Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 21: The Bridge Bike Gang
There was a long way to travel to our next destination. In four days, we reached a coastal city that was connected to Sunny Town by a bridge that was miles and miles long across the sea. We needed to go past the town to make it to Fuchsia City,
But to our disappointment…
"What do you mean we can't walk on the bridge?" Ash asked the guard by the bridge where vehicles drove back and forth.
"The bridges for vehicles and bicycles are completed, but the one for pedestrians is still under construction", the patient guard told us.
I looked out at the sea and saw boats and construction machines working on an incomplete bridge. "It's true…"
"Even if the bridge for pedestrians was completed, it'll be very late at night when you reach Sunny Town. The bridges are over ten miles long", the guard added.
"Ten miles?!" Misty exclaimed in disbelief.
"And it's dangerous for pedestrians to walk on the two other bridges, so I'd suggest you get bicycles", the guard said.
"Bicycles…?" Ash mumbled.
I suddenly felt heat coming from behind, so I looked over my shoulder and saw Misty had a murderous glare and a fiery aura.
"If it weren't for you two destroying my bike, twins, we could've been traveling down the bridge right now!" the girl said angrily.
"Y-Yeah… Sorry about that", Ash said sheepishly. "Wait… Can't we get new bikes?"
"Do we even have enough money for it?" Brock pointed out.
Bicycles, huh… Those were one of my worst enemies.
XXXXXXXXXX
We checked a local bicycle shop to see how much a simple bike cost, but it was way over the budget we had together. We had no other choice but to go to the Pokémon Center and think of a new plan on how to get to Fuchsia City.
Brock placed the regional map of Kanto on the table and placed a coin on the map to mark our destination. "Fuchsia City is located south of Kanto. One big shortcut is the bridge here that we could use to cross the sea. The other way is to take a big trip back to Lavender Town and walk down south to Route 15, but that will cost us weeks."
"Is there really no other way to get to Fuchsia City?" Ash asked in defeat.
"Well… If we train Firered, Charmeleon, and Pidgeotto so they can evolve into their final evolutions, we could fly across the sea", I suggested.
"Hey, that's a great idea!" Misty exclaimed joyfully. "I've never ridden a flying-type Pokémon before."
"Or we could use Wanda to swim across the sea", I added.
Misty got very pale by that idea. "C-C-C-Can we skip th-that…?"
"What's with you and Gyarados, Misty?" Ash asked. "You're always acting like you're scared of Wanda every time Ashley calls her out."
"Because I'm scared of Gyarados!" Misty shrieked in fear.
I flinched by the loud voice for a second. "Y-You are…?"
Misty calmed down, but she still looked scared while having her eyes on her lap. "Yes…"
"Did something happen to you that made you scared of Gyarados?" Brock asked.
Misty hesitated for a second before she opened my mouth. "I was just a toddler when it happened, but I remember it clearly… I crawled into Mom's Gyarados' mouth."
"What?!" Ash and I exclaimed simultaneously in disbelief.
"C-Crawled into a Gyarados' mouth…", Brock repeated in shock.
Misty nodded slowly. "Luckily, Gyarados spat me out, but I got so scared when everything around me turned black. Since then…" Her hands that rested on her lap clenched into fists as her shoulders began shaking. "I'm so scared of them… I'm afraid they will eat me up…"
Ash sat next to her, so he gently placed a hand on her left fist to give her some comfort. "You're very brave to tell us about your fear, Misty."
"I'm sorry…", I looked down on my lap, feeling guilty that I never realized Misty's fear toward Wanda. "If I had known this… I wouldn't have gotten Wanda."
"No! Don't say that, Ashley!" Misty looked up with wet cheeks. "It's your dream to become a dragon tamer! And I…" She wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "I want to try overcoming the fear of Gyarados. It's a water-type Pokémon, so… Secretly, I want one too, but… Right now, I can't catch one or a Magikarp."
"I'm sure you will one day get over that fear", Brock said calmly. "If you display the same courage that you showed us just now, you'll prove yourself to be an excellent water-type Gym Leader."
