Pokemon Paldea [303-304] (Patreon)

Chapter 303: Team Rocket, Assault, Victini's V-Create!

Lucas's Miltank looked a full size larger than Whitney's Thick Fat Miltank—not due to any difference in build or frame, but simply because it was a bit plumper.

The moment she saw Lucas's Miltank, Whitney's eyes lit up with dazzling brilliance. Whether it was the smooth, shiny fur or the impressive amount of fat that was hard to accumulate, it was clear how well Lucas had raised this Miltank.

As an expert on Miltanks, Whitney thought this one might even rival her own ace!

But to be safe, Whitney still asked one last question: "How can you prove that this friend from the Goldenrod City Miltank Association is really your friend?"

Lucas stroked the smooth, shiny fur on his Miltank's back and smiled slightly: "His name is Hanazawa. He moved to the Paldea region not long ago. I can call him right now."

With that, under Whitney and Miltank's watchful eyes, Lucas dialed Hanazawa's number.

With Hanazawa's confirmation on the other end, Whitney finally relented and agreed to let Lucas pick out a few recently born Miltanks.

As for the price, in recognition of Lucas saving the neighboring Orange Islands in the Johto region, she gave him a 20% discount. The original price of 50,000 Pokédollars per Miltank was reduced to 40,000.

Since Whitney had to receive another challenger before noon, she hurriedly led Lucas out of the Goldenrod Gym and toward the suburbs.

After all, the Goldenrod Gym was in the center of Goldenrod City, and a ranch couldn't be built in such a prime, expensive location.

As they left the Goldenrod Gym, Lucas once again sensed those prying eyes from the shadows. Upon seeing Whitney by his side, the gazes receded a bit.

Sighing, Lucas glanced at Whitney but ultimately said nothing, just lamenting how the regions from the earlier generations were still so fraught with danger.

On the way to the suburbs, Whitney looked at the Vulpix and Victini in Lucas's arms and curiously asked: "Mr. Lucas, can you tell me what Pokémon those are?"

"I'm not sure if it's my imagination, but the one in your arms looks a bit like a Vulpix."

"It is a Vulpix."

Under Whitney's shocked gaze, Lucas calmly confirmed her suspicion.

As noon approached and the weather grew hot, hearing Lucas and Whitney calling its name, Vulpix poked its head out, pondered with wide eyes, and blew a low-powered Icy Wind at Whitney.

The cool air from Vulpix left Whitney completely stunned. She remembered... Vulpix wasn't a Fire-type Pokémon? Wait, no—Vulpix is a Fire-type, right? So why was this cute white Vulpix using an Ice-type move?

Lucas didn't let Whitney guess blindly. He bounced the Vulpix in his arms and introduced: "My Vulpix is different from the ones you're familiar with. She's a regional form that evolved over time in a place called Alola to adapt to snowy mountain environments."

"As for the Pokémon on my head, just call it Victini. It comes from the Unova region."

"Alola regional form Vulpix and Unova's Victini... I see." Whitney stroked her chin thoughtfully, then smiled. "It seems you've traveled to many regions, Mr. Lucas. That's wonderful."

Unlike her, who grew up on a ranch, became a Gym Leader, and had to manage the ranch at the same time. She'd only traveled within Johto and Kanto at most, and she'd never seen the sights of other regions with her own eyes.

Whitney felt a slight envy for Lucas's experiences.

Soon, the two arrived at a vast, lush green pasture.

Wooden fences enclosed the ranch's space. It wasn't so much to prevent the Miltanks from escaping as to help them understand the boundary between the ranch and the outside world—after all, Pokémon are intelligent beings.

There were about 60 to 70 Miltanks visible in the ranch, which was quite a large scale. In Lucas's memory, Hanazawa's ranch only had around 30 Miltanks.

Not to mention, Whitney said the sub-adult Miltanks that Lucas could pick were housed in a separate wooden shed.

"Miltank and Tauros are actually corresponding female and male Pokémon. Miltanks are only female, Tauros only male, though their appearances differ quite a bit, but breeding eggs is no problem."

"If you plan to expand your Miltank herd later, you could consider introducing some Tauros. Over here, we usually borrow Tauros from other ranches to let them 'date' the Miltanks."

Whitney chattered on to Lucas about tips for raising Miltanks and some trivia, worried that her Miltanks wouldn't eat or sleep well under his care.

