Safari Zone.
After leaving Fuchsia Gym, Ash and his group headed toward the Safari Zone, a protected area for wild Pokémon.
Tauros is coming…
Across the vast plains, countless Pokémon roamed freely.
Herds of Tauros galloped across the fields, Sandslash burrowed through the ground for fun, and a lone Growlithe wandered quietly in the distance.
"Growlithe?" Ash muttered.
He had always wanted to catch one. After all, its evolution—Arcanine—had base stats rivaling even Legendary Pokémon.
"Ash, you can't just catch Pokémon here," Brock quickly said, pulling Ash back. His voice trembled slightly.
"Why not—"
Before Ash could finish the question, he immediately understood.
Because an old man was casually playing with a handgun, occasionally pointing it in their direction.
I bet your gun isn't loaded…
Ash didn't dare test that theory.
If the old man really fired, he'd be the one eating the bullet.
"My name is Kaiser. I'm the caretaker of the Safari Zone."
Kaiser tucked the gun back into his pocket.
"This thing works wonders. If I don't take it out, people think I'm just some harmless old man."
"If you want to catch Pokémon in the Safari Zone, you must use Safari Balls."
"Anyone who breaks the rules gets to taste my bullets."
He patted the holster at his waist.
Brock quickly nodded in agreement.
Kaiser led them to a small rest house inside the Safari Zone.
Inside were a basket of Safari Balls and three fishing rods.
"Remember the rules," Kaiser said again, tapping his holster.
Ash pouted.
Just wait until I get my hands on that gun…
"Dratini?!"
Misty suddenly pointed excitedly at a picture hanging on the wall.
"I've heard that Dratini live in this Safari Zone!"
"Let's go look for one!"
Kaiser immediately snatched the framed picture away.
"There are no Dratini here!"
His temper flared instantly, and he reached for his gun again—
But suddenly—
His body froze.
An invisible force restrained him completely.
Ding! New Mission Triggered: Persuasion Through Virtue
Mission Objective: Calm down the hot-tempered Kaiser.
Mission Reward: Clue to Dratini.
Seeing the mission pop up, Ash couldn't help but laugh.
"You brat! Is this your doing?" Kaiser shouted angrily.
Ash casually grabbed Kaiser's gun and started playing with it.
"H-hey! Don't point that thing at me!" Kaiser panicked.
He struggled wildly but couldn't move an inch.
At this moment, Kaiser was terrified Ash might accidentally pull the trigger.
"The reason I scare people with the gun is because I'm afraid they're poachers," Kaiser quickly explained.
"I promise—I would never actually fire it!"
He told them about the recent troubles the Safari Zone had been facing.
Usually he was the one pointing a gun at others.
Now the situation had completely reversed.
This kid was just too bizarre.
Total reversal of authority…
"Psychic powers?" Misty wondered.
When did Ash develop psychic abilities?
Her eyes lingered on him, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"So… are you calm now?" Ash asked.
"Can we talk properly?"
The mission's completion method was surprisingly straightforward.
"Yes! Yes, absolutely!" Kaiser replied immediately.
Mission Complete.
Ash released him and returned the gun.
With a basket of Safari Balls and the fishing rods, the trio headed deeper into the Safari Zone while Kaiser watched them leave.
"Ash, was that the same kind of psychic power that Sabrina uses?" Brock asked.
"Something like that," Ash replied.
His was only basic-level psychic ability, while Sabrina's was at least intermediate level.
"When did you even get that power?" Misty asked suspiciously.
Ash avoided her gaze and suddenly sprinted off with Pikachu.
"Ash!"
Misty chased after him, stomping angrily.
Am I… the third wheel here?
Brock looked at the playful chase between the two and suddenly felt like he didn't belong with them.
Tauros.
Dratini.
Dragonair.
Growlithe.
Ash planned to catch all four Pokémon.
But unlike in the original story, he wasn't going to catch thirty Tauros.
One good Tauros would be enough.
Catching dozens and sending them all to Professor Oak's ranch would be pointless. They were better off staying in their natural habitat.
Still, finding that specific Tauros might take some effort.
But it would be worth it.
The Tauros he wanted was the one that later competed in a Tauros tournament and became the champion bull.
It should look stronger and more impressive than the others.
After wandering around for over an hour, Ash had already seen three different Tauros herds.
"I'll catch a Tauros first, then we can go fishing," Ash said.
He didn't want to keep Misty waiting too long.
If he couldn't find the right one soon, he'd fish first and return later.
Finally—
Near a fallen tree trunk, he found it.
That Tauros had larger horns and a sturdier body than the others.
Just moments earlier, it had smashed two Berry trees in a row.
All the surrounding Tauros had already been defeated by it.
There was no doubt.
This was the one.
"You're the one I want."
Ash threw a Safari Ball.
Tauros burst out immediately—and crushed the ball under its hoof.
Got attitude, huh…
Ash threw another Safari Ball.
Same result.
I refuse to believe this…
Ash stubbornly continued throwing Safari Balls.
Every time Tauros broke free, he threw another one.
Soon Ash began questioning his life choices.
Tauros was breathing heavily now.
Ash threw another Safari Ball.
This time—
The exhausted Tauros was finally captured.
"Twenty-three Safari Balls for one Tauros," Brock counted.
There were only seven Safari Balls left in the basket.
That was pretty unlucky.
In the original story, Ash caught Tauros one ball at a time.
But here he had used more than twenty.
Only seven left…
How am I supposed to catch Growlithe, Dratini, and Dragonair now?
"We'll just have to hope for the best."
"You're terrible at this," Misty teased with a snort.
Ash picked up Tauros's Safari Ball and looked at her strangely.
"Alright then," he said.
"Let's go fishing. I hope you catch nothing but Magikarp."
"Shut up!" Misty punched him lightly.
"You'd better hope that doesn't happen," she warned while raising her fist.
"If I keep catching Magikarp, you're in trouble."
Around here, besides Magikarp and Gyarados, what else could they catch?
What—was she going to fish up a Kyogre?
Ash sat quietly by the water, waiting for his fishing rod to move.
During the break, he used the Dratini Clue reward from the system.
Suddenly—
A blue beam of light appeared in his vision.
It pointed toward a valley beside the mountains.
"Dratini…"
Ash's eyes lit up.
"I'm coming."
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