This is a long chapter! And it is also the one with some fluff I mentioned a while back, but you people probably don't even remember that. Lol xD Hmm...who is going to be in this chapter this time? Gary or Joey? Read to find out! :D
Jungle Fever
Snorlax walked along Route 19 towards Fuchsia. Zoey enjoyed the scenery and so did Eevee. She looked through her bag and found her Berry Pouch.
"Hey Snorlax, I don't have much, but you can have some of these berries if you want." She held them in the palm of her hand. He picked them up and put them in his mouth.
"Lax."
"I'll try to find you some more buddy. Ok?"
Snorlax nodded and continued walking along the route. He actually liked being awake and walking around.
--
The first thing Zoey did when she got to the city was go to the Pokemon Center. She returned Snorlax and let Nurse Joy heal her Pokemon.
After she collected the Pokeballs, she walked over to one of the phone booths and dialed the Pallet Lab.
The screen turned on and Prof. Gary was seen. "Oh Zoey! Hello!"
"Hi Professor."
"So how have you been doing?"
"I've been doing great. Almost all of my Pokemon are evolved! I just need Charmeleon and Nidorina. Oh and Cubone."
"Wow! You caught a good team Zoey." He saw Eevee on her shoulder. "That's a cute Pokemon you got there. I remember my first Eevee. Where did you get her?"
Zoey explained everything to Professor Gary. His face became grim. "Team Rocket you say…"
"Yeah…Professor…they're really ruthless huh?"
"I'm afraid so…"
There was silence for a moment until Zoey said "I wanted to ask you something…"
"Go right ahead."
"Um…why is it that Trainers can only carry up to six Pokemon?"
"Well first of all, that's the maximum amount one can carry on his or her belt. Having more would be a hassle. And second, six is a big number, especially in the case of Pokemon. A person should be strong with that many. Why do you ask?"
"I had caught a Snorlax while coming over here to Fuchsia. I used him in battle, even though I already had a party of six."
"Did you use any other Pokemon?"
"Just my Cubone, Nidorina, Charmeleon, and Eevee."
"Well, as long as you only used six Pokemon and not more than that, it's fine."
"But Professor…I wanted to know…are there permits to have more than six Pokemon in your party?"
"Yes, there is. Permits are given out under certain circumstances. Why?"
"Um…I wanted to know if I can have one…"
The Professor raised an eyebrow. "What? Why would you want one?"
"I thought I wouldn't need Snorlax…but he's very strong."
"Is that why?"
"Well…he's also really cuddly and warm!"
Professor Gary sweatdropped. "That's the real reason isn't it…?"
Zoey laughed.
"Well…I don't know if I can give you one…I mean, I haven't even given one to Gary yet…"
"Oh please Professor!"
Professor Gary hesitated. "Well…" He scratched his head. "I'm still not sure…"
"I promise I'll find Snorlax somewhere to stay! Just give me one in the mean time so I don't get in trouble!"
"Why don't you leave him with me?"
"I wanted to travel a little bit more with him…"
The man sighed. "Alright…I'll give you a permit. But you must tell me when you've found Snorlax a place to stay. I don't want you carrying more than six. It's not fair to other Trainers."
"I understand. Thank you so much!"
"Hold on for a sec." The Professor began to type in something in his computer. "Zoey, put your Pokedex in the slot of the machine."
Zoey took out the Pokedex from her bag and placed it in the slot located under the screen. A message came on the screen. It read "Now transferring data. Please wait." Zoey waited about thirty seconds and the Pokedex came back out. The screen returned to normal.
"Well, there you go. I gave you the permit. It's now in your Pokedex, so if anybody asks, you show that to them." He smiled. "You really love your Pokemon, don't you?"
"Yes. A whole lot. But not just my Pokemon. I love all Pokemon!"
"Then since you're in Fuchsia, take a walk around the Safari Zone. There are tons of Pokemon there. It would be a great way to fill up your Pokedex."
"Alright, thanks! Say hi to my mom for me Professor!"
"I will. Be safe! And remember, you can transfer your Pokemon to me whenever you want."
"Ok, thanks! Say bye Eevee."
Eevee wagged her tail. "Veee!"
Professor Gary waved and Zoey turned off the phone. She got up and walked out of the Pokemon Center.
--
"Hmm…where is the Safari Zone? I've looked at this map but I can't find it anywhere…" She had gotten a Kanto Map a long time ago.
Zoey looked around but couldn't find anything that looked like a Safari Zone…
She sighed and so did Eevee. The girl took the Pokemon off her head and held her at arms length. "What are we gonna do Eevee?"
The little fox's ears folded down. "Eeveee…" Zoey let Eevee climb onto her shoulder and sit there.
"Maybe I can find the Gym here instead…" She began to walk away when she saw an ice cream stand. "Ooooh! Ice cream! Eevee, you want some?"
