Yuu-Yuu and Sooney ran forward and stopped to admire the Safari Zone, "Oh wow!" Yuu-Yuu said, "It’s huge!"

"That’s true," Eevy nodded, "It’s twice the size of the one in Fuchsia City."

"Fuchsia City?" Sooney cocked her head, "Where’s that?"

"In Kanto," Mizu answered, "It’s home to the Poison Gym run by Koga and Aiya. You should have known that, Sooney."

"I do now. Can we get some Safari Balls, Eevy? I want a Zubat!"

"Ah," Yuu-Yuu waved her hand at Sooney, "You can get a Zubat in any cave. I want a Kangaskhan!"

"Yeah, sure you will."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure!"

"No!" Eevy jumped in at the sight of Eusine ready to make a wager as well, "No betting! Absolutely not! You can go in there and catch away, but no gambling."

Eusine slouched and tromped forward, "No fun…" he mumbled.

"Too bad," Mizu snickered.

"Are you going to catch any Pokemon?" Yuu-Yuu asked Eevy, Medira and Mizu.

"Nah," Medira shook her head, "My Pokemon suit me fine."

"Are you nuts?" Eevy asked, "And lose my Ovos?"

"I have the perfect Pokemon for me," Mizu nodded, "What about you, Eusine?"

"I’ll catch anything that looks remotely interesting," he answered with a shrug, "But probably not."

Yuu-Yuu and Sooney took ten Safari Balls each. Eevy, Medira and Mizu passed without any and Eusine took five. Every time a leaf blew, Sooney and Yuu-Yuu were throwing their Safari Zone Poke’Balls at it. Eusine was awaiting anything that looked overly interesting, say a Yanma or Smeargle. Strength wasn’t really his thing. He wanted interesting or, well, odd Pokemon and the occasional rare Pokemon. Yuu-Yuu scanned every bush and every clearing for any sign of Kangaskhan and Sooney vowed to stay out as long as it took to get a Zubat. Some bushes to the group’s side started shaking. Yuu-Yuu and Sooney both spotted it.

"Safari Ball, go!" they called in unison, both throwing a Safari Ball at the shaking bush.

"Ouch! Ouch!" they heard as both Safari Balls collided with whoever was back there, "What’s the deal throwing Safari Balls at me?"

"Hey, hi!" Eevy blared, "What are you doing here?"

"Hey there, girlfriend!" Kayla stood up and laughed, "Sorry for snapping like that, but that really hurt."

"Sorry, Kayla," Sooney smiled, "I was hoping you were a Zubat."

"No, I was hoping you were a Kangaskhan," Yuu-Yuu snorted.

"Either way," Eevy interrupted, "They’re sorry for pelting you with Poke’Balls. Now, again, what are you doing way out here?"

"I’m looking for a Lickitung," Kayla answered, "I’ve been following one, but about ten minutes ago I lost the trail."

"A Lickitung? Since when do you train them?"

"I don’t, that’s why I want one," Kayla started laughing, "Look at that," she pointed to Eusine who was cringing from a Spinarak.

"Get-get it away from me!" Eusine stammered, "I hate Bug Pokemon!"

"Eusine has a thing about bugs," Eevy waved her hand at the Spinarak and it took off into the tree.

"That you," Eusine loosened up.

"Yanma is the only Bug- type Eusine can even stand to be near."

"And I wouldn’t mind catching one either."

The group continued ahead for a bit, watching for Kangaskhan, Zubat, Lickitung, Smeargle and Yanma. They stopped at a slight buzzing sound.

"Do you hear that?" Mizu clung to Eusine’s arm.

"Is that what I think it is?" Eusine trembled.

"I sure hope not," Kayla whimpered.

"If it is, get ready to run," Medira swallowed.

"But if it isn’t, what else could it be?" Sooney asked wearily.

"I’m not sure I want to find out," Yuu-Yuu whispered.

"It’s getting louder, which means it’s getting closer," Eevy choked.

"Run!" someone called from in front of them, "Beedrill swarm!"

"Run!" Eevy repeated and pushed everyone away.

