The Safari Zone
Brian found his heart pounding with excitement as he rode shotgun in an open top Jeep down the ol' dusty trail. In his hands, a high powered rifle with tranquilizer darts as its ammo. Ahead of him lay the whole of the Safari Zone; a reservation known for housing rare and powerful Pokémon.
It cost him five grand to get to go in for an exhibition. Once the sum was paid, he was given a rifle, tranquilizers, five 'safari-balls,' and a tour guide named Joe who was to take him to find a good haul. The only catch to it was he could only bring one Pokémon with him on the trip, as he needed room to capture some newbies.
Most people, Brian was told, chose to bring no Pokémon with them for a bigger haul. However, Brian was none to skilled with a rifle and wanted his Wartortle by his side in case things got sour.
"Probably not the best time to come 'round here!" Joe, his tour guide yelled over the roar of the wind, "Most of the really good ones are all starting to hibernate with winter coming up and all! Should have saved your money and came down here during spring! That's when all the trainers come down to catch them some good game!"
Brian laughed and yelled back, "You know how long I've wanted to come to the Safari Zone? I can't be staying in Fuchsia City and not come here! I'm too impatient to wait!"
Joe chuckled and said, "Well, I like your attitude kid!"
Brian leaned over and asked, "What would you say is the best Pokémon to find here 'round this time of year?"
Joe thought about it for a second and said, "Well, all of the Kangaskhan are probably starting to hibernate. Nidorino and Nidorina are still roaming these parts. You also got Doduo, Rhyhorn, Tauros, Maro-"
"Tauros! Brian yelled excitedly, "Can you take me to find one of them?"
Joe chuckled again, "Yeah, I could find you one of them; they're easy! Always travel in herds, you see." Joe picked up the radio next to his seat and called in, "Tango tree-fower, this is Gulf niner, over."
A voice on the radio said, "Go 'head, over."
"I'm gonna need you to locate some wild bulls for me, over."
"Ok, rrroger, wait one."
Joe looked at Brian and said, "We got multiple towers up that keep track on where everything is. We'll know where that herd is soon enough."
Brian felt his excitement mount. A real Tauros! They were definitely reliable Pokémon as they usually had a good balance of speed, attack, and defense. They were also able to learn a wide variety of different techniques.
"Gulf niner, this is Tango tree-fower, over."
"Send it."
"Got those wild bulls for you, four clicks north/northwest of your position. How copy, over?"
"That's a good copy, Tango tree-fower; Gulf niner out."
Joe put down the radio and said, "Hold on, kid!" He then floored the accelerator. Brian felt himself fall backwards into his seat as the truck sped up.
It did not take long for them to find the herd of Tauros. There were at least thirty of them running alongside of a small lake. Brian and Joe were slightly above them on a hill; just two hundred meters from where they were running.
Joe stopped the Jeep and said, "Take your shot, kid. Don't worry about missing, by the way. There's so many that you'll hit at least one if you aim for the middle of the herd."
Brian nodded and got out of the Jeep. Armed with the twenty minute lesson he'd taken an hour ago on how to fire his rifle, Brian took aim. Joe sat back in his seat and said, "Take your time."
Brian took a deep breath. He focused the weapon on a Tauros from the middle of the herd. Joe said calmly, "I'd say you got about thirty seconds before they're out of range."
Brian said nothing, but pulled the trigger. He felt the weapon fire, and saw a Tauros from the back of the herd drop three seconds later. Joe laughed, "Takes a couple o' seconds for the tranq to kick in. Still, there's enough of that shit in those darts to take down an Onix; those Tauros don't stand a fucking chance. Incidentally, why did you shoot one down from the back of the herd and not the middle? Getting a little cocky with your shot, huh?"
Brian looked at his tour guide slightly confused, "I did aim for the middle."
"Oh," Joe said, "Your shot was off by a lot, then. Don't worry, though; we'll get you straightened out."
Brian, however, was far from worried. He had just shot down a Tauros! Now all that was left was to catch it. "So, can we go down there now?" Brian asked, excitedly.
Joe nodded and said, "Yeah, hop in and we'll go get your new Tauros." And with that, Brian happily hopped into the vehicle. Together, they rode down the hill to pick up Brian's haul.
