Chapter 14: The Mermaid of Cerulean City

By the riverbank, a young girl named girl sat cross-legged, engrossed in her fishing.

Her short orange hair was tied back with a rope, and she wore a breezy beige sleeveless jacket that exposed her belly button, paired with ultra-short jeans held up by red suspenders.

"I hope I don't encounter a Gyarados," she murmured, glancing nervously at the water.

Her fear of Gyarados was rooted in past experiences, leaving her with a deep-seated anxiety about the powerful Pokémon.

Suddenly, her attention sharpened as she felt movement.

"What's happening?" she wondered, watching the buoy on her fishing rod. It remained still, but her instincts told her something lurked beneath the surface.

"Wait... is that a group of Spearow?!"

As she peered into the sky, she noticed a dark cloud forming in the distance. Her heart sank as she realized that it was indeed a swarm of Spearow, and confusion washed over her.

"What are they doing here? I thought this river was free of them!"

Just then, the water erupted, and a figure emerged—a boy about her age, with a Pikachu clinging to his shoulder. Their eyes locked in mutual astonishment.

"Pika, Pika!" The electric mouse Pokémon tugged at the boy's hat, jolting him awake to the danger overhead.

"Run! The Spearow are coming!" he shouted, pulling girl by the hand as he dashed toward the riverbank.

"Hey! What's going on? Are the Spearow chasing you?!" she exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, but we need to move! If those Spearow catch us, it won't end well!" He didn't slow down, gripping her hand tightly as he scanned the area.

"Wait!" girl protested, her mind racing. "If we run like this, the Spearow will catch up to us again!"

"We can't risk it! There are Gyarados in the river—you can't hide there!" he replied, urgency lacing his tone.

Stephanie's face paled at the mention of Gyarados. She had hoped to suggest they hide in the water, but that idea vanished in light of her fear. 

As they climbed up a slope, the boy spotted a bicycle parked nearby.

"This will do!"

he exclaimed, leading them to the bike.

He placed her backpack in the front basket and hopped on, noticing the absence of a back seat. 

"Wait, you can't ride without me!" girl exclaimed, her expression changing as she quickly rummaged through her bag.

She retrieved two small items and positioned them beside the bike's rear wheel.

"Hold on tight!" he said, feeling a rush of relief when she found her footing.

With a firm push on the pedals, the bike shot forward, gaining speed.

"Where are we going? Head toward Viridian City!" girl shouted, pointing north.

"I can't make it to the city now; we need to get to Girl City!" he replied, redirecting their course.

"Seriously…" she grumbled, still gripping his shoulders for balance while tucking her fishing rod under her arm.

As they sped away, she risked a glance back at the approaching swarm. The distance was closing in.

"How did you provoke those Spearow?" she asked, curiosity piquing as she glanced at the adorable Pikachu on the boy's head.

"It's a long story," he panted, "but we got into a fight with a Pidgey, and that alerted the Spearow."

"Talk about bad luck…" girl shook her head, unable to find a retort. She felt a wave of sympathy for him, noting his distressed expression.

"Pika…" Pikachu turned to girl, sharing the boy's embarrassment, realizing she had been caught in the crossfire of their troubles.

As they pedaled, girl kept glancing back, feeling the Spearow closing in.

"How far are they behind us?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

"About a hundred meters!" he replied, determination set in his gaze. 

"Then we need to act fast!" He suddenly turned to Pikachu, issuing a command,

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

"Pika!" Without hesitation, Pikachu complied, electricity sparking around him.

Girl's eyes widened as he focused his energy and unleashed a powerful Thunder Shock toward a Spearow in the distance.

To her astonishment, the attack hit its mark with precision, sending the targeted Spearow spiraling to the ground.

"How is this possible?!"

Girl exclaimed, disbelief coursing through her.

She had never seen an Earl Dervish-class Pokémon hit from such a distance. This Pikachu was full of surprises!

As the boy steered the bike toward Viridian City, they felt a mix of fear and exhilaration, racing against time and nature's fury. 

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Adios