Exhausted and beaten up, AI Sada dropped to one knee on the sandy battlefield. It was in a half-circle-shaped cove just off Socarrat Trail, with the forest behind it.
Turo kept pushing Infrared's button on his remote, but Sada fought it every time, thanks to her human emotions.
"Give up!" Turo shouted. "You can't fight Infrared much longer. I don't care how many tries it takes, but I will turn you into a robot."
"And I refuse. I'm not going down without a fight, Turo." Sada searched for her Tera Orb but remembered it was in her lab coat.
"Your stupid bravery is pushing my buttons! Fine! I guess I have to bring in the heavy artillery." Turo released not one but six Hologram Pokéballs from his coat pocket. "I will crush you with every Future Hologram Pokémon I own, starting with Meowscarada!" He hiccupped through tears, and they splashed onto his pokéballs.
"Turo, stop!" Celebi left Sada and flew to him. It wrapped its little hands around his wrist. "You've lost your mind."
"I have not!" Turo flicked his wrist. He flinched and added, "I just want no memories of her!"
"That was one bad memory," Celebi explained. "What happened to the good ones?"
"Don't patronize me!"
A gust of wind, the north wind, passed through the cove and paused the scuffle.
"What the—?" Turo inquired, covering his crimson face.
AI Sada struggled to her feet, panting, and protected her belly. "They're here." Just in time, too.
Suicune, Arven, Penny, and wait! Was that Miraidon? All four entered the bay and hopped onto the beach.
Arven dismounted his ride and pointed at Meowscarada. "Miraidon, no, Koraidon! Get Meowscarada away from Sada!"
It was confirmed! That was Miraidon. Holy smokes, did Sada's plan work?
"Agias!"
A small, fish-like Pokémon, Tatsugiri, leaped off Koraidon's head.
He changed into his battle form and dove for Meowscarada. Koraidon tackled her, and Meowscarada crashed into the line of trees behind the beach.
Penny slid off Suicune and hustled for Sada. "Sada!"
The crystals on Sada's body sparkled. Still holding her belly, she toppled over. Pain shot up her knees when she hit the ground. "I know, I know, I know you're scared." Sada clutched the underside of her bump. "But we're going to get out of this. I promise. We've almost got your daddy back." All they needed now was Suicune.
He opened his mouth and used Bubble Beam. The large bubbles covered the battlefield and surrounded Arven and Turo. Suicune jumped and touched each bubble like it was a stepping stone.
"I don't have time for this!" Turo yelled. He plucked a pokéball from his pile and looked toward Meowscarada. "Meowscarada, get back up and destroy them! Break some bones, hearts, whatever! Just destroy them!"
***
Turo's insanity had reached an unhealthy level. And Arven thought his grief was complicated. Why did his father keep bullying Meowscarada when the Iron Moths had already beaten her?
Although he didn't feel well, Arven fought. He lunged and snatched Turo's wrists. "Stop bullying Meowscarada!" With his elbow, he smacked Turo's pokéballs out of his hands. Sada's lab coat fell from his back.
"Let go!" Turo shouted, shoving Arven off.
He yelled and smashed into the ground on his back. The fall knocked the wind out of him. Arven took a minute to catch his breath.
"Agiasgias!" Koraidon's eyes glowed, and he stomped to Turo. He picked him up and chucked him toward Meowscarada, who shakily stood.
"Koraidon!" Arven shouted, but Koraidon didn't listen.
"Gias!" Koraidon approached the dazed Turo and opened his mouth. He aimed a Hyper Beam at his chest.
"Koraidon, no!" Arven couldn't lose his dad, too! He had never seen him scared before, but he was.
Turo crawled back and held up his right hand. It looked like he injured his left.
"Koraidon!" Arven jumped up and sprinted to Turo. He tossed himself in front of him and used his body as a shield.
On instinct, Koraidon dropped the Hyper Beam and quickly returned to his low-power mode.
It looked like that was Suicune's cue. He hopped down from the last bubble and landed on Casseroya Lake. Suicune ran in a circle on the surface, but Arven didn't know why.
He grabbed Turo and helped him to his feet. Right when he did—
"Cune!" Suicune announced to all of Casseroya. Soundwave-like blue lights left his mouth and passed through the floating bubbles. They flashed like a camera lens, and Arven and Turo closed their eyes. Another gust of the north wind nearly knocked them down.
Arven heard her. His mom, his real mom. "Arven, open your eyes."
