Officer Jenny had reunited with Ramos to discuss the terrorist attack.
"This was clearly organized and planned." Officer Jenny said, "Our police and fire departments being tied up simultaneously proves it."
Moreover, the situation with the Houndoom and Houndour that intercepted them mirrored that of the Coalossal and Steelix who caused the disaster. The only difference was that the Houndoom and Houndour retained some consciousness, while Coalossal and Steelix had become mere puppets of desire.
"And that Excadrill from last time..." Ramos said, furrowing his brows.
"I know — it must be the same group." Officer Jenny said grimly, "It seems Coumarine has rats in its sewers!"
"Officer Jenny, please continue investigating. If this old man can help in any way, just let me know." Ramos said.
Officer Jenny nodded, "Thank you, you're always so helpful."
"Carry on with your work." Ramos said, waving his hand dismissively, "This old man will take his leave."
"Take care." Officer Jenny said, watching him go.
After parting, Ramos had Tropius carry Hatterene to find Cole.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
At that moment, Cole was rescuing a little girl trapped in a fire. Using his Psychic Powers, he strained with all his might to pull her from the heart of the blaze.
The effort had drained him completely, leaving his face pale.
The fire chief quickly ordered Cole to rest — even short-handed, they couldn't work someone to exhaustion.
Cole had barely caught his breath when Tropius landed beside him with Hatterene.
"Thank you, Tropius." He said gratefully.
Tropius shook its head as if to say it was nothing.
Cole took Hatterene from its back. The Pokémon was pale, eyes tightly shut, showing no signs of consciousness.
"Hatterene? Hatterene?" He called repeatedly, but there was no response.
The Spurr siblings emerged from Cole's arms. With tears in their eyes, they tried to wake Hatterene, but it remained still.
The siblings were heartbroken — to them, Hatterene was like a mother.
Just then, Nurse Joy passed by, and Cole quickly called out to her.
"Nurse Joy, could you please examine Hatterene?"
She came over and carefully examined the Pokémon. Finding no external injuries, she asked, "What caused it to lose consciousness?"
Cole explained Hatterene's situation.
"You're saying Hatterene couldn't use moves before?" Nurse Joy asked, surprised.
"That's right." Cole confirmed.
"Can you tell me why?"
Cole nodded. Though it involved Hatterene's privacy, he had to share for the sake of its treatment.
After hearing his explanation, Nurse Joy contemplated for a moment, "I have a theory."
"What is it? Please tell me." Cole asked eagerly.
Nurse Joy said: "Psychic Power in Psychic-type Pokémon is quite peculiar. It can easily be affected by external stimuli, either collapsing or exploding under pressure.
From what you've told me, Hatterene's inability to use moves likely stems from its past trauma.
But here's something interesting — while Pokémon who can't use moves typically don't develop their powers, there are special cases. I believe Hatterene might be one of them.
Rather than stagnating, its Psychic Power was actually growing explosively under suppression. The more Hatterene tried to contain it, the stronger it became.
This explains how it evolved from Hattrem to Hatterene — evolution requires significant strength, after all.
I believe Hatterene was trying to bury that traumatic memory, but today's events brought it rushing back. When that happened, all that suppressed Psychic Power finally burst free."
'So that's what happened!' Cole suddenly understood.
"Hatterene's current state is likely due to this sudden overuse of Psychic Power." Nurse Joy continued, "But this is just my theory. With the Pokémon Center damaged, I can't run more detailed tests right now."
Cole gratefully said, "Thank you, Nurse Joy."
She waved her hand dismissively and added, "If Hatterene doesn't wake up soon, bring it back to see me."
He nodded in response.
After parting ways, Nurse Joy returned to her emergency rescue duties.
Cole and his group worked in the city until nightfall before heading back to Mt. Ascendant.
The attack had been devastating, causing unprecedented casualties and damage. The League hadn't witnessed such destruction in decades.
News of the incident spread rapidly through major media outlets, prompting League headquarters to dispatch investigators and demand a thorough investigation from Coumarine.
The mayor of Coumarine, Officer Jenny, Ramos, and other key personnel were at their wit's end.
With such a major incident causing extensive damage, both the mayor and Gym Leader Ramos would be held accountable by the League.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
Cole hadn't left home since returning. Days passed, but Hatterene remained in its coma.
Despite his constant therapeutic care, Hatterene showed no improvement.
Following Nurse Joy's advice, Cole decided to take Hatterene to the Pokémon Center.
When the Spurr siblings learned of his plans, they insisted on coming along to stay updated on Hatterene's condition. Cole had no choice but to agree.
Though only a few days had passed since the incident, the Pokémon Center had largely resumed operations, having suffered minimal damage due to its distance from the attack site.
Seeing Cole arrive, Nurse Joy frowned and asked, "Hatterene still hasn't woken up?"
Cole shook his head, "No, it's been comatose these past few days, unresponsive to any calls."
Nurse Joy responded promptly, "Let me examine it thoroughly."
Cole handed over Hatterene's Poké Ball, "Thank you for your help."
