Chapter 19: Chapter 16: Bound by Infrared

        “Ro-to-to-to-to…” Arven’s Rotom Phone soared out of his pocket and turned on, revealing Penny.

        “Penny,” Arven growled. He placed his hands on his hips. A draft from the cave’s entrance passed through his hair and temporarily blew away the strand he usually hid his right eye behind.

        “Are you guys okay?” Penny asked.

        “No, thanks to you.” Arven moved off to the side and revealed Sada, who twitched on the ground. “You were supposed to fix her.”

        “En serio?” Penny clenched her fist. “Don’t give me a hard time, Arven. I tried.”

        “Well, you have to try harder!” he snapped.

        Behind Arven, Sada grinned and rose to her feet. “What’s all the hubbub about?” she questioned, coming within reach of him. “I stood up to Infrared. Whoo-hoo!” She punched the air a few times. “Is this what someone means when they say they’re happy?”

        “She looks fine to me,” Penny told Arven, “but to be safe, let’s meet back up at her cabin tomorrow morning, and I’ll take another look at her.”

        Sada danced in the background, but Arven held up his index finger. “You better fix her right this time!”

        Penny folded her arms across her chest. “Arven, I think the only way we’re going to truly fix her is if we track down her mastermind. We find him, we find Infrared. You need to try to force some answers out of her tonight. Nemona thinks she’s trying to protect somebody.”

        Arven lost his angry face. “How is Nemona? Her Meowscarada got beat up pretty badly back there.”

        “She’s shaken up,” Penny replied, “but we think Meowscarada’s going to be okay after a good night’s rest. Scarlet has some Super and Hyper Potions.”

        “Okay.” Arven took a deep breath. It would have been horrible if Nemona had to go through what he did with Mabosstiff. He closed his eyes and then opened them again. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Penny.” With those words, he hung up, and Rotom returned to his pocket.

        Arven checked on Sada.

        She stretched her arms and twirled in a few circles. “I stood up to Infrared! I stood up to Infrared!”

        Arven had to admit, it was interesting seeing an AI experience joy. He cracked a small smile, but it quickly faded when he noticed something after Sada stopped dancing. “Mom, what’s wrong with your hand?”

        “My hand?” Sada checked her right one. “I don’t see anything.”

        “Other hand,” Arven said, pointing at her left one.

        Sada finally saw what he was talking about. Three of her fingers—her thumb, index, and middle—had been Terastallized, as well as a portion of her palm. The crystals pinched her, but they didn’t hurt. Still grinning, Sada observed, “Oh, that’s new.”

        Arven reached for his head and frustratingly asked, “Mom, what is going on with you?” He hurried to her and picked up her hand. Arven turned it over and touched each of her Terastallized fingers. “Why is it this arm?”

        Sada’s smile vanished. She was silent for a bit so she could think of something to say. “It’s just a glitch, Arven.”

        “You know something,” he said. “I know you do. Is it why there are Future Pokémon in the past?”

        “Well, how about this?” Sada pulled Arven off her. “You mind your business and I’ll mind mine?”

        “I’m your son!” he snapped. “You should be able to tell me what you’re scared of.”

        Sada paused. Eventually, she turned away from Arven and faced Miraidon. “Miraidon, I think it’s time to set up camp. Poor kid’s exhausted.”

        “Hey, don’t pretend you can’t hear me,” Arven growled.

        “Enough, Arven!” Whoa, was Sada angry? There was definitely a hot feeling deep inside her, but it could have been any emotion. She should have studied the Violet book a bit more before summoning Arven and his friends.

        “You’re tired,” Sada told her son. “I am, too. For now, we just need to get some rest. We’ll discuss this in the morning.”

***

        The second Arven’s head hit the cave’s chilly floor, he was out. His mouth hung open, and he snored slightly. A few drops of drool dripped onto the ground.

        Mabosstiff came out of his pokéball. He dug a hole in the dirt next to him and used it as a dog bed. Mabosstiff put his large head under Arven’s arm and sighed. His tail wagged behind him.

        Sada tossed her lab coat over Arven’s back and stood up. The crystals on her fingers acted like a flashlight. She used them to find her way to the cave’s entrance.

        Miraidon had already beaten her there. He sat back and carefully studied the outside world beyond the cave. He saw the craters but no Iron Moths. Yet, he refused to move from where he stood.

        “Why did you come back?” Sada asked behind him.

        Hearing her, Miraidon huffed and shut his eyes. Truth be told, Scarlet was the one who convinced him. She was almost as good as the student council girl.

        Sada kneeled to her Pokémon. “Look, I know you’re mad—I’m sorry—but that experiment was the only way I could find Arven.” Pfft, since when was Arven more important than Miraidon? He was with Sada longer—even before she died. It wasn’t her son.

