Pokémon: Starting with Ash's Mom

After traveling for an entire day, Kazuki, Misty, and Suzie finally set foot into the boundaries of the Safari Zone.

Since becoming sworn sisters, Misty and Suzie had grown exceptionally close, talking openly about nearly everything. 

Currently, they were walking ahead, side by side, whispering and giggling with each other some distance ahead of Kazuki.

Kazuki didn't even need to guess to know they were surely chatting about private girl stuff again.

He chose not to interrupt their cheerful bonding moment, instead pulling up the mission panel regarding Dratini from before.

[Perfect Capture Mission: Catch thirty Pokémon within three days upon arriving at the Safari Zone.]

[Rewards: Experience Boost Potion — Pokémon taking this gain an additional 10% experience.

Dragon Fang — When held, increases Dragon-type move power by 20%.]

[Bonus Condition: If Dratini or Dragonair are among captured Pokémon, rewards will upgrade!]

[Upgraded Rewards: Special Grade Experience Boost Potion — Pokémon taking this gain an additional 20% experience.

Top-Grade Dragon Fang — When held, increases Dragon-type move power by 40%.]

Capturing Pokémon in the Safari Zone wasn't terribly difficult; Dratini's location in particular had left quite an impression from the original series.

Kazuki recalled they usually lived in certain watery areas—although he'd still have to pinpoint the exact spot after officially entering.

"Kazuki," Suzie's voice interrupted his thoughts after the two girls' whispers quieted. 

She turned towards him, cheeks lightly flushed—apparently Misty had teased her about something embarrassing again.

"Do you think there'll be especially adorable Pokémon in the Safari Zone?"

When the conversation shifted to capturing Pokémon, Kazuki recalled Suzie's Romance Side Mission—she still needed two more captures. 

Adopting a mysterious air, he smiled, "The Safari Zone is a wondrous place full of mysteries. Anything's possible!"

"Is there any particular kind you're interested in capturing, Suzie?" he added.

Tilting her head cutely, Suzie thought for a moment and softly replied, "Well... I'd really like something cute and fluffy—maybe around the size of your Pikachu, and just as lovable too!"

"Pika Pika!" Hearing this praise, Pikachu proudly perked up and wiggled its ears in joy.

Misty couldn't help teasing Suzie playfully. "Suzie, so you love cute Pokémon too? You and I have similar tastes!"

"Misty! Stop joking around," Kazuki laughed gently. 

"You're hardly similar. Unlike someone, Suzie doesn't consider Tentacool adorable."

Huffing indignantly, Misty stomped her foot lightly and reached over to tap Kazuki's shoulder. "Hey! Tentacool IS adorable!"

Kazuki and Misty bantered good-naturedly for a moment before he cleared his throat, bringing the topic back to their purpose. 

"Alright, jokes aside, Misty—what Pokémon are you looking forward to capturing in the Safari Zone?"

Stopping her antics, Misty put her hands confidently on her hips and replied seriously, "Of course I'm after Water-type Pokémon! I am the future Water Pokémon Gym Leader after all!"

She paused thoughtfully before continuing, "But I've heard the Safari Zone doesn't have many Water-types, and the wild Pokémon here can be rather rough and difficult to manage. Maybe I won't actually catch anything."

Kazuki nodded knowingly, considering her words. "It's true—the Pokémon here are exceptionally wild, which actually adds to their charm! Precisely in such a wilderness, rare Pokémon can often be found!"

Misty casually shrugged, unconcerned, "Rare Pokémon? How rare can they possibly get—are you saying legendary Pokémon like Dratini actually live here?"

Hearing her offhand remark, Kazuki's expression shifted slightly, a playful smile crossing his face. 

"Misty, who knew you were such a prophet!"

Chatting lightly as they went, they eventually came upon a quaint wooden cabin standing near the roadside. 

Beside its door was a wooden sign reading: [Safari Zone Ranger Station].

"Looks like we've arrived," Kazuki said, stepping up to knock.

The door opened promptly, revealing a burly, rugged-looking man dressed in cowboy attire, his wary gaze sweeping suspiciously over the trio.

"What's your business here?" the man asked gruffly, hand resting warily upon a revolver strapped at his waist.

