by Alex Polan
“Don’t you want a Butterfree like mine?” asked Devin, sporting the purple cap with a smile. “I thought you loved Butterfree.”
“I like bugs,” said Gianna, crossing her arms. “I like my old bug cap. My lucky, old, bug cap. I don’t see that cap in here, do you?”
“Gia,” her mother scolded gently. “Don’t be rude. Now, choose a cap so that the cashier can get back to work.”
“Sorry,” Gianna mumbled. She reached for a purple Butterfree cap and politely thanked the cashier, who put the lid back on the bin and slid it under the counter.
“Can we do some more shopping for souvenirs?” asked Carlo, pulling some money out of his pocket.
“Yeah,” said Ethan. “My mom gave us money to spend, too!” He fished the money out of his pocket and passed a ten-dollar bill to Devin. Her eyes lit up, and she headed straight toward the plastic animal bin.
Surprise, surprise, thought Ethan. If there was something to collect, his sister was on it.
“Sure,” said Mrs. Walker. “You can shop. But whatever you buy is going straight into the car. I’m not chancing another lost item today. Got it?”
“Got it,” said Ethan with a grin.
Twenty minutes later, Carlo was wearing a silver pendant shaped like a polar bear claw around his neck. Ethan had his own sort of necklace—a long stuffed boa constrictor. Gianna had a ladybug umbrella popped open above her head. And Devin had a bag full of tiny plastic animals—one of every animal she could find in the display.
In Devin’s other hand, Ethan spotted small bags of gummy bears and gummy snakes. “Did you spend your money on candy?” he asked.
She couldn’t answer him. Her mouth was too full. She shrugged, swallowed, and then asked, “Do you want some?”
“No, thanks.” He pretended to be disgusted, but he regretted that choice as soon as her back was turned. Those gummy snakes did look pretty tasty.
“Alright, kids, hand it all over,” said Mrs. Walker, holding open her tote bag. “I’ll bring your souvenirs to the car. Put your bug caps in there, too, please.”
When the bag was full, she added, “You can wait for me out front. No wandering off to the petting zoo this time.” She gave Carlo an especially stern look and then hurried toward the parking lot.
While they waited, Ethan settled onto a bench and pulled out his phone. “Any Pokémon sightings?” he asked Carlo.
“Just a boring little Weedle,” said Carlo as he plunked down on the bench, too.
“Hey, can I play on your phone?” Gianna asked her brother. “I don’t think Mom is going to loan me hers again anytime soon. Pretty please?” She clasped her hands together and gave Carlo her best puppy dog face, which reminded Ethan a little of Eevee.
Carlo shrugged. “Sure, but without your lucky cap, the zoo has pretty much run dry on the Pokémon front.” He logged out and handed Gianna his phone.
She punched in her password and then asked, “So where is that Weedle again?”
“Walk toward the gift shop,” said Ethan, waving his arm toward the front door of the building.
“Oh, yep! There it is. Thanks!”
“You seem awfully excited about a Weedle,” said Ethan. “Those little Larrys are like my least favorite Pokémon.”
“Same here,” said Devin, popping another gummy bear into her mouth.
Gianna shrugged. “What can I say? I like bugs.”
Then she shrieked and started jumping up and down. “I did it! I did it! I earned my silver Bug Catcher medal. Yes!”
“Good job!” said Ethan. “And all because of a Weedle?”
“It just takes one!” said Gianna, dancing around the bench. “Well, actually, it takes fifty. But the Weedle put me over the top.”
“What’s all this?” called Mrs. Walker as she hurried back up the sidewalk, her car keys jingling in her hand. “Are we celebrating something?”
When Gianna told her about the Bug Catcher medal, Mrs. Walker looked pretty happy, too. “That’s my girl,” she said, kissing the top of Gianna’s head. “We love our bugs, don’t we?”
“We do,” said Gianna, pulling up her Pokédex to flip through all the Bug-type Pokémon she’d caught.
“You caught a Butterfree, huh?” asked Devin, wiping her sticky fingers on her shorts before pointing at the screen.
Gianna nodded. “That was probably the most exciting bug I caught—well, that and Beedrill.”