Misty laughed softly. "Thank you, guys… It means a lot to hear that."
"Excuse me, Trainers", Nurse Joy's soft voice spoke up.
We looked up and saw the Pokémon nurse standing by our table. Brock blushed hard at the sight of her, which wasn't something new.
"Yes, Nurse Joy?!" Brock shot himself out of the couch to gently grab one of the woman's hands. "How can I help you? Oh, and you're beautiful."
Nurse Joy gave Brock a soft glare before she pulled her hand out of Brock's grip. "I overheard you talking about heading to Fuchsia City. Do you perhaps have plans to cross Sunny Town?"
"Yes", Misty nodded.
"May I ask you four a big favor?" Nurse Joy continued. "There's a Shellder in Sunny Town's Pokémon Center that is very sick and needs medicine as soon as possible. I have the medicine, but I can't leave my Center, so can I ask you to deliver it for me?"
"I wish we could, but we've got no bikes", Ash said.
"Don't worry; both this and Sunny Town's Center rent out bikes to Trainers who can't afford buying their own, but they must be returned to one of the Centers, so you can't bring them along on your journey."
"Hey, that will solve our problems on crossing the bridge!" Misty pointed out.
"And help out a Pokémon in need", I added.
"We'll do it!" Ash declared. "We'll deliver the medicine for you, Nurse Joy!"
"Thank you, Trainers!" Nurse Joy smiled widely in relief. "You don't know how much this means!"
"I'll do anything to help a woman in need!" Brock said enthusiastically.
"He says that to every pretty woman…", I mumbled to myself.
Ash got the medicine from Nurse Joy before we walked out to the parking lot where there were several bikes in all shapes and sizes parked on bicycle racks. I felt very uncomfortable at the sight of them.
"Dibs on the red!" Misty called as she grabbed the bike.
"I'll go with this one", Brock grabbed a green bike.
Ash looked among the bikes to find the right one. I looked around too to see if there was one he and I could share, like a tandem bike.
"You see any tandem bikes, Ashley?" Ash called.
"No… Nothing", I shook my head.
"Why do you guys need a tandem bike?" Misty asked while she and Brock waited for us while sitting on their bikes.
"I have a vendetta with bikes…literally", I confessed.
"Huh?" Misty said confusedly.
"Ashley can't keep her balance on a bike, no matter how much we practiced back home", Ash explained. "She always needed the training wheels to ride her bike."
"And I always got laughed at by the other children when I still used the training wheels from the age of six", I added, looking down on the ground while trying to hold back my tears of shame.
"Hey, to be honest, I also had a hard time learning how to ride a bike", Brock spoke up. "I was like twelve years old when I finally learned how to keep my balance on it."
"Really…?" I looked up, very surprised to hear that.
"Yeah, really", Brock smiled. "So, don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hangs of it someday."
"Thank you, Brock", I smiled softly.
"Aha! Found one!" Ash shouted.
XXXXXXXXXX
I felt so much comfortable riding a tandem bike with Ash. He sat on the front, so I didn't have to worry that much about keeping my balance straight. Of course, I tried to straighten my bike and get a sense on the balance.
It took us an hour to make it to the middle of the road where we took a break by a square big enough for Pokémon battles. There were vending machines with warm and cold drinks, so we grabbed our favorite drinks to refresh ourselves.
"Ah! That hit the spot!" Ash gasped loudly in relief after drinking his lemon soda. "The drink tastes better after a great workout!"
"Yeah!" Brock agreed. "And we're only half-way to Sunny Town too! The day couldn't get better!"
"Yeah, we've got great weather, gentle breeze from the sea, nice drinks… What else could we ask for?" Misty smiled.
I drank my simple cold water until the bottle was half-empty. I was going to save it for later. "Training our Pokémon a little bit after we make it to Sunny Town?" I suggested.
"Yeah, we need to do that before the Gym", Ash nodded. "Say, Brock, what type is the Gym in Fuchsia City?"
"That would be poison-type", Brock replied. "The Gym Leader Koga is a first-class ninja, so he's going to be quite tough."