"Eeee!"
Zoey ran over to the stand and got herself an ice cream, as well as seven more for each of her Pokemon.
She sat down on a bench in a grassy area and released her Pokemon. She smiled at them. "You all deserve a treat. So here are some ice creams for you guys!"
Her Pokemon gave a happy cry. They each took an ice cream cone and began to eat it. "Sorry Snorlax. I only got you one…um…it might not satisfy your appetite though…but I'm sure there are berry trees around here." She noticed one not too far off. "Oh look! There's one over there!"
She handed Snorlax his ice cream and he ate it quickly, then headed over to the tree and began snacking. The other Pokemon continued eating.
"You've all been such a great help over the past few weeks. I'm so proud of all of you!"
Her Pokemon responded with their own cry.
"Z…Zoey?"
The name caught her attention. "I…I know that voice." She put her ice cream down on the cardboard tray and stood up. She turned around, and who she saw made her feel relieved.
"J…Joey?"
"Zoey? Is it…is it really you?"
"Yes! It's me!"
"Zoey!" He ran to her. "I…I thought you…"
"Died?"
"Um…yeah…"
"Well I didn't. I can't be taken down that easily!" She laughed but Joey didn't. She stopped and looked at him. His expression was happy, sad, and relieved all at the same time.
"What's wrong?"
"I just thought…that I'd never see you again…but here you are…"
"Joey…" She walked up to him. "It's alright…"
"I know…" He looked at her, and embraced her. She blushed on contact, but then hugged him back. Charmeleon smiled.
Joey let go of her and said "Are you ok? What happened?"
"It's a very long story."
"I have time." He smiled.
Zoey began to tell about the events after the S.S. Anne incident. Joey was very interested in what she had to say, and when he would ask her questions, she'd happily reply.
"And now I'm in Fuchsia City!"
"Wow, you sure have a lot of risky adventures!"
"Yeah, but I learn from them."
Joey looked at all of her Pokemon. "Your Pokemon are almost all evolved. Charmeleon is still looking cute as ever."
Charmeleon blushed. "Char…"
He noticed her other Pokemon and the giant Snorlax. "Is that Snorlax yours?"
"Yup! I caught him after I left Celadon. He's really strong and cuddly!"
Joey laughed. "So are you here to get your next badge?"
"Mm hm. I need to find the Safari Zone first…Professor Gary said it's a good place to get information for my Pokedex. But I haven't found it yet…"
Joey smiled. "I know where it is. I saw it when I was heading to the Gym. Would you like to check it out?"
"Ok!" She returned her Pokemon, except Eevee. "Let's go!"
"Alright."
--
Joey had led Zoey to the Safari Zone. It was a beige building with high walls and there was a zoo outside. The girl loved looking at all the Pokemon. They walked up to the building and saw the sign that read 'Safari Zone' with a silhouette of a Nidoking between the two words.
"So this is it Joey?"
"Yup. When we go inside, we have to leave our Pokemon in there."
"Why?"
"The Safari Zone is like a haven to many rare Pokemon, so Trainers can't take their party inside. You have to catch them without battling them."
"Aww…but I want Eevee to come along…"
"I think they'll accept her. Let's go and see."
"Ok."
Zoey walked inside with Joey and they went to the reception desk. There were a lot of people inside, mostly tourists.
"Hello!" said a woman in safari attire. "Welcome to the Safari Zone! Are you here for a tour or for a catching game?"
"Um…" Joey didn't know what to say. "What do you want to do Zoey?"
"Well, I would like to fill my Pokedex…so…is it ok if we can do both?"
The lady smiled. Joey looked at her and said "Alright, we'd like to do both." The receptionist gave each of them a bag of Safari Balls.
"I'm terribly sorry, but you need to leave your Pokemon with us. Trainers aren't allowed to have their Pokemon in the jungle or plains."
Zoey took the Pokeballs from her belt and handed them over to the woman. Joey asked "Can we at least have one traveling Pokemon?"
"You mean like your friend's Eevee?"
"Yes. I want to take my Pikachu with me."
"Well…alright, but just one."
Joey released his Pikachu, who now came accessorized with a pink flower on her head. He gave the remaining Pokeballs to the woman.
"Alright! Please wait in this line for the tour." She gestured her hand towards the other people.
"Thank you," said Joey.
"You're welcome. Have fun on your date kids!"
Both Trainers blushed and their Pokemon laughed.
--
Joey and Zoey were taken inside along with the other tourists and were led to a river. They saw a boat there.
"Alright!" said another woman. She was dressed in the same attire as the receptionist. "My name is Emily and I am going to be your tour guide today! I'll be taking you to the jungle first, and then the savannah. Any questions? Ok! Let's go!"
