Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 42: Arven and Penny

Sada helped Arven sit. To steady him, she placed her left hand on his back and spoke in a low voice, "Are you okay, Ven?"

"My chest hurts," he weakly complained.

"I'm sorry he did that to you. Here." Sada undid her lab coat and tossed it over Arven's back. "You need to rest. Your friends are in the next cell over. These walls are thin, though, so you can speak to them. Penny has been worried about you."

"She has?" Arven's face reddened. He pulled down a new tuft of hair and flopped it over his other eye.

"Come on, Arven, say it." Sada softly punched his shoulder. "You like her, don't you?"

Arven removed one tuft and bent his thumb and index finger. "Maybe a little, but I don't know how to tell her."

"She doesn't, either."

Arven hastily changed the topic because he started to sweat. "What happened to them? I thought they were checking on Meowscarada."

Sada smirked. "That's a better question for Penny."

"Mom!"

"Come on. Don't be such a Purrloin," giggled Sada. "You're sixteen years old. You have every right to feel this way, but the best thing you can do is talk to Penny. She can tell you what happened much better than me."

"True." Arven sighed. "All right, Mom, you better be right about this."

Again, Sada giggled, and she hugged her sandwich to her chest.

Arven carefully studied it. "Where'd you get that sandwich?"

"I... made it," Sada stuttered, losing her smile. "Don't change the subject, Ven. I know you're nervous, but Penny's waiting for you. Now, go on." She waved the hand that held the sandwich.

Arven shot her a suspicious look. "Was it Kenji? You don't have to hide things from me anymore, Mom."

"Arven, Kenji is not as bad as you think. He made me this sandwich because I'm becoming more human."

Arven glared. "You haven't eaten it yet, so that tells me you don't entirely trust him, either."

Penny banging on the wall interrupted their argument (it probably was for the best). "Arven, are you in there?" Her voice shook, emphasizing her worry.

Arven scowled at Sada a little longer. Afterward, he took off her coat and crawled to the wall.

Miraidon followed close behind, with a protective face glued on.

Arven pushed himself to his knees. He set his palms on the wall and placed his ear on it. "Penny, I'm here."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Penny's tone changed from anxious to relieving. "Are you okay? Please say you are!"

"I'm fine, Pen-Pen, but what happened? Are the others with you?"

"They are. Oh, Arven, it was terrible! Turo tricked us! We went to the Pokémon Center, asked about Meowscarada, and Nurse Joy said we could see her. She took us in the back and... and..." Penny trailed off.

"Penny, it's okay. You can tell me." Arven edged closer to the wall. It looked like he wanted to hug it.

"Meowscarada..." Penny choked out. "Turo turned it into a Hologram Pokémon!"

***

From looking at her Rotom Phone, Penny learned there were two Pokémon Centers in Levincia: East and West. West, the one she escorted her friends to, cowered away from the crowds at the city's edge. It was a high-tech, hacienda-like building. It had tall, glass windows over half of it, and its lobby was just as vast.