After finishing their fruitful trip to the Safari Zone, Ash and his companions continued toward their next destination.
Before them stood a magnificent bridge that stretched across a vast sea channel.
According to the road signs, the bridge was twenty kilometers long and connected to Sunny Town on the opposite shore.
"What a long bridge!" Misty exclaimed as she gazed at the roadway that seemed to disappear into the distance.
"Unfortunately, there's a sign here that says 'Not yet fully open to traffic, bicycles only,'" Brock said, pointing at the notice beside the road.
For Ash and his friends, who were short on money and couldn't possibly afford three bicycles, this was clearly bad news.
Did that mean they had to take a huge detour?
With a try-their-luck attitude, they went to the Pokémon Center near the bridge entrance to ask if there was any other way across.
Unexpectedly, an opportunity quietly appeared.
Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center was worrying about something. "Someone needs to deliver this batch of special medicine to the Pokémon Center in Sunny Town as soon as possible. There's a Pokémon with a serious illness waiting for it. But this bridge…" She looked out the window at the long bridge, clearly troubled.
"We can go!" Ash immediately volunteered.
"But do you have bicycles?" Nurse Joy asked.
Ash, Misty, and Brock looked at each other and shook their heads.
After thinking for a moment, Nurse Joy said, "If you're willing to help deliver the medicine, the center can lend you three public bicycles temporarily. Once the task is complete, just leave the bicycles at the Pokémon Center in Sunny Town."
It was like receiving help in the middle of a snowstorm.
"We promise we'll finish the mission!" the three of them replied in unison.
Riding the borrowed bicycles, Ash and his friends set out onto the long bridge across the sea.
The ocean breeze brushed against their faces, and the scenery was magnificent. At first, the ride was quite pleasant.
However, the good mood didn't last long.
When they reached the central stretch of the bridge, a group of trainers wearing matching leather jackets blocked their path. They rode flashy, heavily modified bicycles. Leading them was a cool and imposing woman with long green hair named Tyra. They called themselves the "Storm Riders" of the bridge.
"This bridge was built by me!" one of the biker underlings shouted.
"If you want to pass, leave your toll!" another chimed in.
Tyra raised a hand to stop her subordinates' clumsy introduction. Her sharp gaze fell on Ash.
"You look like trainers too. Let's follow the rules. A Pokémon battle. If you win, we'll let you pass. If you lose… leave your bicycles and everything you're carrying."
"A battle? Just what I wanted!" Ash accepted the challenge without hesitation.
One of the bikers named Chopper stepped forward to battle, sending out a Golem first, its defensive power clearly formidable.
After a brief moment of thought, Ash chose Charmander.
"Charmander? That's a huge disadvantage in terms of type!" Misty said worriedly.
"Trust Charmander, and trust Ash," Brock said calmly.
"Golem, use Rollout!"
"Charmander, don't clash head on! Use your speed to dodge, then look for a chance to use Smokescreen!"
Charmander leapt nimbly, dodging Golem's increasingly fast rolling attack while breathing out thick black smoke that quickly shrouded the battlefield.
Golem lost its sense of direction inside the Smokescreen, and its rolling attack became chaotic.
"Now's the time! Aim for the gap in its rocky body and use Flamethrower!" Ash seized the moment and gave the order.
A blazing stream of fire shot straight into the vulnerable joint between Golem's arm and its body. The effect was excellent!
Golem cried out in pain, stopped rolling, and black smoke rose from its body as it collapsed, unable to battle.
"You actually defeated Golem…" A hint of surprise flashed in Tyra's eyes. She stepped forward herself. "Not bad. In that case, my Cloyster will be next!"
As soon as Cloyster appeared, it shut its hard shell and used Withdraw. Its defense sharply increased, and from the cracks in its shell it continuously fired sharp Spike Cannon shots. The attack had wide coverage and considerable power.
"Extremely high defense and long range attacks…" Ash made a quick judgment. He recalled Charmander. "In that case, Pikachu, I choose you! Use Quick Attack to close the distance, then go straight for Thunderbolt!"
"Pika—chu!" Pikachu turned into a streak of lightning, zigzagging to dodge the dense spikes as it rushed toward Cloyster. At point blank range, it unleashed a powerful golden electric blast. The current conducted through the gaps in the shell, producing a devastating effect. Cloyster's shell heated up from the electricity, trembling before it finally opened and fainted.
"Even Tyra's Cloyster lost…" The Storm Riders erupted in shock.
Tyra looked deeply at Ash and Pikachu, about to say something.
Suddenly, several familiar figures came charging over on a ridiculous single seat rocket vehicle.
"Since you asked so sincerely!"
"We'll kindly tell you!"
…
"We are Team Rocket, traveling across the bridge! Hand over the medicine and the Pokémon, meow!"
Team Rocket's trio always made their entrance at the most "timely" moments. However, the moment Tyra saw Jessie, she froze, blurting out in shock, "Jess… Big Jess? Is that you?"
Jessie was also stunned. After taking a closer look at Tyra, an awkward expression flashed across her face. "Ty… Tyra? What are you doing here…"
It turned out that before Jessie joined Team Rocket, she had once been the leader of these delinquent biker girls.
Just then, the sound of police sirens echoed from the distance. The commotion on the bridge had apparently attracted Officer Jenny.
"It's the police!"
"Let's go!"
The Storm Riders immediately panicked. They no longer cared about Ash or Team Rocket and quickly mounted their bicycles to retreat. Seeing the situation turn bad, Team Rocket also slipped away in a hurry.
Ash and his friends let out a sigh of relief and continued on their way.
However, the weather suddenly turned against them. The clear sky rapidly filled with dark clouds, and before long a torrential downpour began. Strong winds howled across the bridge, making the surface wet and difficult to ride on. Even worse, due to the storm, part of the drawbridge structure in the middle of the bridge slowly began to rise, threatening to separate the path entirely.
"This is bad! The bridge is breaking apart!" Misty cried out.
At that critical moment, the ringing of bicycle bells sounded again.
Tyra returned with her Storm Riders. They were not there to cause trouble this time. Braving the wind and rain, they shouted loudly, "Hey! Medicine delivery! Follow us and rush through! We'll clear the way for you!"
Tyra had recognized Jessie, stirring up some old memories, or perhaps complicated feelings toward her former leader. More importantly, she had been moved by Ash's strength and his determination to deliver the medicine, so she decided to help them.
With the Storm Riders forming an escort using their bikes and their shouts to guide the way, Ash and his friends pedaled with all their might. Just before the drawbridge fully lifted, they barely managed to dash across to the other side.
"Thank you!" Ash shouted as he looked back.
In the wind and rain, Tyra waved her hand and called back loudly, "Go on! Don't delay delivering the medicine!"
In the end, Ash and his friends successfully delivered the medicine to the Pokémon Center in Sunny Town in time, saving the seriously ill Pokémon, a Shellder.
Although they had gone through wind, rain, and several twists along the way, they also gained an unexpected friendship and help from the Storm Riders.
Once again, their journey proved that beyond Pokémon battles, understanding and kindness between people, even with so called delinquents, were just as precious.
A/N: I try to pick scenes with a bit of story to write about. If it's something with no real imagery, then I usually skip it.
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