Then she grew quiet and started chewing her bottom lip.
“What are you thinking about, Gia?” Ethan asked. “Your battle with Beedrill?”
“No,” she said. “I was thinking that I wish Mom had found that Blue Morpho that got out.” She turned toward her mother. “Can we go back to the Butterfly House to see if they caught it yet?”
Mrs. Walker’s face softened into a smile. “You bet,” she said. “That’s a great idea.”
Yes! thought Ethan. The zoo wasn’t exactly swarming with Pokémon right now, but the Butterfly House was at least full of PokéStops.
But as he pushed up from the bench, he saw the warning message pop up on his phone: BATTERY LOW.
Great, he thought. Now I’ll be stuck reading factoids with Devin.
He turned off his phone and sighed. Then he jogged down the path to catch up with his friends.
“Look, there’s Spark!” whispered Devin, pointing toward the gray-haired man with glasses. He was standing just outside the Butterfly House talking with another zoo guide.
Mrs. Walker corrected her. “His name is Mr. Thompson, actually. And he’s very knowledgeable about butterflies. I’ll go ask him if the Morpho has been spotted.”
Ethan watched her approach the man. But after a quick conversation, Spark shook his head.
“Bummer,” said Gianna, kicking at the dirt with her shoe. “I was hoping the Blue Morpho would be fluttering around back inside the Butterfly House by now.”
“Or hitching a ride on someone’s butt,” said Devin with a smile and sideways glance at Ethan.
He fake-laughed. “Very funny.” Then he fought the urge to actually twist around and look for the butterfly.
Gia gazed up at the sky. “Where could it be?” she asked. “On a rooftop? In a tree?”
“I don't know,” said Devin. “But I think I read something about where butterflies like to hide. It was on one of those little signs in the Butterfly House.” She pulled out her phone and started swiping through her photos.
Great, thought Ethan. Miss Butterfly Factoid is at it again.
He looked around for Carlo, who was collecting Poké Balls at the PokéStop near the front door. Ethan started to check his own phone, and then remembered the battery was shot.
“Okay, I found it,” said Devin, clearing her throat. “The sign said ‘Some butterflies are nearly invisible. They blend into their surroundings, an ability called …’”
“Camouflage?” suggested Carlo.
“Yes!” said Devin. She kept reading. “‘Many butterflies have wings that are bright on top and dull underneath. When they’re in danger, they land on twigs or leaves and fold up their wings to hide.’”
Gianna tapped her chin with her finger. “So … we should look for twigs or leaves? But that could be anywhere!”
Devin shrugged. “I’m just telling you what I read.”
Ethan sighed. “Where did we see the Blue Morpho?” he asked. “Where in the Butterfly House, I mean.”
Devin laughed. “Smack dab on top of your head.”
He stared at her for a moment. “I know that. But where were we standing?”
“By the bridge!” said Gianna. “It was right before the bridge over the stream, the place where I caught Goldeen.”
“And almost fell into the water,” her mother reminded her as she rejoined the group. “What are you kids talking about?”
“We were remembering that the Blue Morpho was by the stream in the Butterfly House,” said Gianna. “Butterflies like water, right? So maybe we just need to look for water.”
Her mother nodded. “Maybe,” she said. “But I don’t think there’s a lot of water here at the zoo. It’s mostly blacktop.”
“How about the Polar Passage?” asked Devin. “There’s water there. The polar bears have a pool, and the seals have a tank.”
“I don’t think the Morpho is swimming with the polar bears or seals,” said Gianna. “It’s a tropical butterfly, remember? Morphos like heat, not arctic air.”
Ethan was barely listening. He spun in a slow circle, trying to remember where he had seen water—real water, not the kind in a tank or exhibit.
Then he remembered.
“The train! We crossed a bridge when we were on the train. The bridge went over a river!”
Carlo’s face fell. “I’m not getting back on that train,” he said. “You can’t make me.”
He looked so terrified of the tiny train that Ethan almost laughed out loud. But then Gianna started running back toward the train station. And even Carlo had no choice but to follow her.