"Keep moving!" Medira yelled, "We’ve got to get away!"

"Hey guys!" Ash waved as he caught up beside them.

"Hi everybody!" Misty met their other side.

"No time for idle chitchat!" Brock called from behind.

"Did you do this?" Mizu asked as they kept running.

"Not purposely!" Tracey shouted, "Hi, Sooney!"

"Hello, Tracey!" Sooney slightly waved, "Keep running!"

"They’re getting closer!" Eusine shouted, "We’re all gonna die!"

"Leave the pessimism to Brock!" Misty called, "And who are you anyway?"

"Sorry! Eusine Hikoboshi of Celadon City! You’re Misty, aren’t you?"

"Yeah, how’d you know?"

"Eevy brags!"

"Look out!" Kayla pushed Medira and Eevy to the side, letting the rest run straight for a group of Weedle.

The three who got away tumbled over a bush. The rest kept running. Eusine, Ash and Brock each stepped on a Weedle. All three Weedles jumped up and cried out, causing the Beedrill swarm to move faster.

"Those must have been part of their hive!" Tracey shouted, "We’ve got to keep moving!"

"No fake!" Mizu groaned.

"Move, Misty!" Ash caught her shoulders and pulled her to the right, falling into a mess of vines.

"Ash! Misty!" Brock shouted, but it was too dangerous to turn around, "We’ll be back!"

A Beedrill kept sneaking closer and closer to their backs, buzzing like mad, "What now, Tracey?" Sooney whined.

"Why are you asking me?" Tracey flipped.

"You’re the Pokemon Watcher, tell us what we do!"

"I don’t know!"

"Oh, great!" Eusine choked, "Mizu, behind you!"

Mizu dodged to her side just quick enough to avoid a Twin Needle in the back, "Eusine!" she cried as she fell into a thorn bush.

"Mizu!" Eusine skidded and ran back, "Keep moving!" he called to Tracey, Sooney, Yuu-Yuu and Brock.

"Don’t worry!" Sooney shouted.

"I wish this place didn’t restrict the use of Pokemon!" Brock groaned.

"No time to fight rules!" Yuu-Yuu cried, "What are we going to do?"

"Keep moving and don’t stop!" Tracey answered.

"I can’t go much longer!" Sooney whimpered.

"Try real hard!" Tracey pushed on her back.

"Go, Yuu-Yuu, go!" Brock did the same to Yuu-Yuu who was also falling back.

Yuu-Yuu took a spill, taking Brock with her. The two of them were out cold with the Beedrill flocking overhead towards Sooney and Tracey.

"Don’t stop!" Tracey said as he felt Sooney try to turn around, "Continue running!"

"But Yuu-Yuu…"

"Brock will take care of her! Keep going!"

They broke out of the Safari Zone and onto Route 72. The Beedrill stopped where the forest stopped and turned to fly back. Sooney fell to sit with Tracey lying down except for his arms suspending him. They panted and looked into the Safari Zone’s dark entrance.

"Now what?" Sooney asked, "We can’t leave them in there."

"We can’t go back in either," Tracey moaned, "We’ll get eaten alive."

Eevy woke up and pulled a leaf from her hair, "Where did we run to?" she looked around and shook Kayla and Medira, "Wake up. Both of you, get up."

"Wha-what?" Kayla looked left and right as she pulled her head from the leaves on the ground, "Where are we?"

"You tell me and I’ll know," Medira sat up and peered about their odd little predicament, "Where’s everybody else?"

"I don’t even have the Safari map from the front gate. It slipped out of my pocket while we were running," Eevy said, "It wouldn’t help anyway because we don’t know where we are."

Ash spit out a stream of dirt, "Man. That was enough exercise to kill a greyhound," he turned and saw Misty flat out on the ground, "Ah! Misty!" he flew over and shook her side, "Wake up! Are you alright?"

She moaned a bit as she sat up, "Yeah, I’m fine," she brushed off, "Where are we?"

"I don’t know. Brock had the map and he’s not anywhere around," he helped her up, "What do we do?"

"I don’t know, but those Beedrill are libel to come back for seconds."

