Dhelmise is a Pokémon made up of an anchor and ship's wheel, held together by a mass of green seaweed. The anchor is a rusty brown mottled with blackish spots. The seaweed, which is Dhelmise's true body, partially envelops the thick, curved bottom of the anchor in a zigzag fashion, leaving empty spaces that look like sharp teeth. The seaweed continues upward to cover the anchor's thin shank and the spindle of the wheel. Five individual strands of seaweed trail off this small hub is a star-shape.
The ship's wheel is lavender on the outside with a yellow inner rim. It is affixed to the back of the spindle by its center and able to rotate freely. The noticeably damaged wheel features six spokes and four handles, all of which are yellow. There are two lavender stubs where the other handles should be. A simple compass, resembling an eye, is set into a yellow ring-shaped component on one side of the wheel; mirroring this is an identical ring on the opposite side, though nothing is set into it.
Dhelmise preys on large prey, such as Wailmer and Wailord. The heavy anchor can be swung with enough force to knock out its prey in a single blow. The prey is then enveloped in seaweed, which can be stretched hundreds of yards, and its life-force drained. In addition to hunting, this Pokémon maintains itself by adding new detritus and seaweed to its body. It is known to get along well with Skrelp and Dragalge.
Dhelmise is the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Anchor Shot.
- Dhelmise is the only Pokémon with a base stat total of 517.
- In Generations III and VI, an NPC in Slateport Market mentions that the seaweed in the area is so fresh and lively that it looks as if it could rear up and attack, a description which perfectly describes Dhelmise.
Origin
Dhelmise appears to be a cluster of seaweed holding together the anchor and ship's wheel of a wrecked ship. It may also reference the idea of ghost ships. The type of seaweed it is based on is possibly the Codium fragile, also known as "dead man's fingers". Dhelmise's concept as a seaweed-based monster is reminiscent of the works of William Hope Hodgson, particularly his Sargasso Sea Stories.
Name origin
Dhelmise may be a combination of demise and helm.
Dadarin may be a combination of 祟り tatari (cursed) and 舵輸 darin (rudder wheel).