Nurse Joy smiled, "It's my duty. Please wait a moment."
She took Hatterene into the examination room.
Half an hour later, Nurse Joy emerged wearing a serious expression.
"How is it, Nurse Joy?" Cole asked anxiously.
The Spurr siblings looked at her expectantly.
Nurse Joy gathered her thoughts, "My earlier speculation was correct."
Cole asked, puzzled, "But if it's just mental exhaustion, shouldn't Hatterene have awakened by now?"
Nurse Joy said worriedly, "This isn't Hatterene's only issue."
"There are other problems?" Cole asked, taken aback.
"You should know that Hatterene isn't just a Psychic-type Pokémon — it also has the Fairy-type attribute."
"And?" Cole asked, puzzled.
"While Hatterene's Psychic abilities have grown tremendously from the surge in mental power, its Fairy attributes are actually weakening.
Unlike Psychic abilities, Fairy attributes don't respond to mental power. Under long-term suppression, these powers haven't just failed to strengthen — they've been deteriorating.
This dramatic imbalance — one attribute surging while the other weakens — has created a dangerous energy disparity within Hatterene.
We're fortunate to have discovered this now. Left unchecked, the constantly surging mental power would have eventually driven Hatterene mad, beyond any hope of recovery."
"How can we solve this problem?" Cole pressed.
"I haven't determined that yet." Nurse Joy said, shaking her head, "I need to consult my grandmother — she might know the solution. This is my first time encountering such a case. Come back tomorrow, and I'll have an answer for you."
"What if something happens to Hatterene before then?" Cole worried.
"Don't worry." Nurse Joy assured him, "While I don't have a permanent solution, I can temporarily relieve these symptoms."
She motioned to Chansey, who wheeled over a cart carrying a medical box.
Inside the box lay six pink potions, arranged neatly, their dreamlike beauty captivating.
"What are these?" Cole asked curiously.
"These are potions that will supplement Hatterene's depleted Fairy-type power. Take them home and administer them in pairs — once tonight, once tomorrow morning, and once before returning here tomorrow afternoon. This will keep Hatterene stable." Nurse Joy explained.
"That's wonderful." Cole said.
"However, I must warn you — Hatterene will likely wake up immediately after the injection. You must ensure it doesn't use any Psychic Powers until we cure this energy imbalance. If it triggers a Psychic Power surge, the damage will be irreversible!" Nurse Joy said gravely.
"That serious?" Cole asked anxiously, "Wouldn't it be safer to keep Hatterene unconscious? Maybe with sleeping medication? What if it accidentally uses Psychic Powers — wouldn't that be fatal?"
Nurse Joy: (⊙…⊙)
She was speechless.
"You don't need to be quite that cautious. Just being careful will be enough."
Cole sighed, "All right, though I still think it would be safer if Hatterene stayed asleep."
After learning the injection technique from Nurse Joy, he took the Spurr siblings and Hatterene back to Mt. Ascendant.
Before leaving, Cole paid for the six potions and nearly fainted — each one cost P$100,000, totaling P$600,000. Even gold wasn't this expensive!
Nurse Joy had even told him this was the cost price. He couldn't imagine their retail value.
Curse the pharmaceutical industry!
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
That evening, Cole injected Hatterene with the potion following Nurse Joy's instructions. Within minutes, it slowly opened its eyes.
It looked confused at first, but upon seeing the teary-eyed Spurr siblings by its bedside, memories of their apparent death flooded back — its last recollection before losing consciousness.
Noticing signs that Hatterene might panic, Cole quickly called out, "Hatterene, the Spurrs are fine! What you saw wasn't real — look, they're right here beside you!"
Though Hatterene might appear sweet and lovely, one shouldn't assume they all have gentle personalities — quite the opposite.
In the Galar region, Hatterene is known as the Forest Witch. They ferociously attack any creatures that carelessly enter their territory or show hostility, their psychically enhanced claws easily tearing apart their prey.
This earned them another name — the Savage Goddess!
Though this particular Hatterene had lived in the human world for nearly ten years, and much of its savage nature had mellowed, its fighting instinct remained intact.
This was evident in how it had taken down Coalossal and Steelix — a display of formidable power. Had its mental energy not suddenly depleted, those two Pokémon likely would have met their end.
At Cole's voice, Hatterene regained its composure. It immediately embraced the Spurr siblings, tears flowing freely.
It had feared it would never see these children again!
The Spurr siblings hugged Hatterene back, crying softly.
Once their emotions had settled, Cole warned, "Hatterene, you can now use Psychic Powers, but..."
He carefully explained everything Nurse Joy had told him.
"Remember — don't use any mental power, or you'll never see the Spurrs again."
The Spurr siblings, frightened by this possibility, quickly hugged Hatterene tighter.
"Hatte~ Hatte~"
Hatterene gently comforted the worried children while promising Cole it would heed the warning.
"Good, now get some rest." Cole said before leaving Hatterene's room.
That night, the Spurr siblings slept soundly with Hatterene.
During the days it had been unconscious, they hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep!
✲✲✲
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