Chapter 67: Psychological Issues

After rescuing the formation soldier’s leader, Joy immediately took the medical kit from Jigglypuff, brushed off the dust on the bandages from lifting the tree trunk, and skillfully diagnosed and treated the formation soldier’s leader.

A short while later.

Jigglypuff wiped the sweat from Joy’s forehead; Joy stood up as if relieved, her expression gentle as she instructed the formation soldier’s subordinates: “Fortunately, it’s only superficial wounds—if it had been delayed any longer and internal organs were compressed, it would’ve been serious. It should wake up soon—when it does, remember to...”

After thoroughly informing the formation soldier’s subordinates of the precautions, Joy left with Jigglypuff, their departure met with grateful glances.

Watching the formation soldier’s subordinates carefully lift their leader and march in unison toward the nearby nest, Luo Mu smiled. Indeed, Joy and Jigglypuff rarely encountered wild Pokémon in the wild because of their long-standing reputation.

“We’ll reach the town soon—the bandages can come off now.”

Joy, thinking this, skillfully removed the bandages wrapped around her hands and arms. Beneath them, her pale skin showed no scars—she had wrapped them only for convenience in the wild.

“Miss Joy!”

Just as Joy was about to chat with Jigglypuff, she heard a voice call from behind. She turned to see a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old.

Is he a Trainer?

Joy blinked. Probably a Pokémon injured in the wild. Having dealt with such cases many times, Joy and Jigglypuff immediately stopped.

“Hello, how may I help you?”

Joy smiled warmly at Luo Mu.

Luo Mu didn’t waste time with pleasantries—he got straight to the point: “I have a wounded Pokémon I’d like you to examine, Miss Joy.”

So he’s a Trainer who’s trained extensively in the wild and ended up with an injured Pokémon.

Joy’s eyes flickered with understanding. She smiled: “No problem. We’re almost at Flat Plate Town—please come with me to the Pokémon Center for a full checkup.”

Luo Mu nodded slightly and followed Joy and Jigglypuff.

It took about fifteen minutes to enter the town from the wild and reach the Pokémon Center.

During the walk, Luo Mu didn’t just trudge silently—he told Joy everything about encountering the Braviary and its current condition.

Joy unlocked the Pokémon Center’s door with her key; Jigglypuff pressed the button with practiced ease, and the dark center instantly lit up.

Joy led Luo Mu into a clean examination room and said: “In short, I understand the general condition of the Braviary, but to determine the exact cause and treatment plan, I need to perform a full physical exam.”

Luo Mu nodded. At Joy’s gesture, he pulled out a red-and-white Poké Ball and released the Braviary onto the only small bed in the room.

“Oh!”

The moment the Braviary appeared, even though Luo Mu had already described its condition, the sight of its completely featherless, bald body made Joy involuntarily cover her mouth in surprise.

The Braviary scanned its unfamiliar surroundings, its expression timid. Only because Luo Mu was present did it suppress its urge to flee.

“A Braviary with such a large tail shouldn’t be this timid... I’ve never seen a tail this big before—in Braviary society, it would be enough to qualify as a leader.”

Joy observed the Braviary’s movements and posture, frowned in thought, then said to Jigglypuff beside her: “Please prepare the examination tools and activate the medical system.”

“Lucky~”

Jigglypuff nodded with a smile and immediately got to work in the room.

Joy turned to Luo Mu and said gently: “Please wait outside the room while I conduct the examination.”

Luo Mu nodded slightly, went to the Braviary’s side to soothe its nerves, then turned and left the room.

Joy’s examination lasted about ten minutes. When the green light above the room’s doorframe turned off, Joy emerged wearing a mask, her expression grave.

Seeing Joy’s serious face, Luo Mu’s expression grew solemn.

Joy removed her mask, closed the examination room door, leaving only Jigglypuff and the Braviary inside, and said to Luo Mu in a low voice: “Was it struck by lightning from the clouds three nights ago?”

Luo Mu nodded: “Yes.”

“I see...” Joy frowned, thought for a moment, then added: “Your treatment measures were correct—I found no hidden injuries or other complications on the Braviary.”

“The lightning didn’t damage the feather follicles. Though most feathers have fallen out, given a Pokémon’s natural resilience... it should regrow them fully within half a month at most.”

Luo Mu wasn’t surprised by the first part of the diagnosis. Though this was his first time meeting the Flat Plate Town Joy, his treatment knowledge came from other Joes in Paldea’s towns—he was well-practiced in handling such injuries.

Joy paused, then said seriously: “I’ve identified two reasons why the Braviary can’t fly. First, the lack of feathers prevents balance—that’s easy to fix.”

“The second issue is more difficult. After a psychological assessment, I’ve diagnosed this Braviary with... fear of the sky and lightning—a psychological trauma.”

Luo Mu frowned, deep in thought. He had suspected the issue might be psychological, but hearing it confirmed by Joy, the medical authority, made it feel even more complicated.

In this Pokémon world, most injuries can be healed by Pokémon’s innate abilities or technology—but psychological trauma is notoriously hard to treat.

Luo Mu remembered how, in the anime, Ash’s Treecko, after evolving into Sceptile, had been unable to use moves due to psychological issues.

Ash and his friends had gone through great effort to resolve Sceptile’s emotional block.

Seeing Luo Mu’s serious expression, Joy, who knew he was rescuing a wild Pokémon, comforted him: “Only someone the Braviary trusts can guide it through this. I have several books on Pokémon psychology—you may borrow them temporarily. Try the methods inside to help it overcome its trauma.”

Luo Mu nodded slightly. There was no other choice.

Releasing such a Braviary back into the wild would be a death sentence—not only could he not live with himself, but considering how the recovered Litten felt, he would never do it.

“Then please lend me those books, Miss Joy.”