Thud!
The Poké Ball popped open in a flash of white light. Poliwag burst out and leapt into Reiji's arms, chirping nonstop.
"Yoo-yoo! Yoo-yoo!"
"Poliwag, let's get back to fishing," Reiji said, holding the little guy. Poliwag seemed much more energetic than before.
It was also easier to communicate with now—and much friendlier too. Reiji even dared to reach out and gently rub its round blue head.
"Yoo-yoo! Yoo-yoo!"
The moment Poliwag heard "grilled fish," drool started dripping from its mouth. It was still holding a piece of driftwood in its mouth and helped Reiji gather the scattered items on the ground.
Once everything was cleaned up, Poliwag bounced along behind Reiji, chirping impatiently.
"Yoo-yoo! Yoo-yoo!"
"Okay, okay. We'll go now," Reiji said with a helpless smile. This little foodie had clearly fallen in love with grilled fish since yesterday.
His grilling technique wasn't anything special—just cooking raw fish over an open flame.
But clearly, both of them had experienced real hunger. That kind of hardship made food feel all the more precious.
They returned to the same fishing spot as yesterday.
Reiji hadn't been able to find any earthworms. The fish guts from last night had already been eaten—by a Kingler.
He was furious. All he could do now was tie some grass to the hook and hope for the best.
He swore to himself: one day, he would eat grilled crab. Otherwise, he'd never let this go.
That damned Kingler had basically become the local bully of the beach.
No other Pokémon dared mess with those crabs.
The leader of the Kinglers was especially huge—standing guard by a berry tree.
According to official data, a Kingler was 1.3 meters tall and weighed 60 kilograms. Its massive claw was said to deliver 10,000 horsepower of crushing force.
Okay, maybe that was a bit exaggerated…
But snapping a few of Reiji's limbs? Absolutely doable.
He had taken a look at that leader from afar. It looked even taller and bulkier than the official numbers.
Way over 1.3 meters.
No way he could take that thing on.
With no proper bait, he could only resort to using plant matter. Whether or not he'd get a bite was up to fate. Hopefully the sea Pokémon didn't mind a vegetarian meal.
After casting his line, it was back to waiting.
Poliwag sat quietly by his feet, not wandering off.
Probably because it didn't have the energy.
Both of them were still hungry—too weak for any real exertion.
As for training Poliwag? Not happening. Eating came first.
No food meant no energy. No energy meant no training.
Until the food situation improved, building a shelter could wait.
What was the point of building anything if they were about to starve?
Even though he'd already scavenged materials—just a few scraps of cloth—he could only make a simple shade at most.
No way that fabric could withstand rain or wind.
He watched the fishing float all morning.
As the sun climbed higher, not a single fish took the bait.
By midday, the sunlight became unbearable.
If he stayed exposed any longer, he'd start sweating profusely, risking dehydration or even heatstroke.
He couldn't afford that.
So he gave up fishing temporarily and left the rod by the shoreline like a passive trap.
Maybe something would bite while it was left unattended.
With that done, Reiji called Poliwag over and headed to a shaded area to rest.
Both of them were in rough shape. Especially Poliwag—it could barely walk.
Reiji had to carry it over to the shade himself.
"The sun's too harsh right now. Let's wait a while before going back out," he said, unsure if Poliwag could understand.
After laying it down in the shade, he let it be. He was overheating himself.
"Yoo… yoo…"
Poliwag called out weakly, its body clearly wilted from the intense sun and dehydration.
Reiji couldn't understand it—but let the little guy rest.
He didn't rest, though.
He took out the scraps of cloth he'd scavenged, along with some string and a nail, and began piecing them together.
First, he used the nail to poke rows of holes along the edges of two cloth pieces.
Then he threaded the string through the holes, stitching the two together into a larger sheet.
He repeated this process again and again to patch the cloth until it was big enough.
This makeshift tarp might provide shade, but definitely not rain or wind protection.
Still, it was something.
If he could later attach some waterproof plastic, it might even work as a proper roof.
That was about the best he could hope for.
All he had were scraps. He had to make do.
As the sun began to dip westward and the heat eased up, Reiji set aside the cloth and walked down to check his fishing rod.
He pulled it up—nothing.
Another blank.
This was the true fisherman's tragedy.
Worse, the grass he'd tied to the hook was completely gone.
Had it been washed away by the current?
Or nibbled off by a Pokémon?
Either way, he tied on more grass and cast his line again.
Whether or not they'd eat tonight… depended entirely on what he could pull up before sunset.
He briefly considered asking Poliwag to hunt something.
But thinking it over… forget it.
If this little guy had any hunting skill, it wouldn't have been starving yesterday.
And once it entered the ocean, whether it became the predator—or the prey—was anyone's guess.
"Yoo-yoo?"
Poliwag tilted its head, looking at Reiji. It seemed to be asking if there was any luck.
Reiji just shook his head, face tired. That told the story: still no catch.
Poliwag at least seemed a little better today.
Not as weak as yesterday—probably thanks to the little bit of food it had gotten.
But it still looked thin, malnourished.
Its frail body couldn't handle any vigorous activity. It would need more time and food to recover.
Still, none of that mattered if they went another day hungry.
At this rate, forget becoming a Trainer—they might just starve to death on this island.
He had to change something.
Passive fishing wasn't cutting it.
If he didn't find a way to actively lure fish, they were both doomed.
In the fishing world, there's a type of artificial bait called a lure—a decoy shaped like a small fish.
When cast and retrieved, it swims like prey, tempting carnivorous fish to bite.
The problem? He didn't have one.
His lures were all in his tackle box—which didn't transmigrate with him.
All that came with him were:
One collapsible fishing rod
A clump of bait in his hand
A lighter
A pack of cigarettes
The clothes he wore
A keychain with a folding knife
And the proficiency panel
The keys were useless.
The folding knife on the keychain was at least somewhat helpful.
Back when he was baiting his hook, his phone had been sitting on his leg.
Right after casting, he looked down to grab his phone—and poof. Transmigration.
Just like that.
No warning. No prep time.
One moment he was night fishing, the next—he was here.
On a deserted island in the Pokémon world.
No one to call. No one to hear him scream…
(End of Chapter)
[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]