It was a long trek to get to the meadow where EEVEEs were said to lurk, so Barnaby was taking his time - letting Pepin take the lead, listening to music through one earbud, checking social media on his phone.

Okay, he was a little checked-out on this trip. But to be fair, it had been a tough week. A fucking space-time distortion had touched down right on top of him on Tuesday and to say that had been a little traumatic was an understatement.

Suddenly, an angry squeak from Pepin pulled Barnaby away from his thoughts. In front of them stood a stalwart STUFFUL, apparently hellbent on not allowing them to pass. While the last STUFFUL they had encountered was mellow and chill, this one was bearing its teeth at them. Rude.

"Take care of it, Pepin. Yawn and then use Double-Edge!"

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capturing STUFFUL

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The STUFFUL put up quite the fight, but was ultimately subdued by Pepin's badassery. The Double-Edge hit hard, and by the next round the bear was fast asleep. And just like that, Barnaby's first Safari Ball was used.

Picking up the diminutive EEVEE and placing him on his shoulder, Barnaby continued on his way. He wasn't walking long, though, before he noticed Pepin panting and being quieter than usual.

"Need a break, little one? Okay. Let's stop over here."

Looking around, Barnaby saw one of the Safari Zone's many ponds just a ways away. He approached the water's edge and sat nearby, placing Pepin on the grass beside him.

"Here, have a snack. It'll get your energy up."

The EEVEE gladly took the treat from his trainer's hands, chewing excitedly. Barnaby threw the leftovers into the water, thinking little of it - until a LUVDIC's head popped out. It's little beak was munching away at the discarded food. It swallowed, then looked expectedly at Barnaby for more.

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befriending LUVDISC

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A few more pieces of food were offered to the little LUVDISC, which it seemed to truly appreciate. As if in thanks, the fish did a couple of spins and jumps out of the water, flapping its tail around so that a few drops hit Barnaby's forearm.

"Alright, alright. I guess you're coming with me."

A Safari Ball was lazily lobbed its way.

Just then, tiny squeaks of outrage announced the presence of another Pokémon. HAPPINY stormed from the bushes, apparently upset by something. Were they too close to it's nest or something?

Sighing, Barnaby nodded toward the pest. By now, Pepin had regained his strength enough to deal with the issue. The little EEVEE rose to its feet, a growl akin to an angry chihuahua reverberating in his chest.

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capturing HAPPINY

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While the HAPPINY was comically formidable, its rotund form stood no chance against Pepin's light-footed attacks. The EEVEE ran circles around the Egg Pokémon, spinning it into a dizzy tizzy, until it fell over sideways. A quick Iron Tail finished the job.

"Bon, Pepin. Come, let's continue. We're almost to the meadow."

Happily, the little Pokémon squeaked its consent and trotted along beside Barnaby. They walked in a companionable, expectant silence. Eventually the pair made it to the edge of the clearing where the had caught Pepin's friend the last time they were here. Speaking of which...

Barnaby extracted a ball from his coat and tossed it forward, revealing a more average-sized female EEVEE.

"Mon bébé! Pepin! Go find us more friends."

And so they did, frolicking into the grass and eventually returning with another EEVEE in tow.

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befriending EEVEE

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