Socarrat Trail

Three years earlier

Socarrat Trail next to Casseroya Lake was Celebi’s favorite place to head to whenever it returned from another trip through time. Its peaceful, fall-like atmosphere was joyful to fly through because Celebi felt wide open and free. While it played, it peered past Socarrat’s trees and admired the sparkling water of Casseroya Lake. Somehow, it never grew tired of it.

Celebi flew over the trail’s tall, dry grass and waved at a few tree-like Pokémon, Sudowoodo.

They hustled away when it got too close and kicked up dirt and dust with their little, round feet.

Celebi went to one of the pine tree-like trees in the area. It was the tallest, fattest one in the bunch and housed clusters of small, red berries.

“Bi,” Celebi said, plucking one of the berries from the branches. It sniffed it and then popped it into its mouth. Its sweet yet sour taste melted on the Pokémon’s tongue like butter. “Bi, bi, bi!” it cheered.

Celebi picked a few more berries. It kicked them up with its feet and caught them in the old chops, not missing a single one. It stopped playing when it suddenly heard sniffing down below.

Celebi landed on one of the tree’s branches and walked to its edge. It pushed leaves out of its face and soon overlooked a small pond not far from the plant.

Professor Turo sat at the pond’s edge, his head buried in his knees. “It’s not fair!” he cried out.

“Bi?” Celebi said, intrigued. It wasn’t very often that a human came to Socarrat Trail. Why was he so sad, though?

Celebi snapped another berry off one of the tree’s twigs. With it in hand, it flew to the pond and snuck up on Turo from behind.

“I was right there!” he yelled at the Magikarp watching him from the pond’s surface. “I could have saved her!”

Uh oh, it sounded like this human just witnessed a death. Perhaps Celebi could cheer him up? It tossed the berry to one of its hands and touched Turo’s shoulder with its free one.

“Huh?” he questioned, removing his palms from his splotchy face. He rubbed his eyes and turned his head.

“Bi,” Celebi said, a smile on its face.

“It’s a Celebi,” Turo observed. “What are you doing here, little guy?” For some reason, Celebi’s presence comforted him.

“Bi.” Celebi offered Turo its berry. When he accepted it, it held its hands in front of it.

“Mmm,” Turo said, as the berry’s sweet and sour taste overtook his own mouth. “That’s good. Thank you, little guy.”

“Bi!” Celebi flew in circles around his head. It moved out of the way when he stood and brushed off his lab coat.

“I don’t know what to do,” he told the Pokémon. “I have a son, and I can’t face him. Not like this.”

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“Who died?” Celebi inquired telepathically. “Maybe I can help.”

Turo hid behind his fingers. “I was just trying to bring her flowers when that blasted Pokémon killed her!” His legs shook under him. “The worst thing is, it was all her fault! Argh!” He kicked a rock into the pond, and at once, the Magikarp scattered.

“Hey, hey.” Celebi patted Turo’s shoulder again. “Come with me. I know what you need.” A trip to the future always helped it feel better when it was down.

Celebi closed its eyes. Its magic outlined Turo in a soft, green glow. Opening them, it lifted him into the sky and escorted him toward Socarrat’s treetops.

The Pokémon’s eyes glowed up. In a blast of light, it and Turo vanished like ninjas in the night.

***

The memory passed through Turo’s brain like one of Levincia’s subways. He saw Sada lying dead on the floor in Research Station No. 4, on her front, and him standing off to the side. The bouquet of Gracidea flowers, plants that were pink in color and had six distinct petals, hit the ground. Turo fell to his knees. Too weak to stand, he crawled to Sada and picked her up. Turo cuddled her in his arms.

“No!” he shouted at the now-empty research station.

Turo couldn’t think. He couldn’t focus—not with the face of that beautiful, dead woman plaguing his memories.

“Turo,” he heard Scarlet say, “I know what it’s like to lose a loved one. I saw my dad die.”

“You don’t know anything!” Turo screamed. He couldn’t hold them back anymore. He held his fists in front of him, and warm tears splashed on them. “I will destroy any evidence of her, starting with you, Arven. You look too much like her, and it disgusts me. Just get out of my sight!” He shakily pressed another button on his device.

Staraptor and Garganacl (a Rock Pokémon that looked like brown and gray building blocks) attacked Slither Wing and Iron Moth at the same time. They pushed them back, but the Paradox Pokémon countered them by flapping their wings. Embers bounced off Iron Moth’s and pollen off Slither Wing’s.

Remaining calm, Scarlet added, “Snap out of it, Turo. I know you can do it. We just want to help you.”

Turo reached for his aching head. “Stop patronizing me! You-You child, you! I don’t need your help!”

Scarlet glanced at Arven. “I think we’ve got him, Arven.” No, she knew they did.

Arven opened his mouth to speak, but Turo beat him to it. “I loved her!” The device dropped from his hand and rolled to AI Joy’s feet. It tapped her toes.

Bending over, she scooped it up.

Turo hit the ground with so much force that a searing pain engulfed his kneecaps like an inferno.

A concerned look washed across Arven’s face. “Dad?” he asked. “Stop attacking!” he called to the Pokémon.

They listened to him and gave Turo space.

His breathing unsteady, he sobbed, “I’m sorry!” Ignoring the pain in his knees, he jumped up and threw his arms around Infrared.

She stood still, with no emotion on her face.

“I’m so sorry,” Turo repeated in a quieter voice. He held Infrared close to him and ran his fingers through her soft, dirty blonde hair. “I never meant to hurt you. I just couldn’t stand thinking about you. I wanted to forget you, but I couldn’t because… because… because I love you, Sada.”

Slither Wing and Iron Moth faced him, while Kenji, Penny, and Nemona stood open-mouthed. How did Scarlet do that?

They were in so much shock that they paid no attention to the red ceiling, which flashed a few times.

Miraidon and Koraidon did notice the ceiling, though, and they carefully studied it. Pits formed in their tummies, and each of them growled.

Celebi came within reach of Turo. “Bi,” it whimpered, lowering its antennae. “Thank you, Scarlet,” it said telepathically. “Thank you for saving my trainer.”

“No problem, Celebi.” Confident, Scarlet hooked her fingers behind her. “It’s the power of acceptance.”

“Acceptance,” Arven whispered to himself. He had to admit, it was slightly embarrassing that his friend was stronger than him. At the same time, if she could accept death, perhaps, just maybe—

Before Arven could finish his thought, Infrared, from out of nowhere, punched Turo and threw him back.

He slammed down hard on his back and yelled when he bounced like a bouncy ball.

“Dad!” Arven shrieked. His instincts led him away from his friends and took him to Turo. Sinking next to him, Arven placed his hand on his dad’s chest. “Are you okay?”

Turo did not move, but his chest bouncing told Arven that he was alive.

“Dad,” he tried again. He shook him, but his dad still did not stir.

“Ah,” a voice said from off to the side, “so that’s the power of Infrared.” AI Joy moved Turo’s device over to her right hand. Her mouth twitched, and her lips flipped up to create an upside-down arch. “I like it.”