Chapter 21: Battered Woman

    Just when Arven recovered from his scare, Sada, from out of nowhere, stumbled. The crown dropped from her head and rolled to Penny's feet. Sada almost fell herself, but Arven caught her.

    "Whoa, Mom, are you okay?"

    She straightened herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just think I need to step out and take a breather."

    "Na-hah," Arven retorted, shaking his head. "You're not going anywhere without me."

    Sada groaned. "Arven, could you please give me ten minutes by myself?"

    Arven wrapped his hands around her upper right arm. "I'm not leaving your side."

    The others soon approached them, and Penny grasped Arven's arm. "Arven... let her go."

    "Don't tell me to let her go!" he spat.

    Penny jumped. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant to leave her alone for ten minutes as she requested."

    "As if!"

    Nevertheless, Arven's friends worked together to pull him off Sada.

    "No!" Arven broke free, knocking them back. He dove for Sada, who went to the back door, and snatched her ankle.

    "Ow! Arven, let go!" Sada dragged him the rest of the way to the door when he refused.

    "Don't leave me, Mom," he begged.

    "I'll be back in ten minutes." Sada freed her ankle and hastily opened the door. She accidentally slammed her fingers into it. Sada cursed to herself, but then she was gone.

    Scarlet lugged Arven to his feet, and Penny brushed the dirt off his shirt.

    "She'll be fine, Arven," she said. "Until she gets back, help Nemona with Meowscarada."

    Unfortunately, Arven refused to help Nemona until Sada returned. He paced in the cabin's living room and rubbed his hands together. His Rotom Phone floated next to him.

    "For Pete's Sake, Arven!" Penny finally said, turning on her chair. "Will you stop pacing like that? You're making me nervous."

    Arven checked the time. "She said she would be back in ten minutes."

    Penny squeezed her chair's headrest. "Yes, and it's been ten minutes and thirty seconds."

    Arven threw his hands back. "Something's happened to her! I know it has!"

    "Dude, will you stop obsessing over her and just help Nemona?" Penny stood and retrieved the Scarlet Book from Scarlet. She shoved it into Arven's chest.

    "Ow!" he yelled. He let go of the book and clutched his chest.

    "Oh, come on," Penny growled. "I barely touched you."

    Nemona left Meowscarada. "Penny, stop," she said, tugging her away from Arven. "Arven, you need to sit down. Scarlet will help me with the herba mysticas. You focus on resting."

    "I don't need rest." Arven whirled around and faced the back door. "I've got to find her."

    "Arven, your heart—" Nemona tried to say, but Arven was already gone, and he left the Scarlet Book behind.

    Celebi and Miraidon chased after him.

    Arven headed for Sada's garden and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Mom! Mom!" He yelled loudly and slowly, but when Sada didn't answer, a few tears dropped from his eye sockets. "Mother!" he screamed.

    Eventually, Arven stumbled upon a cluster of ferns. They twisted and turned in different directions and grew over each other.

    Arven's eyes widened when he saw a foot—a human one—sticking out of the plants. "Mom!" He and Miraidon went to them, and Arven pulled them apart. Sure enough, lying on her front in the ferns was Sada. "Mom!" Arven repeated. He grabbed her hand and lugged her out.

    Celebi approached him, and Miraidon nudged Sada.

    "No!" Arven said, pushing his snout away, and he held Sada in his arms. He gasped when she stirred and opened her eyes. "Oh, thank goodness, Mom. Don't scare me like that! What on Earth happened?"

    Sada gently punched his shoulder. "He tried to kill me!"

    "Okay, that's it." Arven stood and placed his hands on Sada's chest. "You've withheld this from me long enough. You need to tell me who your mastermind is."

    "No!" Sada said, suddenly panicked. "You don't understand, Arven, I can't. Please, just get me to my bed."

    "Mom—"

    "Arven!"

    "Okay!" Arven had a terrible feeling. He felt like he already knew who Sada's mastermind was, but he needed confirmation.

    Miraidon offered him his back, but Arven waved him away. "I'll take her in myself."

    Celebi led the way back to Sada's cabin, and Arven instantly escorted her to her bed.

    Nemona, slightly cheery, left the kitchen with Scarlet and trotted to them. "Hey, you found her."

    "Yeah, and she's not talking, even though her mastermind just tried to kill her," Arven said. "I found her in some ferns."

    Sada pulled her pillows down and fluffed them. She coughed through the dust. Once she cleaned them up, she plopped down and turned her back to Arven.

    He inhaled. His nostrils flared with how large it was. Scarlet and Nemona stayed with Sada while he nervously approached Penny. "Penny, I need to talk to you."

