Lucario sat onto a stump and decided to eat some berries that he had found. Brock set up a kitchen so he could make lunch for everybody. Emi decided for this time to try out her new power.
"What're you doing?" Bruce asked her.
"Gonna try my new power." Emi replied.
"Powers?" Bobby scoffed in disbelief.
"Ahem." Akito's voice glared at Bobby.
Bobby looked back to Akito nervously.
"Is there a problem here?" Akito asked firmly.
"N-No problem." Bobby smiled nervously.
Akito narrowed his eyes as Bobby then scampered off.
"You didn't have to do that." Emi told her boyfriend.
"He deserved that for not believing you." Akito said.
"Emi is so lucky to have someone close by her side like Akito..." Ash said.
"Why didn't you go out with Misty?" Estelle asked. "She seemed to like you."
"I only liked her as a friend and still do." Ash said.
"Hm... What about May?" Estelle asked.
"She's nice." Ash said.
"Just waiting for the right girl?" Estelle asked him.
"I'm actually waiting to meet that one girl me and Emi met one day when we were younger." Ash said.
"Oh?" Estelle asked.
"It was a long time ago, but I still remember her..." Ash replied as he thought back. "Her name was Serena... We first met in the Kanto region where Professor Oak was hosting a Pokemon Summer Camp."
"Do you remember what she looked like?" Estelle asked.
"Yes, she had beautiful blue eyes with brown hair that was almost like caramel..." Ash smiled. "She wore a pink dress and had this sun hat. I found her lost in the forest, and I helped her from a wound given to her from a wild Poliwag."
"Oh, my..." Estelle frowned.
"I felt bad for her, so I comforted her the best I could after saving her..." Ash replied. "I haven't seen her since then, but every day, I kinda hope that I see her again."
"Did she wear anything else?" Estelle asked.
"I just remember her hat and dress to be honest..." Ash replied.
"That's good." Estelle smiled.
"It feels like a lifetime since we last saw each other..." Ash replied.
"Lunch is finally ready!" Brock announced.
"Oh, boy!" Ash smiled.
"Pass this to Ash." Brock told Yuko, handing her a bowl.
Yuko smiled and passed the bowl to Ash as instructed while Espeon stood beside her. Eevee and Goliath made sure that Samson and Giselle sat together.
"Eloise, take that bowl off your head." Giselle's voice said.
"But it makes a very good hat!" Eloise's voice defended.
"Eloise, please just do what she says." Ditto's voice said.
"Okay, Ditto." Eloise replied.
Eevee found a seat for Giselle.
"Oh, thank you, Eevee." Giselle smiled to her Pokemon.
Eevee then smiled out of surprise, though was acting it as she saw Samson and Goliath. Samson soon sat down right next to Giselle.
"Samson?" Giselle asked.
"Giselle?" Samson asked back.
"You're sitting here?" The two asked each other in unison before they blushed to each other.
Goliath and Eevee soon looked satisfied with their accomplishment of phase 1. They even seemed to high-paw each other.
A wild tree-like Pokemon soon appeared to take lunch away from the humans.
"Ahem." Pupitar glared at the wild tree-like Pokemon.
"Hello." The tree Pokemon replied.
"You're not going to try and steal our trainers' food, now are you?" Pupitar asked.
"Well... I'm hungry..." The tree Pokemon pouted.
"Listen.. Um... What's your name?" Pupitar asked.
"Bonsly." The tree Pokemon replied.
"Bonsly," Pupitar repeated. "You can't go around and steal people's food."
"Why not?" Bonsly asked.
"Because it's wrong." Pupitar said.
"But I'm hungry." Bonsly pouted.
"Well, I'm sorry," Pupitar replied. "Go eat berries or whatever tree Pokemon eat."
Bonsly simply pouted.
Pupitar looked to him and soon came to his trainer. "Dad?"
"What's up?" Akito replied.
