Chapter 27: The Consequence of Infrared

    Miraidon didn't like Arven, but at the same time, he pitied him. He and Celebi brought him to the past to help him accept Sada's death, but he was getting worse. Not that Miraidon cared, but perhaps he should occasionally check on Arven? He only saved him from Sada because he didn't want a kid to die, no matter how annoying he was. Miraidon wasn't ready to face Arven head-on, though. He needed some time to himself to think this through.

    And then there was Koraidon. Oh, how Miraidon envied him, but it was nice to have another of his kind nearby. He didn't get the chance in the far past because of the earthquake. As Arven said, since then, Miraidon and Sada were in a constant state of flight and fight, but Miraidon knew he was taking it a bit better than Sada. Then again, she was the one who fell from hundreds of feet up. She was the one Turo was abusing.

    Miraidon found a private hill to rest on while Arven's party set up camp for the night. He sniffed some flowers and shooed a few Bird Pokémon away. They perched on some rocks he wanted to play with.

    Miraidon grabbed one rock and tossed it back and forth between his front paws. It was a nasty habit of his when he was worried. He kept his eye on Arven and Sada the whole time he comforted himself.

    Arven hugged Sada's neck and placed his head on her shoulder. Sandy Shocks tried to boot him off, but he didn't move.

    Poor thing, Miraidon thought, but he changed his thought process. Nope, I don't like him. He's rude, overprotective, and immature... just like me. Why were he and Arven so alike? Miraidon guessed that at the end of the day, they both wanted to protect Sada from Turo.

    A huff next to Miraidon told him that Koraidon had joined him on the hill.

    He plopped down and shook the antennae on his head. For a long while, he said nothing. Eventually, though, he found his guts and muttered, "Gias. Agias."

    Miraidon huffed. Standing, he stepped over the rock he fiddled with and started down the hill. He made his way toward the stream Arven went to earlier. It was all too clear that Koraidon followed him. Miraidon heard him shuffling. Nevertheless, he tolerated him.

    Soon making it to the stream, Miraidon lowered his head and started to drink. Oh wow! He forgot how good futuristic water tasted. It was cold and fresh, just how he liked it.

    Behind, Koraidon spotted some Magikarp swimming in the deeper section of the stream. He dropped Miraidon's rock and jumped forward. He landed feet-first in the pool, and his splash sent a few Magikarp flying. Smiling, Koraidon jumped again, and two more orange bodies bounced past him.

    "Gias?" Miraidon questioned, lifting his head. A few drops of water dripped off his lips. Just watching Koraidon, he felt the sides of his mouth twitching.

    He stiffened up and sat back, but then he remembered Arven's words: "The key is to relax, and that is how you will overcome the flight and fight response. Stiff and relaxed."

    Miraidon loosened his shoulders, inhaled, and allowed Paldea's air to pass through his claws. His frown turned upside-down, and he grinned a charming, toothless grin. Miraidon felt the freedom he had before he lost his identity as Koraidon and chanted, "Agias!" He rushed into the stream and scared the scales off Koraidon.

    He hopped ten feet into the air and waited for Miraidon to attack him.

    However, Miraidon did not lunge or growl. Instead, he jumped like Koraidon and kicked up some Magikarp, too. "Agias!" he happily repeated. He gave Koraidon a friendly smile.

    He perked up and tapped his feet like a tap dancer. "Gias, gias!" With a smile on his face, he approached Miraidon.

    The two Pokémon crouched and kicked up Magikarp for a good while. They ran a contest to see who could launch the highest fish.

    Once Koraidon and Miraidon grew bored of the activity, they returned to the field and played pass with Miraidon's rock. It took them back to the rest of their party.

    Nemona stood from eating some dinner and called, "Oh my gosh, guys, look!" to her friends. "Miraidon and Koraidon—they're getting along!"

    "Whoa, really?" Penny inquired. She quit studying Sada's data on her phone and rose to her feet. "Oh wow. Would you look at that?"

    The sight of Miraidon and Koraidon playing surprised even Scarlet. She laughed when Koraidon tossed Miraidon's rock at him, and he tumbled onto his back trying to catch it.

    They left the party and kept playing until they reached a larger, more powerful stream that had a bridge over it. It led to a hill that had a small group of trees on it.

    Koraidon screeched to a stop. It was so sudden that the tire in his chest squeaked. The trees on the other end of the bridge intrigued him, but he was too scared to cross it. Koraidon dropped his antennae behind him.

    Miraidon glanced from him to the bridge and back to him. It took a minute, but he made up his mind.

    Miraidon kicked the rock off to the side and stepped in front of Koraidon. He did not switch to his battle form; rather, he gestured for Koraidon to follow him. Miraidon stepped onto the bridge first and checked to make sure it was stable. Once he was sure it was, he gave Koraidon a quick nod.

    Koraidon gulped. He tapped the bridge with his front paw and put one foot in front of the other. Before long, his front legs rested on it, but his back ones remained on the field. The rays of the setting sun heated his scales, and a few drops of sweat ran down his brow.

    "Gias, gias," Miraidon encouraged. "Don't worry, Koraidon. I'm right here." He pranced past Koraidon and used his forehead to give him a little boot.

    "Agiasgias," he whimpered the second his back legs hit the bridge's wood.

    Miraidon became the line leader again. He walked backward and kept talking to Koraidon, who slowly but surely crossed that bridge.

    Granted, he didn't look down the entire time, but with Miraidon's encouragement, Koraidon's fear subsided. Before he knew it, he was on the other side of the bridge. "Gias!" he gasped, looking behind him. "I did it, Miraidon! I did it!"

    "I knew you could," Miraidon communicated back. "Well done." It felt nice to do something good for a change.

    Miraidon and Koraidon left the bridge and passed through the group of trees. They looked like an island that had been ripped up by a giant and moved to Paldea.

    The trees took the Pokémon to a cliff that overlooked not only the Paldean Sea but also an enormous city. It had flashing lights, glass skyscrapers, subways, and, to top it all off, moving walkways. It extended across an immense section of the province.

    Miraidon sat down next to Koraidon, whose jaw dropped at the sight of the high-tech city. "Welcome, Koraidon," he chuckled, "to Levincia."