The tourists got into the boat and so did Joey and Zoey. They sat down next to each other, their Pokemon in their laps.
"Ok, let's go on an adventure!"
The boat turned on and began moving down the river. Pokemon started to appear. Dragonair leapt out of the water, and Parasect scuttled along the ground.
"Let's get started then! Over there, you'll see two Dragonair playfully jumping in and out of the river. Oh and there are two Parasect, feeding their baby Paras!"
Joey and Zoey took out their Pokedex.
"Dragonair, the Dragon Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Dratini. If it's body takes on an aura, the weather changes instantly. It is said to live in seas and lakes."
"Paras, the Mushroom Pokemon. Mushrooms named tochukaso grow on its back. They grow along with the host Paras."
"Parasect, the Mushroom Pokemon. Parasect is the evolved form of Paras. It is controlled by a mushroom grown larger than the bug body. It is said to prefer damp places."
Emily looked at where the noise was coming from and noticed the two youngsters. She smiled. "Well, it looks like we have a few Pokemon Trainers on board! Are you two trying to fill that Pokedex?"
Both nodded.
"Then keep your eyes open kids! You'll see a lot of Pokemon here."
Emily kept giving information on Pokemon that were seen, and even on the plants that were found. Two Nidorino were attacking each other, while a Nidorina stood in the background, sighing occasionally.
"Ah! This is a perfect example of wildlife! See those two Nidorino? They're fighting over who gets the Nidorina. Men…"
Some of the tourists laughed.
"Nidorino, the Poison Pin Pokemon. The evolved form of the male Nidoran. He has a violent disposition and stabs foes with his horn, which oozes poison on contact."
The boat tour continued for about another hour, and when they were almost done, Emily pointed out some eggs on the ground.
"You see those things there? Those aren't eggs. They're actually a Pokemon named Exeggcute."
"Exeggcute, the Egg Pokemon. Its six eggs converse using telepathy. They can quickly gather if they become separated."
"And over there next to that tree, is a palm tree!"
Some of the tourists began mumbling. They knew it was a palm tree…she didn't have to point it out.
"Ha! Gotcha! It's actually another Pokemon!"
The tree began to move, and some of the tourists were startled.
"Exeggcutooor!" it cried.
"Exeggcutor, the Coconut Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Exeggcute. It is called 'The Walking Jungle'. If a head grows too big, it falls off and becomes an Exeggcute."
The boat stopped at a dock and Emily said "Alright, that's it for our jungle tour! Next is the savannah tour, where you'll see more Pokemon!"
People got off, as did Joey and Zoey. They were guided towards a long tour tram. Both sides of the tram were open, so it was easy for people to get in and out. Joey and Zoey sat in the last seat and closed the side doors.
"You having fun Eevee?" Zoey asked her Pokemon. Eevee wagged her tail. "Veee!"
"What about you Pikachu?" Joey asked. Pikachu cuddled up against him and said "Pika pikaaaa!"
Both Trainers smiled at each other. The tram began to move.
The savannah was nothing but a grassy plain with a few trees. There were Pokemon running across the plains, and some grazing.
Horses with flaming manes and tails chewed on some of the grass.
"Those horses you see over there are called Ponyta. Be careful though; don't ride them unless they fully trust you. Or else their manes will burn you."
"Ponyta, the Fire Horse Pokemon. Its legs grow strong while it chases after its parent. It runs in fields and mountains all day."
Emily looked around and saw that a Ponyta was running towards a bigger horse that resembled it a lot. "Oh! That must be the mother."
"Rapidash, the Fire Horse Pokemon. It is the evolved form of Ponyta. It has astounding acceleration. From a standstill, it can reach top speed within ten steps."
Zoey looked at it in awe. "Oh! She's such a pretty horse!"
Emily smiled back at the girl and watched the two horses run off farther into the field. The woman noticed creatures digging out of the ground. Some looked like a type of mouse and others looked like hedgehogs.
"See those yellowish brown creatures digging their way out? Those are Sandshrew and the bigger ones are their evolved forms, Sandslash."
"Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokemon. To protect itself from attackers, it curls up into a ball. It lives in arid regions with minimal rainfall."
"Sandslash, the Mouse Pokemon. The evolved form of Sandshrew. It curls up, then rolls into foes with its back. Its sharp spines inflict severe damage."
The tour continued on as Emily talked more about the Pokemon and their habitats. She also said how humans can help preserve the environments for Pokemon by throwing their trash in bins or cans and not to pollute any habitat.
"Well, we're almost near the end of our tour." She looked around to see if there were more Pokemon that need to be pointed out. That's when she saw a herd of bulls.
"Oh look here folks! See those bulls over there? Those are called Tauros and they control the savannah here. Nobody messes with these Pokemon. They have a bad temper."
"Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokemon. Once it takes aim at its foe, it makes a headlong charge. It is famous for its violent nature."
