Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 19: Stiff and Relaxed

Song: "Going Guy's Way" - Alan Silvestri

Sada felt all alone in the world. The human contact she received so far was slipping away. How could she become one if all she did was turn into a battle machine when they came too close? No, not a battle machine, but a straight-up murderer.

She clutched her twitching arm as hard as she could, both from pain and frustration, and examined the crystals covering her hand. It would only be a matter of time before those crystals expanded across the rest of her weary body, and she would officially lose her chance to be human, all because she couldn't learn to be brave.

Her eyes caught Arven sneaking up on her. "Arven?" she feebly asked.

Arven kept his distance, but he did reach out and say, "I'm just here to help you, Mom."

"Gias." Miraidon, back in his low-power mode, approached Arven's side.

Sada was amazed by how much they still loved her, even though she had screwed up one too many times. She heard a jingle next to her.

Celebi approached Miraidon and happily exclaimed, "Bi, bi, bi!"

Arven gestured for them to stay put. He took a deep breath and inched closer to Sada, slowly dropping to his hands and knees. His whole body trembled, but he inhaled—Sada guessed to calm himself.

She slid a few feet back. "Don't come any closer, please."

Now halfway to her, Arven admitted, "Mom, I know you're scared, but we're going to meet back up with the others at your cabin."

"Am I gonna lose my arm?" That question came from out of nowhere, but it was the first thing that came to Sada's mind.

Arven quickly shook his head. "No, you're not. Do you want to know why? Because we're going to fix you. You're going to get better, and you're going to be human."

"Why can you be brave, but I can't?" Sada inquired.

"It's something you learn over time," Arven answered, making it to her. He offered Sada his hand and waved Miraidon over with his other. "It's okay. I trust you."

He said he trusted her, but Sada still noticed his hand shaking. "No, you're scared of me."

"Oh, sorry." Arven drew back and shook out his wrist. "Let's try this another way." He sat on his heels and lifted his right arm. "Lift your right hand."

Sada did, in a robotic-like way: choppy and twitchy.

"I'm gonna teach you how to move that arm like a human," Arven said, smiling. "When we get nervous, we stiffen up. It's called the flight and fight response."

"I know what the flight and fight response is!" Sada argued. She wasn't that stupid.

"Sorry," Arven apologized. "Anyway, you've been stuck in it since that earthquake and start with this Infrared guy, but I'm gonna help you break out of it. The key is to relax." He inhaled, "Inhale," and then exhaled, "and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Now, look at this." Arven waved his hand. "Do you see how relaxed my hand is?"

"I-I guess?" Sada really didn't.

"Okay, let's do a comparison." Arven tossed up his other arm. He stiffened it and tried to move his left hand, but his movements were slow, choppy, and felt forced. "Stiff," he said to Sada, and he moved over to his right hand.

Arven loosened his wrist and waved it around like a kite. "Relaxed." He switched between his two hands a few more times. "Stiff, relaxed. Stiff, relaxed."