After checking the Pokémon Egg in the Temperature-Controlled Incubator once more and confirming that its condition was stable, Xinhai closed the door to his room, led his companions downstairs, and returned to the Pokémon Center's first-floor lobby.
The gentle, older Nurse Joy was still at the front desk. When she saw Xinhai come down, a smile appeared on her face. "Trainer Xinhai, are you going to visit that Hoothoot?"
"Yes, sorry for the trouble, Nurse Joy," Xinhai said politely.
"Not at all. Please follow me." Nurse Joy stepped out from behind the counter and led Xinhai through a corridor at the side of the lobby to a door marked "Special Care Room."
She used her ID card to unlock the door. Inside was a room more spacious and quieter than an ordinary ward.
The lighting was soft, and the air carried a faint herbal fragrance that calmed the mind. Several separate care pods lined the room, each furnished with soft cushions.
In one of the care pods near the window, the Hoothoot with azure-blue eyes was curled up on a soft cushion.
The bandages on Hoothoot had already been changed and looked clean and neat. Hearing the door open, Hoothoot raised its head warily, a trace of nervousness flashing through its blue eyes.
But when Hoothoot saw Xinhai, the Eevee on his shoulder wagging its tail at it in greeting, the clear-eyed Charmander beside him, and the Gardevoir radiating a peaceful aura, its tension visibly eased.
"Hoo..." it gave a faint, tentative hoot.
"Feeling better, little one?" Xinhai approached quietly, crouching beside the care pod as he looked at it gently.
Nurse Joy explained softly from the side, "Its external injuries were treated in time and have already healed. The main issues are exhaustion and excessive fright, so it needs