Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 39 (Old): To Be Brave Is Something You Learn Over Time

Once he made it to the wide, circular room next to the lab's barracks and charging stations, Turo halted. He set Infrared down next to the steel staircase that led to the control room and propped her up against the wall. "I'll be right back, baby." With a pokéball in his hand, he jogged to the barracks. He needed something to guard them while he and Arven dealt with Infrared.

She lifted her hand and waved Miraidon over to her.

He switched to his low-power mode and came within reach of her. "Gias?" he questioned. He hit the ground with his tail. It made a ringing sound under its mechanical weight.

Infrared's eyes glitched, but she stayed strong and patted her Pokémon's shoulder. "You know what I need to do, Miraidon." She held back a few tears. "Arven and Turo will not be able to destroy me."

Miraidon knew this day would come—ever since Infrared changed him. His face drooped, and he said, "Agias."

Infrared's hand moved up to his left cheek. "You're my good boy," she said, smiling slightly. "I knew you could make friends with Arven. He will need somebody to look after him. Can you do that for me, please? I can't be there for him anymore."

"I will, Sada, I promise," Miraidon nickered. He pushed his cheek into Infrared's palm.

"I'm sorry, Miraidon," she said. "I'm sorry I did this to you."

"Well, we got one last adventure out of it, didn't we?" Miraidon communicated back. He chuckled, but it wasn't long until his face dropped again. He removed his cheek from Infrared's palm when he heard Turo.

"Iron Hands, keep watch!"

The futuristic Hariyama emerged from his pokéball. Its plump, mechanical body clicked on and off like a light bulb, and it held its enormous hands in front of it. As an Electric-type Pokémon, it would not hesitate to shock any robot that tried to jump it.

Turo returned to Infrared. He reached out to pick her up again, but she bumped him off.

"No."

"But, Sada, you can't walk." Turo swallowed a lump in his throat, but it only returned as a larger, cancerous mass.

"Yes... I can." Infrared pushed through the pain in her arm and shakily stood. "To be brave is something you learn over time."

Turo was really worried now. "Sada, what are you talking about? Here, let me help you."

Infrared gave his hand a quick slap. "You've done enough."

The guilt returned. Turo felt it passing through his veins. He wondered what would have happened if he never lost himself to his grief and invented Infrared.

Infrared speaking broke his train of thought. "Let's go, Miraidon." She used him to support her balance and headed down the steel staircase.

"Motherboard damaged by fall," Infrared's robotic voice announced. She and Miraidon weren't even halfway down the stairs when she toppled forward.

Turo caught her before she tumbled down them. He pulled her arms out of her lab coat and wrapped it around her like a blanket. Turo scooped her up and said to Miraidon, "We need to get her to the control room—and fast."

They were right behind Arven and Celebi, who just made it there.

"3D printer, 3D printer," Arven said, looking around. He noticed that the room's holographic screen was on. It showed the center section of Levincia where all the moving walkways connected. The sky above it had turned infrared again and pulsed repeatedly, indicating that the space-time rift was opening. Arven had to hurry before Past Pokémon ran rampant in the future. Nobody else had to die because of his mistake.