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When talking about Fuchsia City, aside from its Gym, the most famous attraction has to be the Safari Zone.
For Pokémon Trainers, the Safari Zone is nothing short of paradise.
Located in the northern part of Fuchsia City, the Safari Zone is a vast natural ecological park that combines sprawling plains with dense rainforests.
It is home to numerous wild Pokémon, and most importantly, for just the price of admission, visitors are free to catch Pokémon within the Safari Zone.
Although limited to only 30 Safari Balls, the experience is definitely worth it.
After resting for a night in Fuchsia City, Liam excitedly set off for the Safari Zone early the next morning.
According to his memory, this place was home to many rare Pokémon. Even Dratini and Dragonair were rumored to reside here.
His main goal this time was to capture a Dratini or Dragonair—if successful, it would become another powerful addition to his team.
Riding his Bike for a while, Liam soon spotted a towering, extensive wall in the distance. That had to be the Safari Zone.
As he continued forward, the entrance and sign for the Safari Zone quickly came into view.
Liam dismounted, stored his bike away, and walked up to the ticket booth.
"Hello, I'd like to enter the Safari Zone," Liam said to the ticket clerk.
The ticket clerk, maintaining a professional smile, responded, "Welcome to the Safari Zone. The entrance fee is 30,000 PokeDollars. With your ticket, you will receive a Safari Rod and 30 Safari Balls. Once inside, you are free to capture any wild Pokémon you encounter. However, battling Pokémon to weaken them before capture is strictly prohibited. If discovered, you will be immediately removed from the premises."
Liam froze for a moment, then silently put the 500 PokeDollars in his hand back into his pocket. With some confusion, he asked, "Wait, why is it 30,000 PokeDollars now? I heard it was just 500 PokeDollars before."
The ticket clerk was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure, still maintaining her professional smile.
"Sir, you must be joking. The cost of manufacturing a single Safari Ball is already higher than 500 PokeDollars. Plus, you're allowed to capture as many Pokémon as you can within the given limit. If we only charged 500 PokeDollars, we'd go bankrupt in no time!"
Liam couldn't argue with that logic. So, the 500 PokeDollars fee from the games was a complete scam.
In real life, even a standard PokeBall costs 1,000 PokeDollars—thinking he could enter the Safari Zone and catch Pokémon for just 500 PokeDollars was pure wishful thinking.
Without further hesitation, he dug into his long-saved funds and pulled out three 10,000 PokeDollars bills, placing them in front of the ticket clerk.
Only then did the clerk's eyes lose that subtle "Are you seriously not paying?" look. With a bright smile, she took out a small case and opened it, revealing 30 neatly arranged Safari Balls and a collapsible fishing rod.
"Here are your Safari Balls and Safari Rod for use within the Safari Zone. Additionally, this is your entry pass—please keep it with you at all times. It has a built-in tracking system, so if you don't return for a long time, we will send someone to recover... I mean, rescue you. Now then, I wish you an enjoyable adventure!"
Liam picked up the case, then took the small badge-like pass the clerk handed him.
He stared at her in silence for a moment before asking, "Did you just say 'recover' me? What kind of dangers are lurking in this place?"
The clerk continued to smile. "You're overthinking things… We just don't offer refunds."
Liam: "…Oh, that's fine then. I'm heading in now. Bye."
With that, he carried his case and stepped into the Safari Zone.
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The Safari Zone was huge—something Liam already knew. But he hadn't expected it to be this huge.
Upon entering, all he could see was an endless expanse of grassland. Despite the cold weather, the grass remained lush and green. To the side was a dense rainforest, stretching so far that the end wasn't even visible.
Wild Pokémon were everywhere on the plains. Nidoran, Rattata, Raticate, and Doduo roamed freely.
A herd of powerful Tauros was charging across the field.
Watching the rampaging Tauros in the distance, Liam instinctively took a step back, a chill running down his spine as he recalled Ash and his 30 Tauros.
That memory alone was enough to make him shudder. Right then, he made up his mind—he was going to take a boat instead.
Near the entrance, a small dock had a few pedal-powered boats shaped like various Pokémon.
Visitors could use these boats to travel along the river that flowed through the rainforest.
Liam chose a Snorlax-shaped boat, sat down, and placed his feet on the pedals. Then, with a strong push—
The pedals didn't move.
Liam: "???"
Utterly confused, he looked down to check if something was stuck. That's when he noticed a slot beside the pedals, similar to an arcade machine.
Next to it, a sign read:
[To operate this boat, please insert a note. 500 PokeDollars per hour.]
Liam: "WTF?!"
At that moment, he felt as if a thousand Snorlax were rolling over him. With silent tears in his heart, he pulled out the 500 PokeDollars he had pocketed earlier and inserted it into the slot.
Sure enough, as soon as the bill went in, the pedals became responsive.
A small screen in the middle of the steering wheel lit up, displaying a countdown: 59:59.
Liam let out a dry laugh, already speechless at how meticulous the Safari Zone was in its pricing.
Stepping on the pedals, he slowly navigated the boat downriver.
On both sides of the river, towering rainforest trees stretched high, their vibrant greenery creating a stunning view. Wild Pokémon could be seen drinking from the river, quickly fleeing when they noticed his approach.
As time passed, Liam started to enjoy the experience. The sky was a brilliant blue, the lush rainforest teemed with life, and the crystal-clear river revealed glimpses of Magikarp and Goldeen swimming beneath the surface.
Water-type Pokémon played along the riverbanks.
Up ahead, Liam spotted a yellow Psyduck playing with a small, blue-and-white snake-like Pokémon.
Wait… blue-and-white snake?!
His mind snapped to attention. Fixing his gaze, he saw it clearly—on the riverbank, a Dratini was playing with a Psyduck!
Its body was light blue, its belly snow-white. A small white pearl adorned its forehead, and tiny wings sprouted from the sides of its head.
It was an absolutely adorable Pokémon.
"Dratini! No way!" Liam's eyes widened in disbelief.
Knowing he couldn't startle it, he gently pedaled forward, inching the boat closer.
Completely unaware of what was coming, Dratini continued playing happily by the riverbank.
Once Liam was close enough, he carefully retrieved a Safari Ball from his bag and took aim.
With a swift motion, he threw it.
"Clang~~ Wobble~ Wobble~ Click!"
A direct hit! The Safari Ball landed, wobbled a few times, then came to a stop with a confirming click.
Dratini, still clueless about what had just happened, had been happily playing with its Psyduck friend moments ago.
Then, out of nowhere, a Safari Ball had fallen from the sky. Dratini instinctively dodged—
And the ball landed squarely on Psyduck instead.
Right before Dratini's eyes, its friend was sucked into the ball.
…Wobble.
…Wobble…
…Captured…
…Gone.