The boy pedaled the bicycle with all his might, urging it forward without daring to slow down, as slowing would allow the flock of Spearow to catch up. Meanwhile, Pikachu periodically launched electric attacks on the pursuing Spearow.

The girl clung tightly to the boy's shoulders to prevent herself from falling. She wanted to send out her own Pokémon to assist, but the situation did not allow for such actions, leaving her feeling helpless and anxious.

"Pika...chu—!" After another Thunder Shock attack from Pikachu, another Spearow fell from the sky. However, there were still many left; the initial group might have been around forty or fifty, but now at least thirty were still in pursuit.

"Huff, huff... How long until we reach Viridian City?" The boy was visibly exhausted, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

"About twenty kilometers, I think..." The girl wasn't entirely sure how much further they had to go. Their initial fishing spot was at least thirty kilometers away from Viridian City, and after their journey so far, they still had over twenty kilometers left to cover.

"I can't keep this up much longer..." The boy struggled to speak. He had already run a significant distance, and swam part of the way in the river, and now he was biking, further sapping his strength, especially with the added burden of carrying a girl.

"Well..." The girl didn't know what to do either; she had never faced a situation like this before.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu was also running low on energy. Even though it had received a legacy, the enhancement hadn't been for long, and its strength was fundamentally still at a beginner level.

"Do you have any Pokémon?" the boy asked, still pedaling hard but starting to consider other options. It seemed increasingly unlikely they would make it to the outskirts of Viridian City before being overtaken, so they needed to think of a plan B.

"I do, but..." The girl hesitated, her teeth clenched. Her Pokémon's abilities were not particularly strong, certainly no stronger than Pikachu, and possibly even weaker.

"Boom, boom..."

Suddenly, thunder rumbled overhead, and dark clouds swiftly spread across the sky, hinting at an impending downpour that worsened the expressions on both the boy's and the girl's faces.

As they feared, the rain began to fall suddenly—a torrential downpour. The large raindrops hit their faces painfully, adding to their discomfort but offering a glimmer of hope in their desperate situation.

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"They're catching up!" The girl looked back and noticed that the Spearow were nearly upon them, with less than twenty meters separating them.

"We can't keep this up!" the boy decided, "Get ready, I'm going to stop the bike. As soon as we stop, release your Pokémon and counterattack!"

"What..." Before the girl could finish her sentence, the boy had already begun to brake. The momentum threw her forward against his back, and the bicycle quickly came to a halt, blocking the road.

"Pikachu, use your most powerful Thunder Shock!" the boy commanded Pikachu immediately to strike back at the Spearow.

"Pika pika—!" Without hesitation, Pikachu leaped from the boy's back. Electric energy surged through it, and in a dazzling display of light, it unleashed a thunderbolt. A brilliant arc of electricity exploded forward, targeting the oncoming Spearow.

The electric arc struck a Spearow, exploding violently and affecting several others around it. The combination of elemental advantage and the wet conditions from the rain amplified the attack, incapacitating five Spearow at once!

Both the boy and Pikachu were invigorated by this scene, while the girl, now recovering from the shock, quickly reacted. She threw two Poké Balls, calling out her Pokémon, "Staryu, Starmie, I need your help!"

As the Poké Balls split open mid-air, white light burst forth and spread out onto the ground in front of them, revealing two similar yet distinct Pokémon.

One was Staryu, shaped like a five-pointed star, and the other, its evolved form Starmie, resembled two overlapping stars.

Staryu

Type: Water

Category: Star Shape Pokémon

Ability: Analytic

Analytic: Increases the power of moves by 30% if the Pokémon moves after the opponent.

Level: Initial

Starmie

Type: Water

Category: Mysterious Pokémon

Ability: Natural Cure

Natural Cure: Heals any status conditions upon switching out of battle.

Level: Normal

"Staryu, Starmie, use Water Gun!" the girl commanded her Pokémon without hesitation.

Both Pokémon summoned their water-type energy, which, enhanced by the rainy conditions, allowed them to gather energy much faster. Soon, orbs of water formed in front of their respective gems and shot forward as powerful jets of water, each striking a Spearow.

Staryu's Water Gun, though smaller and slightly thinner, benefited from the rain's boost, sending one Spearow flying with a single hit.

Starmie's Water Gun was more powerful. The stronger Pokémon's attack hit another Spearow, knocking it out of combat instantly!

"Great!" The girl breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her Pokémon's effectiveness, but after observing the boy and Pikachu's performance, she felt slightly dissatisfied with her own Pokémon's strength.

"Good thing it's raining..." The boy noted, relieved as he watched the Spearow beaten down by Pikachu's electric shocks. Under normal conditions, the Spearow would not have been so vulnerable, but the rain had wet their feathers, reducing their agility. Moreover, the conductivity of the rainwater significantly amplified Pikachu's electric attacks!

As the number of Spearow dwindled, even those that got close were intercepted by Staryu and Starmie under the girl's command. Soon, fewer than ten Spearow remained airborne.

At this point, the Spearow finally panicked. They circled in the air, hesitant to launch the fearless assaults they had been executing earlier.

After a moment of hesitation, the Spearow retreated, no longer attacking, but they didn't leave. Instead, they hovered nearby, watching the boy, the girl, and their Pokémon.

"Is this... a ceasefire?" Seeing the Spearow's behavior, the boy halted Pikachu, interpreting the birds' actions.