Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 17 (Old): Deception

Arven's hands shook so much that he feared his fingers would pop off. Crawling back, his palms hit the edge of the crater, and he gasped. As if he were a little kid again, he whined, "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad." Gee, he liked her better when she was joyful earlier.

Sada's eyes switched from cyan to infrared. She snatched Arven's shirt collar with her Terastallized hand and held him over the cliff. That was the first time Arven noticed how powerful her grip was.

"Stop, stop!" he begged, grasping her wrist. "I know you don't want to do this. I know you don't." Arven peered down to the long drop below. His head spun like a top.

Sada's mastermind spoke from her again. "You're doing great, my dear AI."

"Monster!" Arven shouted at him. "How could you force her to do this?"

"I am in control of her," he answered. "I tell her what to do."

"But she doesn't want this," Arven fought.

Celebi jumped into the fray. It wrapped its tiny arms around Sada's free one and tried to pull her away from the cliff.

Sada's hand trembled. She planted her feet and loosened her grip on Arven's collar.

"Miraidon, Miraidon, come back!" he begged. "Miraidon!"

Not far from Arven and Sada, Miraidon walked with his head lowered and a sad look on his face. His ears picked up Arven's cries, and he peered over his shoulder. "Gias?" he asked. No... He wasn't going back. Arven hated him. At the same time, though, hearing his pleas for his life haunted Miraidon. What had Infrared done to Sada now? Aw, heck. It looked like Miraidon had no choice.

He narrowed his eyes. Glowing up, he switched to his battle form and blasted his rockets.

At the cliff, Sada's hand continued to shake. It took a minute, but she finally brought Arven in and dropped him to the ground. Soon after she did, Miraidon reached the scene.

The Pokémon knocked her arm back with his forehead.

"Ow!" Sada yelled, twirling in a circle.

Miraidon jumped in between her and Arven and bent his V-shaped arms further. Electricity sizzled from them. "Ah-giiiyahhhh!" he roared.

Arven smacked his hands over his ears. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did Miraidon seriously come back to save him? That didn't make sense. Miraidon was the one who killed his mom.

Sada's eyes returned to normal, but her whole body sparked and smoked, and she fell onto her belly.

"No!" screamed her mastermind. That was the last the group heard from him because his connection was lost. Now all was quiet in the canyon once again.

Sada's body relaxed. She pushed herself to her hands and knees and reached for Arven.

"No!" he shouted. Getting up, he hid behind Miraidon. Arven clutched his mechanical elbow with both hands.

"Wait, what did I do?" Sada shakily inquired. Why did Arven look so fearful, and why was Miraidon on the scene in his battle form?

Sada rose to her feet and brushed off her crop top. She started for Miraidon and Arven.

"Agia!" Miraidon snapped before she could get too close. He picked up Arven and blasted past Sada.

Her hair waved to the left, and she held her right hand up to her face.

"No," she whimpered, reaching for her nose. "No, no, no!" She felt like a wave just crashed on her. If this was a new emotion, then it hurt—even more than her arm.

Sada collapsed to her knees. Something wet and warm fell from her cyan eyes. Drops of water hit the ground, and she punched it. "I've ruined us," Sada hiccupped. "I've ruined us! Infrared..." Her nails scratched the crater's rocks. "You told me you would help me!"

The crystals on her left hand expanded. They now covered the rest of it and a portion of her forearm. A few more appeared on Sada's cheek.

"Please," she begged her computer, "I don't want to be a battle machine. I want to be human. Please don't make me hurt my own son."

Further away, Miraidon flew steadily. To help with his balance, he waved his tail back and forth.

Arven glanced past him to the area where Sada was. "We have to go back," he said.

Miraidon gave him a funny look. "What? Why? She just tried to kill you, little fella."

Arven couldn't understand him, but he did recognize the tone in Miraidon's voice. "No, it wasn't her," he explained, shaking his head. "It was that darn computer." He clenched his fist. "Miraidon, she needs human contact. We've got to find her mastermind."

Miraidon checked his futuristic body up and down. "There's only one problem with that," he growled—more to himself than Arven. "That mastermind is in the future." The future was where he was given his new form.

Arven batted Miraidon's shoulder. "Put me down," he ordered. "AI Sada needs me." He soon realized what he just said, and his jaw dropped. That was the first time he didn't call Sada "Mom". Why did he suddenly stop giving her that name? Arven tried to not let it get to him.

"Put me down," he tried again. He shivered when a cold breeze whooshed through the canyon.

Miraidon inhaled. He dropped to the floor and set Arven down next to him.

The second his feet touched the earth, Arven jumped into a run and headed in the direction of Sada.

Left behind, Miraidon watched him for a bit. He then peered up at the starry sky above the canyon.

A flock of Squawkabilly passed in front of the moon, which was beginning to set. They squawked at one another and flapped their wings.

For a long while, Miraidon studied them and thought about the freedom he and Sada lost—all thanks to Infrared.