Chapter 692: The Sunken Ship and Treasure!

Chapter 692: The Sunken Ship and Treasure! (Two-in-One, Monthly Votes Requested!)

"Whoa!"

Jinghe and his group had also arrived at the giant tree in the center of Ball Lake's hill.

However, just like with the Flamebird, as soon as they approached, a chubby, ball-like Stoutmouse appeared in front of them, blocking their path.

Jinghe really wanted to pinch the Stoutmouse's nose and say something cocky like, "Try and stop us, we’re here to collect you guys!"

But that wasn’t Jinghe’s style; Daiya might be more suited for that.

But then again,

Even the Flamebird from Galar was so protective of this giant tree that it wouldn’t start a fight, so Jinghe certainly wouldn’t provoke a conflict either.

This tree had nurtured so many wild Pokémon in the area. If anything happened to it, they would all gang up on him.

It wasn’t that he was afraid, but it went against his principles and intentions.

Besides, he only wanted a few branches and to learn more about the tree.

So, he simply came to greet it.

He placed a small box of energy bars in front of the Stoutmouse, then turned and walked away without a word.

"Whoa?"

The Stoutmouse tilted its head and scratched the back of its neck, puzzled by what this human was doing.

But soon, its sensitive nose caught the scent of the energy bars, and its eyes lit up. It carefully picked up one and, after hesitating for a moment, took a small lick.

"Whoa!!"

The Stoutmouse shivered, its fur, especially the fluffy tail, bristling, revealing some hidden fruits and treasures.

It felt as if all its pores had opened up.

Then, it realized what was happening, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and quickly stuffed the energy bars into its tail.

However, the noise it made was so loud that other Stoutmice and Greedmice couldn’t help but notice. They quickly gathered around.

"Whoa."

So, the Stoutmouse had no choice but to sneak a couple more for itself before reluctantly sharing the rest of the energy bars with the others.

Honestly, this was the best thing this Stoutmouse had ever tasted in its life!

And it wasn’t the only one to feel that way.

Before Jinghe had even walked far, the tree’s canopy erupted with the excited cries of the Stoutmice.

They all asked the first Stoutmouse where it had found these delicious treats.

It pointed in Jinghe’s direction.

"Teacher Jinghe, why are you back?" Daiya asked, puzzled, as he saw Jinghe return from the hill to the lakeside.

He had thought Jinghe would, like the Flamebird, offer some food as a cost to gain access to the tree’s canopy and explore it.

"Let the energy bars do the work", Jinghe smiled.

Entering the canopy and harvesting a few valuable branches were two different things.

Moreover, compared to the giant tree whose purpose was still unknown, Jinghe was more interested in the berry trees scattered everywhere.

Most of the area around Ball Lake’s vast plain was flat, but there were dense clusters of berry trees growing together.

Unlike the bustling berry trees in the Three Forks Plain, these trees were mostly gathered in one place.

A glance revealed a bounty of ripe fruits in red, blue, yellow, and green.

If Jinghe hadn’t stopped them, his Pokémon would have already pounced on the trees.

The dense clusters of berry trees also meant that many smaller, underdeveloped trees were "crushed" under the larger, more robust ones.

Shaded from the light and robbed of nutrients from the soil, these smaller trees were destined to never fully grow.

These were Jinghe’s targets.

By saving the trouble of planting seeds and significantly reducing their growth time, he could transplant them to his island and create a decent berry grove.

At the same time, removing these stunted trees would allow the nutrients in the soil to be better absorbed by the mature berry trees, helping them produce larger and more abundant fruits.

It was a win-win situation.

Jinghe then took a small shovel Forger had made and led the group of little ones to dig up the smaller berry trees.

Initially, the nearby wild Pokémon were wary, fearing that Jinghe would dig up the trees they depended on or take all the fruits.

But when they saw that Jinghe and his group were only digging up the saplings, which was good for the berry grove, they relaxed.

Some bolder wild Pokémon even came to help, speeding up the process.

