“Why can’t I be human?” Sada asked Mabosstiff, soon after she and Arven stopped for a quick rest in the heart of the thicket. She scratched her back on the log she rested it on and peered in the direction where Arven took off—toward the cabin. “Why can’t I frolic like you guys?” Was it possible for an AI to cry?

Sada glanced at her twitching arm. She had the urge to rip out all her wires, just in case there was something human-like in there, but she didn’t want to break herself further.

Arven soon appeared in the thicket’s opening, followed closely by Nemona and Scarlet riding Koraidon, but there was no sight of Penny. He pointed at her and said, “There she is.”

“Professor!” Oh, gosh. For once, could Nemona lose her sunny personality? She slid off Koraidon’s back and came within reach of Sada, with Celebi next to her. Grinning, she brought her hands together. “What was this Pokémon like? Arven said it looked like a futuristic version of Slither Wing.” Her eyes landed on Sada’s broken arm. “Look at you, Professor—feeling pain for the first time. This calls for a celebration.”

A celebration? Was she insane?

Sada gave Nemona a funny look and said to Arven, “I thought you were going to get Penny.”

Nemona cleared her throat. “Yeah, um, she doesn’t really want to talk to Arven right now, but hey! Scarlet and I are here to keep you company until she comes around.”

Koraidon huffed behind her.

“Oh, and Koraidon and Celebi, too,” Nemona added.

“What about Miraidon?” Sada inquired. She knew Miraidon was a little mad at her, but still. She wanted to have her very first Paradox Pokémon next to her. Was that a good thing?

Nemona cupped Sada’s shoulder and answered her question. “He’s watching the cabin until we get back. But enough of that. Let’s get you up and home.” Her hand moved down to Sada’s arm, and she tugged on it.

“Ow!” Sada yelled, ripping it free. “Don’t touch me, Nemona! Please.” She reached for her heart and turned her back to Nemona. “I don’t want to attack you.”

Too late.

“AI Sada vulnerable,” a sudden, robotic voice announced from Sada’s system. “Switching to attack mode to prevent human contact.”

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“No, no, no!” Sada begged, reaching for her head.

Steam puffed out of Arven’s ears. “Nemona, what did you do to her?” he bitterly asked. He pushed Nemona aside and kneeled to Sada. “Mom, you’ve got to fight it. You’ve got to be brave.”

“I can’t,” she whimpered, and she buried her face in her hands.

“Infrared gathering energy,” continued the robotic voice. Under its power, Sada’s twitching worsened, just like it did in Area Zero a month ago. Familiar Tera crystals popped up on her legs. They moved up the length of her body and turned her crop top, shorts, and lab coat infrared.

Scarlet quickly pulled Arven away from Sada and nodded at Koraidon. If it meant defeating Infrared, then she was ready for a battle.

“I just want to be human!” That was the last thing Sada told her computer before her cyan eyes returned. With a Master Ball in her hand, she rose to her feet and faced the kids and their Pokémon. “I will not let any humans near me,” she threatened, and she threw her ball forward. “Slither Wing!”

In an instant, Sada’s Paradox, bug-like Pokémon busted out of its ball. Unlike the Pokémon from before, its orange and yellow wings were not made out of iron, but fur. White fur covered its body, and it stood on two legs.

“Wait! Wait! Let me!” Nemona chanted before Koraidon could transform into his battle form. “It’s time to battle! Pawmot, let’s go!”

The Pokémon that emerged from her pokéball was bipedal, too, and mouse-like with bright orange fur and yellow cheek pouches.

Sada held her right arm out to the side and ordered, “Slither Wing, we shall not let these humans interfere with Infrared. Show them no mercy!”

One hit from Slither Wing and Nemona’s Pawmot flew back and crashed into a tree.

Instantly, her smile vanished, and she hollered, “Pawmot!” What kind of Champion-ranked trainer got beat up by an AI?

“What did I tell you about the Paradox Pokémon, Nemona?” Sada questioned. She cracked a villainous smile. “They’re ruthless beings.”

“Mom, stop. Please,” Arven begged. Images of when Mabosstiff nearly died in Area Zero after getting attacked by a Paradox Pokémon plagued him, and he lowered his head. “I can’t watch you do this to yourself.”

“It’s my code, Arven,” Sada explained. “I only listen to Infrared.” She started to slip her hand into her lab coat’s left pocket, but she screamed, “Ow!” and fell to one knee. The Tera crystals in her teeth sparkled like a kaleidoscope when she clenched them.

For a second, Slither Wing observed her, but then it faced Arven, Nemona, and Scarlet again. Shadows from the treetops overhead covered its face, making it hard to determine what it felt.

“Sli-Slither Wing.” The way Sada’s voice broke proved she was trying to stand up to Infrared, but it still managed to pull her to the bottom of the ocean. “Use Zen Headbutt,” she ordered.

Celebi quickly put up a green barrier between Sada and Scarlet and her friends. Slither Wing smashed right into it. “Bi!” Celebi chanted, glancing at Scarlet. “The Violet book, Scarlet,” it said in her head. “We need Miraidon.” Another blow from Slither Wing cracked its barrier, but Celebi stayed strong. “Your Koraidon knows Miraidon.”

“What? What are you talking about, Celebi?” Scarlet asked, placing her palm on Koraidon’s shoulder.

At her touch, he tried to make himself look smaller by sinking toward the ground.

“Miraidon…” Celebi strained, as the crack in the barrier widened. “It’s Koraidon—Sada’s Koraidon—from the future.”