Safari Zone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Safari Zone is an area of the Pokémon video game series. As its name suggests, the player, upon entering, may capture Pokémon in an environment resembling a safari. Although many Pokémon residing in the Safari Zone can be caught elsewhere, some, such as Scyther and Pinsir, are exclusive to this area only.
Unlike most areas containing wild Pokémon, the Safari Zone places several restrictions on the player.
- A fee of 500
(Pokémon currency) is required to enter. - A "time limit" of 500 steps
- The player is only allowed to use the thirty provided "Safari Balls" to capture Pokémon. In addition, owned Pokémon are not allowed to participate in confrontations, and the player must rely on a limited amount of commands, such as baiting and throwing rocks, to interact.
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[edit] Red/Blue/Yellow
The Safari Zone in the Red, Blue, and Yellow versions of Pokémon is located in the northern part of Fuchsia City. It contains four areas, each containing different species of Pokémon.
When encountering a wild Pokémon, a Pokémon from the player's team is not sent out. Instead, the player has the option to run away, offer bait, throw rocks, or attempt capturing the Pokémon by using up a Safari Ball. Offering bait will make the Pokémon less likely to run away, but decrease the chance of a successful capture. Throwing a rock has the opposite effect of making the Pokémon "angry," but increases the chances of capture. Some Pokémon are more likely to flee spontaneously, particularly the more infrequent ones.
As always in the Safari Zone, you are only permitted to take 500 "steps" before the current safari session is ended. However, it is possible to fish for an unlimited amount of time, provided you do not move around.
Three TMs and one HM (HM03, Surf) can be found hidden around the Safari Zone, and the player can obtain HM04 (Strength) by locating the Warden's House and giving him back his teeth, which can be found as an item in another area.
[edit] Glitches and Quirks
The Safari Zone in the Red, Blue, and Yellow versions (particularly in the former two) has a number of glitches associated with it, the most infamous probably being Glitch City. This glitch was apparently caused by the player's ability to save the game inside the Safari Zone; this ability was removed in later games.
Another game error allows for Pokémon normally exclusive to the Safari Zone to be caught outside of it, allowing the player to use regular battling methods and bypass the Safari Zone's restrictions. This also eliminated the high flee rate of the wild Safari Zone Pokémon. The procedure is as follows: The player should go to the Safari Zone, and enter the area where their desired Pokémon can be encountered. Then, the player should exit the Safari Zone and immediately Fly to Cinnabar Island. Once on the island, use Surf and move up and down the eastern coast of the island. The wild Pokémon that appear will be those from the chosen area of the Safari Zone.
This glitch is apparently caused by an oversight in the game- the coast of Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands is programmed to lead to wild Pokémon encounters, though the list of "encounter-able" Pokémon is missing. As a result, the game simply loads the encounter information from the last visited area. This quirk can also be exploited to encounter a trainer's Pokémon after defeating them, and to carry out Missingno.-related tricks.
The Safari Zone has one other property, although it is intentional and does not count as a glitch. If the player has less than 500 "poké-bucks" in their inventory, they can still enter the Safari Zone if they attempt to enter and are denied enough times. However, only 10 Safari Balls will be provided. Alternately, if the player has no money and attempts to enter, they will be given free admission, along with 1 Safari Ball.
[edit] Gold/Silver/Crystal
In the Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions of the game, the Safari Zone is absent. The entrance still remains at its usual location in the north of Fuchsia City, but the player is unable to enter it. A "beta" version of a Safari Zone map is included in the programming of the game, leading to the speculation that it might have been removed due to the discovery of so many glitches in the R/B/Y versions. However, it is also likely it was simply scrapped due to time restraints.
[edit] Ruby/Sapphire
In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the Safari Zone made a reappearance. It is located about halfway through Route 121, and while it is similar to the R/B/Y Safari Zone, it introduces several new key differences. Only 500 steps and 30 Safari Balls are permitted, as in the old version, and the player is still restricted to engaging the Pokémon themselves by luring, distracting, capturing, or running away. However, instead of using unlimited "baiting," the player must now use a Pokéblock chosen from their own inventory. Instead of throwing rocks, the player is given the choice to "get closer."
Other changes include the addition of Pokéblock feeders, on which you can place a Pokéblock and wait for Pokémon to appear, rather than look for them. Also, some areas are inaccessible unless the player has a particular bike. The Mach Bike is needed to reach the Northwest corner of the map, while the Northeast corner of the map requires you to have the Acro Bike. Each area contains a different set of Pokémon.
Finally, the player cannot save while inside the Safari Zone. However, quitting at any time is available by choosing the "RETIRE" option on the Start menu or talking to the man by the exit.
The player can still use Pokémon abilities, such as Surf and Rock Smash, inside the Safari Zone, along with the new move, "Sweet Scent," which can be used to draw wild Pokémon without walking. Also, fishing or turning in circles without moving will not count against your time quota.
[edit] Emerald
The Safari Zone is also present in Pokémon Emerald, and is the same as Ruby and Sapphire's; however, it now has a new section to the right of the entrance that will open after defeating the Elite Four. This new area has a north and a south section, each filled with Pokémon from the Johto region (this is the only place in the game in which some Pokémon can be caught without trading).
[edit] FireRed/LeafGreen
The Safari Zone here is, for most intents and purposes, exactly the same as in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, though most glitches have been removed and the step count increased to 600.
[edit] Diamond and Pearl
The Safari Zone will return in Diamond and Pearl, located near Nomose City. The player can travel by train to access each area of the Safari Zone, although some areas are interconnected without train.
[edit] External links
(Note that these links were also used as verification sources. All accessed on Mar. 17 2006)