"Um, there's this Pokemon who's hungry..." Pupitar told him. "It's not Munchlax, his name is Bonsly."
"Is he hungry?" Akito asked.
"Yes..." Pupitar replied. "He nearly tried to steal our lunch."
Akito soon brought out some Pokemon food. Pupitar took it and brought it out to Bonsly. Bonsly sniffed the food and soon ate it.
"Kinda seems like a Pokemon that Uncle Timber would own." Akito chuckled.
"Yeah." Pupitar smiled in agreement.
"Wow, look, it's a Bonsly!" Max smiled.
"It's so cute!" Molly added.
Bonsly soon ran away, feeling shy.
"Come back!" Molly pouted to the tree Pokemon.
Bonsly ran off with the food, passing by Lucario.
"Why did it run away?" Jessie asked.
"Brock, did you scare an innocent Pokemon?" May asked with narrowed eyes.
"No! Honest!" Brock replied.
"Must be using a Fake Tears attack." Max suggested.
"No, he must just be scared of humans." Estelle said.
"He does seem a bit shy..." Akito agreed.
Lucario gave a berry to Bonsly which made the tree Pokemon smile.
"Aw!" Eevee smiled.
Lucario also smiled to this before looking out into the fog. Everyone looked up with him as the clouds moved in the sky, showing the sun.
"The clouds are moving." Molly smiled.
"Oh, it's like Spring is waking up after a long, dull winter." James agreed.
"It'll be a lot easier to drive now." Kidd told the others.
"Yeah." Vincent nodded.
Everyone then sat down to eat and once they would finish, they would hit the road again.
"Ah, it's so nice to eat outside once in a while." Estelle said before she began to eat with her brothers.
"It sure is." Akito smiled.
The Fudo siblings then began to eat together in enjoyment. Felicity didn't eat as much as usual, but she did enjoy Brock's cooking, and where Samson and Giselle enjoyed each other's company while eating. It was even almost like Lady and the Tramp as they seemed to kiss after sharing the same piece of food, and Samson even offered her an extra piece while she looked away bashfully. Eevee looked so happy for her trainer/owner.
Soon enough, after eating, they were back on the road. Lucario was of course in front of the vehicle and running almost like Rev, though of course, not as fast, and with him in front, everyone would be safe. The mysterious Pokemon soon came to a stop. Kidd looked out from the driver's seat to see what the hold up was. Right in front of them were steam geysers.
"Geysers?" Estelle asked as she took a look as well.
"A bunch of 'em." Brock added.
"Yeah, and they seem to be pretty active right now." Kidd replied.
"What now?" Eloise asked.
"Hmm... "May hummed before she looked out a window and leaned over her seat. "Look, you guys! Isn't that a hot spring?"
"Maybe we could go for a swim." Estelle said.
"Let's." Everyone else agreed.
Estelle beamed and clapped.
Everyone decided to take a swim until the geysers would die down.
"The temperature's perfect." Brock smiled.
"Hey, Vincent, watch this!" Akito called out.
"All right, we're watching, we're watching." Vincent said as he sat down in a chair on the shore.
"This one's for professionals only! Banzai!" Akito smirked before he did a cannonball into the water which had a bigger splash than expected, but not too over the top before he came up to the surface with a smile. "Come on in! The water's great!"
"No, thanks." Vincent said.
"Aw, you weenie!" Akito pouted.
"Come on, Vincent." Estelle smiled.
"No, you kids have fun," Vincent replied as he put his sunglasses on. "I'm fine right here."
"What's the point of being part merman if you don't go for a swim?!" Akito angrily pouted.
Lt. Surge knew that he had to get Vincent in the water the only way he knew how. Vincent yawned as he lounged in his chair, looking like he was about to take a nap. Lt. Surge smirked as he then went to go do what he was going to do to get Vincent in the water, and where he soon picked him up and threw him into the water. Vincent yelped and soon splashed into the water.
"Cowabunga as the young kids say." Lt. Surge chuckled.
