Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Chapter 156

"Excuse me, are you Mike?"

A voice came from above.

Mike looked up and found a Dragonite hovering over the beach with a man riding on its back.

Between the two of them, they were carrying several large crates.

Mike blinked, then nodded.

"That’s me."

The man patted Dragonite on the shoulder, and the Pokémon descended onto the sand.

Dressed in a delivery-company uniform, the employee climbed down, carried the crates beneath the beach umbrella with Dragonite’s help, and set them carefully on the blanket.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mike. I work for a delivery company based in Paldea. Here’s my employee identification."

He presented his badge before gesturing toward the boxes.

"These are your expedited deliveries. They were sent by a gentleman using the name Gholdengo Is Number One. Please inspect the contents and confirm everything arrived safely."

Mike looked at the enormous crates, then asked Beedrill to use one of his stingers to open them.

When the lids came off, Mike stared at the collection of equipment inside.

The employee handed him a document.

"Here’s the inventory."

Mike accepted the list and began checking everything off.

Five diving suits.

A standard underwater drone.

Several specialized underwater drones disguised as Water-type Pokémon.

And several Dive Balls.

Mike looked back at the employee.

"Your company sells Poké Balls too?"

"Yes. Our company’s philosophy is basically convenience at an affordable price."

Mike stared at him.

"That’s... extremely convenient."

His attention returned to the imitation Pokémon lying inside one of the crates: mechanical Krabby, Horsea, Chinchou, Magikarp, and Feebas, all designed to blend naturally into underwater environments.

"How long can these run?"

"Under normal operating conditions, a full charge supports approximately three days of underwater filming," the employee explained. "The footage can also be transmitted directly to a phone or tablet through the network."

"Even in deep water?"

The employee hesitated.

"The deepest successful test so far reached the depth where marine Pokémon diversity is at its highest. Beyond that, stable transmission becomes much more difficult."

Mike looked at him in surprise.

"You actually know that?"

"Yes."

The man nodded.

"I designed these imitation units."

Mike fell silent.

’The lead designer personally delivered them?’

Gholdengo Is Number One really did have absurd connections!

Mike glanced back toward the crates.

"By the way, the delivery address I gave was Floaroma Town. How did you find me all the way out here?"

"Dragonite spotted you from the air, so we decided to check whether it was actually you before going into town."

"You recognized me?"

"Of course."

The employee smiled.

"Dragonite and I are both fans of The Wide World of Pokémon. The Dive Balls are also a gift from us."

Mike’s expression softened.

"In that case, thank you."

He gestured toward the equipment.

"Would you mind showing me how everything works?"

"Of course."

The employee immediately began demonstrating.

"The imitation units are the simplest. Pair them with your phone or tablet, place them in the water, and you can control them remotely through the interface."

He opened one of the control screens.

"They also have an autonomous mode. Once activated, each unit behaves according to a programmed behavioral profile modeled after the Pokémon it resembles. That lets them move more naturally among wild Pokémon without attracting as much attention."

He then picked up the underwater drone.

"This unit can follow you freely underwater and record everything around you. Its camera also supports livestreaming, assuming you have a stable connection."

Finally, he turned toward the diving suits.

"These are our company’s latest prototype suits. Compared with conventional diving equipment, they’re lighter and restrict movement far less."

He smiled.

"Would you like to test one now? I can supervise from nearby, so there’s no need to worry."

Mike was immediately tempted.

Then he remembered one very important problem.

He didn’t know how to dive!

At that exact moment, familiar system text appeared.

{The ocean has always been a place of mystery, filled with the unknown. Even now, humanity’s exploration of the sea remains painfully incomplete. How could an outstanding photographer stop at the shoreline when unseen landscapes and Pokémon are waiting beneath the waves? Go. Dive. Discover. Photograph.}

{Skill available for exchange: Diving}

{Diving: 8,888 Viewership Points}

Mike: "..."

Of course.

He should have known.

There was absolutely no chance the system would allow such a perfectly timed opportunity to pass without charging him for it.

Mike sighed internally and purchased the skill.

The instant he confirmed the exchange, a huge amount of diving knowledge flooded into his mind—breathing control, buoyancy, underwater movement, orientation, safety procedures, ascent rates, body positioning, and countless other practical details.

Once he finished absorbing everything, Mike released a slow breath.

"All right. I’ll give it a try."

The employee nodded.

Mike looked toward his Pokémon.

"Anyone want to come underwater with me and take a look around?"

Glameow refused immediately.

She already hated water under normal circumstances.

Voluntarily diving beneath the ocean was completely out of the question!

Beedrill shook his head as well.

Bees and underwater exploration were not exactly a natural combination.

Gengar, on the other hand, nodded so hard his entire body bounced.

The idea apparently sounded fantastic!

Snivy also agreed without hesitation.

