POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

By the river, a girl named Stephanie sat cross-legged, fishing with a rod in her hand. She had long orange hair tied back with a rope and was dressed in a cool, casual outfit. A beige sleeveless jacket revealed her belly button, while ultra-short denim shorts were held up by red suspenders.

"I heard there's a Gyarados in this river. I really hope I don't run into one..." Stephanie muttered to herself, her eyes nervously scanning the water. She had an intense fear of Gyarados, not just because of its size but due to some traumatic past experiences.

"Wait... There's something," she said, her attention snapping to the fishing rod. The buoy wasn't moving, but something was definitely stirring beneath the water.

Just then, a shadow rose from the water and startled Stephanie. To her surprise, a boy about her age emerged, soaked, with Pikachu clinging to his shoulder, trembling.

The two locked eyes in surprise. The boy blinked in astonishment, recognizing the legendary figure.

"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu tugged at the boy's hat, bringing him back to reality.

"Run!" the boy suddenly shouted, grabbing Stephanie's hand before she could react. "The Spearow are coming! We need to go!"

"Wait, what? Why are Spearow after you?!" Stephanie asked, confused.

"I'm sorry to drag you into this, but there's no time to explain! Just run, if those Spearow catch us, it won't be pretty!" the boy urged, pulling her along.

"Wait!" Stephanie yelled, trying to get him to stop. "If we just run like this, the Spearow will catch up! They'll be faster!"

"But there are Gyarados in the river!" the boy shouted back urgently. "We can't hide in the water!"

At this revelation, Stephanie froze. Gyarados? She had heard rumors, but she didn't expect the river to be home to such a dangerous Pokémon, especially one she feared.

"Is that... a bicycle?" the boy suddenly exclaimed, spotting a bike parked nearby on the slope. His face lit up with hope as he dragged Stephanie toward it. He placed her bag on the front basket and hopped on, but there was no backseat—just a trail bike.

"Wait!" Stephanie tried to object, but the boy was already pushing the pedals.

"Hold on tight!" the boy called, and with that, the bike sped off, fast as lightning.

"Where are you going? To Changpan City?" Stephanie shouted as she struggled to keep her balance.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get to Tokiwa City!" the boy shouted back, making a sharp turn.

"Really?" Stephanie grumbled, still holding the boy's shoulder with one hand and clinging to the fishing rod with the other.

She looked back at the approaching Spearow. The distance between them was closing in fast.

"How did you manage to provoke a Spearow?" Stephanie asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

The boy panted, slightly out of breath. "It's a long story, but we fought a Pidgey earlier, and Pikachu's Spark must've alerted the Spearow. They came after us after that."

Stephanie shook her head in disbelief. "You two really are unlucky..."

Pikachu, understanding the situation, turned to look back at Stephanie with an apologetic expression. It wasn't just the boy and Pikachu who were in danger now—it was her, too.

"Keep going, just keep going..." Stephanie murmured to herself, glancing over her shoulder. The Spearow were getting closer.

"How far are they now?" the boy asked, not slowing down.

"They're about 100 meters behind us," she answered with a note of worry in her voice. "We won't make it to the outskirts of Viridian City at this rate."

"100 meters..." The boy's face hardened with determination. He quickly turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

"Pika!" Pikachu leaped to action, and to Stephanie's surprise, a bolt of lightning shot out. The Spearow hit by the attack fell from the sky, but the boy didn't stop there.

"How... is this possible?" Stephanie muttered in disbelief. The attack hit with precision from 100 meters away. Pikachu was only an Earl Dervish-class Pokémon, so the fact it could strike with such accuracy was unbelievable.

But as the boy pedaled harder, the Spearow kept gaining ground, despite the occasional Thunder Shock hitting a few of the birds.

Stephanie looked at the boy in amazement, realizing that he had a plan. She hadn't expected much from someone so young, but he was proving to be more capable than she'd thought.

"Do you have any idea how far we need to go to escape them?" she asked between breaths.

"At least a few more miles," the boy said grimly, knowing they couldn't afford to stop for long.

With each pedal, the boy and Stephanie drew farther from the attacking Spearow. The distance was closing, but they still had a chance. Pikachu continued to unleash Thunder Shocks, striking down a few more birds that tried to catch up.

"Just a little longer..." the boy muttered, pushing the bicycle as fast as he could. He knew the Spearow wouldn't stop until they were caught.

After a few minutes of intense pedaling, they reached a fork in the path, and Stephanie quickly pointed. "To the left! There's a narrow pass there!"

The boy didn't hesitate. He turned sharply to the left, and soon, the path became more enclosed, providing cover from the oncoming Spearow.

As they sped through the narrow path, Stephanie glanced back. The Spearow were starting to spread out, trying to find a way to catch them, but the boy's quick thinking had given them a bit of breathing room.

"We're almost there..." Stephanie whispered, her heart still racing from the chase. The boy's determination and Pikachu's quick thinking had bought them enough time to evade their pursuers.

The sound of the Spearow's angry cries faded behind them, and after a few more minutes, the boy slowed the bike down, finally coming to a stop. They had made it to a small clearing near a dense forest.

"That... was too close," the boy said, his voice shaky but relieved.

Stephanie exhaled deeply, letting the tension leave her body. "You really saved us. I thought we were done for."

Pikachu climbed down from the boy's head, walking over to Stephanie with a small, apologetic squeak. She smiled, reaching down to pet the little Electric-type.

"It was a close call, but we're safe now." The boy grinned, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Thanks for the help, though I didn't expect to drag you into this mess."

Stephanie shook her head. "It's not your fault. I was just... surprised."

She glanced down at the river once more, feeling relieved that the Spearow group had finally dispersed. But now, with the immediate danger behind them, she had another thought on her mind.

"So... what's your name?" she asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Ash," the boy said with a grin. "And this is Pikachu."

"Nice to meet you, Ash," Stephanie replied, offering a handshake. "I'm Stephanie."

The two of them exchanged smiles, knowing that while the adventure had been dangerous, it had also forged a new friendship. And with Pikachu by their side, they knew they'd be ready for whatever challenges came next.

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