"Gee, thanks." Vincent glared.
The others slightly laughed as they all enjoyed the hot spring together now. May soon came out in a pink bikini without her bandanna.
"You look cute in that outfit, May." Molly smiled.
"Oh, thank you, Molly." May smiled back before Bonsly landed on her head.
"Ooh!" Molly frowned.
"So, you hitched a ride with us, huh?" May smiled to the Tree Pokemon. "Okay."
"Guess he didn't want to be lonely." Molly smiled.
"Hey, May, come on in!" Max smiled to his older sister.
Bonsly soon jumped out of May's hands and hid behind Phanpy.
"Don't tell me," Pupitar said to Bonsly. "You're a Rock Type."
Bonsly nodded out of fear of the water.
"Don't worry, you can stay here with me." Pupitar told him.
"Th-Thanks..." Bonsy replied. "A-Are you a Rock Type too?"
"Oh, yeah," Pupitar nodded. "I hate water, also it gets me out of taking a bath while everyone else has to."
Samson and Giselle were next to get in the water. Samson went in first. Giselle soon came out in a black bikini and stood by with a beach bell in her arm as she stood beside Eloise who had star-shaped goggles, a pink bathing suit with a purple skirt and white polka dots, and where Samson was wearing a Greek-style pair of swimming trunks. Samson and Giselle looked to each other and blushed to how each other looked. Eloise soon jumped into the water and laughed as she swam happily about.
"I'm Queen of the World!" Emi cheered with a laugh as Akito held her while paddling his feet in the water while holding her up.
James and Jessie soon joined them.
"You know, guys?" Ash sighed. "I just can't stop thinking about Pikachu."
"Me neither," Emi admitted. "He was like our baby."
"Don't worry," Max soothed. "We're gonna find it."
"Him." Estelle corrected.
"Oh, Pikachu's a male?" Max asked.
"Mm-hmm," Emi nodded. "I could tell since we first both met him."
"And by how his voice sounded." Akito said.
"Like my Teddy." Estelle added.
The Pokemon soon all had fun with their humans, Pupitar decided to play with Bonsly on the shore since they couldn't go in the water. Everyone seemed to have fun in their own way. Eloise spat water from her mouth like a fountain and waved her feet as she was attempting to pretend to be a mermaid, only for her legs to turn into a shimmering pink tail fin. "How... How did I do that?" She asked herself. "I didn't think this worked in other parts of water other than the ocean?"
Akito, Estelle, and Vincent looked at her before looking down and saw their tail fins as well.
"Well, this is strange." Akito said.
"Yeah, I don't get it." Vincent added.
"'Dear Mom and Dad, how are we mergirls and merboys in a Hot Spring'?" Estelle recited in her head of what to remember to ask their parents when this adventure was over.
Giselle soon felt someone splash her. She winced at first before looking around. "Eloise?!"
"It wasn't me, Gissy." Eloise told her big sister.
The teenage girl soon saw Samson whistling innocently before she had a playful smirk on her face.
"Hi there," Samson waved. "Care to join us?"
"Oh, um, I'm not a strong swimmer..." Giselle smiled sheepishly as she only put her feet in the water.
"I'm sure you're just as great as your sister." Samson said.
"Oh, I don't know..." Giselle scootched away.
"How do you know unless you don't try?" Samson offered as he took her hands. "Nobody puts Giselle in the corner."
Giselle soon accepted his hand. Samson smiled to her and gently pulled her into the water. Giselle took a deep breath and then scooted herself into the hot spring beside him. Eevee and Goliath soon joined them.
Felicity did her best to do a back float as Mismagius floated above her.
"What're you doing?" Margarita asked.
"Checking to see if I'm a witch like Uncle Atticus," Felicity replied. "Am I floating?"
"Uh... Si..." Margarita replied.
"I am amazing." Felicity smiled proudly.
"Yes, you are." Margarita said.
Minccino kept running around, yelling out in a panic in the Spanish language.
