Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter O: Captured!

"I don't need a wheelchair." Arven pushed the clear, floating chair away from him. He climbed out of bed, but his legs jiggled, and he fell into his ride.

His nurse and the doctor grasped his arms and straightened him.

Turo didn't help. When the others weren't looking, he slammed his shoe into Mabosstiff's furry body.

"Arf!" Arven's partner barked, flinching.

Arven turned to him. "Mabosstiff, what's wrong?"

His Pokémon trotted toward him, away from Turo, and wagged his tail once he reached him.

Turo responded by sticking his nose up. He kept his distance while the nurse rolled Arven forward. However, he maintained a fake smile and leaned into him. "I can't wait for you to see your old room, son."

"Yeah... me either." Arven pointed his own nose at the ceiling. "I'm super excited to be here, Dad."

Miraidon came between him and Turo and bumped Turo with his rump.

"I'm fine, Miraidon. Don't worry." Arven smiled feebly. "We're going to be okay."

"I like your optimism, kid," the doctor said. "I would have never guessed you were Professor Turo's son."

"Yeah," Turo said, nodding. "Arven took more after his mom than me." Strangely, he shut down a bit after that.

Celebi poked out from behind Arven's head and flew toward Turo, but Arven pulled it back and set it down on his lap. He stroked the Pokémon's scalp.

Celebi's antennae dropped, and it closed its eyes, seeming to purr.

"Celebi seems to have taken quite a liking to you," the doctor observed. With the others following, he approached the elevator at the end of the glass hallway and pressed the down button.

Arven hugged Celebi close. "Well, we've been through a lot together. Right, little guy?"

Celebi responded with more purrs.

***

"Eh, eh!"

Arven's eyes widened, hearing the doctors and nurses. A group of them stood at the hospital's entrance, playing music and clapping with a couple of Hologram Pokémon.

A young nurse twirled to Arven and offered him her open palm.

It took a second, but Arven high-fived her.

"Yeah!" the nurse cheered. She snapped her fingers, rolled her shoulders, and shuffled back to her colleagues.

They waved and said, "Get well soon," while Turo rolled Arven out the doors. After that, he changed his personality again.

Turo drove a black and white, three-wheeled car that resembled a spaceship. It floated a few feet off the ground and was big enough to fit Miraidon but not Mabosstiff. Therefore, Arven recalled him.

He stayed far away from Turo and refused to talk to him for the first half of the trip through the city. He occasionally held up his hands in case he tried to hit him.

"Why are you so pissed off?" Turo eventually said. "You're finally going to be like your dear, old mother. Your friends are waiting for you as well. You should be celebrating."

"I swear, if you hurt them—" Arven grabbed Celebi again, who tried to fly to Turo a second time.

"Oh, I didn't hurt them per se. I'm not that mean. I merely gave them a nice little Sleep Powder. Speaking of which..." Turo kept his eyes on the road and reached into the car's glove compartment.