"Pika Pika Pika Chu!", The Pikachu sang in a tone deaf manner. Rina burst out laughing.

"Not bad, Pikachu!", She said, smiling. Rina was all too happy to have Pikachu with her. If it wasn't for Pikachu's company, Rina probably wouldn't have the will to survive.

"Pika! Pika!", The Pikachu shouted suddenly, telling Rina to look at the buildings that were approaching.

"Look at that unfinished bridge. We'll never get across now...", She sighed. Rina never felt comfortable staying in one spot for a long time.

Not unless there was something for her at that place.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of a man's voice next to her. It came from a man of medium build, and wearing a red flannel shirt. He leaned out of his toll booth.

"Not without a biuke you won't...", He stated, casually waving to a group of pretty girls as they rode by.

"A bike...?", Rin asked, staring blankly at the man, "but the bridge isn't finished yet..."

"The bridge isn't, but the bike path is all clear.", He answered. waving to a young couple on a bicycle built for two.

"Great. Thanks anyway...", She sighed, and left to go site seeing around the town. After talking a couple of people into giving a few dollars, Rina and Pikachu headed to a Pizza Parlor where they ordered four cheese pizzas slices. Food was scarce for a wanderer, so they ate whenever they could.

"You know what the best thing about pizza is? It's how you get both the creaminess of the cheese, and the tangy sauce. What an incredible combination!", She said to her Pikachu.

"Chu?", He asked, cocking his head to the side. Rina only laughed, and popped the rest of her slice into her mouth.

"That's ok, Pikachu! Sometime I wonder that too!" Rina said, after finishing her lunch. She glanced over to a Bike Shop across the street. The two shrugged as they walked over. They might as well check it out while they were in town. The man at the counter looked from his newspaper as Rina and her mouse looked around.

"Wow...Look at that bike...", Rina drooled, her nose pressed up against the showcase that showed the store's latest model. She was so focused on the bike and its features that she didn't notice the cost of the bike.

"Pika...", The Pikachu groaned, calling Rina's attention to the four digit number on the price tag. Rina took one look at the price and fell down.

"I could never afford that....", She muttered, brushing herself off and got up.

"Excuse me, Miss?", The man asked.

"Yes?", She turned towards the man, hoping that he wouldn't sic the Jennys on her.

"Are you Rina Catun?", He asked, grapping the pencil that was balancing on his ear.

"Why do you want too know?" She laughed nervously.

"Someone placed an order for a bike yesterday, and put it under the name 'Rina Catun'", He said, showing Rina the order form. Rina studied the form, making a face as she read. The order form said that the price of the bike came out to be one hundred dollars...

The exact amount tha the lady gave them.

Rina didn't like it. It was too convienent. The mouse tapped Rina on the head.

"Pika!", He shouted. Don't look a gift trainer in the mouth!

"Got it! Yep! That's me!", She yelled happly, took the pencil from the man and scribbled her name along the dotted line at the bottom of the form. She frowned when she saw her handwriting.

"Sorry. It looks like Pidgey scratch, doesn't it?", She commented. The man only chuckled as he looked at the form.

"No. Actaully, I've seen doctors with worse handwriting than yours.", He winked. Rina gave him a goofy grin as she handed the hundred dollar bill. The man nodded, and headed into the stoarge room behind the counter. He returned with a used two wheeler.

"Enjoy your bike, Miss!", He said, handing Rina the bike. Rina, who didn't know how to handle a bike, soon found herself falling backwards on the ground, with the bike on her face.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok, Miss?", He asked, worried. Rina jumped back up, She was fine, but the spokes on the front wheels left their mark on her face.

"Yeah! I'm fine!", She announced.

"Pika..." The Pikachu said as a sweatdrop rolled down his forehead. The store owner smiled, and waved good bye as the two started out the door.

"Have a nice day, you two!", He called after them.

"We will! And thank you!" She answered, leading the bike out the door. Pikachu sat on the banana seat as Rina ran it to a playground.

She was so excited! They weren't going to have a nice day. They were going to have a great day!

