"Hatt-"
Surrounded on every side, Hattrem's little face flushed bright red, and tears of grievance welled in her beady eyes. She stamped her feet in frustration before finally dropping her fighting stance.
"Hatt-Hatt, Hatt!"
Muttering under her breath, she raised both hands above her head in surrender, admitting defeat.
"La-wah?" Pink Celebi floated up to her, tilting her head as she studied the little troublemaker who had suddenly backed down.
Steenee dropped her fighting stance too and drew a little closer in curiosity. Dolliv and Purrloin remained alert, but they had clearly lowered their guard.
"Let's find somewhere else to have a proper talk."
Pink Celebi gently fluttered her wings and led everyone to a quiet corner behind the classroom building. Several large trees surrounded the spot, keeping it secluded while still offering a view of the classroom windows.
"Hatt, Hatt~" Hattrem sat obediently on the grass, her hands resting neatly on her knees.
Blinking her big eyes, she slowly began explaining why she had come.
"As you can see, I'm a witch from somewhere very far away.
You might not believe this, but actually-I used to be human."
"La-wah?" Pink Celebi tilted her head. Why did that sound so familiar?
"As I just said, I'm actually a witch. And in this world, any witch whose identity is discovered by an ordinary person is turned into a Pokémon by the witch's curse."
Hattrem spoke calmly, as though describing something perfectly ordinary. Judging by her calm expression, there really was no sign that she was lying.
"Ah-ma?" "Fufu?" "Meow?"
Even the members of the Fairy Tale Exploration Team, who had been through so many adventures, were thoroughly puzzled by this fantastical fairy tale.
"Honestly, I was pretty lucky to end up looking like this-I've heard some of my predecessors turned into