    "What about?" she snapped. "You're the one who chose a robot over your friends. I'm not talking to you, Arven." She started to walk away.

    "But I think I know who her mastermind is," Arven said behind her.

    Penny stopped. She waited for a bit, and then she peered over her shoulder. "Why don't we go talk somewhere more private?"

    Celebi jingled and soared over. It landed on Arven's shoulder and went with him and Penny outside. It left them for a bit and returned with a few berries in its hand.

    "I already told you, Penny," Arven argued. "It's classic battered woman syndrome."

    Penny crossed her arms. "Yeah, I heard, and I'm wondering how you know about it."

    "For your information, Pen-Pen—"

    "Whoa, whoa!" Penny blushed. "Did you just call me Pen-Pen?"

    "Is that a problem?" Arven inquired. "You said that's what your family calls you, right?"

    Penny hid behind her hands. "Yeah, they called me that when I was like five. Oh, it's disgusting, Arven, especially coming from you."

    "Well, excuuuse me." Arven temporarily looked away from Penny, and then he turned back. "Let's just focus on the task at hand. I had to do a lot of medical research when I was looking for ways to cure Mabosstiff." He pointed at Sada's cabin. "My mom's being mistreated through Infrared by her mastermind." Anger slipped off his tongue. "It's pretty clear her mastermind is a 'he'."

    "Wait." Penny's hands dropped from her mouth. "Are you saying that you think her mastermind is...?"

    "My dad. It has to be." Arven didn't know much about him, but it would make sense that he would be Sada's abuser.

    "Okay, Arven." Penny scratched her head. "If what you're saying is true, then that would mean Celebi is your dad's Pokémon."

    "Well, there's only one way to prove that, eh?" Arven gave her a knowing look.

    Penny nodded. "Eh."

    Arven unclipped an empty pokéball from his belt and faced Celebi. "Celebi, I'm sorry, but I need to know the truth." He tossed his pokéball forward. "Pokéball, go!"

    "Bi?" Celebi questioned.

    The pokéball smacked it on the head and opened. It flew up. A ray of red light outlined Celebi, but within seconds, the light broke into pieces, and the pokéball returned to Arven, empty.

    "So... it's true," he said. "You do have a trainer."

    A knock came from the back door. Nemona poked out of it. "Hey, Arven," she said, "Sada wants you."

    Arven was nearly in the cabin when Celebi spoke to him. "I need your help, Arven, and so does your mom, Miraidon... and your dad. The whole future is at stake because of Infrared."

    "So you admit you're my dad's Pokémon." Arven didn't know which was worse: Sada keeping that from him or learning that his dad was a psychopath.

    "I am," Celebi confirmed.

    "Arven," Nemona tried again.

    He kept his composure, but it was difficult. As soon as he was in the cabin, he approached Sada and demanded, "Who's hurting you? I will give him a piece of my mind and a piece of Mabosstiff's fang!" If the perpetrator truly was his dad, then he would not hesitate to teach him a lesson. Nobody tried to kill his mom!

    Miraidon stuck his nose under Sada's hand.

    She sat up, holding her arm, and glared at Celebi before she zeroed in on Arven. "Arven..."

    He went to the left side of her bed and stood next to Scarlet. "Mom, if Dad's hurting you..."

    "Arven..." Tears sparkled in Sada's eyes, and her bottom lip twitched. She sniffed.

    Penny hurried to her friends and drew a handkerchief from her hoodie pocket. She dabbed Sada's eyes. "No crying. Water will shorten your circuits." Penny removed the hankie. "Sada, please, just tell us the truth. The sooner we know who your mastermind is, the sooner we can shut down Infrared."

    "Fine!" Sada choked out. A river of tears left her eyes that time. "The original professor should have never fallen for him!"

    That was all the proof Arven needed. He smacked his hand to his face. "Oh my gosh."

    "He deceived me!" Sada included. "He made me turn Koraidon into Miraidon! He sent that Pokémon after me!"

    "Why didn't you tell me this?"

    "Because I'm trying to protect you." Sada attempted to get up, but she shouted, "Ow!" and fell back onto her pillows. "I can't stop him by myself, Arven. That's why Celebi got you. It knows him way better than I do." She flipped onto her front and put a pillow over her head.

    A thousand knives stabbed Arven's heart. They hurt so much that he tumbled into Scarlet's arms. How on Earth was he still breathing?

    Mabosstiff soon popped out of his pokéball. He started for Arven, but he yelled, "No!"

    Arven untangled himself from Scarlet and marched back outside. Except, he forgot to shut the door all the way.

    The next thing his friends and Sada heard was, "Ahhhh!!!!" For a good while, that was the only thing they did hear.