CHAPTER 11
“It’s for little kids!” Carlo protested when they reached the train station. “I’m way too big.” He planted his feet on the blacktop, as if daring Gianna to try to make him move.
“We don’t have to get on it,” she said, sounding exasperated. “We just have to follow the tracks to find that stream.”
“Well that’s a relief,” said Mrs. Walker, laughing. “If Carlo is too big, I’m too big for sure. But remember, Gia, we may not be able to go everywhere the tracks go.”
Gianna spread her arms wide. “Can’t we just try, though? For the Morpho?”
Her mother nodded. “We can try. For the Morpho.”
Ethan grinned at Devin. His feet hurt. His legs hurt. And his phone battery was nearly dead. But Gianna was back in action, hunting for bugs—real ones this time. And that gave him the energy to keep going, too.
When the chugging train left the station, Team Mystic did, too—on foot.
“The train goes past the prairie,” said Carlo, pointing toward a fenced-in field of golden grass.
It took longer to pass the prairie exhibit on foot, but at least there was plenty to look at. “See the bison?” asked Ethan. “Look at the horns on that thing!”
“It looks like a giant goat,” said Gianna. “You wouldn’t get in a pen with that, though, would you?” she asked Carlo.
He shrunk back in mock horror. “Nope. If a bison ever chewed up your lucky cap, you’d be on your own, kid.”
Everyone laughed at that—even Gianna.
“Oh, what are those little critters?” asked Devin, pointing at something poking its head out of the ground.
“Prairie dogs,” said Mrs. Walker. “Aren’t they cute?”
“They almost look like little Pidgey!” said Devin. “Without the wings, I mean.” She took a few photos as they passed, trying to catch the prairie dogs when their heads were out of the holes instead of inside of them.
Then Ethan noticed where they were. “I think I see the bridge up ahead,” he said, shading his eyes. “Is that the stream?”
“Yes!” said Gianna, starting to jog.
They passed a few more prairie dogs and a bison who snorted, blowing a puff of dust off the ground at his feet.
As they got closer to the stream, another train was just beginning to chug toward them over the bridge. Carlo took a step backward, as if the train might snatch him up and make him ride it.
As soon as it passed, they hurried toward the banks of the stream. Trees arched overhead, filtering the sun. As Ethan walked through the dappled light, he took a deep breath.
It’s peaceful here, he thought. Like in the Butterfly House. The perfect place for a Blue Morpho to hide.
He crossed his fingers, hoping one would land on his head any second now.
But no such luck.
He and his friends searched the bank of the stream, the wooden posts of the bridge, the trees overhead, and even the piles of twigs on the ground.
“If that Morpho is doing its camouflage thing, it’s really good at it,” said Devin with a sigh.
Gianna crouched low on the bridge, peering over the edge. “Are those koi?” she asked, pointing toward the golden fish in the water below.
“Way out here?” asked her mom. She stepped closer. “Well, yes, I think they are! How pretty.”
This time, Ethan took a closer look at the koi. He didn’t have a Goldeen on his phone to distract him. “Huh,” he said. “They really do look like giant goldfish.”
Then he heard the scraping sound of Gianna’s foot slipping off the edge of the bridge. He jumped up in alarm. So did Mrs. Walker.
“Gia, honestly, are you determined to fall in today?” she asked, pressing her hand to her chest. “First at the Butterfly House, and now here.”
Ethan waited for Gianna to crack a joke about her clumsiness, but she didn’t. Instead, her face broke into a smile.
“Oh, mom,” she said. “I could kiss you. You just reminded me of something!” She stood up and raced toward the end of the bridge.
“What?” asked Mrs. Walker.
Gianna was already running back toward the prairie. “You just reminded me where I left my bug cap!” she shouted over her shoulder. “C’mon!”
A flood of excitement filled Ethan’s chest. He was about to follow Gianna. Then he watched his friend trip over a twig, fly through the air, and tumble to the ground.
“Ouch. That looks like it hurts,” said Devin, crouching low beside Gianna. Her ankle was already swollen, and Ethan was pretty sure it was turning purple.
“It does hurt,” she said. But she was still smiling. “Carlo, can you give me a piggyback ride? We have to get back to the Butterfly House!”
