Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared

Chapter 29 (Old): The Mastermind of Deception

The Pokémon Center Kenji escorted Arven and his friends to was on the other side of Levincia. It was a high-tech, hacienda-like building that had tall, glass windows over half of it. Its lobby was just as large. Robots and only a few people roamed it, and holograms popped up in different areas. The robots didn't look like Sada, though, but trash cans, soda machines, etc.

The people did look like Sada, but they moved a bit stiff and twitchy at times.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy held her hands in front of her pokéball-style apron and bowed to Arven and his friends.

Nemona jogged to the check-in desk and set Meowscarada's pokéball down on it. "Nurse Joy," she begged, "could you heal my Meowscarada?"

Joy tugged on her pink ponytail and studied Arven's crowd, including Kenji. "Of course, young lady," she said. "I'm surprised it's not in a Holographic Ball, though. They're the new big thing now."

"A Holographic Ball?" Nemona asked, intrigued. Dang, she loved the future!

Joy picked up Meowscarada's pokéball and pressed a button on her desk. "Trainers carry the Hologram Pokémon in them," she explained. A blue, see-through screen appeared in front of her. Joy swiped through a few different ones before she stopped and said, "Ah ha, here we go." She held the pokéball up to the screen.

Beams of light caught it. They took the pokéball out of Joy's hand and scanned it. With each scan, the ball spun.

Arven snuck up on Nemona, helping Sada. He wrapped her arm around his shoulders and said, "Excuse me, ma'am? I know this is a Pokémon Center, but could you by any chance spare a room for my mom here? She's a little dizzy." He tightened his grip when Sada started to slip out of his grasp.

"Oh wow!" Joy stopped everything she was doing. "It's her," she whispered under her breath. She rushed out from behind her desk and came within reach of Sada.

Joy squealed and chomped on her nails. "She's your mom, kid? Incredible. She's one of the most human-like AIs I have ever seen. Man, am I jealous."

"You know she's an AI, too?" It was official. Arven would never be able to hide his mom's identity in the future.

Joy grinned at him. "Of course. Only AIs can Terastallize like that. There's a lab in Levincia that specializes in AI technology. In fact, the professor who runs it just invented the Hologram Pokémon."

Kenji hurried to her before she could say any more. "Whoa, let's stop right there, A—I mean, Joy. We don't want to fill these time travelers' heads with too much craziness."

"Time travelers, huh?" Joy inquired, and her eyes landed on Celebi. "That makes sense. I do see Celebi." She gave the Pokémon a quick wave.

Celebi returned it and flew in a few circles around Miraidon's head.

"Oh, what am I doing?" Joy forgot she was on the clock. She gestured for Arven to follow her. "Follow me, son. There are plenty of rooms available." She leaned over her desk and plucked Meowscarada's pokéball (it flashed a little) from the holographic claws. Her attention switched from Arven to Nemona. "As for you, young lady, I'll take your Pokémon back to the healing station."

Nemona cheered. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" With her Meowscarada better, would she finally have the guts to battle again? Nemona missed it tremendously.

***

"Arven, what are you doing?" Sada questioned after he, she, and Joy stepped through some double black doors at the back of the Pokémon Center's lobby. They sauntered down a long, white hallway that had rooms on either side of them.