However, while Jinghe was busy transplanting and digging, some of the smaller Pokémon, who weren’t as skilled in this task, went off to play.

For example, Blastoise, Thicklipuku, and Dratini, being larger or drawn to other things, didn’t participate. Gengar was also among them.

What attracted them was the sea beyond the plain by Ball Lake.

This area was located at the southernmost part of the Galar region. A bit further south was the sea.

However, due to the lower temperatures of the Crown Tundra, the outer waters were partially covered in ice, and the underwater terrain was complex, making it difficult for ships to approach.

This naturally isolated the area from the outside world.

"Ge-ngar?"

As soon as Gengar approached the water's edge, he sensed something and tightened the reins, stopping the Phantom Horse. Then, he loosened them slightly, and the Phantom Horse leaped into the air.

Gengue, Male pushed up his sunglasses, squinted, and looked down at the sea.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and he called out.

"Gen-gah!"

Without further ado, he ran toward the seabed, despite the Phantom Horse's somewhat reluctant expression.

Dratini and Bear Trainer exchanged glances and also jumped into the water. The icy seawater didn't make them feel cold; instead, it invigorated them.

"Bark!"

Blastoise stood on the cliff, looking out at the vast sea, hands on hips, and didn't jump in.

How frustrating!

It had no choice but to sit on the cliff and casually dig up a few hard rocks to gnaw on fiercely.

At this moment, Blastoise decided it would definitely learn the move "Surf"!

On the other side, Gengue, Male, Dratini, and Thicklipuku, who had jumped into the sea, quickly discovered an ancient, decayed shipwreck at the bottom of the sea.

Just by looking at the ship's style, it was clear that it was quite old, even an ancient-style sailboat.

The same thought immediately popped into the minds of the little ones—treasure!

They excitedly swam toward the sunken ship.

Bubbles churned in the water.

Some of the wild Pokémon that lived near the shipwreck fled when they sensed the Phantom Horse's presence, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

A few wild Pokémon swam away and hid nearby, watching to see what these unexpected visitors were up to.

The closer they got to the shipwreck, the more Gengue, Male could feel a ghostly presence.

Shipwrecks and ghosts often went hand in hand.

The little ones weren't surprised by this.

"Gen-gah~"

Gengue, Male waved his hand, and Thicklipuku and Dratini immediately swam toward the bow and stern of the ship, respectively. Gengue, Male and the Phantom Horse headed straight for the cabin.

Their teamwork was incredibly seamless, and their coordination was so strong that even Jinghe would be amazed if he saw it.

How many "missions" had Gengue, Male's "rogue team" been on?

Bang!!

Before long, a commotion came from the bow.

It turned out that Dratini had encountered a Rustwheel when it approached the bow!

A Ghost/Grass type Pokémon, it looked like a ship's rudder and anchor with green algae wrapped around it and eyes that resembled dials.

Despite being a Ghost/Grass type, its ability was "Steelworker", similar to Regidrago's "Dragon Jaw", which increased the power of Steel-type moves by 50%.

According to legend, Rustwheels are ghost Pokémon that are reborn from seaweed that has absorbed parts of sunken ships. The seaweed, which resembles chains, can extend hundreds of meters, making them quite troublesome in the sea.

Any shipwreck that has been around for a while is bound to have a Rustwheel living in it.

Additionally, Rustwheels have a close relationship with Lalarage and Toxalor. Where there are Rustwheels, there is a high probability of Lalarage and Toxalor living nearby.

Sure enough, as soon as Dratini encountered the Rustwheel, two Toxalors emerged from the tangled seaweed.

Clearly, not every Pokémon has the strength to face Mythical Beasts like the Stoutmouse on the Giant Tree.

Dratini's injuries hadn't fully healed, but dealing with the Rustwheel and the two Toxalors was still quite simple.

Thicklipuku, entering from the stern, also encountered a bit of trouble.

It ran into two Spiricorals.

