Faced with Hayashi's question, Sabrina shot an annoyed glare at the onlookers, who immediately recalled the terror of being under her control and hurriedly lowered their heads to focus on their meals.
Seeing that her "intimidating aura" still worked, Sabrina let out a small sigh of relief, then scratched her cheek awkwardly and said, "Well, it's probably because of me—the old me and the current me are, um, pretty different."
"Pretty different" was an understatement—it was like night and day! The contrast was as stark as going from a divine being to a wild ape!
"That's definitely true," Hayashi nodded solemnly, a look of amazement on his face. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed you could change so much in just one afternoon."
Erina nodded gracefully and added, "Indeed! When we first met, you 'invited' us here using rather unconventional methods. The you now is completely unrecognizable from back then."
Faced with Erina's subtle yet pointed remark, Sabrina gave an awkward smile and whispered an apology, "I… I'm really sorry about that."
The only reason Sabrina was being so accommodating was because Hayashi and the others were the ones who helped her break free from the shackles of her psychic powers and liberate her emotions—her "benefactors." If anyone else dared to mock her like this, she'd make sure they learned the meaning of cruelty—or, well, you know, as a psychic, she could easily make their deepest desires revolve around a Shiny Female Machamp.
Heh heh, dear reader, you wouldn't want your preferences to turn into a shiny female Machamp, would you?
After receiving Sabrina's apology, Erina nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very well, I shall forgive you."
"Really?" Sabrina looked up in pleasant surprise. "Then… can we be friends from now on?"
"Miss Sabrina." At the mention of friendship, Erina immediately paused what she was doing and raised her head earnestly to look at the girl before her. "Friendship isn't something declared with words—it's something proven through actions."
This was a lesson Erina understood deeply! After her emotional growth, she had cast aside her baseless pride and arrogance, bravely reaching out to Megumi Tadokoro, Ryōko Sakaki, Yūki Yoshino, and others, successfully forging true friendships of her own.
"Friendship isn't declared with words… but proven through actions…" Sabrina repeated the words softly, then lifted her gaze to meet Erina's eyes with newfound determination. "Can you teach me how?"
"Of course." A faint smile curled at the corner of Erina's lips as she sat beside Sabrina. "First, let me ask you—what do you think friendship is?"
"Hmm…" Sabrina's expression turned uncertain. After a few seconds of thought, she ventured hesitantly, "Someone… you can laugh with?"
"Friends can laugh together, but not everyone who laughs together is a friend."
"Then… someone you can cry with?"
"Friends can cry together, but not everyone who cries together is a friend."
"Then… I don't know."
Sabrina, who had never had a friend before, sank into confusion. Nervously, she looked to Erina, hoping for an answer.
"The word 'friend' can't be defined so simply by any single term—" Erina met Sabrina's gaze solemnly. "The way you interact with friends varies depending on their personalities!"
Human nature is inherently diverse and complex. What friendship truly requires is mutual respect for differences—so long as core values don't clash violently, there's no need to demand perfection.
"Let me give you an example. For instance…"
Hayashi and Hisako exchanged glances as they listened to Erina's lengthy lecture to Sabrina, then shrugged helplessly in unison.
Well, there she goes—showing off again!
...
...
That night, Hayashi and his companions rested at the Saffron Gym.
Hayashi slept soundly. The Gengar hiding in his shadow slept soundly. The Eevee curled up by his pillow slept soundly. But Hisako did not sleep well—she lay awake, plagued by insomnia.
Because Erina and Sabrina were huddled under the same blanket, talking deep into the night about the meaning of "friendship."
'I was the first…'
'The first to become Erina's friend… The first to travel to another world with her…'
'When two such joyful things overlap, they should bring even greater happiness…'
'So why… why does it have to be like this…'
Hisako lay in bed, buried beneath her covers, a picture of melancholy, loneliness, and despair. If this were the world of Madoka Magica, she'd probably have transformed into a grief-stricken witch by morning.
Just as Hisako was about to burst into tears, she suddenly heard Erina's voice.
"For example, Hisako has been by my side since I was very young. Back then, I didn't consider her a friend—just my attendant."