"Minccino, what's going on?" Margarita asked.
"I feel so unclean!" Minccino cried out.
"Oy, vey." The Pichu brothers groaned.
Lucario watched them all before another memory came to him.
It was at the Hot Spring with Sir Aaron.
"Why don't you sit down and soak your feet, Lucario?" Sir Aaron suggested. "It's very relaxing."
Lucario looked as though as he wanted to take a dip in the Hot Spring. He then decided against it. "I would rather not, Sir."
"You need to loosen up." Sir Aaron insisted with a chuckle.
"Yes, Master." Lucario replied as he soon dipped his feet into the water before he smiled and enjoyed it.
There seemed to be a young girl watching them and wanted to join them, but was too shy. Sir Aaron and Lucario smiled to each other as they enjoyed themselves. The young girl smiled as Lucario learned to relax, not noticing that she stepped on a twig. Sir Aaron and Lucario looked around. Lucario soon jumped high in the air and tackled the girl to the ground. He soon recognized the girl and got off her.
"What's going on over there?" Sir Aaron asked Lucario.
"I found a little spy." Lucario said before bringing out the girl.
"Oh, um, hello." Sir Aaron blinked to the girl.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," The girl trembled nervously. "I-I was just curious about the hot spring."
Lucario soon got away from the girl.
"Who are you?" Sir Aaron asked the girl since he hadn't seen her around before.
"I-I'm Ami." The girl gulped.
"Ami..." Sir Aaron nodded. "What're you doing way out here?"
"Well, I-I wanted to see the hot spring... I didn't mean to cause any trouble..." Ami pouted to Sir Aaron and Lucario.
"It's okay," Sir Aaron said. "You just surprised us."
"I am sorry for harming you." Lucario added.
"Where did you come from?" Sir Aaron asked Ami as he looked around. "Shouldn't you be with your parents?"
"I live with the Pokemon." Ami said.
"Live with the Pokemon?" Sir Aaron repeated.
Ami nodded to confirm what he heard. There were many questions to be answered about Ami.
"Lucario, why don't you jump in?" Ash smiled. "The water's great!"
"Yeah!" Emi smiled back.
"You'll love it!" Yuko even beamed.
Lucario looked to them and soon walked away.
"Wonder what's wrong with him?" Ash frowned.
"Maybe he hates to take baths?" Max replied.
"Or maybe this place gives him memories." Emi said.
"Guys! Come here!" May called out.
Everyone then came over to her.
"What is it, May?" Max asked his older sister.
"Look up there!" May pointed up above. "I think it's a flower."
"You sure?" Akito asked.
"Only one way to find out." Ash said as he was about to climb.
"Allow me." Akito told Ash before he flew up.
"Akito can fly, huh?" Kidd asked as she watched from the hot spring.
Akito soon saw that May was right.
"What is it, Akito?" Estelle asked her twin brother.
"Some kind of flower..." Akito said before reaching out to the flower and it seemed to change into crystals before he then began to fall from the cliff with the flower, but he caught himself and hovered over the water with the flower in his hands.
"I didn't ask you to pick the flower, Akito." May told the brunette boy.
"Sorry, didn't mean to." Akito said.
May took the flower and observed it. "It looks okay, but you'll have to replant it later." She then told the boy.
"Ah, no problem," Akito smiled as he still hovered inches above the water. "Aunt Gloriosa and Uncle Timber gave us grant plant growing tips. We even have some we're growing ourselves in their yard from when we go to their house."
"That's great." Emi said.
Lucario took a long look at the flower.
"The flower looks like it's made of crystal." Jessie said.
"It must be valuable or special." James added.
Sir Aaron walked with Lucario and they soon saw said flower.
"Look, a time flower!" Sir Aaron told Lucario.
"A time flower?" Lucario asked.
"This flower through the power of aura can help you see the past." Sir Aaron told Lucario before picking the flower.
The flower then glowed bright from Sir Aaron's touch.