Being a Ghost type Pokémon, it posed a slight challenge to the Fighting type Thicklipuku, but the impact wasn't significant.

After all, they were here to seek treasure, not to slaughter.

Only Gengue, Male and the Phantom Horse, thanks to the presence of the Phantom Horse, encountered no wild Pokémon that dared to approach, and they smoothly entered the shipwreck.

In fact, as Ghost type Pokémon, Gengue, Male and the Phantom Horse immediately sensed something as soon as they entered the shipwreck.

"Neigh—"

Even the usually silent Phantom Horse showed a hint of excitement.

The dilapidated cabin, with algae and wood pieces floating everywhere, led them down a rotten ladder. Gengue, Male, with great caution, dismounted the Phantom Horse and carefully led it down.

It wasn't out of fear, but rather...

Since they were seeking treasure, such a fitting environment and atmosphere naturally required them to act like they were on a treasure hunt.

Immersive, you understand Gengue, Male's sense of immersion?

They didn't encounter much resistance, and after a few twists and turns, they finally arrived at the lowest cabin of the shipwreck.

"Neigh—"

The Phantom Horse's thick, deep purple mane spread out in the water, and it softly snorted at a moss-covered chest in the corner.

Strangely, even underwater, the Phantom Horse could snort.

Gengue, Male's gaze was immediately drawn to a round table in the center of the cabin.

It was covered in algae and made of wood, looking as if it would crumble at the slightest touch.

On the table, however, was a set of pink teaware, a teapot, and two cups!

All pink.

Clearly, they were of great value.

"Swallow—"

Gengue, Male swallowed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Gen-gah! (_)"

Treasure!

Oh, the heavens were merciful. After so many treasure hunts, he had finally found a genuine treasure!

Too difficult!

Gengar reached out, and a dark shadow extended from his hand, grabbing the entire set of teaware.

Teaware!

It seemed to be made of porcelain.

It was so perfect for him!

Gengar had already started imagining how he would use this teaware to brew Yuanqi Root Tea.

Just thinking about it made him feel good!

The Phantom Horse couldn't help but glance at Gengar.

Hey, don't you feel it? These teapots and cups are something you, as a ghost, should be able to sense, right?

But the Phantom Horse didn't say anything. Gengar, who wasn't afraid of ghosts, simply turned his head slightly and tugged at the reins, gesturing for Gengar to look at the box in the corner.

"Grgr~"

At this moment, Gengar had already put on a pair of swimming goggles. He certainly didn't feel nothing about the box the Phantom Horse pointed to. The dense ghostly aura emanating from it was the strongest in the entire wrecked ship.

It was just that the teaware on the table had caught his attention first.

He walked over and gently patted the box covered in seaweed, which immediately produced a dull metallic sound.

As he patted it, wave after wave of ghostly energy surged out, as if trying to envelop Gengar.

But Gengar opened his mouth wide and, along with the seawater, swallowed all the ghostly energy in one go.

Then.

The box fell silent.

"Grgr?"

Gengar scratched his head and looked at the Phantom Horse.

The Phantom Horse turned its head, clearly not wanting to be blamed for not knowing.

"Hm?"

"Snorezzz?"

Dratini and Thicklipuku soon arrived as well.

They searched around but found nothing of value.

"Grgr!"

Move it!

Gengar waved his hand.

It was better not to open it in the sea, in case something valuable inside was destroyed by the influx of seawater. They would move it up to the surface first.

Dratini and Thicklipuku exchanged a glance and grabbed the box, one on each side.

It was heavier than they expected.

Much heavier, in fact.

Then, Gengar and his companions didn't linger in the wrecked ship any longer and swam toward the surface.

After they left, the wild Pokémon that had been scared away slowly returned.

It seemed that the cold, ghostly aura that had been constantly disturbing them from deep within the wrecked ship was gone. The wild Pokémon immediately became cheerful and happy.

Good guy.

Clang!

The heavy metal box landed on the ground.

Jinghe, with a question mark above his head, looked at the thing Gengar and the others had suddenly brought out, feeling a bit confused.

