed in tattered naval clothes, grinned at him.

"FINALLY A NEW BODY ?!?!?"

The captain raised a hand, revealing an orb of swirling black energy. This orb is the reason why the captain manage to exist as a human ghost.

Rei's instincts screamed.

Ghost energy—pure and concentrated.

Then—

The captain lunged forward, his body melting into shadows as he shot toward Rei.

Rei's vision blurred.

A voice whispered in his mind.

"Your body shall be mine."

The world spun as the captain's soul wrapped around him, trying to force its way in.

Rei's breath hitched.

His entire being was under siege.

The captain's presence was overwhelming, a cold, ancient force attempting to overwrite his very existence.

No.

Rei's soul pushed back.

A clash of spiritual energies erupted, an invisible war raging within Rei's body.

Pain tore through him as the captain fought to seize control, but—

Rei gritted his teeth and retaliated.

His soul began to devour.

The captain's voice screamed as Rei's inner power consumed him, breaking him apart piece by piece.

Until—

He was gone.

Rei stood frozen.

Something had changed.

His power had split into two distinct forces:

The Power of Life → Allowed him to heal, adapt, and nurture both himself and Pokémon.

The Power of Death → Stole his attack-based abilities from his previous power but replaced them with ghost-like abilities. He could also feel that the orb the ghost captain was holding have fuse into his shadow, opening a space filled with ghost energy in it.

His shadow rippled unnaturally.

A familiar giggle echoed—

Mimikyu emerged from Rei's shadow, its eyes gleaming with amusement.

It snuggled deeper inside.