Chapter 30
The water-scented breeze blowing through Ash's dark locks was definitely a warm welcome after being in the jungle for so long. With the Safari Zone behind them – and a couple new Pokémon to Ash's collection – Ash and Brock's only destination at this point was to get back to civilization. And so they had. Walking river-side by in a small town, Ash had his fingers folded behind his head with a content smile curling his mouth.
"Feels weird to be back in a city, huh Brock?" he asked, and without even waiting for him to reply, he continued with a bigger smile. "Hey, let's have a humongous meal when we get to the Pokémon Center!"
This statement Brock agreed wholeheartedly with. "I want a deep-dish extra cheese pizza! Mmm!" Thoughts of pizza, hot dogs, pancakes, and curry helped push them along, but one sight in particular made Ash stop in his place.
"Hey, what's that thing?"
"What thing?" Brock questioned, but Ash didn't answer, and instead ran ahead.
"Let's go see!" As the trees and street lamps parted ways as they got closer, they all skidded in place and gasped. A huge bridge ran across the water, going as far as the eye could see and even beyond then. "Wow! Look at that!" Ash said in awe as a smile grew on his face.
"So, it's been completed already..." Brock muttered, and Ash could hear crinkling as the Pokémon Breeder took out his trusty map, and he finally looked up. "Hey, the map says it's still under construction. But if it's completed, we can go straight to Sunnytown on the opposite shore without going all the way around!"
"Great! We'll cross the bridge and get to the next town!" It was unanimous; the shortcut that had presented itself had outvoted the big meal they had planned earlier at the Pokémon Center, and without a second thought, Ash and Brock silently agreed and began to rush excitedly toward the bridge. "Come on, let's go!"
Cars and trucks whooshed past them, almost blowing the cap right off of Ash's head when they were called over by the security guard at the beginning of the bridge. When they explained to him that they were looking to cross the bridge to get to the next town, his eyebrows lowered slightly almost apologetically. "Well, I'm afraid the bridge isn't completely finished," he told them, and then pointed out over the water. "See there?" The pair of traveling Trainers looked to where he was looking at to see a bunch of cranes, cement trucks and other construction vehicles hard at work on the bridge, and Brock was able to figure out what it meant.
"That means we can't take the shortcut," he deduced with a frown.
"Even if it were finished, this bridge is only for cars, anyway."
"The bridge is only for cars?" Ash repeated with a frown that equaled Brock's. "Couldn't we just walk across it?"
"Well, this bridge is over ten miles long," the security guard responded nonchalantly with an amused smile. "It'd be dark before you reached the other side." Ash and Brock fell silent as they absorbed the information. "'Course, you might be able to cross if you had bicycles."
"B-bicycles?!" As Ash exclaimed this, a ringing of a bell sounded, and two teenagers passed by them on bikes, giving the security guard a wave as they passed.
"Hey, Norman!" the male greeted, and the security guard returned their wave with one of his own.
"Ride safely!" He waited for them to pass before looking down at Ash and Brock again to explain. "The road isn't finished, but the bicycle path is." To prove his point, another pair of teens, this time two girls on a shared bike waved and winked at the guard. "Hi girls!" He watched as they passed, and didn't take his eyes off them, and neither did Brock. "If you had bikes, you could cross, too."
"Wish we did..." Ash murmured with his head hung. The security guard looked to feel bad for the pair, and after looking at the two, he let out a sigh.
"There's a bike shop in town. You guys should go check it out," he suggested. Ash's eyebrows rose slightly at the mention of the shop, and him and Brock locked eyes before deciding that would be the next route they would take.
"Thanks! We'll head there now," the black-haired Trainer thanked with a smile, and they departed immediately with directions from him.
However, the smile Ash had quickly faded once they made it to the shop. In his chest, his heart dropped to his stomach upon seeing the bikes that sparkled in the sun's rays that shone through the newly-washed glass like gemstones. There were bikes of every color you could imagine, and every style one could ever want. But what made Ash and Brock's face so sad as they pressed them against the cold glass was the price It was – as expected – much out of range for the traveling Pokémon Trainer, and even if Brock and Ash pooled their money together, it wouldn't even put a dent in the price.
"It's no use. We can't afford these..." Ash said, his voice muffled from his lips being pressed against the glass, and both him and Brock let out a sigh and deflated at the same time before peeling themselves away from the bike shop. "Let's go to the Pokémon Center and figure out a plan."
