The door to the special care unit was much heavier than those of other treatment rooms. Inside, the space was spacious, with walls and floors covered in flexible insulating materials and reinforced steel plates.
There were also several surveillance cameras in the corners.
This was actually quite normal.
Most Pokémon are simple and kind, but not all Pokémon are simple and kind.
There are quite a few Dark-type Pokémon with rough personalities.
And there are even more Ghost-type Pokémon with naturally malicious natures.
Therefore, treatments must be recorded.
And Gyarados, known as the Atrocious Pokémon, is a typical example of this.
However, unlike those who are subjectively evil, Gyarados is mostly just unable to control its natural instincts.
The treatment table in the center was three times larger than a standard one, equipped with powerful restraint rings and energy conduit interfaces.
"Release it." Nurse Joy's voice was steady, but her hand was already pressed next to a red button on the wall. Beside her, a Chansey tensed its round body, holding an egg emitting a soft white light, ready to release a Heal Pulse at any moment.
Hmm... don't let its silly and cute appearance fool you; it is actually very strong.
A Nurse Joy qualified to manage a Pokémon Center independently won't be too weak; she would need to be at least at the level of an Ace Trainer.
After all, as a doctor, you have to make your patients behave.
Whether the patient is willing, or made to be willing.
"Roar—!!!"
Before the red light had completely dissipated, a deafening roar tore through the calm of the room.
The golden behemoth appeared out of thin air, its massive body filling almost half the space of the care unit.
Its scarlet eyes were instantly ignited by a violent crimson flame. The power from its evolution, stimulated by the unfamiliar environment, the pungent smell of disinfectant, and the restraint devices, erupted like a volcano.
"Pika!" The Pikachu on Ash's shoulder launched itself like a golden lightning bolt, landing with electricity crackling all over its body, instantly entering a combat stance.
"Quiet!" Ash took a step forward, facing those eyes filled with rage without fear. "Look at me! Gyarados!"
Gyarados's vertical scarlet pupils locked onto the tiny human, a growl of destruction rolling in its throat as its thick golden tail instinctively prepared to sweep across the room.
"Thunder Shock! Suppression!" Ash's command was almost synchronous with Gyarados's movement!
"Pika—Chuuuu!!!"
A golden electric snake, as thick as a bowl, tore through the air with a piercing boom, bombarding the relatively fragile old wound on the side of Gyarados's neck with extreme precision.
The charred scales there had not yet fully healed.
"Roar—!!!"
Intense pain mixed with a strong sensation of paralysis instantly swept through its nerves. Gyarados's poised tail strike froze in mid-air, its massive body convulsing violently as wisps of smoke rose from the gaps in its golden scales.
Gyarados's training during this period had been effective.
After being hit by the Thunder Shock.
This familiar sensation made it slightly more clear-headed.
The one in front of it was not an enemy.
"...It's a hardworking child." Nurse Joy also noticed that Gyarados was restraining itself. "Restraint rings, activate! Energy conduits, connect!"
Nurse Joy's fingers flew across the control panel.
The technology in the Pokémon world is quite advanced.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" Three heavy alloy rings instantly popped out, locking firmly onto Gyarados's neck, waist, and the tip of its tail.
At the same time, several energy conduits flashing with blue light extended like living things, precisely latching onto the energy nodes on Gyarados's neck and dorsal fin, beginning to forcibly channel the energy within its body.
Facing Pokémon with rough personalities, the Pokémon Center has been established for so long that it naturally has a perfect set of coping methods.
"Roar!!!" Gyarados felt an unprecedented confinement and stimulation, and the residual wildness from its evolution was completely ignited.
It twisted and struggled frantically, its body rubbing violently against the alloy restraint rings, making a tooth-aching sound of metal grinding against metal.
"Chansey! Sing!" Nurse Joy shouted urgently.
"Lucky!" Chansey began to use Sing, sending gentle sound waves toward the painfully struggling behemoth.