Matching the ranger's imposing demeanor calmly, Kazuki replied firmly, "We're trainers here for Safari Balls and equipment to catch Pokémon."

Noting Kazuki's official Pokédex identification, the man's stance relaxed slightly. "Come in. The name's Kaiser; I'm the Safari Zone warden."

"You know the rules, right? Each trainer can only use 30 Safari Balls and a single fishing rod provided by us—nothing else. Break the rules and you'll answer to my revolver here," Kaiser warned, fingering his gun intimidatingly.

Misty and Suzie immediately flinched, nervously huddling close behind Kazuki for protection.

[Ding! Task triggered: Educate Kaiser and make him stop using a gun to threaten others!]

[Reward: 3 Intermediate Rare Candies!]

Kazuki glanced at the newly triggered mission, eyes narrowing slightly. 

Although Kaiser had good intentions—to protect Safari Pokémon from over-catching—threatening visitors with a real gun went far beyond acceptable. 

Kazuki was more than prepared to discipline Kaiser even without the system's prompting.

"Mr. Kaiser, we understand your rules clearly," Kazuki's voice was steady, but his tone was edged with icy authority. 

"However, threatening us with a gun hardly shows proper etiquette or hospitality."

Kaiser snorted, making no effort to holster the revolver. 

"This is how things run around here. If you're unhappy, feel free to leave right now."

Kazuki stared him squarely in the eye, a subtle but firm command in his voice. 

"Mr. Kaiser, I'd suggest lowering that weapon. Otherwise, you bear responsibility for what comes next."

Surprised by Kazuki's blunt response, Kaiser's eyebrows raised incredulously. 

"Haha, you brat sure have guts. You don't even fear a loaded gun?"

Kaiser smirked, ready to squeeze off a warning shot and frighten this arrogant trainer. 

But in the next instant, his expression turned to horror as the gun suddenly became impossibly heavy—like it weighed thousands of pounds pressing his arm downward.

"Wha… what's going on?!" Kaiser's eyes widened fearfully as the revolver inexplicably lowered against his will, then dropped from his fingers entirely.

Halfway down, it suddenly stopped in mid-air, slowly rotated, and aimed itself right back at him.

Kazuki's eyes glowed faintly with psychic blue, calmly pulling the trigger through sheer telekinetic precision. 

The bullet grazed neatly just over Kaiser's head, slicing a tiny clump of hair free and causing Kaiser to collapse to the floor in absolute shock, his legs trembling and an embarrassing damp spot forming at his pants.

"P-please, y-young man! I mean n-no harm!" Kaiser pleaded in panic, desperately sputtering out an explanation.

"I was only... I just didn't want to see the Pokémon here hunted down…overcaptured…again!" Kaiser swallowed, nearly choking out his frightened apology.

"Mr. Kaiser, now do you understand how it feels to have someone point a gun at you for no good reason?" Kazuki asked calmly, yet his voice carried undeniable authority.

Face pale, Kaiser's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. 

He quickly nodded and spoke humbly, "Y-yes...you're absolutely right. My behavior just now was extremely rude, please forgive me!"

"From now on! I swear I'll never use such violent and unreasonable ways to warn others again!"

[Ding! Task "Educate Kaiser and stop him from threatening others with a firearm" has been completed!]

[Three Intermediate Rare Candies have been added to your system inventory!]

Satisfied at the notification, Kazuki gave a slight nod before handing back the revolver to Kaiser.

Kaiser glanced uneasily at the revolver lying by his side, clearly shaken by what just transpired, not daring to reach for it again.

With the matter settled, Kazuki turned around casually toward Misty and Suzie, 

"Problem solved, let's head in and get our Safari Balls and fishing rods."

Misty and Suzie remained speechless and stunned, a strange tingling feeling running through their bodies. It took Kazuki's voice to snap them out of their trance.

"Kazuki, how... how did you do that just now?" Suzie asked with open admiration in her eyes.

Kazuki chuckled softly, deliberately assuming a mysterious air. 

"Oh, nothing special. Just a little psychic power, the stuff of legends, you know."

