Chapter Twenty-One: Saya

"Hello there! May I catch a ride?" A sweet voice reached him. Heath was momentarily stunned; he had thought he reached his destination, but it turned out he had encountered a hitchhiker.

The autonomous driving system of Heath's smart food truck was remarkably robust. It could avoid obstacles and handle pedestrians based on the situation, and it was clear that this time, someone had flagged him down. What satisfied Heath most, however, was that this smart truck was immune to brake failures or faulty navigation; it was incredibly reliable.

"Wow! I've seen this plot before. Next, Trainer, you'll find out this girl is a stalker, and you'll think you're a creep who can take advantage of her, only to end up completely drained dry. Then, you'll toss her out, only for her to be targeted by another creep..." Zorua chimed in, full of excitement.

Heath gave Zorua a flick on the forehead, completely expressionless. This creature, whose mind was filled with nothing but smut, was truly beyond saving. Heaven only knew where Zorua picked up such bizarre material.

Heath pushed open the door and saw a girl with long, black hair looking curiously at the empty driver's seat. Her outfit was quite adorable, and Heath had to admit his heart skipped a beat.

"Are you looking for a ride? Where are you headed?" Heath scanned the surroundings. There was no one else in sight; it didn't seem to be a honey trap.

"Oh, hello! I want to go to Victory Road, but I'm lost..." The girl smiled sheepishly. Heath let out an "oh"—no wonder she was hitching a ride from this spot. Seeing that she was a very cute girl, Heath agreed to her request.

"Stalker!" Zorua chirped excitedly the moment she boarded, earning a death stare from Heath.

The girl clearly couldn't hear Zorua's telepathic jab; she just stood beside Heath with a smile.

"I'm heading toward Victory Road as well... I'm a chef. If you don't mind, please take the passenger seat." Heath led the girl into the cabin and took his place behind the wheel. While he found the autopilot functional enough, he didn't want this curious girl poking at the controls.

"Thank you! I'm Saya, a trainer striving to become a Pokémon Master! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The girl extended her hand with poise. Heath was taken aback for a second but shook it cordially.

Her name, however, brought something else to mind: the notoriously controversial visual novel from his past life, *Saya no Uta*. It was an acquired taste with polarizing reviews. Heath had never played it, only read summaries.

Heath nodded and started the food truck, continuing along the path indicated by the map. Saya sat quietly beside him, occasionally tapping on her phone. Soon, they reached the entrance to Victory Road, a mountain pass decorated with small ornaments.

"Would you like something to eat? Here is the menu." Heath presented the menu to Saya. She looked at it curiously, surprised to find that she hadn't seen most of the dishes listed. As the sky had dimmed, Heath turned on the truck's lights to illuminate the road ahead.

"What can I order right now?" Saya asked, genuinely intrigued by the unfamiliar names.

"Well... Jianbing Guozi, braised pork rice bowl, minced pork rice, and egg-fried rice. Oh, and if you want green onions added, it's ten credits per portion." Heath gave a quick introduction and moved his tables and chairs into the glow of the truck's lights.

"Then, please make me that egg-fried rice, with a side of green onions." Saya made her decision quickly. Heath nodded; he suspected she was only ordering out of politeness. After collecting the payment, he quickly whipped up the fried rice. Saya took her meal, thanked him happily, and departed.

"Feels like a bit of a bust. Will there really be anyone on Victory Road at night?" Heath frowned, looking at the quiet road and the surrounding forest. Saya was the only customer he had seen so far.

"Are you a little disappointed, Trainer?" Zorua asked with a playful grin. Heath rolled his eyes; he didn't quite understand why he would be disappointed.

He walked back to the truck. Its lights illuminated the area, but there was still no one in sight. Heath rubbed his arms, feeling that he likely wouldn't make any more sales tonight. He was startled by a sudden notification, but quickly realized something was off—he had only served one customer, Ms. Saya.

Connecting the information from his "cheat" ability, Heath thought of her black hair and the Nurse Joy from Pewter City who was rumored to have run away from home. "Joy" was their surname, but their given names varied. Heath had heard from Sister Maple that members of the Joy family usually had very long full names, which was why they often shortened them.

"It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?" Heath pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. If he had really run into that runaway Joy, he wouldn't even know what to say.

While the Joy family primarily focused on Pokémon healing and most became dedicated medical professionals, some followed different paths—like those who became Pokémon Inspectors, responsible for evaluating the strength of Gym Leaders. Others served as judges for Pokémon Contests, or were entrusted with the task of distributing starter Pokémon to trainers in cities.

Heath shook his head. It had nothing to do with him anyway. Lost in thought, he reached into his pocket and felt something warm. Before he could pull it out, the warmth vanished, leaving him bewildered. What had happened?

Heath’s lips twitched. So that was how the "Flame of Will" worked. It was actually quite useful; after all, in the real world, not every trainer played by the League's rules. There were plenty of people who increased their chances of winning by attacking the opposing trainer directly, especially those in evil organizations.