Emily continued to drive the tram until they got to a small housing structure. "Ok, this is our stop folks!"
She parked the large vehicle and said "This is one of the Safari Rest Houses. There's food and beverages there, as well as some souvenirs! Feel free to take a rest."
The tourists got off and headed inside the house, while Joey and Zoey walked over to Emily.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"I wanted to know if we could start our Safari Game now."
"Of course little boy! Just be careful with the Pokemon. Oh and, don't use your Pikachu or any others you might have on hand."
"Ok thanks."
Joey looked at Zoey. "We should first stock up on supplies like water and food. It's really hot out here."
"Ok."
--
After stocking up, the two Trainers walked outside into the savannah. Zoey was amazed and loved being out here.
"Oh there are sooo many Pokemon! I wish I can catch them all!"
Joey laughed. "You can as long as you don't run out of Safari Balls."
Zoey saw a giant rock creature that looked like a rhino. "Oh, what's that?"
"Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokemon. Its body is clad in a thick hide, and its tackles topple buildings. Unfortunately, it is not smart."
"That's not nice to say…but this might give me an advantage!" She took a Safari Ball out of her bag and tossed it.
It bounced off. "Aw man! What am I supposed to do?"
"We can't use Pokemon Zoey…so…maybe try to lure it with something."
"Like what?"
"I bought some bait for us. Maybe that will work." Joey handed Zoey some brown Pokemon bait. She took it and crept closer to Rhyhorn.
"Come on now little Rhyhorn." She threw the food in his direction and he sniffed it. Then, he began to eat it. Zoey threw the ball and it enveloped Rhyhorn in red light.
"Yes!"
The ball snapped open again. Rhyhorn came out and fled.
"Oh no!" She fell to the ground on her knees. "I'm not very good at this…"
Joey walked over to her. "It's ok Zoey." He put a hand on her shoulder. "At least we got a lot of Pokedex information today."
"You're right Joey." She stood up. "Well, let's see what other Pokemon we can find."
"Ok."
The two continued walking, and Zoey gasped when she saw a herd of big brown Pokemon. They had another Pokemon in their pouches.
"Oh that's so cute! Which Pokemon are those?" The Pokedex was taken out.
"Kangaskhan, the Parent Pokemon. She raises her offspring in her belly pouch. She lets the baby out to play only when she feels safe."
"So then it can only be a female?"
"Yes," replied Joey. "Kangaskhan can only be females because like kangaroos, only the mothers have pouches to hold their young."
"But then how are the baby Kangaskhan made if they can only be female?"
Joey looked puzzled. "I don't know…"
"Maybe we should catch it to have Professor Gary figure it out!"
"Ok."
"But you catch it."
"Huh? Why me?"
"I suck at this Safari Game thing…"
Joey smiled sympathetically. "Alright." He walked over to a lone Kangaskhan, and noticed that something was wrong. The Pokemon looked hurt.
"Zoey! Come here!"
She ran to her friend. "What is it?"
"I think she's hurt."
Zoey took a closer look and noticed that Kangaskhan had a few scratches and bruises, along with a few burns. "Oh…what happened?"
"I don't know…"
The Pokemon was looking around for something. Zoey walked up to her cautiously. "Um…excuse me Kangaskhan, but what are you looking for?"
The Pokemon blinked and for a second Zoey thought she was going to be attacked. But the Parent Pokemon pointed to her belly and looked down. Zoey noticed that she didn't have a baby in her pouch like the others.
"Oh no! Your baby is missing! What happened?"
Kangaskhan looked sad. Zoey noticed something hanging from Kangaskhan's claws. She took it and noticed it was a piece of cloth.
"What's wrong Zoey?"
The girl went wide eyed when she saw what was imprinted on the cloth. There was a red R on it.
"Team Rocket!"
"Where?!"
"I think they captured this Kangaskhan's baby! Look!" She showed the cloth to Joey.
"Those jerks! Zoey, we have to do something!"
"But what? We don't even know where they are!"
Joey knew his friend was right. Then he looked up at Kangaskhan and said "Would you take us to the spot where your baby was stolen?"
The Pokemon nodded and the Trainers followed her.
--
Kangaskhan stopped at a large tree. She pointed up at the sky.
"They must of attacked her while airborne," Joey stated. "Zoey, I think we should wait here to see if they come back."
"Right."
Both of them sat down under the tree's shade. Kangaskhan sat down too. Eevee and Pikachu scurried over to her and explained what their Trainers were trying to do. Lucky for Zoey and Joey that their Pokemon were able to communicate with the Kangaskhan.
So they waited for a while, and pretty soon, Zoey began to get hungry. Her stomach growled. Joey laughed and the girl blushed.
"I knew you'd be hungry, so I got you a sandwich." He took out a wrapped sandwich from his bag and handed it to her.