He had just finished digging the first batch of saplings and was resting when Gengar and the others brought him a big surprise.

"What is it?"

"Grgr~ Grgr~"

"Wha~ Wha~"

"Snorezzz"

Then, Gengar, Dratini, and Thicklipuku started telling their story of the treasure hunt in the wrecked ship, speaking in a chaotic and disorganized manner.

Fortunately, Jinghe was used to his Pokémon's chatty ways and quickly extracted the useful information, piecing it together in his mind.

A wrecked ship?

Jinghe was stunned.

How could a ship navigate through the thick ice near the Crown Tundra?

But then he thought about it.

If a few ships hadn't sunk, how would the ancients have known that this place was inaccessible?

According to Dratini, he encountered Rustwheel and Toxalor, and Thicklipuku mentioned encountering Spiricoral.

"Spiricoral... wrecked ship"

Jinghe couldn't help but think back to the ghostly pirate Pokémon hunting group he had encountered during the Sea Temple incident. The leader, a bearded man, had a Spiricoral.

At the time, he had traced the connection to the Galar region.

Now, thinking about it...

Ships might find it difficult to reach here, but submarines would be a different story.

But Jinghe didn't dwell on it too much, his gaze returning to the metal box covered in seaweed in front of him.

Brute force was the simplest way, but what if there was something valuable inside?

"Let's open it and see." Jinghe said.

"Grgr~"

Gengar stepped forward, extended a finger, and inserted it into the lock's keyhole. He pouted and wiggled his hips, and when he pulled his finger out, it had transformed into the shape of a key.

Then Forger took over.

"Chak~"

He quickly used Gengar's finger-key as a mold, heating the metal with a crimson blade and hammering it.

Before long,

A brand new key, perfectly fitting the treasure box, was forged.

"Wow, so skilled." Daiya exclaimed.

Jinghe's face twitched.

Do you know what it means to be professional?

The "rogue team" under the command of ghosts isn't called that for nothing.

Infiltration, lock-picking, and breaking and entering—all skills they possess.

Click—click—

Gengar rubbed his hands, inserted the key into the lock, and gently turned it. The box opened with the sound of the mechanism unlocking.

"Whoa!" Daiya shouted in shock.

Even though Gengar and the others had their suspicions, they still widened their eyes and opened their mouths in amazement.

Even Jinghe stood there, his expression stunned, staring at the large pile of gold coins inside the box!

"Teacher Jinghe, we’ve struck it rich!" Daiya muttered.

There must be at least three or four hundred gold coins in this chest, right?

Diving to explore sunken treasure can be this profitable?

Daiya couldn’t help but glance at his Flareon.

"Ku!"

Flareon’s fierce expression and bared teeth sent Daiya’s gaze scurrying back.

Me, diving?

You’re a fire-type, for crying out loud!

Daiya reluctantly turned away.

However, after a brief moment of surprise, Jinghe noticed something special about these gold coins.

He stepped forward and picked one up at random.

Heavy.

Definitely gold coins.

But...

"These are Coins of Greed", Jinghe said.

Coins of Greed?

"Gengar!"

Gengue’s eyes widened in realization. He flicked his tongue and spat out a coin that looked almost identical to the "Coin of Greed."

It was the one they had obtained previously, the only one they had.

"Coins of Greed?" Daiya asked, puzzled.

"A special ancient Pokémon."

Ding—

Jinghe flicked the gold coin back into the chest with a light tap of his finger.

Coins of Greed are Pokémon registered in the Paldea region’s Pokédex, lurking in various corners of Paldea. They are said to use ghostly energy to drive people to find gold coins for them when someone approaches.

Coins of Greed need to collect nine hundred and ninety-nine such gold coins to evolve into a Mr. Mime, a Steel and Ghost-type Pokémon that is a common sight in battles.

However, even though these are "Coins of Greed", that doesn’t mean they have no value.

Regardless of everything else, they are still gold coins!

