Miraidon moved as fast as his four legs carried him. He slipped and slid off moving walkways and ended up in a lake under one of them. The Pokémon kicked his feet and lugged himself to a park. It had robotic trash cans, Pokémon, and another display of Hologram Pokémon.

People tried grabbing him, but Miraidon booted them away. He finally told himself, "Ah, screw this," and switched to his battle form. With Arven on the brink of becoming a cyborg, he couldn't stall any longer.

Miraidon soared over the heads of people, Pokémon, and robots in the park.

Some scattered, Miraidon accidentally threw others forward, and a few people even ended up in the mouths of the robotic trash cans.

Miraidon saw the hospital and rushed toward it. He landed in the parking lot and returned to his low-power mode.

The security guards from before saw him and yelled, "Hey!" At once, they ordered their Iron Hands to close in on Miraidon.

He stood his ground, but the Future Pokémon pointed their electrified palms at him. Lightning flashed between the creatures, and they prepared themselves for battle.

"I'm trying to protect Arven!" Miraidon roared.

"We told you not to come back!" one of the Iron Hands warned. "If we must, we'll battle it out."

"But he's in danger!" Miraidon gasped for air when the second Iron Hands landed a Body Slam on him. He hopped back and bent his body. He didn't want to fight, but he had no choice.

Before he changed back into his battle form, he heard, "Miraidon!" Penny, Nemona, Scarlet, and Celebi found him.

They hopped off the moving walkway Sada and Miraidon took to the hospital and sprinted into the fray. They were like soldiers emerging from the trench, ready to fight for their individuality.

Penny jumped between the Iron Hands and Miraidon and held her arms out to her sides. "What's going on here?" In the meantime, her friends caught Miraidon's shoulders and dragged him away from the security guards.

"Is that Pokémon with you?" one of them asked.

"He is," Penny said. "We're friends with his trainer. What's the issue?"

"That Pokémon and his trainer are forbidden to come here," the guard explained. "They're nothing but rogue robots. We don't need those creatures on our property."

"Rogue? What are you talking about? They are not rogue! Sada is Arven's mom!" Penny clenched her fists. "I also know that Arven wants his mom right now."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," the guard snorted. "The child's mom is dead. By law, we need to turn him over to his father." His eyes narrowed. "I know—it sucks being that kid. Iron Hands." He snapped his fingers, and the Pokémon went to him.

The guard fixed his eyes on Penny. "You guys can come in, but that Pokémon is not allowed. Besides, I don't see his puny, little trainer anywhere."

Both Miraidon and Penny glared. How dare the guard call Sada "puny"!

Miraidon almost lunged at him, but Penny held her arm up to his chest.

"You know what? Screw you." She threatened to punch the guards. "I challenge you to a battle!"

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They stepped back. "A battle?"

"You heard me. We battle right now. If I win, you let us and Miraidon through. If not, we'll leave quietly." Penny passed her friends and opened the space between her and the guards, drawing a pokéball. With her free hand, she adjusted her glasses.

"Well, since you insist, I guess I have no choice," one of the guards stated. "Let's battle, but one Pokémon each because that's all I have."

"Fair enough." Penny lifted her pokéball. "Sylveon, I choose—"

"Gias!" Miraidon changed forms and hurried to her. "Agiasgias!" Penny would have a better chance at winning if he fought instead of Sylveon. No offense to Sylveon, but Miraidon knew the Future Pokémon better. With the tip of his tail, he whacked the pokéball out of Penny's grasp.

"Miraidon, what are you doing?" Penny retrieved Sylveon and pushed on Miraidon's rump, but he didn't budge.

"Let me battle, Penny," he begged. "I can knock some sense into these Future Pokémon during it."

Penny looked at Celebi. "What'd he say?"

"That he wants to battle." Celebi moved closer to Penny. "It's probably for the best, Penny. After all, Miraidon knows these Future Pokémon better than any of us. I know what his attacks are. Therefore, I can guide you."

"Thank you, Celebi. All right." Penny gestured at Miraidon. "Let's do this, Miraidon."

***

Miraidon and Iron Hands faced each other, battle-ready. The first thing Miraidon needed to consider was Iron Hands' type. According to the Violet Book, it was a Fighting/Electric type, but did it have higher Special Defense or Physical? That was something the Violet Book didn't say. However, because most Fighting Pokémon were hard-hitters, that probably meant Iron Hands had lower Special Defense. That was good for Miraidon because most of his attacks were Special.

Celebi floated next to Penny's head and whispered behind its hand.

"Miraidon," she announced, "I know it's only neutral effective, but start with Power Gem!"

"Gias." Already, Penny's smartness came in handy. A flash of light resembling gemstones left Miraidon and stunned Iron Hands.

Miraidon's attack didn't leave a scratch on it, as expected, but Iron Hands twirled on the parking lot like a dancer, dizzy and confused.

Miraidon took the opportunity to speak with it. "Look, I don't like Arven, either, but as Sada's Pokémon, I must protect him. Besides, is it so much to ask to let his friends see him?" He caught Penny staring worriedly at the ground, lost in thought about Arven. The blush in her face said everything.

Iron Hands managed to catch its balance. It lifted its foot and clapped its big hands. "I think you misheard us. We said they could come in, but not you. Master's orders."

"Well, disobey him!" Miraidon leaped out of the way of Iron Hands and glared at its trainer (he called him Security Guard One).

Temporarily, it looked like Iron Hands thought about disobeying, and then its trainer declared, "Iron Hands, use Stomping Tantrum!"

Penny's fists shook. "Speed, Miraidon! Use Agility! Whatever it takes, we'll get you in that hospital."

Iron Hands's trainer glanced at her. Was he starting to gain a heart? He looked like he was thinking. Miraidon even heard him say, "Hmm."

As if he were a ninja, Miraidon disappeared from the parking lot and reappeared in different spots.

If there was a weakness Iron Hands did have, it was speed. It hit Miraidon once but missed the rest of the time.

The ninjustu and failed assault lasted a while before Miraidon, out of nowhere, appeared behind Iron Hands.

Seeing him, Iron Hands flinched.

"We're coming, Arven!" Penny called. "Miraidon, Power Gem!"

Flash!

Iron Hands waddled on the battlefield like a bewildered Psyduck.

Penny snapped her left arm out. "Now, finish it with Dragon Pulse!"

"Agiasgias!" Miraidon's mouth gaped, and he launched a bluish-purple shock wave while Iron Hands was still stunned.

It smacked its back, and the Pokémon cried out, sliding on its front on the battlefield. It zipped past Penny and her friends and nearly crashed into the hospital's moving walkway.

Dust spewed up, and a few people hopped onto the return walkway.

Penny, Scarlet, and Nemona cheered under the parking lot's futuristic sun's setting rays. They hit the hospital's glass windows and created a spectrum of colors.

"We did it, Miraidon! We did it!" That was the happiest Miraidon had seen Penny in a while.

Iron Hands nodded at him and pretended to faint. "Maybe just this once, I'll disobey Master."

Did it sense Miraidon's determination? He was ready to fight to the death if it meant saving Arven. It was no accident that Penny felt the same.

She lost her smile and said to Security Guard One, "We had a deal."

"So we did." One's tone suggested he knew Iron Hands took it easy on Miraidon, but it also said he understood why. "Very well." He chuckled and clutched his left hip. "Come with us, children. You, too, Miraidon, and we'll get you settled."