Sudden Attack

Before Yu Hai could step forward to capture the Magikarp, the Poliwag, happy to see Yu Hai, didn't notice the danger approaching.

The Magikarp, hopping continuously on the beach, attracted an unwelcome guest, an aerial predator.

"Bok, bok-bok..."

Hearing the sharp bird cry, Yu Hai immediately sensed trouble and quickly looked up.

He saw a Pidgey, its wings tucked back, its body like an arrow, diving towards the Poliwag.

The moment he saw the Pidgey, Yu Hai shouted at the Poliwag, "Poliwag, watch out for the Pidgey in the sky, use Water Gun..."

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

To give the Poliwag time to react, he immediately used all his strength to throw the empty Poké Ball he was already holding, aiming at the diving Pidgey.

He didn't expect the Poké Ball to hit the Pidgey; he just wanted to distract it for a moment, creating an opportunity for the Poliwag to attack.

Of course, it would be even better if it hit the Pidgey. Even if he couldn't capture it, it would buy some time.

A Pidgey in its prime could not be captured. A flicker of light flashed in the eyes of the diving Pidgey as it instantly spotted the Poké Ball flying towards it.

The Pidgey instantly changed its flight posture, flipping in the air, and with a flap of its wings, it batted away the Poké Ball.

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

That must be the Pidgey's ability, Keen Eye. That was a close call.

However, his objective had been achieved.

Although the Pidgey quickly adjusted its flight posture and continued to dive towards the Poliwag, the Poliwag had also reacted and unleashed an unprecedentedly powerful Water Gun.

A faster, thicker, and more accurate Water Gun hit the diving Pidgey squarely, pushing it back.

With its wings wet from the Water Gun, the Pidgey panicked. After finally regaining its flight posture, the Pidgey no longer dared to advance.

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

Pff pff pff--

Hearing Yu Hai's words, the Poliwag opened its mouth again and spat out blue Water Gun attacks, but these were much smaller than the previous ones and less accurate.

Caught off guard by the first attack, the Pidgey did not continue its dive. Instead, it adjusted its flight posture in the air, using its aerial advantage to evade the Water Gun.

This caused all the subsequent Water Gun attacks from the Poliwag to miss, with none hitting the Pidgey.

But the Poliwag didn't stop, continuing to fire Water Gun. This was the only move the Poliwag could use to attack an airborne enemy, and it dared not relax at all.

This was different from the playful encounter with the Long-winged Gull earlier; this was a matter of life and death. If it were snatched away by the Pidgey's dive, it would be gone from Yu Hai forever, a result it did not want to see.

Even if it couldn't hit the Pidgey, the Poliwag tirelessly continued to spit Water Gun, harassing the Pidgey in the air.

Facing the Poliwag's wild shots, the Pidgey did not continue its assault. Noticing the Poliwag's inaccurate Water Gun, it no longer took the Poliwag seriously and instead took the opportunity to shake the water droplets off its feathers.

After being hit by the first Water Gun, the Pidgey's feathers were covered in water droplets, which would reduce its flight speed.

At the same time, the Pidgey's attention was more focused on Yu Hai, specifically on the Poké Ball that Yu Hai was constantly tossing up and down in his hand.

The Pidgey wasn't afraid of Yu Hai, the human, but of the Poké Ball in his hand, because that thing could capture it. It had seen that ball capture other Pokémon before.

Yu Hai simply standing there, without needing to move, was an invisible deterrent, preventing the Pidgey from being distracted by the easy meal and ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

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

This made the Pidgey conflicted, whether to go for it or give up. It was difficult for the Pidgey to decide for a moment.

Moreover, its wings were wet from the seawater. Flying with its soaked wings was incredibly strenuous for the Pidgey.

The Pidgey glanced at the Magikarp on the sand, and then at the Poliwag firing Water Gun at it, a look of reluctance in its eyes.

It was a shame to miss out on such a large meal. What a pity that this big fish was discovered by the little one below first; otherwise, it would have been a feast for itself.

But the Pidgey looked again at the Poké Ball in Yu Hai's hand, a deep sense of apprehension in its eyes, not daring to linger in the air any longer. If its stamina ran out, it might be captured in the ball.

This was something it strongly resisted. Once captured, it would mean losing its freedom, the very thing a Pokémon with wings, able to soar freely in the blue sky, would most detest.

"Bok, bok-bok, bok..."

Finally, the Pidgey cried out regretfully twice and had to end its pursuit with regret. Flapping its wet wings, it returned to the jungle.

Actually, if the Pidgey hadn't left and had fallen after exhausting its stamina, Yu Hai wouldn't have minded capturing it. After all, it was a Flying-type Pokémon, something he had been coveting for a long time.

As for the Poliwag, seeing the Pidgey leave, it finally stopped using Water Gun and instantly collapsed, exhausted.

Yu Hai, with quick reflexes, quickly stepped forward and caught the Poliwag as it was about to fall, asking softly, "Poliwag, are you alright?"

"Yoohoo, yoo, yoo, hoo," having used more than ten Water Gun attacks, the Poliwag was already gasping for breath.

Seeing this, Yu Hai didn't ask further. Instead, he threw the Poké Ball in his hand, hitting the Magikarp squarely and capturing it.

After the red light flashed several times, a "dong" sound indicated that Yu Hai had successfully captured the Magikarp.

Magikarp, unless they had an extremely strong will to survive, didn't have much room to struggle after being captured by a Poké Ball.

This Magikarp, before Yu Hai arrived, had already been hit by the Poliwag countless times and had lost its fighting spirit, making it easy to capture.

Picking up the Magikarp's Poké Ball, Yu Hai then recalled the Poliwag into its own Poké Ball. The Poliwag needed to rest, and the inside of the Poké Ball was suitable for it. Keeping the Poliwag in the Poké Ball also made it convenient for Yu Hai to carry.

After tidying up the two Poké Balls, Yu Hai lost interest in scavenging. He quickly returned to the beach where he had left his gathered items, picked them up, and immediately headed back to the shelter.

Upon returning to the shelter, he released the Poliwag. Using an iron cup, he scooped some fresh water from the bucket and held it to the Poliwag's mouth, feeding it.

Having used so many Water Gun attacks, the Poliwag was now severely dehydrated. Dehydration would cause it to lose vitality and its skin to dry out, losing its usual moisture. Replenishing its water was the top priority.