And gold coins with historical value at that.

If they ever hit rock bottom, selling these coins could be a viable way to make ends meet.

"Let’s put them away for now."

Since they are "Coins of Greed", it’s no surprise that Gengue found them.

After giving the order, Jinghe noticed that Gengue didn’t move and instead wore a mischievous grin, as if he had more treasures to show.

"More good stuff?"

"Ja-ja-ja-ja~!"

Gengue didn’t hold back and immediately brought out the teaware he treasured so much!

A pink teapot and two pink cups.

"Sadtea and Teapot?" Jinghe was taken aback.

"And they’re both Shiny?"

The teaware looked exquisite underwater, but upon closer inspection on land, they all seemed to have chips and cracks.

The two broken cups had strange patterns resembling eyes and mouths, and a thick purple liquid, like slime, flowed through them, forming a spiral pattern.

"Did you just brew tea, Gengue?" Daiya, curious, looked at the purple liquid.

Jinghe’s expression was odd.

He examined the teapot.

The patterns on it were similar to those on the cups, clearly part of the same set, though it lacked the eye and mouth outlines.

The teapot’s lid had some cracks and chips, and a small gap in its wall was sealed by the purple liquid inside.

This was the evolved form of Sadtea, the Teapot!

Just as Daiya picked up a cup to take a sip, Jinghe, while examining the Teapot, noticed the lid suddenly open, and a small purple creature cautiously poked its head out.

The moment it met Jinghe’s gaze, it shivered and quickly retreated.

Like a hermit crab.

"Gengar?!"

Gengue’s voice rose several octaves.

Earlier, it had been more focused on the appearance of the teaware and the ghostly energy from the chest of Coins of Greed, so it hadn’t examined the set closely.

Now, seeing the purple, slime-like creature emerging from the teapot, it would be strange if it didn’t react.

Three Pokémon?!

Gengue was greatly shocked.

"Phew—"

Daiya spat out a mouthful of saliva, his face turning pale as he stared at the cup in his hand.

"So, so awful!"

Jinghe glanced at him, confirming that Daiya was just finding it unpleasant and not being drained of his life force. He then said,

"This is Sadtea, a Ghost-type Pokémon. You didn’t drink tea; you drank its body."

"A-a-ah?!"

Daiya stood there, stunned.

Did I just... eat a Pokémon?

Jinghe, seeing his thoughts, couldn’t help but laugh.

"Drinking a little won’t hurt. If you’re a Sadtea’s trainer and have a good relationship..."

"It will taste good?" Daiya asked, finishing the thought.

"No, you just won’t be drained of life force. No one can swallow Sadtea’s tea", Jinghe couldn’t contain his amusement.

Daiya: "..."

"Speaking of the Teapot."

Jinghe picked up the teapot and gently shook it, causing the purple creature inside to peek out again.

"The tea brewed by the Teapot has a unique flavor and aroma. Many people are quite fond of it, even though drinking too much can cause diarrhea and discomfort. But there are still those who enjoy it."

Of course, this is assuming a good relationship with the Teapot.

Jinghe held the teapot above his head and looked underneath, noticing a small stamp.

He also saw the same stamp on the Sadtea in Daiya’s hand and on the other Sadtea.

"Wow, they’re all genuine?" Jinghe said.

"Genuine?"

Daiya mimicked Jinghe’s gesture, picking up the teacup and examining the stamp on the bottom.

"The Sadtea and the Teapot are somewhat like hermit crabs. The purple substance only becomes a Pokémon after it enters a teacup or a teapot."

Jinghe explained.

"That’s why many people prepare special teacups and teapots, waiting for them to transform into Sadtea and Teapot."

For a Sadtea to evolve into a Teapot, the purple liquid inside the cup must enter a specially prepared teapot, completing the evolution.

"But among so many teacups and teapots, there are always fakes and genuine ones. The ones with a stamp on the bottom are genuine and have a very high collection value."

"However, if you only consider them as Pokémon, there’s not much difference."