Eusine blinked to clear his vision. When he had run back to Mizu, he had tripped and landed in the bush just after calling to the others. His coat was caught in every which direction on dozens of thorns. He carefully maneuvered away, leaving ever so noticeable rips in his coat. He stood up and straightened himself out a bit, brushing away the thorns that had pulled off on his clothes. He looked down into the bush and spotted Mizu, all cut up and bruised.

"Mizu! Are you awake?"

"Yeah, but in a bit of pain. I’m stuck."

"I would use my Pokemon, but that could cause more trouble than the Beedrill," he pushed away some vines and grabbed her hands, "On three. One, two, three!"

She just managed to squirm free of some thorns, leaving a piece of her shirt sleeve behind, "That you, Eusine," she wrapped her arms around his waist, but he pushed her back.

"We’ve got to find the others and get out of here before those Beedrill bandits come back."

Yuu-Yuu awoke with her face in the dirt, "Ouch," she moaned and pushed Brock off of her.

"Where are we?" Brock mumbled as he shook the dirt from his hair, "It looks like we’re the only ones around."

"I don’t know where we are, but I sure hope the Beedrill don’t find us again."

"You and me both."

Sooney stood up and looked into the Safari Zone, "Come on, Tracey. We’ve got to help them."

"But, Sooney," Tracey jumped up, "What help are we going to provide going in there with no inclination where they are? We could just get more lost."

"Well what do you expect to do?" she snapped, "Leave them in there? They’re probably more lost than we are! At least we know we’re on Route 72!"

"Sorry, Sooney, but I’m not going in there."

"Fine, stay here then. See if I care," she turned and stomped away into the entrance, "Stupid Tracey Sketchit…" she mumbled while she kept walking.

"Sooney! Hey wait!" he bounded up behind her, "I’m not staying out there alone and I’m not leaving you in here alone."

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk."

"That’s not what I meant."

Eevy was more than tempted to send out her Pokemon, but it was restricted, which she kept grumbling about as she walked, "What a crock," she snorted, "If I could let Sovo and Vovo out we’d be through here in no time. But no, no Pokemon in the Safari Zone."

Kayla laughed a bit, "Is she always like this?" she asked Medira.

"Oh yeah. All the time," Medira answered with a sigh.

Eevy continued mumbling along ahead, but stopped and stood looking to her side, "There’s that weird smell again."

"Smell?" Kayla asked as she attempted to catch a whiff of it, "Yeah. It smells like berries."

"We know," Medira stopped too, "We got it before on Route 72. Maybe it’s just a Berry tree."

"Maybe," Kayla swallowed, "Maybe not."

"What else could it be?" Eevy turned to look at her.

"Do we really want to know?" Medira smirked in a fearful fashion.

Ash and Misty traipsed around in the brush, looking for any sign of any of their friends, "Ash," Misty whined, "There are too many bugs out here. Where is everybody anyway? We’ve been looking for an hour and there’s not even one sign that anybody’s been around here but us."

"I know, Misty. But if we stop now we’ll never find them. The only thing we can do is keep walking and hope to find them."

"There’s a real organized plan."

"You got a better idea?" he snorted, "Wait, let me guess. Run from some bugs?"

"That’s not funny!" she stopped as he kept walking, "You’re nothing but an overgrown brat, Ash Ketchum! An overgrown brat! Why did I ever think I liked you?"

"I don’t know, why?" he stopped, turned around and snapped at her, "I’m wondering the same thing right now!"

"You do that then and leave me on my way!" she turned and walked off to their right, hoping to hit a trail to get away from him and got her wish, "Good riddens."

"Good bye!" he cracked and kept walking forward, "Stupid girls."

"At least I can find a trail!"

"At least I can stand bugs!"

"What’s wrong about not liking bugs?"

"It gets tiring of running from a little Caterpie or Weedle!"

"You don’t have to anymore! See you around, hopefully never!"

He heard the rustling of leaves and then silence, "Misty," there was no answer, "Misty?" still there was nothing, "Misty!"