At the wooden shed, some Miltanks were sleeping soundly on hay piles. Their bodies were noticeably smaller than the adult ones outside. Since they weren't moving, it was hard for Lucas to judge their Abilities just by appearance.

After all, Hidden Abilities are rare, and Lucas had already prepared himself that not every Miltank would have Sap Sipper.

After careful selection, Lucas chose four Miltanks with excellent builds and fur, purchasing them for 160,000 Pokédollars.

Once they matured, they could produce about 20 liters of Moomoo Milk per day, which is 20,000 milliliters. Lucas could drink at most a few hundred milliliters to his fill, not to mention that Miltank milk is highly nutritious and caloric—drinking too much could make him fat like a Miltank.

Before crossing over, Lucas had heard that if milk was watered down, people wouldn't buy that brand anymore. Now, for the sake of his figure, he might have to dilute it a bit to reduce the calories and nutrition.

Fortunately, there were plenty of big eaters on the farm. But with five Miltanks supplying 100 liters of Moomoo Milk, there'd still be leftovers, which could be used to make dairy products or start a milk delivery service to expand business and make more money.

Taking the four Miltank Poké Balls from Whitney, after Lucas paid promptly, she smiled and said: "These four kids all know Rollout. Have them use Rollout to roll around the pasture a few times each day to exercise, then use a special massage technique on their acupoints, brush their fur, and keep them in a good mood."

"Oh, and this is my exclusive secret: If you follow what I say, the Moomoo Milk they produce will taste even better, and the nutrition will increase too."

A question mark popped up over Lucas's head: "Isn't that a trade secret? You're just telling me like that?"

"Hmph~" With a couple of nasal hums, Whitney spun around nimbly and wagged her index finger: "Even if you sell well in Paldea, it won't affect my sales in Johto, right?"

"That's true, but I don't know the special massage technique."

"No problem, you can learn from a book."

Whitney rummaged in the corner of the shed and pulled out a dusty book titled Miltank Massage Techniques. Though it looked a bit unreliable, Lucas gratefully accepted Whitney's kindness.

After all, with the discount and the gift, it was practically charity.

To this, Whitney just waved it off nonchalantly: "As long as you take good care of the Miltanks, I'll be at ease."

Bidding farewell to Whitney, who was rushing back for a Gym challenge, Lucas left the Miltank ranch with four Poké Balls containing the new farm members. He immediately sensed those cold gazes locking onto him again.

No need to guess—it had to be members of that organization, brazenly operating in Kanto and Johto.

Team Rocket, the infamous criminal syndicate active in Kanto, Johto, and the Sevii Islands.

However, Team Rocket's higher-ups should have some impression of him from the Orange Islands incident and wouldn't target him. So, the ones tailing him were probably low-level grunts, at most a squad leader.

Thinking he still wanted to shop around Goldenrod City and buy some hard-to-find items from the massive department store that weren't available in Paldea, Lucas really didn't want to be bothered then.

Staying constantly vigilant was exhausting, and he didn't want to be ambushed in a moment of relaxation. Better to take the initiative, deal with them quickly, and hand them over to the Goldenrod City police. Whatever fallout came after wasn't his concern—he'd be off to the next city after shopping anyway.

But this plot and development felt so outdated that Lucas could barely muster any enthusiasm.

With that in mind, Lucas subtly scanned his surroundings, spotted a dark alley that looked perfect for an ambush, and walked straight in.

The group that had been following him for a while saw Lucas finally enter an ideal spot. They exchanged glances and, led by their leader, emerged from the shadows, surrounding their prey in the alley.

When they entered the dark alley, what they saw wasn't Lucas's panicked expression at their appearance.

Having waited for them for several minutes, Lucas smiled at the seven people before him—wearing black baseball caps, dark uniforms, with a bright red "R" embroidered on their chests—and teased: "Has Team Rocket expanded so quickly in Johto? Enough to let you strut around in broad daylight wearing uniforms that the League has warrants out for?"

"I heard Team Rocket treats its bottom-rung grunts like cannon fodder. I didn't believe it at first, but now it seems true."

To Lucas's provocation, the Team Rocket grunts sneered dismissively, coldly pulling out their Poké Balls. In a flash of red light, they released over a dozen Pokémon.

Mostly Zubat, Golbat, Spearow, Muk, Raticate, Arbok, Grimer, and the like—nothing original. What surprised Lucas most was the squad leader's Drowzee.

Psychic-type Pokémon were notoriously tricky, no wonder he was the squad leader.

