Pokemon: Skybound

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The old man ignored Kai's attitude and simply stared at him before asking, "Did you figure out the wig riddle from earlier?"

Kai smirked and replied, "I've heard that Blaine, the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader, is quite a riddle-loving old man. And, uh, well... I also heard that because he lost his hair years ago, he likes to wear wigs."

"Since the Gym belongs to the Pokémon League, and it's now been turned into a hot spring resort, I can't think of anyone else who would be qualified to oversee such a transformation but the Gym Leader himself."

"Sharp as a tack!" Blaine exclaimed, laughing as he dropped the pretence. "That's right, I am Blaine, the Gym Leader of the Cinnabar Gym!"

His tone shifted as he added with some embarrassment, "But about that baldness rumour it's just gossip. Don't go spreading it around. I shaved my head because the weather on Cinnabar Island is too hot, not because I'm bald."

Blaine's explanation felt unconvincing, not just to Kai but to Misty, and Brock could also tell he was trying to cover it up.

Only Ash seemed to believe him. He stepped forward excitedly and said, "So you're Blaine! Mr. Blaine, I'm Ash from Pallet Town! I came here as part of my journey to challenge you!"

"Ahem." Blaine coughed lightly, shaking his head. "I'd advise you to give up. The Gym has been converted into a hotel, and I'm no longer its Leader. If you're after a badge, you'll need to try another town."

"What?!" Ash was stunned. "It's really been turned into a hotel? How could this happen?"

Blaine folded his arms with a helpless expression. "You can blame the hot springs we discovered a few years back. Ever since then, the entire town turned into a tourist hotspot."

"The trainers who came to challenge me weren't serious most were just tourists looking for a diversion. It was exhausting, so I decided to turn the Gym into a hotel and stop taking challenges."

Hearing this, Ash raised his voice, "Don't lump us in with them! We've been training hard and travelling to take on the Pokémon League. We're serious challengers!"

"That's right," Kai added. "Mr. Blaine, you won't be able to brush us off so easily. We're not leaving until we earn the Volcano Badge."

Blaine studied Kai and Ash for a moment, his expression shifting to one of grudging respect. "Well, since you're so determined, I'll give you a chance. But before we battle, you'll need to find the real location of the Gym!"

"The real Gym location?" Misty asked, glancing at the hotel at the base of the volcano. "Isn't it here?"

"Not exactly," Blaine said with a chuckle. "The Gym is hidden inside the hotel, but finding it won't be simple. You'll have to solve a puzzle to uncover its exact location!"

With that, Blaine led the group into the hotel.

The building, once the Gym, was spacious. The front area housed a restaurant and guest rooms for visitors, while the back featured open-air hot springs.

In the lobby, Blaine turned to face the group. "I offer free meals and accommodations here, as well as full access to the hot springs. But first, listen carefully to my clue."

The group nodded in unison. "We're listening."

Blaine clasped his hands behind his back and said slowly, "There's a great flood above and a raging fire below."

"That's it?" Ash asked, confused.

"That's it!" Blaine laughed. "You've heard the clue. Now, go figure it out!"

Without waiting for a reply, Blaine turned and walked away.

As he disappeared, Brock frowned in thought. "A great flood above, a raging fire below... is this some kind of disaster scenario?"

Misty glanced at Kai, who seemed uninterested in brainstorming.

"From a literal perspective, it must relate to water and fire," she said. Her tone brightened as she added, "But didn't Blaine mention free food and hot springs? Why don't we rest first? Once we're refreshed, we'll have the energy to solve the puzzle."

"That's a great idea!" Brock agreed, despite knowing Misty's ulterior motives. "After so much travelling, a soak in the hot springs will do wonders."

The group readily agreed and headed to the hotel's restaurant.

Inside a room with traditional Japanese décor, they sat on tatami mats while chefs, all over fifty years old, brought out a lavish spread of food.

Being near the sea, the menu featured sashimi, sushi, and miso soup. One chef even offered Kai a bottle of sake.

Kai took a sip, savouring the faint aroma of alcohol, while Ash and Brock devoured their food with astonishing speed.

Even Misty, usually concerned with her image, joined in with gusto.

After eating, Misty leaned back, patting her stomach with a satisfied smile. "This is paradise compared to camping out in the wild!"

Once they'd finished their meal, they began exploring the hotel for any clues.

To their surprise, they discovered that, unlike other crowded hotels in Cinnabar Town, Blaine's hotel had no other guests.

"It seems Blaine only opens this place to those he personally invites," Kai mused. "If he ran this like a normal hotel, it'd go out of business fast."

After a short rest, they changed into bathrobes and headed to the open-air hot spring.

While it was called open-air, a curtain and wooden fence divided the pool into separate areas for men and women.

As Kai settled into the warm water, he felt his fatigue melt away, and his body completely relaxed.

Just as he was unwinding, his phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at the screen it was from a girl he hadn't heard from in a while.

The message was casual, filled with updates about her daily life, but it avoided mentioning the past.

Kai's expression softened. 'She's trying her best to move on,' he thought.

He typed out a quick reply, lost in thought until Brock's voice brought him back to reality. "You've been glued to that phone since last night, Kai. Careful staring at the screen too long isn't good for your eyes!"

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