"But after going through all sorts of things, I realized her importance and the feelings she has for me! From then on, I've regarded her as my best friend."
Best!
Friend!
At this moment, Hisako felt as if the heavens had opened up. She bolted upright from the bed with a "whoosh," tears streaming down her face as she threw herself at Erina, choking out, "Erina-sama... no! Erina-chan, you're my best friend too!"
"Ehhh!? H-Hisako, you weren't asleep!?" Erina nearly fainted from embarrassment. Oh god, she had thought Hisako was asleep since there was no movement from her side—that was the only reason she dared say those words to Sabrina. Otherwise, with her tsundere personality, she would never expose her true feelings unless emotionally overwhelmed...
Sabrina watched the two—Hisako (excited) and Erina (flustered)—hugging each other with red faces and said enviously, "How nice... I want a friend like that too!"
"Ahem! Sabrina—" Desperate to escape this embarrassing situation, Erina quickly broke free from Hisako's embrace and put on a (fake) serious face as she said to Sabrina, "Friendship isn't about words—it's about actions. So... would you like to try being friends with us?"
"!"
Sabrina looked up in surprise, nodding eagerly. "I—I'd love to!"
...
...
"Your emotions are so weird—"
Hayashi propped his chin on his hand, straw between his teeth, watching the three girls clinging tightly together with a strange expression. "How did you suddenly get so close?"
"Because we had a proper heart-to-heart!" Erina said solemnly, looking at Hayashi. "I think Sabrina is a wonderful girl!"
"Mhm!" Hisako quickly nodded beside her, agreeing with Erina—not that she wanted to be reeled in, but Sabrina had said their friendship was enviable!
Who could resist that?
Sabrina must be a good girl, definitely a good girl!
"O-okay—" Hayashi nodded with a complicated expression, taking a small sip of soy milk before resting his chin on his hand again. "By the way, when are you guys planning to leave?"
Σ( ° △ °|||)
His words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving the three girls frozen in place.
"T-this…"
Erina glanced guiltily at Sabrina. Because they had been chatting so happily yesterday, she had completely forgotten that she was on a trip and couldn't stay in Saffron City for long...
What should they do now?
"H-how about…" Erina's eyes lit up as she suggested, "Sabrina travels with us for a while?"
"Mm-hmm!" Hisako nodded eagerly and said, "We're planning to travel to famous attractions around the world! If Sabrina comes with us, we can experience all sorts of things together—like swimming in Alola, visiting the famous amusement parks in Kalos, and exploring Hoenn's most renowned grasslands..."
"This..." Sabrina was clearly tempted, but after glancing at her surroundings, she said dejectedly, "I'm sorry. As the Saffron Gym Leader, I can't leave the gym for long periods."
Just as Sabrina's mood darkened, a cheerful voice sounded behind her: "Leave the Saffron Gym to me! Sabrina, go and have fun with your friends!"
"!"
Sabrina turned around in surprise to see a man in blue workwear with a thick beard gazing at her warmly. Beside him stood a woman with deep red hair.
"Dad and Mom..." Sabrina stood up in shock, completely unprepared to see them here. "Why are you two here?"
"Because... your mother and I have always, always been watching over you—" Sabrina's father lowered his head with a bitter smile. "I'm a useless father! When your psychic powers awakened, I was so overjoyed that I completely neglected your heart. As a result, your younger self was consumed by those powers, and I could only flee the Saffron Gym with your mother..."
But after leaving, Sabrina's father hadn't given up. Instead, he lingered near Saffron City, using his psychic abilities to observe Sabrina from time to time. Seeing her emotionally closed-off actions pained him deeply, but he felt powerless to intervene.
Until this morning, when he followed his usual habit of checking on Sabrina—he never dared to look for too long, afraid his gaze might alert her—he was thunderstruck to find her acting normally, chatting and laughing with two other girls!?
Witnessing this, Sabrina's father nearly popped his eyes out in shock—though his jaw actually dislocated from sheer astonishment, forcing him to visit the hospital with his wife to get it reset before rushing back. That was when he overheard Sabrina's words.
And so, he bravely stepped forward to ease his daughter's worries!
Sniff Sabrina, this is the only thing your useless father can do for you! Have fun with your friends!
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