But to have one Teapot and two Sadteas, all genuine and even rare variants, is incredibly rare!

Considering the box of Coins of Greed that Gengar and the others found, this wrecked ship was likely not something an ordinary person could possess. It might have belonged to a noble or even royalty from ancient times.

Daiya, however, seized on the key point in Jinghe’s words and asked quietly:

"Teacher Jinghe, what if the purple liquid didn’t enter a teacup or a teapot but a toilet instead?"

"Ha—"

The Flareon, who had just taken a sip of water, spewed it out.

He gave Daiya a look that said, "You’re unbeatable."

Jinghe’s expression was strange, and he was frozen for a couple of seconds before he finally replied:

"I suggest you try it out, Toilet King."

The Pokémon world is full of strange things. A Mudbray can even evolve into two separate Pokémon: a Machamp and a Diancie.

Can you explain that?

Daiya scratched the back of his head, feeling like his brain was growing.

Jinghe returned the Sadtea and Teapot to Gengar, "You keep them."

He didn’t consider releasing them back into nature.

In fact, there was no concept of returning to nature for Sadtea and Teapot. Both of them want to be consumed, which is why many people deliberately set up teaware, waiting for them to transform.

So, compared to the dark, sunken ship, taking them away would actually be helping them.

"Gengar!"

Gengar wasn’t scared by Daiya’s spewed saliva or Jinghe’s story.

Humans fear the loss of energy, but a ghost Pokémon like him has nothing to fear.

Besides, the tea from the Sadtea might be unpleasant, but Jinghe said that the tea from the Teapot would have a better taste.

Moreover, the purple liquid in the Sadtea might be unpalatable, but adding more water would make it less so.

He lovingly touched the teacup and teapot.

The "Yuanqi Root Tea" that I painstakingly developed finally has a worthy companion!

The Teapot cautiously peeked out, only to see a grinning, sinister face. It shivered and quickly retreated, the lid clinking against the body of the pot.

Gengar’s smile grew wider.

The "withdraw into shell" move was flawlessly executed.

He happily placed the teaware into his shadow. For a Ghost-type Pokémon like him, his shadow was an excellent resting place for the Teapot and Sadtea.

Night fell.

The bustling atmosphere of the day gave way to the quiet of the night. Apart from the faint sound of waves and some rustling, the Ball Lake plains became unusually quiet.

The wild Pokémon in the vicinity gradually returned to their nests, settling down in the safe environment to sleep.

Such a wonderful place, Jinghe felt it would be a shame not to camp and have a picnic here.

He immediately set up a tent, arranged his various items, and built a campfire.

Daiya, a bachelor, borrowed a tent from Jinghe and sat eagerly by the fire, waiting for Jinghe to prepare dinner.

Tonight’s dinner was curry.

Jinghe used to dislike curry, but after trying it a few times and making it himself, he realized it wasn’t the curry he disliked, but the curry made by others.

Curry made to his taste was actually quite delicious.

The key was that curry goes well with everything. With such a large family, cooking a big pot of curry solved all their problems.

If needed, he could add more potatoes, carrots, or other vegetables to make it more substantial.

And sure enough.

Not only were his Pokémon tempted by the aroma of the curry, but the Greednuts and Stoutmice from the Giant Tree were also drawn over.

Their little eyes darted around, staring at the pot of fragrant curry, swallowing their saliva nervously.

Jinghe smiled.

He had already taken these Stoutmice into account.

Not just them, but any wild Pokémon brave enough to come out for a taste, he would share with them.

If there wasn’t enough, he could always make another pot. It wasn’t a big deal.

During the day, many wild Pokémon had helped dig up saplings.

Then, Daiya, who was waiting with a bowl, suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the sky.

"Teacher Jinghe, look, a meteor!"

Following his gaze, they saw two streaks of crimson light streak across the sky, heading their way.

Jinghe’s eyebrows raised.

These aren’t meteors.

They’re Galar Particles!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end