"Why would they make a path this steep?" asked Arden, sitting on his bike at the top of Cycling Road. Gentry was perched on his shoulder and Blazer sat in front of him on the bike, between his body and the handle bars. They had fought nearly the whole way to the road, until Arden threatened to put them both back in their pokeballs if they didn't get along. The pokemon stopped bickering, but their looks and actions toward one another were still icy cold, for reasons Arden couldn't figure and—furthermore—just wasn't interested in investigating.

Taking a deep breath, Arden pedaled over the edge of the incline. He regretted it immediately. His bike sped down the path wildly, swerving from side to side as he tried to get it under control. Gentry dug his nails into Arden's coat, but to no avail; the nidoran fell backwards off the bike and hit the ground rolling. Blazer just whimpered and covered his face with his paws while Arden screamed.

With an echoing crash, he and his bike careened into a young man on a motorcycle, knocking the both of them down. "Hey!" said the biker, getting angrily to his feet. "What'd you do that for, spaz?!"

"I—I'm sorry," said Arden, pushing Blazer off of himself, and sitting up. He lifted his bicycle off his legs and stood. "I kinda lost control… Ah—where did Gentry go?" He looked around.

"Hey, you wrecked my bike! You've got to pay for it, man!" said the biker.

Arden's eyes widened. "What? You've got to be kidding me!" he said. "It was an accident! Besides, it wouldn't have happened if you were watching where you were going."

"Watch where I was going? You crashed into me! I was ridin' along just fine, and then you came out of no where and hit me!"

"No, you came out of no where, and I couldn't avoid you!"

"Oh, that is it," spat the biker. He held up a pokeball. "We're gonna settle this like this! Go, koffing!"

"Eeeh, fine," said Arden. "Thief, go!"

"Meeow!" shouted Thief, as he was released from his ball. The koffing appeared before him.

"Koffing, use smog!"

"Thief—pay day!"

Thief arched his back and fired a stream of coins which struck the opposing monster soundly. The koffing grunted and contracted his body, spewing a purple cloud of toxins, which wafted over the meowth. Thief shivered as the smog burned his lungs and poisoned him.

"Come on, Thief—do better than that," said Arden. "Use cut!"

Summoning his strength, the meowth leapt at the enemy koffing, swiping with his claws. The koffing groaned as the claws stuck true. Thief landed and winced in pain as the poison caused him more damage.

"Koffing, use smog again!"

The spherical pokemon released another cloud of noxious poison on the already poisoned meowth. Thief shuddered again at the poison.

"Finish him, Thief—scratch!"

Thief swiped at the biker's pokemon, cutting it across the face. With a moan, the koffing fainted and the biker recalled it. "Meeoow," said Thief, gritting his teeth as the pain of being poisoned echoed in his body. He shuddered once again, and his body began to glow.

"Eh—Thief?" said Arden.

With a brilliant flash, the meowth began to change. The light cleared away, revealing his new form as a Persian. "Peeersian," said the pokemon.

"Well, alright!" said Arden, putting his hand on Thief's back and feeling his silky fur. "Now that's somethin'! You're stronger now, right?"

"Peeeer," said Thief. He shuddered as the poison continued to affect him.

"Well, alright, take a rest," said Arden, holding up his pokeball. Thief disappeared into it with a flash and Arden mounted his bike once again. He picked up Blazer and set him in front of himself, once again, before looking around. "But, now, where did—ah! There he is! Gentry!"

Arden waved his arm at the little nidoran, who was running down the road as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. He tripped and began to roll down, picking up speed as he did. "Ah!" shouted Arden as Gentry rolled past. "Too far! Too far! –Gah! I'm coming, Gentry!"

He began to pedal, picking up quite a bit of speed himself very rapidly. Soon he was neck and neck with Gentry, both of them rolling down the path with uncontrollable swiftness. The bike swerved close to the rolling nidoran and one of his spikes caught in its spokes, causing the bike to buck its riders. Boy and bike rolled together with nidoran and vulpix in a huge heap down the path, and off a short ledge. They hit the ground bellow still rolling and smacked against a fence. Groaning, Arden disentangle himself from the others and stood. "Ah, my head," he moaned. He looked down. "Ah! My bike!"

Indeed, it was completely ruined—the spokes were bent, the chain was broken, and the frame was a twisted mess. Blazer stood up, wobbling, and Gentry sat on his haunches, dizzied and confused. With a sigh, Arden tossed his bike over the fence and into the ocean. "Oh well," he said. "I'm better off without it, anyway. Let's get going, guys."

He scooped up Gentry, causing Blazer to give the nidoran a pointed glare, and started toward the gatehouse into Fuchsia, with his vulpix padding along behind him, shimmering in the afternoon sun.