"Thank you Joey."
"You're welcome. Oh, I also got you a juice too." He handed her a container of juice. She smiled and said "Thanks…you're a really great friend Joey."
He blushed. "It…It's no big deal…really." The boy took out his own lunch and began eating it. Zoey shared some with her Eevee and Joey gave some to Pikachu. The Trainers offered Kangaskhan some, but she declined. She was too worried about her baby.
Zoey saw some Pokemon racing in the distance. It was the Ponyta and Rapidash, along with two other Pokemon. One had two heads and the other had three.
"Wow, what's that?"
She took out her Pokedex. "Doduo, the Twin Bird Pokemon. The brains in its two heads appear to communicate emotions to each other with a telepathic power."
"Dodrio, the Triple Bird Pokemon. The evolved form of Doduo. When Doduo evolves into this odd breed, one of its heads splits into two. It runs at nearly 40 miles per hour."
The Pokedex was put away. "Wow, that's awesome! A parent and child race!"
She watched as the horse team and bird team raced across the field. Ponyta stopped to graze, so her mother needed to stop too. Dodrio and Doduo continued running, obviously proud that they had won. They didn't stop and continued speeding into the distance.
It was already the middle of the day and Zoey was getting sleepy. Eevee lay down in her lap.
"You look tired Zoey."
"I am. Today has been a long day so far…I can't believe it's still not over."
Joey took out something from his pocket. "I want you to have this."
"What is it?"
"It's called a Versus Seeker."
"What does it do?"
"It lets you know when Trainers are around. It emits a small sound loud enough for the wearer to hear it." He pointed to one of the straps on his backpack. "I have one. It's blue. Yours is red."
Zoey looked at it and placed it on the strap of her bag. She looked at Joey, and he blushed since she was staring at him with a smile.
"What?"
"Thanks."
She leaned her head on his shoulder and embraced him. She blushed, but he blushed more.
"Y-You're welcome."
The girl seemed to be falling asleep. Joey didn't blame her because she had been through a lot ever since the last time he saw her. He slowly wrapped an arm around her, afraid that she might feel uncomfortable. But she didn't, and smiled.
He smiled too, and rested his head on hers. Eevee and Pikachu giggled. Kangaskhan only grinned.
--
An hour had passed and still nothing happened. Zoey awoke from her midday sleep and so did Joey.
"Oh I'm so sorry Joey!" she said as she let go of him. "I fell asleep on you! Literally! I didn't mean to!"
"It's alright Zoey! Don't get so panicked!" He had been startled by her loud outburst.
"I know but you must of felt weird having a girl that close to you! I'm so sorry!"
Joey only smiled and shook his head. "You worry a lot. You shouldn't." He placed a hand on her head. "It's alright Zoey."
She blinked, then blushed. She noticed that their clothes were the opposite color.
"I've never noticed Joey, but our outfits are the opposite."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, my hat is white with a red stripe, and yours is red with a white stripe. Then my vest is blue while yours is red, and my skirt is red while your pants are blue. It's also the same with our shoes. Same pattern, opposite colors."
Joey took notice also. "Yeah. The only thing missing is your black shirt."
"Actually…I do have one under my vest. It's sleeveless though, so you can't see it."
"Oh…then we really do have almost the same outfit."
"Joey…I think that it's so strange we have a lot in common…"
He blushed. "Really? You think so?"
"Yes." She got closer to him. "Even your eyes are blue like mine. And your hair is brown, just like me."
The red on his face grew because their noses were almost touching. Zoey noticed too and blushed.
"Joey…"
"Yes?"
"You've been such a great person to me throughout the time I've known you…You're so kind and wise…it's hard to believe you exist."
"Huh? What are you saying?"
"I'm…I'm saying that out of all the people I've met on this journey…you've been the most wonderful friend. I'm glad I got to know a person like you…"
He felt his heartbeat pound a little bit faster. "And…And I'm glad to know that I met somebody like you Zoey…You care so much for your Pokemon…and each one loves you with all their heart."
She blushed deeper. "Really?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Zoey," said Joey as he looked at her. "You…promise me that…you'll always stay alive."
"I promise. And…I will, as long as you promise that you'll stay alive…"
He nodded. Both of them knew how dangerous Team Rocket was, and they always seemed to run into them from time to time. They didn't like it, but that was one of the many risks in being a Pokemon Trainer.
"I promise too."
Both of them smiled. Zoey began to feel nervous as she felt herself getting closer to her friend. Joey felt the same way and he wanted to hold back, but it was hard.
The two Trainers leaned in closer to each other, their eyes gradually closing. Eevee and Pikachu watched with interest at their Masters. They knew nothing about human love, so this was something they wanted to see.
