Every year, Kaiser watched a new generation of Trainers come through his doors to visit the Safari Zone. After 37 years of running it, you pick up a thing or two. Kaiser himself had been an aspiring Trainer in his day as well, and had somehow caught himself a Dratini on his first and only visit to the Safari Zone. The previous Warden couldn't believe it. Kaiser had even made it to the front page of the Fuschia Tribune that day. But that was a lifetime ago.
Kaiser's career had ended after one-too-many failed Challenges against Blaine. He and his Dragonair had retired and returned to where they had met. Kaiser was now the current Safari Zone Warden, and the day-to-day had mostly lost its charm from when he was a young Trainer.
Most Trainers came expecting to walk away with all 30 of their Safari Balls full of brand-new, powerful, obedient Pokemon. It seemed kids these days expect everything — even exotic, Wild Pokemon — to be handed to them on a silver platter. Kaiser couldn't help but smirk behind his newspaper as he watched them leave. They would be covered in mud, hair a mess, limping from the blisters on their feet. The Safari Zone was made for Pokemon, not kids.
And here comes another one, Kaiser thought to himself as he watched the doors slide open. In an instant, Kaiser sized him up: Worn out shoes. Small town kid, but has been around. Mostly Poke Balls on his belt. Stubborn, or just one of those throw-happy Trainers. Five Badges pinned to his belt. Good, but a showoff.
"So how's this work?" the kid said with a smirk.
"¥14,500 for 30 Safari Balls and one hour," Kaiser said, hardly looking up from his crossword, "you leave your Pokemon in the locker, no refunds, no cooperating with other Trainers. Understood?"
"Yeah, yeah," the kid said, "How about I give you 30,000 and you give me two hours?"
Kaiser raised an eyebrow. Interesting. Most of them ask for more Safari Balls.
"It's your money," he said.
The boy handed Kaiser his Trainer ID and the money, and took the 30 Safari Balls. Kaiser gave the ID a cursory glance before inserting it into the computer system. From the corner of his eye, Kaiser watched as Ryan Oak, age 13, blood type O+, Pallet Town native; unhooked his belt and put it in a locker. Then, he unzipped his backpack. He pulled out a plastic bag full of sweets. He took one out and stuck it in his mouth, then looked at Kaiser and raised the bag to him.
Kaiser furrowed his brows, but nodded.
Ryan zipped up his backpack and holstered it, then strolled through the doors into the Safari Zone. Kaiser's computer beeped with a new entry, along with a timer counting down from 120 minutes. Kaiser turned his attention back to his crossword puzzle. Then, he put it down, and pulled up the camera system on his computer. He couldn't remember the last time he had used it, and he fiddled with the controls for a moment before remembering how to manually maneuver them.
He cycled between cameras until he caught sight of the spiky brown hair. Kaiser would never admit to it, but something about this Ryan Oak, age 13, five Badges, and already-a-step-ahead-of-the-average-Safari-goer intrigued him. Just where does a kid get that kind of cocky swagger? And what happens to it when he gives himself two hours in the Safari Zone?
The six heads of an Exeggcute turned as they watched a ruby-red piece of candy land between them. This wasn't food they were used to, but there was no such thing as turning down food in the Safari Zone. The six of them started to bicker, until a Safari Ball hit one of them, and they all disappeared into it. It shook once, twice, and then clicked.
Ryan jumped into the now-empty nest and picked up his first capture. He grinned at the thought of two Psychic-types on his team. The Soul Badge was as good as his. He stowed his newest party member in his bag.
From his desk, Kaiser looked back to his other monitor. Ryan had been in the Safari Zone for two minutes and 13 seconds, and he had already caught a Pokemon. That had to be some kind of record.
Ryan picked up the untouched piece of candy and continued. Kaiser cycled between cameras as Ryan moved through the Zone. He moved through patches of tall grass carefully. He waded across a stream that nearly reached up to his neck. He was heading northwest, the arid region. Kaiser knew it was too early in the day for Tauros or Kangaskhan to be active there. He scoffed as he watched Ryan pause and kneel down at a footprint in the sand. The footprint was massive, easily the size of Ryan's entire torso.
