Wacky Safari Party, Chapter 16

Fuchsia City, a new place to see, and new sights to wonder at. Up until then, all the cities and towns I'd been to all looked alike. Sure, each had its own sights and charms, but only Fuchsia made me feel like I was finally in a faraway land. From the way the houses and buildings looked, to the way people dressed, everything felt like something out of a travel destinations book. And to guide me through all this wonder was David, the absolute worst possible travel guide ever. I was somewhere new, it's only natural I'd want to explore the city a bit before getting right to work at the gym. David, however, only led me to one place in the city: his house.

Well, vacation home, is more accurate. After all, David was from Saffron City, but he said his family had vacation places almost all over the world. According to him, there were more kinds of Pokemon than I could possibly imagine, just that they weren't native to the Kanto region. Though my adventure was just to acquire the eight badges needed to enter Victory Road, David's tales of these new kinds of Pokemon, as well as other places to see, made me want to continue even after I had my eight badges. Of course, I was getting a bit ahead of myself.

Inside his house, I was finally introduced to David's family. There was his mom, a very kind person that dressed like she was in some kind of magazine, with such a gorgeous dress the sparkled in the light. And there was David's dad, who looked just like David, only with a beard and a mustache. Of course, the evening wouldn't be complete without some kind of misunderstanding, and I was to be the center point of the joke.

"My, my, David, isn't she a little too young?"

"Too young for what?" I asked, blissfully unaware of what his mom was talking about.

"Too young to be his girlfriend!"

~o~

I won't bother going through the messy clean up after that little event. It took David and me a few minutes, but we managed to straighten everything out with his parents. Rather, I was the one that did most of the clean up. As usual, David just shrugged his shoulders and kept that smirk plastered on his face. Had he no sense of shame or embarrassment?

His dad wasn't too happy about having to give me the Pokemon he got his son as a gift, but a deal was a deal, and not even David's dad would stomp on a promise. Of course, before I could take the Pokeball, I had to choose which of my critters would be whisked away to storage center. It was, after all, against League rules to carry more than six Pokemon at a time, though I wasn't exactly sure how to send a Pokemon off, having never done so. Fortunately, David showed me to his computer, a wonder of the Pokemon world.

Since I never had a need to access the Pokemon Storage System, I never used one of these computers. It was actually very simple though, just input your Trainer ID, access the Storage System, and then just place the Pokeball on the pad next to the screen. I ended up choosing Beedrill to go, though it wasn't easy doing even that. I wished I could travel with all my friends, but why fight it? Once Beedrill's Pokeball was on the pad, David hit a button on the computer, and the machine zapped my Pokeball, sending it far away to sit in a some box until I needed him again.

Well, after that painful experience, David's dad handed me the Pokeball, and of course, without even asking permission, I released the Pokemon within. It ended up being a big mistake. The Pokemon inside was a Lapras, a large water Pokemon that did some real damage to the inside of the vacation home. I couldn't even greet him properly before I was forced to recall Lapras and make a run for my life. David's dad was furious.

"Don't worry about it, Star," David told me, after finding me on the other side of town about an hour after that.

"We have plenty of money to cover what was broken, and Dad won't try and make you pay for it all." That alone was a huge relief, though I didn't say it aloud.

"Tell him I'm really, really sorry," I said, holding Lapras's Pokeball in my hands. "I didn't mean it."

"Of course not, he knows you were probably just excited to meet your newest Pokemon. Dad's just a little wound up at the moment, so he kind of flew off the handle there." David took a seat next to me, looking up at the orange sky.

"How is your family so rich?" I asked, making small talk and genuinely curious.

"Silph Corporation." I looked at him, shocked at the answer.

"You mean, you own Silph in Saffron City? That big building in the middle of the city?"

"Not entirely, but we are major players in the company. It was actually a stroke of luck I wasn't in Saffron when Team Rocket took over, otherwise things probably would've been much worse. Though, I heard from Dad that they really did a number on the building, something about every floor having a giant hole in it."

"That was Giovanni's fault," I said, before going into a short version of what had happened at the building the night I was there. David didn't express his surprise on his face, though he did say he was surprised all the same.

"So you were the mystery trainer everyone was talking about?"

"What do you mean?" As far as I knew, Lance's work inside the building was secret.

"The paper said Team Rocket was thwarted by a pair of Pokemon trainers, but no one knew who they were. Rumor is there was a man and woman, but I guess they muddled the facts a bit." He grinned.

"You're saying I'm not a woman?" I looked at David closely, but the guy never does anything other than smile in that smarmy manner.

"I'm saying there's no guarantee this second trainer was a man, unless you'd like to come clean about it all." Way to dodge the question.

"I'd rather keep it a secret." I got up from the grass, figuring it was time to head on over to the Pokemon Center for the night.

"You're welcome to come back to my place," David said, getting up after me. "I'm sure Dad wouldn't turn you away, despite what happened."