He did, and his jaw dropped. Arven forgot about the Poison Powder and merely stared at what exploded around him and Turo.
Memories, but not just any memories. Arven saw his mom helping him with his Magikarp floaties the day she taught him how to swim. He saw her cuddling him as a baby, singing a lullaby, and giving him Maschiff. Each of Suicune's bubbles carried a different memory, and Arven cried under them all.
He heard a thump behind him and saw Turo had dropped his remote and remaining pokéballs.
Where Suicune was, a watery figure rose out of Casseroya like a zombie, but she was no zombie. She looked exactly how she did in Arven's dream: luminescent and breathtaking like a Lumineon. Arven's Lumineon. "Mom," he choked out.
Sada flew to him and Turo and embraced them. She pecked Arven's forehead and turned to Turo.
Arven couldn't tell who sobbed the hardest: him or his dad.
Turo's memories of Sada went to him. Arven saw the day they met, when Turo proposed to Sada (on Casseroya Lake, nonetheless), and when she announced they were expecting. They helped Arven realize that Turo's only real dirty memory of her was when she died. He loved her, and she loved him. They just weren't ready for kids.
Was Arven supposed to feel guilty? He was the reason his parents separated. Arven guessed guilt was the last thing on his mind while stuck in a magical phenomenon with his father.
Sada's spirit grasped Turo's hands. "I'm sorry, Turo," she said. "I'm sorry I hurt you and Arven. However, I want you to know that I always loved you. I didn't walk out because I stopped; I walked out because I wasn't ready for a kid, and I thought I could learn myself." She shook her head. "I should have never done that. I hope you can forgive me."
"Sada..." Turo moved closer to her. "I wasn't ready, either. When I came to Area Zero that day, I was. But after you died, I couldn't face Arven."
Sada flicked a few tears from Turo's eyes and hugged him again. "Don't worry, I'm okay. You can let me go. I'm always here for our family. After all, you're my greatest Treasure."
"Your greatest Treasure." Yep, Turo sobbed the hardest. "I love you, Sada. I love you so much." With those words, he leaped forward and kissed her.
Arven gagged under the passion he put into it and Sada's return kiss.
"I love you, Turo," she said, her words muffled under hers and Turo's lips.
The memories pulsed and spread to the rest of the battlefield.
AI Sada's Roaring Moon ducked under a few of them.
The bubbles broke apart and turned the memories into watery goddesses. They soared with Celebi, who announced, "Bi, bi, bi!"
Turo put one hand on Sada's hip, his other on her shoulder, and danced with her.
In the meantime, Arven reached up and touched each memory.
They twirled around him and lifted him off his feet.
One memory grabbed Penny. It dragged her to Arven and pushed her into his arms.
Both of them toppled over.
Penny, on top of Arven now, blushed. "Oh, hi," she said, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.
Smiling, Arven tilted his head back and saw Suicune nodding at him. Thank you, Suicune, he mouthed. Next, he looked at AI Sada.
She put her Terastallized hands together and hooked her fingers, grinning.
One by one, the memories returned to Suicune. They created an enormous, shimmering bubble over his head. "It's time, Sada," Arven heard him say to Sada's spirit.
She nodded and, with one last kiss, let Turo go. On her way to Suicune's bubble, she waved.
Arven and Turo did, too.
Sada's spirit was the last memory to dive into Suicune's bubble. As soon as she did, it popped like a balloon. Water droplets dropped onto Suicune, Casseroya, and the Wild Pokémon, who came to witness the magic. Everything was perfect, peaceful even, but then—
"Ah!" AI Sada's infrared crystals flared. She swayed back and forth and collapsed onto her broken arm.
"AI Sada!" Arven accidentally shoved Penny off and ran to her. He reached her before Turo. "What's wrong?" Arven checked Sada's belly. "Oh, please don't tell me..."
"No, Arven, she's not having contractions." With Sada's coat back over his shoulders, Turo met up with him. "It's Infrared. I have to get her front to the control room and put her in hypersleep."
"Hyper—what?" Arven glanced at him. "What's that? Shouldn't we be saving her and the baby?"
Turo tossed Sada's coat over her and picked her up. "You don't understand, do you?" he inquired, moving away from Arven.
Suicune, Penny, and the remaining Pokémon joined them.
"Understand what?" Arven glared and coughed into his palm. Sweat dripped down his face. "I understand totally, Dad. You abused Sada to get rid of me and didn't account for the fact that she's all we have left of Mom. I'm not going to lose my mom again. I can't."