Faced with this villainous lineup, the frightened Vulpix buried its head in Lucas's arms.

With Drowzee in front, the squad leader brimmed with confidence and snarled at Lucas: "Hand over those two rare Pokémon by your side if you know what's good for you, plus all your money and the Miltanks you bought from the Goldenrod Gym Leader. Then we'll let you go."

Lucas: "."

Classic, in every sense.

Seeing Lucas silent, impatience flashed across the squad leader's face. He snarled: "You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Drowzee, Hypnosis!"

This was their team's tried-and-true tactic: The others released Pokémon to prevent the victim from fighting back or escaping, while Drowzee hypnotized them, making them obediently hand everything over to Team Rocket, then erasing their memories.

Thanks to this smooth combo, the squad leader's team had top performance even in a big city like Goldenrod.

Unfortunately, this time they hit a wall.

No need to even release his main team. Lucas's lips parted slightly: "Victini."

"Vii~"

Victini reluctantly flew up from Lucas's head, blocking the pendulum-wielding Drowzee.

As Drowzee's pendulum began to swing, a mysterious mental wave spread out, hitting Victini first and foremost.

Drowzee grinned sleazily, already envisioning Victini under its hypnotic control, obeying its every command.

But to Drowzee's surprise, enveloped in the hypnotic mental waves, Victini showed no signs of being controlled. Instead, it tilted its head in confusion, following the pendulum's swing.

Seeing Victini's blank expression, Drowzee flushed with rage.

Though it knew this was due to the opponent's superior mental strength granting immunity, to Drowzee, Victini's face seemed to ask, "Did you do something?" It was mocking it!

"Drow~!"

With a sharp screech, Drowzee's pendulum glowed with bizarre lights, firing a beam at Victini.

Psybeam!

"Supersonic!" "Swift!" "Sludge Attack!" "Gust!"

The other Team Rocket grunts reacted, commanding their Pokémon to attack.

In an instant, the entire alley lit up with colorful move glows.

To this, Lucas remained unfazed and calmly said: "V-Create."

Hearing the command, Victini pouted deeply. It had just learned this move, and using it was exhausting, okay?

Though complaining inwardly, Victini obediently followed Lucas's instructions.

The next moment.

As Victini's V-shaped ears heated up, scorching flames swirled around it like knights guarding their lord.

The wild Fire-type energy was as easy for Victini to command as its own limbs. Its V-ears shone with intense light, turning into a raging flame storm that instantly engulfed and annihilated the moves from the Team Rocket Pokémon.

Under the stunned gazes of the squad leader and other grunts, the dark alley erupted like a rising sun, bursting with endless light and heat, flames shooting skyward.

Then, the Team Rocket grunts' vision went black, and they lost consciousness.

Judging by the commotion, Lucas figured the Goldenrod City police would arrive soon.

But there was still some time before that.

Lucas didn't rashly approach the scorched ground. He waved to the slightly panting Victini, letting it perch on his right shoulder.

"Mew~"

Vulpix poked its head out, letting out an admiring sigh at its companion's heroic display.

"Vii~!"

Basked in Vulpix's adoring gaze, even the somewhat drained Victini from firing off that big fireworks straightened its back. If not for fearing a slip and falling off Lucas's shoulder, ruining its image, Victini might have puffed out its chest and put its hands on its hips.

However, releasing V-Create had left it mentally fatigued.

As for energy drain, that was negligible—Victini was an infinite energy battery and never worried about that.

"Good job. Using V-Create once without losing mobility—your progress is huge."

Holding Vulpix in one arm with his right hand, Lucas freed his left to pat Victini's head in praise.

Since the battle on Shamouti Island ended, Victini, stuffed full from overflowing Victory energy, had been quietly digesting it to grow stronger.

Victini fed on victory; as long as the Trainer kept winning, Victini grew stronger too, providing even greater support and forming a perfect positive cycle.

Now, having digested most of that Victory energy, the result was this terrifyingly powerful move: V-Create.

Aside from the event-distributed Rayquaza, V-Create was Victini's signature move, with immense power. As a physical Fire-type move, its base power reached a staggering 180. Few moves surpassed V-Create in power, and most of those had heavy drawbacks.

In the games, using V-Create lowered the user's Defense, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage. In reality, it was different—like Victini's current weakness. The first time it used it, Victini fainted right after.

Lucas figured this would improve as Victini grew stronger, but one thing puzzled him.