"Sounds good to me." It was the only option they had at this point.
o 0 o
The Pokémon Center was very small – much smaller than any other that Ash had been to – and it wasn't very busy either. Only being two floors, it was right at the edge of the city and the back part of it had a beautiful view of the water. But Ash and Brock weren't exactly enjoying the view. Instead, they sat in the rest area on the furniture in there. They were the only Trainers in the building, it seemed, but this gave them plenty of time to mull over their options. Though it seemed they had none to mull over.
"I haven't thought of a single thing..." Ash muttered, almost angrily, as his hand crumpled up his hat that still sat on his head. His brain was starting to hurt, and it almost seemed fruitless. Even Brock in his infinite wisdom didn't have a suggestion at all, and only sat in the love-seat across from Ash with his arms crossed and let out a sigh.
The Nurse Joy that ran the Pokémon Center walked into the lobby, and gave them a second-glance almost as if she didn't see them at first, but they didn't pay her any attention as well, and were too focused on their thoughts to realize their surroundings. But they were pulled from the depths of their minds when she spoke up. "Excuse me; if you could spare some time, would you mind helping me out?" It was as if she had taken a pin and popped their thoughts like a balloon. The sound of her soft voice immediately pulled them back into reality, and Ash looked up at her concerned face for just a moment before he was shoved down by Brock, who quickly took up the spot he had been sitting and snatched up her hands in his own and causing her to drop the clipboard she had in them previously.
"Please, let me help! I just love caring for Pokémon! It's my life!" he begged with a rosy blush across his face. "Please, miss. Miss... Uh, by the way, are you by any chance related to the Joy in Gringey City?"
"I-I'm her cousin..!" Nurse Joy responded, taken aback by Brock's behavior.
"Ah, but you're much, much prettier than she is." Though he was too busy flirting with Nurse Joy to realize this, Ash was struggling under his knees to get out from under Brock, who was crushing him into the cushions.
"That's just fine, but..." Nurse Joy disregarded his compliment, pulling away her hands firmly and picking up the clipboard she dropped and hugged it close to her chest. "I'm worried about the Pokémon in Sunnytown – just over the bridge – that's very sick."
"Oh..." Brock's flirtatious smile faded, and as quickly as it did, Ash finally found the strength to shove the older teen off him.
"We have time," Ash told her as Brock rubbed his head where it had hit the floor. "What do you need, Nurse Joy?" The pink-haired nurse smiled slightly, and then gestured the pair to follow her to the front counter. When they arrived, she went behind it and pushed forward a tray containing a bag with medicine inside, as shown from the label on the front of it.
"I need someone to deliver this medicine to the Pokémon Center in Sunnytown," she explained. "Normally I'd go myself, but I'm too busy with sick Pokémon to leave the center right now."
"It's just over the bridge, right?" Ash asked for confirmation, and the nurse nodded her head.
"That's right."
"But we don't have any bicycles to get across it..." he frowned. They were back at square one. But, this time, Nurse Joy smiled and held her hand out.
"No problem! I'll let you use some of our bicycles!" It was almost too good to be true. The answer they were wracking their brains over just happened to show up right before them. The pair exchanged a glance, and Ash's lips peeled back from his teeth in a ear-to-ear grin.
"We'll do anything we can if it's to help a sick Pokémon!" he affirmed, and Nurse Joy seemed thrilled.
"That's great!" she replied with a wide smile and folded hands in thanks. "The bikes are in the parking lot! And thank you!" With a laugh of disbelief at their luck, Ash unzipped his backpack and put the medicine for the sick Pokémon in the main pocket before hurrying out of the lobby as if the bikes were going to slip through his fingers like sand. But before he could run out the door, he noticed Brock was still kneeling at the counter, and he was whispering to Nurse Joy.
"I'd be happy to stay here and help you if you need me," he offered quietly, but she didn't have time to answer before Ash looped his arm around his friend's and he pulled the older boy away from the nurse.
"C'mon, Brock! Let's hit the road!"