"Son, this hurts me just as much as you, but did you not hear what your mother told us?" Turo lowered his chin. "We need to let her go. Besides, Infrared is too dangerous to keep activated. Give me a chance to redeem myself. Please. Sada and the baby will die if I don't put her in hypersleep. I can't save her, but I can save your sibling."
Arven held his spinning head. "No, don't talk like that. We can save them both." He knew he had to let Sada go, but every time Arven thought he was ready, something pulled him back, and he couldn't think straight anymore.
A plop told him his knees had hit the ground. A whoosh followed and Penny's familiar touch on his wet brow.
"Arven, your fever," she whimpered.
"I feel fine!" Nevertheless, Arven's weakened knees gave out, and he keeled over like Sada. The last thing he heard before he drifted into unconsciousness was Turo.
"Celebi and Koraidon, get us out of here."
"Water has memories, even dirty ones, which purify with the next rain."
- Viktoria Fyodorova
Back to the future. Well, it was more "front" in Turo's mind. He had a plan, but he wanted to pull it himself without the help of Arven and his friends. It looked like Arven wouldn't wake up anytime soon, and AI Sada did not have that time. Turo needed to put her in hypersleep right now. Arven would never forgive him for what he did, but he had to try, and saving his sibling was the first step. He was going to dub this "Mission Redemption".
Suicune traveled to the future with Turo. He was large compared to Koraidon's ride form, so he carried Turo, Sada, and Penny while Koraidon escorted Arven.
The control room hadn't changed much since Celebi and Sada took Turo to the past. It was like it had been waiting for him to redeem himself, knowing he could do it as much as him.
Sada struggled out of Turo's arms. She fell with another flare of her crystals and crawled to Koraidon, past Roaring Moon.
Sada shook Arven. "Arven, please wake up."
"Arven!" a voice shouted at the control room's entrance. "What happened?" It was Scarlet. She, Nemona, and Kenji hustled into the room and glared at Turo.
A monsoon of guilt smacked him. "I didn't hurt him. Promise. Please, give me a chance to redeem myself."
Nemona clenched her fist. "Why should we? Where's my Meowscarada, you two-face phony?"
"She's right here." Turo gathered his pokéballs, including Meowscarada's, and his remote before he left the past. He tossed Nemona Meowscarada's pokéball. It no longer was holographic blue.
"I know you guys are mad, but there's no time," Turo stated. "I need to get you out of here and put AI Sada in hypersleep."
"Turo," Kenji said, bewildered, "what happened in the past?" His attention switched to Suicune. "Is that...?"
"Yes, it's Suicune, Celebi's friend. The one who helped that time-traveling boy from Johto. He came to Arven and me on"—Turo gulped—"that day, and we met our Sada one last time. Arven's too sick, though. He collapsed, and now his sibling's in danger."
Kenji nodded. "And you believe hypersleep will save it."
"I invented Infrared. I know how it works. Arven doesn't have to forgive me, but his sibling is all we have left of her." Turo brushed a tear away. "Please, guys. Just trust me this once, and then you never have to again."
Nemona opened her mouth to fight back, but Scarlet stopped her. Her angry look changed to stern with a touch of forgiveness. "Turo, we'll trust you when you save that baby."
"Scarlet!" Nemona snapped. "Don't pull that. I say we tie this jerk up and punish him for hurting Arven, Sada, and Meowscarada. He had it coming."
"And I say we give him a chance." Scarlet inhaled and wiped her eyes, stepping forward. "Nemona, I know what he's been through. Both he and I watched our loved ones die. Turo acted out of grief, not because he wanted to take over the world. However, we should also hear Sada's side of the story." Scarlet stopped next to Turo and faced Koraidon. Although bemused, she remained serious. "Sada, what do you want?"
She was quick to answer but in a glitched voice. "I want Turo to do everything he can to save Arven's sibling. I'm ready to die."
"Well, there you have it." Scarlet met eyes with Turo. "Turo, put her in hypersleep and save that baby."
"Scarlet, no!" Turo swore he saw tears in Nemona's golden brown eyes.
"It's the only way, Nemona," Scarlet said. "We need to let AI Sada go."
"No..." Voice trailing, Nemona rushed to Sada and threw herself in her arms. Meowscarada's pokéball rolled to Turo's feet. "We love you, Sada," Nemona sobbed into her shoulder.
