Chapter 30: Malfunction

  Arven was already furious with Turo. Sada did not want to trigger him even more. She covered her shaky hands with her lab coat and grabbed Arven's shoulders.

  "If I learn how to steer Miraidon, will you tell me what it is?" he wanted to know.

  He was not going to let this go, was he? Did he not understand that Sada was trying to protect him? She didn't want Turo to experiment on him, too. He was too young.

  "Not now," she said. "We need to get out of the ocean and fast. That's more important. The longer we stay here, the more we risk trapping ourselves in time."

  "Personally, I don't mind that," Arven softly argued. He must've thought Sada didn't hear that, but she definitely did.

  "Come on, Arven. You don't mean that."

  "What do you know? You're an AI, and I'm much happier here than I was in the present."

  That wasn't true, either. Sada knew Arven missed his friends and the present. Was now a good time to tell him? It seemed like it, but she wasn't sure.

  Sada sighed, "Arven," but she yelled when a burning sensation passed through her upper body, and she collapsed onto Arven's back. It was like somebody lit a match and stabbed her chest cavity.

  "Oof," Arven said. "Geez, Mom, you're heavy."

  "I'm heavy?" There was no offense in Sada's voice but fear. However, she quickly changed it to one of offense. "I mean, geez, Arven, thanks. Every girl loves being told she's heavy."

  "You're welcome." Arven fixed his eyes on Miraidon's handles. "Okay, so how do I control him? This, maybe?" He kicked Miraidon's gut like it was a soccer ball.

  "Gias!" he screeched, bucking forward.

  Sada held on, but Arven flew over Miraidon's head and splashed back into the ocean.

  "OMG!" Sada smacked her hand over her mouth. "Are you okay, Arven?" she laughed.

  "Don't laugh!" he yelled, blushing.

  "I'm sorry." But Sada still chuckled, and Celebi, too.

  Arven hauled himself back up on Miraidon's back. "Mom... help, please?" he asked, still embarrassed.

  Another lit match struck Sada's upper body. She winced but fought it and said, "Sure. Riding Miraidon is like riding a Ponyta."

  "Yeah, I've never ridden a Ponyta before. We live in Paldea, Mom."

  "Will you just listen to me?" Sada wanted to chuck Arven off Miraidon again, but she remembered she was trying to be a good mother. "Let's try it this way. Miraidon does not like sudden kicks. He prefers squeezes to get him going and tiny kicks to get him to go faster. Start by squeezing him with your lower legs."

  A few more Carracosta and their pre-evolution, Tirtouga, emerged at the water's surface and watched them. They exchanged looks as they tried to make sense of their unexpected visitors.

  Arven gently squeezed Miraidon with his lower inside legs. "Oh gosh," he said when he started forward.

  "There you go. Remember, squeeze and then kick, but only softly." Sada pointed at a white sand beach on the near horizon. "There's our destination."

  Arven appeared eager to get out of the ocean. Without thinking, he kicked Miraidon again.

  That time, the Pokémon spun in a few circles before he changed into his battle form and launched himself toward the beach. He nearly crashed into another herd of Archeops heading for that same stretch of land, but they rushed out of his way before he scorched their blue feathers.

  Celebi latched onto Sada's lab coat, and its legs waved behind it. It started to slip, but Sada set her hand down on its back.

  "I've got you, Celebi." A third burning sensation hit her. It hurt the most. "Stop!" Sada yelled at Turo.

  At once, Arven whirled around and wrapped his arms around her. "Mom, what's going on?"

  "I can't... fight it," she said robotically. "Arven..."

  "What did I do, Mom? What did I do?"

  "Arven, steer Miraidon!" Celebi shouted, but Arven did not let go of Sada.

  Miraidon took over for him. He tightened his V-shaped arms and soared the rest of the way to the beach. He dodged other Ancient Pokémon while he did.

  Sada's eyes glitched and rolled to the back of her head. "Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic," she continuously chanted. "Motherboard damaged. Motherboard damaged. Diagnostics, bad. Threat to life."

  "Ah! Mom!" Arven screamed.

  "Threat to life."

  Soon after Miraidon reached the ancient, sandy beach, he attempted to re-open the infrared portal. Nevertheless, without Sada's support, he couldn't do it.

  That was when Celebi came in. Now that they were out of the ocean, there was no longer a risk of water shorting out Sada through transportation.

  "Hold on tight!" Celebi called to Arven and Miraidon. It stretched its body from Sada to Arven and touched Arven's shoulder. It did the same thing with Miraidon.

  Arven and Miraidon shut their eyes, and Sada continued to announce, "Motherboard damaged. Threat to life." With one last "Threat to life," they disappeared.

***

  "Sada! What on Earth happened?" Penny reached up to Miraidon, who landed and blocked out the moon like a lunar eclipse. Only a few stars and constellations were visible because the moon shone so brightly.

  Penny and Scarlet dragged the unconscious Sada off Miraidon. They lay her down in a bare patch of the field, not far from the embers of the fire and their sleeping bags.

  "I did this to her!" Arven hiccupped. "This is all my fault!" He hopped back when Miraidon jumped in front of Sada and snarled at him. Arven took Mabosstiff's pokéball off his belt and hugged it to his chest for comfort.

  "Arven, calm down," Celebi stated. "This is not your fault. It's Sada's. Prehistoric history fascinates her. She couldn't help herself. It's my fault, too. I encouraged her. The most important thing is that we got out of there. Let her sleep it off. She'll be sober by morning."

  "You're saying Mom's drunk?"

  "Drunken by her own power, yes."

  "What is she hiding from me?"

  "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that, Arven."

  "Why?" Arven clenched his fist and threatened Celebi.

  "Because that is up to Sada," it replied. With those words, Celebi floated by Arven's head. It plopped down in a patch of tall grass and pulled a large flower down. Celebi used it as a blanket.

  Sada remained unconscious and motionless, but it looked like she was merely sleeping.

  Scarlet tossed a blanket over her and went to Arven, who was white as a ghost. "Come on, Arven," she said. "You need to go to bed. AI Sada will be okay."

  "No, she won't!" Arven spat. "Don't you see, Scarlet? I nearly killed her—all because I wanted to see a dumb Roaring Moon. I'm no better than my father. I should've never been born."