As Tauros was unconscious, it was unable to fight being captured. Brian registered his new Pokémon in his Pokédex and grinned at Joe, "I can't believe it's that easy out here! I'm gonna get one of these tranq-rifles after I leave!"
Joe scratched the back of his head, "Well, I don't think they sell tranquilizer this powerful to the general public. The most you'll take down with that civilian shit they sell is maybe a small two-star. And that's if you work on your aim."
Brian's smile faded a bit, "But- if I shoot something multiple times then it will eventually go down, right?"
Joe smiled, "Good point!" Then Joe noticed out in the distance that the herd of Tauros was turning back around.
"Uh oh!"
Brian turned around and saw the herd turning, "Uh oh? What's uh oh? Uh oh doesn't sound good!" Brian was starting to get nervous.
Joe said quickly, "Get in the truck, kid, quick! They must have realized we captured one of their kin!" As Joe said it he had already hopped in the driver's seat.
Making his way to the passenger side, Brian asked apprehensively, "Does that happen often?"
Joe shook his head, "Only sometimes! They must be running around looking for a fight! I for one do not feel like indulging them!"
And with that, Joe turned the vehicle around and sped away from the herd. Brian held on to the frame for dear life. The Jeep was going about forty-five mph, but the Tauros were still catching up. Joe seemed to have noticed this, because he floored the accelerator; "Hold on, kid! It's going to be a bumpy ride!"
Brian held on tighter as they sped down a hill in a frantic attempt to escape the herd of raging Tauros. On the way down the hill, a wild Psyduck waddled in front of their path. Brian cried out, but Joe showed no signs of stopping or swerving.
What happened next was so fast; Brian barely had time to process the event. Psyduck used its Telekinesis to overturn the vehicle as a defensive measure. The Jeep was lifted into the air about six feet and landed on Joe's side.
If Brian had not been wearing his seat-beat, He would've been killed. Instead, Brian's head smacked against the windshield hard enough to blur his vision. "God damn it! He yelled as he felt the seatbelt cut into his neck. When Brian's vision returned to normal, he saw that Joe had not had on his seat-belt. Joe did not survive the crash.
Brian felt his insides go numb, "Oh my God! Joe! Joe!" Brian tried to unstrap himself from his seat in such away so that he didn't land on Joe. There was blood everywhere; including dripping from Brian's own head.
Brian awkwardly climbed out of the overturned vehicle and landed on the ground. He felt his knees buckle and he keeled over; his left leg was pretty banged up. "Ah shit!" Brian cried as he felt hot blood run down his leg. He then thought back to Joe's mangled body and puked.
"Ah my fucking God!" Brian spit bile from his mouth and found that he could not stop from shaking. He had been through some crazy shit on SS Anne, but this was the first time he'd ever seen a real dead body. He found that there was a huge difference in knowing that people died near you and actually witnessing their death. It was almost more than Brian could bear.
He did not have time to brood on his companion's recent demise, however, as he felt the ground shake and herd the Tauros approaching. Brian felt his heart pound with fear; what was he to do now? He had only two Pokémon on him and one of them was unconscious! His Wartortle was tough, yes, but not powerful enough to take on thirty or so Tauros single handedly!
Brian then looked to his left and saw the small lake just thirty meters away. That must be were the Psyduck came from; it was Brian's only way out. Pulling out the pokeball from his belt, Brian summoned his Wartortle.
Once released from his capsule, Wartortle was alarmed to see his trainer hurt. Brian, however, wasted no time on explanations.
"Wartortle! Gah! I need you to help me to the water, and swim me to the other side!" Brian stepped forward and let out a cry of pain, "We have to be quick! There is a stampede coming this way, and if we get caught in it…"
Wartortle did not wait to hear the rest. The little blue turtle picked up its trainer in a tremendous display of strength and ran straight for the lake. It did not take Wartortle more than a few seconds to clear the thirty or so meters from the Jeep to the banks of the lake; even while carrying Brian's hundred and fifty-nine pounds.
Once at the banks of the body of water, Brian hugged Wartortle and said weakly, "We have to get out of here! Please get me to the other side!"