"A-aah!"
o 0 o
The mist-filled breeze was rushing past him, but unlike before, this time it was blowing in his ears from how fast he was pedaling. An involuntary laugh escaped from his throat – it had been ages since he had rode a bike. Not since his childhood in Pallet Town had he been on a bike, and now here he was, zooming up the concrete path. Even Brock was left in his dust as he moved faster and faster. "C'mon Brock! Catch up!" Ash called over his shoulder with a smile at the Pokémon Breeder left in his wake, and gave the bell by his thumb a ring as a sort of playful taunt. Brock stared ahead with a blank face of concentration but didn't respond. Finally, he let out a laugh, and Ash joined in as they passed a construction zone with yellow barrier blocking off drying cement.
"You see! We're getting to cross the bridge after all!" Ash said, absolutely delighted at how the events had occurred. Now if only coming across the next Gym could happen just as easily...
They were making great timing, so when a rest stop came available to them about a few miles in, the pair took it without a doubt. Jutting out of the side of the bike path so not to disturb those continuing down the road, there were benches that sat right at the guard rail with a beautiful view of the water. The vending machine that provided a choice of Lemonade, Fresh Water and Soda Pop, and Ash's choice of a Soda Pop was gone as soon as it had dropped down from the bottom slot of the machine. With a loud exhale, he had chugged the contents inside until there was only one sip left.
"This is a great workout!" Ash proclaimed, already feeling his energy coming back to him from the nourishment of the drink quenching his thirst.
"Yeah!" Brock agreed after sipping from the water bottle in his hand. "And since we lucked into those bikes, it won't be long 'til we're in Sunnytown!" The pair finished off the rest of their drinks and discarded their trash in the garbage can beside the vending machine before Ash threw his leg over his borrowed bike once again.
"Okay! Time to hit the road!" he concluded, but before he could lift his kickstand up, he heard a loud noise that sounded like a crowd of people coming their way. Craning his neck to look down the direction they were suppose to go, he could hear whooping and yelling from the gang of people riding bicycles as they got closer. Some were doing tricks while others were whooping in encouragement. One was even holding a flag with a logo of a bike wheel under a pair of bat wings. But one thing they all shared was their wild hair, shredded clothes and leather.
"It's a bicycle gang..." Brock murmured, flinching back as he noticed their approach as well. "I think we better get out of here." But as the pair lifted up their kickstand, the gang quickly surrounded the pair, circling around them and sneering at them as they cut off any opening of escape. Now that they were closer, Ash noticed that each member had a bike that was decorated like a certain Pokémon.
"I don't think I've seen you before," a member snickered as he removed his sunglasses. He had wild red spiked hair, and he only wore a spiked leather vest.
"Uh, we're not really from around here, so uh... See 'ya!" Ash responded quickly, and the pair attempted to bike off, but the gang's leader stopped them with an angry look.
"Hold it!" he snapped, draping an arm over his handlebars. "You ain't gonna cross this bridge without a proper introduction."
"Yes, boss!"
"That's right!" The gang members all pitched in with their agreement.
Quickly getting off their bikes, Ash ran up to the man's bike and greeted him with a hand behind his head. "Uh, hello!"
"Pleasure to meet you!" Brock added, shaking the leader's hands in his own momentarily before both of them rushed back to their bikes and tried to take off with a wave.
"See you again sometime!" they called at the same time.
"THAT'S NO INTRODUCTION!" the spiky-haired leader yelled. Beside him, a girl with layered green hair stepped off her bike and with a glare that could paralyze, she crossed her arms across her chest.
"When we say 'introduction', we mean Pokémon battle," she explained.
"A Pokémon battle?" Ash repeated, and this offer was much less concerning as a determined smirk crossed his face. "All right, I accept!"
"I'd do anything for an introduction to a girl like you..." he heard Brock murmur behind him, but the Pokémon Trainer could only blink in response before the former Gym Leader rushed past him and knelt down on his knees while cradling the girl's hand in his own. "Would you go out with me?" Ash fell off his bike with a groan, so he could only hear Brock's moan of pain and something crashing down on the ground, so when Ash picked himself up, he could see that the girl had taken Brock's bike and slammed it down on the Pokémon Breeder.
"Get lost, loser; I only care about my bike and my gang."
"I-is... that a no?" Despite Brock's relentlessness, the girl ignored him and the bike gang all took one side of the brick rest stop and swung off their bikes while Ash and Brock took the other side. They were vastly outnumbered, but that didn't stop Ash from feeling confident.