Joey…
Zoey…
They could feel each other's breath against their faces, and felt their lips brush lightly against each other's. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and his on her waist. Eevee and Pikachu were surprised by this, and the two humans even more. The Trainers felt their heartbeat pound heavily in their chests.
"Well well well! What do we have here sis?"
The woman squealed. "Oh! Young love! How romantic!"
"That's not the answer I was hoping for…"
Joey and Zoey immediately broke apart and looked at where the voices came from. A giant balloon with a Meowth face hovered above the plains.
"Team Rocket!" Joey and Zoey said simultaneously. The girl saw that Jack had the middle of his shirt ripped.
She looked angry. "You…You're the one who took Kangaskhan's baby!"
He held up a cage with the baby inside. It had tears running down it's face. "You're smart."
Kangaskhan became angry. "Khan! Kangaskhan!"
"We won't let the baby go until we get the mother," Jackie said. "And then they can be together forever."
Meowth jumped into view. "And while we're at it, let's take some of these other Pokemon!" She pressed a button on a remote control and the balloon transformed into a giant Kangaskhan robot. It's large arms shot out and grabbed a handful of Pokemon.
It even got the baby Ponyta. She neighed as she was taken towards the robot. Rapidash blasted a stream of fire at the robot, but it barely got burned.
"Ha! You can't get us like that!" The robot's arm swung at Rapidash, but she dodged it and galloped up the arm. Meowth pressed another button and a missile of water shot at Rapidash, knocking her off.
She crashed on the ground and got up slowly.
"Well, we got all the Pokemon we need," said Jack. "But taking that Eevee and Pikachu wouldn't hurt!"
The arm shot out again and Joey and Zoey dodged it. The other arm shot out again at Zoey, but Joey grabbed her and rolled themselves out of the way.
"Zoey, are you ok?!"
"Yes! Thanks but are you ok?!"
"Yeah, I fine."
He helped her up.
Jackie smiled. "It's too bad you two will never get your first kiss, because we're gonna finish you off right here and now."
Joey and Zoey blushed.
"And you were sooo close too! Meowth."
"I'm on it." She pressed another button, and a robotic baby Kangaskhan came out of the pouch of the robot. It wheeled itself over to the two Trainers.
"Zoey! Run!"
Joey grabbed her hand and the two began to run away from the robot. Eevee was tightly clutching onto Zoey's head, and Pikachu was clinging onto Joey's shoulder. But Eevee lost her grip and slipped off.
"Veee!"
Zoey stopped. "Eevee!" She let go of Joey's hand and ran to her Pokemon.
"Zoey!"
The girl picked up her Pokemon. "Oh Eevee, are you ok?!" The little fox opened her eyes. "Veee."
The baby robot shot out an arm. Zoey clutched Eevee tightly to her chest, ready for impact. But Rapidash jumped in the way and slung Zoey on her back, and began to gallop towards Joey.
The girl put Eevee inside her vest and held out her hand to Joey. He grabbed it and hopped onto the horse. Both were surprised that the flaming mane didn't burn them.
"How are we supposed to hold on to her?" said Joey.
"Um…I think I should just hug her neck!"
"And me?"
"Um…" She blushed. "You need to hold on to me…"
The boy returned the expression. "H-How?"
"Well…hold on to my waist I guess."
The robot was catching up. "And I think you better do that soon if we wanna get away from that thing Joey!"
He wrapped his arms around her and she hugged Rapidash's neck. The horse went even faster.
"Catch them Meowth!"
"I know Jackie! Shut up!" She pressed another button and the robot went faster. "We're gonna get those twerps!"
"Joey! We can't get away! They're gaining on us!"
"What are we gonna do?!"
Zoey didn't really know what to do at this point. Eevee was hurt, and Rapidash was busy keeping them safe. That's when she heard a screeching sound and she turned around to see Kangaskhan holding back the robot.
"Kagas…k…khan…"
The robot began to push her out of the way, but the Pokemon wouldn't move. She was struggling.
"Zoey, we have to do something! Kangaskhan is gonna get hurt!"
The young girl thought and thought. Wait a minute…I only left the Pokemon that were on my belt back at the reception desk. She shuffled through her bag and found the yellow Pokeball with a capital H on it. "Yes!"
"What?"
"I still have my Snorlax! I forgot to leave him with that lady!"
"Great! We can use him to stop the robot!"
Zoey pressed the button in the center and tossed it in the air. "Snorlax, I choose you!"
The giant Pokemon emerged out of the ball. "Laaaax."
Zoey gave Eevee to Joey and jumped off Rapidash. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm gonna fight with Snorlax!"
She ran to her Pokemon and said "Snorlax, use Strength!" The glutton Pokemon walked over to the robot and picked it up. "Snoooor." He swung around multiple times and threw it into the distance, where it exploded.
"That's one strong Pokemon…" Joey said. Rapidash had stopped.