Besides V-Create, Victini had another special attack move called Searing Shot, with slightly lower power at 100 but no drawbacks.

Normally, moves are learned from weak to strong, right? So why did Victini learn V-Create first?

Lucas frowned in thought but couldn't figure it out, sighing: "Forget it. First, have Serperior use Vine Whip to tie them up, then reel in those Poké Balls and recall the Pokémon."

Chapter 304: Serperior's Texture, Cianwood City, Safari Zone

When Officer Jenny from Goldenrod City arrived at the site of the reported "suspected gas explosion" with the firefighting team's Water-type Pokémon, there was no towering flames or choking smoke that could suffocate someone.

Only Lucas, bored out of his mind, using the vine-wrapped Team Rocket grunts stacked like mummies as a chair, enjoying sandwiches from his spatial backpack for lunch with Vulpix, Victini, and Serperior.

Spotting the stunned Officer Jenny and the Pokémon firefighting team of Croconaw, Marill, and Poliwag, Lucas's eyes lit up. He waved: "Officer Jenny, over here!"

Though she had a million complaints bottled up, Goldenrod's Officer Jenny was one of the most experienced in Johto. Staying calm under pressure was a police officer's duty.

Her gaze fell on the people Lucas was using as cushions, bound tightly. Through the vine gaps, she could make out their black uniforms, though they were mostly burned away. Clearly, for the sake of the city's appearance and her own eyes, the mummy wrap was a choice.

From the scattered fragments and vine gaps, Officer Jenny pieced together their identities. The bright red "R" flashed in her mind, making her expression grave.

She'd thought it was a ordinary gas explosion or a rampaging Fire-type Pokémon, but it turned out to involve the notorious criminal group Team Rocket.

With that in mind, watching the Croconaw and others cooling the hot ground with Water Gun, Officer Jenny called up to Lucas: "Trainer, wait a moment, we'll be right over!"

Moments later, facing Lucas, Officer Jenny heard the rough account of events and thoughtfully eyed the clearly suffering Team Rocket grunts.

"I see. These Team Rocket members tried to rob your Pokémon, but your... uh, Victini subdued them with a Fire-type move, then Serperior bound them with Vine Whip."

"The information you've provided is very important to us. Thank you for cooperating."

Lucas nodded and asked: "After handing them over to you, Officer Jenny, I can leave, right?"

"Uh, yes." Officer Jenny didn't deny it, but she looked apologetic as she said to Lucas: "However, since this involves the massive criminal organization Team Rocket entrenched in Kanto and Johto, before you go, could I take a few minutes to verify your identity?"

"Judging by your Serperior, are you a Trainer from Unova?"

Lucas shook his head lightly and pulled out his booklet: "No, I'm a Trainer from Paldea. This is my entry passport."

Officer Jenny was polite, with no overbearing pressure, and Lucas was happy to spend a few minutes cooperating. After all, whether in Kanto, Johto, or Paldea, the Jennys quietly protected regional and city peace.

"Paldea? That's quite a distant region."

Officer Jenny leaned in to examine Lucas's passport closely, confirming its authenticity. She stared at the name on it, lost in recollection.

Lucas... Lucas... Wait, Lucas!?

Officer Jenny's pupils shrank as she recalled the name of the hero who, alongside Ice Elite Four Lorelei, saved the Orange Islands. It matched perfectly!

Plus, the Paldea origin, the strength to easily subdue Team Rocket grunts—Lucas's identity was practically 100% confirmed in her mind.

But why hadn't the higher-ups notified her that such a big shot was in Goldenrod City!?

Officer Jenny straightened up, saluted crisply, her voice tinged with respect: "I'm so sorry—I didn't realize it was the Champion visiting. It's shameful that you had to see our city's security failure."

Lucas was baffled by Officer Jenny's sudden formality, but he roughly guessed why she was apologizing like a startled bird.

The League had handled most of his entry passports for various regions, but this time he'd entered by riding Dragonite, so there was no flight record.

A big shot from another region, the hero who just saved the Orange Islands affiliated with Kanto and Johto, attacked by an evil organization in your jurisdiction—

Like what happened to Penny at Naranja Academy, mishandled, it could be a disastrous diplomatic incident.

After Lucas's reassurances, Officer Jenny finally believed he had no complaints and wouldn't cause a diplomatic mess.

