Before Reiji could step forward to capture the Magikarp, Poliwag, happy to see him, didn't notice the danger approaching.
The flopping of the Magikarp on the beach had attracted an uninvited guest—a predator from the sky.
"Coo… coo coo…"
At the sharp cry of a bird, Reiji's expression changed. He immediately looked up.
He saw a Pidgey, wings pulled back, its body streamlined like an arrow, diving straight toward Poliwag.
The moment he saw the Pidgey, Reiji shouted, "Poliwag, above you—Pidgey! Use Water Gun!"
But it was already too late. Poliwag had never trained for emergency responses. Its reaction speed in a crisis was practically zero.
To buy Poliwag some time, Reiji instantly threw the empty Poké Ball already in his hand with all his might, aiming directly at the diving Pidgey.
He didn't expect it to hit—he just wanted to startle Pidgey, even briefly, to give Poliwag a chance to react.
Of course, if it hit, even better. Even if it didn't catch, it might delay things.
There was no way a fully alert Pidgey would be captured mid-dive. As the Poké Ball flew toward it, a glint flickered in Pidgey's eyes—it had spotted the ball instantly.
In a split-second motion, Pidgey twisted mid-air, flared its wings, and deflected the ball with a flap.
"Keen Eye?" Reiji clearly saw the gleam in Pidgey's eyes as it detected and batted away the Poké Ball.
That had to be its ability: Keen Eye. Close call.
Still, his goal was achieved.
Though Pidgey quickly stabilized its flight and continued its dive, Poliwag had already snapped into action—unleashing its most powerful Water Gun yet.
Faster, thicker, more accurate—the shot hit Pidgey dead-on mid-dive, blasting it backward.
Its feathers soaked, Pidgey panicked. Struggling to regain control in the air, it finally managed to steady itself but no longer dared to advance.
"Poliwag, don't stop! Keep firing Water Gun!" Reiji shouted, scooping up the Poké Ball Pidgey had deflected, ready to disrupt it again if needed.
Pshh! Pshh! Pshh!
Poliwag obeyed, firing more Water Guns—but these ones were noticeably weaker and less accurate.
Caught off-guard by the first blast, Pidgey now stayed in the air, weaving and dodging the weakened jets with ease.
None of the follow-up Water Guns landed.
But Poliwag didn't stop. It kept up the barrage. It was the only move it had that could hit a flying target, and it couldn't afford to slack off.
This wasn't like the playful squabbles with Wingull. This was life or death. If Pidgey grabbed it, it might never see Reiji again—and that was unacceptable.
Even without hitting the target, Poliwag kept firing to suppress and distract the airborne threat.
Pidgey, however, didn't press the attack. Realizing Poliwag's aim was off, it stopped taking the little Pokémon seriously and focused on shaking the water off its feathers.
That first Water Gun had soaked it thoroughly, and the water was now slowing its flight.
But more than anything, Pidgey was fixated on Reiji—specifically, the Poké Ball in his hand that he kept tossing and catching.
It wasn't afraid of Reiji himself, but that Poké Ball… that was dangerous. It had seen that thing capture other Pokémon.
Just by standing there, Reiji exerted a pressure—a silent threat that kept Pidgey from making any rash moves.
On one side, an easy meal. On the other, a trap that could steal its freedom.
Pidgey hesitated. It wasn't sure if it should risk it.
Besides, its wings were still wet, making every flap a strain.
Glancing again at the Magikarp flopping helplessly on the sand, then at the stubborn Poliwag still firing Water Guns at it, Pidgey's eyes betrayed its regret.
Such a shame to pass up that fat fish. If only it had found it first, it could've had a nice meal.
But then it looked again at the Poké Ball in Reiji's hand. Dread filled its heart. It couldn't stay in the air much longer. If it lingered, it risked being caught.
And for a creature of the skies, there was nothing more terrifying than losing its wings—losing its freedom.
"Coo… coo coo…"
In the end, Pidgey gave one last mournful cry, then turned tail. With heavy, dripping wings, it retreated back into the forest.
If Pidgey hadn't fled and eventually collapsed from exhaustion, Reiji wouldn't have minded catching it. A Flying-type like that? He'd been eyeing one for a long time.
On Poliwag's end, once it saw the Pidgey fly off, it finally stopped shooting and collapsed, drained.
Reiji, quick on his feet, rushed forward and caught the wobbling Poliwag before it fell.
"Poliwag, you okay?" he asked softly.
"P-Poli… Poli… wag…" Poliwag was completely winded after firing more than ten Water Guns.
Reiji didn't press further. Instead, he hurled the Poké Ball in his hand, nailing the Magikarp and capturing it in a flash of red light.
After several blinks of the indicator, a thunk signaled success.
Magikarp like these, unless fiercely determined, rarely resisted once they were in a Poké Ball.
This one had already taken a brutal beating from Poliwag before Reiji arrived. It had no will to fight. The capture was easy.
Reiji picked up the Poké Ball with Magikarp inside, then returned Poliwag to its own Poké Ball for some much-needed rest. It was better off recovering inside.
With both Poké Balls secured, Reiji had no interest in scavenging any further. He hurried back to the beach where he'd left his things, gathered them up, and returned to the shelter.
Back at the shelter, he released Poliwag again and used his metal cup to fetch a drink of fresh water, placing it in front of the exhausted tadpole.
After all those Water Guns, Poliwag was severely dehydrated. Without water, it would lose energy, and its skin would dry out—hydration was top priority.
(End of Chapter)
[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]