"Is that a Snorlax?!" cried Jack. "A rare Pokemon! Meowth! Capture him!"
"I'm still trying to catch the Kangaskhan! Hold your Horseas!"
She pressed another button and the arm from the bigger robot shot out directly at Kangaskhan.
"Snorlax use Hyper Beam to stop the arm!"
Snorlax began to form a beam in his mouth that shot out at the arm and obliterated it. "Now use Body Slam!"
The giant Pokemon stood still. "Oh man…I forgot that you need to rest a few seconds before you can attack again…"
A stream of fire shot from behind them at the robot. Zoey turned around and saw that Rapidash was using Flamethrower at the robot. It was starting to burn the robot more intensely, and the door that held the Pokemon inside crashed open. They all ran out into the plains. The cage that held Baby Kangaskhan fell to the ground and popped open.
"Jack!" cried Jackie. "Do something!"
"Oh shut up!" He took out a Pokeball. "Go Koffing!"
"Koffing!"
Joey got off of Rapidash. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika…chuuuu!" Yellow lightning shocked Koffing in mid air. "Now use Iron Tail!" Pikachu ran towards Koffing and leaped up, slamming her glowing tail right in his face. Koffing slammed down onto the ground.
"Koffing use Smog!"
"Koff!" He blew poisonous gases from the craters on his body.
"Pikachu don't breathe in the fumes!"
Pikachu got out of the poisonous cloud. "Use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika…chuuuuu!"
Koffing was electrocuted again and he fainted. "Return!"
"Oh let me do it!" said Jackie. "Move! Go, Ekans!"
"Ekannnsssss!" Her tail rattled.
Eevee woke up. Joey gasped. "Eevee! Are you ok?!"
The little fox nodded and hopped out of his arms and ran to her Trainer. "You want to fight?"
"Vee!"
"Ekans use Acid!"
The snake shot acid out of her mouth.
"Eevee dodge and use Swift!" The little fox dodged it and shot stars out of her mouth that stung the snake's hide.
"Bind her Ekans!"
The snake slithered in the grass swiftly and coiled her long body around Eevee. She began to squeeze her. "Ekansssss!"
"Vee…eeee…"
"Eevee use Bite!"
The little fox opened her mouth and chomped on Ekans. "Kaaaanssss!" Her fangs dug in deeper and the snake let go.
"Now use Quick Attack!" Eevee darted at Ekans and sent her flying into Team Rocket. Zoey turned to Snorlax. "Finish this Snorlax with Hyper Beam!"
The large Pokemon shot another Hyper Beam at the robot and it exploded, sending the villains soaring into the air.
"Not again!" cried Jackie. "I thought we had them for sure!"
"The boss isn't going to like this…" Jack said with a sigh.
"What was your first clue?!" scolded Meowth.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Their voices died down as they disappeared into the sky.
Zoey collapsed on her knees. "Thank goodness I had Snorlax with me…"
The giant Pokemon walked over to her. "Snor." He lay down on the ground next to her and picked her up. He knew she was tired and he placed her on his belly to rest. She smiled. "Thanks buddy."
Joey ran over to her. He saw Ponyta gallop over to her mom and the baby Kangaskhan jump into his mother's pouch. She cuddled her child.
"Zoey, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine Joey. Why don't you come up here?" She patted Snorlax's belly. The boy climbed up the Pokemon, making sure not to hurt him. He sat down next to Zoey.
"He has a really soft belly."
"I know."
Emily ran over to them. "I saw what happened out here!"
"You did?"
"Yes! And thank you so much! You saved the Pokemon!"
Both Trainers smiled. "It was nothing really," Zoey said.
"Yeah. We won't let Team Rocket hurt innocent Pokemon."
Emily sighed in relief. "Well, you kids are safe, and so are the Pokemon. The Safari Zone thanks you. Um…where did the Snorlax come from?"
"Oh he's mine ma'am," said Zoey. "His Pokeball was in my bag and I forgot to give him to the receptionist. Oops…"
"It's a good thing you didn't! I saw your battle and your Pokemon was amazing! Both of you! I wanted to ask you something though…"
"Yes?"
"We need a bodyguard like Snorlax to protect the smaller Pokemon…would you mind leaving him here…?"
Zoey thought for a moment. "Well…I actually wanted to use him in the next Gym…"
"Oh well, how about after? We'll make sure nobody captures him in the Safari game."
The girl really loved having Snorlax in her team because he was strong and cuddly, but she also wanted to train her unevolved Pokemon. She also remembered what Professor Gary said.
"Well…alright, but only if Snorlax agrees." She crawled over to Snorlax's face. "What do you say? Wanna stay here in the Safari Zone after we go to the Gym?"
The Pokemon yawned and nodded happily. Zoey smiled.
"Snorlax says yes."
"Oh thank you so much!"