"Alright, let's get started," the Pokémon Trainer declared with his hands on his hips. "Then we'll see who's the master."
"Heh, you think you can play with the big boys?" the bike gang leader questioned rhetorically, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt and rolling the ping-pong sized ball in his fingers before pressing the button on the center to make it larger. "I'll send 'ya home cryin'. Golem, go!" With a swing of his arm, he threw the ball high in the air where it spun beautifully for just a moment before opening. It released a flash of light which spilled out onto the brick and formed into a round Pokémon with arms and legs sticking out of what looked like a rocky shell.
"Golem!" it grunted with its arms up.
"What's that?" Ash asked, and retrieved his Pokédex to scan the unknown Pokémon.
"Golem, a Megaton Pokémon. Once a year it sheds its bedrock shell and grows larger."
"Okay then..." Ash murmured thoughtfully, and replaced Dexter with a Poké Ball. "I choose... Bulbasaur!" Twisting his hat backwards, he threw the ball forward with a swing of his own arm and the Poké Ball clattered to the ground before the blue and green Grass Pokémon was released from inside.
"Bulba-zaur!" his Pokémon cried as its Poké Ball soared back to its Trainer.
"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" As immediately as he gave the order, his Bulbasaur jumped into the air, and with another cry, two vines shot out like missiles from underneath his Pokémon's bulb and soared towards Golem. However, Golem tucked its head in and pulled its limbs into its shell. Not knowing where to strike, Bulbasaur's vines whipped the shell at various angles, but none of the strikes even came close to making Golem move.
"Your Pokémon needs more practice!" the gang leader taunted with a smirk. "That wimpy Vine Whip attack is never gonna get through Golem's shell..." Ash growled lightly as Bulbasaur continued to strike Golem uselessly, and finally, its Trainer had enough and called for an attack of his own.
"All right Golem, Tackle attack!" Golem gave a grunt of a reply and, still tucked inside its shell, started to roll towards Bulbasaur. Despite its size, it quickly picked up speed, and Bulbasaur only had time to have its vines retreat underneath its vines once again before the Rock and Ground Pokémon barreled into it. Bulbasaur let out a gurgle of pain before flying backwards and bouncing off the ground before landing on its stomach.
"Bulbasaur!" Ash exclaimed with his eyebrows up to his hat, but they quickly fell back down as he grunted, and held his Pokémon's Poké Ball up. "Return, Bulbasaur!" When Bulbasaur was recalled into its Poké Ball, the boy looked back out onto the makeshift battlefield and with another Poké Ball in his other hand, he threw the new ball forward. "Charmander, I choose you!" This time, the ball that burst open released the orange Lizard Pokémon after a flash of light, and it, too, was ready for battle.
"Char char!" it uttered confidently.
"Charmander, Ember!"
"Char char!" Charmander called again, this time landing on the ground and holding its arms out. It spun its body like a ballerina, and as it spun faster and faster, the flames from its tail that wrapped around its body came off in sparks and small streams all around it. Golem didn't seem concerned, however, and pulled into its shell once again. The flames and sparks simply bounced off the hard rocks that made up the Pokemon's body.
"Heh! Tryin' 'ta heat things up? It ain't gonna happen," Golem's Trainer questioned, and pointed forward. "Go, Golem! Rock Throw, now!" Despite Charmander continuing its attack, Golem's limbs came out of its shell again, and with surprising agility, the Megaton Pokémon leapt high into the air. Putting all of its weight into its descent, Golem's eyes were locked on Charmander.
"Golem.. goo!" the Rock Pokémon declared, and came down at its opponent like a meteor. But the Fire-type managed to stop its attacking just in time and scurry out of the way at the last minute as Golem created a crater in the brick from the impact and bounced away.
"Charmander! Flamethrower!" Ash yelled, and Charmander pulled in a deep breath before releasing a blast of flames from its mouth at its opponent. The attack hit its mark, hitting Golem square in the center of its body as the Rock Pokémon was pulling itself to its feet from its last attack. Like before, Golem didn't seem affected by the flames, and simply stood in place as it took the brunt of the Fire-type attack. "Charmander, Fire Spin now!" When the first Fire attack faded, Ash noticed that Golem was starting to have a red glow to it, and he smirked as Charmander released another stream of fire from its mouth once again. The flames that were produced were skinnier, though, and Golem flinched this time and pulled its arms close to its body as the flames reached it. However, they spiraled around the fully-evolved Pokémon, and the red glow only deepened. "Ha! I wonder how long it can take this!"
