Chapter 32: Levincia—Truth or Dare

  Stepping into Future Levincia was like taking a portal to another world. The skyscrapers were ten times the size they were in the present, and not to mention that the subway that ran through the city and the different-colored, moving walkways were also an intriguing touch.

  "Whoa," Penny said, taking a step back. It was like everything was too much for her shy self.

  Nemona punched the sky and cheered, "We're here! We're here! Now this is what I call the future!" She gasped when a few small children rushed by her and almost knocked her over.

  "The Hologram Pokémon show!" one child said. "We can't miss it, guys!"

  "Hologram Pokémon?" Nemona questioned. "That sounds sick! What on Earth is a Hologram Pokémon?"

  "Look out, Nemona!" Penny suddenly shouted. She dragged her out of the way of a bright blue, translucent figure that resembled the Paldean Form of Tauros.

  The bull-like Pokémon tossed its holographic horns and marched past Arven and his friends. Huffing, it headed for Levincia's center, where all the moving walkways intertwined.

  "Was that a Pokémon?" Arven said, scratching his chin.

  Penny closed her eyes. "No, that was a hologram."

  At the sight of the holographic Tauros, Koraidon whimpered and returned to his pokéball.

  "Huh?" Scarlet asked, glancing at it. "Koraidon, what's wrong? We're not in Area Zero."

  Hearing her, Penny turned. "I don't think he wants to be a hologram."

  Sada shivered and curved her body like an umbrella. She covered her mouth with her hand. She wondered if guilt was considered an emotion.

  Stern, Penny crossed her arms. "I think the first thing we need to do is find a Pokémon Center and learn more about these Hologram Pokémon."

  Soon after Penny spoke, the familiar, burning sensation stabbed Sada like a thousand knives. It hurt so much that she gasped for air and fell onto her side.

  Arven whipped around and yelled, "Mom!"

  The crystals on Sada's body shimmered infrared. They now covered her right and left hands, but she still had the rest of her right arm.

  Arven rushed to her side and sat her up. "Mom! Penny, help her!"

  She remained calm—"I'm coming, Arven"—and whipped out her phone. Pulling up the computer app, she sank next to Sada, who twitched like a madman and pointed Rotom at her. Something new popped up, and her eyes widened to almost the size of her head. "What the—? What the heck?"

  "What is it?" As an attempt to stop Sada's twitching, Arven clutched her arms.

  "How in the world—?" Penny stretched her right arm across her left knee. "Sada, how far along are you?"

  "Wha—? What are you talking about?" Arven fixed his eyes on Penny.

  Oh gosh, Sada was screwed. She opened her mouth but quickly shut it and lowered her head.

  "Sada, how far along are you?" Penny repeated.

  She still didn't answer.

  Arven scoffed. "You've gotta be joking, Penny. Don't you dare pull a game like this on me!"

  "It's no game." Penny showed Arven her phone. "She's pregnant."

  "What?!" Arven's voice squeaked. He sounded like a mouse Pokémon. "How?!"

  Scarlet and Nemona stepped off to the side. They stood in utter silence and tried to figure things out themselves. It was like they were saying, "You do all the talking, Penny."

  She did. Though shocked herself, Penny kept her voice steady. "Sada, I need you to talk. How far along are you? Are you a cyborg?"

  "What did Dad do to you?" Arven shrieked.

  Sada slapped her hands over her ringing ears. She had no idea how to say this and glimpsed at Miraidon for help.

  Penny glared at Arven. "Arven, lower your voice. You can't stress her out."

  He paid her no attention. He jerked Sada to her feet and pointed at her belly. "You need to get rid of it!"

  "No!" she finally said, resting her hands on her bump. "I want to keep my baby. Please."

  "So you admit it! How could you do that after everything Dad has done to you?"

  "Arven, it wasn't like that."

  "Oh, shut up! I know how babies are made!"

  "It wasn't like that. Turo experimented on me." A few tears ran down Sada's cheeks. Her body sparked with them.

  Penny got up and gripped Arven's arm. "Arven, calm down, and let's try to figure this out."

  "Did he force you?" he shouted at Sada.

  "It wasn't like that."

  "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him!"

  "How is this even possible?" Sada heard Scarlet ask. She rubbed her chin. Scarlet dropped her hand when Arven suddenly stumbled and clutched his chest.

  "Arven?" Sada worriedly asked.

  He grasped his chest harder—so hard that his shirt was wrinkled. "My chest," he gasped. "My chest." And that was it. He fell out of Penny's grip and collapsed onto his front, knocking off her glasses again. His arms were on either side of him.

  "Arven!" his friends and Sada yelled at the same time.

  "Gias!" Miraidon screeched.

  "Bi!" Celebi added.

  Everyone hurried to Arven and surrounded him.

  Penny slipped her glasses back on and chokingly said, "It's the Broken Heart Syndrome. I knew it was a matter of time!"

  Sada pushed through the crowd and picked up Arven. She put him on Miraidon's back and mounted him herself. "I'll take him to the hospital. There's one not far from here." She remembered the tour she took of Future Levincia when she first arrived.

  Sada held Arven close and told his friends, "You guys find a Pokémon Center and heal Nemona's Meowscarada."

  Penny brushed a few tears away. "Please say he's going to be okay!"

  "Don't worry, Penny. I'm going to take care of him. I promise. I'm his mother." Sada kicked Miraidon's sides. "Hyah!"

  At once, he sprinted for one of Levincia's moving walkways and left Arven's friends and Celebi behind.