But this soothing was like a drop in the bucket.
Gyarados suddenly opened its huge mouth, and deep in its throat, a destructive light began to gather.
The air was distorted by the high temperature, letting out a sizzling wail.
It was Hyper Beam!
It was going to tear this place apart!
"Pikachu! Interrupt it!" Ash's pupils contracted sharply.
Once the Hyper Beam took shape, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He couldn't gamble on whether this room could withstand it.
Pikachu was already poised to strike.
Just at the moment when the light in Gyarados's mouth condensed to its peak—
"Zzzzt—Boom!!!"
A streak of golden electric light ruthlessly pierced the inside of the corner of Gyarados's mouth, which was slightly open due to charging up.
There was no coverage of hard scales there.
"Roar—!!!"
The energy that had just started to charge was forcibly detonated inside its mouth.
Gyarados let out a miserable howl that was distorted by pain. Its massive head was blasted backward violently by its own out-of-control energy, slamming heavily into the reinforced steel plate with a dull thud.
Rolling black smoke poured from its mouth, and blood mixed with saliva dripped from the corners of its lips.
The old wound on the side of its neck, which had been hit by the Thunder Shock, tore open even further, gushing golden blood.
The severe pain and the backlash of energy caused its massive body to go completely limp, and the alarm of the restraint rings finally subsided.
The violent flames in its scarlet eyes seemed to be doused by cold water, leaving only immense pain, confusion, and... a trace of dullness from being completely stunned.
Gyarados regained its reason.
Its massive head rested weakly on the cold treatment table, emitting intermittent, low groans that sounded almost like whimpers from its throat.
It knew it was wrong.
But Gyarados was also in despair over its inability to control its own loss of control.
"...Calm down, Gyarados." Ash's tense body finally relaxed slightly.
"When you become stronger, you will be able to control yourself."
"So trust me."
"Do not be sad, and do not be lost."
"I will walk this path with you."
Ash walked to the side of the treatment table, ignoring the ferocious wound and the pungent smell of blood and burnt flesh, and reached out his hand.
"Open your mouth."
In his palm was the only remaining specially made blue-glowing Pokéblock.
Right now, he had to train a conditioned reflex in Gyarados to ensure it could regain its reason.
This is the aptitude-based teaching of a Trainer.
Gyarados's giant eyeball rolled a bit, looking at the Pokéblock that was like a speck of dust to it, and then at Ash's calm face.
Its massive mouth opened a crack, emitting a weak rasping sound.
Ash accurately flicked the Pokéblock into its mouth.
"Roar..." Gyarados moved its jaws symbolically, and a low, almost ingratiating purring sound came from its throat.
This guy had thick skin and flesh; it remembered the food but not the beating.
The tip of its huge tail moved extremely slightly, with a hint of caution, and rubbed against the edge of the treatment table where Ash was standing.
"Nurse Joy, I leave it to you." Seeing the calmed Gyarados, Ash stepped back, making way, his gaze still locked on Gyarados.
Nurse Joy took a deep breath and stepped forward with Chansey.
The soft white light lit up again. This time, the energy conduits steadily guided the Heal Pulse, beginning to repair those ferocious wounds.
Gyarados's huge body trembled slightly, but there was no more violent struggling, only a few suppressed low roars of pain occasionally coming from deep within its throat.
Outside the treatment room.
Misty had been leaning against the heavy door of the special care unit, holding her breath and focusing her attention. Only now did she dare to let out a long breath, her back pressed tightly against the cold door panel.
She hadn't gone to take a shower on her own as she had said.
"I say..." Misty's voice drifted out faintly.
"When you challenge the Gym tomorrow... please, don't let anything go wrong..."
As for why she didn't go in, it was because Misty didn't dare to.
In fact, over so many days, she had never once gotten close to the Golden Gyarados.
Ash also pretended not to have noticed this.
_____
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