Author's Note: Sorry about the wait! Graduation was much more eventful than it should of been (I don't think many people can say they have given a speech during a tornado) and I've been playing more Legend of Zelda this summer than I have in the rest of my life. So, writing has taken a bit of a back seat. But, now that all the Divine Beasts have been liberated and only Calamity Ganon remains, I hope to be more regular with these updates!
This chapter's Pokémon was requested by Cottonmouth25.
Name: Frillish
Type: Water/Ghost
Background: Sharpedo are infamous hunters of the world's ocean. These Pokémon, while not known for explicitly targeting boats or sailors, still inspire both awe and fear in the hearts of any who pass through their territory, which makes up large portions of warm oceans. These large Pokémon, however, are unable to match the sheer amount of terror that encompasses those faced by Frillish colonies.
Frillish, like many other Ghost Pokémon, have mysterious origins. Theories regarding their origin, ranging from Water Pokémon that have obtained the Ghost typing through close interaction with the dead to angry deceased souls fighting for revenge against the world that led to their death, swamp both scientific research and online forums.
Habitat: Frillish populations have been found in spotted areas throughout many areas of the ocean, though these locations do tend to share certain characteristics.
Frillish colonies are most commonly found in areas that were the locations of drastic loss in human life. Shipwrecks, flooding, and tsunamis all wipe out humans by the hundreds in terrible cases. Frillish seem to flock to any sort of area that has led men, women, and children to watery graves.
Otherwise, Frillish tend to be found in warmer climates more often than cold ones. This fact is commonly ignored by the common populous due to the famous Frillish colony that now lives in the area surrounding the wreck of a certain 'unsinkable' ship that met its end in an iceberg infested sea.
These penchants for places that are both warm and have a connection to human death is the reason that the northern waters of Undella Bay are the location of the largest Frillish colony in the world. The ruins of an ancient civilization lay beneath the waves of this tropical region, forming the perfect castle for these Pokémon.
Ecosystem: Frillish are predators. No other word describes this species of Pokémon as efficiently as this word does. Anything in the ocean, Pokémon or human, is prey for Frillish. The only exceptions to this rule are other Frillish and the Pokémon's evolution, Jellicent. Though hunting does not necessarily mean successfully killing, most Pokémon still end up dead when targeted by a Frillish.
Like other Ghost Pokémon, Frillish feeds on life energy. To accomplish this feat, Frillish catches its prey in its tentacles. The Frillish then uses a myriad of curses to both immobilize its target further and drain the target of its vitality. When nothing but an empty husk is left, the Frillish simply lets the carcass drift to the bottom of the ocean.
An important part of Frillish's ability as a hunter is its ability to perfectly match its body color to its surroundings. This camouflage makes Frillish an exceptionally proficient ambush hunter. After successfully snaring prey in their tentacles, Frillish rapidly change from their camouflaged color to various shades of pink, almost as if it is taunting its meal.
This color changing adaptation has led to the creation of a completely false rumor, stating that male Frillish are blue and female Frillish are pink. In actuality, all Frillish have a 'normal' body color of white. While blue is a common enough color for Frillish to appear as, pink seems to exclusively be used as a sign of contentment following a successful hunt. Additionally, Frillish reproduce asexually, and seem to have nothing that would link an individual to a biological sex.
Community: Despite their impressive prowess, Frillish populations are unusually small. Most colonies are made up of forty to fifty individuals, with the Undella Bay colony only reaching numbers of roughly eighty individuals.
This lack of numbers is baffling, but not as baffling as Frillish interactions. Though referred to as colonies, Frillish in any given area rarely make contact with each other. When they do happen to cross paths, Frillish entangle themselves into a mess of tentacles. While first theorized as mating, the revelation that Frillish reproduce asexually debunked the theory completely. This strange behavior is as of yet unexplained, and the only recorded times that the strange ritual has not been preformed between two Frillish is when at least one is owned by a Trainer.
Frillish's low population numbers is thought to be how they reproduce. Frillish that do not manage to evolve before the end of their lifetime are only able to release a single budlike object shortly before they perish. This 'bud' quickly grows into a Frillish, replacing its parent but not enlarging the population. This lack of population growth, coupled with a small number of evolutions into Jellicent, keeps Frillish colony numbers small but stable.
Lifespan: Frillish seem to have an average lifespan of thirty years. However, the lifespan of an individual Frillish can vary drastically from the average, as some die for seemingly no reason at ten years of age while others live past seventy.
Danger!: The Danger level for Frillish is 5. Frillish responsible for more human deaths than any other marine Pokémon. Large numbers of unwary swimmers accidently find themselves in Frillish infested water only to never leave said waters. Warnings are posted anywhere the Pokémon is found, and areas that are at risk of becoming the habitats of these Pokémon are closely watched by squads of specially trained Trainers and their Pokémon, along with huge reserves of Dive Balls to contain the Pokémon. Possession of a Frillish is illegal in all regions of the world, with punishments ranging from heavy fines and license revocation to five years in prison.
Battle: There should be no acceptable reason for why a Frillish should be involved in a Pokémon battle. If such a situation would occur, Frillish would excel at using spectral energy as an offensive weapon, manifested in moves such as Hex and Ominous Wind. Additionally, moves can be disabled if used against Frillish due to the Pokémon's use of curses which creates the Pokémon's ability Cursed Body. To top it off, Frillish have a body that is especially resistant to special attacks, making physical attacks the easiest way to defeat the Pokémon. Unfortunately, such tactics put the opposing Pokémon within reach of Frillish's tentacles, making them an easy target as a meal for the Frillish.
This blend of offense and defense would make Frillish a great battler if not for its complete disregard for anything besides hunting.
The best way to fight a Frillish is to get away from the Pokémon and hope it targets an easier meal.
Human Interaction: As is common with both Ghost Pokémon and dangerous Pokémon, Frillish is commonly met with hate. Despite humanities many incorrect assumptions of the Pokémon, the belief that it is nothing but a cold hearted killing machine is accurate. Frillish has earned the nickname of "The Sea's Devil" due to its habit of killing and consuming both humans and their Pokémon, and no other marine Pokémon is quite as reviled as this one.
In comparison, Frillish view humans no differently than they view any other living thing. Prey.
Summary: Despite their small numbers, Frillish are among the best ambush predators in the world and have no distinction between Pokémon and humans, leading to their label as the most deadly Pokémon in the ocean. Their strange mannerisms, ruthless hunting skills, and bizarre appearance all help make them more hated than even their evolution.
Author's Note: I personally feel that this is one of my weakest chapters. I had an entirely different plan for Frillish, but I lost the notes I had taken, so I had too come up with something else. I personally like the Pokémon, but I feel that wouldn't be the case if I actually lived in the Pokémon universe. Sorry to disappoint. Hopefully, next chapter will be back up to my usual performance.
Please feel free to let me know it there is a Pokémon or Evolutionary Tree you would like to see me tackle!