Chapter 2 - Hot Springs
The next day, Ash and Misty were starting their hike on Mt. Ember. At the top of the mountain, a treasure chest was waiting for them.
"Misty, I'm tired... Can we sit down for a minute?" Ash asked.
"No! You ruined my chances of resting on the beach! If you want to walk on, we're going to walk on!" Misty snapped.
Some hours later, the duo heard some familiar voices. "Those two twerps are looking for some treasure..." James said. "But we'll get to the top of the mountain first and find it ourselves!" In the past eight years, nothing changed. Team Rocket was still following Ash around, hoping to capture Pikachu and other Pokemon. But the thought of a treasure was simply too good to resist for the trio.
"Yeah!" Jessie said. "Who knows how much money or gold it might contain?"
"We'll fly up in our balloon, then I'm sure we'll be at the top before those two twerps!" Meowth suggested.
Then, Misty turned around and saw the plotting trio. "Team Rocket, what are you doing here?"
"We followed you from Pallet Town!" Jessie explained. "That treasure we heard you talking about is ours, so prepare for trouble!"
"And the legendary Moltres is on top of this mountain, so make it double!" James added.
"Forget that stupid anthem, we're going up before they defeat us again!" Meowth screamed, while he and his friends jumped in the hot air balloon.
"Stop!" Misty screamed. "Politoed, I choose you!" she said, while tossing a Poke Ball. The frog that emerged from it tried shooting down the balloon with his Bubblebeam, but the Pokemon was unable to strike down the Meowth-shaped balloon.
"You can't hit us when we're up that high!" James said, while Jessie stuck out her tongue.
"What do we do now?" Ash asked, while the balloon was almost out of sight.
"Climb Mt. Ember anyways," Misty said. "Maybe we can take the treasure from them while they go back down."
Only five minutes later, Jessie, James and Meowth reached the top of the mountain, where they saw a big, flaming bird guarding a small, brown chest.
"That's it!" Jessie screamed. "The boss will be so happy!"
"Wait, why are we only taking the chest?" James asked. "This is our chance to capture the legendary Moltres and become Team Rocket Executives!"
"And I'll be the top cat, and not that stupid Persian!" Meowth squealed.
"That's decided then!" Jessie said. "Vileplume, I choose you!" she said, while hurling a Poke Ball. The Grass-type she caught a year ago emerged from the white and red ball. Meanwhile, James sent out his Bellossom.
"Vileplume, Bellossom, Sleep Powder!" the duo shouted simultaneously. However, the green powder was blown away by a Whirlwind, causing the two Grass types to slumber instead.
Then, the legendary bird continued its onslaught by slashing the balloon with its Wing Attack. "Team Rocket is blasting off again!" the trio screamed, while their Grass Pokemon were still asleep during the blow.
"What was all that noise up there?" Misty asked, while she and Ash were getting closer to the top of the mountain.
"I don't know," Ash said. "We're about to find out!"
Thirty minutes later, our heroes saw a fiery bird guarding what was supposed to be the treasure.
"It's still there!" Ash screamed. "I thought those bastards took it!"
"They must've been unable to get past Moltres!" Misty guessed. "But how are we gonna get it?"
"Don't worry, Mist! I've got an idea!" Ash said. He threw a Poke Ball into the air, causing a yellow Pokemon with a leaf on her head to appear.
"Bayleef, grab that chest with your Vine Whip!" her trainer commanded. Moltres didn't even try to attack our heroes, because it remembered them from the time Ash saved the world on Shamouti Island eight years ago. He knew they were not there to cause trouble, unlike Jessie and James. Meanwhile, the Grass Pokemon handed over the treasure to Ash.
Then, Ash and Misty saw Moltres talking to Pikachu and Bayleef. "Pikachu Pi!" the Electric mouse said to his trainer.
"Pikachu, what are you saying? You want us to hop on Moltres's back and it'll fly us down to the bottom of the mountain?" Ash asked. His Pokemon nodded.
In no time, our heroes were back where they started. After seeing the legendary Moltres fly upwards, Ash finally opened the special box.
"What is that, Ash?" Misty asked.
"Tickets for the hot spring near this mountain," Ash said. "What the f*ck, how is that a treasure?" he asked.
"I don't know..." Misty answered. "I don't know who put this in a treasure chest hundreds of years ago..."
"This isn't really a treasure..." Ash moaned.
"Well, I could use some rest at the hot springs!" Misty said with a smile on her face. "On to the spa!"
Only twenty minutes later, the two were all alone in a hot jacuzzi that got its energy from the heat of the nearby volcano. And they were lucky nobody else was there, since Misty felt uncomfortable about the idea of being naked around strangers. However, around Ash, it somehow felt right. She trusted him, they were best friends. And Misty was secretly hoping this would help Ash to take their friendship to another level.
"Wow..." Ash thought, while refusing to look at his friend's face. Instead, he looked down a little bit. "I never understood why Brock often seemed to check out women's chests... But Misty's breasts are amazing!" He felt a strange sensation between his legs. "F*ck, I hope she won't notice that, that would be so embarrassing!" he thought. "When did I feel this before? Oh yeah, when she wore that tight bikini bottom showing off her buttcheeks yesterday! And when she put on that mermaid outfit ten years ago!" Luckily, the bubbles in the water were just enough to hide a certain part of Ash's body from his friend's eyes.