        Miraidon stuck his nose up and batted his tail a few times.

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        “Okay, I understand. You don’t wanna talk.” Sada’s chin dropped below her shoulders. “But I do hope that you will at least try to make friends with Arven. He may need you later on.” She walked by Miraidon, but he called after her.

        “I’m going for a walk,” Sada answered, and she carried on.

        “Bi!”

        Miraidon jumped like a cat when he heard Celebi.

        “Bi, bi,” Celebi added. It gestured for him to follow Sada.

        “But I don’t wanna,” he complained.

        “Miraidon.” Celebi’s voice was stern. “Don’t be a bum.”

        “Ugh.” Miraidon tossed his head a few times. He kicked a stone away with his claw and exited the cave, going after Sada.

        Miraidon followed his trainer to the other side of the crater. There was nothing for him to hide behind, so he just hoped he wouldn’t give himself away. Unfortunately, dust got into his nostrils, and he ended up sneezing it all out. His sneeze was so powerful that a few rocks on the cliff shook. One fell and crashed next to him.

        Sada turned around. Miraidon would have to do better than that to keep himself unnoticeable. She stared at him, and he returned her cold look.

        Sada said nothing. Rather, she headed for a large hole at the bottom of the crater. Her boots kicked up dust and dirt while she traversed it. When she reached the hole, she sank to her knees and clutched its edge. Sada carefully studied the inside of the crater. It was like she was looking for something.

        Miraidon soon appeared next to her, and he also examined the hole. He sniffed Sada’s Terastallized hand and nudged it.

        Sada started to lift her hand, but the rocks under her right one broke, and she tumbled forward, yelling, “Whoa!”

        Miraidon launched his tail at her and wrapped it around her ankle. He pulled with all his might and eventually got Sada back up to the high ground. “Wow,” he said in his language, “you need me more than I thought you did.”

        “Thank you,” were the only words that left Sada’s lips. She and Miraidon smiled at one another, but Miraidon quickly shook his head and left Sada. He stopped next to a cliff face and sat down.

        Sada searched Professor Sada’s memories for a few minutes. She found an interesting one:

        Koraidon can be ruthless, but when he’s calm, he’s a giant teddy bear. Give him a rock, and he will be good to go.

        AI Sada did just that. She dug around in the dirt until she found a pokéball-sized rock. It looked like one that someone would skip. Sada tossed it past Miraidon.

        He saw it out of the corner of his eye, and at once, his tail wagged. Hurrying after the rock, he scooped it up in his toothless jaw. Miraidon dropped it and batted it around like a toy.

        Sada couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing.

        With the rock in his jaw, Miraidon pranced to her. He missed these days with Professor Sada. He dropped the rock into AI Sada’s palms and gave her a playful look.

        She prepared to throw it, but a familiar voice sliced the atmosphere like a knife through a cake. “What are you doing?”

        Arven appeared from the shadows and stepped under the full moon’s white rays.

        Celebi chased him, but it was out of breath because it flew so fast.

        “Ar-Arven?” Sada asked, bewildered. “I thought you were asleep.”

        “He was,” Celebi told her telepathically, “but he woke up and noticed you were gone.”

        “Get away from her!” Arven shouted at Miraidon. He dove in front of the Pokémon and held his arms out to his sides. “You’re not going to kill her, too!”

        “Arven, stop. It wasn’t like that,” Sada tried to say.

        “I’m sorry,” Celebi said. “I tried to stop him.”

        “Get away from her!” Arven shoved Miraidon’s shoulder. “Shoo! Do you want me to use Mabosstiff on you? Believe me, I will. She’s my mom—not yours!”

        “We were just playing,” Miraidon whined. He backed away from Arven, who threatened him with Mabosstiff’s pokéball.

        “Stop!” Sada dropped Miraidon’s rock and grabbed Arven’s arm, pulling him to the ground. She took his place in front of her Pokémon. “Miraidon, you don’t understand. He’s grieving. He doesn’t mean what he’s saying.”

        Nevertheless, the damage had been done. At a full sprint, Miraidon took off in the exact opposite direction of the cave.

        “And stay away!” Arven yelled. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Murderer! Murderer!”

        The hot feeling from before returned to Sada’s gut. Now she knew for sure it was anger. She clenched her Terastallized hand into a fist and jerked her head to the left. The anger built up inside her, making the crystals on her hand turn bright scarlet. Without warning, Sada’s eyes glowed cyan again.

        She faced Arven and shouted in a booming voice, “For the love of Pete, Arven! How long is it going to take you to realize that I’m not your mom? I’m an AI, and I’ve had enough of you men controlling not only me but also Professor Sada! You’re too much like your dad, and I despise it.”

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