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Kai stood up and moved to the wooden divider in the middle of the hot spring, shielding his chat messages from the others.
As he leaned back against the wooden railing, he glanced up at Brock and suddenly asked, "After travelling for so long, is there any girl you've come to like?"
"Of course!" Brock replied confidently, though a little puzzled by the question. "Whether it's Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy, as long as she's a beautiful older lady, I like her!"
"What about you, Ash?" Kai turned his attention to the younger trainer.
Ash shook his head quickly. "I'm going to be a Pokémon Master! I don't have time to like anyone!"
"Oh, really?" Misty's teasing voice floated over from the other side of the hot spring. "Then who was it blushing at the Pokémon Academy when he saw the top student's photo and called her cute?"
"Huh? Did I?" Ash scratched his cheek awkwardly, his face flushing as everyone chuckled.
Kai smiled and turned back to Brock. "So, has anyone ever liked you?"
"Uh..." Brock hesitated. "No, not that I know of. Why are you asking all of this?"
"No reason," Kai smirked, fiddling with his phone. "Just curious."
Brock frowned, feeling slightly offended by Kai's tone.
'So he's chatting with a girl who likes him?' Brock thought bitterly. 'Unbelievable. Some people just get all the luck!'
Suddenly, the sound of water splashing came from behind Kai. He turned in surprise to see Misty leaning against the other side of the wooden divider, mirroring his posture.
"So," Misty said softly, "what do you think Mr. Blaine's riddle means?"
Kai, sensing her intent, grinned. "You're smart enough. Haven't you figured it out already?"
"The 'big flood above and big fire below'... I think it refers to this hot spring," Misty mused. "Maybe the gym battlefield is hidden beneath it. But I'm not sure where the mechanism to access it is."
Kai chuckled but didn't respond. In truth, his memory of the Cinnabar Gym's layout was fuzzy at best, so he wasn't entirely sure either. Still, he was content to let Misty and the others figure it out.
The relaxing heat of the water soon lulled Kai into a near-doze. However, his moment of calm was interrupted by Misty's panicked voice.
"Togepi! Come back here!"
Kai immediately snapped to attention. "What's wrong, Misty?"
"Togepi's being naughty," she said urgently. "It climbed onto the water outlet faucet! It's so high up she might fall!"
On the other side of the wooden divider, Togepi stood precariously atop a dragon-shaped faucet, happily bouncing around.
Misty moved to retrieve it, but as Togepi continued to jump, it inadvertently triggered a hidden mechanism.
A large rock beside the hot spring began to move, revealing a dark passageway. Unfortunately, the rock's motion also caused the wooden divider to collapse. Kai and Misty froze, now directly facing each other.
Misty, wrapped only in a bath towel, turned bright red. With a yelp, she quickly ducked into the water, leaving only her head visible.
The commotion drew Ash and Brock's attention. Seeing Misty's flustered expression, Ash tilted his head in confusion. "Misty, why is your face so red? You look like a boiled Krabby!"
Misty glared at him, embarrassed. "Mind your own business, Ash!"
Kai interjected, trying to defuse the situation. "It looks like Togepi accidentally found the entrance to the gym's hidden battlefield. Guess we owe it for the discovery."
The group returned to the changing room, got dressed, and gathered again by the hot spring.
With the newly revealed passage beckoning them, they ventured inside. The path led downward, spiralling toward the heart of the volcano.
As they descended, the air grew hotter and more stifling, though the lit candles along the walls kept the tunnel from feeling completely oppressive. Finally, they reached a large iron door.
Without hesitation, Ash grabbed the handle to open it but immediately yelped in pain. "Ouch! It's burning hot!"
Kai kicked the door open with the sole of his shoe. A wave of steam billowed out, accompanied by the pungent smell of sulfur.
As the mist cleared, they found themselves standing on a unique battlefield suspended over bubbling magma.
The platform, held up by sturdy iron chains, swayed slightly as the heat of the lava radiated upward.
Suddenly, rows of spotlights illuminated the area, revealing Blaine standing at the opposite end of the battlefield.
"Well, well," Blaine said with a grin. "I didn't think you'd actually find this place. Looks like we're in for a fiery battle today!"
"It's going to be two battles, actually," Kai corrected him. "Both Ash and I are here to challenge you."
Blaine chuckled. "That's fine by me. So, who's stepping up for the first three-on-three match?"
Ash stepped forward eagerly. "That'll be me!"
Misty called out from behind him, "Don't forget what you said earlier, Ash! We're counting on you to give it your all and win the Volcano Badge!"
With determination shining in his eyes, Ash nodded. "Right! Let's do this!"
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