Chapter 306: The Feel of Serperior and Cianwood City, the Safari Zone

When Miss Miss Junsha of Goldenrod City arrived at the scene reported by the crowd as a "suspected gas explosion," accompanied by her fire brigade's Water-type Pokémon, she saw neither towering flames nor thick smoke sufficient to choke people into unconsciousness or stop their breathing.

There was only Luo Mu, bored out of his mind, stacking Rocket Grunts already bound in vines like mummies to use as seats, enjoying a sandwich lunch pulled from his spatial backpack alongside Vulpix, Victini, and Serperior.

Spotting the stunned Miss Miss Junsha and her Pokémon fire brigade composed of Totodile, Marill, and Wooper, Luo Mu's eyes lit up; he waved and called out, "Miss Miss Junsha, over here, over here!"

Although her heart was filled with too many complaints to voice, Miss Miss Junsha of Goldenrod City was among the most experienced Junshas in the Johto region; maintaining composure in crisis was the hallmark of a professional police officer.

Her gaze fell upon the several individuals Luo Mu was using as cushions, all tightly bound; through the gaps in the vines, she could roughly make out their black uniforms, though most of these had been scorched by fire, suggesting the opponent had chosen the mummy-style binding for the sake of the city's appearance and her own eyes.

From the fragments scattered on the ground and the gaps in the vines, Miss Miss Junsha could roughly piece together their identities; a vivid red "R" floated in her mind, causing her facial expression to become considerably more solemn.

She had assumed this was an ordinary gas explosion incident or perhaps a rampage by a Fire-type Pokémon, never expecting it to involve the notorious criminal organization, Team Rocket.

Thinking of this, and seeing Totodile and the others spontaneously begin cooling the overheated alley ground with Water Gun, Miss Miss Junsha looked up and shouted to Luo Mu, "Trainer, please wait a moment; we will be right over!"

Moments later, having approached Luo Mu, Miss Miss Junsha heard the general course of events from him; she looked thoughtfully at those Team Rocket Grunts, who clearly were not faring well.

Oleana had handled most of his entry permits for various regions, but since he had chosen to enter riding his Dragonite this time, there was naturally no record of an airplane landing.

Coupled with his identity from the Paldea region and the strength demonstrated in easily subduing the Team Rocket Grunts, Miss Miss Junsha's mind nearly stamped Luo Mu's identity as one hundred percent verified.

Miss Miss Junsha's pupils constricted as she recalled the name of the hero who, alongside Elite Four Member Lorelei, had saved the Orange Islands; wasn't this exactly the same name as the one before her eyes!

Just like what Peony had suffered at the Orange Academy, one mishandled step could result in a disastrous diplomatic incident.

Luo Mu nodded and asked, "Once I hand them over to you, Miss Miss Junsha, I can leave, right?"

Luo Mu, Luo Mu, wait, Luo Mu!?

Miss Miss Junsha's attitude was excellent, with no scenes of oppressive authority, and Luo Mu was quite willing to spend a few minutes cooperating with her work; after all, whether in Kanto, Johto, or Paldea, the Junshas silently guarded the peace and stability of their regions and cities.

Through Luo Mu's earnest explanations, Miss Miss Junsha finally reluctantly believed that Luo Mu truly held no grievances and that no disastrous diplomatic incident would arise.

A VIP from another region, and moreover a hero who had just saved the affiliated islands of Kanto and Johto—the Orange Islands—had been attacked by an evil organization within your jurisdiction—

"Uh, yes." Miss Miss Junsha did not deny it, but she still looked at Luo Mu with an apologetic expression, saying, "However, since this matter concerns the massive criminal organization Team Rocket, which is entrenched in Kanto and Johto, before you depart, could we trouble you for a few minutes to verify your identity?"

"Seeing that your Pokémon is a Serperior, are you a trainer from the Unova region?"

Luo Mu shook his head slightly and directly presented his little booklet: "No, I am a trainer from Paldea; this is my entry passport."

"I am very interested in Shuckle; if possible, I would like to catch a few."