Realization suddenly flashed in Misty's eyes. "Kazuki, you really do have psychic powers!?"

"I thought you were just joking with me back in Saffron City!"

"No wonder you seemed so calm challenging the Saffron Gym back then!"

"Psychic powers?" Suzie's eyes sparkled with newfound fascination as she stared at Kazuki. 

"Does something like that...really exist within humans?"

Amused, Kazuki playfully pinched the cheeks of his two still-stunned companions. 

"Alright, ladies, stop zoning out. Let's hurry—if it gets dark, it'll become tougher to catch Pokémon!"

Misty and Suzie nodded mechanically and followed obediently behind Kazuki.

Shortly after moving deeper into the Safari Zone, the ground suddenly trembled as a herd of Tauros thundered past them, sending vibrations beneath their feet. 

Their wild and intimidating presence immediately caused Misty and Suzie to nervously take a few steps back.

"Oh my goodness! Not Tauros again!" Misty's complexion turned slightly pale, obviously remembering the traumatic incident back at the Laramie Ranch.

Suzie tightly clutched Kazuki's arm, speaking softly and nervously, "Kazuki, let's avoid them… These Tauros look way too aggressive."

However, Kazuki calmly surveyed the charging herd, deep in thought.

Tauros were among the Safari Zone's most common Pokémon. 

Capturing all thirty Pokémon needed for the task could easily be done by randomly throwing thirty Safari Balls here—but that would just be silly. 

If he was going to capture one, it needed to have top potential!

"Don't worry, just stay here if you're scared. Tauros are valuable Pokémon, it would be a waste not to catch at least one good one," Kazuki confidently assured the two girls.

With those words, he boldly stepped forward and focused his Aura power. 

Through his heightened perception, the strengths and potential of each individual Tauros immediately became crystal clear.

"Hmm…That one's impressive," Kazuki's eyes swiftly locked onto a slightly smaller Tauros amidst the herd, but with the most fearsome presence.

Without hesitation, he threw a Safari Ball with pinpoint precision. 

It gracefully arced through the air before striking the targeted Tauros cleanly, instantly pulling the Pokémon inside.

The Poké Ball trembled briefly on the ground before finally emitting a cheerful "ding," indicating successful capture.

Satisfied, Kazuki approached to pick up the Poké Ball, checking its details:

[Pokémon: Tauros]

[Base Stats: 490]

[Level: Lv32 (Elite)]

[Potential: Quasi Elite Four Level]

[Ability: Sheer Force—Removes added effects from moves, instead increasing move damage significantly.]

[Moves: Payback, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt, and more!]

Kazuki felt quite pleased. 

Although high-level and boasting formidable potential and a rare, powerful ability like Sheer Force, it had still been relatively easy to catch. 

It was no wonder trainers often flooded the Safari Zone for strong, readily-available Pokémon like these Tauros. 

While definitely outstanding, Kazuki wasn't quite ready to place Tauros into his core lineup. 

He preferred saving his precious seventh Pokémon party slot for something special—like the legendary Dratini he had in mind. 

He could just send Tauros back to Professor Oak's lab later.

Finished capturing Tauros, Kazuki casually returned to Misty and Suzie, not delaying further.

Seeing Kazuki return safely, Misty visibly relaxed, lightly patting her chest, "Kazuki, you've got serious nerve! Weren't you worried those Tauros would stampede like at the Laramie Ranch?"

Suzie nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, Kazuki, we were so worried!"

Putting away his Poké Ball, Kazuki comforted them reassuringly, "Without anyone deliberately provoking them, wild Tauros generally won't attack people directly. They're simply energetic and like running freely."

"Anyway, let's head to the Safari Zone's waterside. Let's see if we can fish out some nice Water-type Pokémon for Misty."

"Fishing!?" At the mention of fishing, Misty immediately perked up energetically, "Finally! That's fantastic!"

"After so long stuck traveling over plains and forests, we haven't properly enjoyed some water adventures. It's about time I get to fully show off my legendary fishing skills again!"

Filled with excitement, Misty happily pulled out her trusty fishing rod and dashed ahead enthusiastically, leading Kazuki and Suzie towards the nearest water area deeper in the Safari Zone…

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