"I know." Sada rubbed the back of her head. "And I love you. However, this was going to happen eventually. I'm just glad I fought Infrared long enough." Sada let Nemona go. "Take care of Arven for me. Give him the love the original professor never did." She whispered her next line.
Turo couldn't hear her, but Sada occasionally looked at Scarlet, leaving him to believe she was talking about her.
Suicune and Penny came over after Nemona stood, followed by Kenji and Arven's Mabosstiff. Tatsugiri left Arven and slid down Koraidon's head and nose.
Kenji gave Arven's friends a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, kids. I used to work in OB, so I'll help Turo. You guys focus on getting home and helping Arven. I believe Celebi should return soon."
Sure enough, the familiar sound of a tintinnabulation overtook Turo's ears, and Celebi appeared. It removed the Scarlet Book from Suicune's streamers and hoisted it to him. "Bi, bi. Let's move, Turo, before those AIs find their way here."
Oops, Turo forgot about his AI Army. Luckily, he had his remote and now the Scarlet and Violet Books. They would help shut down the army. Sada needed no distractions while in hypersleep.
Before sending Arven and his friends away, Turo returned Meowscarada's pokéball to Nemona. "The reversion should be complete when you guys reach Area Zero," he explained.
Nemona accepted the ball and examined it. Instead of thanking Turo, she huffed and went to her friends.
Koraidon put Tatsugiri down, but Arven slipped from his back.
Penny caught him and embraced him like a mother. "Koraidon, aren't you coming with us?"
"Agiasgias." Koraidon marched to Sada. He stood on one side of her, Roaring Moon on the other. "Gias."
"He says, 'Not now.'" Sada ran her hand across Koraidon's feathers. "He wants to stay with me a little longer. Good boy, Miraidon."
"Oh!" Scarlet pointed at Koraidon. "So that is Miraidon?"
"It is." Scarlet jumped when Suicune said that. "I purified his dirty memories in the past after he saved Penny and Arven. When I asked him what changed his mind about Arven, he replied, 'Because I saw how much he loves Sada.'"
"You really said that?" Sada asked her Pokémon. "See, Miraidon? I knew you and Arven could become friends."
Did Koraidon blush?
Scarlet giggled. After a moment of silence, she declared, "Turo, we're ready."
Suicune lowered his body. One by one, Arven's friends climbed on. Penny, still protecting Arven, mounted him last, and Suicune rose. "It's okay, Turo. Celebi and I will get them home safely. We did it before, and we can do it again."
"Right." Turo tucked the Scarlet and Violet Books under his arm. "Good luck."
Celebi's blue light outlined Suicune, Mabosstiff, and Tatsugiri and lifted them off the floor. On their way to the ceiling, Arven's friends waved at Sada.
Sada and Koraidon returned their gestures.
"We love you, Sada!" Nemona called in a choked voice. "And we won't ever forget you!"
"Me, too!" she called back. "Thank you for everything—in Area Zero and here. Look after Arven for Turo and me."
"We will!" Nemona saluted. "We bid you adieu!"
"Hey! That's my line!" Sada jokingly complained.
"I hope you don't mind me using it."
"Not at all." Sada waved one last time. "Bye!"
Poof! Arven and his friends vanished. Blue and green sparkles rained down on Sada, Turo, and Kenji.
"Wow, Sada," Turo admitted, "those kids adore you."
"I guess my maternal instincts are on point now." Sada's smile vanished when her crystals flared again. She held her arms out to Turo. "But let's not waste any more time, Turo. Put me in hypersleep."
Turo's knees wobbled, but he helped Sada stand and escorted her to the control room's center console. He sat her down and slipped the Scarlet and Violet Books into the computer's pockets. "Sada, I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to do this, but—"
"—the only way to stop Infrared is to destroy the source," Sada interrupted. "Me. I know, Turo. But I also know you can loosen Infrared's effects until the baby comes. I have no doubt, especially since Kenji's here. Hypersleep is our best option."
"You're right." Turo's chest ached—did he fall in love with AI Sada, too?—but he clicked the books in place.
The Terastallized keyboard and Sada's crystals shimmered, and she flinched.
"Gias." Koraidon let her hold onto his antennae.
Turo rested his thumb over Infrared's button. He waited for Sada to give the word, even though his heart screamed in agony.
"Turo, wait. Before you make it official..." Sada removed her flower crown and looked past him to Kenji. "I have one more request." Her shoulders dropped, followed by her head.
She placed her hands on her growing bump and said, "Kenji, take a picture of my baby."
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