008. Episode Inspiration: The Bridge Biker Gang

This is the sixty-third submission at my attempt at looneytunerian's Pokeshipping Theme Challenge.

8. Episode Inspiration: The Bridge Bike Gang

“The road isn’t finished but the bicycle path is,” said Norman the bridge officer. He greeted a couple of girls who rode past on their bikes before continuing. “If you had bikes, you could cross too.” 

That suggestion only brought sad disappointment to Ash. Up until now, the primary means of travel he and his friends used were each of their own two feet. Sure, they might’ve rode a boat here or there and ridden on things that aren’t common means of travel since the trio first set off together, but those instances were exactly that: instances. Not to mention that bicycles never ran for cheap in any of the stores they’d seen when passing through towns or cities. So, to have bikes now would be a miracle. 

“Well,” Misty said suddenly (causing Ash to jump), “if a certain someone here hadn’t totally destroyed my bike, we could be just zipping right across this bridge now, couldn’t we?” He knew she was going to bring that up. Every time the subject of bikes were mentioned, she would remind him of the one she had that he destroyed. It was just unfair, though. How was he to know that a thunderstorm was going to roll in during all that mess? And that Pikachu was going to use the lightning as a means of defense? It was completely unfair, but not at all unexpected. Ash just wished Misty didn’t bring it up. It makes him forget about the overwhelming guilt he feels about the subject. 

“Well, yeah maybe,” Ash replied, feeling utterly sheepish and stuck with nothing much else to say. He’ll just have to ride out her mood in the meantime.

---

To come up with a plan that would allow them to cross a bike bridge path sans bikes was a lot harder than Ash and his friends thought. The car path was still under construction, so they couldn’t ask someone with extra room in their backseat. And they had checked out the local bike shops around town to see who sold closest to the budget of three kids all under the age of eighteen. No dice. Ash, Misty, and Brock would all be in debt for the next ten years if they tried to buy even just one on a loan. So, the kids opted to just head to the local Pokémon Center to see if they could think of maybe anything else. About twenty minutes later, while sitting in the lobby with eyes closed in firm concentration, nothing came to mind. It was hopeless! It was impossible! It was – 

“Excuse me, if you could spare some time?” A stroke of luck. Turning to see who called out to them, Ash and his friends saw a Nurse Joy with what looked like a hopeful yet possibly desperate expression on her face. She told them – after a bit of a stint where Brock suddenly used Ash’s backside as a platform for flirtation – that there was a very ill pokémon in the next town over. Specifically, the town over on the other side of the bridge. Call it what you will but who were Ash and Misty to look a possible gift horse in the mouth? So, they listened intently to what Nurse Joy had for them. (Brock, in the meanwhile, laid on the floor to unintentionally compensate for the pain he gave Ash.) “I need someone to deliver this medicine to the pokémon center in Sunnytown,” Nurse Joy said as she placed a bag on the lobby counter. “Normally, I’d go myself but...” she paused as she let the desperation overtake her expression, “I’m too busy to leave the center right now.” 

Ash, not blind to those in need of help, became determined to help out Nurse Joy. Especially for any pokémon in need. “It’s just over the bridge, right?” 

“That’s right,” the nurse replied. 

“But we don’t have any bicycles,” Misty interjected. 

“No problem,” Nurse Joy said happily as relief washed over her. “I’ll let you use some of our bicycles!” 

Jackpot. With the correct mode of transportation guaranteed and an official excuse to cross, they were most assuredly going to be able to continue their journey! This was the thought that hit both Ash and Misty at the same time. For when they looked to each other to see if what they both heard was real, and their expressions held the same amount of surprise, they knew. They knew that luck was on their side and they weren’t going to let it go! Thank you, powers on high! Now, it was off to help out that pokémon in need.

---

It was crazy! It was dangerous! There was no way he was going to make it! And yet here he was planning to do it. He was going to try and jump over the chasm of the lifted drawbridge. He was the one carrying the medicine and the only one on a singular bicycle. (Misty and Brock had to take a tandem bike, making their needed momentum double that of Ash’s.) So, it was going to be up to him to make it through, if for nothing else but that sick pokémon. So, in spite of the rain and wind and the whizzing of their bikes, Ash tried his best to call out his plan to his friends. Thankfully, they heard him. 

“Ash, don’t!” cried Brock. 

“There’s a sick pokémon waiting!” Ash replied. “I can’t let it down!” And with that, he forced himself to pick up speed. Not soon after, he heard Misty call out to him. 

“Ash, wait up!” She sounded terrified. Whether it was for the situation they were in, for him, or even for herself he didn’t know. And had it not been for his fierce determination, Misty’s voice would have won out. He didn’t want to scare her. He didn’t want to leave her with a terrible memory. But someone was suffering and that’s what mattered most. So, with all the power he could muster, he made the jump off the ramp with Misty and Brock in tow. 

1 second… 2 seconds… 3 seconds… 

It felt like a lifetime where everything seemed to hang in the balance. How was he going to reach the other ramp? There wasn’t enough momentum! At this rate, they’ll hit nothing but water! “We’ll drown!” cried out both Misty and Brock. 

And then, lightning struck. Not literally, mind you, but in the form of Team Rocket. For reasons Ash and his friends didn’t know, Team Rocket had taken off from the opposite ramp and were now falling towards him. More specifically, they were falling in the perfect trajectory for him to use them as a springboard to make those last few feet through the air. “We’ll bounce!” Ash said happily. Here’s hoping it works. 

About fifteen seconds later and on much more stable ground than nothing at all, Ash and his friends were absolutely delighted at their successful impromptu plan. “We made it!” Ash yelled in excitement. He could see the road ahead, a bit rained on and maybe with a few minor obstacles ahead… but visible and ready to be tread upon by him and his friends. Let’s just hope that Team Rocket will forgive the kids for that whole springboard business, yeah?

Woof, here's to the last theme-turned-drabble post. Whee... @__@;;; Yeah, I feel a little burnt out despite not working on them all at once. I guess I'm just not made for writing. Especially since I need almost complete silence to do it. (Or at least, wordless songs. Like OST/background music from anime and some such.)

Anyway, y'all are probably happy to know that this is the last one. So, I'll just let you savor this as I try to let my brain heal from the possible second degree burns I did to it with all this writing. See you next time... @_______@;;;;

Art & Writing © Yours Truly, Hakui-Kitsune
Ash Ketchum & Pikachu © Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Gamefreak Inc., OLM Inc., The Pokemon Company (& International), & Pokemon USA
Pokeshipping 100 Theme Challenge © looneytunerian