Seeing Kaya hop lightly up to the second floor with a single jump, everyone downstairs froze on the spot.
In their hearts, there was only one collective thought:
What in the world...
Just a moment ago she had been a frail girl who could barely walk across the room. One bottle of potion later, not only was the illness gone, she was practically flying.
Forget tonics and miracle medicine, this stuff put all of that to shame.
Even Kaya herself was startled by how high she had jumped.
She had only felt like she might be able to reach the second floor. She never really believed she would make it.
Standing on the railing of the second-floor landing, she felt a bit nervous, but even more than that, she felt a sense of liberation.
Finally. Finally, she no longer had to live under the torment of that strange disease.
Feeling the energy flowing through her body, Kaya's heart filled with joy.
At the same time, she felt deeply grateful to the man who had brought this change.
If not for Amon's arrival, she might have spent the rest of her life trapped in that room, never seeing the sun.
Now everything was different. The shadow over her life had been blown away.
...
"Sir, I am so happy. I do not have to take medicine every day anymore, and I do not have to live in the dark."
"Thank you, sir... arigato!"
Kaya bowed deeply toward Amon, her face glowing with light.
"Hahaha, I am happy for you too. But remember, the reason this potion came out of the jar is because our little Kaya has great luck. It has nothing to do with me."
"Also, you should come down first. Otherwise your father will keep staring at you, afraid you might fall and hurt yourself."
Amon pointed playfully at Kaya's father, who was standing below with a worried look, and then took out the remaining two items.
"Besides, you still have two treasures you have not even looked at yet."
...
"Mm, yes yes."
Kaya laughed, then jumped down from the second floor.
Her father's heart nearly stopped. He still could not adjust this quickly. In his mind, she was still the fragile child who would faint from walking too far.
Amon, on the other hand, was perfectly relaxed. With that Marrow Cleansing Elixir in her, even falling from somewhere much higher would not hurt her now.
That potion was no joke. He was a living example.
Sure enough, Kaya landed without so much as a stumble. She ran straight to Amon and stared curiously at the two remaining items in his hands.
"Sir, what else did I get?"
"Do not be impatient. Let me explain slowly."
Amon gently pinched her cheek and smiled as he took out the first of the remaining items.
"First, this card. It is a very special one. As long as you hold it in your hand and silently choose to use it, you will suddenly understand a lot more about making tea."
He placed the card in Kaya's hands.
"More tea knowledge? That is wonderful. I really like tea. When I finish learning, I will grow lots of tea and brew it for you every day. You have to drink it, okay?"
Kaya's eyes were shining.
She placed the card on her palm just as Amon had taught her, and whispered, "Use."
The card dissolved into a streak of light and sank into her forehead.
In the next moment, a huge amount of knowledge about tea flooded into her mind.
Different varieties of tea leaves, water temperature, brewing times, tools and etiquette, the subtle layers of flavor. It all surged through her mind like a river.
Kaya pressed her hands to her head, overwhelmed and amazed.
"Sir, this card is amazing. I feel like my head is full of tea knowledge now. So many things..."
She wrapped her arms around Amon's arm, bubbling with excitement, eager to boast and hoping to hear his praise.
On the side, Kaya's father and Merry were both so moved they nearly burst into tears.
It had been such a long time since they had seen Kaya this cheerful.
"Mm, I will definitely become a tea master."
She nodded seriously, like she was taking an oath.
"Hahaha, good. I will be waiting for that day."
Amon patted her gently on the head, then took out the last item.
It was a small ball, smooth and round, and Kaya's eyes immediately filled with curiosity.
"What kind of treasure is this one?"
"This is called a Poké Ball. Inside is a very special kind of creature. The species is called Kirlia. If you open it, you will see."
According to the system, whoever opened the ball would be recognized as Kirlia's trainer, so Amon did not touch it himself.
"Uhm, how do I open it?"
Kaya weighed the ball in her hand, completely puzzled.
"Just throw it on the ground. You can also shout something like 'Come out' when you throw it."
Amon did not have that much practical experience with Poké Balls yet. The last time, at the Baratie, the chef had opened Squirtle directly without a ball.
...
"All right, then Kaya will open it now."
Kaya nodded, took a few steps back, then threw the ball forward and shouted as loud as she could,
"Come out, Kirlia!"
A streak of red light burst from the ball.
After a brief glow, the light faded, and in front of everyone appeared a creature with green hair, two red horn-like spikes on its head, and a white dress-like body. It looked like a small, graceful girl from another world.
"Wow... kawaii!"
"So cute. This is a Pokémon? She is too adorable."
Kaya rushed over and wrapped her arms around Kirlia in a hug.
Kirlia did not resist at all. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, as if she could feel Kaya's heart.
There was a strange resonance between the two of them, a connection that went beyond words.
Kaya felt it too. This, perhaps, was the special bond between a Pokémon and its trainer.
"Kiru..."
Kirlia let out a soft, gentle cry, leaning into Kaya's arms.
"Yes, Kaya. That is my name. What is yours?"
"Ah, so you do not have a name yet. Then I will give you one, all right?"
Kaya tilted her head, listening intently, and then immediately decided to name her partner herself.
"Sir, what do you think we should call her?"
She thought for a while but could not decide on anything she liked, so she turned to Amon for help.
"Hmm... how about Coco?"
Amon thought about it for a moment, then combined her name "Kaya" with something soft and cute, and settled on "Coco."
Kaya's eyes lit up.
"Coco... I like it. From today on, your name is Coco."
"Kiru."
Kirlia, now Coco, responded softly, as if she agreed completely.
Kaya hugged her new partner even tighter, her smile as bright as the morning sun.