As Lucas turned to leave, seeing Officer Jenny's hesitant look, he sighed slightly and asked: "Alright, if you really want to make it up to me, tell me if there's a good pharmacy near Goldenrod City—preferably an old shop that uses Bellsprout to brew potions."

"I'm interested in Bellsprout. If possible, I'd like to catch a few."

Lucas vaguely remembered in the original anime, Ash and friends met an old man at a pharmacy who used Bellsprout to make potions and even brewed tasty Berry juice.

His plan was to catch at least two Bellsprout: one for brewing potions, one for fermenting juice, to avoid flavor mixing.

Seeing Lucas's serious expression with no trace of falsehood, Officer Jenny thought for a moment and gave her considered answer: "Go to Cianwood City. It's in the westernmost part of Johto, backed by the sea. There are many pharmacies there that rely on Bellsprout for special medicines. The oldest shop has over 500 years of history."

"Cianwood City, got it."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully, not pressing Officer Jenny for more details on Cianwood City. He left the unlucky Team Rocket members with her and departed the alley under her respectful gaze.

After leaving the alley, Lucas headed straight to Goldenrod City's largest department store. Besides buying some burlap sacks for Silver Mountain soil, he planned to pick up some Johto specialties to share with his Pokémon back on the farm.

This time, no annoying flies tailed him. He not only got what he wanted but filled up on samples with Victini and Vulpix at the department store.

Seems even with money, you can't escape the joy of freeloading.

After shopping at the Goldenrod department store, the afternoon slipped away. Considering the distance from Goldenrod to Cianwood City, Lucas went to the city's edge, mounted Dragonite, and followed the navigation toward the western edge of Johto's mainland.

As twilight dyed the sky and night approached, Lucas and Dragonite finally reached Cianwood City, a seaside city.

The city backed onto mountains and was built near the sea. It was nearly inaccessible by normal means—only via Flying Pokémon, Water riding Pokémon, ferries, or helicopters. No flights included Cianwood City, mainly because there was no space for an airport.

Dragonite landed on a beach near the port, drawing attention from couples and families strolling in the evening.

Lucas ignored the stares, recalled Dragonite, and headed straight to Cianwood City's downtown.

At 9 PM, the travel-weary Lucas booked the largest suite at a seaside hotel in Cianwood City. He released his Pokémon, sorted dinner, took a bath, then flopped onto the soft bed hugging the doll-like cute Vulpix and Victini, letting out a short, sharp sigh.

"Ah—"

He could only say he'd made a few wasted trips tonight. Though Lucas rushed to ask pharmacies before closing if they had Bellsprout for sale, they all refused, saying they didn't have enough themselves and wanted more—money wouldn't sway them.

After all, wild Bellsprout were fairly rare, and their shop's Bellsprout were family heirlooms passed down generations.

Helpless, Lucas returned empty-handed... well, not entirely empty-handed.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Lucas grabbed a flyer from the nightstand and eyed its title, murmuring: "Safari Zone..."

The flyer in his hand was for the recently opened Safari Zone on the edge of Cianwood City.

The so-called Safari Zone was a protected area teeming with various Pokémon, even from other regions. After data review and paying a fee to fund operations, you got 30 Safari Balls to enter and catch wild Pokémon.

But notably, the Safari Zone forbade Pokémon battles for catching. Either your charisma was off the charts and Pokémon begged to join you, or you built rapport through various means and used Safari Balls without battling.

Lucas felt this was his specialty. When it came to tempting wild Pokémon with food and sweet-talking them into Poké Balls willingly, he was a repeat offender.

"Serper~?"

Serperior poked its head out, curiously eyeing the flyer in Lucas's hand. Its flexible vines pointed at the promotional image of the Safari Zone's landscape, as if asking if he was going there.

"I want to check the Safari Zone for wild Bellsprout. If not, we'll head to Silver Mountain for soil. It's not too far from Blackthorn City, both in eastern Johto, so it'll be easier on Dragonite."

Lucas nodded, softly outlining his plans.

Serperior glanced at the snoring Dragonite nearby, its ruby-like snake eyes softening. Indeed, Dragonite was the most exhausted among them. Though Dragon-types were known for stamina, the mental strain was unavoidable.

This was why it liked Lucas—he always quickly noticed their conditions and arranged accordingly, putting them first.

Like when it was still a Snivy...

Lucas didn't know Serperior was lost in memories. His gaze fell on the section of its supple snake body sunk into the white sheets. Unlike Vulpix's cool, fluffy fur, Victini's warm fluff, or Dragonite's soft, scaly belly.