"Poison-type…", I mumbled softly. "Kobra is the only one among my Pokémon that knows a ground-type move."
"That's better than nothing. None of my Pokémon knows any super effective moves against poison Pokémon", Ash sighed.
"I'm sure your Pokémon will be strong enough against Koga", Misty tried encouraging us.
"Yeah, we just have to keep training", I nodded.
Ash threw away his empty soda can in a trash can. "Well, let's go to Sunny Town and deliver the medicine so we can train our Pokémon!"
Misty and Brock threw their soda cans in the trash can while I put away my bottle in my backpack. Just as we were about to get on our bikes, we heard a loud noise coming toward us. I looked at the bridge and saw a large group of bikers coming from Sunny Town. They were yelling and cheering while some did wheelies with the bikes as they approached the square. Before we even had a chance to leave, the bikers surrounded us.
I had a very bad feeling about this.
"Hey, we've never seen you fellas before!" a young man with spiky red and yellow hair called out as he removed his sunglasses.
"Um… We're passing by, heading to Sunny Town", Ash replied nervously. "So, if you excuse us-"
"Hold it!" the man yelled, making me wince. "If you're Trainers and are heading to our town, you've got to pay a fee!"
"Pay a fee?" Misty repeated.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have that much money on us", Ash answered.
"We're not asking for your money, kid!" a teenage girl with long dark green hair spoke up as she got off her bike. "You have to defeat us in a Pokémon battle if you want to get to Sunny Town!"
"A Pokémon battle? I accept!" Ash exclaimed. "I need to train for the next Gym!"
"Me too!" Brock nodded rapidly before he ran to the girl and got down on one knee before grabbing her hand. "If I win, will you go on a date with me?"
"Brock!" Misty and I shouted irritably at the rock-type Trainer.
The girl pulled her hand back and gave Brock a slap on his cheek. "Get lost, loser! I only care about my bike and my gang!"
"It's tough to get rejected…", Brock mumbled sadly as he rubbed his sore red cheek.
"You have to defeat me and Tyra in one single battle each", the leader of the bicycle gang explained after he got off his bike. "If you manage to defeat both of us, you can pass. But if one of you loses, you have to turn around and go back!"
"We can't do that!" Misty shouted. "We have to-"
"We don't care about your excuses, miss!" the leader snorted. "So… Which one of you four will challenge me, Chopper, first?"
"I'll go first!" Ash nodded.
"And then me…", I spoke up.
"Prepare to get defeated, kids!" Chopper laughed.
Ash and Chopper walked to the middle of the square for the Pokémon battle. Misty, Brock, and I stood next to the battlefield while Chopper's gang stood behind him.
"Golem, it's time to roll out!" Chopper shouted before throwing his Poké Ball.
"Goleeem!"
"That's Geodude's final evolution!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"That Golem looks very well trained", Brock commented. "Ash will have some problems with this…"
"Don't underestimate my brother, Brock", I said.
"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash shouted before throwing his Poké Ball.
"Bulbasauur!"
"Ash has a type advantage with Bulbasaur, so he should be fine", Misty said before putting her hands around her mouth to make a megaphone. "Go, Ash and Bulbasaur! You can do it!"
"Thanks, Misty!" Ash waved back.
"Get ready for some rock-n-roll! Golem, use Rollout!" Chopper shouted.
Golem curled itself into a ball and rolled toward Bulbasaur.
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to counterattack!" Ash quickly yelled.
Bulbasaur used his vines to try stopping the rolling Golem, but the vines didn't do anything to stop it.
"Nice try, but Golem's shell is harder than a diamond!" Chopper laughed.
Bulbasaur got hit hard by the Rollout and got thrown up in the air. It looked like for a second Golem was heading towards Ash, but it rolled to the side before my brother could get hurt.
"Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted worriedly.
I had to squint to see Bulbasaur's silhouette in the bright sunlight. It was hard to look, but it looked like his bulb was glowing. Was he preparing for a new move he had recently learned? When did that happen?
"Golem, hit Bulbasaur with another Rollout when it comes down!" Chopper shouted.