Miss Miss Junsha leaned in to carefully examine Luo Mu's passport; after confirming its authenticity, she stared at the name on the passport and sank into recollection.

However, such a VIP had actually arrived in Goldenrod City, so why had headquarters notified her of nothing whatsoever!?

"Paldea is truly a distant region."

"I see, so these members of Team Rocket conspired to steal your Pokémon, were subdued by your this... uh, Victini using Fire-type moves, and then bound by your Serperior using Vine Whip."

Miss Miss Junsha immediately straightened her spine, threw back her shoulders, and executed a standard salute to Luo Mu, her voice tinged with reverence: "My apologies for the rudeness; I never expected Champion Mr. Luo to visit. It is shameful that you have witnessed this failure in Goldenrod City's public order."

Luo Mu was thrown off by Miss Miss Junsha's sudden solemnity, but he roughly guessed why she was apologizing to him with a tone akin to a startled bird seeking forgiveness.

"The intelligence you provided is very important to our police force; thank you for cooperating with our work."

Originally intending to turn and leave, Luo Mu, seeing Miss Miss Junsha's hesitant demeanor, sighed slightly and asked, "How about this: if you truly wish to make some amends to me, then tell me if there are any good pharmacies near Goldenrod City, preferably established shops that brew medicinal liquids using Shuckle."

Luo Mu vaguely remembered that in the original anime, Ash and his companions had encountered an elderly pharmacist who relied on Shuckle to produce medicinal liquids and could also brew delicious Berry juice.

His plan was to catch at least two Shuckle, one to brew medicinal liquid and one to ferment juice, avoiding any mixing of flavors.

Seeing that Luo Mu's expression was indeed very serious and his voice contained not a shred of falsehood, Miss Miss Junsha fell silent for a moment before voicing her considered answer: "Go to Cianwood City; it is located at the westernmost point of the Johto region, backed by the sea, where many pharmacies rely on Shuckle to produce special-effect medicines; the oldest among them even boasts a history of 500 years."

"Cianwood City, correct; I understand."

Luo Mu nodded thoughtfully, without further pressing Miss Miss Junsha for more introductions regarding Cianwood City, then left those unlucky Team Rocket Grunts to her and departed the alley under her respectful send-off.

After leaving the alley, Luo Mu headed straight for Goldenrod City's largest department store; besides buying some burlap sacks to hold soil from Mt. Silver, he also planned to buy some Johto specialties to take back to the farm to share with his Pokémon.

This time, he had none of those slightly annoying flies following him; not only did he buy the desired specialties, but he also filled his stomach along with Victini and Vulpix entirely through sampling at the department store.

It seems that even with money, one cannot detach oneself from the joy of getting things for free (laughs).

After touring the Goldenrod City department store, the afternoon hours quietly slipped away; considering that Cianwood City was still some distance from Goldenrod City, Luo Mu went to the edge of Goldenrod City, mounted his Dragonite, and flew toward the west of the Johto continent following the navigation guidance.

As the sky was dyed by twilight and night was about to fall, Luo Mu and Dragonite finally arrived at Cianwood City, this seaside city.

This city is backed by Dashan, established near the sea; ordinary means can hardly reach it, and one can only arrive via Flying Pokémon, Water-riding Pokémon, or by taking a ferry or helicopter, as flight schedules do not include Cianwood City, the primary reason being that conditions here do not permit the construction of an airport for aircraft takeoffs and landings.

Dragonite landed on the beach near the port, attracting the attention of many couples and families taking evening strolls on the sand.

Luo Mu paid no heed to those gazes; after recalling Dragonite into its Poké Ball, he walked directly toward the urban district of Cianwood City.

At nine o'clock in the evening, a travel-worn Luo Mu booked the largest suite in a seaside hotel in Cianwood City, released his Pokémon from their Poké Balls, settled dinner, took a bath, and then collapsed onto the soft large bed, hugging the doll-like adorable Vulpix and Victini, letting out a short, hurried sigh.

"Ai—"

One could only say that tonight's trips were in vain; although Luo Mu rushed to inquire before those pharmacies closed whether they had any Shuckle for sale, the pharmacies one and all rejected him with reasons such as having too few Shuckle in their own shops and wishing to raise more themselves, refusing even when he offered extra money.

After all, wild Shuckle are considered relatively rare Pokémon; the Shuckle in their shops were heirlooms passed down through generations of their families.

Helplessly, Luo Mu could only return empty-handed—no, actually, it was not entirely empty-handed.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Luo Mu picked up a flyer from the bedside table; he cast his gaze upon the flyer's headline and murmured, "Safari Zone..."

The flyer in his hand was promotional material for a Safari Zone that had recently opened for some time on the outskirts of Cianwood City.

The so-called Safari Zone is a general term for wild Pokémon preserves populated by various Pokémon, even those from other regions; as long as one passes a data review and pays a fee to operate the Safari Zone, one obtains thirty usable Safari Balls to enter the Safari Zone and catch wild Pokémon.

However, it is worth noting that Pokémon battles are not allowed in the Safari Zone for catching Pokémon; either your personal charm is so explosive that Pokémon fight to be caught by you, or you must use various means to draw closer your relationship with the Pokémon, and then use a Safari Ball to catch the wild Pokémon without engaging in battle.

Luo Mu felt this fell squarely within his area of expertise; regarding how to tempt wild Pokémon with food and then trick them into willingly entering his Poké Ball, Luo Mu was already an old hand.

"Gah-lo?"

Serperior poked its head out, curiously looking at the flyer in Luo Mu's hand; its flexible Vine Whip pointed at the promotional image depicting the general landscape of the Safari Zone, as if asking Luo Mu whether he intended to go to that place.

"I want to try the Safari Zone to see if any wild Shuckle appear; if there really are none, then I will go dig for soil at Mt. Silver; that place is not too far from Blackthorn City, both being in the east of the Johto region, which will make things easier for Dragonite as well."

Luo Mu nodded, softly speaking of his subsequent arrangements.

Serperior raised its eyes to look at Dragonite, who was sleeping soundly nearby; its ruby-like snake eyes flashed with a trace of gentleness; indeed, Dragonite was the most exhausted among them; although Dragon-type Pokémon were famous for their immense stamina, the mental pressure was unavoidable.

The reason it liked Luo Mu was precisely this point: regarding the condition of Pokémon, the other party could always recognize it quickly and then make proper arrangements, prioritizing them and thinking on their behalf.

Just like when it was still a Snivy...

Luo Mu did not know that the Serperior had sunk into memories; his gaze fell upon the section of its supple serpentine body nestled in the white sheets, different from Vulpix's cool, soft fur, Victini's warm, fluffy texture, or even Dragonite's belly, which, despite having scales, felt incredibly soft.

While retaining most serpentine characteristics, the Serperior, being a Grass-type Pokémon, emitted a pleasant, fresh scent of green grass; the sensation of stroking its scales, which hid subtle patterns and were not conspicuous, was truly marvelous.

It was a dissonance between reality and common sense: knowing full well one was touching a snake's body, yet the tip of one's nose was filled with the aroma of grass baked under the sun, while the scales radiated a warm touch from within.

Unfortunately, most of the time the Serperior did not allow itself to be touched, which greatly saddened Luo Mu, who was enthusiastic about cuddling with Pokémon.

He certainly did not want to be whipped by Vine Whip before bed because the Serperior got angry out of embarrassment; forget it... it would be better to find an opportunity to test what an Arbok or an Ekans in the wild felt like.

Thinking this, Luo Mu extinguished his little schemes; it was better to wash up and go to sleep early.

The next morning.

Today was June 28th, two days away from the invitation by the Dragon Clan; Luo Mu's itinerary for today was to visit the Safari Zone to see if there were any Shuckle to catch, and then prepare to depart for the Silver Mountain range at the easternmost edge of the Johto region.

The Safari Zone opened quite early, officially commencing business at eight in the morning.

After finishing his ablutions, Luo Mu recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls, left the hotel, and headed toward the Safari Zone.

Walking through the streets of Cianwood City, Luo Mu, along with Victini and Vulpix, admired the scenery along the way.

"Bi-mi!"

After advancing for about half an hour, Victini pointed at a large courtyard not far away, gently tugged Luo Mu's hair, and let out a curious cry.

Vulpix also looked in the direction Victini was pointing, its large eyes, which didn't look like a fox's at all, widening until they were perfectly round.

"What... let me see."

Luo Mu turned to look and discovered that the place causing such a strong reaction from Victini resembled less a courtyard and more a massive dojo.

When his gaze landed on the huge plaque beside the dojo, Luo Mu revealed a surprised expression: "Ho, so this is actually the Cianwood City Gym? It looks truly magnificent."

Luo Mu remembered that the Cianwood City Gym seemed to be a Fighting-type gym, and the Gym Leader was a Fighting-type specialist trainer named Chuck.

Just as Luo Mu and Victini were gazing in surprise at the magnificent Cianwood Gym, a young girl wearing a karate gi, a black headband, and a black bow entered their line of sight and walked into the Cianwood Gym.

Following beside the girl was a humanoid Pokémon with knotted muscles, a tall stature, and pale blue skin—Machamp.

Based on these characteristics, combined with Luo Mu's own deep impression of the girl, he almost instantly guessed her identity—

Bea, the Gym Leader of the Galar region, a genius karate girl specializing in Fighting types!

"Has she already come to train at a Fighting dojo in the Johto region at this time?"

Wearing a thoughtful expression, Luo Mu remembered that this girl was a future nemesis of Ash; he had barely managed a draw against her once before finally winning, whereas his later battles against Steven and Cynthia in the World Coronation Series had not been so strenuous.

However, from another perspective, this also proved just how terrifying Bea's talent as a trainer was.

As if her strong talent wasn't enough, she was also exceptionally hardworking.

"Tsk tsk, if only Papi could be like her someday."

Luo Mu smiled and shook his head; having no intention of striking up a conversation for no reason, he turned and continued walking toward the Safari Zone.

Baoba, the Safari Zone warden, whose expression somewhat resembled a Slowpoke, handed Luo Mu a tray filled with thirty Safari Balls and said with a smile, "Mr. Luo Mu, your identity has been verified without error; here are thirty Safari Balls. Let me remind you one last time: you may keep Pokémon with you for self-defense, but you are not permitted to use them in battles to capture Pokémon."

"I understand, Warden Baoba."

Luo Mu nodded; he did not look down on Baoba or act arrogantly toward him just because he was the one paying.

The operational model of the Safari Zone was like those organizations from before Luo Mu's transmigration that rescued stray animals and opened them up for adoption; it charged a meager entrance fee and even operated at a loss to help many wild Pokémon find homes and trainers who would love them for a lifetime.

Even Luo Mu had only been permitted entry after undergoing rigorous data verification, even though Baoba recognized him as the person who had averted the crisis in the Orange Islands.

Not to mention that Baoba himself possessed knowledge about Pokémon so profound it rivaled that of a scholar; perhaps this was what was meant by 'great wisdom appears as stupidity.'

Although Luo Mu had no intention of catching thirty Pokémon at once, he still took the thirty Safari Balls from Baoba; any unused ones could be returned later, considering it a contribution to the operation of the Safari Zone.

After bidding farewell to Baoba, Luo Mu walked straight into the Safari Zone, where his eyes were immediately captured by scenery indistinguishable from the wild, while Vulpix and Victini let out soft gasps of surprise.

Stroking his chin, Luo Mu fell into deliberation: "Hmm, which of the six areas should I go to first?"

The Safari Zone was divided into six areas, each containing different types of Pokémon; there were also Pokémon from other regions rescued by the Johto police from poaching gangs, smuggling rings, and criminal syndicates, mostly from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions, though a few from Unova and later regions could not be ruled out.

In fact, not long after stepping into the Safari Zone, Luo Mu had already spotted a Shinx running happily across the grasslands.

Pointing at that Shinx, Luo Mu smiled and introduced it to Victini and Vulpix: "That Shinx is the first form of Luxray; unfortunately, when I met it, it was already a Luxio. Looking at it now, it really is small and cute."

(End of Chapter)