Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 35 (Old): Rampant Rampage

Arven felt like he was about to drop dead. White circles flashed in front of his face, but his vision cleared when the shock set in. He started to ask himself questions. Why would his dad mistreat Sada like that? Why would he turn her into Infrared? Was it to kill him like Penny said? Kenji mentioned that he had to protect Arven and Sada from his dad until he "snapped out of it". What did he mean by that? Arven had to speak to Sada herself.

He calmed himself before he could explode, but it was difficult. His dad had crossed the line.

Arven removed his hand from the button and approached Sada's side. "Mom," he said, grasping her wrist, "is this true? Are you Infrared?"

Sada shook her head. "I didn't want to be, but Turo told me it would help me." That blasted day when she turned Koraidon into Miraidon re-played in her head. She removed her wrist from Arven and buried her face in her palms. "I'm so stupid."

Arven helped her down from Miraidon and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "No, you're not. You've just gotta tell me what happened." He escorted her back to the control room's wall and sat down with her.

Miraidon and Kenji loitered around the room's entrance, just in case Turo came.

Where Arven and Sada were, Sada snuggled close to Arven. "Please, just hold me," she said when she felt him squirming.

Arven relaxed his body and hugged Sada to his breast.

She set her head down on his shoulder.

"How did you get like this?" Arven asked, blinking away a few tears. "You can tell me, Mom."

"I just wanted us to be a family again," Sada explained. "I searched the original professor's memories and saw how much Turo loved her, so I thought I could do it. Celebi brought Koraidon and me to the future. I told Turo what I wanted, and he said that the only way to make us a family again was by summoning you with... with..." She choked on her words.

Arven helped her finish. "Infrared. Wait a minute, Mom. Did you open the space-time rift?"

Sada did not answer. She fell limp in Arven's arms.

Her computer spoke up, in a monotone. "AI Sada shutting down. Switching to Infrared."

"No, no, no." Arven gave Sada a quick shake. "Stay with me, Mom."

"I... can't... fight... it... anymore." Sada's voice was breathless and fading to nothing but a robotic one.

"You have to, Mom," Arven pleaded, peering into Sada's face. "I know you can do it. I'm right here. I'm your human contact." His whole body, all of a sudden, felt like it was on fire.

"AI Sada shutting down," said her computer again. "Switching to Infrared."

"Ahhh!" Sada screamed, reaching for her head. "I'm sorry, Arven! I never meant to put you in danger!"

Arven's ears rang, but he did not flinch away from his mom. She needed him. "Stay calm, Mom," he said (meant more for himself than her). "We're going to figure this out. Remember the Stiff and Relaxed Strategy." He tossed up one of his hands. "Stiff, relaxed. Stiff, relaxed."

Sada held up her own hand. "Stiff, relaxed. Stiff, relaxed."

Arven let go of the breath he was holding when very slowly, she started to calm down. However, he narrowed his eyebrows to the point he had an evil glare on his face.

Miraidon turned his head to check on him and instantly flung his tail at Kenji.

"What is it, Miraidon?" Kenji rotated his own head, and his eyes widened when he saw Arven. "Oh no."