Rina lept onto the bike, only to fall back down, scrapping her elbow. She wrinkled her nose, and got back on. Again she fell down.

and again, and again, and again....

untill an idea struck her. Rina put her two fingers together in a praying gesture.

"Help us, Obi Wan Kenobi. You're our only hope." She chanted.

"Pika pika...", The Pikachu repeated, his paws in the same gesture. Rina took a deep breath, and got on the bike. She slowly moved the petals with her feet.

"Hey! I'm riding a bike! I'm actually riding a...D'OH!!"

Her face met pavement for the sixteenth time that day. The Pikachu held up a card saying "8.0" on it, judging her fall.

"AN 8.0?!", She shouted in disbelief, "That fall deserved at LEAST an 8.5!" Rina shouted at the Pikachu.

"Pika." The Pikachu shrugged, putting the card away. Rina grummbled something about bias judges and tried again.

and failed again.

"Chu....Pika Pikachu..Pi Pikachu?", The Chu suggested.

"No. I don't think that sending an offering to the bike gods will help, Pikachu...", She snapped, getting more frustrated by the hour. It was late afternoon now. Getting fed up, she kicked the bike, plopped down and started to cry.

"I bet a normal kid would probably have learned how to ride a bike by now...", She sobbed, putting her head between her legs. It wasn't about the bike anymore. Now it seemed that the bike took the place of knowledge, knowledge that normal children with families had..

and she didn't...

It was alomst as if by learning how to ride a bike, she could one step closer to getting what she wanted all along...

"Pi Pika...", The Pikachu patting Rina on the back. It was getting dark and they needed a place to stay. She looked at her friend with tears in her eyes, and nodded slowly. She sniffed as she walked the bike to a nearby hotel. She needed to think up a story line, or something to get her and her Pikachu a free room for the night. The banner above the hotel read: Grand Opening. Rina hardly noticed it though. She did; however, notice the two woman giving her and her Pikachu necklaces made out of carnations, her favorite.

"Congratulations! You have just won our grand prize! Two free nights, and unlimited access to our all you can eat buffet!", They cheered.

"Pika Pika Chu!!", The Pikachu shouted in joy. Rina only blinked. It was a nice distraction, but not good enough to get her mind off of her problems.

"Your room is right this way, ma'mam.", One of the woman said, gesturing to their best room. Pikachu ran right in, making himself at home by devoring the mint on the pillow. Rina set her bike up against a wall, and slumped down on the bed.

"Pika?", The Pikachu looked up at Rina, concerned about her behavior. Rina gave a weak smile.

"It's ok, Pikachu. Why don't you go check out the buffet? I'm not that hungry...", She lied down on the bed, and put her arms behind her head. The Pikachu frowned. He knew she was lying.

"Pika!!", He shouted, jumping onto Rina's stomach. Rina let a gasp for air, and sat up right.

"Pikachu! Whay the?!", The Pikachu stared into her face.

"Pikachu Pika?", He asked, pointing to the lamp on the ceiling.

"Can you reach that lamp on the ceiling?" She said, trying to understand what the Pikachu was saying. He nodded.

"I dunno...It looks too far up to get to, Pikachu..."

That was all the Pikachu needed to hear. He started to jump at the lamp, missing each time. He climbed higher and higher to more heigh in his jumps. With each jump, he got closer to his goal. He clawed his way up the curtains, looked at his target, and lept from his position at the highest point of the curtain. It seemed like the Pikachu was flying in slow motion, getting closer to the lamp...

and closer...

His tiny paws grapped ahold of the lamp's side. Rina held her breath, as she ran underneath the Chu.

"Pikachu...", She said. The Pikachu's grasp seemed to be slipping, and fell into Rina's arms.

"Pi Pikachu...", The mouse said. He almost made it.

"Yes, I see your point. Thank you, Mr Rodgers." She deadpaned. The Pikachu wrinkled his nose.

"Pika...", He warned her. Rina rewarded the Pikachu with a wry smile and set the Chu down on the bed.

"We'll try again in the morning.", She said, turing off the lights.

"Pikachu." He couldn't agree more, and fell asleep. Rina laid in the bed for awhile.

"Would I ever see my family? How would I react if I did?", She thought as she slowly drifted off into sleep.