Golem didn't respond, but its Rollout pace accelerated as it rolled around on the field. Bulbasaur was falling down toward the ground, but he flipped in the air and aimed his bulb at Golem. The next thing we all saw, Bulbasaur launched a beam of sunlight at the rolling Pokémon.
"GOOOO!" Golem shrieked when it got hit by the new attack and was thrown up in the air by the force of it.
"What was that?!" Misty exclaimed.
"That's Solar Beam!" Brock answered. "Bulbasaur's just learned a powerful grass-type move!"
Wow… Bulbasaur has grown a lot since the day Ash and I became Pokémon Trainers.
Golem crashed on the ground with a loud bang while Bulbasaur landed on his four feet. When the dust cleared up, we all saw Golem had fainted.
"What?! No way! I lost?!" Chopper exclaimed in disbelief.
"Alright! Bulbasaur, you did it!" Ash ran to Bulbasaur and picked him up. "I can't believe you learned Solar Beam! You're amazing!"
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur smiled.
I walked to my brother and patted Bulbasaur's head. "You were so good out there, Bulbasaur."
"Bulba!"
"Golem, return!" Chopper called back his partner with a growl. "Tyra, beat them up for us!"
"Don't worry, bro, I've got this!" Tyra nodded as she and Chopper switched places on the battlefield.
"I'll take care of her, Ash", I told my brother.
"Okay", Ash nodded.
He called back Bulbasaur to his Poké Ball before he joined Misty and Brock. I walked to the other side of the battlefield and grabbed one of my Poké Balls.
"Cloyster, let's go!"
"Cloy!"
"Firered, it's your turn to shine!"
"Chaar!"
"What?! She's using a fire-type against Tyra's water-type Cloyster?!" someone from the gang shouted before they all started laughing. "She's literally asking to get defeated!"
My eyes got a little wet by the insults and teasing, but I shook my head to get over it. "Don't underestimate the weaker type! Firered, use Metal Claw!"
Firered's claws started glowing in metal colors as he ran towards Cloyster.
"Cloyster, use Withdraw!" Tyra yelled.
Cloyster closed its shell before Firered could hit its weak spot inside the shell. However, he managed to leave a couple of deep claw marks on the surface while the noise sounded like claws against a blackboard. I couldn't help but clench my teeth and cover my ears for a mere second until the noise was over.
"Cloyster, use Spike Cannon!" Tyra shouted.
"Firered, jump back and counterattack with Flamethrower!" I quickly shouted.
Firered jumped back while Cloyster opened its shell and launched sharp spikes from the large spike above its head. My Pokémon breathed fire against the spikes before they could hit him.
"Keep going with Flamethrower!" I shouted. "Don't give up!"
"CHAAAR!" Firered roared as he kept breathing fire.
The Flamethrower pushed itself through the Spike Cannon and swallowed Cloyster in an inferno. "CLOYSTEEER!"
"Cloyster, no!" Tyra yelled worriedly.
When the fire attack was over, we all saw Cloyster was still awake, but it had scorches on its shell and some black soot. "C-Cloy…"
"It's far from over, you brat!" Tyra growled at me. "Cloyster, use Aurora Beam!"
Cloyster fired a rainbow-colored beam from its spike this time at Firered who blocked it with his arms. Aurora Beam was an ice-type move and ice attacks were ineffective against fire-type Pokémon, so why did Tyra tell her Pokémon to use it?
"Firered, break through with Metal Claw!" I shouted.
Firered's claws glowed again before he braced himself and slashed the Aurora Beam, halting the attack. Rainbow-colored particles flew around him as he suddenly started roaring. Second later, his body began glowing!
Everyone gasped in shock as we watched Firered growing larger in the light and received a pair of wings.
"Firered is evolving!" Ash shouted.
I was too surprised to say something. I watched in awe as the light died down and Firered revealed his final form; Charizard!
"Rwaaar!" Firered roared as he breathed fire in the air.
I finally snapped out of it and felt a big smile grow on my lips. "Firered! You've evolved!" I couldn't resist the urge to run to my Pokémon and give him a big hug. "I'm so happy! You're a Charizard now!"
