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As soon as the Safari Ball stopped shaking, an awkward silence fell between Liam and the Dratini.
Liam remained frozen in his throwing stance on the boat, while Dratini had turned its head, staring at him motionlessly.
Then...
"Go, Safari Ball!"
After a brief pause, Liam swiftly pulled out another Safari Ball and threw it toward Dratini.
"Draa..!"
Seeing the ball flying toward it, Dratini quickly swung its tail, smacking the ball into the river, where it sank beneath the water.
Sploosh...
With a soft splash, Dratini dove into the river, its flexible body moving like a serpent as it swiftly disappeared into the depths.
Liam could only watch helplessly as Dratini vanished from sight. He let out a sigh, then sat back in the boat's cabin, pedaling toward the riverbank.
Once he reached the shore, he leaned down to pick up the Safari Ball he had left there earlier.
Looking at the ball in his hand—containing nothing but a Psyduck—Liam silently swore to himself…
Never again. I am never catching another Psyduck! What's the point? Roast it over a fire?
"Ugh… two balls wasted…"
With another sigh, Liam resumed pedaling the boat forward. But this time, he hadn't gone far before stopping again.
Liam stomped on the pedal a few times, then frowned as he noticed the four zeros displayed on the control panel.
Looking around, he realized he had already reached the depths of the jungle. It was time to get off the boat.
He retrieved the anchor from the back of the boat and hurled it onto the shore, hooking it onto some debris. Grabbing the rope, he slowly pulled himself and the boat closer to land.
Once on solid ground, Liam tied the rope to a sturdy tree. If possible, he could use it again for his return trip.
If not, and someone else in the Safari Zone couldn't find it—well, that wasn't his problem.
The dense jungle stretched out before him, thick with vegetation. Even though the weather was good and sunlight filtered through the trees, the forest remained dim and damp, the humidity hitting him like a wall.
It was far from a comfortable environment.
Frustrated by Dratini's escape, Liam decided to make up for it by catching a few rare Pokémon.
As he walked through the jungle alone, various Pokémon cries echoed in his ears.
Liam listened carefully—sound could help determine a Pokémon's distance, and some calls were distinct enough to identify the species. Like this one...
"Nido, Nido…"
The only Pokémon that made this sound were from the Nido family. But this voice—it was louder than usual, yet not rough.
That meant it was likely a Nidoqueen or Nidorina.
Moving cautiously, Liam pushed aside some foliage, and sure enough, a light-blue Nidoqueen sat in the underbrush, happily munching on a berry.
Perfect opportunity.
Seeing that Nidoqueen had its back turned to him, Liam knew this was a rare chance. He quickly threw a Safari Ball.
The ball struck Nidoqueen's back, and in a flash of red light, it was sucked inside. Liam watched with excitement as the ball wobbled once, twice, three times—then clicked shut.
"Haha! Caught a Nidoqueen! My first rare Pokémon!"
Beaming with excitement, Liam ran over and picked up the Safari Ball. The disappointment of catching a Psyduck earlier had completely vanished.
"Alright! I'm in the zone! Let's keep going!"
Storing Nidoqueen's Safari Ball safely, Liam eagerly continued his hunt.
"Yes! A Lickitung! Capture, capture!"
"Whoa! A Cubone! Capture, capture!"
"Huh? Exeggcute? Eh, better than nothing. Capture, capture!"
"Venomoth! Don't run! Take this ball!"
In no time, Liam had launched into a frenzy of captures. Any Pokémon that entered his sight was met with a swift throw of a Safari Ball.
By midday, he had caught quite a few Pokémon.
"Haha, what a haul!"
Liam glanced at his now full bag of Safari Balls. Only five empty ones remained.
He decided to find a worthy target and use them all before ending his Safari Zone adventure.
"Hm? What's that?"
While searching the jungle, Liam suddenly heard a chopping sound ahead, as if something was hacking at wood. Curious, he assumed someone else was cutting down trees.
Driven by curiosity, he approached cautiously. The sound grew clearer, and Liam carefully parted the undergrowth to peek at the source.
In a small clearing ahead, a greenish-yellow Scyther was vigorously swinging its scythe-like arms, repeatedly slashing at a broken tree stump.
Each strike sent a spray of wood chips flying.
"Huh? A Scyther? But aren't Scyther in the Safari Zone usually found in groups? Why is this one training alone? And… its color looks different… Could it be—?"
To confirm his suspicion, Liam discreetly activated his scanner.
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[Ding!]
Pokemon: Scyther
Type: Bug/Flying
Species: Mantis Pokémon.
Ability: Technician
Nature: Serious
Gender: Male
Moves: Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Pursuit, Vacuum Wave, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, Slash, Double Team, X-Scissor.
Egg Move: Silver Wind.
Base Stats: Total 510/500
HP: 70
Attack: 113/110
Defense: 80
Sp. Atk: 50
Sp. Def: 82/80
Speed: 110/105.
Evaluation: Exceptional! Due to its unusual coloring, this Scyther was exiled by its kind and has been surviving alone in the jungle. Its hardships have honed its combat skills, making it stronger than its peers. Recommended for focused training!
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Liam's eyes gleamed as he read the analysis.
A Shiny Scyther!
His grip tightened around a Safari Ball as he locked onto his target. This one—he had to catch it!
Silently, Liam observed the training Scyther, waiting for the perfect moment to throw.
"Chaasss! Huff… huff…"
The Shiny Scyther trained relentlessly, and soon, the once-sturdy tree stump had been reduced to nothing but splinters.
Exhausted, the Scyther finally stopped, standing still and breathing heavily.
Now's my chance!
The instant Scyther paused, Liam threw a Safari Ball, aiming straight for it.
"Scyth....!"
Startled by the sudden attack, Scyther reacted instinctively. With a flick of its scythe, a sharp glow flashed—cutting the Safari Ball clean into four pieces before they fell to the ground.
"Scyther!"
Seeing the broken ball fragments, Scyther immediately understood—someone was trying to capture it. Enraged, it roared in the direction of the grass.
Knowing he had been discovered, Liam abandoned stealth. He pulled out another Safari Ball and stood up, launching it toward Scyther once more.
"Scyther!"
Scyther, now visibly annoyed, swatted the Safari Ball aside and retaliated.
With a sharp flick of its scythe, a Vacuum Wave sliced through the air, smashing into the ground before Liam, sending dirt flying.
Seizing the moment, Scyther spread its wings and turned, darting away at high speed.