While Brian held on to Wartortle, the Pokémon jumped down into the water and began to swim. Not surprisingly, Wartortle moved a lot faster in the water than he did on land. The pair of them reached the banks on the other end of the lake with in less than fifteen minutes. Once there, Brian took off his pants and wrapped his leg tightly with part of his t shirt.
The wound did not bleed very fast, and it had already been partially cleaned by the water. Once his leg was bandaged up, Brian hung his clothes up to dry.
Most of his stuff, (his wallet, bag, potions, etc.), were sitting in a locker over at the entrance to the Safari Zone. The only things Brian had on him were his Pokedex, a Tauros, his Wartortle, and four empty Safari Balls. He had left the tranq-rifle in the Jeep.
Brian pet Wartortle on the head and said gratefully, "You saved my life just now! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Wartortle gestured for Brian to lie back against the tree.
As it was close to winter, Brian felt himself shivering soon enough. His clothes were still wet, so he really had no means to warm himself. Not to mention he had no idea how to get out of the Safari Zone, so his situation was starting to look a bit helpless.
As Brian thought about the absurdity of the dilemma he was currently facing, he could not help but laugh. Upon hearing Brian's laughter, Wartortle looked up at his trainer in confusion.
"You know what, Wartortle?" Brian said as his laughter died down, "I think some of Jet's luck is starting to rub off on me! Shit, this is just like one of those stories he's always telling me about. The kid's bad luck; that's what I think."
Brian's smile faded off his face as Wartortle looked bewildered by his trainer's behavior. "Then again," Brian begun, "Jet does always have a knack of getting himself out of trouble. I wonder what he would do in my position?"
Brian felt himself shiver, "I guess any smart person would worry about getting warm, first. Wartortle, I need you to find me some fire wood. We'll camp out like we used to."
Wartortle nodded and headed off. Brian shivered some more. He needed warmth. Maybe Tauros is warm? Figuring it was worth a shot, Brian sent out his sleeping Tauros. He then laid down next to the beast in an attempt to warm himself. Tauros did not awaken at Brian's touch.
"Maybe after you wake up, you can give me a ride out of here?" But Tauros simply slept on. The tranquilizer was so strong, in fact, that over four hours passed before Tauros finally regained consciousness.
By this time the fire was already roaring, and Wartortle was currently munching on a salmon he'd pulled from the lake. Brian was warming his self by the fire. When he noticed Tauros was awake, he said, "Good to see you finally up! I'm your new trainer, Brian. This is another one of my Pokémon, Wartortle."
Tauros flicked his ears. For a moment, he could not believe that he'd been captured and figured there was some kind of mistake. But then he felt it; in the back of his mind, growing louder and louder. He felt the realization that this… human was, in fact, his master. The bond had already taken hold.
Brian shifted so he was sitting directly in front of Tauros and asked, "So, do you know how to get where all of the humans are?"
Tauros snorted and nodded; albeit reluctantly. Brian seemed to have sensed this, because he said, "I know you probably did not wish to be captured, but you were. You might as well make the best out of it. Now; when my clothe dry, can you take me to them?"
Tauros hesitated, and then he nodded again. Brian's face split into a weak smile, "That's great! Listen; you've been out for a while, so you may need to hydrate. Why don't you go drink some water real quick before we head out?"
Tauros sighed and stood up. He then walked over to the banks of the lake and bent down to drink. Before he did so, however, he flicked his tail in annoyance to show his disapproval for being captured.
Wartortle looked from Brian to Tauros; wondering if his trainer was up to the task of breaking in this new Pokémon. Brian sighed and went to his clothes to get his pokedex. He had not checked Tauros' attacks or stats upon the beast's capture.
Using his Pokedex, he scanned the area in front of him. The Pokedex showed three Pokémon in its immediate line of sight. A Wartortle at level twenty-eight, a Tauros at level twenty five, and to Brian's surprise…
"Wartortle!" Brian said quickly, "There is a level seventeen Dratini just below the surface of the water! Can you grab it and bring it up, please?" Brian spoke with such urgency in his voice, Wartortle wasted no time in jumping in the water after the dragon Pokémon.
Brian grabbed an empty Safari-Ball and waited for his Wartortle with bated breath. After about forty seconds, Brian gazed in wonder as Wartortle jumped out of the water and slammed a slender, blue, serpentine dragon Pokémon onto the ground. Brian felt his heart skip a beat as he quickly said, "Quick, Wartortle, use Slam!"
