Dhelmise #781: the haunted anchor that knocks out Wailord

A rusty anchor, a broken helm and a mass of seaweed holding it all together. Dhelmise (Sinistrail in French) is Alola's Sea Creeper Pokémon, born when seaweed drifting along the ocean floor latches onto the wreckage of a sunken ship. It knocks out Wailord with blows from its anchor, and its two exclusives are both Steel type — a type it doesn't even have.

Contents

• Who is Dhelmise?
• Ghost and Grass: two immunities, five weaknesses
• Steelworker and Anchor Shot: two exclusives borrowed from another type
• Where to find Dhelmise: Seafolk Village, with a Fishing Rod
• Ghost ship, kelp and helm
• Dhelmise fact sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Dhelmise?

Listed as No. 781 in the National Pokédex, Dhelmise is the "Sea Creeper Pokémon" of Generation VII, the generation of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. It measures 3.9 meters and weighs 210 kilos.

Its body is assembled from three pieces salvaged at sea: a rusty anchor speckled with black, a damaged ship's wheel — four handles for six spokes — and a mass of green seaweed that ties it all together. A compass set into the wheel serves as itssingle eye.

The detail matters: the mass of seaweed is its true body, while the anchor and helm are merely salvaged gear. It keeps its hulk in shape by adding new debris to it.

Its hunting technique is impressive. It drops its anchor into the sea and waits, then swings it down hard enough to knock out a Wailord in a single blow. It then wraps its prey in its seaweed, which is several hundred meters long, and sucks out its life energy.

Ghost and Grass: two immunities, five weaknesses

Dhelmise is a Ghost- and Grass-type, a combination it shares with Phantump, Trevenant, Gourgeist and Decidueye, among others. Its big defensive asset comes down to one word: immunities.

Neither Normal nor Fighting can touch it: its Ghost half cancels out both types. It also takes only half damage from Water, Grass, Ground and Electric attacks, four resistances inherited from its Grass half.

On the flip side, five types hit it for double damage: Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost and Dark. But it has no 4× weakness at all : Poison and Bug, the usual nightmares of Grass Pokémon, are brought back down to normal damage by its Ghost half.

Its base stats total 517 points, heavily concentrated in Attack (131) and Defense (100). Its Speed of 40, however, dooms it to moving second almost every time.

Steelworker and Anchor Shot: two exclusives borrowed from another type

Dhelmise has only one Ability, Steelworker, and no hidden ability. When it uses a Steel-type move, its attacking stat is multiplied by 1.5, which works out to roughly 50% more damage.

It's a signature Ability in the strictest sense: no other Pokémon has it. It fills an obvious gap, since Dhelmise isn't Steel type and its metal attacks would otherwise getno bonus.

Its signature move follows the same logic. Anchor Shot is a physical Steel-type attack introduced in Generation VII: 80 power, 100 accuracy, 20 PP. Dhelmise is the only Pokémon that learns it, at level 32 in Sun and Moon.

Its whole appeal lies in its effect: once the anchor is hooked in, the target can no longer flee or be switched out as long as Dhelmise stays on the field. That's why this Ghost- and Grass-type Pokémon strikes with Steel.

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Where to find Dhelmise: Seafolk Village, with a Fishing Rod

In Generation VII, Dhelmise can only be found in one single place : Seafolk Village, a nomadic village built on boats south ofPoni Island. And certainly not in the tall grass.

You have to fish for it. Alola's Fishing Rod, given to you by Captain Lana once you clear her trial, can only be used at the submerged rocks set aside for that purpose.

Then there's the subtlety that changes everything: bubbling spots. At a calm fishing spot, Dhelmise bites only 1% of the time in Sun and Moon. At a spot where the water is bubbling, the rate climbs to 10% — and as high as 35% in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

The rest of the time, your line mostly reels in Magikarp and Wailmer, in other words its favorite prey. The specimens you fish up range from level 10 to level 49, depending on the version and whether the water is bubbling.

Ghost ship, kelp and helm

Dhelmise does not evolve and isn't the evolution of any Pokémon. Nor does it have a Mega Evolution, a regional form or a Gigantamax form: it has one single look.

Its French name, Sinistrail, already says it all: sinistre (sinister) and gouvernail (helm). The anchor and the ship's wheel evoke shipwrecks and the myth of ghost ships, and its seaweed is said to be inspired by Codium fragile, a very real species.

Dhelmise is genderless — there are no males or females — and as a Shiny, its seaweed turns red while the yellow parts of the helm turn white.

It has even ventured beyond the main games: it appears in the anime as early as episode SM040, where it guards a shipwreck, and it's playable in Pokémon UNITE. Fans of Ghost Pokémon will find just what they want among our Pokémon figures and our plush toys.

Dhelmise fact sheet

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do you get Dhelmise in Pokémon Sun and Moon?
  By fishing for it in Seafolk Village, on Poni Island: that's its only location in Generation VII, in Sun and Moon as well as in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. You need the Fishing Rod, given to you by Captain Lana after her trial, and a submerged rock. At a calm fishing spot, its encounter rate is only 1% in Sun and Moon and 5% in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon; at a fishing spot with bubbling water, it climbs to 10% and 35%, respectively. Your best bet is to aim for the bubbles.
• Does Dhelmise evolve?
  No. Dhelmise doesn't evolve and isn't the evolution of any Pokémon: its evolutionary chain has just one stage. No level, stone, held item or trade will make it change form.
• What is Dhelmise's Ability?
  Steelworker, and it's its only Ability: it has no Hidden Ability. When Dhelmise uses a Steel-type move, its Attack or Special Attack stat is multiplied by 1.5 in the damage calculation, which works out to roughly 50% more damage. It's a signature Ability in the strictest sense: no other Pokémon has it, whether as a regular or a Hidden Ability.
• What is the move Anchor Shot?
  It's Dhelmise's signature move, introduced in Generation VII. Anchor Shot is a physical Steel-type attack with 80 power, 100 accuracy and 20 PP that deals damage and then prevents the target from fleeing the battle or being switched out as long as the user stays on the field. Dhelmise learns it at level 32 in Sun and Moon and at level 52 in Sword and Shield, and it's the only Pokémon that can learn it.
• What are Dhelmise's weaknesses?
  As a Ghost- and Grass-type, it takes double damage from Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost and Dark attacks. It's completely immune to Normal and Fighting attacks, and takes only half damage from Water, Grass, Ground and Electric attacks. The seven other types, including Poison and Bug, deal it normal damage. It has no 4× weakness. Note that Foresight, Odor Sleuth or the Scrappy Ability cancel out both of its immunities.
• Does Dhelmise have a Mega Evolution?
  No. Dhelmise has no Mega Evolution, no regional form and no Gigantamax form: it has just one appearance. Among the Pokémon introduced in Generation VII, only Crabominable, Golisopod, Drampa, Magearna and Zeraora have a Mega Evolution.

In short

A rusty anchor, a broken helm and a mass of green seaweed: Dhelmise is one of the most downright macabre Pokémon in Alola. And the only one, to date, to wield Steelworker and Anchor Shot.