Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

        The effects of the futuristic Slither Wing’s attack hit Sada so quickly that Arven knew something was terribly wrong. As soon as they reached the heart of the thicket, she felt too weak to stand.

        Arven grasped her shoulders and sat her down in front of a log. It was at the foot of a patch of flowers. He dropped to his knees and took her lab coat off her arm so he could look at it again. The whole time he worked, Sada said nothing.

        Eventually, Arven freed her arm. He helped Sada put her coat back on and walked on his knees to her front. “You stay here, Mom, and I’m gonna get you some help.”

        Sada’s hand flung forward. She squeezed Arven’s wrist. “Wait, wait. Don’t leave me. I want to go home.”

        Arven freed himself. “Don’t worry, we’re going to get you home. I’m just going to grab Koraidon so he can carry you. Penny can treat you on the way back.” He turned his head to Mabosstiff. “Mabosstiff, look after her.”

        “Arf.” Mabosstiff approached her again.

        Arven peered into her fearful face. “You’re going to be okay, Mom. I promise. But I do need you to tell me what this Infrared is. I don’t care that you’re a robot if that’s it.”

        “No, no, it’s not,” Sada elucidated. She paused for a bit before she added, “So many Pokémon. Infrared is my computer, Arven, but… That’s all I can tell you.”

        “Okay, I understand,” Arven said, slightly frustrated. What happened to mothers and sons telling each other everything?

        Arven pushed himself to his feet. He started to leave, but he looked back at Sada. “But I want you to know that if you don’t tell me why that Pokémon attacked you, I can’t help you. As humans, we work together as a team.” He scoffed. “You clearly don’t know that yet.”

        Sada lowered her head. She closed her eyes when she heard Arven kick a stone while he left. It smashed into a few of the thicket’s bushes and scared a few bird Pokémon.

        Mabosstiff licked Sada’s cheek. He placed his paw in her lap.

        “I can’t tell him, Mabosstiff,” she said. “It will crush him even more than he already is. I hope you understand.” Was it possible for an AI to cry?

        Sada glanced at her twitching arm. She had the urge to rip out all her wires, just in case there was something human-like in there, but she didn’t want to break herself further. “I guess this was bound to happen eventually,” she said to herself.

        She and Mabosstiff waited for a while, but finally, Arven reappeared in the thicket’s opening, followed closely by Nemona and Scarlet riding Koraidon. There was no sign of Penny, though.

        Arven pointed at Sada. “There she is.”

        “Professor!” Oh gosh. For once, could Nemona lose her sunny personality? She slid off Koraidon’s back and came within reach of Sada. Celebi flew next to her.

        Nemona grinned and brought her hands together. “What was this Pokémon like? Arven said it looked like a futuristic version of Slither Wing.” Her eyes landed on Sada’s broken arm. “Look at you, Professor, feeling pain for the first time. This calls for a celebration.”

        A celebration? Was she insane?

        Sada gave Arven a funny look. “I thought you were going to get Penny.”

        Nemona cleared her throat. “Yeah, um, she doesn’t really want to talk to Arven right now, but hey! Scarlet and I are here to keep you company until she comes around.”

        Koraidon huffed behind her.

        “Oh, and Koraidon and Celebi, too,” Nemona added.

        “What about Miraidon?” Sada inquired. She knew Miraidon was a little mad at her, but still. She wanted her Paradox Pokémon next to her. Was that a good thing, or should she have asked for Arven instead?

        Nemona cupped Sada’s shoulder. “He’s watching the cabin until we get back. But enough of that. Let’s get you up and home.” Her hand moved down to Sada’s arm, and she tugged on it.

        “Ow!” Sada yelled, ripping it free. “Don’t touch me, Nemona! Please.” She reached for her heart and turned her back to Nemona. “I don’t want to attack you.”

        Too late.

        “AI Sada vulnerable,” Sada’s robotic voice announced from her system. “Switching to attack mode to prevent human contact.”

        “No, no, no!” Sada begged, reaching for her head. The past, the future… It all came back.

        Steam puffed out of Arven’s nose. “Nemona, what did you do to her?” He pushed Nemona aside and kneeled to Sada. “Mom, you’ve got to fight it. You’ve got to be brave.”

        “I can’t,” she whimpered, and she buried her face in her hands. “It was so scary.”

        “What was?” Arven said. What on Earth happened to her when she traveled to the past?

        “Infrared gathering energy,” continued Sada’s robotic voice. Under its power, her twitching worsened, just like it did in Area Zero. Familiar Tera crystals popped up on her legs. They moved up the length of her body and turned her crop top, shorts, and lab coat infrared.

        Scarlet quickly pulled Arven away from her and nodded at Koraidon. It looked like she was ready for a battle.

        “I just want to be human!” That was the last thing Sada told her computer before her cyan eyes returned. With a Master Ball in her hand, she rose to her feet and faced the kids and their Pokémon. “I will not let any humans near me,” she threatened, and she threw her ball forward. “Slither Wing!”

        In an instant, Sada’s Paradox, bug-like Pokémon busted out of its ball. Unlike the Pokémon from before, its orange and yellow wings were not made out of iron, but fur. White fur covered its body, and it stood on two legs.

        “Wait! Wait! Let me!” Nemona chanted before Koraidon could transform into his battle form. “It’s time to battle! Pawmot, let’s go!”

        The Pokémon that emerged from her pokéball was bipedal, too, and mouse-like with bright orange fur and yellow cheek pouches.

        Sada held her right arm out to the side. “Slither Wing, we shall not let these humans interfere with Infrared. Show them no mercy!”

        One hit from Slither Wing and Nemona’s Pawmot flew back and crashed into a tree.

        Instantly, her smile vanished, and she hollered, “Pawmot!” What kind of Champion-ranked trainer got beat up by an AI?

        “What did I tell you about the Paradox Pokémon, Nemona?” Sada questioned. She cracked a villainous smile. “They’re ruthless beings.”

        “Mom, stop. Please,” Arven begged. Images of when Mabosstiff nearly died in Area Zero after getting attacked by a Paradox Pokémon plagued him, and he lowered his chin. “I can’t watch you do this to yourself.”

        “It’s my code, Arven,” Sada explained. “I only listen to Infrared.” She started to slip her hand into her lab coat’s left pocket, but she screamed, “Ow!” and fell to one knee. She clenched her teeth, and the Tera crystals in them sparkled like a kaleidoscope.

        For a second, Slither Wing observed her, but then it faced Arven, Nemona, and Scarlet again. Shadows from the treetops overhead covered its face, making it hard to determine what it felt.

        “Sli-Slither Wing.” The way Sada’s voice broke proved she was trying to stand up to Infrared, but it still pulled her to the bottom of the ocean. “Use Zen Headbutt,” she ordered.

        Celebi put up a green barrier between Sada and Scarlet and her friends. Slither Wing smashed right into it. “Bi!” Celebi chanted, glancing at Scarlet. “The Violet Book, Scarlet,” it said in her head. “We need Miraidon.” Another blow from Slither Wing cracked its barrier, but Celebi stayed strong. “Your Koraidon knows Miraidon.”

        “What? What are you talking about, Celebi?” Scarlet asked, placing her palm on Koraidon’s shoulder.

        At her touch, he lowered his antennae and sank to the ground.

        “Miraidon…” Celebi strained, as the crack in the barrier widened. “It’s Koraidon—Sada’s Koraidon—from the future.”