Zoey jumped off and returned Snorlax. She walked over to Kangaskhan and said "I'm glad you got your baby back Kangaskhan."
The kangaroo embraced the human. "Kangas!!" She put her down and walked towards Joey and hugged him too. He laughed.
"Kangaskhan!" she said to the boy.
"What?"
"Kangaskhan! Kangas! Khan Khan Kangaskhan!"
"Really? Alright." He took out a Safari Ball and threw it at the Pokemon. It wobbled, but then settled down. He picked it up.
"Wow Joey! You caught Kangaskhan!"
"She said that she felt safer being with a Trainer, so she wanted me to capture her." He smiled. "And I'll make sure to keep her safe! The baby too!"
Ponyta walked over to Joey and nudged his arm. She neighed and found a Safari Ball that had fallen out of his bag. She pressed it with her nose and it enveloped her with red light. The ball wobbled and then stopped. Joey picked it up.
"I guess Ponyta wants to come along too." He smiled. "More Pokemon to train!"
Zoey was happy for him. But she really wanted to catch a Pokemon herself…
"It looks like the Pokemon enjoy being with your friend."
"Yeah…he's a really great person…" She felt something push her arm. It became hotter all of a sudden. She turned around to find Rapidash standing behind her. The horse neighed.
"You want to come with me?"
Rapidash nodded.
"But…I mean…I don't know if I'll be able to train you…"
Rapidash looked at Joey and saw how happy he was to have new Pokemon. It made the horse happy that her daughter will be in safe hands. Now, she wanted to at least be in a Trainer's possession instead of being vulnerable to Team Rocket in the wild.
The horse neighed again and nuzzled Zoey. She giggled. "Ok ok!" She took out a Safari Ball and threw it at Rapidash. The horse disappeared in the red light and the ball didn't even move. Zoey picked it up.
"Yes! I caught Rapidash!"
"Eevee!"
--
"Thank you so much for protecting our Pokemon!" said Emily as they returned to the main building. "How can we ever repay you?"
"Just take care of the Pokemon," Joey said with a smile.
"And take care of my Snorlax when I come back from the Gym."
"It's a deal!"
The Trainers were given their Pokemon back and they walked out of the Safari Zone.
"Well," said Zoey to Joey. "I have to go to the Pokemon Center to give Professor Gary Rapidash and tell him about the situation with Snorlax."
"Alright. Are you going to the Gym after?"
"Yes."
"Ok. Then let me give you a heads up. This Gym uses Poison Pokemon, so try to use anything but Grass and Bug Pokemon."
"I got it."
"Snorlax would be a good Pokemon to use because he has both abilities of Thick Fat and Immunity. Thick Fat prevents the user from being seriously harmed by Fire and Ice attacks, meaning it's less likely they'll get burned or frozen. And Immunity prevents the Pokemon from being poisoned."
"Joey, you know so much! Thanks!"
"You're welcome."
They were silent for a moment until he spoke. "Um…Zoey…I'm sorry about earlier…"
"What are you talking about?"
"About the Safari Zone…when we almost…" He scratched his head and blushed. "When we almost kissed…"
The girl blushed too. "Oh…um…we'll I'm sorry too…I don't know what came over me…w-why don't we just pretend it never happened, ok?"
Joey nodded and smiled. "Alright. Well, see you later."
"Ok."
Zoey hesitated and then said "Wait Joey." The boy stopped and turned around. Zoey walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. They both blushed.
"That was for helping me at the Safari Zone."
"Y-You're welcome…" He smiled shyly.
Zoey waved and he waved back. She and Eevee began walking to the Pokemon Center.
"Let's just pretend it never happened huh?"
The truth was, she couldn't pretend. Neither could he. And they couldn't forget about it either. What happened back at the Safari Zone had changed the way they felt about each other. It made their feelings stronger.
Zoey just hoped that this feeling wouldn't be a disadvantage in the future.
Wow, you finished reading the chapter! Good job! And I don't know if those permits exist, but there was a time when Ash had to carry a baby Larvitar on his back even though he had six Pokemon with him...And for those of you who thought Joey, congrats! For those of you who thought Gary...um...don't worry about it! I assure you he'll come later! Quite soon actually. :3 Oh and I changed the avatar on my profile by the way. You might wanna check it out. ;3
I won't update this until later this week, or next week (I already have the next two chapters written out). I need to find out who the Gym Leader is for Fuschia City. I know it's Koga, but in the anime (and Gold, Silver, and Crystal games) I believe he had a daughter and in the game, she was the Leader since he went to the Jhoto Elite Four. Until I discover her name, I will not update this story.
Btw, I will not catagorize this fanfic under romance because it doesn't focus on that, mostly on the adventure. Besides, I can't really see Pokemon being a romantic anime/manga...it'd be too weird...