For the first time since the battle started, the bike gang's leader's smile faded and was replaced with a scowl. "Golem, Tackle attack, now..." Once again, Golem pulled its limbs inside its shell and barreled towards Charmander, but the flames from the Lizard Pokémon's Fire Spin were still lingering around its body, and it was now a molten fireball that was barreling towards it.
"Charmander, run!" Ash called to his Pokémon, and Charmander panicked and hurried out of the way. But Golem quickly picked up speed as it had before, and despite not hitting its target, it continued forward, shooting right toward its Trainer and the rest of the bicycle gang. They all cried out and scattered like ants. Some who weren't so lucky to get out of the way in time all ran around with their back-ends on fire, and they ran around wildly in an attempt to put out the flames before their pants were completely incinerated. All the while, Ash and Charmander were watching with amusement, throwing their heads back and resting their hands on their hips with confident laughter.
Finally, Golem's Trainer had his hands on his knees and breathing heavily from running, retrieved his Pokémon's Poké Ball out and, with his eyes closed in defeat, he recalled his Pokémon back inside. "Golem, return..." As the red recall beam converted his Pokémon into energy and drew it inside, the Poké Ball began to glow as red as his hair as it heated up as well, and he let out a scream and tossed the red and white sphere from hand to hand like a hot potato.
But suddenly, the girl in leather who had spoken up before now stepped in the leader's place with an icy scowl written across her face. "Now, it's my turn to show you." She retrieved a Poké Ball of her own and the corners of her lips pulled up slightly before she raised her arm. "I choose you, Cloyster! Crush this wimp!" The ball left her hands and opened in midair, releasing a purple Pokémon that only looked like a spiky shell with horns protruding all over it appeared. Though it had no visible face, it gave a cry.
"Cloyst!"
"What's a Cloyster?!" Ash asked with a gasp, and once again pulled out Dexter to analyze it.
"Cloyster, a Bivalve Pokémon. Its shell is incredibly strong and resistant to a bomb. Its shell only opens when it attacks." Looking down at the picture displayed on the screen of the Pokédex, he saw that it had a black, smirking face underneath its shell, but that certainly wasn't displayed now.
"Okay, no sweat!" Ash commented with a confident smirk, but Brock stepped forward.
"Ash, let me handle this," he interjected, and Ash raised his eyebrows at the offer, but it all became clear when Brock looked back at him with a blush on his face. "Maybe if I beat her she'll go out with me." The Pokémon Trainer gave a loud groan and hung his head, but the Cloyster's Trainer was the one to respond.
"You battle?" she questioned loudly with a taunting laugh. "This should be quick." Brock didn't reply, and studied Cloyster for a moment before a smirk grew on his face as he made a decision on which Pokémon to use.
Pulling out a Poké Ball, he held it high in the air and reared his arm back. "Zubat, go-" But before the ball could leave his fingers, a flash of light spilled out of his backpack, which was laying beside Ash's on the ground, and in front of him, Psyduck appeared with its arms high in the air.
"Psy-yaiy!" it quacked, and Brock fell to the ground after realizing what had just happened.
"P-Psyduck, what are you doing?! I was gonna call Zubat, not you!"
"Psy?" the Duck Pokémon questioned, putting its hands on its head and cocking it back at its Trainer. Brock gave a sigh of defeat, however, and pulled himself together.
"Well, since you're out, you can battle if you want," he told it. Psyduck raised its arms in happiness, and trotted out onto the makeshift battlefield, giving a grunt every time it waddled. The green-haired girl seemed confused at first, but then laughter overtook her, and she quickly covered her mouth. When Brock pulled himself off the ground, the others had joined in as well, and Psyduck looked left and right at them all laughing in confusion.
"I have never seen such a pathetic Pokémon!" one of the biker cronies sputtered in between his laughter, and once again, a blush crept up Brock's face, but this time of embarrassment.
"Psy?" Psyduck's beady eyes scanned over the members of the biker gang, and it tilted its head, unsure of what they were laughing at.