“Whoa,” said Mrs. Walker. “Let’s take care of your ankle before we worry about finding that bug cap.”
“But where did you remember leaving it?” Ethan couldn’t help asking.
“By the bridge in the Butterfly House! Because I almost dropped Mom’s camera, and she told me not to drop anything, so I took off my cap and set it down. I remember now!” The words flowed out of her mouth like a waterfall. “Do you think it’s still there? Am I actually going to get my lucky cap back?”
“I don’t know,” said her mother. “I’m more worried about how we’re going to get you back—to the car, that is.”
When she heard the sound of another train whistle, Mrs. Walker glanced over her shoulder.
Ethan knew what she was thinking before she even said a word.
So did Carlo. “I’m not getting on that thing,” he told his mother. “I already told you.”
But Mrs. Walker ignored him. As the train slowed to a crawl beside them, she waved and called out to the conductor. “Do you have room for a few more?”
The conductor must have seen that Gianna was injured, because he pulled the brake, and the train screeched to a halt. Ethan could see a few empty spots in the last car. He could also see Carlo inching away from the train.
“Let me help you get her inside,” said the conductor, hopping out of the train. “That looks like a nasty sprain!”
Pretty soon, Gianna was settled into a seat. Devin scooted in beside her, and Mrs. Walker ducked her head to climb in, too.
“There’s room for you boys, I think,” said the conductor, reaching out his hand toward Carlo.
“Yeah, that’s okay. I think I’ll walk,” said Carlo.
“Me, too,” Ethan said quickly. He didn’t mind the train so much, but he didn’t want Carlo to know that.
“Suit yourselves,” said the conductor, hopping back into the train.
“Go straight to the Butterfly House,” Mrs. Walker called out the window as the train began rolling forward. “Don’t make me come looking for you!”
Her voice was drowned out by the sound of the whistle. “That was a close one,” said Carlo, pretending to wipe sweat off his brow. “Do you think we can beat them back to the Butterfly House?”
“Run,
you mean?” asked Ethan.
But Carlo was already sprinting away.
“Hey, no fair!”
Ethan ran past bison and prairie dogs. He beat the train back to the station, and even managed to wave at Devin as he passed. But as he passed the Rainforest Center on his way to the Butterfly House, Carlo was nowhere in sight. Where was he?
There! He was already standing in front of the Butterfly House playing Pokémon GO. And when Ethan got closer, he could see that Carlo hadn’t even broken a sweat.
So not fair, thought Ethan. Carlo has longer legs. And his phone battery still has a charge.
“What took you so long?” asked Carlo, grinning. “And why aren’t you collecting Poké Balls?”
Ethan shrugged. “Dead battery,” he said. “Or almost dead, anyway. What’d you collect?”
Carlo leaned over to show him.
Ethan recognized the blue Great Balls and the yellow, diamond-shaped Revive. “What’s with the pink bottle? Is that a Super Potion?” he asked. Usually Potions were purple. But he knew that when a player got to Level Ten, they could start collecting more powerful Potions.
“Even better than that,” said Carlo. “It’s a Hyper Potion. It restores the HP of a Pokémon by two hundred points.”
“Whoa,” said Ethan.
“You’ll get some too when you reach Level Fifteen,” said Carlo.
“You’re at Level Fifteen already?” asked Ethan. “I thought you were only at Thirteen!”
Carlo just grinned. “Stick with me, kid.”
Ethan shook his head. I’ll never catch up to Carlo, he thought. No matter how much I play Pokémon GO—or how fast I run.
Then he remembered why they were really at the Butterfly House. It wasn’t to collect Hyper Potions. “Should we go in and look for Gia’s cap?”
Ethan started toward the door, but Carlo wasn’t following him. “C’mon, Carlo. Let’s see if we can find the cap before Gia even gets here.”
When he turned around, Carlo was staring at him—or rather, at the top of his head.
Carlo slowly raised his finger to his lips. “Shh. Don’t say another word. Don’t move. Don’t even breathe.”
“Why?” Ethan whispered, his feet frozen to the concrete.