Chapter 43: Chapter 40: Haiman Memory

        “Are you sure you don’t want to come back with us?” Levincia’s warm, morning light massaged Arven’s shoulders. He and Turo stood in front of the Pokémon Center. A small group of people stopped and watched them, but a majority carried on with their morning walks with their Hologram and normal Pokémon.

        Turo gripped his hip. He turned his head to Iron Hands, who held AI Joy like a giant teddy bear. Turo powered her off before she could cause any more trouble.

        “I’m sure,” he said to Arven. “Your little Mastermind of Deception has a mess to clean up here, but as soon as I do, I’ll come visit. Besides, Arven…” He closed his eyes. “The future is my home.”

        “Okay, so I have to ask,” said Arven, rubbing his chin. “Where did you come up with that little Mastermind of Deception title?”

        “I was called that a lot when I attended Naranja,” Turo answered. “Don’t do this, Arven, but I was a little troublemaker in school. I loved to deceive the teachers and pull pranks on them. Cheers!” He gave Arven two thumbs up.

        Turo dropped his hands. He put his feet together so he could make himself appear taller. “You return to the present, Arven, and go to school. Once you graduate, if you want to return to the future, I’ll have a bed ready for you. But until then, let’s just stick with visits. You have your new Pokémon with you, so you’ll be okay.”

        The second Turo said that, Arven’s Koraidon came out of his pokéball and appeared next to him in his low-power mode.

        “Ah, Koraidon, perfect timing.” Turo pointed at him. “So this is what you’re going to do.” He counted on his fingers. “One: make sure Arven goes to school. Two: make sure he gets plenty to eat, and three: make sure he doesn’t forget that I’m here.”

        “Dad!” Arven said, blushing. He hid behind his hands. “Don’t be like Mom!”

        “Oh, wow!” Turo said, gasping. “Was I a parent there?” Maybe he had it in him after all.

        “Eh, we’ll work on it, Dad,” Arven admitted.

        “Aw,” Turo said, slumping forward.

        Celebi flew down to his face and patted it.

        Feeling a bit more confident, Turo stood back up. He set his hand down on Arven’s shoulder. “Your mom was a good woman, Arven, and the most beautiful one I ever knew. We just weren’t prepared for kids.”

        Arven smiled feebly. “Well, I hope I’m your happy mistake.”

        “Well,” Turo added, “I do have to admit that I’m slightly jealous that you look more like her than me.” He chuckled. “But… I’m considering that a blessing in disguise.”

        “Thanks, Dad.” Arven’s nose twitched a little.

        “Hey, it’s okay.” Turo patted his shoulder. “We’ll get through this. You’re a strong, young man, kid.”

        Koraidon, noticing Arven’s shift in attitude, rubbed his nose on his side.

        Scarlet, Penny, and Nemona soon joined him. Each of them gave Arven a quick hug.

        Turo let Arven’s shoulder go and glanced at Celebi. “Celebi, it’s time.”

        “Bi,” Celebi said, nodding.

        “Dad, wait.” Arven held the Scarlet book, which he picked up on his way out of the control room, out to him. “Take the Scarlet book. It was Mom’s favorite growing up. It only makes sense since I got Koraidon.”

        “Thank you, son.” Turo accepted the book. “I’ll come visit as soon as I can.” His instincts suddenly kicked in. Turo held his arms out to Arven, but he shied away. There was no doubt that Arven was still mad at him.

        “Well,” Turo said, sniffing, “you should get going. I’m sure Director Clavell’s worried.”

        “Yeah,” Arven choked out. He and his friends turned and started to leave him, but Arven stopped. Hurrying back to Turo, he jumped into his arms.

        Although he was shocked, Turo hugged him back.

        A tear ran down Arven’s cheek. He tightened his grip on Turo. Eventually, he hopped down from him and rubbed his eye. Arven returned to his friends, who waited patiently with Celebi.

        One at a time, they hopped onto Arven’s Koraidon.

        Celebi touched the Pokémon’s nose. Its magic outlined him and the kids, and it lifted them into the sky.

        “Bye, Dad! Bye, Kenji!” Arven called from Koraidon’s back. “See you soon!”

        Kenji, with Iron Bundle at his heels, approached Turo. He and Turo waved.

        “Bye, Arven!” Turo said, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Knock them dead in school!”

        “Don’t have too much fun without us,” Kenji said. He winked. “Don’t worry, Arven, I’ll take care of your dad.”

        “You better!” Arven called, and he flicked his wrist. “Bye!” In a flash of green light, he and his friends disappeared.

***

        Area Zero was quiet. Nevertheless, a herd of Great Tusks moved out of the way of the Zero Lab when a white spiral appeared over them. They ducked behind a few clusters of Tera crystals.

        Arven and his friends dropped out of the spiral. They fell from Koraidon’s back. Penny’s phone flew out of her pocket, and Arven accidentally tumbled on top of it. Nemona and Penny landed on top of one another. Scarlet broke her fall by grabbing a Tera crystal.

        “Bi, bi, bi!” Celebi said, sweating. It checked to make sure everyone was okay.

        Arven freed Penny’s phone from under him. He gulped when he saw he accidentally cracked its screen. “Um, Penny,” he said, showing it to her, “I’m sorry.”

        Penny got off Nemona. Coming within reach of Arven, she took the phone out of his hand.