Pikachu, who had been sleeping in Ash’s backpack all this time, poked his head up, "Pikachu-Pi. Pikachu-Pi? Pikachu-Pi! Pika-Pi, pika Pikachu-Pi?"

"I don’t know where Misty went, Pikachu. To tell you the truth, I don’t know where anybody went."

"Chauu…"

"Ash!" came a loud scream, "Run, Ash! Run!" Misty plowed him and pushed him to go faster.

"Why are we running again?" Ash asked as Pikachu ducked back down into his bag.

"There’s a Tauros and Miltank stampede! We’re gonna get trampled!"

"I thought you said leave the pessimism to Brock."

"Brock isn’t here, is he? Quick! Get into a tree!"

Ash spotted a branch just low enough and jumped for it and pulled himself up as Misty jumped up next to him, "The Pokemon are getting closer!" he shouted as the ground started trembling, "Hold on!" he grabbed the trunk of the tree as the Tauros and Miltank got closer.

Misty clung to the tree branch with her arms wrapped all the way around and her ankles locked together, "The Fuchsia City Safari Zone wasn’t like this!"

"Run! Run! Run!" Eusine shoved Mizu’s back, "Those things are getting closer!"

"I can see that, Eusine!" Mizu kept going as fast as she could go.

The Rhydon and his Rhyhorn were moving closer and closer with every passing second, "I really do wish I had better aim!" Eusine whimpered.

"It’s not your fault that Yanma moved! And how did you know that Rhydon was behind it?"

"Still, bonking a Rhydon with a Poke’Ball isn’t really safe!"

"Stop jabbering and keep running! How do we get away from these things?"

"I wish I knew!"

"Getting in a tree wouldn’t help, they’d just plow through it!"

"I wish Pokemon didn’t hold grudges like they do!"

"Just keep running!"

Brock and Yuu-Yuu were also running, "Well," Brock choked, "There’s your Kangaskhan. Still want one?"

"No!" Yuu-Yuu shouted as they kept running, "I changed my mind!"

"Good idea!"

"Do you have a map?"

"Who cares at this point?"

"Me! Do you have one or not?"

"Yeah, here!" he threw it to her.

"There! We’re right here! Keep going straight!"

"No problem! But where are we heading?"

"Route 71 if we can go long enough!"

"That means we get out, right?"

"Right!"

"I’m going! Trust me, I’ll make it!"

"You had to go throwing that Poke’Ball!" Tracey shrieked, "Now we’ve got the Golbat gang on our tail!"

"I thought it was a Zubat!" Sooney cried, "I didn’t think it would be a Golbat!"

"Think before you act next time!"

"Don’t worry! How much farther is the exit to this death trap?"

"I don’t know! Brock had the map!"

"Oh, great! Just keep running then!"

"No kidding!"

"I never want to see another moving bush in my life!"

"This is your fault!"

"My fault?! You’re the one who told me it looked like a Pokemon!"

"But I never said, ‘Hey, Sooney, chuck a Poke’Ball at who knows what that is’ did I?"

"Good point, just keep going!"

"How did they find us?!" Kayla wailed.

"I don’t know, but they did and they’re still not happy!" Medira shrieked.

"You would be?" Eevy shouted.

"Beedrill drill!" the head Beedrill buzzed and launched a Poison Sting at them, causing them to go faster.

"Watch it you over grown house fly!" Medira puffed.

"Don’t get them mad, Medira!" Kayla called, "They’re ticked as it is!"

"Where is the stupid exit?" Eevy whined, "I want out of this creepy bug-filled jungle!"

"I would tell you if I know!" Kayla cried.

"Just keep running and do not look back!" Medira pushed their backs.

"No doying!" Kayla cracked, "I don’t think you have to worry about us stopping!"

"I hope the others are having a better time than us!" Eevy ignored the fact that her backpack was slamming into her shoulders.

"Who cares about them?" Medira squeaked, "We’re the ones with Pokemon chasing us!"

Familiar screams from their left attracted their attention, "Who’s that?" Kayla asked.

"It’s Eusine and Mizu! Hey guys!" Eevy said half happily, "And hello Rhydon! Keep running!"

"No really?" Mizu snorted.