"Psyduck! Use your Tail Whip attack!" Brock ordered after having enough of the laughter. Psyduck's hands found its way to its head momentarily as it looked at Brock, and then finally, it held them out and waved its backside back and forth. The laughter only continued, and harder than ever, and even Ash, who was trying to keep a stone-cold face, had his mask broken and he quickly muffled his laughter behind a gloved hand. Beside him, his Charmander frowned at its Trainer, and only gave Psyduck a pitying look.
Turning around, Psyduck grunted with each wave of its tail and walked backwards into Cloyster, but before its tail could hit the Water Pokémon, one of its spikes planted itself in Psyduck's backside. The Pokémon froze in place and stared blankly ahead for a moment before it let out a loud cry and launched itself into the air, holding the spot where it had been poked by Cloyster as involuntary tears appeared at the corners of its eyes. This only resulted in a barrage of more laughter, and Brock let out a horrified sigh.
"We were supposed to be attacking..." the Pokémon Breeder mumbled, but quickly shook this off and called for another attack as Psyduck landed on the ground in front of him. "Psyduck, Scratch attack now!"
"Psyyyyy!" The Water Pokémon quickly recovered from its reddened backside and charged at Cloyster with a determined look and both hands in the air. It reached the Bivalve Pokémon and wildly dragged its webbed claws along Cloyster's shell. Suddenly, it hit one of the spikes protruding out of its shell and froze once again before orbiting wildly around Cloyster and holding its affected hand in pain. The bike gang all fell to the ground, holding their stomachs and pounding the floor as tears formed in their own eyes from how hard they were laughing.
While the green-haired girl was amused still, she seemed tired of standing around, and issued her first command. "Cloyster, Clamp it with your shell." Psyduck stopped and its feet stamped on the ground in pain, and for the first time since the match had started, Cloyster's shell opened up, revealing its sneering face. With its back to it, Psyduck had no idea that Cloyster was right behind it, and only realized when its shadow fell over it. Slowly, the Duck Pokémon twisted its head back until it saw Cloyster jeering down at it, and Psyduck let out a cry of horror and went to run away before Cloyster closed its shell around Psyduck's head.
The Water Pokémon cried out in pain and attempted to pull away, but Cloyster held on powerfully and kept it in place. While Psyduck flailed, its cries got louder and louder as if its pain were getting more intense despite Cloyster not doing anything differently. "Looks like this battle's over," the biker girl stated with a smirk, but Brock's eyebrows were pulled together as his focus was on Psyduck.
"It seems like its headache's getting worse..." Just as he said this, Psyduck's body went limp, and its eyes closed as though it had fainted. However, there was a strange feeling emanating from Psyduck that told Brock and Ash that it wasn't out yet.
Suddenly, Psyduck's eyes opened wide and it threw its arms into the air. Rings of light blue energy soared out of its forehead, and suddenly, the smirk on Cloyster's face disappeared. The Pokémon seemed to flinch back, but then didn't move any further. As quickly as this happened, the laughter from the biker gang disappeared, and they all flinched back as well, all of them taking a strange, contorted shape. "H-hey! What's going on here!" the leader yelled in horror. Only Cloyster's Trainer was the only one not frozen, and her hair whipped around as she looked left and right at her teammates.
"I-I'm frozen! I can't move!" another gang member piped up, and both Ash and Brock looked on with their mouths open in shock.
"Hey, this must be one of Psyduck's attacks!" Brock muttered, and hearing this, Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned Brock's Pokémon.
"Psyduck's attacks: Disable." Just then, a blue outline shimmered around Psyduck's body, and it closed its eyes in concentration. Before it, Cloyster blinked in confusion as it was lifted into the air, and judging from the look on its face, it wasn't voluntary. Just then, Dexter piped up once again. "Psyduck's attacks: Confusion." Cloyster let out a cry as it was swung to the side and smashed into the guard rail, but didn't have time to recover before it was smashed into the ground, creating another crater before it was thrown high into the air.
"Cloy-yoy-yoyster!" it cried as it soared high into the air before plummeting to the ground and crash landing with a force that seemed to shake the whole bridge. When the dust faded, Cloyster's shell opened, revealing the Water Pokémon had been knocked out.
"C-Cloyster?" the female biker asked in a completely astounded voice.
"Psyduck... was that powerful all along?" Brock questioned, taken equally as aback as everyone else despite being its Trainer, and Ash scanned Psyduck with his Pokédex once again.
