Chapter 49: The Way Home (Embodiment of)

    Socarrat Trail? Why did Sada take everyone there? There was nothing there except Casseroya Lake. Was it present Casseroya, though, or not?

    Penny was blind in one eye, but she could still see through the other. Thank goodness she held onto half her glasses.

    Waving her arms, she dropped out of the sky and landed on Miraidon.

    "Gias!" he grunted. He returned to his low-power mode and belly-flopped into a patch of tall, dry grass.

    One strand caught Penny's cheek and scratched it like the edge of paper. She front-flipped off Miraidon and did a face-plant in the dirt. Gross! She had dirt in her mouth!

    "Ro-to-to-to-to!" Arven's Rotom Phone soared out of Penny's hoodie pocket. She collected it just before she and Sada reached the control room.

    Frantic, Rotom flew around Penny and constantly chanted, "Ro-to-to-to-to!"

    "I'm fine, Rotom." Penny spat out dirt—it tasted like soot—and slapped her tongue. She searched for Arven. "Where's Arven?" Wow, was he seriously the first thing that came to mind? Penny was already embarrassed that she said "I love him" out loud in the future. Please say he didn't hear that. Penny didn't expect to blow up over a boy.

    She stood, and her shaky legs wobbled underneath her. Penny saw that she and Miraidon had been separated from the others. There was no sign of Arven, Sada, and Turo, and it left Penny wondering if Sada intentionally teleported her and Miraidon away from them. She just wanted to make sure Arven was safe.

    Speaking of which, where was the Scarlet Book? Celebi was the last one who had it. It better not have fallen into Turo's hands. The Scarlet Book needed to be as far out of reach of him as possible.

    "Penny, I need you and Miraidon to find my friend."

    Great. Penny was starting to hear voices in her head. She swore that Celebi was the one who spoke to her.

    Wait a minute! It was! A blue-green light flashed in Penny's face, and Celebi emerged from it, still carrying the Scarlet Book.

    "Celebi! Thank goodness!" Penny held her palms out, and Celebi dropped the book into them. "Where's Arven and Sada?"

    "Arven is on his way to meet my friend," Celebi replied. It settled on Penny's arm like a Squawkabilly. "Sada is battling Turo, but I need to help her. She can't battle for long in her condition. My friend will be able to clear Turo's mind of bad memories, but you and Arven need to be quick. That's why Miraidon's here with you."

    Penny was very curious about this "friend" Celebi kept mentioning. Was it a Pokémon? A person? And where were they on the timeline?

    "Are we back in time, Celebi?" she inquired. Penny assumed they were because she saw no evidence of Future Pokémon or technology.

    Celebi nodded. "We are, but we're not too far from the present. This is an important day in time, Penny. My friend will tell you more. You'll meet him on the Islet."

    The Islet? As in, the island that sat alone like a ghost town in the middle of Casseroya, where all the Tatsugiri enjoyed hanging out? Penny didn't blame them. With a prime view of Glaseado's snowy peaks from the Islet, she'd turn into a Tatsugiri in a skinny minute.

    "Wait, hold on a second," Penny said suddenly. "Did you say Arven is on his way to meet this friend of yours, alone, with a fever nonetheless?"

    "He only went as far as the meadow," Celebi instantly explained. "He's waiting for you there. After all, Miraidon is the only one who can travel quickly across the water. Now, go. You need to hurry. My friend will see the Scarlet Book and know you and Arven are the ones I sent to him. Please, Penny. I need to make amends for what happened last time on this day. Taking Turo to the future was a horrible move on my part."

    "Um, okay." Penny wasn't able to ask anymore because Celebi teleported away from her and Miraidon, leaving them alone on Socarrat Trail.

***

    Where was Penny? Arven's heavy eyelids drooped, but he refused to fall asleep again. He could still feel the effects of the Sleep and Poison Powder. That was a sneaky move Celebi pulled on him, but Arven was grateful for it. It also made sense that Celebi, the Time Travel Pokémon, would have brought him the Scarlet and Violet Books.

    Arven didn't like being separated from Sada, but he guessed she did it intentionally. He woke all alone in another part of Socarrat. Celebi met with him soon after he did. This "friend" of it could purify dirty memories... through water.

    No Pokémon came to Arven's mind, but he knew it was a Pokémon. He also knew his father needed purification, but Arven had to be quick. Sada could only hold him off for so long, and the fever slowed him down.

    Arven rested his head on one of the meadow's rocks. It was uncomfortable, but it temporarily stopped it from spinning. The meadow's soft, tall grass and flowers wafted with the north wind. It almost felt magical. The sight of Casseroya's smooth and clear water added to the serenity.

