Caitlin immediately saw through Sabrina's thoughts, teasing her with a light laugh, "You've got an Eevee, such a rare Pokémon. Surely you've also caught a shiny one, right?" Sabrina remained silent.
"If you give me a shiny psychic-type, I might just call you my big sister," Caitlin winked, pausing dramatically, "After all, you are older than me."
Sabrina's expression shifted noticeably.
Carl watched in astonishment. He had never seen Caitlin speak like this before, almost as though she had become someone else. Usually, her playful remarks were limited to complaints about being woken up or boasting about her villas around the globe, but this was a new level of banter.
More surprising was Sabrina's reaction. She seemed genuinely annoyed. She slowly raised her hand and coldly remarked, "Your fate is sealed." Just as she was about to unleash a psychic attack, she realized her powers had failed.
"What's happening?" she wondered, glancing around, noticing Carl standing nearby.
"Let's not cause a scene, I don't want you tearing my house down," Carl shrugged, "Here, you're just regular people."
Caitlin burst out laughing, "Looks like you got caught too." Sabrina's expression soured.
With a gentle raise of his hand, Carl prompted Caitlin to sit up straight, resuming her elegant demeanor as a noble lady, a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
"Sabrina…" she began coldly.
But Carl raised his hand again, and Caitlin immediately reverted to her lively self, playfully asking, "What's your plan now?"
"Interesting," Carl chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're quite a fascinating person."
Carl saw Caitlin as an intriguing enigma. Her psychic powers acted as a switch, toggling her personality between an aloof noblewoman and a spirited, carefree girl.
Caitlin was a bit too much for Carl. Her playful antics seemed to float around them like a mischievous sprite.
Carl raised his hand once more, and Caitlin's expression struggled. With her powers restored, she quickly regained her composure, transforming back into the haughty aristocrat.
The grace and poise of her upbringing felt like a heavy chain binding her. Ultimately, she returned to her seat with dignity, coldly pointing at Carl, "You insolent fool, daring to mock me. Just wait until…"
Her words were cut off.
Her powers failed once again.
The restraints vanished, replaced by a flood of emotions. This time, she didn't move closer to Carl, her emotions reining in her intellect.
"Interesting," Carl thought to himself.
He sensed that Caitlin might be provoking him intentionally, hoping he would seal her powers. In losing them, she could better control her emotions.
"Starting to enjoy being just an ordinary person?" Carl's eyes twinkled with amusement. Around him, Caitlin seemed to grow more quickly.
Cynthia noticed this too, feeling both pleased and helpless. Carl had a unique influence on Caitlin, which was good. But she had finished her investigation on Sabrina and now needed to assist Chairman Damalanchi against Team Rocket.
Leaving Caitlin alone wasn't an option. What a headache!
"You said the future is predetermined, didn't you?"
Unaware of Cynthia's concerns, Caitlin turned to Sabrina for a chat. Unable to handle Carl, she hoped to deal with Sabrina, who also lacked her psychic powers.
"I never said what kind of future," Sabrina responded calmly.
The privilege of interpretation was always hers.
"Didn't expect you to be so shameless," Caitlin taunted.
A vein twitched on Sabrina's normally composed forehead. If only she hadn't lost her powers, she'd turn this pompous lady into a puppet for a good lesson!
"So, you don't have a shiny Pokémon, do you?" Caitlin gloated.
This is the difference in luck. No matter how long Sabrina had played, Caitlin's few hours had already led her to a shiny. From now on, she decided to give the game a glowing review.
"Correct, I haven't."
Unexpectedly, Sabrina stayed calm, "But neither do you, right?"
Caitlin was about to retort but suddenly remembered that she had indeed once knocked out a shiny Psyduck with her Charmeleon.
"At least I've come across one," she said, holding onto her pride. "Luck is all about character. If I encountered one once, I'll find another. Unlike some people."
Sabrina's lips curled slightly, "Oh really?" She turned to Serena, "There's a chance of encountering shiny Pokémon, right?"
"Of course." Serena immediately explained, detailing the probability and capture mechanics of shiny Pokémon, especially how rare they truly are.
Caitlin froze, "A one in four thousand and ninety-six chance… and I blew it?"
The others stifled their laughter as Carl shook his head, "Serena's been learning from Sabrina."
"I must catch that shiny Psyduck!" Caitlin declared, gripping her gaming console with determination. Until she caught it, she'd have no appetite.
Cynthia considered advising against it but then remembered she'd never encountered a shiny Pokémon herself. Was it really a matter of luck?
Serena felt secretly smug. She had merely stated the facts, not intentionally made Caitlin uncomfortable. Why should she suffer alone while Caitlin stayed so unbothered?
"Time to prepare dinner!"
Serena jolted at the sudden call.
"When did you get here?" She turned, finding Carl standing there, feeling slightly guilty as she looked away, "You walk so quietly."
Carl chuckled, "You were just lost in thought. I'm hungry, time to make dinner."
"Oh! Is it that late?" Seeing it was nearly five on her watch, Serena rushed off to the kitchen, forgetting the playful poke to her forehead.
Lillie set down her game console, ready to help, but Carl gently nudged her back to the sofa, "No need, someone will assist her."
He called out to the backyard, "Chef Blaze, time to work!" Right on cue, the kitchen doors swung open, and an enthusiastic Blaziken in a chef's apron entered.
"The kitchen is his domain now," Carl winked at Lillie. He had grown quite reliant on Serena's culinary skills, unable to imagine life without such delicious meals. Though their contract had only one year left, he secretly hoped to keep this fantastic chef around. For that, he was training Blaziken as a backup.
Watching the four girls play games while waiting for dinner should have been delightful, if only Caitlin wouldn't constantly complain about the non-shiny Pokémon. Carl considered returning her powers to quiet her, but the thought of potentially inviting more direct chaos made him reconsider.
"I caught a shiny Abra," Sabrina suddenly announced.
"What? Shiny Abra?!" Caitlin immediately leaned over to see Sabrina's screen.
On display was a battle, Sabrina controlling an Alakazam, facing a slightly different colored Abra.
"This color is off, is the game glitching?" Caitlin questioned.
Sabrina glanced at her, "It's rare. Shiny Pokémon have special effects when they appear. This Abra is a square shiny."
Her tone was calm, yet distinctly mocking.
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