"When Psyduck's headache becomes severe, it uses amazing power," the machine explained as Psyduck opened its eyes once again, and looked around in confusion before holding its head and looking into the air.
"Psy-yaiy-yaiy... duck?"
"That kind of talent's a real pain..." Brock murmured. Across the battlefield, the girl withdrew her Pokémon back into its Poké Ball, and snarled in humiliation, but before anyone else could step forward, the sound of sirens blaring behind them grabbed everyone's attention.
"Looks like the next town wants to rumble!" the biker leader declared, but his tone instantly changed when he saw the squadron of police cars coming toward them, led by the town's Officer Jenny on her motorcycle.
"Hey, who's causing all the trouble on this bike path?!" she called, her demanding voice booming over the sirens.
"The cops!" the redhead shouted. "Let's split!" When the battle was over, the bicycle gang had found they had the ability to move once again, and they all hurried to their bikes and pedaled as fast as they could. While the wailing cars chased after the bike gang members, Officer Jenny skidded to a stop in front of Ash and Brock, and after assessing the situation and letting them recall their Pokémon back into their Poké Balls, they explained the situation to her. Luckily for them, she seemed like she was much more level-headed than her other family members, and listened to them carefully.
"So you're just trying to deliver Pokémon medicine to Sunnytown?" she concluded.
"Right. Joy, the beautiful Pokémon Center nurse, sent us," Brock continued, and then added, "Of course, she can't compare with you, Officer Jenny."
Jenny ignored him and instead, gave the pair a firm smile. "You need to get there, so I'll give you an escort." Just then, the phone on her motorcycle began to sound off, and she quickly answered it. "This is three-zero-three... Roger... Over and out." She frowned as she hung up the receiver. "There's been an accident. I'll have to go."
"That's okay. We'll be fine," Ash assured her.
"Be careful."
"Okay." They responded at the same time, but Brock seemed slightly disheartened at her sudden departure. But they had wasted enough time, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time.
"Let's go," Ash told Brock, and they hurried over to their bikes to continue down the bicycle path.
o 0 o
Losing a lot of time gave the pair a lot of anxiety, but it was nothing compared to the dark, looming clouds that were quickly catching up on their rear as well. They had been hearing the sound of thunder booming since they left the rest area, and now it was simply a race against the clock. Ash quickly realized that they had used the rest of their luck when Nurse Joy let them borrow the bikes when the clouds soon enveloped the sky. It was almost as black as night out now, and the water underneath the bridge was raging wildly. It was slamming powerfully against the pillars that held it up, and the winds that accompanied the clouds were enough to almost blow Ash and Brock off their bikes.
"We better hurry!" Ash called back to Brock, having to raise his voice so his traveling companion could hear him over the raging winds. But no sooner had they begun to pick up speed that a torrential rainstorm downpoured over them. Their clothes clinging to their bodies and their tires now threatening to hydroplane on the wet concrete at any rushing wind gust that blew by, they pushed on with Ash in the lead. His legs were on fire but his body was shivering. It was an odd feeling, but he ignored both as he continued pedaling. They couldn't stop now; they wasted enough time as it was.
Finally, the city finally appeared on the horizon-line – the end of the bridge was within sight. But one last obstacle blocked their view: a drawbridge that was raising from the ground just in time for them to arrive. Both Ash and Brock gasped, drawing in a mouthful of rain in the process. "A drawbridge! That ship's trying to take shelter in the bay!" The tooting of a horn was barely audible in the rushing storm. "We'll have to wait 'til it gets through."
Ash's eyes locked on the boat for just a second, but when he looked away, instead of slowing down, Ash continued pedaling, but pushed harder than ever. "We can't wait! They need that medicine!"
"Ash, don't!"
"There's a sick Pokémon waiting! I can't let it down!" His tires bounced as he hit the edge of the drawbridge, and he changed the gears in his bicycles as he started to move up the ramp, panting heavily as he poured all of his energy into pedaling harder. "Just have to keep going for that sick Pokémon... I have to make it... I just have to!" With one final push, Ash let out a yell as his bike bounced off the edge of the drawbridge at long last. Brock was not too far behind him, and he was silent, but both of them were airborne and heading toward the other side.