"It's okay, I've been enough of a bother already. Tell him I'm sorry, though. I really am!"

"Then how about one last gift?" I stopped, not sure why David was being so friendly all of a sudden.

"Gift? For what?"

"Just because I can. Fuchsia is home to the Safari Zone, a wide field where all kinds of rare and exotic Pokemon live. How about spending the day there with me tomorrow?"

"The whole day?" I already had something of a plan, if you recall.

"Or less, it's your choice. There's plenty to see, and who knows, you might catch a few new Pokemon."

"Well, I think I can spare a day. Meet me at the Pokemon Center tomorrow?"

"It's a date!" His smile grew a little bit wider.

Though David said it like it was the most ordinary occurrence in the world, I couldn't help but blush a bit at the thought. I knew David didn't mean it in the romantic sense, but he was the first person to ever actually say we were on a date together. Before he could notice my blush, I turned away and started walking towards the Pokemon Center. With Vulpix at my side, I had a feeling it would be a most memorable day.

~o~

I don't think I have to explain to you what the Safari Zone is, but at the time, I wasn't sure myself what it was. I had heard about it in school: this place where people could catch Pokemon out in the wild, but I always thought everywhere outside towns was like that. What was so special then about the Safari Zone? Well, what better way for that to be answered, than by seeing it firsthand!

Before we were allowed in, I was asked to leave all my Pokemon at the front desk. This included Vulpix, and of course also led to a bit of a debate. Vulpix had never been forced inside a Pokeball in her life, and I don't think the people working there would want to look after her outside one. After a bit of fussing, David got the Safari people to allow Vulpix through with me. You might say I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to Vulpix.

Along with a huge supply of green colored Pokeballs, you're given a bag of food meant for wild Pokemon, and off you go into the zone. Normally, trainers have to hike through the fields to catch any wild Pokemon they can find, but again, I was lucky enough to have David with me, and he came equipped with a car to ride in!

"So David," I said, trying to keep a steady arm in the shaky car, "I can use these Pokeballs to catch any Pokemon I want here?"

"That's the point of the Safari Zone, Star. Trainers come here from all parts, just to catch the few rare Pokemon that only live here in Kanto."

"And I'm guessing the food is to throw at the Pokemon?" I took out a piece and brought it to my nose. It didn't smell very good.

"Pokemon battles aren't allowed in the zone, so you'll have to rely on the increased strength of the Pokeballs and fatigue of the Pokemon you're trying to catch."

To test, I threw a Pokeball out of the car at the nearest critter I could see. It ended up hitting a Nidorino, locking it away inside the Pokeball. The driver stopped the car for a second, just to make sure I could pick up the Pokeball if the catch was successful. Fortunately, the Nidorino broke free. I say that because at the time, I didn't plan to capture any Pokemon while on this safari. Felt wrong to rob them of their freedom when all they'd do is sit in a digital box somewhere.

From there, the trip continued more or less smoothly, though the ride was anything but. There were no roads in the zone, so the car was constantly jerking back and forth, making it pretty hard to sit still and enjoy the view. All the same, I did get to see all sorts of unusual Pokemon, many I had only ever read about in my encyclopedia. A herd of Tauros ran up beside us, a Kangaskhan and her baby played in a field, and a family of Nidoran watched as their older brothers fought off an angry Electabuzz. Life in the Safari Zone was natural, the way it was long before people became a part of the world of Pokemon.

At noon, we stopped at a small rest house by a pond. This was the second house I had seen in the zone, and according to David, they were put there to give trainers a place to relax or hide from wild Pokemon on the field. It reminded me of my first day on the road, how even a small Rattata had me crawling away in pain and fear. Without your friends at your side, even the tiny Nidoran seem like a threat.

Inside, we were given a small meal and plenty of cold water. Though I ate across the table from David, I realized he wasn't saying much the entire time. I knew he wasn't much for chit-chat, but there was something about it all that felt off to me. It took me a moment or two to figure out exactly what it was, but eventually I did. After giving Vulpix the last piece of bread from my sandwich, I stood up from the table.

"All set to go, Star?" He asked me. I nodded.

"I am, actually," I said, before raising my finger. "But, I'm not going back in the car."

"That's okay, we can walk, if you'd like."

"No, we're not going back together." I clarified.

"Something wrong?" I couldn't blame David for being confused. Up until then, everything was going quite well.

"Something a friend told me a long time ago, it's all starting to make sense now. Thank you, David, for everything. But this is where we go our separate ways."

He didn't hold it against me. David was a true gentleman to the end, and for that, I had to thank him. Outside the rest house, I leaned over to pick up Vulpix in my arms. As I scratched behind her ears, I remembered what Deneb said all the way back in Cerulean City.

'A Pokemon adventure is something you do on your own'.

