Sabrina's expression suddenly froze, and the chill around them vanished. She hesitated, "This is too precious. I can't accept it."
"Who said I was giving it to you?" Caitlin laughed, shaking her head. "This necklace doesn't suit your style at all. I'm just lending it to you temporarily to help save your mom."
Sabrina looked up sharply, her voice trembling a bit. "Can it really help my mother?"
"There's at least a seventy percent chance," Caitlin explained seriously. "I've seen cases like your mother's in my family records. The main issue is her psychic energy is too weak to reintegrate with her body. If you force it, she might end up in a vegetative state."
"But with this crystal to boost her willpower, it can help retain enough psychic energy, giving you more room to maneuver."
Caitlin had known the solution all along, but she didn't interfere before since she wasn't familiar with Sabrina. Now, considering Cynthia's influence, she decided to help.
"Thank you!" Sabrina grasped the crystal tightly.
"What?" Caitlin was taken aback, thinking she misheard. Sabrina turned her face away, her ears slightly red.
"Your ears are red," Caitlin observed with interest.
"The hot springs," Sabrina replied calmly.
"We're all in the same pool; why are only yours red?" Caitlin teased.
"I said they are, so they are."
"You really know how to lie with a straight face."
"It's the truth."
"You think I'd believe that?"
"Want to fight?"
"Bring it on, I'm not scared of you!"
"You're the one who lunges this time."
"You tricked me!"
Amidst their playful banter, an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere formed. Someone laughed first, and Sabrina's lips curled up while Caitlin covered her mouth with a chuckle.
"I had a feeling when we first met," Sabrina suddenly said seriously.
"Hmm?"
"That we'd become good friends."
"Is that so?" Caitlin's gaze wandered.
"It's come true now."
"Perhaps." Caitlin still wouldn't admit it.
Under Sabrina's gaze, Caitlin finally gave in. "Alright, talking with you always stirs something in me... Not the restless unease from before, but more like a warm tide that makes one understand people better." Her cheeks turned a shade of pink.
Sabrina quietly held her hand.
Not far away, Cynthia and her companions exchanged glances and quietly left.
Half an hour later, Carl found himself rubbing his eyes at the sight of Sabrina and Caitlin, side by side on the sofa, enthusiastically discussing psychic Pokémon while playing games.
"Can a hot spring really create such bonds? Two girls? That's surreal."
The following morning, Carl still appeared incredulous when he encountered Cynthia during her morning exercise in the backyard.
"Your expression is priceless," Cynthia couldn't help but laugh.
When Carl went downstairs, he saw Sabrina and Caitlin squeezed together on the sofa, absorbed in their game. Their conversation was lively, moving from training psychic Pokémon to discussing favorite colors. Caitlin favored pink and white, while Sabrina was fond of purple and red. They even agreed to exchange psychic Pokémon of those colors if they encountered them. Their closeness made Carl wonder if he'd crossed into another world, considering they were arguing just yesterday and even broke a wall during the hot spring incident.
"Don't pry into girls' matters," Cynthia sidestepped the topic. Even she couldn't fathom how the two had become so close overnight. Witnessing them act like sisters in the hot springs left her equally bewildered.
"Alright, enough about that," Carl shook his head, turning to Cynthia. "Did you come here specifically to wait for me?"
"Is it that obvious?" Cynthia admitted with a smile.
"Of course," Carl pointed around. "You skipped the front yard to exercise in the back, so you must have asked Serena about my routine."
"Spot on," Cynthia said, intrigued. "So, do you know why I'm looking for you?"
"It's about looking after Caitlin, I assume."
"Or maybe I'm here to say goodbye, planning to take her with me?"
"If that were the case, you could have announced it in front of everyone," Carl chuckled helplessly. "Besides, seeing how Caitlin's clinging to Sabrina now, she doesn't seem like she's leaving."
Cynthia couldn't help but laugh too. She explained earnestly, "I was a bit hesitant initially, but seeing the hot springs, the training facilities, and their camaraderie, I believe Caitlin is better off here than with me." She planned to head to the Kanto region to assist against Team Rocket.
Caitlin was strong, but the adversaries this time were formidable. Team Rocket had deep roots, with Giovanni at the helm, along with high-ranking officers and hidden powerhouses like Sabrina and Blaine. She had to proceed cautiously.
"Don't worry," Carl shrugged. "With how close she and Sabrina are now, I don't think I need to keep a close watch. Besides, the girls are quite a force now."
"Indeed," Cynthia teased. "It seems you should be the one concerned."
Carl feigned a hurt expression, pouting slightly. After some more light-hearted chatter, Cynthia headed inside the villa while Carl, as usual, went up the mountain to the garden.
Upon entering, he was greeted by a blend of fragrances. Approaching the World Tree, he saw vibrant flowers blooming. They were the personality mints he had planted, now blossoming in six different colors, each representing a unique personality trait.
These mints allowed Pokémon to adjust their stat growth without altering their nature. For instance, a Pokémon with a modest nature would see a boost in special attack, while an adamant nature would enhance physical attack.
Carl realized that personality mints could change a Pokémon's growth direction. Using one on an introverted Cosmog would make its physical attack grow more easily, while special attack would become harder to develop.
This realization meant he no longer had to worry about nature affecting a Pokémon's stats when capturing them.
These mints were incredibly useful, Carl thought happily. With them, many challenges could be easily overcome. For example, dragon-type Pokémon were often temperamental. Charizard would become arrogant after evolving, and Gyarados was notoriously hard to tame. Finding individuals with gentle natures would make training much easier.
Though a gentle nature could affect a Pokémon's battle prowess, personality mints could now offset this flaw. It was time to transplant these treasures into the backyard. After assessing the mints' growth, he made up his mind.
In this area, Carl had absolute security. As the World Tree grew, his perception would continue to expand. Leaving the mints in the garden seemed wasteful, and it wasn't suitable for outsiders. Considering the frequent use of these mints in the future, transplanting them sooner was more convenient.
But for now, it was time to get to work. Carl approached the World Tree, letting a drop of blood fall on it as usual.