"We'll drown!" Brock screamed in horror, and Ash's heart was pounding in his chest. The water was a lot farther down than he originally thought, but he kept his eyes focused on the opposite bridge ahead. One last gust was wind was all that was needed to push them to the other side, and their tires bounced slightly as they arrived. Laughter of relief was let out as the wheels on the bikes went down on their own, and Ash had his legs raised in victory.
"WE MADE IT!" Ash cheered loudly. But, waiting for them on the other side of the drawbridge, was the bicycle gang that had been chased off earlier. They all seemed to be wearing masks of shock at the sight they had just seen, but the leader shook his head and donned a mask of confidence before clutching his fist.
"All right, now you have to battle us!" he challenged, but Ash didn't stop, and barely gave him a second glance.
"I'm delivering medicine for a sick Pokémon!" the black-haired boy told him. "Out of my way!"
"Wha..?!"
"You mean that's why you're out in this storm?" the girl who Brock had battled questioned, and instantly, all of their faces melted.
"Unbelievable!" the redheaded leader grumbled. "That's a real biker for 'ya!" He then smiled and looked back at his team. "Listen up, guys! We're gonna take 'dem 'dere in style!" The rest of the bikers agreed with whoops and cheers, and the gang all waited for Ash and Brock to pass before hurrying along after them.
Creating a circle around them, the leader introduced himself as Chopper, and assured them that no one knew the way to Sunnytown better than their gang. With Chopper leading the way, the rain was starting to let up now as they left the drawbridge behind and Sunnytown was straight ahead. "Don't worry, Ash!" Chopper called back to him. "We'll clear the way for 'ya!" And that they did. Once they arrived in the city, the sun was starting to break through the clouds, and any of the townsfolk that dared to be out in the rain quickly cleared the way when they saw the approach of the bike gang, but their eyes fell upon the two in the center that stuck out amongst them all.
Finally, they arrived at the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy was waiting outside with a worried look on her face. When she saw the bike gang approaching, and her eyes fell upon Ash and Brock, relief swept over her face, and she hurried inside. Parking their bikes at the front door, Ash and Brock hurried in, and after almost sliding on the polished tile flooring, the Pokémon Trainer retrieved his soaked backpack off his back and fished through it before pulling out the bag of medicine that had been given to him.
"Here, Nurse Joy," Ash said as he handed her the bag.
"You made it through in a storm like this," she replied with relief, and she brought them toward the back of the counter where a purple shelled Pokémon with a long tongue was submerged in a small tank of water. "Now this little one will be just fine." The Pokémon, a Shellder, looked worse for wear, but once Nurse Joy took out the bottle inside the bag and popped open the cap, she poured its contents inside the water. The powder instantly dissolved over the Shellder once it hit the water, and a moment of silence passed before the Bivalve Pokémon perked up, and bounced happily in the small tank.
"All right!" Ash and Brock cheered at the same time. They had made it just in time.
Heading back out into the waiting area, Chopper's bike gang were waiting patiently for the news, and all eyes fell upon Ash and Brock as they entered. But the pair gave them a smile to show they had made it, and everyone cheered loudly, and Chopper stepped forward.
"From now on, we're calling you Awesome Ash!" he announced, and Ash shrank back slightly and gave a nervous chuckle.
"Well, gosh, uh... I'm not really that awesome!" Suddenly, Brock rushed up to Tyra, the green-haired Cloyster Trainer and snatched up her hand in both of his own.
"You can call me Honey!" A flash of movement, and a loud slap of flesh smacking flesh ricocheted across the waiting area, and Brock went spiraling back with a red hand-print across his cheek.
-end-
Ash:
Party:
Wartortle (Poké Ball)
Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Water Gun, BubbleBeam
Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)
Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack
Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed
Charmander (Poké Ball)
Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Ember
Tauros (Safari Ball)
Moves:
Mankey (Poké Ball)
Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch
At Professor Oak's Lab:
Muk (Poké Ball)
Moves:
Tauros (Safari Ball)
Moves:
Krabby (Poké Ball)
Moves: ViceGrip
Badges:
Boulder Badge
Cascade Badge
Thunder Badge
Marsh Badge
Rainbow Badge
Soul Badge
Brock:
Party:
Onix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig
Geodude (Poké Ball)
Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle
Zubat (Poké Ball)
Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic
Psyduck (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tail Whip, Scratch, Disable, Confusion
Vulpix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Fire Spin