Meanwhile, Misty was trying to move around. This was the first time she and Ash were naked around each other. There was something she always fantasized about, and this was her first chance to get a good look. Ash didn't even notice that she was moving around, since he was fantasizing about a treasure chest that wasn't hidden on the Sevii Islands. "This is my chance to find out if Ash likes me! I've been admiring him for eight years, he'd better be into me!"
Then, the former Gym Leader finally saw what she wanted to see: a certain part of Ash's body was as hard as a Metapod using Harden six times in a row. "Wow, that thing is huge, exactly as I imagined it all those years!" Misty squealed in her thoughts.
As if nothing happened, Ash awakened Misty from her naughty dream. "Um... The next destination is Two Island, the ferry departs from the harbour tonight."
Against her will, Misty looked at Ash's face. She wanted to drool a little longer, but didn't want Ash to find out. "Sure, let's grab some dinner and hop on the ferry!"
Outside of the hot springs, a Water Pokemon quickly caught the eye of the former Gym Leader of Cerulean City. "A Croconaw, it's so cute!" she squealed. "I'm gonna catch it!"
"Good luck!" Ash said.
"Azumarill, go!" Misty said, while a rabbit-like Pokemon looked buff.
"Hey, is that the Azurill you got from Tracey eight years ago?" Ash asked.
"It sure is!" Misty answered. Then, the rabbit struck his opponent with a strong blow, confusing the crocodile.
"Wow, that Dynamicpunch is strong!" Ash thought, while Azumarill finished off the opponent with his Iron Tail, reminding Misty of something else that was harder than a Metapod using Harden six times in a row. Then, she threw a Lure Ball. Luckily, the wild Pokemon stayed in the ball!
"Yes! I caught a Croconaw!" Misty cheered, while imitating Ash's pose when he caught a Pokemon. Eight years ago, it irritated Ash when Brock or Tracey celebrated their captures in the same manner as he did. However, with Misty, it just felt right.
Later that day, after letting all Pokemon rest in the Pokemon Center for some hours, Ash and Misty were sitting near the harbour. There was still an hour left before their ferry would leave when a familiar face came along. "Bye, Celio!" he shouted at his friend. "Glad I was able to fix your PC again!"
"Hey, it's Bill, that Pokemon collector who was stuck in a Kabuto suit eight years ago!" Ash said. "Nice to see you again!"
"Hey, Ash and Misty! What are you doing here on One Island?" Bill asked.
"Professor Oak gave us a special assignment to find seven treasures!" Misty said.
"Wow, that's amazing! Can I help you guys?" Bill asked.
"Um... I'd rather not, sorry!" Misty answered.
"Okay then, I challenge you to a one-on-one Pokemon battle! If I beat you, you have to tell me about this project!" Bill suggested.
"It's on!" Misty said. "Croconaw, I choose you!" she shouted, while sending out her newly caught Pokemon.
"Croconaw? Interesting, we can beat that... I choose you, Exeggutor!" the Pokemon Collector replied, while making a big coconut tree-like Pokemon appear.
"Croconaw, let's start the battle with your Water Gun!" Misty commanded. However, her newly caught Pokemon knew that move wouldn't damage the opponent much. He decided to use another attack, blowing a freezing wind at the opponent, almost causing it to collapse in just one blow.
"Hey, that's an Icy Wind attack!" Ash noticed. "That Croconaw is a lot smarter than you, Misty!" he teased.
"Exeggutor, use your Egg Bomb!" Bill tried, but the attack was easy for the crocodile to avoid.
"Croconaw, finish it off with your Slash!" Misty tried. This time, her newly caught Pokemon listened and delivered the final blow to the Psychic type.
"We did it!" the girl from Cerulean City shouted, while hugging her Pokemon. Meanwhile, Bill complimented his Exeggutor and wandered off to the Pokemon Center.
"That Croconaw is really strong, sorry for bothering you two lovebirds! Bye, cute couple!" Bill said.
"Lovebirds? Us? What is he talking about?" Misty said, knowing Ash didn't notice her pretty obvious staring at the hot springs.
"Yeah, why does everyone think we're a couple?" Ash asked, trying to hide the fact that something happened at the spa. He was also checking out Misty's rear before she put her shorts back on when the two left the hot springs, but didn't want Misty to know about that.
"Misty, that Croconaw is really strong! I'm glad you caught it!" Ash said, having a hard time looking his best friend in the eyes. He wanted to stare a little lower and actually did, but was able to do it subtle enough to not let her notice.
"You're welcome!" Misty answered. "And the ferry is here, let's get on board!"
One hour later, the two Pokemon trainers were trying to fall asleep on the ferry, but had a hard time doing so. After all, what happened at the spa was important to both of them.
"I finally know for sure Ash likes me!" Misty thought. "When I saw that part of his body grew... I've never been so happy! But still, he doesn't seem ready to confess yet, and neither am I... But what if he only feels sexually attracted and still doesn't understand his feelings?" Then, she fell asleep.
"I remember Brock told me about his attraction to women some years ago..." Ash thought. "He said a part of his body constantly grew when he saw an attractive girl. What happened at the hot springs when I finally got to see Misty naked... Is that what he meant? But does that mean I am in love with Misty? Does that mean I have to act the way Brock acts to every girl he sees? I don't want to be like that... But Misty is the only girl that made me feel like this so far. May, Dawn, Iris and Serena never did... Sure, Melody was hot eight years ago on Shamouti Island, but I don't think this would happen to me if I saw her naked..." Then, he fell asleep.