Chapter 5: Arven's Infrared

    A pack of Scream Tail (past relatives of Jigglypuff) bounced across a few of Area Zero's grassy patches. Their tufts of dark pink hair waved behind them. One tripped and almost fell down one of Area Zero's hills, but it caught itself by waving its tiny arms.

    The Pokémon cried out when a blast of green light entered their peripheral, and they hastily bounced toward Research Station No. 1—the cleanest research station of the four in the Great Crater.

    Celebi, Miraidon, and Arven's party appeared above the area where the Scream Tail just were. One by one, they tumbled out of the sky and landed on each other.

    Celebi remained in it. It studied the dizzy friends and mumbled, "Bi," to itself.

    Nemona rolled off Arven and leaped to her feet. "Yes, yes, we're here!" she cheered. "We're back in Area Zero!" She pointed at a Scream Tail further ahead. A soft, yellow and pink light covered it like a gemstone. "It's a Terastallized Scream Tail! I'm gonna battle it! I'm gonna battle it!"

    Nemona started to make her way toward the Scream Tail, but Scarlet grabbed her wrist and shook her head slightly.

    "Aw, but why, Scarlet?" Nemona complained.

    Penny got up and brushed the dirt off her hoodie and pants. "Nemona, we're not here to engage in battle. We're here to help Arven."

    A pinch of excitement tugged Arven's gut, and he stood himself. "Does this mean you guys are coming with me to the past?"

    "I-I didn't say that," Penny stuttered.

    "But we are, aren't we?" Nemona pressured. "Come on, Penny! Where's your sense of adventure?"

    Penny held up her hands. "It's not an adventure I'm scared of. It's what A..." She cut off because Arven shot her an angry look. "It's what Professor Sada told us."

    That's better, was Arven's next look.

    Penny closed her eyes and mimicked Sada. "Time travel is possible, kids, but humans won't be able to return to the present. Illuminati confirmed!"

    Arven waved his hand. "Eh, that's a bunch of poppycock." He clutched the straps of his backpack and bounced it. Arven pointed his thumb at Celebi. "That's why we have Celebi."

    "Exactly," Celebi said.

    "Excelente!" Nemona announced. She punched the sky a few times. "Then we're off! To the Zero Lab! Hike, hike, hike!" Before Arven and his friends could stop her, she turned on her heel and sprinted for the deepest section of the Great Crater of Paldea.

    Scarlet smiled, but Penny folded her arms.

    "I swear, that girl is gonna get herself killed," she groaned.

***

    Arven forgot how mysterious the descent to the Zero Lab was. With each switchback, he saw Past Pokémon—most of whom leaped up and down like dogs through Area Zero's grassy and woodland sections.

    Pokémon, who didn't want to play, relaxed under one of the crater's enormous waterfalls, which poured down to the bottom. Clusters of Tera crystals sat in a blue-tinted cave, covering the Zero Lab like parasites on their hosts. It was a sight all too familiar to Arven's group.

    He noticed something not far from the Zero Lab when they reached the bottom of the crater. It was a headstone-like rock that had a few crystals growing on top of it. With Celebi floating next to him, he approached it... and froze.

    Here lies Professor Sada, read the rock's inscription.

    Arven entered a deep, dark trance and stared at the words. What joke was Area Zero trying to play on him? It was not cool to tell somebody that their mother was dead. Regardless, Arven knew deep down that it was the truth.

    "Arven?" he heard Penny ask.

    Nemona spoke right after her. "Yo, what are you doing? I thought we were going to the Zero Lab." She, Miraidon, and the rest of Arven's friends joined him. Nemona's tone changed as soon as they read the headstone, too. "Oh."

    Arven narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.

    Even though she wasn't good when it came to comforting people, Penny sure as heck tried. "I'm sorry, Arven."

    Of course, though, Arven shook his head. "No. How dare these people try me like this? My mother is not dead." His fists jiggled with his words.

    "Ar-Arven," Penny stuttered, "I know this is difficult, but you have to accept that—"

    "Shut up, Penny!" Oh gosh, did Arven seriously just say that?

    "Arven!" Nemona yelled. "Say you're sorry." She and Scarlet hurried to Penny.

    She bent her knees and tried to make herself look small.

    It took a minute, but Arven finally unclenched his fists and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Penny, but I can't let these fools fool me into thinking I will never see my mom again. I'm going to bring her back, and we're going to finally be a family." He took a deep breath. "I just know we will." With that, he left his friends and stumbled toward the Zero Lab.

    Nemona asked Penny, "Are you okay, Penny?"

    "Yeah," she replied. "He's just going through a lot right now."

    Arven heard that and growled to himself. Nothing was going on with him. He was perfectly happy! Nevertheless, he kicked a loose Tera crystal aside and plopped down on a rock. He buried his face in his hands. His infrared... his Treasure... No, his mom was not gone. Arven refused to believe that.

***

    Where Scarlet stood, Koraidon again busted out of his ball. He gave her a confused look but purred when she tickled the feathers on his head.

    Miraidon glanced at Celebi, who patted his nose and motioned at Arven. Inhaling, Miraidon clutched a crystal in his claws and dropped his head. He flicked it like a pebble and went to Arven. Miraidon sat in front of him. Gosh, he didn't want to do this.

    He stuck out his tongue and thought, "Bleh!" in his head. But he went ahead and put his nose under Arven's arm.

    "Miraidon?" he questioned. "What are you doing?"

    Okay, that was enough. Miraidon removed his nose and grumbled in the back of his throat, "Gias, gias." It was another way of saying, "I hate you, Arven." Miraidon pushed him to his feet and went to Zero Lab's steel ramp that led to its circular, metal door. The sooner he did it, the better.

    To get a closer look at Miraidon, Penny, Scarlet, and Nemona met up with Arven and stood on either side of him. Celebi landed on his shoulder, and Koraidon mimicked his counterpart.

    He rested his own head under Arven's arm.

    Zero Lab waited, not for Koraidon or Celebi, but for Miraidon. It was time to open the gate.