Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 4 (Old): Return to Area Zero

"Miraidon." Arven reached his hand out to him, but Miraidon growled. He threatened him with his fangs.

Dropping his hand, Arven fiddled with his fingers. "Celebi, I thought he was supposed to help me."

"Bi!" Celebi snapped at Miraidon. It floated in front of Arven and pointed at Miraidon, its face red like a Tamato Berry. "Bi! Bi! Bi!" Celebi flicked Miraidon's nose.

Huffing, Miraidon flicked his tail back and forth and approached Arven. He pointed his nose at the lab's ceiling. Seriously? No wonder Arven didn't like Legendary Pokémon. Koraidon ruined his childhood, and now Miraidon was going to ruin his teen years.

Steam puffed out of Arven's ears. "Fine. Be that way," he told Miraidon. "I'll go to Area Zero myself." Arven pushed Miraidon away from him and hustled to the lab's door. With Mabosstiff at his heels, he stepped back outside to Poco Path, only to hear Nemona.

"Yo! Arven!" There she was, jogging up Poco Path's hill, and she waved at him. "Let's battle!"

A tinkling sound behind Arven told him that Celebi had joined him outside. Miraidon followed it like a scared child and sat down next to Mabosstiff.

One look at Celebi, and Nemona's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh! What is that?" She hurried to Celebi and plucked it out of the sky. "You're so cute! Did you come from Area Zero? Oh, I just wanna cuddle you!" She squeezed Celebi to her chest, much to its discomfort.

"Nemona, stop!" Arven said. "You're hurting it!"

"Oh, sorry," Nemona apologized, and she let Celebi go.

Coughing, it tried to catch its breath, but when it did, it asked Arven, "Who's that?"

Arven touched his forehead with his index finger and answered, "Nemona. She's one of my friends."

"Whoa, you can understand that thing?" Nemona said, clapping her hands together. "That's wicked! And... OMG!" That time, her eyes landed on Miraidon. "What is that? Dude, what'd I miss?"

Miraidon perked up. Unlike Arven, he took an interest in Nemona, and he came within reach of her.

"Oh, sure," Arven complained. "Ignore me, but go to her." How on Earth was a stubborn Miraidon supposed to get him to Area Zero?

Nemona scratched Miraidon's head, and he seemed to purr. "Wow. You're like a futuristic version of Koraidon. Do you like belly rubs?"

Nodding, Miraidon fell on his back and stretched his four legs.

While Nemona gave him the best belly rub ever, Koraidon appeared at the bottom of Poco Path's hill, and he dashed up to the group.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Penny shouted. She slipped from Koraidon's back, and it wasn't long until she hung upside-down from it.

Scarlet quickly grabbed Penny's hoodie before she could hit her head. She smiled, and Penny returned it.

Arven merely stared. He sure hoped his friends didn't bring the whole school.

Still dangling, Penny caught his green eyes and blushed. She clenched her teeth and chuckled nervously.

***

"What on Earth are y'all doing here?" Arven asked his friends, only a few minutes.

"Oh, that's simple," was Nemona's answer. She got up from the ground. "You and me, Arven! One-on-one. Let's battle!"

"Nemona, slow down," Penny said. She and Scarlet dismounted Koraidon. "I think the infrared sky is more important than a battle. Actually, Arven, we just wanted to make sure you and Nemona were okay." Penny glanced from Arven to Celebi. "Oh, whoa! Is that a Celebi?"