The bike path was separate from the main road, a smooth stretch of asphalt suspended over the sparkling water.
The wind whipped past Eliana's face, carrying the salty spray from the waves crashing below. For a while, it was almost peaceful. Ralts, unaccustomed to the speed, gripped the sides of the basket with his little pink hands, his thoughts a jumble of exhilaration and mild terror.
They were about a third of the way across when Eliana got bored and extended her mind's reach across the bridge. At first she found nothing interesting, only a little Spearow. But then she felt the same thoughts from the warehouse. Greed, cruelty, and a new, sharp undercurrent of... desperation. The was a group of people up ahead and they seemed to be coming towards her in a hurry.
Eliana slowed down her bike so that she could concentrate on listening in, Bosses Chopper and Tyra want some new Pokémon and fast. If we don't get any we're getting the boot, that can't happen. The Spearow scout just came back so that means an ways target is coming up.
(._.`), Ralts looked back nervously inquiring about the officer.
( •́ w •̀ ), Ralts knew exactly what he wanted to do.
As she rounded a gentle curve, a small group of four men and two women on motorcycles blocked the path ahead. They wore simple, dark shirts and ill-fitting jeans, trying for intimidating but mostly managing to look shifty. A scrawny man with beady eyes stepped forward.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he said, trying for a casual lean against the railing that came off as clumsy. "A little girl out for a bike ride all by her lonesome?"
His companions snickered, spreading out to block her path completely. The largest one, a man with a scarred face and a knotted brow, cracked his knuckles.
"I think you're lost, sweetie," another one chimed in. "This here is a private road. Costs a toll to pass."
"Private road, do you take me as an idiot?" Eliana's nose scrunched up as she took in all the people surrounding her.
The woman on the end whistled, and a small, scruffy-looking Spearow fluttered down from an overhead girder to land on his shoulder. Its beady eyes were fixed on Ralts, a low, aggressive trill vibrating in its throat. The short woman next to her pointed out, "That's a rare little Pokémon you got girl."
Eliana raised an unimpressed eyebrow and Ralts turned his head at them. Fools if they think he'll be going with them.
"I'm telling you what's going to happen here," The large man from before stepped closer to her, "You give us the Pokémon and we let you leave with your life."
Eliana rolled her eyes and said, "You turn around right now and I'll let you all leave with your minds intact."
The group all burst into mocking laughter at her threat. There's no way this kid was seriously thinking they'd believe that. The Biker Bridge gang was the top dogs in these two cities for a reason.
The scrawny man from earlier slapped his knee before calling out, "Alright little girl we gave your only warning. Get her."
The gang started to move in closer towards her and Ralts. Eliana smirked and her eyes began to glow blue before a loud siren cut through the gang's jeering. A police motorcycle slide into the scene coming before Eliana's bike and the gang. A woman with cyan hair and a snarling Growlithe jumped out of the vehicle, "Stop right there!"
"It's Officer Jenny!"
"Let's get out of here!"
Eliana smirked slightly as the gang turned tail and sped away, she'd have to get them back later. But before that… Eliana immediately put on the waterworks, bottom lip wobbling as Officer Jenny turned to look at her.
"It's alright, I'm here and they can't do anything to you" Officer Jenny came beside her and put a hand in her shoulder, "I'll be escorting you to Sunnytown don't worry."
Eliana sniffled and pitifully wiped the tears from her eyes, whispering softly, "Thank you officer, I don't know what would've happened if you didn't show up."
"We won't know because I did, now let's get you across this bride." Officer Jenny answered getting back on her motorcycle, while Growlithe hopped in its passenger seat.
…
The trip to the next city was quiet, Officer Jenny's presence a deterrent to any other would-be troublemakers. They reached the end of the bridge, the sign for Sunnytown a welcome sight. The town itself was bright and cheerful, all pastel-colored buildings and clean streets, a stark contrast to the bland practicality of the coastal town they'd just left.
Officer Jenny led them to the local Pokémon Center. "You should rest here. I've already filed a report, but if you remember anything else, please let us know." She gave Eliana a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Try not to let one bad experience ruin your journey."
"I won't," Eliana promised, her eyes wide with feigned gratitude. As Officer Jenny left, the brave facade melted away.
(¬_¬), Ralts agreed with Eliana, they could handle themselves. The delay was unacceptable, their new toys had gotten away.
The Pokémon Center was bustling with trainers and their Pokémon. Eliana found an empty chair in the corner, pretending to be engrossed in her phone, while her mind gently probed the area trying to find any traces of the bikers.
After a painstakingly slow start and finding absolutely nothing in the main city, Eliana spread her search to near the coast. And that's when she found them, not the same ones from earlier, those ones had probably gone back to the bridge. But a group of people thinking about a successful haul from the docks that Chopper and Tyra would love. It had to be the same two the ones from earlier were talking about.
Eliana cut off the connection and opened her eyes, she blinked a few times to adjust to the light before looking down at Ralts,
Ralts nodded eagerly and Eliana picked him up and went to her bike parked outside. Looking up she noticed that the sun was going down. Eliana smirked and put Ralts in the basket and headed towards the dock, slyly using her telekinesis to boost her speed.