Three gold entries.
Two red.
One orange.
That combination wasn't just powerful it was absurdly luxurious.
If Pikachu didn't have his Colorful Infinite Reincarnation entry, even he wouldn't be able to keep up with Ash anymore.
When Ash first awakened his Entry System, curiosity led him to scan himself.
The result nearly made him fall off his chair.
Four entries — three gold and one red.
At the time, he thought it had to be a glitch.
Even mythical Pokémon rarely started with that kind of spread.
And he was just a human.
It made him remember the words people used to describe him in his past life.
"A monster in human skin."
Well, maybe they hadn't been wrong.
If this wasn't the potential of a legendary beast, what was?
He didn't have any Celestial entries, but every golden one was practical and potent.
Combined with his red Training boost, his potential bordered on broken.
Still, without the Entry System, he'd never have been able to access the full power behind those abilities.
That, he realized, must have been the reason why in the original timeline he had traveled through so many regions and still never become Champion.
Now, though, he had two advantages that version of him never did:
his past-life experience and the Entry System.
"If I can't win the Indigo Plateau this time," he muttered with a grin, "I'll eat Pikachu."
"Pika!?" came the horrified squeak beside him.
Ash chuckled. "Just kidding… probably."
A long time ago, one of the Pokémon he'd defeated had dropped a strange blue entry: Cooking Amateur.
At first, he thought it was useless. But after experimenting, he realized cooking didn't just refer to human meals it applied to Pokémon food too.
And the dishes it produced granted buffs.
Temporary boosts to stamina, energy, and mood.
Of course, there were a few… side effects.
He'd spent years upgrading it, using every spare entry he could, until it finally reached Red-tier: Culinary Master.
That skill alone had pushed his team's progress to a new level.
It was one of the main reasons Pikachu had reached quasi-Elite and Ash himself had broken into the Elite tier.
If Pikachu hadn't reincarnated once and started over, he'd already be Elite too.
At this point, no one knew who was stronger Pikachu or Ash.
Pikachu could battle opponents far above his level.
And Ash?
He could too.
The golden entries Diamond Indestructible and Mountain-Moving Strength gave him the ability to fight on par with Pokémon several ranks above him.
He might only register as an Elite-level human, but if a real fight broke out, everyone below Champion rank was fair game.
Dinner came together quickly with Serena's help.
It was a simple curry beef rice, but the moment she took her first bite, her eyes widened.
"W-what is this…?" she gasped, cheeks flushing. "It's so good!"
A wave of warmth spread through her body, washing away the fatigue from their long day of travel.
Her muscles relaxed, her head felt light it was like floating on clouds.
She leaned back with a blissful sigh, a faint blush on her face.
Ash blinked, staring at her reaction.
"Uh… I didn't put anything weird in the food, did I?" he muttered. "Why does she look like she's about to pass out?"
The truth was, no one but Ash and Pikachu had ever tasted his cooking before.
At home, Delia always handled meals, and during training trips, Ash cooked just for himself.
So even he had no idea that his cooking, thanks to Culinary Master (Red), had a "side effect" when eaten by others the overwhelming comfort could make people dizzy, relaxed, and even euphoric.
In short, it was a food-induced high.
Nearby, Froakie was also having the meal for the first time.
His cheeks puffed as he swallowed, eyes glowing with satisfaction.
Ash had prepared the Pokémon portions separately, using tailored ingredients — electric nutrients for Pikachu, general energy boosters for Froakie.
Even so, the taste was leagues above anything from Professor Oak's lab cafeteria.
Compared to Ash's food, the lab's meals might as well have been pellets for Miltank.
After finishing, Serena offered to wash the dishes, feeling guilty for having done almost nothing except chop vegetables.
With Froakie's help, she quickly tidied up.
Later that night, the two sat together by the campfire, chatting as the stars came out.
They talked about everything childhood memories, training habits, and the years they'd spent apart.
Ash shared how he used to take Pikachu around Pallet Town's wild zones, challenging local Pokémon dens.
He'd battled dozens daily but always healed the Pokémon afterward.
"So that's why all the wild Pokémon around Pallet never attack you," Serena said softly. "They actually like you."
Ash smiled faintly. "Maybe. I just think… if they haven't done anything to me, it's wrong to hurt them for no reason."
Serena listened quietly, eyes warm.
He continued, voice calm but firm.
"If I fight a wild Pokémon, it's to train — not to kill or harm. Leaving them injured after a battle feels wrong. What if they get attacked again while they're weak? That'd be on me."
Serena looked at him in quiet awe. "You're still so kind, Ash."
Ash chuckled. "Kind, huh? Not really. I just believe in balance."
He stared into the fire, his expression unreadable.
"Return a favor, repay a grudge.
If a Pokémon helps me, I'll help it.
If one attacks me, I'll fight back.
But hurting others for nothing? That's not training. That's cruelty."
It was his personal creed — repay kindness with kindness, and return harm with harm.
He didn't believe in blind forgiveness, but he also refused to let power make him heartless.
Training was sacred.
Battle was respect.
And compassion, he believed, was what truly separated a trainer from a beast.
Serena watched him in the firelight, the faint smile on his lips reflecting in her eyes.
She couldn't help but think maybe this was the real reason Ho-Oh had chosen him.
(End of Chapter 8)