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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]As she grew more comfortable with the Mudsdale's walking pace, Aurelie enthusiastically spurred her Pokemon to quicken its pace. At first, the sensation of speed was exhilarating. The breeze created by the Mudsdale's movement tousled her hair back, and she laughed breathlessly in excitement.

Then, a flash of white rushing across the grass caught her eye, and she let out a startled yelp. "Whoa! Whoa! What was that? Slow down!" she cried, pulling hard on the reins to signal her Mudsdale to sidestep whatever the creature in the grass was.

Thankfully, the Mudsdale managed to dodge to the left and avoid trampling the small Pokemon. It also obediently slowed its gallop back into a fast walk. Her heart still thudding with alarm, Aurelie twisted her head around to look at what they'd nearly run into.

The small Pachirisu gazed back at her with wide eyes, its tail swishing back and forth agitatedly. Then, its body sending out a few sparks, the Pokemon spun around and scampered off in the opposite direction, away from the continuing progress of Aurelie's Mudsdale.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Looking back toward the grasses where the Pachirisu had sprang into view, Aurelie winced. "Yeah, we should probably just stay at a walk for now. Maybe a trot, though..." She frowned and fell silent.

The thought of the bouncing, jolting gait gave her pause, since she hadn't really learned how to rise and fall with it properly. It made for a rather uncomfortable, awkward experience.

Still, with her senses alerted now to the presence of possible Pokemon roaming in their path, Aurelie heard the faint jingling of the Klefki before she ever saw it. It took her a few minutes to actually spot the keyring-shaped Pokemon. She started to urge the Mudsdale past, before hesitating.

It's not like it's possible to have too many Steel-type Pokemon, right? she reasoned mentally. And it's not like it's a bad idea to have more than one of a Pokemon, right? So...I mean...

"Actually, please go ahead and Bulldoze it," she told her Mudsdale. "And then..." She pulled out an empty Pokeball and cocked her wrist to throw it at the Klefki in hopes of capturing it.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie barely had time to celebrate the successful capture of the Klefki before her eye was drawn to a sudden flare of fire blazing through the grass of the Safari Zone. Drawing rein on her Mudsdale, she whispered a cautionary, "Whoa, whoa," while wondering what caused the unexpected fire.

When the Mudsdale obligingly slowed to a stop, she slid off the Pokemon's back and tiptoed toward the blaze. The Mudsdale followed more slowly, clearly cautious of the fire. The closer they came, though, the smaller the fire looked, to Aurelie's relief.

Thank goodness, she thought. She'd worried the Safari Zone would burn down around her! But the light breeze rustling through the grass was already blowing out some of the flames. She craned her head for a closer look.

At first, she didn't see much at all except the smoke and burning grass. Then, as the flames died down further, leaving mostly ashes, she saw something small and red moving through the patch of burnt field.

"A...Sizzlipede," she murmured aloud in surprise, staring at the small, wriggling Pokemon. "Huh. Must be an occupational hazard."

Shaking her head doubtfully, she pursed her lips and then climbed back on top of her Mudsdale. For all that the Megalopolan prison had been dangerous and unpredictable, clearly the real world still held a few surprises for Aurelie. For now, though, she was pretty sure she didn't need a Pokemon that set fires at random. Arceus knows, Aurelie did that enough on her own.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]A shudder rippled through Aurelie as she thought back to the dark days of imprisonment, inside the tiny, cramped cell with that Toxic Chain holding the hateful mask tight to her face. The sound of laughter, the dull thump of Ogerpon fists hitting flesh, the cloying fruity taste of mochi...

Why us? she wondered despondently, not for the first time. Why me?[ Of all people to capture, why me?

This time, though, her reverie was broken when suddenly, the Mudsdale beneath her shied nervously and tossed his head. "Ack! Whoa!" Aurelie cried out, trying to get the Pokemon under control.

It was a relief, though, to turn her thoughts to the present, rather than dwelling in the recent past. As the Mudsdale calmed, Aurelie peered down toward his hooves to see what had startled the Pokemon. The chill left her body, replaced by confusion and curiosity.

"A Dunsparce!" she exclaimed at last, finally spotting the yellow-and-blue insectile Pokemon rustling through the grass.

It looped and curled around the Mudsdale's hooves, almost as if teasing or toying with it. "Ugh, get it!" Aurelie urged her Pokemon, who hardly needed encouragement to try Stomping the offending Dunsparce.

When one attack finally landed on the elusive Pokemon, Aurelie impulsively lobbed a Pokeball at it. She was ready to be rid of this minor annoyance that was making her Mudsdale so restless and paranoid. She wanted the rest of this learning ride to be smooth and relaxed, after all.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]No sooner had she captured the Dunsparce than Aurelie whipped her head around when she heard a startlingly familiar clicking sound. It was a sound she associated with the machinery and cacophony of her workshop, though, not the open-air, natural space of the Safari Zone.

For a moment, she wondered wildly if she was dreaming again. Except she'd always dreamed of Ultra Megalopolis in the Megalopolan prison, not the Safari Zone.

When the redhead looked around, she sighed in relief when she spotted the Klink hovering above the grass. Perhaps it had come to investigate the burning flames, or it was merely wandering by. Aurelie beamed at the sight of the Steel type.

She immediately knew she wanted to capture it. After all, was it really possible for one person to have too many Steel types? And she wasn't above using bribery to befriend it, either.

"Can I offer you a berry?" Aurelie asked, fishing one from her pocket and offering it to the Klink. "I have plenty more where that came from too. And I know there's a Klinklang who would love to link up with you, if you're interested in meeting another Pokemon like you..."

Aurelie quietly reached for a Pokeball, waiting to see if the Klink would accept the berry and her offer—or at least come within range of being caught. If not, her Mudsdale waited quiescent, ready to confront it if necessary. But hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Sighing in relief when the Klink accepted her offer, Aurelie glanced skyward and frowned momentarily in surprise to see how low the sun had descended into the afternoon sky. I really didn't think it'd gotten so late! she thought. If she stayed here much longer, maybe the people who ran and maintained the Safari Zone might start thinking about kicking her out.

So, she urged her Mudsdale to start galloping again, while using the reins and her knees to carefully turn the Pokemon back toward the entrance. After catching not one but two Steel types, she felt like she'd already had a very successful outing. They raced through the grass, the Mudsdale's hooves pounding.

Then, to Aurelie's surprise, a Cyclizar popped out of the grass beside her and ran alongside them both! More agile and dexterous than her Mudsdale, it would spin about and swirl around before speeding forward again, apparently thinking they were racing toward the entrance.

Aurelie found herself laughing with delight at the sight. She knew all too well how intoxicating the sense of freedom and abandon could feel, after her recent travails. The sheer joy the Cyclizar took in running through the grass was utterly infectious.

When all three of them reached the entrance, the Cyclizar pranced and rolled joyfully next to her, not seeming to want the action to end. The redhead laughed again. Unwilling to leave the Pokemon behind when it seemed to want to be friends, she tossed a Pokeball at it as her final parting act before leaving the Safari Zone for the day.

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT