The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and Ash knew Misty was now freshening up, but he didn't stay inside the room. Instead, he stood on the balcony, leaning against the railing, gazing out at the night.

The dorm was located behind the Pokémon Center, obstructing the view of the battlefields in front. This limitation meant Ash could only monotonously watch the night unfold, but it also served well to block some noise, allowing the trainers inside to rest better.

"Quite a day it's been," Ash mused, his hands resting on the railing, his chin propped up as he stared blankly into the distance, seemingly recalling all that had happened today.

Getting Pikachu, battling Gary, setting off, entering a raffle, inheriting from Osiris the Sky Dragon, encountering a flock of Spearow, meeting Misty, and finally... encountering the legendary Ho-Oh.

Ash felt that the inertia of history was quite strong; despite doing all this, he still experienced events like those of Ash in the anime. It seemed this world had a significant connection with the anime universe.

To be honest, Ash couldn't quite remember what was supposed to happen next. No matter how vivid the memory, it's impossible to recall every detail. He vaguely remembered reclaiming a Caterpie and Pidgeotto in Viridian Forest, but beyond that, the details were unclear.

"Hey, Pikachu..." Ash turned his head to look at Pikachu, who stood on the railing beside him, quietly watching the distance as well.

"Pika...?" Pikachu turned his head upon hearing Ash's voice, looking puzzled, not sure what Ash was prompting.

"Do you think we could ever reach the highest peak, to see sights no one has ever seen before?" Ash asked with a gentle smile.

"Pika—!" Pikachu nodded vigorously. Although not quite understanding the 'sights' Ash mentioned, Pikachu felt he should unconditionally support Ash.

"Is that so? You think it's possible too? I believe it as well. Even without any systems or legacies, I believe we can make it!" Ash's smile grew brighter, and his eyes shone with unwavering determination.

His goal had never changed: to become the strongest trainer in the world, a legend among legends, like the elusive Red hidden in the mountains, an unmatched powerhouse!

"What were you guys talking about?" Meanwhile, Misty, having finished freshening up, came out drying her hair with a towel, dressed in the same style of clothes she had on before, as they were still planning to go out for dinner and she hadn't changed into her pajamas.

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"Nothing much..." Seeing Misty with her hair down, Ash was momentarily taken aback. This style made her appear less vibrant than before but added a softness to her demeanor, making her seem much gentler.

"Then hurry up and get ready. We still need to go eat. After dinner, we can either go out for a walk or come back here to rest," Misty said, unaware of Ash's lingering gaze as she continued to dry her hair with the towel.

"Yes!" Ash quickly nodded, then picked up Pikachu and went back inside the room to grab his clothes and head to the bathroom for a shower.

"Why does he seem a bit flustered..." Misty tilted her head slightly, watching Ash's hurried figure. But once Ash was in the bathroom, Misty's expression suddenly changed, and she gasped, realizing something as her cheeks turned bright red.

She suddenly remembered that she hadn't taken out the clothes she had changed out of; they were still in the bathroom. That meant... her undergarments... might be seen by Ash?

Indeed, inside the bathroom, Ash did see Misty's discarded clothes. However, he didn't delve into them; after a mere glance, he focused on quickly washing Pikachu and then himself before coming out.

Once Ash was out, Misty immediately went into the bathroom to retrieve her clothes. Seeing that Ash hadn't noticed her, she quickly stowed them in her backpack, then breathed a sigh of relief.

But she knew this act was just fooling herself; Ash had definitely seen her clothes and noticed her actions. Yet, this gesture somehow made Misty feel a bit more at ease.

After briefly drying off Pikachu's fur, Ash simply wiped his own hair. Boys typically didn't fuss over their appearance as much as girls, so his hair looked somewhat messy.

"Really, you should at least use a hairdryer..." Seeing Ash's disheveled look, Misty shook her head helplessly, picked up a hairdryer from nearby, and handed it to him.

"No need, let's just go eat; I'm starving..." Ash shook his head nonchalantly. Having set off in the morning and after all the ordeals and chases, he was famished.

"Alright then..." Misty had no choice but to agree. She quickly tied her hair up and then led Ash and Pikachu out of the dormitory towards the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was quite large, not as big as the main hall, but about a third of its size, roughly four to five hundred square meters. This indicated that the Pokémon Center occupied a very large area.

Dining at the Pokémon Center's cafeteria was free for trainers. One could order whatever he wanted and would be notified when his meal was ready to collect. Pokémon food, however, was simpler, catered to general tastes, and set aside for trainers to help themselves.

The food provided in the cafeteria was typically for smaller Pokémon. Larger Pokémon required so much more that trainers usually needed to bring their own food as the center did not provide for them. Therefore, not many trainers raised large Pokémon because the cost of food was high, especially for rookie and average trainers.

After ordering their food and picking up some Pokémon food for Pikachu, the two found a table and chatted while waiting. Shortly, an announcement over the PA system informed them their meals were ready for pickup.

"This is really good!" Ash said, his eyes lighting up as he ate his fried pork chop. He hadn't expected the Pokémon Center's cafeteria to be of such high quality, comparable to external restaurants, and it was all free.

"Of course, it's a benefit provided by the League to trainers!" Misty replied, eating her curry rice and proudly agreeing with Ash's praise.

"Can people other than trainers not stay here or eat here?" Ash asked curiously.

"That's right!" Misty nodded affirmatively.