Sudden Attack

Before Yu Hai could step forward to catch the Magikarp, Poliwag was delighted to see him and failed to notice the danger approaching.

The Magikarp's constant flopping on the beach attracted an uninvited guest—a predator from the sky.

"Pidgey, Pidgey..."

Hearing the sharp birdcall, Yu Hai immediately realized something was wrong and quickly looked up.

He saw a Pidgey with its wings drawn back, its entire body like an arrow as it dove toward Poliwag.

The moment Yu Hai spotted Pidgey, he shouted at Poliwag, "Poliwag, watch the Pidgey in the sky! Use Water Gun..."

But it was already too late. Poliwag had never received emergency training, and its ability to react on the spot was practically zero.

To buy Poliwag time to react, he immediately used all his strength to throw the empty Poké Ball already in his hand at the diving Pidgey.

He had never expected the Poké Ball to hit Pidgey. He only wanted it to disrupt Pidgey for a moment and create an opportunity for Poliwag to attack.

Of course, it would have been even better if it hit Pidgey. Even if it could not catch it, it could still buy some time.

A Pidgey at full strength could not possibly be caught. A glint flashed through the diving Pidgey's eyes as it immediately spotted the Poké Ball flying toward it.

Pidgey instantly changed its flight posture, twisting through the air and flapping its wings to knock the Poké Ball away.

"Keen Eye?" Yu Hai clearly saw the glint in Pidgey's eyes as it spotted and knocked away the Poké Ball.

That must have been Pidgey's Ability, Keen Eye. That had been close.

Still, he had achieved his goal.

Although Pidgey quickly regained its flight posture and continued diving toward Poliwag, Poliwag had already reacted and fired an unprecedentedly huge, powerful Water Gun.

The faster, thicker, more accurate Water Gun struck the diving Pidgey head-on and blasted it backward.

Its wings soaked by the Water Gun, Pidgey instantly panicked. By the time it had managed to stabilize itself, it no longer dared to come closer.

"Poliwag, don't stop! Keep using Water Gun!" Yu Hai ordered Poliwag while bending down to pick up the Poké Ball Pidgey had knocked away, ready to interfere with Pidgey at any moment.

Pfft, pfft, pfft—

Hearing Yu Hai's words, Poliwag opened its mouth and fired blue Water Guns again. However, these shots were much smaller than before and far less accurate.

Having been caught off guard by the first blast, Pidgey did not continue its dive. Instead, it adjusted its flight posture in the air and used its aerial advantage to dodge the Water Guns.

As a result, all of Poliwag's follow-up Water Guns missed. Not one hit Pidgey.

But Poliwag did not stop and continued firing Water Guns. It was the only move it had that could attack an airborne enemy, so Poliwag did not dare relax in the slightest.

This was different from its earlier playfulness with the Long-winged Gull. This time, its life was truly at stake. If Pidgey swooped down and carried it away, it would leave Yu Hai forever. That was an outcome it did not want to see.

Even though it could not hit the Long-winged Gull, Poliwag tirelessly kept firing Water Guns to interfere with the Pidgey in the air.

Faced with Poliwag's wild barrage, Pidgey did not press its attack. Once it realized Poliwag's Water Guns lacked accuracy, it stopped taking Poliwag seriously and took the opportunity to shake the droplets from its feathers.

After being hit by the first Water Gun, Pidgey's feathers had been covered in droplets, which would slow its flight.

At the same time, Pidgey paid more attention to Yu Hai, specifically the Poké Ball he kept tossing up and catching in his hand.

Pidgey did not fear Yu Hai the human. It feared the Poké Ball in Yu Hai's hand, because that thing could catch it. It had seen that ball catch other Pokémon before.

Yu Hai only needed to stand there without moving. Simply standing there was an invisible deterrent that kept Pidgey from focusing on snatching its meal—a deterrent that could deal a fatal blow at any time.

On one side was prey, and on the other was a Poké Ball that could catch it.

Pidgey was torn. Should it snatch the prey or give up? It found it difficult to decide.

Besides, its wings had been soaked by seawater. Flying while flapping those drenched wings was simply too exhausting.

Pidgey looked at the Magikarp on the sand, then at Poliwag firing Water Guns at it, its eyes revealing reluctance.

It would be such a shame to miss such a big fish. Unfortunately, that big fish had been discovered first by the little runt below. Otherwise, it could have had a full meal.

But then Pidgey looked at the Poké Ball in Yu Hai's hand, its eyes filled with deep wariness. It did not dare linger in the air any longer. Once its stamina ran out, it could very well end up inside that ball.

That was something it strongly resisted. Being caught in a ball meant losing its freedom, the thing a Pokémon with wings that could soar freely through the blue sky hated most.

"Pidgey, Pidgey, Pidgey..."

In the end, Pidgey called out twice in regret. It had no choice but to leave disappointed, flapping its dripping wings as it returned to the forest.

Actually, if Pidgey had refused to leave and fallen after exhausting its stamina, Yu Hai would not have minded catching it. After all, it was a Flying-type Pokémon, and he had wanted one for a long time.

As for Poliwag, it only stopped using Water Gun after seeing Pidgey leave, collapsing onto the ground from exhaustion.

Yu Hai was quick to react. He hurried forward and caught the Poliwag that was about to fall, asking softly, "Poliwag, are you okay?"

"Yoh... yoh... yoh..." Poliwag had fired more than ten Water Guns in succession and was already gasping for breath.

Seeing this, Yu Hai did not ask any further questions. Instead, he threw the Poké Ball in his hand, hitting the Magikarp dead-on and drawing it inside.

After the red light flashed several times, a thunk sounded, informing Yu Hai that the Magikarp had been successfully caught.

For Pokémon like Magikarp, unless they had an especially strong will to survive, there was not much room for struggle once they were taken into a Poké Ball.

Before Yu Hai had arrived, this Magikarp had already been smacked who knew how many times by Poliwag. It had long lost its fighting spirit, making it easy to catch.

After picking up Magikarp's Poké Ball, Yu Hai recalled Poliwag into its Poké Ball. Poliwag needed rest now, and the Poké Ball was well suited for it. Keeping Poliwag inside also made it easier for Yu Hai to carry it away.

After putting away the two Poké Balls, Yu Hai no longer had the mood to scavenge. He quickly returned to the beach where he had left his things, gathered up the items he had found, and immediately returned to the shelter.

After returning to the shelter, he released Poliwag, used the iron cup to scoop a cup of freshwater from the bucket, and held it to Poliwag's mouth to let it drink.

After firing so many Water Guns, Poliwag was severely dehydrated. A lack of water would drain its Guts and dry out its skin, leaving it without its usual moisture. Rehydration was the most urgent priority.