Wartortle grabbed Dratini by its tail and slammed it yet again against the ground. Dratini let out a cry of pain and sent a weak electric charge at Wartortle. Wartortle stepped back and found himself paralyzed from the Thunder-Wave. Dratini tried to make a run for it, but Brian yelled, "Tauros, use Horn Attack!"
Tauros, who up in to this point was simply watching with interest, looked up at Brian with a look of surprise. Realizing he had caught Tauros off guard, Brian yelled, "Horn Attack, now!"
This time, Tauros was prepared. He charged Dratini and hit it before it was able to escape back in the water. Brian yelled, "Good job, Tauros! Now flank him and knock him away from the water!"
Tauros followed Brian's commands and Tackled Dratini so it flew three meters away from the water. Dratini landed with a soft thump and squealed. Then it angrily drew itself to full height and used Dragon Rage. The attack hit Tauros and knocked him into the water. Tauros roared and Brian called his name.
The wild bull was not out for the count yet, it seemed. Tauros stood back up on solid ground and let out a very intimidating battle cry. It then gathered a ball of dark aura and shot it at Dratini. Brian noted that Tauros' attack looked almost as if it was the dark version of Dratini's Dragon Rage, and wondered exactly what attack did he use. Dratini was hit by the ball of dark energy and squealed in pain yet again. The dragon was knocked back; this time, unconscious.
Brian enlarged the Safari Ball in his hand and cast it out to Dratini. The unconscious Pokémon was immediately captured. Brian had just fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning a Dratini. Brian felt as though he was floating inside. So strange that just a few hours ago, Brian had saw his first dead body. Now he felt as though he could walk on water.
He limped over to his new Tauros and hugged him around the neck, "You were awesome, Tauros! You did it! I can't believe it!" He then let go of a bewildered Tauros and bent down to hug his Wartortle, "Thank you so much! You found him for me; I can't believe we actually got him!"
Wartortle grunted due to his paralysis. Brian let go quickly and said, "Oh yeah, sorry about that."
Grabbing Wartortle's pokeball, he recalled the paralyzed Pokémon. An hour later, Brian was putting on his damp clothes in order to ride Tauros and get out of the Safari Zone. The jubilation from catching his dream Pokémon had died down mostly, and Joe's death was weighing on his mind once again.
Both Wartortle and Dratini were now on Brian's belt. Tauros was now well-hydrated and rearing to go. Brian took a deep breath as he felt the apprehension at the prospect of riding the country-side on a two hundred pound Tauros. Not to mention his body was still sore as shit from the car crash.
"Hold on a sec," Brian said to Tauros. He pulled out his Pokedex to check his moves. Brian was very curious as to what attack Tauros used to knock out Dratini. Brian scanned Tauros and gave a little smile, "Payback. Of course it was."
Author's Notes:
Brian's Team:
Wartortle – Lvl.28 Male
Tauros – Lvl.25 Male
Dratini – Lvl.17 Female
I can't believe we hit fifty chapters; that's fucking crazy! Thank you for all of the reviews. I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to share your thoughts.
Speaking of which, a guest reader by the name of Code Blue left a lengthy review, (my favorite kind!) in which they asked a lot of questions about the direction of the story. And though I won't answer all of the questions to prevent spoilers, there are a few I could shed some light on.
This wasn't really a question, but you mentioned Pokémon who evolve by stones or trading just evolve at a high level. I like where your head is at, but I always just kind of saw them evolving by their environment or by certain battle conditions; like Eevee. Or by happiness. It will vary from Pokémon to Pokémon. And to all of those wondering; yes Spark will eventually evolve into a Raichu!
Jet will be taking a bit of a break from the Gym Circuit, but he will continue training his Pokémon during this time.
As for the Telepathy and Aura questions, both abilities will be addressed much later in the story. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave it at that.
Anyway, thank you again for the reviews, and I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading the past fifty chapters as much as I have enjoyed writing them! I look forward to posting future updates, and would very much enjoy to hear your thoughts and predictions. It's amazing how close some of your ideas come to my own. It's also interesting to hear the directions you see the story going; especially when it's different from my own.
