Chapter 35: Craving Metal

    "Come on, Sada! Keep up!" Kenji fully extended his arm and waved at her. He and Miraidon stopped at the foot of a yellow moving walkway. Orange arrows on it pointed at the heart of Levincia, where spotlight-like lights danced and brought it to life.

    Sada occasionally stopped and shared the city's sights with her unborn child. She talked to her and soon joined Kenji and Miraidon at the walkway. "Sorry, Kenji, I'm ready now."

    "That's cool," he said, glancing at Sada's hand, which rested on her belly. "So, you excited to be a mom?"

    "Kenji, it's all I've ever wanted. Arven never had a mom growing up. I want to give him the attention that she didn't. Besides, I think a sibling will be good for him. Then he won't be alone anymore."

    "Wow, I never knew an AI could feel such love," Kenji admitted. "You must tell me more about your adventures before coming here. I'm sorry there's no tea, but I'm sure the walkway will do for now. Up we go." He took Sada's wrist and helped her onto the walkway before he stepped on himself. Miraidon ended up as the caboose.

    Not even two minutes into the ride, Sada jumped and asked, "What's that?"

    "What's what?" Kenji glanced at her. Miraidon pawed his leg, and he pushed him away.

    "That!" Sada gripped her tummy. It growled like a small Pokémon. "Is something wrong with my baby?"

    "Oh... that," Kenji said, suddenly amused. "No, Sada. You're craving."

    "Craving? What is that?"

    "It's another way of saying you and the baby are hungry," Kenji explained.

    "Hungry? I don't understand. I don't get hungry."

    "You're a cyborg, right?" Kenji shot Sada a knowing look. "Day by day, you're turning more human. My lab is just off this walkway, so I'll take care of you."

    "Gias!" Miraidon stamped his foot.

    Kenji chuckled. "Don't worry, Miraidon. I'll take care of you, too."

    "Gias!" That time, Miraidon purred and rubbed his scent on him.

    "So, what are you craving?" Kenji asked Sada. He moved to the side when a woman and her Partner Pokémon cut through them.

    Startled, Iron Bundle hopped onto Kenji's head. It hugged his temples with its little wings and rode on him the rest of the ride.

    Toward the end of the walkway, Sada's face lit up. Facing Kenji, she questioned, "Do you know what I'm really craving, Kenji? A metal sandwich."

    He burst out laughing. "Oh, you kill me, Sada! Oh, that's a good one." Kenji rubbed his eye. He continued to cackle, but then he saw that Sada was serious. "Wait, you're serious? Oh man, dear, you really need to break out of this robot thing."

    Sada shrugged. "Well, what else am I supposed to crave?"

    "Not metal," Kenji giggled. "That will kill your poor baby. I'm talking about real food, Sada."

    "Oh, you mean like what humans eat?"

    Kenji playfully punched Sada's shoulder. "Duh! I'll make you the best real sandwich once we reach the lab."

***

    The walkway dropped Sada, Kenji, and Miraidon off in Levincia's center. Moving walkways of all colors branched out from its spotlights. They led to different sections of the city.

    Sada stepped in front of Miraidon. "Whoa, this is insane." She could've sworn there were ten extra walkways since the last time she was in the future. She checked out the monorail and watched it cut through and around the spotlights like toy train tracks.

    "My lab is in a quiet part of the city," Kenji explained. "Hang in there, Sada—we're almost there." He hopped off the walkway first and reached for Sada.

    The cravings were getting stronger. "I want metal," Sada whined.

    "Well, you're not getting any." Kenji wrapped his arms around her. "You're going to eat real food."

    "But I want metal," she complained while he helped her off the walkway.

    "You're not killing the baby on my watch. Now, come on." Kenji clutched Sada's arms.

    "Ouch!" she said, letting go, and she grasped her left arm.

    "Oops, sorry." Kenji blushed a little. "I forgot your arm's broken."

    "It's not just that." Sada looked down at her tummy. "I think my baby's kicking."

    "Oh, that's wonderful!" Sada didn't understand why Kenji was so excited about a baby. It was normal for cyborgs to have them, right?

    "She's begging you for food!" Kenji added. "Let's go!"

    Sada and Kenji passed a display of Hologram Pokémon on their way to Levincia's spotlights. It must've been the Hologram Pokémon Show the children had spoken about when Sada's party reached the city. There were holographic versions of all the known Future Pokémon and normal ones, such as Paldean Tauros.

    Miraidon stopped and pawed at a holographic version of Kenji's partner, Iron Bundle.

    The robotic Bird Pokémon's wing hardened, and it smacked the back of Miraidon's foot.

    "Gias!" he cried, jumping back. He arched his back and came eye level with Iron Bundle.

    "Miraidon!" Sada soon called from up ahead. "Don't fall behind!" She drew Miraidon's pokéball and threatened him with it.

    One look at it, and he hurried away from the holographic Iron Bundle and re-joined his trainer and Kenji.

    Sada heard Miraidon's tummy rumbling. "Do you want food, or do you want me to leave you?"

    Hearing her sternness, Miraidon retreated like a soldier returning to the trench and plopped onto the ground.

    Sada's baby called for food again, and she lost her stern look. What was so bad about a metal sandwich? At that point, Sada wanted to eat the whole Power Plant in one of the neighboring regions, Kalos.