It had to be said that wealthy people truly lived differently. This bathroom was larger than the one-bedroom apartment he rented back in the real world.
The decorations were impressive too. This was just a guest room, after all. No wonder he found himself sighing at the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy.
"When you live like this for too long, even the most determined people eventually lose their ambition," Morning Sun thought to himself.
What was the purpose of life? Simply put, it was to live better, and in this world, that was directly proportional to strength.
In the Pokémon world, strength determined everything. If you were strong, you naturally enjoyed better treatment. If you were weak, no matter how rich you were, the strong could easily take everything away from you.
There weren't many complicated philosophies here. Strength represented everything.
Misty enjoyed such a comfortable life not only because of her family's wealth but also because she was a Gym Leader with considerable power—that was an important factor.
"But after becoming a Gym Leader, many Trainers start to enjoy life too much. Their strength naturally stagnates. If they neglect to train, their power might even decline," Morning Sun reflected.
That's why Morning Sun wouldn't allow himself such comforts yet—not just because his strength wasn't sufficient, but because he knew he would face many powerful opponents in the future. When that time came, if his strength wasn't at the Elite Four level or even Champion level, he would be easily defeated.
"If I want to enjoy luxury, it's too early now. I need to become stronger first. After defeating all my powerful enemies, then I can enjoy better days."
After showering, Morning Sun was guided by a maid to the dining room.
A lavish dinner had been laid out on the long table. The sheer number of dishes once again left Morning Sun stunned.
Was the life of the wealthy really this extravagant?
"Morning Sun, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
Misty's voice sounded from behind him, and Morning Sun turned to look at her.
Misty approached like a true lady, wearing crystal high heels. She had untied her ponytail, letting her orange hair cascade over her shoulders, and wore a pure white dress.
She looked less energetic and more elegant than usual, undeniably beautiful.
"That dress is beautiful. You look more elegant in it," Morning Sun said.
Morning Sun was a polite and well-mannered person. When Misty appeared so dressed up as his host, he naturally complimented her courteously.
Wasn't this the quality and upbringing that a civilized guest should display?
To be honest, Misty's current appearance as a sophisticated young woman was indeed more striking than her previous image as a carefree sporty girl. Besides, offering a sincere compliment cost nothing, so what harm was there in saying it?
"Are you suggesting I didn't have any class before?" Misty smiled as she said this, then sat down with Morning Sun to prepare for dinner.
"I didn't say that. Don't read too much into it," he replied.
"Who knows what you're really thinking?"
Hearing such a response, Morning Sun could only roll his eyes helplessly. Having always been single, he truly didn't understand women's thoughts, so he had nothing more to say and simply started eating.
Misty had spoken teasingly, but inside she felt pleased. Everyone enjoyed receiving compliments, especially from someone of the opposite gender who admired them.
Yet she was typically carefree by nature. Even when facing someone who liked her, she wouldn't show too much emotion.
She had just escaped death and momentarily lost her composure, but now that she had recovered, she could face Morning Sun with confidence.
"So, Morning Sun, what are your plans next?" The two chatted while eating, with something ambiguous hanging in the air between them. But as their conversation continued, Misty asked about his future plans.
"As a Rookie Trainer who has just started his journey, my goal is naturally to train more, challenge the Gyms, continue my adventure, and then participate in the Pokémon League to win the championship!"
"This is Cerulean City. I'll challenge the Cerulean City Gym Leader tomorrow. After winning, I'll move on to the next cities to continue training."
Morning Sun felt there was nothing to hide about these ambitions. Almost every Rookie Trainer had the same ideas, except for those participating in Pokémon Contests in the Hoenn region or those with different paths.
"Rookie Trainer? What kind of Rookie Trainer are you? If Rookie Trainers had your strength, I think all the current Gym Leaders could retire and be replaced," Misty rolled her eyes when she heard this.
Morning Sun's strength far exceeded that of a typical Rookie Trainer; even Trainers who had been adventuring for three or four months might not be able to defeat him.
"But you plan to challenge the Gym Leader tomorrow. I heard she's quite strong. Are you sure you can beat her?" Misty asked with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
She was the Cerulean City Gym Leader, and she wanted to surprise Morning Sun tomorrow.
"If you don't even have that little confidence, how can you ever become strong? No matter who my opponent is or what strength they possess, I always fight with the belief that I can win," Morning Sun replied lightly.
He pretended not to know what Misty was thinking, though he was fully aware of who she really was.
His words, however, had an unspoken condition—he would only fight when he was certain of victory and substantial rewards.
He wasn't a reckless hothead. Morning Sun would never rush into a battle he was bound to lose for no reason.
But conversely, as long as he was confident in his victory, he would face any opponent with unwavering determination!
"...You're right. When facing a powerful enemy, if you don't even believe you can win, such a person truly can't become strong."
Misty pondered his words for a moment and suddenly felt that Morning Sun made perfect sense, which made her appreciate him even more.
"You just arrived in Cerulean City today, and you're not familiar with this place. I'll take you to the Gym tomorrow. I want to see how you defeat the Gym Leader and earn your Badge," Misty smiled and suggested, appearing thoughtful about Morning Sun's journey.
Morning Sun naturally nodded in agreement. She just wanted to give him a surprise. For the sake of his previous task reward, he was willing to pretend to be surprised for Misty's benefit.
After dinner, they both returned to their rooms to rest.
They had experienced a lot that day, and Morning Sun was exhausted. After returning to the guest room, he set up the notification function for visitors, then logged off and returned to reality to rest.
Players had to log off somewhere to rest. The most common place to log off was naturally the Pokémon Center, but occasionally Morning Sun would rest in the homes of local residents.
The game's built-in notification function could be set up at these times. If someone knocked on the door looking for the player, they would receive a message on their linked mobile phone and could log in directly.
Of course, logging back in wasn't mandatory, but if you missed something important, you couldn't blame the game.
Eddie logged off to rest.