That's a Rhyhorn, Kaiser thought to himself, probably a mature male. But surely—
Ryan stood, and followed the direction of the footprint. He brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. Kaiser leaned forward in his chair as he watched the tall grass nearby rustle and part. A massive, sleep-deprived Rhyhorn emerged. It snorted, the grass at its feet flattening from the force, and it dragged its feet through the dirt, ready to charge. Astonishingly, the boy didn't turn and run. He reached into his pocket and threw a candy at the Rhyhorn. It bounced off its nose and fell to the ground. And still, Kaiser watched as Ryan not only didn't run away, but simply beckoned the Rhyhorn.
My God, he's taunting it!
The Rhyhorn snarled and charged. It kicked up massive pieces of dirt and grass as each foot left the ground, and the camera Kaiser was watching from shook with each impact. He could barely keep track of the brown blur that was Ryan's hair, but Kaiser recognized a bizarre calmness in the boy. He didn't run — not away at least — he quickly sidestepped and watched as the Rhyhorn charged into a nearby tree and immediately snapped it in half.
From the corner of the screen, a herd of Nidoran in a nearby patch of grass could be seen running away. But Kaiser watched in disbelief as Ryan pulled out another piece of candy and threw it at the Rhyhorn's face.
The Rhyhorn charged, and Ryan dodged. It kicked up a small storm of leaves and grass as it struggled to quickly turn and find its target again. But Ryan bounced on the balls of his feet like a boxer, and then whistled again to get its attention. The Rhyhorn shook its head to dislodge the grass and debris that had gotten in its eyes. Then, Ryan hit it in the face again with another candy.
This time, Ryan sidestepped and doubled over in laughter as he watched the Rhyhorn charge right into the stream. The Rhyhorn splashed helplessly in the water. Ryan walked to the stream with the same casual stride he had had when he had entered and threw a Safari Ball.
Ryan Oak had now been in the Safari Zone for 12 minutes and 50 seconds, and he had just caught a Rhyhorn. Kaiser sat back in his chair, stunned. This kid had the strategy of a master. He had guts — real guts, the kind that kept him sane when a two-ton hulking mass of rock and muscle is barreling toward him. That same species of Pokemon had sent Kaiser running for the hills when he had made the mistake of making eye contact with one at Ryan's age. And not only was Ryan making it look easy, he was laughing while he did it. He was having fun.
Kaiser sat there, wondering where his own tenacity had gone. When had he become such an old man? When was the last time he had enjoyed himself like that? But then he leaned forward and brought his attention back to the cameras. He cycled through them until he found Ryan again. He was now sitting at the edge of a lake, and pulling out a Super Rod from his backpack.
Kaiser watched as Ryan assembled it, attached the string, and cast his line. Every few minutes, Ryan would reach into the bag at his feet and toss a piece of candy near his hook. After an hour, Ryan had hooked dozens of Magikarp, a few Horseas, a Krabby, and a Slowpoke; but had thrown them all back. Kaiser couldn't help but seethe each time he watched Ryan do it. Each Pokemon that Ryan rejected made it clear that he was fishing for one Pokemon in particular.
Another twenty minutes past. Kaiser practically jumped in his chair each time the hook bobbed in the water. But this kid somehow had patience, too. He wasn't jumpy, he wasn't stubborn. He watched his hook with laser-focus. Another five minutes past. Kaiser watched with his hands clasped together in prayer, although he didn't really know what he was even praying for. On the one hand, that Dratini was one feat that had never been matched. In all the years the Kanto Safari Zone had operated, only once had a Dratini ever been caught. Kaiser didn't want that to be repeated. But part of him was rooting for Ryan — cocky little brat that he was — Kaiser wanted to see if the kid could really do it.