While retaining most snake traits, as a Grass-type, Serperior's body emitted a fresh, pleasant grassy scent. Touching its subtly patterned, unobtrusive scales felt wondrous.

Knowing you're stroking a snake body, yet your nose catches sun-baked grass aroma, with warmth radiating from within—the disconnect between reality and common sense.

Unfortunately, Serperior usually didn't let him touch it, which saddened Lucas, who loved cuddling his Pokémon.

He didn't want to get whipped by an annoyed Serperior before bed. Oh well... maybe try feeling a wild Seviper or Arbok sometime.

With that, Lucas quashed his little thoughts and decided to wash up and sleep.

…

The next morning.

Today was June 28th, two days until the Dragon Clan's invitation. Lucas's itinerary was to check the Safari Zone for Bellsprout to catch, then prepare to head to the easternmost Silver Mountains in Johto.

The Safari Zone opened early, at 8 AM.

After washing up, Lucas recalled his Pokémon, left the hotel, and headed toward the Safari Zone.

Walking Cianwood City's streets, Lucas and Victini, Vulpix admired the scenery along the way.

"Vii~!"

After about half an hour, Victini pointed at a large courtyard nearby, gently tugging Lucas's hair with a curious cry.

Vulpix looked in the direction Victini pointed, its not-very-fox-like big eyes widening.

"What... let me see."

Lucas turned and saw that the place exciting Victini was less a courtyard and more a massive dojo.

His gaze fell on the huge plaque beside the dojo, and he showed surprise: "Whoa, this is Cianwood City's Gym? It looks really impressive."

Lucas remembered Cianwood City's Gym was a Fighting-type one, led by a Fighting specialist named Chuck.

As Lucas, Victini, and the others marveled at the grand Cianwood Gym, a girl in a karate gi, with a black headband and a black bow, entered their view, heading into the Gym.

Beside her was a muscular, towering, light-blue-skinned humanoid Pokémon—Machamp.

Based on these features, plus Lucas's strong impression of the girl, he instantly guessed her identity—

Galar region's Gym Leader, the genius karate girl specializing in Fighting-types, Bea!

"She's already come to Johto's Fighting Gym for training at this point?"

Thoughtfully, Lucas recalled this girl was Ash's nemesis in the future, beating him once, tying once before he won, and even tougher than facing Champions like Steven or Cynthia in the Masters Eight.

But from another angle, it proved how terrifying her Trainer talent was.

And not just talented—she was incredibly hardworking too.

"Tsk tsk, if only Penny could be like her."

Lucas shook his head with a smile, having no intention of randomly approaching her. He turned and continued toward the Safari Zone.

The somewhat dazed Safari Zone warden, Baoba, handed Lucas a tray with 30 Safari Balls, smiling: "Mr. Lucas, your identity checks out. Here are 30 Safari Balls. One last reminder: Pokémon can be kept out for self-defense, but no battling to catch."

"I understand, Mr. Baoba."

Lucas nodded. He didn't look down on Baoba just because he was paying—nor act entitled.

The Safari Zone operated like those organizations rescuing strays and offering adoptions before his crossing: charging minimal entry fees, sometimes even subsidizing themselves to run it, helping wild Pokémon find homes with loving Trainers forever.

Even Lucas underwent strict data review before entry, despite Baoba recognizing him as the one who stopped the Orange Islands crisis.

Not to mention, Baoba himself was knowledgeable about Pokémon on a scholarly level—perhaps the essence of "great wisdom appears foolish."

Though Lucas had no plans to catch 30 Pokémon at once, he took the 30 Safari Balls from Baoba. He could return the unused ones, considering it a contribution to the Safari Zone's operations.

Bidding Baoba farewell, Lucas entered the Safari Zone. The scenery, indistinguishable from the wild, immediately captivated him. Vulpix and Victini let out soft exclamations of wonder.

Lucas stroked his chin, pondering: "Hmm... which of the six zones first?"

The Safari Zone was divided into six areas, each with different Pokémon types, including those rescued by Johto police from poachers, smugglers, and crime groups from other regions—mostly from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, with a few from Unova and later regions possible.

In fact, not long after entering, Lucas spotted a Shinx playfully running across the grassland.

Pointing at the Shinx, Lucas smiled and introduced to Victini and Vulpix: "That's the base form of Luxray. Too bad when I met mine, it was already a Luxio. Looking at it now, it's really small and cute."