        Rotom escaped from it and looked around for another machine to fuse with.

        Penny studied her broken phone, but then she smiled and tossed it off to the side. “Eh, who needs it?” she asked. “Come here, you big baby.” At once, she hugged Arven to her chest and rubbed her fist on his scalp.

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        Arven’s Koraidon, Nemona, and Scarlet made their way to them.

        “Yo, Penny,” Nemona said, poking Penny in the ribs, “how long has this crush on Arven been going on?”

        “Nemona!” Penny screeched. Her entire face turned red, and she quickly let Arven go.

        “Oh my gosh,” Arven laughed. “Is this true, Penny?” His eyes rolled over to Scarlet. “I thought Scarlet was the one who liked me.”

        “As a friend, Arven,” Scarlet said. “As a friend.” She and Arven chuckled.

        Nemona clapped her hands together and kept teasing Penny. “Let me guess, was it when we first came here? I saw the way you looked at Arven after the battle with AI Sada.”

        Penny stamped her foot. “Nemona… Shut up!”

        “But you guys are so cute together!” Nemona complained.

        “They certainly are, Nemona,” a deep, gruff voice said from off to the side. Director Clavell stepped out of the shadows, with his hands behind his back.

        All four teens jumped and quickly held up their arms. “Director Clavell!”

        “No need to get your britches all tied up,” Clavell said. “I’m not mad at you at all. But I am curious.” His attention moved over to Celebi. “What were y’all doing with Celebi?”

        “Oh, Director, we just had the most incredible adventure!” Nemona hopped up and down and punched the sky. “We went to the past, saw AI Sada again, and then traveled to the future and beat up a bunch of AI and Hologram Pokémon! I’m calling this story Infrared!”

        “Infrared, huh?” asked Clavell. “That’s a very sci-fiy title you’ve got there, Nemona. However, I think you guys have had enough adventures for one Treasure Hunt. The whole academy’s worried sick.”

        “Excuse me, Director,” Arven said, “but before we leave, can I do one last thing down here in Area Zero? Please?”

        Clavell pushed his glasses closer to the bridge of his nose. “Of course, Arven.”

        “Thank you.” Arven gestured for Koraidon and Celebi to follow him. He pranced around the Zero Lab and picked up bits and pieces of Tera crystals. Before long, he held a small pile of them in his palms.

        Arven found his way to Professor Sada’s grave. He dropped to his knees in front of it and started to lay out the Tera crystals.

        Koraidon stood next to him, and Clavell and his friends watched him from behind.

        Celebi hovered behind the headstone. It grasped it with both hands.

        Arven made a heart out of the Tera crystals. It was about the size of a Pokédex and glittered just as brightly as AI Sada. He leaned forward and hugged the grave. “I love you, Mom,” he whispered, kissing her name. He forced himself away from the grave and nodded at Celebi. “I’m ready, Celebi.”

        “Bi.” Celebi soared out from behind the headstone. It pecked Arven’s forehead. “Your mom clung to those human emotions until the very end,” it explained. “That was how much she loved you, Arven.”

        “I know,” Arven said. “And I’ll never forget her, Celebi.”

        “You take care.” Celebi pecked his forehead one last time. “And thank you again for helping me save Turo.” With a smile on its face, it backed away from Arven and vanished. A sprinkle of green sparkles showered down on Sada’s grave.

        Arven didn’t look at him, but he petted Koraidon’s neck. He waited for about a minute, and then he stood up and brushed himself down. Arven turned to the others. “Well, what are we waiting for?” he asked, bouncing his knapsack. “Let’s get back to Naranja and make some sandwiches.”

        The pokéball for Scarlet’s Koraidon flashed open. Before the teens and Clavell knew it, he stood in between them. “Gias?” the Pokémon asked, turning his head from left to right. His eyes fell upon Arven’s Koraidon, and he instantly got down in a pouncing position.

        Arven’s Koraidon wagged his tail back and forth. He shook uncomfortably.

        Arven patted his rump. “Go play, Koraidon.”

        “Agias!” At once, his Koraidon sprinted and tackled Scarlet’s. They playfully rolled around and then got up. The two Pokémon tossed a Tera crystal back and forth from each other.

        Mabosstiff was the next Pokémon to come out of his pokéball. He hopped onto his back legs and set his front ones on Arven’s chest. He gave him several slobbery kisses.

        “Down, boy, down,” Arven said. “Don’t worry, you’re going to get a sandwich, too.”

        “Woof!” Mabosstiff barked, and he got down.

        Arven hurried to his friends. He and they ran past Clavell and started to race one another.

        Nemona pushed Penny’s shoulder. “Sit tight, Penny. You and Arven will be able to start writing your love letters to each other before you know it.”

        “Nemona!” Penny shoved her back. “I don’t have a crush on him!”

        “You so do!” Nemona laughed.

        The zipper on Penny’s Eevee backpack came undone when Nemona slapped it. The crown Arven made for Sada in the past fell out of it. It rolled past the group, the herd of Great Tusks from before, and came to a halt at her grave.

        Here lies Professor Sada. And here she shall—as a mere memory.

 

End of Part 2: The Future

Final Word Count: 52,000

P.S. The meaning of the name Haiman is “Leader/Warrior”, which is just what our dear Sada was. Rest in peace, you beautiful woman.

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