Reiji carried the life preserver, coarse rope, and a plastic bottle to the edge of the forest, where he found a thick tree so wide he couldn’t wrap his arms around it. He tied the rope tightly around the tree and then secured himself to the other end.

Braving the growing rain and oncoming wind, Reiji struggled to fasten himself in. This was a necessary safety measure—to prevent being blown away by the typhoon.

He also held the bottle of cooled boiled water tightly to his chest. He didn’t want to drink rainwater unless he absolutely had to. If he did, it would introduce unnecessary risks—like diarrhea or illness.

That would only make his already precarious situation even worse—possibly fatal.

His journey as a Pokémon Trainer hadn’t even begun. He wasn’t about to let it end here. He wouldn’t allow it…

This was his way—as a small, powerless human—of declaring war on the storm.

He also tied the life preserver to his body with rope. That was his final insurance. If the typhoon did carry him off and he ended up in the ocean, the preserver could save his life.

He hadn’t found anywhere to take shelter, so he had no choice but to endure the storm out in the open. If there had been even a sliver of shelter available, he would never have chosen this.

As the rain intensified, Reiji finally looked down at Poliwag, who was crouched beneath the tree trying to stay dry.

“Poliwag, get in,” Reiji said as he took out its Poké Ball. Inside the ball was far more comfortable than enduring the wind and rain outside. It was the best choice for Poliwag.

If he could, he’d go into the ball himself—but that wasn’t an option.

“Poli… poli…” Poliwag looked at the ball and shook its head. It clearly didn’t want to go in.

But Reiji wouldn’t let it be stubborn. His tone turned firm. “If you won’t go in, then leave. I don’t need a disobedient Pokémon as a partner.”

“Poli! Poli…” Poliwag heard the disappointment in Reiji’s voice. Even so, it stubbornly shook its head, unwilling to return to the ball. It wanted to stay and face the storm with Reiji.

“I don’t need you worrying about me. I’ve made all the preparations I need. I can weather this storm. You staying out here will only make things harder…”

Reiji had to shout those words, just to be heard over the roar of the wind and rain.

“Poli…? Poli…” Poliwag was stunned by Reiji’s angry outburst. It was the first time it had seen this side of him. Where was the warm, gentle Reiji it knew?

Before Poliwag could figure it out, Reiji gently touched it with the Poké Ball. A beam of red light shot out, pulling Poliwag inside.

As soon as it was safely inside, Reiji locked the ball to prevent Poliwag from escaping again.

Through the transparent surface of the ball, he could see Poliwag struggling inside. Reiji brought the ball close to his lips and whispered softly, “Poliwag… I hope I didn’t scare you. Please don’t be upset with me. This is the only way I can protect you. We’ll see each other again after the storm.”

With that, he hugged the Poké Ball to his chest, found the leeward side of the tree, and sat quietly at its base, waiting for the storm to pass.

He knew hiding beneath a tree during a storm was risky—there was always the danger of a lightning strike or falling branches.

But after weighing the options, this was the best choice he had. Compared to the slim chance of getting struck by lightning or crushed by a tree, the far more likely outcome was being swept away by the typhoon if he weren’t secured.

And forget starting a fire—trying to do that in a typhoon would be laughable.

Even staying dry wasn’t realistic. The most he could hope for was to reduce how much rain hit him.

Back in his previous life, he’d witnessed a typhoon powerful enough to fling people into the air—and he had been one of them.

That was when he had just started fishing. He hadn’t checked the weather forecast and had been sitting lakeside when a typhoon suddenly struck. It snapped his old fishing rod clean in two.

He didn’t know what category this current storm was—but it was definitely strong. If he hadn’t positioned himself on the leeward side of the tree, who knows where he’d be by now. He’d already seen several young trees nearby snapped in half.

He could feel the tree trunk bending beneath the wind, then springing back due to its flexibility. The creaking echoed through the roots under his feet—it felt like it might break at any second.

Then there was the rain—pounding like a barrage of automatic rifles firing right by his ears.

Add in the roar of the wind ripping through the forest, and his ears were practically numb.

And this wasn’t even the worst of it.

The most terrifying part? It was only midday… and yet the sky was pitch black.

Thunder rolled across the heavens.

RUMBLE… RUMBLE…

CRACK!

Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning lit up the world—striking a nearby tree dead ahead. The tree split and caught fire… only to be doused almost immediately by the torrential rain.

The lightning strike was seared into his retinas. Reiji shrank back instinctively, his body trembling as the ground itself seemed to shudder from the impact.

There was no pretending he wasn’t afraid. His whole body was shaking.

He didn’t want to end up like that tree. All he could do was pray the heavens didn’t see him. That he would remain unnoticed…

Who knew how long the storm would last? He was satisfied, at least, with the waterproofing he’d done for himself. So far, the plastic sheeting hadn’t sprung any leaks.

Wrapped tightly, his body stayed warm. And with Poliwag nearby—even if only through the Poké Ball—he didn’t feel completely alone. He could still see Poliwag’s anxious little eyes through the transparent shell.

“Don’t worry, Poliwag… it’ll be over soon,” he whispered.

Just then, another gust of wind struck. The wind direction had changed.

But Reiji had prepared for that. He crawled low around the tree trunk and found another leeward side, settling once again at the roots to wait for the next shift.

He didn’t know how many times he crawled back and forth like that throughout the day—until eventually night fell. The rain still poured, the wind still howled, and the thunder still rumbled. His whole body was numb.

Hunger, cold, the awful weather, the miserable environment, and the constant roar of the rain… It was pure torture.

He could tell night had come not by the time, but by the difference in the darkness—dim gray skies had given way to pitch-black obscurity.

At least he no longer worried about wild Pokémon. Even they needed shelter from the storm.

With the wind finally calming a little, Reiji stopped crawling around. He found a nook beneath the tree’s roots, curled up, and lay down.

He covered himself with some not-quite-soaked leaves—for warmth, and also for camouflage.

His head, the only part left exposed, was cradled in his arms and buried into the root hollow. The Poké Ball rested against his chest.

And like that, without a word, Reiji silently said “good night” to the stormy night—and fell into a deep sleep.

(End of Chapter)

[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep