The first hour of his trek was fruitless - the scenery was gorgeous, of course, but no Pokémon had been discovered. While Barnaby appreciated the serenity and introspection that came along with a solo hike through the woods, he was beginning to become impatient.

Just then, a chiming sound - like sleigh bells through a snowy forest - rang out nearby. The sound grew and grew, coming closer, until it crescendoed... and a small CHINGLING appeared from the bushes nearby.

As soon as it was out in the open and realized that it had been spotted, the Bell Pokémon froze in its tracks. Luckily enough for her, Barnaby was uninterested in acquiring such a Pokémon. He continued his search without a second glance.

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SKIPPING

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Before long Barnaby's hike through the Safari Zone lead him to its central pond. It was a serene landscape, bordered along its edges by might pine trees. A perfect place for a short rest.

Walking near the shore, a suitable patch of grass was found and Barnaby took a seat. He sighed, feeling somewhat melancholy all of a sudden while looking over the shimmering water.

His pensive emotions were quickly shooed away, however, by the appearance of a small - but very angry - OSHAWOTT. It appeared from out of the pond and began incessantly chirping and slamming down on the scalchop located on its stomach.

A warning display? Perhaps Barnaby had unknowingly invaded its territory? Whatever the reason, the journalist liked this Pokémon's vigor and, with a casual flip of the wrist, released his AMPHAROS to take care of the tiny otter.

"One Thunder Punch should suffice."

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catching OSHAWOTT <3

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And suffice it did. The angry, chattering otter was soon shut up by the electrical punch from AMPHAROS. The poor thing even flew a few feet in the air from the impact of the attack. It skittered into the mud, knocked out.

Barnaby casually lobbed a Safari Ball at the thing, retrieved it, and then sat back down in his chosen spot by the water.

Time for a small break. Hopefully one that would not be interrupted further.

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SKIPPING

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Barnaby dozed in the midday sunshine, enjoying the pleasant breeze and the sounds of nature all around him. His AMPHAROS kept watch while he did so, allowing at least a little moment in time to completely let go.

Of work obligations, of ROCKET struggles.

Eventually it was time to continue, however; he rose from his grassy patch, stretched a bit, and then began walking back toward the tree-line.

Just then, something caught his eyes in the trees. A young ROWLET, caught sleeping on a nearby branch. Oh, yeah, he'd for sure like to have one of those.

Recalling his AMPHAROS, Barnaby instead released his beautiful Fleur. So as not to wake the little owl, he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling to the NINETALES that she needed to keep quiet until just the right moment.

They approached slowly and, once she was within range, Fleur unleashed a devastating Ice Beam on the unsuspecting ROWLET.

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catching ROWLET <3

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The ROWLET fell from the trees, frozen solid by Fleur's Ice Beam. It was an easy enough capture once the poor thing hit the ground.

After retrieving the newly-filled Safari Ball, Barnaby recalled his NINETALES, thanking her for her help. Eventually he made it back to the main trail which ran through the Safari Zone and continued on his way. He bumped into a few eager trainers along the path, but didn't chat with them long.

There were still two more Pokémon he was interested in. He needed to focus on their acquisition. Unfolding his park map, Barnaby looked to see where GROWLITHE were usually found within the confines of the reserve. Pinpointing the secluded clearing on his map, he started heading that way.

Before long a scruffy mess of a dog charged out from the brush, in defense of either itself or its territory. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. Barnaby unleashed his FLYGON and gave him a definitive order.

"Earthquake."

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catching GROWLITHE <3

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Three down, one to go.

The poor GROWLITHE hadn't stood a chance against a devastating ground-type move like Earthquake. FLYGON was feeling pretty smug about the easy win and even swopped down to fetch the used Safari Ball.

Barnaby offered the Mystic Pokémon a small smile as thanks before whipping out his map one final time. Unsurprisingly, their next quarry - SCATTERBUG - was found in densely forested areas of the reserve. With FLYGON as a lookout for prime spots, they continued on their journey.

FLYGON was the first to find their target and, with a well-placed Boomburst, absolutely yeeted the bug out of its nest in the trees. Barnaby's last Safari Ball was lobbed its way; he hoped for straightforward capture.

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catching SCATTERBUG <3

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