Another five minutes. Kaiser's eyes darted between the timer and the cameras. Ryan was down to seven minutes and 10 seconds. As Kaiser watched another minute tick away, he missed the split-second when Ryan yanked on his fishing rod, but he caught the glorious moment when the water broke and the aqua-blue body of a Dratini emerged. She was smaller than the Dratini Kaiser had caught so many years ago, but she was beautiful.
Ryan threw the Dratini onto the shore and dropped his Super Rod. This time, he didn't bother with the candy. He threw Safari Ball after Safari Ball. The Dratini fought stubbornly. She broke out of 17 Balls before she finally tired. Ryan had done it. Kaiser jumped in his chair and cheered as the final Safari Ball clicked. One hour, 58 minutes, and three seconds. He was going to have that number framed and mounted to the wall. Right under a picture of Ryan Oak, age 13, and already the greatest Trainer that Kaiser had ever seen.
#
Crack!
The gray stone slab split, and then fell between the two cinder blocks it had been resting on. Pan immediately replaced the destroyed slab with another, carefully dusting off the debris and placing the next one with his vines. They had been at it for hours, and Josh knew that he would need to reward his Grass-type with another sandwich for all his hard work. They both knew there was no chance that he was going to be sent in against Sabrina, so Pan's only job this month had been helping everyone else train.
Helios sat in the corner of the dojo, gnawing on a bone Josh had thrown him. He had taken quickly to Josh. Helios was always quick to jump and lick Josh's face no matter how many times he smashed his face practicing his Take Downs. There were still bits of rubble and debris clinging to Helios's face, but he happily chewed away on his bone.
Hermes did not take to breaking blocks so well. But after decimating all of the Fighting-type Pokemon in the dojo, Josh had finally convinced Hermes it was the best way to train. Everyone knew there was a reason Sabrina had won the coveted place as Saffron City Gym Leader over the Karate Dojo. If Josh was going to have a chance against her, he needed Hermes to have the power to one-shot Pokemon, type advantage or no.
They began with one stone slab. Then two. Then four. Until finally Josh was having Pan stack eight stone slabs on those two cinder blocks and commanding Hermes to dive bomb it with Brave Bird. He wouldn't rest until Hermes could pulverize those slabs, not just crack them in two. That was what it looked like in the TM they had watched.
Every morning, Josh had Zeus and Helios running laps, around the entire dojo. Zeus, of course, could circle the building in an instant — but this only motivated Helios to try harder to keep up. Then Pan would set more slabs against the wall for them. They would be taken away, blackened from fire and electricity. Eventually, they would crumble away as soon as Pan touched them.
The battle between Sabrina and Jake replayed constantly in Josh's mind, even in his sleep. Over time, the second-hand anger and humiliation cooled into plain motivation. Then, it would be replaced with his battles against Ryan, and Josh would feel the anger all over again. The words Lt. Surge had said to him on the S.S. Anne. Caitlin's advice in the Viridian Forest. That night in Ryan's house, when he, Josh, and Ash watched the Grand Finals together. Each memory a reminder of how far Josh had to go.
Sometimes, they would falter. Josh would rush them to the nearest Poke Center, and sit in the waiting room wondering if he was pushing them too hard. He would take them back to the dojo and spoil them with food. Overstuffed, foot-long sandwiches that Josh prepared himself. Hermes pecked away at them like a machine. Helios would violently bite off pieces and roast them with his flame. Pan would take his half apart and start with the tomatoes. And Josh would relax, watching his Pokemon get stronger, faster, and bigger; but still fight for space to snuggle up to him after their food when it was time to sleep.
The karatekas would watch Josh and his team work from a distance. Any future Challenger to Sabrina was welcome in their dojo. But something about Josh kept their attention. All he seemed to care about was training and food. There was a simplicity to his life that even they envied. Or maybe, they wondered silently to themselves, it's just that he still gets to be a kid.
Finally, Josh watched as Hermes evolved, shining with white light in the middle of the dojo. He was now easily twice Josh's height. Hermes looked around the dojo would new eyes; sharper, more alert. Then, he spread his massive wings and cawed triumphantly.