    A yellow Tatsugiri, a small, fish-like Pokémon that hobbled on land, approached Arven and poked his nose.

    He smiled feebly, and the Pokémon jumped back.

    "Arven!" A group of Tatsugiri scattered at the sound of Penny's voice. She and Miraidon dashed down a hill that acted as a bridge between Socarrat and the meadow.

    "Penny." Arven clenched his teeth and struggled to his hands and knees.

    Tatsugiri ducked behind him.

    Penny steered Miraidon to him. He almost crashed into Arven, but he moved out of the way.

    "Are you okay?" Penny questioned.

    Arven's Rotom Phone glided into his arms.

    "Hey, Rotom," he said, hugging it. "I've been better, Penny."

    "I know." Penny helped him onto Miraidon. "I'm sorry Celebi did that to you."

    Arven clutched her shoulders. "It's okay. I'm glad it did. It saved us all, Penny. We can trust it. It wants my dad back just as much as AI Sada and I do." He noticed that calling Sada AI Sada now didn't hurt as much. While Arven couldn't get his mom back, he could save his dad and little sister, and he intended to do that.

    "Let's go." Arven squeezed Miraidon's sides. "To the Islet, Miraidon."

***

    "What are you doing here, Tatsugiri?" Arven's eyes landed on the Pokémon, who had crawled onto his shoulder and was now only a few inches away from his face.

    Its eyes narrowed, and it crossed its fins like arms.

    "I think that Pokémon likes you." Penny glanced behind her to Arven. Miraidon accidentally splashed her with water dashing across Casseroya, and Penny shook her head. The rays of the setting sun concealed half of her face, so it almost looked like she suffered from a fever herself.

    The Islet drew closer by the second, but Arven didn't see any unusual-looking Pokémon in the lake besides the typical ones: Veluza, Dratinti, and an occasional Dondozo or two.

    Tatsugiri cried out when an enormous splash sounded behind Miraidon.

    Like Sharpedo, a Veluza chased after him. The gray fish Pokémon's purple fins shimmered with psychic energy. It snapped at Miraidon.

    "Veluza alert!" Arven announced. "Faster, Miraidon, faster!" They were nearly at the Islet. The sight of two waterfalls on the other side that poured down from Glaseado's slick cliffs was their proof.

    Without thinking, Arven kicked Miraidon. Wait! He wasn't supposed to do that! Nevertheless, it was too late.

    Miraidon bucked, and Arven and Tatsugiri soared over Penny's head. They splashed into Casseroya's mild and clear water.

    "Arven!" Arven barely heard Penny shout.

    He sank temporarily before he used the little energy he had left to return to the surface.

    Arven and Tatsugiri coughed, and Arven latched onto Miraidon, taking deep breaths. Sleep was prohibited, but he had no strength to hoist himself back on Miraidon. Poison Powder was some nasty stuff.

    "I'm sorry, Miraidon," Arven whispered. "I forgot that you don't like sudden kicks."

    "Hang on, Arven, I've got you." Penny leaned over Miraidon and slid her hands under his arms. "Heave! Heave!" Arven, though, merely slipped out of her grasp and dropped back into the lake.

    "Veluz!" Behind Miraidon, Veluza's tail moved so fast that it was hard to see. Before it caught Arven, Miraidon kicked it.

    While Veluza attempted to recover from the blow, Miraidon transformed into his battle form. Penny remained on his back, but the Paradox Pokémon picked up Arven and Tatsugiri. A puff of futuristic smoke left his rockets and blinded Veluza. Miraidon reached the Islet just before it seized them all.

    He threw Penny and Arven onto land and faced Veluza. Blue lightning flashed from his claws and cloaked his whole body. Miraidon's eyes shimmered. No longer did Arven see his pupils.

    He spun in a drill-like format toward Veluza. The second Miraidon's body hit the lake, an electric bubble sucked Veluza in and shocked it.

    Oh, gosh. Wasn't that a bit overkill? Arven almost felt bad for Veluza.

    The fish Pokémon, severely weakened by Miraidon's attack, turned and swam away. Arven heard it crying like an infant.

    "Agias!" Miraidon tipped forward and roared at the petrified Veluza. He huffed and faced Penny and Arven.

    "Thank you, Miraidon," Arven said, smiling feebly. He meant it, too. Miraidon had really changed since he met him in the present. Was it safe to say they were friends now? Arven decided to ask him later.

"Water has memories, even dirty ones, which purify with the next rain."

- Viktoria Fyodorova