Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

        Celebi expected that the Violet Book would draw Miraidon to it, and it did.

        Eyes still glowing, he swung his tail and tapped Arven’s legs. Miraidon sniffed the pedestal and called for some electrical energy deep in his body. He ran it through the computer like it was a science experiment.

        Arven backed up when a robotic voice came from the ceiling. “Time machine booting up. Please remain calm.” Great advice because Arven’s shaking legs said that he definitely was calm.

        “Time machine failing to connect,” continued the robotic voice. “Need permission from Miraidon.”

        Celebi whirled around and faced him. “Miraidon, what are you doing?”

        He responded with a low growl. Now was not a good time to be stubborn.

        “Need permission. Need permission.” The robot’s voice started to glitch. “Miraidon. Mir-ai-don.”

        Miraidon dropped his head. His eyes blinked from cyan to red and back to cyan. He snapped his neck to the side. His now red eyes bore into Arven’s soul. Miraidon took a few steps toward him.

        Sweat ran down Arven’s temples, and he gasped for air. “Miraidon, what are you doing?”

        “Miraidon transforming,” said the voice in the ceiling. Violet lightning shot down from the opening time machine and crashed into Miraidon. He pulsed like the infrared sky from before, and his and the time machine’s energy slammed into Arven.

        “Arven!” Celebi screeched.

        He flew back and crashed into the floor halfway to the elevator. He rolled a few times. By the third roll, he rested motionless on his front, and Miraidon’s transformation ceased.

        Celebi’s partner floated a few feet off the ground, thanks to the violet rockets that replaced his legs, and he held his front legs in a V-formation in front of him, on either side of his wheel-like neck that jutted from his deformed spine. He waved his strong, mechanical tail and roared, “Gias!”

        The elevator for the room opened. It revealed Koraidon, Penny, Nemona, and Scarlet squashed inside.

        “I swear, Koraidon’s too fat for this thing,” Penny gasped. “Whoa!” At the same time, she, Nemona, and Scarlet fell out of the elevator. Penny removed herself from the pretzel and brushed herself down.

        Koraidon’s attention switched from the friends to Miraidon, who now hovered over the motionless Arven. At once, he dashed forward and glowed up scarlet. The light faded quickly and revealed his battle form: the familiar, powerful hind legs and equally as powerful arms. Koraidon’s plumage of feathers on top of his head and his feathery antennae whipped behind him like a cape. He smacked Miraidon with his tail and knocked him into the room’s wall.

        “You hurt him!” Celebi heard him roar. It then heard Penny.

        “What’s gotten into it?” Eventually, she saw Arven and reached for her head. “Ah, Arven! I knew it! I knew this would happen!”

        Truthfully, Celebi did, too, but at least Arven didn’t hurt himself intentionally.

        Penny sprinted, but she tripped and fell. Nevertheless, she quickly got up and slid to Arven. Penny fell to her knees next to him.

        Scarlet and Nemona soon joined her. Fear overtook their faces, and Nemona shakily asked, “Is he…?”

        Penny checked Arven’s pulse. “No,” she replied. “Thank gosh. I don’t think Director Clavell would be too happy if one of us was killed.”

        From where he landed, Miraidon got up. He threatened Koraidon with his toothless jaw. A ball of energy appeared in his mouth, and he launched it at his counterpart. The attack’s blast knocked Koraidon onto his side.

        Barely scathed, he stood and leaped in front of Arven and his friends. He gestured for them to head for the elevator while he dealt with Miraidon.

        Scarlet nodded, but she maintained a fearful expression, even though Celebi knew she knew that Koraidon was strong in his battle form.

        Scarlet, Nemona, and Penny picked up Arven and carried him toward the elevator. They only had twenty steps to go when another one of Miraidon’s attacks smashed into it, and the elevator sparked.

        “Aw, dang it!” Nemona shouted. “Abort! Abort!” They now had no choice but to head for the time machine, but not with Miraidon in its current state.

        Celebi came between Miraidon and Koraidon. “Bi!” it snapped at Miraidon. “Bi, bi! I know you don’t want to help Arven, but please, Miraidon. Let him see his mom one more time. It will help not only you but also my trainer. You’re not the only one who lost everything here.” Just saying that, a sinking feeling sacked its gut.

        “My trainer,” Celebi repeated to itself.

        Miraidon’s glowing eyes met Celebi’s big, blue ones. He snarled, but then he started to calm down.

        “Please,” Celebi begged.

        Miraidon’s growls were now nothing more than mere gurgles. His eyes returned to their cyan-blue color, and he changed back into his low-power mode. Miraidon brought his four legs together and studied the unconscious Arven in his friends’ arms. He tried to go to them, but Penny jumped in front of the crowd.

        “No! Stay away from us!”

        “Agia,” Miraidon said. He almost looked like he was about to cry, but he followed Celebi’s orders and returned to the time machine. Miraidon touched the computer, which booted back up, and glanced up at the machine.

        “Miraidon identified,” said the voice in the ceiling. “Time machine is ready to use.”

        Koraidon remained in his battle form, just in case Miraidon went berserk again. He picked Scarlet, Nemona, Arven, and Penny up and tossed them on his shoulders like they were his children.

        He carried the kids up to the time machine’s platform and made room for Miraidon, but he didn’t look at him.

        Koraidon tried to shake Arven awake, but he didn’t stir. He growled out of the corner of his mouth, “You nearly killed him. How do you feel about that? Huh?”

        “I’m sorry,” Miraidon responded, but that didn’t cut it.

        Celebi hopped into the confrontation, carrying the Violet Book. It handed it to Scarlet and said, “Bi. Scarlet, do me a favor, and take care of the Violet Book for me.”

        Scarlet accepted the book, nodding. She tossed it into her bag.

        “Time machine ready. Please wait,” the ceiling voice said soon after.

        Koraidon and Miraidon’s feet shook under them when the black platform they stood on shot up like a rocket until it reached the machine’s open legs. They twirled a few times and stretched out to reveal its glowing hole.

        Waves of light energy caught the Pokémon and kids and lifted them off their feet.

        “Hang tight!” Nemona said. She grabbed Scarlet’s hand, who extended her arm across Koraidon and took Penny’s.

        Penny clutched Arven’s arm. She, Nemona, and Scarlet looked up at the light above them and closed their eyes.

        “Please, let us live,” Penny said. And just like that, she and the rest of Celebi’s party disappeared.

 

End of Act I: The Present

Current Word Count: 9,000