"Rrrr…", Firered rumbled deeply from his throat as I felt his clawed hand against my back.
"H-Hey, I don't care if your Pokémon evolved in the middle of a battle; it's not over yet!" Tyra snapped out of it.
But before I could run back to my side of the field, sirens were heard from a distance. They slowly got louder the closer they got to the square.
"Oh no! It's the cops!" someone from the gang yelled.
"Let's get outta here!" Chopper commanded as he rushed to his bike.
Tyra growled at the interruption, but she called back her Cloyster before she followed her gang on her bike. My brother, friends, Pokémon, and I waited to see what was going on. Officer Jenny drove to the square while two police cars chased the bicycle gang.
"Is everyone okay?" Officer Jenny asked after she braked her motorcycle. "We received reports of public disturbance."
"Yeah, we're okay", Ash nodded. "We were challenged by that bicycle gang and had a Pokémon battle."
"That bicycle gang is called Bat Wheels and they all live in Sunny Town", Officer Jenny explained. "They cause some disturbance every once in a while, but they are quite peaceful. They'll only challenge Trainers who ride on bikes."
"That explains why they targeted us", Misty figured it out.
"Thank you for showing up, Officer Jenny", Ash said. "We're actually on our way to Sunny Town's Pokémon Center to deliver medicine to a very sick Pokémon."
"Right! The lovely Nurse Joy asked us to do it for her, so we accepted the request", Brock nodded. "Of course, it makes my heart warm to get saved by a lovely officer like you."
"Since you need to deliver the medicine, I'll escort you", Officer Jenny said.
"Thank you very much", I bowed softly.
Just then, Officer Jenny's walkie-talkie started beeping. She answered the call and listened to the dispatcher. "Copy that! I'm on my way!" She turned to us with a concerned expression. "There's been an accident that I must prioritize, so I'm afraid I can't escort you."
"Don't worry, we'll be fine", Ash said.
"Just a quick note, according to the weather report, a heavy rainstorm will show up in a few hours, so hurry and make it quick to Sunny Town", Officer Jenny told us.
"A heavy storm…?" I repeated softly.
"Then we better put metal to the pedal!" Ash said.
I looked at Firered and suddenly got an idea. "Firered and I can fly to Sunny Town and deliver the medicine."
"Rwar!" Firered nodded.
Ash turned to me with a confused look. "What…?"
"If a storm is really on its way, then the fastest way would be by flying before it strikes", I explained. "You three can catch up later when the weather clears up."
"Well… Okay, if you're sure", Ash said hesitantly.
"I'll be fine, Ash", I smiled softly and patted his back. "Firered will be there with me."
"Rrr…"
Ash gave me the medicine so I could put it in my backpack. Firered got down on all four to let me climb onto him. I tried to find a proper grip on my Pokémon so I wouldn't fall off before he straightened up.
"Be careful!" Misty called.
"We will!" I nodded. "Let's go, Firered!"
"Rwaaar!" Firered roared before he flapped his wings and flew up in the air.
I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes for a moment as I tried to get used to the force of the flying. Once I felt Firered was flying straight, I opened my eyes and gasped in awe.
There was a whole new world around me. Everything under me looked so small and the sky looked bigger than before. I felt like a child who was going on a new adventure again.
"Wow… So cool…", I mumbled in awe before I remembered the situation. "Hurry up, Firered! To Sunny Town's Pokémon Center!"
"Rwaaw!"
XXXXXXXXXX – Ash's POV
It felt so weird to see Ashley go on her own. She had always followed me because she needed someone to guide her because she was afraid of the world around her. I got so used to be her guide and shield, so it felt like something was missing when I watched her fly away with Firered.
But at the same time, I was proud of her to see she was taking small steps to the unknown world and make her own decisions. I knew one of her drives was Pokémon; she loved them just as much as I did and she desperately wanted to save the sick Pokémon.
"C'mon, guys! We better not let Ashley leave us behind!" I told Misty and Brock as I got on my bike.
"We're right behind you!" Misty nodded.
