Chapter 123: The Cowboy of Cycling Road

After leaving the natural expanse of the Safari Zone, Red found himself in a bustling, modern city. Its most prominent feature was a massive bridge, an architectural marvel stretching 20 kilometers across the sea to connect with Sunny-Side City on the opposite bank.

Red gazed out at the structure. It was so vast that an ordinary person couldn't see the other end, but Red's enhanced vision could just make out the vague outline of his destination. The bridge was still under construction at its farthest point, a testament to its ambition. It was designed primarily for motor vehicles, but a dedicated cycling lane ran alongside it.

The bridge administrators were firm: walking was forbidden. The journey was too long, and anyone on foot would be caught by darkness before they reached the other side—a safety hazard they couldn't afford.

"Excuse me," Red said, approaching the administrator at the bridge entrance. "Can I cross with my Pokémon?"

'Another rookie,' the administrator thought with a weary sigh. He'd seen this a dozen times. "This is a motorized vehicle bridge," he explained patiently. "There is a bicycle lane, but you must be on a bicycle to use it."

"Aren't Pokémon faster than bicycles?" Red countered, his tone cool and logical. "Or is this bridge not strong enough to support a Pokémon's weight? Or perhaps," he added, a hint of steel in his voice, "I'm required to purchase a bike from an officially sanctioned shop to be granted passage?"

"That… it's not like that…" The administrator was completely stumped. Red's points were sharp and irrefutable, leaving him with no valid argument.

"If there's an issue, you can report my name," Red stated, ending the debate. "Red, from Pallet Town."

He threw a Poké Ball, and the powerful gray Tauros materialized before them. In one fluid motion, Red leaped onto its back, ready to ride.

"Let's go, Tauros," he commanded, a rare note of excitement in his voice. "Let's conquer this 20-kilometer bridge together!"

With an answering moo of exhilaration, Tauros snorted a rough breath from its nostrils and charged onto the bridge, leaving the sputtering administrator in its dust.

"Kids these days… so reckless," the man sighed, shaking his head. Then a small smile formed. "A galloping cowboy on Cycling Road… Now that would make for a great new story."

The refreshing sea wind whipped past as Red and Tauros thundered across the wide bridge, a picture of untamed freedom. They were completely oblivious to the astonished stares of the cyclists they effortlessly overtook.

"Whoa, riding a Tauros is so cool!" one young boy exclaimed, staring in awe. He looked down at his own bicycle with regret. He vaguely recalled the shop owner grinning as he sold it to him, claiming it was the cheapest bike in the store, only to turn around and say the exact same thing to the next customer.

But such a conspicuous display of power was bound to attract trouble. Before long, a gang of cyclists swerved to block their path, surrounding them with a boisterous clang of bicycle bells.

"Do bicycles have gangs now?" Red muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice. He signaled for Tauros to halt, content to watch the performance. It reminded him of a circus juggling act.

"Hey, Red-Hat Cowboy. You don't look like you're from around here," the leader, a boy with fiery red hair, said with a smirk. "Trying to cross our bridge without paying respects? That's a little naive, don't you think?"

"Oh? Do you have a problem?" Red replied, his tone growing cold.

"Hmph—"

Sensing the provocation toward his master, Tauros stomped a single hoof on the ground. The force of it sent a shockwave through the bridge, nearly knocking the gang leader off his bike. They all stared in horror at the deep crater Tauros had effortlessly created in the reinforced asphalt.

They were locals. They knew how tough this bridge was. To see it shattered so easily sent a wave of panic through the group.

"Don't misunderstand!" a green-haired girl, clearly another leader of the gang, stammered out. "Our way of 'paying respects' is a Pokémon battle! We meant no harm!" She eyed the enraged Tauros fearfully, terrified it might charge.

"Fine," Red said, his voice flat. "Consider it a warm-up. Tauros, it's all you."

The red-haired boy seemed to regret his challenge, but to save face, he steeled himself and sent out his Pokémon. "Golem, let's go!"

"That Shiny Tauros… it's enormous!" he exclaimed. Only now, with his own Pokémon on the field, did he truly grasp the size difference.

An average Tauros stands at 1.4 meters. Red's was a towering 1.9 meters, its thick, scarred horns a testament to its past battles and its pride as a herd leader.

"Golem, don't be scared!" the boy shouted, more to convince himself than his Pokémon. "We're the undefeated champions of Cycling Road!"

Despite his encouragement, Golem trembled under the sheer pressure radiating from Tauros.

"You can go first," Red said calmly.

"Golem, use Rollout!"

The rock Pokémon curled into a sphere and hurtled toward Tauros.

This was a warm-up, so Tauros didn't wait for a command. It met the attack head-on with a powerful Horn Attack. For a tense thirty seconds, the two were locked in a stalemate, a brutal contest of strength.

Then, with a heavy snort, Tauros decided it had played enough. Its full power erupted. It drove forward, forcing Golem's spinning form backward until the Rollout was completely neutralized.

"How is that possible? My Golem…" the boy stammered, too shocked to issue another command.

Tauros's three tails began to glow with a brilliant white light. A triple-powered Iron Tail, amplified by its Sheer Force ability, slammed into Golem. The rock Pokémon was sent flying, knocked out in a single, decisive blow. The warm-up wasn't even over.

"Continue," Red said, his voice devoid of emotion, urging the rest of the gang to step forward and not waste his time.

"It's my turn!" the green-haired girl shouted, trying to sound brave. "Cloyster, I'm counting on you!"

She sent out the bivalve Pokémon. "Cloyster, use Aurora Beam!"

A rainbow-colored beam shot from Cloyster's horn. Tauros met it with a disdainful snort and a volley of Stone Edge projectiles. The two attacks collided, but the Aurora Beam was instantly overpowered. The remaining stones flew toward Cloyster, which quickly withdrew into its nigh-impenetrable shell to weather the attack.

"It's over," Red stated flatly. By defending, Cloyster had sacrificed all mobility.

Tauros used the same move again. Three glowing tails swung down in a devastating Iron Tail. A sickening crack echoed across the bridge as Cloyster's shell shattered, and it collapsed, unconscious.

The gang was silent, utterly defeated.

"Instead of wasting your time as a bicycle gang," Red advised as he prepared to leave, "you should put your riding skills to use. Become couriers. Transport medicine between the cities."

With that, he rode off, leaving the humbled gang behind. The legend of the "Red-Hat Cowboy" spread like wildfire, and soon, many more trainers began to follow his example, galloping across the bridge on their own Pokémon partners.

[Chapter Complete]

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