Chapter 48: To Be Brave Is Something You Learn Over Time (AI Sada)

    Sada had enough of Turo's attitude. He had no right to bully a thirteen-year-old new to love. First love was supposed to be beautiful, but it looked like Turo wouldn't let up anytime soon.

    He reached for the Scarlet Book, but a greenish-blue blur zoomed by him and picked it up before him. "Celebi!" Turo said. "What are you doing?"

    Good on Celebi! Like Sada, it managed to break free from its own Infrared. Blue no longer coated the Time Travel Pokémon.

    "This is wrong, Turo," it elucidated. "Pick on someone your own size, but not children. The whole point of this trip was to help you and Arven accept Sada's death."

    Celebi spoke the truth. Now that she had a little time, AI Sada prepped herself. The only Pokémon she had available to her right now was Roaring Moon. Flutter Mane remained in the main lab, and the rest of her pokéballs were in her lab coat. Turo refused to let go of it.

    "I am your master!" he angrily told Celebi. "Now, give me the book."

    "No." Celebi grunted under the heavy book and flew back. "I didn't give Arven the Scarlet and Violet Books for nothing. Do you want to know the truth? I used Poison Powder on him when I delivered the Scarlet Book. He was going to fall ill, no matter what."

    "What?" Penny shrieked. She held her broken glasses half up to her eye. "Why would you do that, Celebi?"

    Celebi faced her. "I had no choice, Penny. I knew Turo would try to turn Arven into a cyborg, but I also knew he couldn't experiment on a sick person. To save Arven, I had to hurt him. A combination of the BHS and Poison Powder put him in the hospital."

    "Bold move, Celebi," Turo growled, "but that's not going to help him now. Arven is under my care, and I will do whatever I want with him."

    "And we're not going down without a fight." Celebi exchanged looks with Sada and Penny. "Right, Sada and Penny?"

    "Right!" Sada called across the room. "It's five against one. You don't stand a chance, Turo." She offered him Roaring Moon's pokéball. "I challenge you to a battle! Roaring Moon vs. Meowscarada."

    "Nah," Turo replied, shaking his head and almost giggling. "I think I'd rather do this through brute force!" He pointed at Arven and Penny. "Now, Meowscarada! Crush them!"

    "No! Don't hurt them!" Sada listened to her instincts. She leaped in front of the teens and held her arms out like a shield.

    Sada stopped Meowscarada's tackle. Her boots slid back, and she almost crashed into Arven and Penny.

    "To be brave is something you learn over time." Sada glanced behind her. "Thank you, Arven." She almost gave in to her anger because Arven shivered on the ground, his face deep red with fever. Sada wasn't angry at Celebi, though. She understood why it did what it did. Celebi's action most likely saved them all. Turo was the one who needed to snap out of it.

    It was risky, but Sada had to get him away from the future. Arven and Miraidon were no-brainers, too. It was time for a family meeting.

    As for Celebi, it helped so much already, but Sada had one more request. Looking at Celebi's face, she concluded it already knew what she wanted.

    She knocked Meowscarada down and glared at Turo. "Fine, Turo. If you want brute force, I guess I have no choice." Distract him, Sada, distract him, and then make your move. "Penny," Sada added, "I have a plan, but I need you to let me take Arven."

    "And send him out there with a fever?" she snarled. "I don't think so."

    Sada closed her eyes. "It's the only way."

    "Enough of this hoopla!" Turo stamped his foot. He removed his remote from his coat pocket, but it ripped in the process. "I've had it with you, Infrared! You're not her! You're a machine, a machine, and you will stay that way forever!"

    "You were the one who impregnated me because you didn't want to see Arven again!" Sada fought. "You're the machine, Turo, and your grief hurt these children! I will do everything in my power to protect them. I'm Arven's mother."

    "No, you're not! I loved her, and she abandoned me! I hate you, Arven! She did it when she got pregnant!" Turo's knees weakened. Before Sada knew it, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. Turo punched it so hard that Sada swore he broke his hand. "I want my Sada back! Don't you see, AI Sada? I've lost everything."

    Sada calmed herself. Turo's grief was talking. Perhaps a battle wasn't necessary. She almost had him.

    "No, you haven't, Turo." Sada's palm caressed her belly. "What about Arven, Miraidon, and our baby?"

    "Shut up, Project Infrared! I know what you're trying to do." Turo looked up. His face was red and splotchy. "I accept your challenge! Meowscarada vs. Roaring Moon." He used his other hand to help him stand. The only pain he expressed was emotional, even though he obviously hurt the hand he punched the floor with. He held it like a sling at his stomach.

    "Celebi, now!" Sada nearly spat out her motherboard. "I'm sorry, Penny." Eyes shimmering, she grabbed Arven and stole him from her. She, he, Turo, Meowscarada, and Miraidon glowed up.

    Celebi tightened its grip on the Scarlet Book and glittered as well.

    "Sada, wait! I'm coming, too!" Penny jumped and reached for her. Her fingers brushed her broken arm.

    One, two, three, and poof! Koraidon, Mabosstiff, Nemona, and Scarlet stayed behind, but Sada's party disappeared.