Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 49: The Way Home (Embodiment of)

Socarrat Trail? Why did Sada take everyone there? There was nothing there except Casseroya Lake. Was it present Casseroya, though, or not?

Penny was blind in one eye, but she could still see through the other. Thank goodness she held onto half her glasses.

Waving her arms, she dropped out of the sky and landed on Miraidon.

"Gias!" he grunted. He returned to his low-power mode and belly-flopped into a patch of tall, dry grass.

One strand caught Penny's cheek and scratched it like the edge of paper. She front-flipped off Miraidon and did a face-plant in the dirt. Gross! She had dirt in her mouth!

"Ro-to-to-to-to!" Arven's Rotom Phone soared out of Penny's hoodie pocket. She collected it just before she and Sada reached the control room.

Frantic, Rotom flew around Penny and constantly chanted, "Ro-to-to-to-to!"

"I'm fine, Rotom." Penny spat out dirt—it tasted like soot—and slapped her tongue. She searched for Arven. "Where's Arven?" Wow, was he seriously the first thing that came to mind? Penny was already embarrassed that she said "I love him" out loud in the future. Please say he didn't hear that. Penny didn't expect to blow up over a boy.

She stood, and her shaky legs wobbled underneath her. Penny saw that she and Miraidon had been separated from the others. There was no sign of Arven, Sada, and Turo, and it left Penny wondering if Sada intentionally teleported her and Miraidon away from them. She just wanted to make sure Arven was safe.

Speaking of which, where was the Scarlet Book? Celebi was the last one who had it. It better not have fallen into Turo's hands. The Scarlet Book needed to be as far out of reach of him as possible.

"Penny, I need you and Miraidon to find my friend."

Great. Penny was starting to hear voices in her head. She swore that Celebi was the one who spoke to her.

Wait a minute! It was! A blue-green light flashed in Penny's face, and Celebi emerged from it, still carrying the Scarlet Book.

"Celebi! Thank goodness!" Penny held her palms out, and Celebi dropped the book into them. "Where's Arven and Sada?"

"Arven is on his way to meet my friend," Celebi replied. It settled on Penny's arm like a Squawkabilly. "Sada is battling Turo, but I need to help her. She can't battle for long in her condition. My friend will be able to clear Turo's mind of bad memories, but you and Arven need to be quick. That's why Miraidon's here with you."

Penny was very curious about this "friend" Celebi kept mentioning. Was it a Pokémon? A person? And where were they on the timeline?

"Are we back in time, Celebi?" she inquired. Penny assumed they were because she saw no evidence of Future Pokémon or technology.

Celebi nodded. "We are, but we're not too far from the present. This is an important day in time, Penny. My friend will tell you more. You'll meet him on the Islet."

The Islet? As in, the island that sat alone like a ghost town in the middle of Casseroya, where all the Tatsugiri enjoyed hanging out? Penny didn't blame them. With a prime view of Glaseado's snowy peaks from the Islet, she'd turn into a Tatsugiri in a skinny minute.

"Wait, hold on a second," Penny said suddenly. "Did you say Arven is on his way to meet this friend of yours, alone, with a fever nonetheless?"

"He only went as far as the meadow," Celebi instantly explained. "He's waiting for you there. After all, Miraidon is the only one who can travel quickly across the water. Now, go. You need to hurry. My friend will see the Scarlet Book and know you and Arven are the ones I sent to him. Please, Penny. I need to make amends for what happened last time on this day. Taking Turo to the future was a horrible move on my part."