It had been a long time since she had gone diving.

With the employee’s help, Mike put on the new diving suit and tested his range of motion.

He was impressed almost immediately.

The suit really was as flexible as advertised.

Since this would be his first dive, Mike deliberately chose a shallow area close to shore.

Dragonite carried him, Gengar, and Snivy out over the water before the three jumped.

Splash!

They disappeared beneath the surface.

Dragonite remained circling overhead so it could immediately retrieve them if anything went wrong.

The delivery employee stayed on shore with Mike’s belongings and also released one of his own Water-type Pokémon to follow the group underwater as an additional safety measure.

Thanks to his newly acquired Diving skill, Mike moved through the water with surprising ease, his body cutting downward with the smooth grace of a Milotic.

Gengar stared at him through his waterproof goggles.

Then he tried copying Mike’s movements.

Somehow, by wriggling his entire body in a way that looked less like swimming and more like an oversized worm fighting for its life, Gengar actually managed to descend.

Compared with him, Snivy looked effortless.

Mike gradually sank toward the seafloor and found himself captivated by the world beneath the surface.

The blazing heat and harsh sunlight of the beach disappeared almost immediately, replaced by cool water and muffled silence.

Nearly everything around him carried some shade of blue, as though the ocean had laid a translucent filter over the entire world.

Several Magikarp swam past and even turned their heads curiously to look at him.

Mike spotted an area thick with aquatic plants and turned toward Gengar and Snivy.

Since speaking underwater wasn’t practical, he pointed toward the spot, then mimed taking a photograph.

Gengar nodded and pulled out Mike’s camera.

Mike accepted it and switched it on.

As expected of something produced by the system, the camera needed no additional waterproofing whatsoever, and the image remained perfectly clear underwater.

Mike swam a little deeper until his feet touched the sandy seafloor.

Then he tilted his head back and raised the camera toward the surface.

The sunlight filtered down through the water in soft shifting beams.

Click.

Mike smiled behind his mask.

Gengar and Snivy arrived beside him and began curiously examining everything around them.

Several Krabby were fighting nearby, apparently arguing over territory.

The moment they noticed Mike’s group trespassing, however, the Krabby temporarily forgot their dispute and attacked the newcomers together.

Snivy’s Vine Whips shot forward.

Smack. Smack. Smack!

A few quick hits to the forehead sent the Krabby tumbling onto their backs, where they lay stunned in the sand.

Farther away, a school of Finneon moved together like ordinary fish, shimmering as they passed through the blue water.

Tentacool and Horsea occasionally emerged from the sea grass before disappearing again.

Mike continued forward until they reached a particularly dense patch of vegetation.

He stopped rather than swimming blindly into it.

Then he gestured toward Snivy.

She understood immediately and used Vine Whip to part the grass.

Several Carvanha were hovering behind it.

Waiting.

Mike’s eyes narrowed.

The moment they realized their ambush had failed, the Carvanha turned and disappeared into deeper water.

Another patch of sea grass suddenly exploded outward as a Corphish charged toward them.

Snivy swatted it away with a single Vine Whip.

Mike took several more photographs, then pointed upward.

Time to go back.

Gengar and Snivy nodded.

Mike began ascending first, with the two Pokémon following behind him.

Since this was their first dive, he had deliberately prioritized safety.

They had remained close to shore and never entered truly deep water, using the entire excursion only to familiarize themselves with diving and underwater movement.

That was also why the number of Pokémon they encountered had been relatively limited.

Next time, they could explore somewhere more interesting.

Mike kicked steadily and continued upward.

Halfway to the surface, however, Gengar suddenly stopped.

He turned toward the distance and fired a Shadow Ball.

BOOM!

The underwater explosion sent a shockwave through the surrounding water.

Mike twisted around.

A massive blue Pokémon with a vicious expression was glaring directly at them.

Gyarados.

"ROOOAR!"

The wild Gyarados opened its mouth as Water-type energy rapidly gathered inside.

A terrifying Hydro Pump erupted toward Mike.

Snivy reacted instantly.

A Vine Whip wrapped around Mike’s waist and yanked him sideways just before the attack tore past.

Gengar’s expression immediately turned cold.

Dark-type energy gathered between his hands before erupting outward as Dark Pulse.

Gyarados tried to evade.

But it never got the chance.

Snivy’s Vine Whip suddenly wrapped around its body and held it in place long enough for Dark Pulse to strike directly into its abdomen.

The explosion hurled Gyarados backward.

"ROAR!"

It cried out in pain, and its already furious eyes turned even redder.

Water-type energy gathered in its mouth again.

Before Hydro Pump could fire, a massive tornado of leaves slammed into it.

Leaf Storm engulfed Gyarados completely.

The Pokémon struggled violently within the vortex, its attack interrupted as cutting leaves battered its body from every direction.