I always thought he said that just as an excuse to not travel with me, but now I really understood why. It wasn't that David was a poor traveling companion, which by all accounts he was, but I never held anything against him. I just realized, as I sat there in front of him, that traveling with someone only ruined the experience. Sure, alone I'd have to face all the hardship by myself, but it only made the reward at the end that much more worthwhile.

With Vulpix in my arms, I looked towards the exit, and instead turned around and marched deeper into the Safari Zone. If there were rarer Pokemon to be had here, I'm sure they'd be hiding in the hills on the far side of the zone. The plan to not capture any critters stayed behind with David.

~o~

I poked my head out from behind a fallen tree. Just across from me was a small bird, a Farfetch'd. If Vulpix was my favorite Pokemon ever, Farfetch'd would be a distant second, and there was one just a few feet away. The bird was pecking at something underneath its wing, completely unaware that I was staring it down. At that moment, Vulpix poked her head out over the log, barking at the bird.

Of course, I instinctively told her to be quiet, but it was too late. The Farfetch'd looked over in our direction, and once it noticed we were there, picked up its leek in its beak and took to the sky. I didn't want to let this critter get away, so I reached for a Pokeball and threw it. Unfortunately, the ball missed completely, and the Farfetch'd flew off to another part of the zone. After scolding Vulpix for ruining the catch, I told her to follow me. I wasn't going to let that Pokemon fly away from me!

As you might guess, chasing after a flying Pokemon on foot wasn't the best idea. I managed to keep Farfetch'd in my sight at all times, and I even noticed when it finally touched back down on the ground. So focused on the bird, I didn't notice when I ran face first into a large, rocky Pokemon along the way. The crash sent me falling back, and though I was hurt more by the run-in than the Pokemon, it didn't like being disturbed.

The Rhyhorn pointed its sharp horn at me, growling to get me to start running. Of course, that's what I didn't do. I just stayed there on the ground, not budging an inch. Rhyhorns were famous for running people over, and they normally didn't attack a still target. At least, that's what I was hoping. Vulpix was right beside me the entire time, but I had my hand on her mouth, making sure she didn't anger the Rhyhorn anymore. After a moment that seemed to last forever, the Rhyhorn turned away from me, moving along on its way.

"That was close," I told Vulpix, letting go of her mouth at last. "Let's go. And this time, don't go barking at the Farfetch'd, okay?"

The Pokemon in question had landed in the middle of a pond. Vulpix and I crawled over, hiding underneath a pair of bushes by the pond. I'd only have one shot to catch it. I reached for a Pokeball, when Vulpix dug out the pouch of food from my bag. I took the pouch and patted her on the head.

"Good thinking!"

I pulled out a small lump of food, remembering the bad smell it had. Still, if Pokemon ate it, it probably didn't taste that bad. I reached out and placed the food on the surface of the water, letting it float there for a moment. I pushed it towards Farfetch'd, hoping it would travel enough to catch his attention. Sure enough, the food bounced against his feathers, waking the Pokemon up. After a quick look around for danger, it swooped the food up in its beak.

I took another piece and put it in the pond, pushing it towards the bird. This time, it noticed the food as it floated towards him, so Farfetch'd got closer to the bushes where I was hiding. I placed a third on the edge of the pond, making sure to do so while he ate up the second piece. It instantly noticed the free food, and moved along to fetch the last easy meal. I took a Pokeball in my hand.

Once the bird was right in front of me, I jumped up through the bushes and swung the Pokeball at it. I hoped the sudden startle would cause the Farfetch'd enough panic to not be able to break free from the Pokeball, knowing another chance to catch it was unlikely. The Pokemon was absorbed into the ball, and it landed back in the pond. The ball splashed about like a fish, but after a minute or so of splashing, it just stopped. I had caught the Farfetch'd! The Pokeball was instantly warped away, as per the rules of the Safari Zone.

Content, I made my way out of the bushes, when I realized something. I had jumped through them so fast, my dress had gotten caught on a few of the branches, and had been torn clean off me! I scurried back into the bush, taking a spare outfit from my bag and slipping into it underneath the same bush. I poked my head out from under the bush, hoping no other people were around that could have seen me. What a way to end a successful catch.

~o~

Back at the entrance to the zone, I met up with the guard that let me go in with Vulpix in the first place. He told me that I had caught a total of one Pokemon; obviously I knew that, and that I had to send it off to the Storage System, or pick one of my own critters to send away. Sending away Beedrill had been a hard decision, but it was sort of scary how quickly you got used to the concept. I picked Clefairy this time, as she was the least useful from a battler's standpoint. With Farfetch'd in my group, the next destination was the Fuchsia gym.

It was getting late, and though I was pretty beat from the Safari Zone, I chose to head out to the gym that same day. From Fuchsia, the next destination was Cinnabar Island across the ocean, and I wanted to be off first thing in the morning. The journey was surely coming to an end.