"Help us!" Misty called from beside Eusine and Mizu, "Tauros and Miltank! Oh, and Rhyhorn, Rhydon, and Beedrill too."

"Beedrill?!" Eusine flipped, "No more bugs!"

Yuu-Yuu and Brock ran up beside Eusine and Mizu, "Hey!" Yuu-Yuu slightly waved, "Don’t forget Kangaskhan!"

"We’re all gonna die!" Brock and Eusine called together.

"No we won’t!" Tracey bounded up beside them, "These Pokemon won’t leave the grounds of the Safari Zone!"

"As long as we can get to the exit we’ll be alright!" Sooney cried.

"Whatever you do, don’t look back!" Ash shouted.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Medira snapped.

"There!" Eevy pointed, "The fence!"

"But this isn’t the gate!" Kayla wailed, "What do we do now?"

"Start climbing!" Eusine hit the fence and immediately started climbing up.

Mizu followed with Yuu-Yuu and Brock right behind them. Tracey and Sooney started and Kayla and Medira went up next. Eevy stopped to help Ash and Misty who had tripped in a Diglett borrow. She took each ones’ wrist and threw them up against the fence. They both started up, but the Pokemon were getting closer. Eevy spun and started going up with Eusine and the others on the opposite side crying loudly to go faster. The fence was about five times that of a baseball field’s. Ash slipped and Misty caught her shoelace but Eevy pushed Ash’s foot and unhooked Misty’s shoe. The Kangaskhan was getting closer, but a shot rang out from their right. The Kangaskhan cried out and toppled over. Ash, Misty and Eevy stopped climbing to look down while everyone else stood gagging for air. They thought it was dead, but a jeep pulled up and removed a tranquilizer dart from the giant Pokemon’s shoulder.

"Officer Jenny!" Brock twiddled with delight, "Great shot!"

"Are you all OK?" Jenny asked as she turned to look up at Eevy, Misty and Ash, "That was a really close call."

"Can’t get much closer than that," Eevy let go and flew the four fence heights downward, landing safely on her feet, "It was an absolute accident, we promise."

"I know. All the Pokemon have been going wild at the slightest sight of a human since Team Rocket was seen in Scythe City. I think they’re just scared."

"I’m scared when I’m not with you," Brock appeared from no where.

"Enough, Brock," Misty pulled him away and sent him back over the fence.

"You shouldn’t worry about Team Rocket anymore," Medira commented from her side of the fence, "They’re probably orbiting as part of the Jupiter Trojans right now."

Officer Jenny laughed a bit and walked back to her jeep, "Let me give you a ride to the gate. I don’t want to take the chance of you getting attacked again."

Brock started to climb the fence but Tracey and Sooney held him off. Eevy, Misty and Ash piled into the jeep and sped towards the gate. Officer Jenny noticed Eevy’s pack.

"Do you kids have any Rainbow League Badges?" Jenny asked.

"Sure do!" Ash bragged as he pulled open his coat, "I’ve got seven! The Red, Green, White, Violet, Blue, Yellow and Orange!"

"I’ve got eight," Eevy opened her pack, "The Green, Red, Blue, White, Violet, Orange, Yellow and Black."

"You got the Black Badge?!" Ash flipped, "How?"

"Why don’t you have it?" Eevy asked snottishly.

"He lost," Ash cracked his hand over Misty’s mouth.

"You lost to Grahaem?" Eevy started laughing hysterically, "How could you lose to Grahaem?"

"He almost lost to Chel too."

"Shut up!" Ash snapped.

"I didn’t have to battle Chel."

"No fair!" Ash whined, "Why do I get all the hard opponents?"

"They’ll get harder, I’m sure," Jenny said as she stopped at the gate, "There you go! Route 71 to Trident."

"We’re going back to Route 72, if you don’t mind, Officer," Ash asked politely.

"Not at all," Jenny waved to Eevy as Tracey and Brock climbed in the jeep, "Good luck at the Gyms and the League! I’ll be rooting for you!"

"Thanks a lot! See you around, guys!" Eevy said as she gathered her friends and continued down the short Route of 71.

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