"Lead the way, Ash!" Brock added.
XXXXXXXXXX
The dark clouds arrived faster than I thought before rain and strong winds threatened us to get off the bridge. It was dangerous, but we had to make it to the mainland before we could relax.
We made it to the end of the bridge where, unfortunately, the Bat Wheels were waiting for us.
"You're not allowed to enter Sunny Town!" Chopper yelled. "You haven't finished the battle with Tyra yet!"
"We're on our way to the Pokémon Center where my sister and a sick Pokémon are waiting for us!" I shouted. "Get out of our way!"
"A sick Pokémon?!" Chopper exclaimed in surprise.
"Is that why you're out in the storm?" Tyra asked.
"That's right! That's what we wanted to tell you guys, but you interrupted us!" Misty growled.
Chopper suddenly lost his bad boy behavior and started crying in admiration. "That's a real biker; caring for other Pokémon! Listen up, everyone, we'll escort our new heroes in style!"
"Yeah!"
Huh? Heroes? But we didn't do anything special… I guess they just wanted a role model.
XXXXXXXXXX – Ashley's POV
Firered and I made it to Sunny Town just as the dark clouds covered the sky. The wind started getting violent, but we made it safely to the Pokémon Center where a worried Nurse Joy waited for us. We walked inside just as the rain started pouring down.
"Nurse Joy, I got the medicine!" I called as I removed my backpack from my back to get the medicine.
Nurse Joy ran to me. "Are you one of the Trainers my sister told me about?"
I nodded as I handed the medicine bag to her. "Yes. I flew my way here with Firered when we heard a storm was coming. My brother and our friends will get here soon."
"Rwaw!" Firered nodded.
"I hope they'll make it", Nurse Joy said worriedly. "I'll go and give Shellder its medicine."
I followed Nurse Joy to a small water container where a Shellder was resting at the bottom. It looked pale and weak, but as soon as Nurse Joy poured the powdered medicine in the water, Shellder woke up and already looked better.
I sighed in relief. "I'm so glad Shellder is okay now."
"Rwaw…", Firered mumbled.
"I'll go and give my sister a quick call", Nurse Joy said. "Please, take a seat and I'll give you something warm to drink."
"Thank you", I nodded before the pink-haired nurse walked away.
I walked to a window and watched the storm outside. The rain was pouring so hard and the wind ripped branches off the trees. It was dangerous to be outside.
"I hope Ash, Misty, and Brock will make it…", I mumbled worriedly.
"Rarr…", Firered rumbled behind me before he used his wings to try hugging me.
I was surprised by his actions at first, but then I relaxed and started feeling safe in the warm cocoon. "Thank you, Firered…"
XXXXXXXXXX
One hour later, my brother and our friends made it to the Pokémon Center with the Bat Wheels. I was surprised by it, but I was then told the gang had started admiring us for risking our lives in a storm like this to deliver medicine for a sick Pokémon. Chopper started calling my brother Awesome Ash. Tyra gave Misty the nickname Mighty Misty. And what about Brock? Well, he wanted Tyra to call him Honey, but she gave him another big slap on the cheek.
"It's tough to get rejected twice…", Brock commented softly.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's experience with bicycles is based off on me. I was never able to learn how to keep my balance on a two-wheeled bicycle, so I got a three-wheeled bicycle (not one with training wheels) which I used for a long time as a child. Now, I have a three-wheeled sidewalk scooter which I love to use to drive around.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's party:
Firered the Charizard (male)
Bruce the Primeape (male)
Luna the Clefairy (female)
Kobra the Arbok (male)
Wanda the Gyarados (female)
Oliver the Gloom (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:
Eevee (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's party:
Bulbasaur (male)
Charmeleon (male)
Haunter (male)
Primeape (male)
Beedrill (male)
Pidgeotto (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:
Squirtle x5 (males)
Krabby (male)
Pikachu (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Misty's party:
Goldeen (female)
Staryu (genderless)
Starmie (genderless)
Horsea (female)
Psyduck (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Brock's party:
Geodude (male)
Onix (male)
Zubat (male)
Vulpix (female)